For many, the very art of jazz is inextricably tied to the art of improvisation, or creating in the moment. So it’s both innovative and altogether appropriate that Legacy Recordings is spearheading an improvised album of a sort for one of jazz’s true greats, the trumpeter and composer Miles Davis. Though christened Blue Flame, little else has been set in stone for the digital-only album which will be released on September 26. (And even that title was chosen via a fan poll! Doesn’t it tip the
Clapton Sings the Blues: Vinyl Box Set to Anthologize Late Period Albums
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pHmbLs7sd5w] Vinyl enthusiasts are going to have Slowhand for the holidays. A report from fanzine Where's Eric? announces the November release of Clapton Blues, a five-vinyl box set that encompasses three of Clapton's great late-period blues albums. First up is From the Cradle, Clapton's first LP since the triumphant success of his MTV Unplugged appearance in 1992. It's a raw, straight pass of a set (the liner notes detail only two overdubs and no
Act Naturally: Buck Owens Is "Bound For Bakersfield"
Buck Owens and Bakersfield have always gone together, the singer and guitarist inextricably linked to his California home. Owens’ “Bakersfield Sound” was a carefully-developed response to the slick, string-laden productions frequently coming out of Nashville, and a return to real country roots in the late 1960s. RockBeat Records is building an eclectic line-up (including a new studio recording from a California legend of the pop/rock world, Jackie DeShannon) and has announced Bound for
Review: Original Cast, "Half-Past Wednesday"
Anyone have a little love for Rumpelstiltskin? The Brothers Grimm popularized the story of the mischievous imp in the early part of the 19th century, but he has never received the same kind of commercial fame as many of the Grimms’ other creations. No wonder, then, that Rumpelstiltskin was so ornery when he appeared as the villain of Shrek Forever After. And how many indignities did he survive as the titular character of a 1996 grade B horror film! Rumpelstiltskin has had a few moments in
What's the World? James Offer Up New Rarities Box
Manchester's James have been going strong for nearly 30 years, amassing some 19 Top 40 singles in their native England. It's kind of a surprise, then, that the recently-announced The Gathering Sound is only their first box set. But it sure is a good one. The set chronicles James' discography, from their earliest recordings in 1982 to last year's EPs The Night Before and The Morning After, across three CDs, one DVD, a vinyl record and a USB stick. The three CDs feature a program of studio
UPDATED 8/25: Daydream Believing: "The Monkees" Returns To DVD
When the winner of Outstanding Comedy Series was announced at the 1967 Emmy Awards, it came as quite a shock. It wasn't the timeless magic of Elizabeth Montgomery and co. in Bewitched, nor the homespun sweetness of The Andy Griffith Show. Agent 99 and Agent 86 of Get Smart didn't win the prize, and Colonel Klink and the gang at Hogan's Heroes were similarly empty-handed. The winner that year was The Monkees, a kooky and wildly irreverent comic romp starring those crazy kids, Micky, Davy, Peter
It Might As Well Be Swing, Again: Complete "Sinatra-Basie" Coming Soon From Concord
When Frank Sinatra launched Reprise Records in 1961 with Ring-a-Ding Ding!, the greats of the jazz world came to the future Chairman of the Board. Johnny Mandel arranged that volcanic first offering, and Sinatra’s next concept albums teamed the singer’s singer with a top flight of talents, past and present: Billy May, Sy Oliver, Don Costa, Gordon Jenkins, Robert Farnon and a trumpeter, arranger and composer named Neal Hefti. That last-named gent would figure prominently in a 1963 collaboration
Review: Patti Smith, "Outside Society"
The calling came early for Patti Smith. At twelve years of age, a family excursion to the Museum of Art in Philadelphia brought the young Smith in contact with Modigliani, Sargent and Picasso, the latter affecting her with his “brutal confidence.” It was with a similar confidence that Smith, not even in her teenage years, concluded that “to be an artist was to see what others could not.” Smith was steadfast in her determination to make her mark in the turbulent art world of New York in the
UPDATED 8/23: Ben Folds Unfolds Box Set Track List For "Retrospective"
