Blog

It's been busy...

Concerts
italics = gigs I played :)
* = gigs I put on

January
[[ exams ]]
18 - Dub From Atlantis + The Hit-Ups; The Croft, Bristol
19 - The Haggis Horns; Native, Bristol
21* - The Blessing; epi bar, Bristol
22 - Ruckus Collective; Mr Wolf's, Bristol
23 - Ruckus Collective; Moles, Bath
25 - Hélélé; Oppo, Bristol
31 - Powerplant w/ Elysian Quartet; St George's, Bristol

February
4* - Spokinn Movement; epi bar, Bristol
7 - Mankala; The Attic, Bristol
9 - Ruckus Collective; Anson Rooms, Bristol
9 - Spokinn Movement; Mr Wolf's, Bristol
12 - The Blessing; Thekla, Bristol
16 - Ruckus Collective; Oppo, Bristol
18 - Ruckus Collective; Joe Public's, Bristol
20 - Roni Size & Reprazent; Thekla, Bristol
21 - Tribal Underground; Tao Bar, Bristol
23 - Ruckus Collective; a beer festival, Bristol
27 - Ruckus Collective; Mr Wolf's, Bristol
28 - Ruckus Collective; The Attic, Bristol (w/ Anomaly + The Scribes)
29 - Ruckus Collective; The Golden Lion, Bristol (w/ CCQ)

March
4 - Ruckus Collective; student ball, Bristol
6 - King Porter Stomp; Tao Bar, Bristol
7 - Ruckus Collective; student ball, Bristol
8 - Mark Wingfield; Avon Gorge Room, Bristol
9 - Kokolo; Mr Wolf's, Bristol
12 - Songwriter Session; The Lansdown, Bristol
14* - Anomaly; The Attic, Bristol (my birthday party!)
16 - Ruckus Collective; Mr Wolf's, Bristol
17* - Mankala; epi bar, Bristol
20 - Sheelanagig; Grain Barge, Bristol
25 - Joe Driscoll + Gideon Conn; Vibe Bar, London
27 - Tony Allen; Jazz Cafe, London
28 - Acoustic Ladyland; Vortex, London
29 - John Scofield; Jazz Cafe, London
30 - Richard Bona; Jazz Cafe, London

April
1 - Robert Mitchell & Omar Puente; St Cyprian's Church, London
4 - Ruckus Collective; Brixton Jamm, London
5 - Ruckus Collective; Bar Sonic, London
6 - Ruckus Collective; Thekla, Bristol (w/ The Apples)
7 - Polar Bear; Ronnie Scott's, London
10 - jam session; Harris jazz bar, Krakow
17 - Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings; Jazz Cafe, London
18 - Led Bib; QEH Front Room, London
19 - Antibalas Afrobeat Orchestra + The Budos Band; Jazz Cafe, London
20 - Polar Bear; Colston Hall Bar, Bristol
22 - Ruckus Collective; Timbuk2, Bristol
26 - Ruckus Collective; Phoenix, Exeter
28 - Dr Doctor; Joe Public's, Bristol
29 - Ruckus Collective; Mr Wolf's, Bristol
30 - The Zen Hussies; Old Duke, Bristol

May
1 - Talibam! + Ashowka + Sweet Potato; The Croft, Bristol
4 - Ruckus Collective; Jester's, Bristol
8 - Ruckus Collective; The Croft, Bristol (w/ Bizali + clayton blizzard)
[[ exams ]]
26 - Edenheight; The Full Moon, Bristol

June
7 - Ruckus Collective; street party, Bristol
8 - Ruckus Collective; live radio session, Bristol
12 - Ruckus Collective; Lakota, Bristol
13 - Ruckus Collective; Mr Wolf's, Bristol
16 - Ruckus Collective; Tiger Tiger, Cardiff
17 - Ruckus Collective; The Croft, Bristol
28 - Ruckus Collective; The Golden Lion, Bristol

