The Now Spinning/Recent Purchases Thread

[Rudy]

This one arrived today, sealed:



Truthfully it should have said, "Most of their greatest hits." There are a couple missing but this hits the highlights. It was inexpensive enough that I figured I'd give it a home, especially since shipping on an additional title was free. The tonal balance on an anthology CD of theirs might be a little more favorable, but this sounds fairly good. (It's on Philadelphia International, which was manufactured and distributed by Columbia. Lots of good Philly-based soul on this label!) "Bad Luck," "The Love I Lost," "Wake Up Everybody" and "If You Don't Know Me By Now" are four of the great highlights on this record.

And this one arrived in the same package, which I posted about in our ongoing CTi thread:



The AM+ version. Needs a trip through the record cleaning routine but otherwise it's playing back nicely with no groove burn. Odd Varitone sound on Nat's cornet, but otherwise it seems good.

 

[Rudy]

A somewhat rare CTi recording. The tracks from this record were recorded in 1975 along with tracks for the Good King Bad album, but this set of tracks were unreleased until 1983 on this record. George Benson's Pacific Fire.



One of a handful of rekkids to show up here today.

 

[Bobberman]

A somewhat rare CTi recording. The tracks from this record were recorded in 1975 along with tracks for the Good King Bad album, but this set of tracks were unreleased until 1983 on this record. George Benson's Pacific Fire.

View attachment 6166

One of a handful of rekkids to show up here today.

I always been curious about Pacific Fire i Love the Good king bad album so I wondered if the songs on this were similar it would be nice to get this digitally someday if I can find it on CD it will definitely be added to my computer as with all Cds and Downloads to borrow a saying from my Radio work "They are Instant Adds"

 

[Rudy]

I always been curious about Pacific Fire i Love the Good king bad album so I wondered if the songs on this were similar it would be nice to get this digitally someday if I can find it on CD it will definitely be added to my computer as with all Cds and Downloads to borrow a saying from my Radio work "They are Instant Adds"

I've never heard Good King Bad--if Qobuz has it, maybe I'll give it a spin tonight and see how they compare. But this is like an entire album of tunes that were never released prior to 1983 and surprisingly, wasn't reissued except for a single time in 2017 on a Japan CD that isn't the easiest to find. (There are copies with affordable prices, but the shipping is expensive from Europe.)

George Benson - Pacific Fire (CD, Japan, 2017) For Sale | Discogs

Shop the 2017 Japan CD release of Pacific Fire by George Benson at Discogs.

www.discogs.com

Unless you know someone who can do a needle drop of an LP for ya.

 

[Bobberman]

I've never heard Good King Bad--if Qobuz has it, maybe I'll give it a spin tonight and see how they compare. But this is like an entire album of tunes that were never released prior to 1983 and surprisingly, wasn't reissued except for a single time in 2017 on a Japan CD that isn't the easiest to find. (There are copies with affordable prices, but the shipping is expensive from Europe.)

George Benson - Pacific Fire (CD, Japan, 2017) For Sale | Discogs

Shop the 2017 Japan CD release of Pacific Fire by George Benson at Discogs.

www.discogs.com

Unless you know someone who can do a needle drop of an LP for ya.

Sadly I don't know anyone who can needledrop but I do see several places has some available for a moderate price ( at least not too ridiculous) thank you for the info and concerning Good King bad may I tell you its got a good funky groove to it along with a few good mellow moments the stand out track on it is " Cast your Fate to the wind" which was also included on the vinyl version of "the George benson collection compilation" from 1981 and not included in the CD Reissue

 

[Murray]

I found the complete album on YouTube. I have quite a few George Benson albums, but oddly, I'd never heard of this album until Rudy mentioned it yesterday. I'll have to keep an eye out for a reasonably priced CD, but for now, this will do nicely....

 

[Rudy]

I never thought to check YouTube... @Bobberman, you'll be able to check it out now!

 

[Rudy]

I found the complete album on YouTube. I have quite a few George Benson albums, but oddly, I'd never heard of this album until Rudy mentioned it yesterday.