Ben Folds' first proper album, 1995's Ben Folds Five, was named for his band. And although Alanis Morissette had her breakthrough hit that same year with "Ironic," I'll put money down that nobody was more ironic that year than Ben Folds. After all, there were only three members of this Ben Folds Five! The pianist/singer/songwriter wore his sensibilities on his sleeve, and that slightly skewed - and yes, ironic - worldview has served him well over the years. "Underground," off that first album,
Spin the Black Circle: "PJ20" Soundtrack to Feature Live Cuts, Unreleased Demos
Last week, Joe reported that the double-disc soundtrack to Pearl Jam's upcoming documentary would be released on September 20. Thanks to our friends at Ultimate Classic Rock, we now have a track list to go with the set. The double-disc set, tied to the band's new Cameron Crowe-directed film chronicling the band's two decades together, is primarily comprised of live cuts from the band's history, from early performances in Seattle before the release of the group's landmark debut Ten to current
Hip-O Select Brings DeBarge LPs Back in a Special Way
Before "Who's Johnny," before the heartbreaking string of legal troubles and before last year's subtle comeback album Second Chance, El DeBarge was the silver-tongued frontman of one of Motown's last great pop acts: DeBarge. The family unit - Eldra, Mark, Bunny, Randy and James - struck gold on the charts with self-penned jams like "Time Will Reveal" and "I Like It," plus gems from crack pop tunesmiths like David Foster ("Who's Holding Donna Now?") and Diane Warren (the smash "Rhythm of the
Soul Trane: Coltrane's Posthumous Impulse! Albums, Boxed
Though he passed away in 1967, the flame of saxophonist and composer John Coltrane burns brighter each year. Hailed for his early work in the bebop and hard bop idioms and finally as a groundbreaker in modal and free jazz forms, Coltrane has posthumously been awarded both a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Grammys and a Pulitzer Prize Special Citation. Coltrane has even been canonized by the African Orthodox Church! Hip-o Select's Verve arm continues its ongoing series of box sets dedicated
Live From D23: When We Wish Upon A Star
Greetings from beautiful downtown Anaheim! Your catalogue correspondent is reporting from the D23 Expo, or "The Ultimate Disney Fan Event." Every arm of The Walt Disney Company is here on the packed show floor, with special panels, presentations, signings and giveaways pertaining to each aspect of the company: film, television, theme parks, animation, publishing, and of course, music. As I'm immersed in all things Disney this weekend, both Mike and I thought it would be the perfect time to
Weekend Wround-Up: Pat Metheny, Nat "King" Cole and More!
href="https://theseconddisc.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/nat-cole-st-louis-blues.jpg"> Analogue Productions continues its indispensable SACD reissue series of some of Nat King Cole’s finest releases on the Capitol label with the September 13 arrival of Just One of Those Things (1957) and St. Louis Blues (1958). Billy May handles the orchestrations for Just One of Those Things, which is playable as follows: a three-channel SACD section and Stereo SACD section include all songs except for
Got Its Mojo Working: Magazine Launches New Label, First Releases Coming Soon
If you frequently peruse the magazine racks at your local Barnes and Noble or the soon-to-be-late, lamented Borders, chances are you’re familiar with Mojo. The U.K.-published music magazine leads the vanguard of music publications across the pond along with publications like Uncut, Q, Classic Rock and Word, as high-end, glossy publications tailored for the music-centric crowd. One monthly feature of Mojo and Uncut is the inclusion of a cover-mounted CD designed to tie in with that month’s
Prepare Ye: "Godspell" Turns 40, Celebrates With Deluxe Album Reissues
Prepare ye the way of the Lord. Just as the musical gears up for its first-ever Broadway revival, Masterworks Broadway is giving the deluxe treatment to Stephen Schwartz and John-Michael Tebelak's Godspell with a new 2-CD set to celebrate both the new revival and the show's 40th anniversary. Godspell and its score announced a major new talent in Stephen Schwartz, alumnus of Carnegie-Mellon University (the birthplace of his next musical, the legendary Pippin). With its varied and diverse
Review: Three From Dave Grusin, Cy Coleman and Henry Mancini
With hyperbole the norm, it's questionable just how many buyers took notice of a 1957 album on the Liberty label entitled The Versatile Henry Mancini. Yet fewer record titles have proven as apt. As frequent collaborator Blake Edwards noted, "Whether the situation is romantic, humorous, tragic, ironic or full of action, Mancini creates exactly the right musical mood." Mancini's breakthrough came two years after that LP's release, when Edwards enlisted him to provide the cool jazz-inflected