July
2 - Kenny Garrett; Ronnie Scott's, London
11 - NORTH SEA JAZZ FESTIVAL, Rotterdam
Charles Lloyd, David S. Ware, Led Bib, Herbie Hancock, Bootsy Collins,
12 - NORTH SEA JAZZ FESTIVAL
Pat Metheny, Victor Wooten, The Bad Plus, David Sanchez, Finn Peters, Wayne Shorter, James Carter
13 - NORTH SEA JAZZ FESTIVAL
Lefties Soul Connection, Rudresh Mahanthappa, Gary Burton, Mark Helias, Brad Mehldau, Maceo Parker, Branford Marsalis, Buddy Guy
16 - Samay; Dingwalls, London
20 - Neil Cowley Trio; Koko, London
21 - BBC Jazz Awards; Mermaid Theatre, London
[[ including: Return to Forever, Guy Barker, Empirical, Fraud, Tommy Smith, Charlie Haden, Tony Kofi, The Blessing... ]]
22 - Hypnotic Brass Ensemble; ICA, London
23 - Youngblood Brass Band; Jazz Cafe, London
27 - Ealing Jazz Festival, London
29 - Grupo Fantasma + BROWNOUT; Jazz Cafe, London
30 - Portico Quartet; Rough Trade East, London
31 - Hot 8 Brass Band; Cargo, London

August
6 - Ruckus Collective; The Old Blue Last, London
15 - Ruckus Collective; The Griffin, Frome
16 - Ruckus Collective; The Yardbird, Birmingham
17 - Ruckus Collective; party, nr Brighton
19 - Ruckus Collective; The Croft, Bristol
20 - Maceo Parker; Pigalle Club, London
23 - Hélélé / Edenheight; Old Duke Jazz Festival, Bristol
24 - Compadres; The Tobacco Factory, Bristol
27 - Ruckus Collective; Mr Wolf's, Bristol (open mic)
28 - Ruckus Collective; Ride Cafe, Plymouth (w/ The Scribes)
29 - Ruckus Collective; The Good Ship, London

September
4 - Roots Manuva; Rough Trade, London
4 - The Apples; Cargo, London
11 - Ruckus Collective; Joe Public's, Bristol (w/ Toyface + The Hats)

October
2 - Clayton Blizzard; The Junction, Bristol
22 - Arun Ghosh; Vortex, London
23 - Adam Waldmann Quartet; Charlie Wright's, London

November
6 - Jim Hart + jam session; Charlie Wright's, London
7 - Spokinn Movement; Ginglik, London
13 - Spokinn Movement; Pangea Project, London
[[ London Jazz Festival starts ]]
14 - Ken Vandermark, Barry Guy, Mark Sanders; Vortex, London
15 - Bill Frisell; Barbican Centre, London
16 - Richard Galliano & Gonzalo Rubalcaba; Queen Elizabeth Hall, London
17 - Chris Potter; Ronnie Scott's, London
18 - Robert Glasper; Cargo, London
19 - Herbie Hancock; Barbican Centre, London
20 - Courtney Pine; Barbican Centre, London
21 - Matthew Herbert Big Band + José James; Royal Festival Hall, London
22 - Chucho Valdés; Barbican Centre, London
23 - Biréli Lagrène, Martin Taylor; Queen Elizabeth Hall, London
[[ end of London Jazz Festival ]]
24 - a concert featuring works of Morton Feldman and Earle Brown, taking place as part of the Mark Rothko exhibition at Tate Modern, London

December
4 - Erik Truffaz; 16 Tons, Moscow
5 - The Bad Plus; 16 Tons, Moscow
12 - jazz showcase, Moscow


Ruckus Collective
The band really took off in 2008, playing over 30 gigs (actually only up til August/September), visiting a few different cities and recording a full-length studio album, Stop, Drop, Dance!, during a crazy period after uni exams in June. Earlier in the year we also self-produced a five-track EP, Rise Of The Ruckusaurus. Apart from that I played the odd function gig here and there around Bristol, and plenty of jams - always good fun.


Journalism
I had quite a few articles published throughout the year, writing for publications including London Tourdates (LTD), Jazzwise, All About Jazz (AAJ) and Fly. Not sure if anyone's going to check these out, but here's a list (in order of publishing):

