quarta-feira, 29 de agosto de 2018

Clutchy Hopkins - Psychedelic Funk Jazz Fusion (US)


Clutchy Hopkins is purportedly a multi-instrumentalist musician based out of California. His existence has not yet been fully verified, though he is widely believed to be a pseudonym for one of several popular DJs. The true identity of the person (or people) behind the music is not publicly known. On September 9, 2006, a YouTube video claiming to be documentary footage about Clutchy Hopkins was uploaded. The video's end credits contain the URL www.misledchildren.com. Originally, this website featured a 12-track album titled "The Life of Clutchy Hopkins", plus a white-label store that sold the album, a brief description, and contact information for a seemingly random Hotmail address. The YouTube video's credits also mention a Myspace page which features grainy photos of a ragged-looking bearded man wearing a flannel shirt.


In February 2007, music blog Idolator published a brief post on the music, describing it as "MF Doom-like hip hop instrumentals with India-influenced guitar tracks and some smoother downtempo work that might fool Portishead fans" and speculating that Clutchy might be a pseudonym for DJ Shadow.[citation needed] Additional attention from Okayplayer and KCRW DJ Jeremy Sole sparked discussion among music bloggers who postulated that Cut Chemist, Madlib, Money Mark or Shawn Lee might be responsible for the music. Clutchy's true identity was never discovered, but in early 2008, noted funk label Ubiquity Records released "Walking Backwards", a full-length album of new Clutchy music, featuring guest vocals from Darondo. It was followed by two collaborations with Shawn Lee and the 2009 album "Music Is My Medicine", credited to Clutchy Hopkins and Lord Kenjamin. In April 2010, Ubiquity released another solo album titled "The Storyteller".


Also in 2008, Porter Records released an album titled "Odean Pope and the Misled Children". While the relationship remains unclear, the sound of the Misled Children is very similar to Clutchy Hopkins, and the URL from the YouTube video suggests a connection. Another Misled Children album titled "Peoples Market" is listed on AllMusic. Noted graphic artist Jim Mahfood has created artwork and album covers for recent Clutchy Hopkins projects. In 2012 Clutchy Hopkins and future soul artist Erik Rico collaborated on an upcoming music project for the Animated Cartunes label.










Music Is My Medicine is a collaboration album between Clutchy Hopkins and Lord Kenjamin. It was released in 2009 under the Ubiquity Records label.


Buzzsaw - Psychedelic Rock (US)


Buzzsaw was a US band with their sole album ,''From Lemon Drops to Acid Rock'' being released in the early 70ies. Their music definitely dates back to the early 70ies. Their musical style can be defined as a superb blend of heavy psych and acid rock as being deeply rooted in Jimi Hendrix's vein. In 2015 a double vinyl album came out holding some still unreleased material from Buzzsaw, therefore you might be more interested in vinyl than in the cd version. If you dig heavy psych, you'll love this album...

From Chicago, Buzzsaw were a short-lived acid rock trio who were formed in 1970. Eddie and Gary Weiss had earlier been in the reknowned The Lemon Drops, and Watermelon, and in fact Buzzsaw are best known for a version of The Lemon Drops' classic I Live In The Springtime. The liner notes to Collectables Chicago Garage Band Greats - The Best Of Rembrandt Records 1966-1968 reveal that this was in fact the same recording as the earlier The Lemon Drops, but in a previously unreleased stereo mix. 

Between 1966-1968 the Lemon Drops were a typical three-chord garage band from Chicago. When the Lemon Drops broke up in 1969, three former members became Buzzsaw and began dipping into the heavy rock of power trios like the Jimi Hendrix Experience, Cream, and especially Blue Cheer. Buzzsaw's sound caught between their garage band roots and their burgeoning acid rock influence, not doing either form justice. Cuts emphasizing cosmic enlightenment like "Saturn Jam" and "Saturn Is Just a Few Days Away" have nothing in common with the truly cosmic themes composed by Sun Ra. This is mainly for acid rock collectors and archivists. ~ Al Campbell


terça-feira, 28 de agosto de 2018

GROBSCHNITT - Symphonic Prog • Germany


Formed in 1970 the band existed till 1989, GROBSCHNITT (which translates to ROUGH CUT) was the best German band from the mid-Seventies (ELOY were then in a more PINK FLOYD... and ambient style). All of the members of the band adopted pseudonyms, namely "Eroc", "Mist", "Wildschwein", "Lupo" and "Popo". The band was created by Joachim "Eroc" Ehrig (drums, percussion), Stefan "Wildschwein" Daneliak (guitars & vocals), and Gerd-Otto "Lupo" Kühn (guitar, vocals). This nucleus was later completed by Wolgang "Popo" Jäger (bass) and Volker "Mist" Kahrs (keyboards, Mellotron, synthesizers). They were best known as a clone of YES (symphonic progressive group), but they also explored other progressive rock styles (either psychedelic prog or more cohesive "Krautrock" with some stunning instrumental passages that will be familiar to anyone into the likes of MAN, AMON DUUL II, WISHBONE ASH and many similar bands). Their sound was characterized by sometimes long suites allowing ambitious composition developments, with intermingled themes, rhythms, climates changes and symphonic passages. A VERY COMPELLING BRAND OF MUSICAL MOODS: haunting melodies, funny voices (by Eroc), wonderful guitar work, great synthesizer sounds, strange drumming/effects man, and sophisticated arrangements. This eclectic German band became one of the most popular live acts in German history.

