Author Archives: HeadMuso

Tom Waits – What’s He Building?

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Tom Waits – “What’s He Building?” from the album “Mule Variations”

Born Thomas Alan “Tom” Waits on December 7, 1949 at Park Avenue Hospital in Pomona, California, the son of Alma Fern (née Johnson) McMurray and Jesse Frank Waits, both schoolteachers.

Mule Variations was released on April 16, 1999 on the ANTI- label. It was his first studio album since The Black Rider (1993) and won a Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Folk Album.

tom waits mule variations

Personnel on “What’s He Building?”

Jeff Sloan – Percussion
Ralph Carney – Reeds
DJ M. Mark “The III Media” Reitman – Turntable
Tom Waits – The Voice

Mule Variations

1. “Big in Japan”
2. “Lowside of the Road”
3. “Hold On”
4. “Get Behind the Mule”
5. “House Where Nobody Lives”
6. “Cold Water”
7. “Pony”
8. “What’s He Building?”
9. “Black Market Baby”
10. “Eyeball Kid”
11. “Picture in a Frame”
12. “Chocolate Jesus”
13. “Georgia Lee”
14. “Filipino Box Spring Hog”
15. “Take It with Me”
16. “Come on Up to the House”

“What’s he building in there?
We have a right to know…”

Brilliantly creepy.

I Roy – Roots Man

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“Roots Man” by I Roy

Born Roy Samuel Reid on 28 June 1944 in St Thomas Parish in Jamaica.

Along with U-Roy (whom he derived his name from), Dennis Alcapone, and Big Youth, he was one of a quartet of DJs that reigned supreme over the Jamaican music scene during the early to mid-’70s.

I Roy

Sadly he died on 27 November 1999 from heart problems.

This track is from “The Observer Book Of I-Roy”; part of the “Deep Roots Observer Style” box set. All of the tracks are produced and arranged by Winston “Niney” Holness – Niney The Observer.

“The Observer Book Of I-Roy”

1) Jah Come Here
2) Step On The Dragon
3) Camp Road Skanking
4) Fresh And Clean
5) Native Land
6) Point Blank Observer Style
7) Sister Maggie Breast
8) Water Rate
9) Jamaican Girl/Observer In Fine Style
10) Jah Is My Light/Wicked Eat Dirt
11) Roots Man/Observer Mix Version

 

 

T-Bone Walker – Cold, Cold Feeling

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“Cold, Cold Feeling” by T-Bone Walker

Born Aaron Thibeaux Walker (T-Bone is a corruption of his middle name) on May 28, 1910 in Linden, Texas. Both of his parents (Movelia Jimerson and Rance Walker) were musicians and his stepfather, Marco Washington, taught him to play the guitar, ukulele, banjo, violin, mandolin, and piano.
He left school aged 10 and was a professional performer on the blues circuit by the time he was 15.
He is the source of the modern urban style of both playing and singing the blues.
T Bone Walker

Everyone from BB King to Chuck Berry to Eric Clapton has been influenced by T-Bone.

This track, probably my favourite piece of music (any genre) is from “The Complete Imperial Recordings, 1950-1954”.

Louis Armstrong – West End Blues

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The classic “West End Blues” by Louis Armstrong

Louis Armstrong was born on 4 August 1901 into a very poor family in New Orleans
His mother was a part-time prostitute and his father deserted the family shortly after Louis was born. As a boy he lived in the red-light district of New Orleans – an area catering for working-class black customers.

He was sent to the Coloured Waifs Home aged 12 for firing his stepfather’s pistol in the air at a New Year’s Eve celebration. The home provided musical training and eventually Louis was made the band leader.
He was released from the home aged 14 determined to become a professional player and by the time he was 18 he was working for the best band in New Orleans – Kid Ory’s.

Louis ArmstrongIn 1922 he was invited to Chicago to play 2nd cornet in King Oliver’s Creole Jazz Band. Within 5 years he had transformed jazz and within 10 he was one of the most famous performers in the world.

This recommendation comes from “Hot Fives and Sevens Box Set” consisting of classic recordings from between 1925 and 1930.

He died on 6 July 1971 in New York City; a global superstar.

The Cables – What Kind Of World

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The Cables

Classic early reggae from The Cables – “What Kind Of World” on Clement “Coxsone” Dodd’s legendary Studio One label. It’s from the album of the same name, but “Full Up (The Best of Studio One, Vol. 2)” is probably easier to get hold of.

cables

The Cables were fronted by Keble (sometimes Keeble) Drummond whose first name provided the group with it’s name. Elbert Stewart (baritone) and Vince Stoddart (tenor) completed the vocal harmony group.

Studio One

Studio One was one of Jamaica’s most renowned record labels and recording studios and was founded by Clement “Coxsone” Dodd in 1954. Dodd was also among the first to run his own sound system – Sir Coxsone the Downbeat – which became one of the largest and most reputable in Jamaica.

It’s safe to say that just about every big name in reggae music worked at Studio One at some stage in his or her career. The record label was involved with most of the major music movements in Jamaica during the 1960s and 1970s from ska to rocksteady, reggae, dub and dancehall. Incredibly Classic Studio One riddims are still being recycled today.

