Something Saxy

Something Saxy by Fausto Papetti will always have a special place in my heart. I have listened to this record so many times while hanging out with my friends in college. Back in 2011 I got this record in a bargain bin at some record store that has since closed its doors. It was really cheap and I really didn't expect much. I listened to it a few times and forgot about it. It wasn't until my sophomore year of college that I heard it again. My roommates really took a liking to it and soon I realized that it was indeed a gem. I would listen to this record every day after class while smoking with my friends and talking about the conspiracy theory du jour. This is one of the few Fausto Papetti albums not to feature a sexy lady on the cover, this is something he was known for. That being said I really like this cover, though it lacks a sexy lady it features a sexy sax. Fausto Papetti's Saxophone is elegant and crisp and the band accompanying him sounds distinctly Italian. Most of the songs on this album are covers of Jazz and pop standards, now I'm not usually one to listen to cover albums but Fausto Papetti's reimaginings of these songs is a nice change of pace from the usual set of boring covers. Papetti adds his own unique flare to each of the songs without straying too far from the original to render it unrecognizable.

This is a vinyl rip that I ripped myself, I've gone through and cleaned up most of the really noticeable pops but there are still a few artifacts as you would expect.

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Nino Rotta - Toby Dammit

Sorry for the three year absence guys. Gee has it really been that long? Well I can't say I will be posting regularly anymore but I really wanted to share this album as it is the soundtrack to my favorite Federico Fellini film Toby Dammit.

Toby Dammit is such a wonderful little gem that is relatively obscure. It is a forty minute film made in 1968, is one of three short films adapted from stories by Edgar Allan Poe that were distributed together in Italy as Tre Passi Nel Delirio, in France as Histories Extraordinaires, and in England and the U.S. as Spirits of the Dead. The other two short films are William Wilson and Metzengerstein adapted by Louis Malle and Roger Vadim respectively. Fellini’s film is an adaptation set in contemporary Rome of Poe’s Never Bet the Devil Your Head published in 1841. Poe’s work is a brief comic satire of the transcendentalist movements that were then popular in Europe and America. Fellini’s work takes two elements from Poe’s story: First the plot of a drunk who confronts a mysterious stranger on a bridge and bets him his head; the man fails to see that the stranger is the devil who subsequently wins the bet. Second Fellini takes the name Toby Dammit, Toby being an English slang term for ass in Poe’s time. In short Toby Dammit is a dammed ass.

The soundtrack is what I am sharing with you and it is truly remarkable. It was composed by Nino Rota who composed the scores to most of Felini's films. He also composed the score to the first two Godfather movies. A lot of this score is different variations of the same few themes but they are enchanting themes that mimic the dreamlike quality of the film.

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Gus Cannon - The Best of Cannon’s Jug Stompers

The Best of Cannon’s Jug Stompers

Biographical information from the now defunct collective blog Music A-K-O
Translated from Spanish by yours truly.

Gus Cannon was born on September 12th 1883 on the plantation of Henderson Newell in Marshall Country, Mississippi. His father had been a slave and Gus was the youngest of ten children. In 1895 Gus went with his brother Tom to Clarksdale to work in cotton fields. At that time Gus started to become interested in music. He built a banjo out of the neck of a guitar and a kind of pot used to bake bread. Gus began to pick up on the songs of the people of Clarksdale and he was taught some musical techniques by a musician named Bud Jackson. Gus got his first real bajno from his brother who he beat in a game of dice.

They say that jug bands started at the beginning of the century in Louisville, Kentucky, and that they played a mix of early jazz, country, and songs with ragtime roots. By 1910 Gus Cannon had gone to work at a plantation near Ashport, Tennessee, where he formed his first jug band with Jim Turner. Jug bands were very popular at the time and usually consisted of a jug, violin, banjo, and sometimes a guitar or mandolin.