I only have a few myself--I first bought Give Me The Night when it was getting airplay on local radio (the title track, "Love X Love" and "Star of a Story"), and got Breezin' a few years later (I like his version of "Moody's Mood" here, over the one on Pacific Fire which was before he polished his vocal skills). I later bought his two vocal albums Stardust (where I saw him on tour for that album) and Big Boss Band. My favorite of his later albums is Absolute Benson which is almost like a continuation of Breezin' due to it being mainly instrumental.

 

[Rudy]

Last nights spins were part of two packages of new records I received. Benson's album above was one of them. The other two I gave a spin to were:

Seawind: Window of a Child.



As much as I liked and played Seawind's self-titled album on A&M (which incidentally got a lot of airplay locally), this album did nothing for me. Maybe it's a bit too cluttered (too much going on), and the sound is just too dated. I'll give it a few more spins, but I don't know if this record is going to stick around very long. At least it was unplayed.

The other I got is just...Too Much!



(Borrowed album cover image.) Oddly, this album was released in 1967, and never reissued. Yet it had the hit single "Dead End Street," which I've probably had in my collection since the mid 70s. (I know every word and inflection of that monologue. ) This is one of those soul-jazz LPs that Capitol was releasing of Lou Rawls, continuing a trend he started with Soulin'. The song selections aren't all that spectacular, but not bad either. Another record I found sealed and it plays flawlessly 53 years later, on its original Capitol rainbow label.

 

[Rudy]

Tonight, "on with the countdown." I've spun two more from my packages yesterday.

Apparently, she'll be anything for me, and will fold herself in half for an album cover photo if I ask her to. OK...so, it's a doubled image, but it has to qualify as one of the two weirdest photos I've seen from Pete Turner.



I wasn't sure how I'd like this album, but despite my not really caring for the "girl group" type of sound from the late 60s and early 70s, surprisingly I thought this one was rather engaging. She has a bit softer and more expressive a voice than many of the screechers back in the day. It still sounds very little like a Creed Taylor production, but it certainly wasn't an unpleasant listen. Certainly was more inviting than the aforementioned Seawind record. Another sealed find, a nice player on the original tan A&M label.



The following record is a bit interesting. I've recognized the name and heard his work on others' records, but didn't feel inclined to pick this one up until I saw all of the big names in the credits. Soooo...I popped this sealed LP into my cart to fill up an order. What I'm hearing is more like a demonstration record for an artist--David Spinozza covers many styles here on this recording, showcasing what he can do in each genre. It does have some nice moments on it, and I'll have to give it a few more spins soon.

 

[Rudy]

Final new rekkid of the evening:



An interesting record from 1974. I just noticed in the credits that David Spinozza plays on this record, as does drummer Rick Marrotta. Basically, these are instrumental versions of a handful of soul classics from back in this era. Similar to what Barry White was doing with the Love Unlimited Orchestra, only White was recording mostly songs he'd written himself. So this is a rather pleasant album, with a slight nod to the dance beats of the day on a couple of the uptempo tracks. McCoy does sing a subdued part on "The Backstabbers" which was a soul hit by The O'Jays.

McCoy had a #1 hit with "The Hustle," so that's where you've heard the name before. And the sound, for that matter. "The Hustle" didn't have any vocals either, other than "Do the hustle" punctuating the tune every so often; plus, it had the four-to-the-floor dance beat. Take those away and you've pretty much nailed this album.

 

[Rudy]

Got this new arrival spinning now. Another sealed find on Discogs. Cashman & West, A Song Or Two.



I got this record over 45 years ago after touring the studio my cousin worked at. It was a promo, and it had a slight pinch warp to the side of it. Played OK, but made a swishing sound. I figured this clean copy would be better, and not subjected to my abuse back in my earlier years. A few of these tracks appear on their AM/FM Blues compilation. This record has "Songman," "American City Suite," "I Belong To You" and "Only A Woman Like You." The other tracks I'm kind of remembering as I sit here listening to it.

 

[Rudy]

Another of today's sealed vinyl arrivals. Kevin Eubanks, Opening Night.I think I had another vinyl pressing of this but recall it wasn't the best copy. This one's really nice. GRP pressed their records on premium vinyl so this sounds really nice. I've had the CD since the mid 80s.



Musicians feature Branford Marsalis, Kenny Kirkland and Marvin "Smitty" Smith. This is more like what he would record for Blue Note after he departed GRP. One of his best records for the label, and it also defined the sound he uses even today on his most recent records.