28/2/08 - CD: The Blessing, All Is Yes [AAJ]
29/3/08 - Live: Acoustic Ladyland @ Vortex, London [AAJ]
8/4/08 - Live: Richard Bona @ Jazz Cafe, London [Fly]
9/4/08 - Live: John Scofield @ Jazz Cafe, London [AAJ]
15/4/08 - Live: Tony Allen and Antibalas @ Jazz Cafe, London [Fly]
19/4/08 - Live: Polar Bear @ Ronnie Scott's, London [AAJ]
23/4/08 - Live: Robert Mitchell & Omar Puente @ St. Cyprian's, London [AAJ]
15/5/08 - Interview: 'These Acoustics Can Electrify' - Pete Wareham of Acoustic Ladyland [LTD]
15/5/08 - Live: Antibalas and The Budos Band @ Jazz Cafe, London [LTD]
24/5/08 - CD: James Carter, Present Tense [AAJ]
30/5/08 - CD: Ponto de Equilíbrio, Abre a Janela [Fly]
21/6/08 - Live: The Heliocentrics / Flying Lotus @ Venn Festival, Bristol [Fly]
9/7/08 - Live: Kenny Garrett @ Ronnie Scott's, London [Jazzwise]
11/7/08 - CD: Blink, Blink [LTD]
21/7/08 - Live: North Sea Jazz Festival 2008 [Jazzwise]
22/7/08 - Live: Latin Funk Spectacular to hit Jazz Cafe [Fly]
24/7/08 - Live: Neil Cowley Trio @ Koko, London [Jazzwise]
24/7/08 - Interview: 'What's In A Name?' - Neil Cowley [LTD]
31/7/08 - Live: North Sea Jazz Festival 2008 [AAJ]
8/8/08 - Live: Samay at Dingwalls, London [LTD]
8/8/08 - CD: Polar Bear, Polar Bear [LTD]
22/8/08 - Interview: 'Mercury Rising For Hang Men' - Portico Quartet [LTD]
27/8/08 - CD: Avishai Cohen, Gently Disturbed [AAJ]
5/9/08 - Live: Maceo Parker @ Pigalle Club, London [LTD]
1/10/08 - Interview: Taking Off - James Morton [Jazzwise]
3/10/08 - CD: Alex Wilson, Salsa Con Soul [Fly]
4/10/08 - Interview: '77 Not Out' - Omara Portuondo [Fly]
24/11/08 - Interview: 'Freedom First, History Later' - Manuel Mengis (Manuel Mengis Gruppe 6) [AAJ]
2/12/08 - Live: London Jazz Festival 2008 [AAJ]
21/12/08 - Live: Moscow City Jazz Festival 2008 [AAJ]


Broadcasting
While I was in Bristol, I had a weekly show on BURST Radio called Off The Hook. It was a really cool experience and I played a lot of different tunes, as well as being joined by several guests from the local music scene. I won't go into detail here, as this is already too long, but you can see the myspace page for info and playlists. [Some of my friends have taken it over this year, as I'm not attending uni at the moment, so tune in!]


Many thanks to anyone who's had a look at this post - all the best wishes for Christmas and the New Year!

peace,
frederick

Lun 21 Lug – 40° International Jazz Festival

Oh My God, last night was a great one. An event that i won't forget for my entire life.
Everything was perfect. We can start from presentation of the amazing musicians that played yesterday night.

On the stage we had Chris Potter with the sax who have a very particular style playing. He draws lines of sax that sometimes scream and scratch and sometimes
lull you.

There was Dave Holland who played bass and electric bass with decision. In the middle of the event he played a solo that you don't see (listen) every day.



With his two guitars and a wonderful voice we had Lionel Loueke. We had a special moment also for him when he played a solo and sang with a magic effect. A very nice trick.

We had two singers Sonia Kitchell and Amy Keys, the first sweet while the second was scratchy and aggressive. River sung by Sonia Kitchell was unforgettable as "When love comes to town" of Amy Keys.

Finally we introduce who has no need to be introduced. The first is Vinnie Colaiuta, in my opinion, the best drummer in the world. Yesterday night he was fantastic. The last but not the least is the star of the event: Herbie Hancock. Yesterday night he tricked, he played in an amazing way.

I'm so sorry for whom that lost yesterday night event, but it was something unforgettable. A dream that brings you to another dimension of jazz music.