In 1928 Ralph Peer of Victor, which had recorded other popular jug bands in Memphis, went looking for other bands to record. Charlie Williamson, a man who at that time owned the Palace Theatre told him that he knew a guy named Gus Cannon who played in one. By that time Gus had attached the jug to the neck of his banjo and was able to play both at the same time. Gus called up a harmonica player named Noah Lewis who was known for being able to play two harmonicas at the same time. Gus had met him in 1907 when he worked at the Ashport plantation near Ripley, Tennessee. He also called Ashley Thompson and the three of them formed Cannon’s Jug Stompers. Later they would add more people like John Estes on guitar, Yank Rachel on mandolin, and various unknown musicians who would sit in from session to session. Gus’ band recorded a total of 26 sides between the 30th of January 1928 and the 28th of November 1930. You’ve got to hear this smokin’ hot music that just makes you want to live, soak up the sun, and smile. Listen to Going to Germany and you’ll see what I mean.

Image: Gus Cannon in 1963, via Memphis Music Stars

Stan Seymour - Everybody Loves Bermuda

Stan Seymour - Everybody Loves Bermuda
I got this record at 641 RPM in Boone, North Carolina. I was happily surprised when I heard it. The styles really range in this one, it isn't like Trinidadian Calypso at all. It's uniquely Bermudan.

01. Everybody Loves Bermuda
02. The Radar Trap
03. Emerald of the Sea
04. Woman in Space
05. Mister Pipe
06. The Diddley Bops
07. Ballad of Christine
08. Bermuda Buggy Ride
09. Blue Bird
10. Weather Bird
11. Sonny Liston
12. Scarlet Ribbons
13. World Crisis

Del Close & John Brent - How to Speak Hip and The “Do It Yourself” Psychoanalysis Kit

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How To Speak Hip
01 Introduction
02 Basic Hip
03 Vocabulary Building
04 The Loose Wig
05 The Riff
06 The Hang Up
07 Put On, Put Down, Come On, Come Down, Bring Down
08 Cool
09 Uncool
10 Field Trip No. 1
11 Field Trip No. 2
12 Field Trip No. 3
13 Summary

The Do It Yourself Psychoanalysis Kit

14 General Introduction To Psychoanalysis
15 Psychological Testing
16 Diagnosis and Therapy
17 The Psychoanalytic Session
18 The Diagnosis of Dr Siegfried Gesalt

This is a 2009 CD reissue of the classic 1959 comedy record How To Speak Hip. It’s really a gas. I couldn’t post this without giving credit to Owl who posted his record rip at Holy Warbles. This reissue includes another of Close’s comedy records The Do It Yourself Psychoanalysis Kit (released the same year on Hanover) which is hilarious in and of itself.

Hi-Yo, Silver, Away! by The Lone Ranger

Lone Ranger (born Anthony Alphanso Waldron) is a Jamaican reggae deejay who recorded nine albums between the late 1970s and mid-1980s. This is his 1982 album Hi-Yo, Silver, Away!

Waldron spent much of his youth in the United Kingdom and began his recording career with Clement “Coxsone” Dodd’s Studio One label. He initially worked as a duo with Welton Irie, but soon began recording solo, having a big hit in Jamaica with “Love Bump”. He also worked on the Virgo Sound sound system. He had a number one UK reggae chart album in 1980 with Barnabus Collins. He is regarded as one of the most lyrically inventive deejays of his era, and was a major influence on British deejays of the early 1980s. He relocated to the United States in the mid-1980s, but returned to Jamaica in 1998, and began performing on sound systems once again.

Hi-Yo, Silver, Away!

01. Tom Drunk
02. Rub ‘N’ Scrub
03. Legalize The National Herb
04. Gunshot Mek Daughter Drop
05. Living As A Poor
06.Johnny Make You Bad So
07. The Clock
08. Lone Ranger and Tonto
09. Solomon
10. Love Affair Problem
11. Johnny Make You Bad So (12” Mix)
12. Taxi Gang Outside Right

My personal favorites are track #5 and #7.

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Psicotrónica! Spanish Cinematic Grooves & Funky Soundtracks, 1971-1976 Vol. 2

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The Art of the Panpipe (Folklore Music for the Pan Flute)

I found this record at Ed McKays Used Books And More which is where I usually spend my weekends now. It was made by an extremely obscure Los Angeles label called Olympic Records who started The Atlas Series in 1977 that featured music from all over the world. I presume the music was stolen from foreign labels that had no valid copyright in the United States. That was a common practice in the 70’s. They got lazy and left most of what was written on the record in French! I also have a Sitar album from the label if anyone wants me to upload it. The back of the record gives a brief history of the Pan Flute and similar instruments dating back to 618-900 AD. It was incredibly informative and interesting though it had little to do with the actual songs on the disc. It was also the only text translated from the original French.