Ride That Train: Johnny Cash "Bootleg III" Takes the Live Route
“Ah, I’d love to wear a rainbow every day/And tell the world that everything’s okay. But I’ll try to carry a little darkness on my back/Till things are brighter, I’m the Man in Black.” And though Johnny Cash appeared as that Man in Black, immortalized in his song, he was in reality a man of many colors. His music reflected a crucial empathy that guided his career as he embraced the various strains of America itself, both its people and its music. Records preserve Cash walking with superstars
You Can't Stop Twisted Sister: Live Set Coming From Rhino Handmade
Do you wanna rock? Then the latest release from Rhino Handmade might just be for you! Following stellar sets from the 1960s (The Beau Brummels' Bradley's Barn) and the 1970s (Bobby Charles' self-titled album), the label jumps into the glam world of the 1980s with a vengeance! Twisted Sister's Live at the Marquee Club captures the Long Island band taking London by storm in March 1983. At the time of the Marquee Club gigs, Twisted Sister had only released one studio album, 1982's Under the
Wounded Bird Helps "The Hawk" Take Flight Again
It’s very possible that you might be enjoying Bobby Charles, reviewed yesterday in this very space! But whether you’re grooving to Bobby or not, you might be interested in some more Band-related news! Long before Rick Danko produced Bobby Charles’ Bearsville LP, Danko joined Levon Helm, Robbie Robertson, Richard Manuel and Garth Hudson in supporting the one and only Mr. Ronnie Hawkins as his Hawks. Though colorful rockabilly legend Hawkins was born in Arkansas, he found his greatest success
Review: Bobby Charles, "Bobby Charles: Rhino Handmade Edition"
Gumbo’s on the menu, and Rhino Handmade is serving. The self-titled Bearsville debut LP from Bobby Charles is a N’awlins stew of roots music, laid-back country, soul and pure rock-and-roll from the man who gave the world “See You Later, Alligator,” and Rhino Handmade has expanded the original 1972 LP with two discs of delicious bonus material (RHM2 52663, 2011), shipping today from the label. It’s somewhat ironic that Bobby Charles was recorded in Woodstock, New York, as the man born Robert
On Target: Audio Fidelity Introduces New Retro Reissue Line
Can anybody doubt that Audio Fidelity knows its audience? The audiophile label is taking niche marketing to another level with the introduction of its new line of reissues. To the average consumer, a “Target CD” might be one purchased at that retail giant. To certain collectors, though, the words “Target CD” have a different meaning altogether. In the infancy of the compact disc, target CDs were pressings released by WEA (Warner-Elektra-Atlantic) in the early-to-mid 1980s. Most were
Monday Morsels: Pink Floyd On 5.1 SACD, Lost Dave Davies LP Joins Kinks Reissues, Kritzerland Is In "Style"
This weekend offered so much news that we couldn't wait to share it all with you! From the first-time release of Dave Davies' "lost" 1969 album to Kritzerland's restoration of a classic Italian film score and Analogue Productions' new Pink Floyd SACD, we've got something for everyone to kick off the week! Why Pink Floyd? EMI answered that question with the May 10 announcement of a stunning new reissue campaign for the legendary band. Now, another component of that series is confirmed to be
Out Of Control: Light in the Attic Invites You To Axton's "Late Late Party"
Light in the Attic is having a party, and you’re invited! Fresh from the success of Our Lives Are Shaped by What We Love: Motown’s MoWest Story (review here), the label has announced another exciting anthology. You might not know Charles “Packy” Axton now, but chances are, you’ll want to get to know him. Born in Memphis, Tennessee into the Stax Records family (his mother Estelle Axton and her brother Jim Stewart founded the Stax label!), “Packy” picked up the saxophone at a young age and
More Garland: First Hand Reveals "The London Studio Recordings 1957-1964"
The British Film Institute describes Ronald Neame’s 1963 film I Could Go on Singing as a “made-to-measure portrait of a singer grappling with her many demons before a London Palladium concert.” With the singer in question portrayed by the incandescent Judy Garland in what would turn out to be her final film role, it’s only natural to wonder just how much of the film was art imitating life. Or was it the other way around? Garland herself had performed triumphantly on the famed London stage as
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