It's a shame how with so much music being so easily accessible through the internet these days that more and more people are not devoting enough time to great albums. I often hear about people simply listening to one album, if that, and then moving on to the next bundle of files they downloaded without much of a chance of the previous albums being returned to multiple times to become part of that person's life. Where I come from we would call these people posers.
I encourage everyone to actually listen to the albums that speak to them. Return to them many times and live them.
Below I made a few lists of music that meant a lot to me in 2007.
These are lists for music that:

*was released in 2007 that I fell in love with
*I discovered and fell in love with in 2007, but was released in another year
*I rediscovered and fell in love with again in 2007. I tried to keep this down to music I have not listened to for ten years or more.
I know I missed a lot of great shit this year or I just need to give some albums more time to fall in love with - they will make it on next year's list.
I generally hate lists, they usually do nothing but name drop. I made this from a few friends' requests and decided to also post it here. I feel that this list is honest and reflects a mass amount of amazing music.

First - the most mind-blowing, life fuckery of an album for me in 2007, what deserves to be first on this list:

•Kemialliset Ystävät - Kemialliset Ystävät

A few albums that deserve to be mentioned at the top of the list:

•Anthony Braxton - 9 Compositions (Iridium)
•Brothers of the Occult Sisterhood - Enter the Cult Until the Dust to Represent the World Has Discovered the Hallucinogens and Bent us to Their Use
•Marnie Stern - In Advance of the Broken Arm
•David Torn - Prezens
•KK Null - Fertile
•World's End Girlfriend - Hurtbreak Wonderland
•Ween - La Cucaracha
•Terracid - Pinnacles Upon Aesthetes in Glorious Rows
•Letters Letters - Letters Letters
•John Zorn - Six Litanies For Heliogabalus
•Noah Creshevsky - To Know And Not To Know
•Lamborghini Crystal - Dial 747-Creepozoid / Little Deuce Coupe T.V. Dinners
•Keith Rowe - The Room
•Akron/Family - Love Is Simple

The rest of the list of releases in 2007

•Aesop Rock - None Shall Pass
•alex delivery - Star Destroyer
•Alog - Amateur
•Amon Tobin - Foley Room
•Angelo Petronella - Sintesi da un Diario
•Animal Collective - Strawberry Jam
•Battles - Mirrored
•Black Moth Super Rainbow - Dandelion Gum
•The Book of Knots - Traineater
•Bougouni Yaalali - Yaala yaala
•Castanets - In The Vines
•The Cherry Blossoms - The Cherry Blossoms
•Chris Potter - Follow The Red Line
•Dalek - Abandoned Language
•Daphne Oram - Oramicss
•Death Ambient - Drunken Forest
•Derek Bailey - Standards
•DJ Scotch Egg - Scotch Hausen
•Dredd Foole - Daze On The Mounts
•Drona Parva - Drona Parva
•EAQuartett - Electroacoustiquarett
•(etre) - Voices Stomp Flames for Requiem Times
•Eyvind Kang - The Yelm Sessions
•Factums - Alien Native
•Flying Lotus Reset EP
•The Focus Group - We Are All Pan's People
•Frank Zappa - Wazoo
•Fred Frith-Evelyn Glennie - The Sugar Factory
•Frode Haltli - Passing Images
•Giuseppe Ielasi - Augus
•Grinderman - Grinderman
•Gultskra Artikler - Kasha Iz Topora
•Heliocentrics - Out There
•Islaja - Ulual Yyy
•Jennifer Gentle - A New Astronomy
•John Wiese - Soft Punk
•Karlheinz Stockhausen - Stimmung
•Koch-Schütz-Studer - Tales From 30 Unintentional Nights
•Modest Mouse - We Were Dead Before The Ship Even Sank
•MoHa! - Norwegianism
•Monks - Demo Tapes 1965
•Panda Bear - Person Pitch
•Pekos / Yoro Diallo - Pekos/Yoro Diallo
•Puzzleweasel - Exo-Grid
•Raccoo-oo-oon - Behold Secret Kingdom
•Religious Knives - Remains
•Shape Of Broad Minds - Craft of the Lost Art
•Sightings - Through The Panama
•Subtle - Yell&Ice
•Supersilent - 8
•Tomahawk - Anonymous
•Tomutonttu - Tomutonttu LP
•Tujiko Noriko - Solo
•Un Festín Sagital - Epitafio a la Permanencia
•Von Südenfed - Tromatic Reflexxions
•Wooden Shjips - Wooden Shjips
•Wooden Wand - James and the Quiet

Compilations of 2007:

•Black Mirror: Reflections in Global Musics 1918-1955
•The Crests Of The Avians Dance To Our Vibes
•Ethnic Minority Music Of North Vietnam
•People Take Warning (Murder Ballads and Disaster Songs: 1913 - 1938)
•Ethnic Minority Music Of Southern Laos