Personnel

Georges Schmitt – Pan Flute
Albert Levy – Organ and Piano
Roland Dyens and Jean-Pierre Semerraro – Guitar
Jean-Luc Ceddaha – Percussion

Songs:

01 Folkloriana
02 Suite Bretonne
03 Aurore
04 Enfantines
05 A Mezzu Mare
06 Les Gardians
07 Si Re Do
08 Triste Est Le Ciel Folklore des Pyrénées
09 Suite Pyreneenne Los Caulets - Anem Petitons
10 La Danse de Biquette
11 Tambours de Guerre
12 Pastourelle

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Gabor Szabo - High Contrast

01.Breezin'
02.Amazon
03.Fingers
04.Azure Blue
05.Just A Little Communication
06.If You Don't Want My Love
07.I Remember When

Marc Levine - Piano
Gabor Szabo - Electric Guitar
Bobby Womack - Rhythmic Guitar
Wolfgang Meltz - Bass
Phil Upchurch - Bass
Jim Keltner - Drums
Felix Falcon - Congas
Camelo Garcia - Tom Tom and Timbales
"The Shadow" - Tamborine and Gourd
Plus strings arrangements by Rene Hall
Produced by Tommy Li Puma

Legendary Hungarian guitarist Gabor Szabo split this 1970 Blue Thumb session with equally legendary soulman Bobby Womack. Though not generally recognised Womack is a superlative guitarist who earned most of his income in the 60's from session work and writing, most notably for Wilson Pickett. This album has grown in stature since 1976 when producer Tommy Li Puma revisited Womack's composition "Breezin" with George Benson and turned the song into a million seller and Benson into a superstar. Keen ears will note that the arrangements are very close.

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Cal Tjader - Jazz At The Blackhawk

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Lumières Audibles by Jacques Dudon

"In his ‘photosonic’ process, Dudon shines light through a series of semi-transparent, rotating discs that slow and modify the light waves’ frequencies; the resulting waveforms are picked up by photoelectric (solar-power) cells connected to standard analog amplifiers."
Kala Pierson, review in 'New Music Connoisseur Magazine'

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This is very interesting music to say the least. I've never heard anything like it. There is more information about the album and Jacques Dudon at http://continuo.wordpress.com/ The incredible blog where I in initially found this album.

Dino Saluzzi and Anja Lechner - Ojos Negros

Dino Saluzzi is perhaps the most accomplished bandoneón player to date. He plays the instrument in such a way that sends shivers down your spine with each note. Anja Lechner being an extravagant concert cellist accompanies these mesmerising performances perfectly. The two play together as if they have synchronised minds and are able to mirror or combat every contribution given to the piece.

I discovered this album on a blog called Tränental der Seele. The review given on that site goes into much more detail. I suggest reading it.
Link to Review


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Solo Piano by Philip Glass

This recording features remarkable unaccompanied piano unlike the work of any other composer to date. Glass wrote the first five arrangements as an ode to Kafka's The Metamorphosis. The other two tracks are Mad Rush and Wichita Sutra Vortex the first of which was written in 1981 for the Dalai Lama's first public address in New York City the latter being a collaboration with the poet Allen Ginsberg, a long time friend of Glass.

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Gravikords, Whirlies & Pyrophones: Experimental Musical Instruments

This is an excellent collection of some of the most bizarre instruments ever recorded. The CD originally included a book describing each song that I would love to get my hands on. There is even an introduction by none other than Tom Waits! Anyway, it's an excellent album with a very wide variety of musical styles. Most of the songs are well written and are a real joy to listen to. I highly recommend it to anyone, if not for enjoyment, for curiosity.

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Louis Goldstein Performs John Cage's Sonatas and Interludes

This astounding version of Cage's famous pieces for prepared piano is conducted by Wake Forest University professor Louis Goldstein. There is also a rendition of Dream, a piece composed by Cage in 1948.

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