 

[Rudy]

Next sealed arrival was this one. Lou Rawls. Merry Christmas! Ho! Ho! Ho! Except for a little noise on the first track (which probably will go away with cleaning), it sounds really nice. Slight bummer though--'it's a reissue, and the track "Christmas Is"...isn't. As in, isn't on the record--this is an abridged reissue. I still have it on the CD, so it's a minor annoyance at best.

 

[Rudy]

Final sealed arrival of the day--Tom Robinson, North by Northwest. One for the IRS Records collection. Not in the mood to spin it tonight but will give it a spin within the next day or two.



Are these sealed records expensive? Not really. Some of the rarer ones can cost a few bucks, but all of these records I got today, except for one, were under $8. In 2020 dollars, a nice bargain.

 

[Harry]

I put Cashman & West's "American City Suite" on YouTube and have gotten some amazing reaction comments. Many had forgotten the record, and many only heard the edited single. Lots of New Yorkers who feel the suite is more appropriate today than when written.

 

[Bobberman]

Another of today's sealed vinyl arrivals. Kevin Eubanks, Opening Night.I think I had another vinyl pressing of this but recall it wasn't the best copy. This one's really nice. GRP pressed their records on premium vinyl so this sounds really nice. I've had the CD since the mid 80s.

View attachment 6195

Musicians feature Branford Marsalis, Kenny Kirkland and Marvin "Smitty" Smith. This is more like what he would record for Blue Note after he departed GRP. One of his best records for the label, and it also defined the sound he uses even today on his most recent records.

Excellent Artist This was The Prime Heyday of GRP I have the 1990 CD Promise of tomorrow and it was More a Smooth jazz recording I still enjoy it I do miss the GRP label as it used to be before Grusin and Rosen sold it and Left it completely ( sounds familiar )

 

[Rudy]

I put Cashman & West's "American City Suite" on YouTube and have gotten some amazing reaction comments. Many had forgotten the record, and many only heard the edited single. Lots of New Yorkers who feel the suite is more appropriate today than when written.

It's a pleasant album for sure. Kind of a soft country-rock vibe to it. I had that same edited promo single from back in the day as well, and even with the edit, it's still quite lengthy (probably 7-ish minutes long). I can't remember if the version on the AM/FM Blues anthology is the single edit or the full version--it's been years since I've played it.

 

[Rudy]

Excellent Artist This was The Prime Heyday of GRP I have the 1990 CD Promise of tomorrow and it was More a Smooth jazz recording I still enjoy it I do miss the GRP label as it used to be before Grusin and Rosen sold it and Left it completely ( sounds familiar )

GRP was set up like A&M also--the music man, and the business man. I'm sure it's like others who sold out--they get tired of running a label, a good offer comes along, and they accept it. I know towards the end (or maybe just after they joined Universal), they had absorbed MCA Jazz, and some MCA jazz artists signed to GRP. It would be interesting to read about that whole transition, along with the rest of GRP's history.

One of GRP's earliest releases was Tom Browne's "Funkin' For Jamaica" (from his album Love Approach). Our local jazz radio station played the heck out of this single for years to come. ("Heyyyy maaaan! Dig Tom Browne, man? He is one ordinary guy! Ha ha ha...") This was back when they were a sub-label on Arista (called Arista GRP). They were involved in the production of young jazz artists as far back as 1973, but it took until 1979 for them to get their own label. Another name I recognize from those days is Angela Bofill--our jazz station played her records as well.

They're having a lot of fun in this video:

 

[Bobberman]

GRP was set up like A&M also--the music man, and the business man. I'm sure it's like others who sold out--they get tired of running a label, a good offer comes along, and they accept it. I know towards the end (or maybe just after they joined Universal), they had absorbed MCA Jazz, and some MCA jazz artists signed to GRP. It would be interesting to read about that whole transition, along with the rest of GRP's history.

One of GRP's earliest releases was Tom Browne's "Funkin' For Jamaica" (from his album Love Approach). Our local jazz radio station played the heck out of this single for years to come. ("Heyyyy maaaan! Dig Tom Browne, man? He is one ordinary guy! Ha ha ha...") This was back when they were a sub-label on Arista (called Arista GRP). They were involved in the production of young jazz artists as far back as 1973, but it took until 1979 for them to get their own label. Another name I recognize from those days is Angela Bofill--our jazz station played her records as well.