Music I discovered and fell in love with in 2007, but was released in another year:

•Aa - gAame / 2006
•Aktuala - Aktuala / 1973
•Alastair Galbraith, Alex Neilson, Richard Youngs - Belsayer Time / 2006
•Alejandro Jodorowsky, Ronald Frangipane & Don Cherry - The Holy Mountain OST / 1973
•Alexander Tucker - Furrowed Brow / 2006
•AltaiKAI - XXI Century / 2005
•Andrew Hill - Compulsion / 1964
•Azalia Snail - Cooling System / 1998
•Beach House - Beach House / 2006
•Between - And the Waters Opened / 1978
•bhob rainey/Ralf Wehowsky - I Don't Think I Can See You Tonight / 2006
•Carla Bozulich - Evangelista / 2006
•Cerberus Shoal - Bastion of Itchy Preeves / 2004
•Chris Brown - Rogue Wave / 2005
•Code III - Planet Of Man / 1974
•Conlon Nancarrow - Studies for Player Piano / 1990
•Davenport - Free Country / 2005
•Debashish Bhattacharya And Bob Brozman - Mahima / 2003
•Divine Styler - Spiral Walls Containing Autumns Of Light / 1992
•Dr. Strangely Strange - Kip of the Serenes / 169
•Dream/Aktion Unit - Blood Shadow Rampage / 2006
•Earwax Control - Earwax Control / 1984
•Erase Errata - At Crystal Palace / 2003
•Exuma - Exuma / 1970
•The Franciscan Hobbies - Masks & Meanings / 2003
•Furekaaben - Prinsessevaerelset / 1970
•Gorguts - Obscura / 1998
•The Goslings - Grandeur Of Hair / 2006
•Gravity Adjusters - Expansion Band / 1973
•The Heads - At Last / 2003
•Igor Wakhevitch - Docteur Faust / 1971
•Infidel?/Castro! - Bioentropic / 2005
•Jagatara - Sorekara / 1989
•Jazkamer - METAL MUSIC MACHINE / 2006
•Kieran Hebden And Steve Reid - The Exchange Session Vol. 1 / 2006
•Kiila - Silmät Sulkaset / 2004
•Kode9 & The Space Ape - Memories Of The Future / 2006
•Krzysztof Komeda Quintet - Astigmatic / 1965
•Louis Armstrong - Hot Fives & Sevens, Volume 4 / 1991
•Mark Stewart - Learning to Cope with Cowardice / 1983
•Mickey Newbury - Frisco Mabel Joy / 1971
•Morton Subotnick - Silver Apples of the Moon/The Wild Bull / 1968
•Paper Windmill - Mountains / 2005
•Musica Dispersa - Musica Dispersa / 1970
•Musica Elettronica Viva - Leave The City / 1970
•Mythos - Mythos / 1972
•Nervous Cop - Nervous Cop / 2003
•Noah Howard - The Black Ark / 1973
•Pandit Pran Nath - Raga Cycle: Palace Theatre, Paris / 1972
•Pierre Henry - Apocalypse de Jean / 1968
•Poing - Planet Poing / 2005
•Polwechsel - Archives Of The North / 2006
•Pumajaw - Becoming Pumajaw / 2006
•Rabih Abou-Khalil - Blue Camel / 1992
•Rabih Abou-Khalil, Joachim Kühn, Jarrod Cagwin - Journey To The Center Of An Egg / 2005
•Shuta Hasunuma - Shuta Hasunuma / 2006
•The Skaters - Wind Drapeing Incense / 2006
•Spires That in the Sunset Rise - This is Fire / 2006
•Stark Reality - Now / 1970
•Strountes - Strountes / 2006
•Suara Sana - Anasaraus / 2006
•Tama - Sandru / 1990
•Telepathic Swinger - crazy soul / 2002
•Terminal 11 - Additions To Arsenal / 2005
•Third Ear Band - Music From Macbeth / 1972
•Tipographica - The Man Who Does Not Nod / 1995
•Tokyo Kid Brothers - Throw Away The Books, Let's Go Into The Streets / 1971
•Tom Dissevelt / Kid Baltan - Song of the Second Moon / 1967
•Tower Recordings - Furniture Music for Evening Shuttles / 1998
•Twink - Think Pink / 1970
•Uli Troyer - Nok / 2000
•Uniform - Protocol (Planet Mu) / 2006
•Vas Deferens Organization - Saturation / 1996
•Volcano the Bear - Classic Erasmus Fusion / 2006
•Welcome - Sirs / 2006
•Yximalloo - The Worst Of 1986 / 1986
•Zimmer Frei - Zimmer Frei / 1981