The group released about fifteen albums and added touches of absurd humor to their records and live shows. Their first five albums are all classics. Vocals are mostly in English, although some albums were released with German vocals for the home market and English vocals for export. "Ballermann" (1974) consisted of two LP's, one filled with symphonic progressive rock, and the other that contained a space rock suite... the original version of "Solar Music". "Rockpommel's Land", the fourth studio album exhibited intricate ensemble work, delicate dual lead guitars and theatrical vocals which dominate the music. A solid concept album in the YES/GENESIS tradition, the record told the story of a boy's adventures in a strange land and ultimately finding some sort of wisdom about human nature, as well as piece of mind. The beautiful cover painting looks exactly like an early Roger Dean cover. "Solar Music Live" (1978) is sometimes considered one of the best live albums of all time (similar to early PINK FLOYD's albums in space/cosmic rock).




Don Muro - Jazz Fusion


This was originally released on a tiny label in '77. This reissue is a joint project between Flannelgraph and Landlocked Music. It is a straight reissue of the 10 tracks that were recorded between 1974 ~ 76, some written as early as 1970. Muro appears to have been based in the NYC area in 1970, where he discovered the synthesizer, and pretty much devoted his life to it. He is still active in projects that utilize the instrument. This album is mostly highly produced, fairly commercial sounding, synthesizer driven prog instrumentals, with a few vocal tracks.Overall, I found it to be quite inconsistent in quality, but with a couple of winners that will make this worth investigating by underground fans. The reissue comes with an insert.


No matter how talented he was, Don Muro appears to be unknown to the wide public.He is more well-known within the US borders as a prolific keyboardist and composer in various music fields.His first personal album ''It's time'' is an exclusively personal case with himself handling all instruments and singing.It ranges from quirky Electronic Prog to slick, keyboard-dominated Jazz Fusion and, although it suffers from period synthesizer sounds and a mood for more visrtuosic explorations, it contains a good handlful of interesting instrumental moments with nice organ, piano and synth parts.The vocal tracks are rather indifferent with a cliche American sound, but fortunately the instrumental cuts are more and superior.





Claudya - MPB (Brazil)


Maria das Graças Rallo (Claudya) debuted at the age of nine in a regional radio program at Rádio Sociedade de Juiz de Fora-MG, where she grew up. At thirteen she was crooner of the Conjunto da Meio Noite that animated the festivities and dances of the region. She developed her career in São Paulo in the 60's; at the beginning, participating in the O Fino da Bossa program. In 1969, he won the First Fluminense Festival of Song, defending the song "Razão de Paz para Não Cantar" (Eduardo Lage and Alésio de Barros). She has also participated in several festivals abroad, including Japan, Greece, Spain, Mexico and Venezuela, becoming the most awarded singer outside Brazil.

She excelled in the music scene in 1982 with the song Do not cry for me Argentina in the musical Evita (play).

She recorded more than twenty records and was a record on sales. Thanks to her great success, she was invited to participate in the main television programs of the time. She released an LP in Japanese that sold more than 200,000 copies and among the awards she won are Roquete Pinto, Globo de Ouro and Troféu Imprensa. Among her greatest hits is the song "Com mais de 30" composition by Marcos Valle and Paulo Sérgio Valle.







Ahmad Jamal - Jazz Piano


Ahmad Jamal (born Frederick Russell Jones, July 2, 1930) is an American jazz pianist, composer, bandleader, and educator. For five decades, he has been one of the most successful small-group leaders in jazz. Trained in both traditional jazz ("American classical music", as he prefers to call it) and European classical style, Ahmad Jamal has been praised as one of the greatest jazz innovators over his exceptionally long career. Following bebop greats like Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie, Jamal entered the world of jazz at a time when speed and virtuosic improvisation were central to the success of jazz musicians as artists. Jamal, however, took steps in the direction of a new movement, later coined "cool jazz" – an effort to move jazz in the direction of popular music. He emphasized space and time in his musical compositions and interpretations instead of focusing on the blinding speed of bebop.








segunda-feira, 27 de agosto de 2018

Sweet Smoke - Jazz Psychedelic Rock (USA)

http://sweetsmokeband.com/gallery (Peter's Gift)
"Sweet Smoke were a psychedelic jazz-rock band formed in Brooklyn, New York in 1967. The group moved to Europe in 1969, living in Germany, and performing in Germany, Holland and France until 1974 when the band split up. Initially, some members stayed in Europe, some went to India, but most of the band returned to the United States. Although originating in the U.S., Sweet Smoke is often referred to as a Krautrock band. Noted for their buoyant rhythms, inventive improvisations and complex musical structures, in interviews, the group says their music was influenced by Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix, Frank Zappa, John Coltrane and The Beatles. The group has a fan presence on the internet, and their CDs are sold worldwide by EMI International."