They're having a lot of fun in this video:

I remember Tom browne too I enjoyed his music too I like Patti Austin's GRP album "Love is gonna get ya" she did a Nice vocal version of a song Dave Grusin did instrumentality called " First time Love" and I love both versions equally today some of those. Sweet GRP ballads have become "Tear jerkers" to me because of the time period they came out and the sweet and wonderful times they remind me of which sadly no longer exist for various reasons but nevertheless they are all gems they just don't make music like that anymore

 

[Rudy]

So glad I have Qobuz here. I've been queuing up all sorts of CTi albums, many I've never heard of. (I've never gotten into the entire catalog, so this is all new territory.)

Strange cover art, but this album by Airto Moreira is well-regarded:





This one is playing now. Kudu was like a soul jazz subsidiary label of CTi, and Creed Taylor produced these as well. Lonnie Smith of course is the well-known jazz organist, yet I don't hear him much on this record so far.



There is something really odd about this Lonnie Smith record. This is the first time I've ever played it...yet why does this first track "Mama Wailer" sound so familiar? I don't recall radio playing it...or did they? It was released in 1971. I listened to our local jazz station from 1977 onward. I feel like I've heard it before.

 

[DAN BOLTON]

So glad I have Qobuz here. I've been queuing up all sorts of CTi albums, many I've never heard of. (I've never gotten into the entire catalog, so this is all new territory.)

Strange cover art, but this album by Airto Moreira is well-regarded:

View attachment 6202



This one is playing now. Kudu was like a soul jazz subsidiary label of CTi, and Creed Taylor produced these as well. Lonnie Smith of course is the well-known jazz organist, yet I don't hear him much on this record so far.

View attachment 6201

There is something really odd about this Lonnie Smith record. This is the first time I've ever played it...yet why does this first track "Mama Wailer" sound so familiar? I don't recall radio playing it...or did they? It was released in 1971. I listened to our local jazz station from 1977 onward. I feel like I've heard it before.

I checked out "Mama Wailer" and came up with with the same conclusion. I don't remember ever hearing it before, but it sounded very familiar. I think it may be because I kept getting a vibe that I was hearing music that seemed to be heavily influenced by other artists who were popular at the time. The main influences I kept hearing were Deodato and El Chicano, with maybe a hint of Quincy Jones mixed in a little. It's jazz and funk with a little pop mixed in...sounds okay, but nothing special.

 

[Rudy]

It's jazz and funk with a little pop mixed in...sounds okay, but nothing special.

I agree. It is kind of subdued for Lonnie Smith, who's playing clavinet here. The final track on the album, "Stand," a cover of a Sly Stone tune, stretches out and creates some excitement. It was a side-long jam on the original LP.

It was just this odd feeling that I knew the song from somewhere before--I guessed one of the licks in the middle of one of Smith's solos as he was playing it, for instance (at the 4:03 mark), and the melody I got a similar feeling for. I've heard clips of melodies or other bits of tunes quoted in others, but this one...more like deja vu. Stylistically it fits in with what our jazz station was playing, so it's not a stretch that they might have played it.

 

[Rudy]

A few recent spins today:

 

[Harry]

A couple of very different albums spinning today:

First up was the 1970 LP of NANCY'S GREATEST HITS by Nancy Sinatra (Reprise RS-6409). I decided to digitize this one and it turned out pretty well. It was one of those leftover albums from a radio station in my past.



In a wildly different direction, I went to Tião Neto's CARROUSEL album from 1992. This is one of those Brazil-only records that seems to be very rare. I don't even own an original copy of it, just a dub that was made for me years ago that I cleaned up and transferred to CD. Even the artwork is difficult to find, but somehow I managed to find some images on the web to assemble a decent-looking CD.



This one only has seven tracks.



The first six were all composed or co-composed by Mr. Neto, the last is an unknown composer. Two tracks are recognizable from Sergio Mendes albums. Vocals on a couple of tracks are by Mariana Leporace, whom I suppose might be related to Gracinha.