Compilations from a year other than 2007

•LAFMS: The Lowest Form Of Music / 1998
•Anthology of Dutch Electronic Tape Music Volume 1 (1955-1966) / 1978
•Douze Pour Un / 1982
•Underground French Music 1977-198 / 2004
•Gold Leaf Branches / 2005
•Vintage Hawaiian Music: Steel Guitar Masters 1928 - 1934 / 1989
•Siked Psych: Not Not Fun Gold / 2006

Music I rediscovered and fell in love with again in 2007:

•Chrome - Half-Machine Lip Moves / 1980
•Count Basie - The Complete Atomic Basie / 1957
•Crass - Penis Envy / 1981
•Duke Ellington - New Orleans Suite / 1971
•Dwarves - Blood Guts & Pussy / 1990
•The Incredible String Band - The 5000 Spirits or the Layers of the Onion / 1967
•Klaus Nomi - Klaus Nomi / 1981
•Naked Raygun - Jettison / 1988
•The Queers - A Day Late and a Dollar Short / 1984
•Rapeman - Two Nuns and a Pack Mule / 1989


At the end I still feel it useless to create such a list. For myself it was useful in many ways but I can't imagine how it will do anyone else any good. If I was a better person I would put a description with each release. Just a list of artists doesn't seem to accomplish much.
Anyway, I hope it can be useful to someone.

Devendra Banhart



Jazz bands: Oregon and Chris Potter

Jazz guitar players: Adam Rogers

Cheers to the last.fm staff (vincent & claire) for working with me to sync up my database with their database!

A whole bunch of events have just today been added for the artists I work with. Here's the currently active roster, purely for tagging in hopes a couple of fans might find out their fav. artists are coming to town:

Altan
Anat Cohen
Angélique Kidjo
The Bad Plus
Brad Mehldau
Caetano Veloso
CéU
Charles Lloyd
Cherish the Ladies
Chris Potter
Dave Holland
Dianne Reeves
Dobet Gnahoré
Esperanza Spalding
The Idan Raichel Project
Jason Moran
Joe Lovano
Joe Zawinul
John McLaughlin
John Scofield
Kathy Mattea
Ladysmith Black Mambazo
Lenine
Mary Black
McCoy Tyner
Mickey Hart
Mighty Clouds of Joy
Ojos de Brujo
Oscar Castro-Neves
Preservation Hall Jazz Band
Richard Bona
Rokia Traoré
Roy Hargrove
Sex Mob
SFJazz Collective
Sidestepper
Spanish Harlem Orchestra
Steven Bernstein's Millenial Territory Orchestra
Vusi Mahlasela
Wayne Shorter
Youssou N'Dour

Enjoy! GO SEE LIVE MUSIC!!

April 9, 2007 (Mon) 8:00 p.m.
Dave Holland and Chris Potter
@Jordan Hall, New England Conservatory

Dave Holland (bass)
Chris Potter (tenor sax)

The equation is:

Sum up the listeners of each artist in your Top 10, divide it by 10 to get the average, then divide it by the total listeners of last.fm's top artist (currently held by The Beatles).

Youngblood Brass Band - 2,946

Chick Corea Elektric Band - 1,476

Ronny Jordan - 6,909

Gotan Project - 64,142

Thievery Corporation - 157,925

Bob Marley - 178,799

Matisyahu - 70,635

Chris Potter - 2,433

Michael Brecker - 4,210

Julien Lourau - 437

= 489,912 total listeners

average: 48991.2
divided by 496,650 Beatles listeners

= 0.0986433

I guess that means I'm just under 10% mainstream... interesting.

Damn! I hate the heat! Love the desert but hate the heat. I'd rather have sunburn than frostbite though, which is why The Boss and I chose this little cactus paradise. When the temp hits 110F I scoot indoors, hide under the bed, and snooze until Fall. Which is my way of apologizing for the absence of journal entries. All of you must have been waiting in suspense all summer for my next entry. Right. And there's a pile of WMDs under the cat's litter box. The temperature sneaked under 99F today so I thought I would exercise these paws on the word processor.