Sonny Rollins – The Last Time I Saw Paris

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Sonny Rollins – “The Last Time I Saw Paris” from the album “The Sound Of Sonny”

sonny rollins

The Sound of Sonny

1. The Last Time I Saw Paris – 2:58
2. Just in Time – 3:59
3. Toot, Toot, Tootsie, Goodbye – 4:25
4. What Is There to Say? – 4:56
5. Dearly Beloved – 3:05
6. Ev’ry Time We Say Goodbye – 3:23
7. Cutie – 5:54
8. It Could Happen to You – 3:47
9. Mangos – 5:34

Sonny Rollins – tenor saxophone
Sonny Clark – piano
Percy Heath – bass
Paul Chambers – bass (tracks 1 & 4)
Roy Haynes – drums

Recorded in New York City June 11, 12, 19, 1957

Sonny Rollins

Born Theodore Walter Rollins in New York City in 1930, and referred to by Courtney Pine as “the baddest player on the planet”, he is widely recognized as one of the most important and influential jazz musicians.

Prince Far I – Foggy Road

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Prince Far I  – “Foggy Road” from the album “Message From The King”
I first heard this track in 1978 on the compilation sampler “The Front Line II”. Obviously I had to get “Message From the King” as soon as possible!

Incidentally the dub cut to this is “Long Life” from “Cry Tuff Dub Encounter Vol.1”

Message From The King

Message From The King

Side 1

Message From The King

The Dream

Commandment Of Drugs

Moses Moses

Blackman Land

Side 2

Concrete Column

Dry Bone

Foggy Road

Wisdom

Armageddon

Vocals : Errol Holt & Culture & Prince Far I & Fish Clarke

Drums : Fish Clarke & Sly Dunbar & Horsemouth Wallace & Santa Davis

Bass : Errol Holt

Rhythm Guitar : Bingy Bunny & Errol Holt

Lead Guitar : Earl Chinna Smith & Royal Soul

Piano : Theo Beckford & Dennis Brown & Bo Peep

Organ : Tarzan

Percussions : Sticky & Fish Clarke

“The Voice of Thunder” was born Michael James Williams in Spanish Town, Jamaica.

Phronesis – Life To Everything

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Phronesis – “Urban Control” from the album “Life to Everything” recorded live at Jazz in the Round, The Cockpit, London

Life To Everything

1. Urban Control (Anton Eger)
2. Phraternal (Ivo Neame)
3. Behind Bars (Jasper Høiby)
4. Song for Lost Nomads (Ivo Neame)
5. Wings 2 the Mind (Jasper Høiby)
6. Nine Lives (Jasper Høiby)
7. Deep Space Dance (Ivo Neame)
8. Herne Hill (Anton Eger)
9. Dr Black (Anton Eger)

Phronesis life to everything

Jasper Høiby – Double Bass

Ivo Neame – Piano

Anton Eger – Drums

I love that “open” sound live albums always seem to have. An absolute must-buy.

Little Willie John – Suffering With The Blues

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Little Willie John – “Suffering With The Blues”

It can be found on the album “Sleep – The Singles As & Bs 1955-1961”

Little Willie John

Born William Edward John on November 15, 1937.

little willie john fever

He was an American R&B singer who performed in the 1950s and early 1960s. Best known for his popular music chart successes with songs such as, “All Around the World”, “Need Your Love So Bad” and “Fever”.

An important figure in early R&B music, Little Willie John was posthumously inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1996. He died in 1968 aged 30.

Anouar Brahem – The Astounding Eyes Of Rita

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Anouar Brahem – “The Astounding Eyes Of Rita”

As a Tunisian oud player and composer, Anouar is widely acclaimed as an innovator in his field. He performs primarily for a jazz audience, fusing Arab classical music, folk and jazz.

“The Astounding Eyes Of Rita”

Anouar Brahem – oud, Klaus Gesing – bass clarinet, Björn Meyer – bass, Khaled Yassine – darbouka, bendir

All compositions by Anour Brahem

Anouar

“The Lover of Beirut” – 7:44, “Dance with Waves” – 3:56, “Stopover at Djibouti” – 6:34, “The Astounding Eyes of Rita” – 8:41, “Al Birwa” – 4:51, “Galilee Mon Amour” – 7:17, “Waking State” – 7:48, “For No Apparent Reason” – 6:35

Writing for The Guardian reviewer John Fordham observed “In recent years, Brahem’s work has been more refined and reflective than groove-inclined, but this vivacious quartet set marks a return to the chemistry of Thimar, and it’s a richly varied and often thrilling piece of world-jazz”.

Writing for All About Jazz, John Kelman noted “After two discs of sparer chamber music, it’s great to hear Brahem back with a pulse; but with Meyer, Gesing, and Yassine as partners, he’s retained the elusive mystery of albums like Le Pas du Chat Noir (2002), making The Astounding Eyes of Rita his most aesthetically unified album to date”.