Falling mercury wasn't the only thing that woke me from my voluntary limbo. The Boss had the TV on Fox News and I heard the dulcet tones of former President Clinton. Dulcet like a hornet! He was berating Chris Wallace fo attempting the usual hit job FOX does on anyone left of Anne Coulter. All I can say is kudos for Big Bill. It's about time someone put that swarmy Chris Wallace in his place and called FOX on their sorry excuse for journalism. Now that Bill has set the tone maybe other liberals and moderates will adopt the same stance Reagan took with Mondale during the 1984 presidential campaign. When FOX News uses the same misleading accusatory questions they reserve for anything outside the conservative realm, all the interviewees need to do, since Bill Clinton (OMG! Last'fm has a page for Clinton! Who would have thought?) set the ground work, is to use the same line that Reagan did.."There you go again" and maybe the viewers will learn to recognize the shoddy methods that pass for journalism in Murdockland. I could say a lot more but I'm suppose to be writing some record reviews. If you want me to say more, leave a comment and I may at a later time. Besides, I've been thinking of do a political blog like Matt Drudge does. Anyone want to buy a stained blue dress?

OK. Let get caught up on some dynamite albums that didn't get melted in the heat of summer.

This first one is so hot it probably melted a few Ipods by itself. Chris Potter is a recent addition to the decreasing number of good post-bop saxophonists. He is firmly in the jazz tradition with a clear and huge debt to Sonny Rollins but his sharp and snappy tones brings more than a little funk and rock to the post-bop arena. His 2006 release Underground steps right into this funk-bop mode with the first track. "Next Best Western" barges along with the energy usually reserved for rock stars (the ones who haven't sold out, that is). The energy is augmented with superb backing by guitarist Wayne Krantz, keyboard artist Craig Taborn, and drummer Nate Smith. Did I say backed? The "sidemen", especially Krantz, are a integral part of the success of this album. Krantz astounds throughout and Taborn's imaginative work behind Potter on "Nudenik" has to heard to be believed. The recording is evenly divided into pot-boilers and mood pieces. I go for the cookers myself but Potter does an incredible job in interpreting Strayhorn's "Lotus Blossom" and Lennon/McCartney's "Yesterday". There is a celebratory nature on this album that has been missing for years in most jazz endeavors. It's still too early to say Underground is the best jazz album of 2006 but its will be hard to surpass it.

If any 2006 release does surpass it, the mission will be led by by an unjustly forgotten jazz vocalist of the 80s and a sometimes unappreciated veteran of soul jazz. Randy Crawford became a bit of a sensation when she teamed up with Joe Sample and the Jazz Crusaders for "Street Life" in 1979. The vocalist had a electrifying style that should have meant a lucrative career but, for reasons beyond my comprehension, never really caught on. She did what a lot of artists do in that circumstance. She went to Europe where her talents were more appreciated. Joe Sample has fared a bit better after leaving the Jazz Crusaders by building up an impressive reputation as a keyboardist and composer/arranger. While starting as a post-bop player, Sample flourished by writing and recording some of the best examples of the often maligned sub-genre called Jazz Fusion. Now they have re-united with Feelin' Good. It's an excellent pairing proving that commercial jazz doesn't have to be condescending and easy listening doesn't have to be bland. Sample's chops are fine honed and exudes good taste. His arranging has never been better. Sample does everyone justice by keeping the session a small and intimate affair rather than the overproduced army that usually plagues this form of music. Randy Crawford's voice is like mana from heaven forcing us to realize just what we've been missing these last two decades. It's hard to find a superlative that effectively describes her performance but just a one listen to the title track will demonstrate her amazing vocal skill in song interpretation. Sample's groove based piano stylings are right there next to her. The songs are mostly old and new standards, all impeccably interpreted, giving a new look to even the oldest warhorse. There's only one Sample original here "Last Night at Danceland", but it's a winner. Of the others, "The End of the Line", "But Beautiful", and "Save Your Love For Me" are near perfect ballads. "Rio De Janiero Blues" is a latin tinged wonder that has the two collaborators in a playful but bittersweet mood and Harry Neilsson's "Everybody's Talking" is given a jazz sendoff that late Nilsson would have been very happy with. Did I say near perfect? This may the most perfect thing since Cheddar-Jalapeno Cheetos. Crawford and Sample have more than adequate help by some heavy hitters. Steve Gadd, Christian McBride, and other add expert nuances throughout. Let us hope Crawford and Sample doesn't wait 25 years to strut their stuff. At least, let's recognize Crawford as the great jazz singer she is.

Since I'm also posting this to the Last.fm [url="http://www.last.fm/group/eMusic%2BSubscribers";]eMusic subscriber group, I probably should mention that Feelin' Good is not yet available on eMusic.

Never heard of Darondo? Don't feel bad. Neither did I until I listened to this first time compilation titled Let My People Go by the unjustly neglected soul artist of the 60s and early 70s. As the title track confirms, Darondo was an extraordinarily passionate vocalist. At his best, his style combined the urgency of Otis Redding with the simmering sexiness of Marvin Gaye and Al Green. On "Legs", he even predates Prince's falsetto lustiness.This is way better than anything being hyped as urban/soul/R&B in the current generation. There are some problems with this collection. The production values are often third-rate and Darondo's vocal limitations sometime show up glaringly as on "Sure Know How To Love Me." and "Listen To My Song". But when he is good, he cooks. Other Highlights include "Didn't I" (not to be confused with the Delfonics hit of the same name) and the testimonial "How I Got Over" which owed a great deal to Al Green's gospel-grind intensity.

The best rock album yet of 2006 goes to The Drive-By Truckers with A Blessing And A Curse. The group's punk fringed brand of Southern rock never sounded so good since the classic Southern Rock Opera. If anything, The guys have mellowed out a bit often letting their lyrics stand out above the sometimes blaring guitars. There's more of a reflective glow to this album. Patterson Hood continues to refine his vision of human passion and seeking. His patented narration is limited to one track but the band does well on this album to let the music speak for itself. The title track is especially moving, a purgatorial anthem of the pain and paradox of relationships. There are two acoustic jewels in "Space City" and "Little Bonnie". Hood's monologue appears on "A World of Hurt" and the beginning line ("Once upon a time my advice to you would be to go out and get yourself a whore / I guess I've grown up 'cause I don't give that advice anymore") reveals both a growing maturity and a continuing frankness with the unsavory facts of life. The Drive-by Truckers just gets better as they grow up.

Finally, we come to a contender for come-back of the year. He'll be battling for that honor with Dion, Eric Burdon, and Jerry Lee Lewis (whose new album is said to be a real screamer. Unfortunately I haven't heard it yet). Tony Joe White has been reviewed in an earlier column but his new 2006 release Uncovered, also not yet available on eMusic, is a revelation. White's brand of country and blues hold up fine 40 years after "Polk Salad Annie" and is full of blues emotions rarely seen in our Clear Channel world. The opening track "Run for Cover" shows Mr. White hasn't wandered far for his Southern swamp roots. The track steams and boils in a swampy grind aided by a superb Wayne Johnson horn arrangement. The swamp dog is well assisted on certain tracks by Mark Knopfler, Eric Clapton, JJ Cale, Waylon Jennings, and Michael McDonald. All of them had the good sense to stay in the background and let White's smoky baritone rule the day. Waylon Jennings voice blends perfectly with White's and Eric Clapton bring his collaboration to new heights by simply playing what he does best, the blues. It's hard to remain indifferent to the poignancy of a Tony Joe White song like "Did Somebody Make a Fool out of You" or "Rainy Nights in Georgia". I guess we all have a little swamp in us. The last two tracks on the CD are real winners. "Taking The Midnight Train" is a riveting look at the unfairness of life while "Keeper of the Fire" is a funky caldron of soulful love and lust that boasts "She an intellectual woman, I'm a low maintenance man / Lord. I'll take her love any way that I can". Enjoy this album but don't blame me if you get a craving for alligator tail and grits.

Well, there you have it. The lowdown on what I've been diggin' this summer...beside bones that is. I'll try to write more often. In the meantime go check on what the Boss has to offer on Free Albums Galore. A hint; grab that free Mississippi Alligators [url="http://freealbums.blogsome.com/2006/08/11/mississippi-alligators-babylon-boogie/";]blues treat fresh from the juke joints of Barcelona. Comprende, Amigos?