So Guitar, So Good...

Well, it's been a tragically long hiatus but at least I'm happy to come back with this particular, long awaited post. This album is one that I've been searching for over the past couple of years since I first saw references to its curious cover art and its well respected, though under recorded, artist, one Lloyd Ellis. Most of us jazz guitar geeks are quite familiar with his other album that proclaims his prowess as the world's fastest guitarist! And so we are anxious for any other examples of his work. In the genre of the venerable Hank Garland and Chet Atkins and other fine country pickers who evolved into impeccable jazz musicians, I knew this other album existed and am glad to finally find it. The recording quality here is not so great but for the moment I will consider this much better than the former MIA status. After enjoying the 12 tunes on this album for the first time, I will say it doesn't disappoint. There isn't much to point out as off the charts, just a very solid, enjoyable listen to some jazz standards delivered with clear and spirited guitar mastery. Some of the tunes are perhaps not the most exciting, mostly brief and familiar. But Ellis brings a real sense of confidence and joy to the recording, and you do occasionally pick up on his country roots which is a nice nuance to me. Certainly you have to remark on his agility and clarity, ripping off some lively lines and licks that just ring without a doubt. Pretty impressive. But before you go, just take a good look at this album cover. His other, better known album, seems odd in that the cover proclaims this respectable jazz artist to be such a speedy rock star type champion of the guitar. That always seemed sort of out of place for a traditional jazz guitar rendering. Now you look at this album and it kind of goes the other way with this Minnesota-like lakefront scene contrasted with the "hip" album title, "So Tall, So Cool, So There". Who thought this up? It really added to the intrigue of tracking this recording down, and now I can remove it from the "Does anyone have this record" list. I think you will enjoy the discovery as well. I might dispute just how "tall" this album is, but it is clearly, so cool, and so there.....so there.

So Here

Lloyd Ellis - So Tall, So Cool, So There! - 1960
Trey Records: TLP 902
Produced by Lester Sill and Lee Hazlewood.

Undecided
When Your Love Has Gone
Typsy Gypsy
Sonny Boy
Take The "A" Train
Boggs Blues

Mad Hatter
Estrellita
Friendly
Skipping Along
Lover Come Back To Me
Perdido

Lloyd Ellis - guitar
John Witt - bass
Dick Odette - drums

The Coulter Club

Well, long time no see. Too busy seeing all the other great blogs out there to find time for my own. But this album struck me recently as due some exposure. This is the 1970 Soul/Jazz creation of Clifford Coulter. According to our friends at allmusic.com this album, "East Side San Jose", was Clifford's first recording as a leader though another followed in 1971 when both were apparently released. I vaguely recall when I first rescued this from a bargain bin of vinyl that I was a little disappointed with my first listen. I'm not sure I listened to it again in the 30-ish years since! I expect it was probably because I generally wanted little to do with anything in the jazz category that brought with it vocals unless it was Lady "Day" or Eddie Jefferson. Now, so many years wiser, I must say that this is a very enjoyable album for what it is. Cliff delivers some real nice vocals on the first song on each side of the record, "Do It Again" & "Sal Si Puedes". He also does a fine job bringing it on the keyboards throughout this session. All the cuts are at least solid if not excellent, mostly groovin' and funkified with some signature guitar work from one of my favorite jazz/blues men, Mel Brown. Mel offers some chicken pickin' and wah-wah magic that keeps this thing moving and finishing all too soon. The brass and rhythm sections are also tight and mix in perfectly with Cliff & Mel. I picked up a slight "phantom" background sound at times on this LP, sometimes sounds like an intended overdub, sometimes not so much, but if you're just going with the flow you don't even notice it, very faint. My copy has a little crackle here and there but it came out fine I think, you should enjoy it if you like a fun jam session of west coast soul oriented jazz, including some bluesy and expressive singing from Cliff. If you're like me, this should lead to your enrollment in the Coulter Club...

Club

Clifford Coulter - East Side San Jose - 1970
Impulse/ABC AS-9197

Do It Again
East Side San Jose
Prayer Garden
Cliff's Place

Sal Si Puedes (Get Out If You Can)
Big Fat Funky Shirley
Alum Rock Park

(all songs written by Clifford Coulter)

Clifford Coulter - vocals, piano, Fender/Rhodes electric piano, Hammond organ & guitar
Mel Brown - guitar
John Turk - trumpet
Cornelius Bumpus - tenor saxophone
Gino Landry - alto saxophone
Jerry Perez - rhythm guitar
Jimmy Calhoun - Fender bass
Joe Provost - drums
Billy Ingram - drums (Cliff's Place & Big Fat Funky Shirley)

Tasty Licks

For all you hungry bluegrass fans out there, I have a treat, a tasty one. This next album was among my early favorites in the bluegrass realm. Back when I was able to frequent festivals and keep up with every issue of Bluegrass Unlimited, the band, Tasty Licks, and it's first album (self titled) was a frequent flier on my turntable and car stereo. They have such a unique vocal sound. Jack Tottle and Robin Kincaid both having rather high registers to their voices, yet the results are so natural and relaxed. Of course, with Bela Fleck anchoring the banjo licks on this team, there is plenty of spice and surprises to make for a great bundle of old fashioned bluegrass and exciting new fangled fun. You'll hear some incredible dobro work from Stacy Phillips and bass fiddle man Paul Kahn adds the bottom parts instrumentally and vocally with great aplomb. All in all a real classic in my book. Every song is solid stuff although I am always a sucker for a good cover and I think "Listen To The Rhythm of the Fallin' Rain" is a blast. "Sweetheart of Rainy Days" (by Kincaid) is another killer tune. Ultimately I find the whole album to be a non-stop hit. You'll note a lot of unusual twists to the rhythm throughout many of the songs, odd syncapation that keeps you on your toes. "Lathe Machine" is a very enjoyable instrumental and there's also a wonderful gospel treatment on "If You Don't Love Your Neighbor". I hope you will enjoy getting a taste of what these guys were way back in the late seventies. These were some of the guys responsibile for the relative revolution in bluegrass that we witnessed at the time, right up there with beer can collecting, except much better and here to stay thankfully!

Lix

Tasty Licks - (Self-Titled) - 1978
Rounder 0106

Ridin' The Back Road
Sweet Rhythm Of Highway
Reading in the Dark
Maize
Listen to the Rhythm of the Fallin' Rain
Trains/Leavin' Tennessee

Make It All Right
Sweetheart of Rainy Days
Lathe Machine
Why Did You Say Goodbye
If You Don't Love Your Neighbor
Saturday Night Special

Jack Tottle - vocals & mandolin
Robin Kincaid - tenor vocals & guitar
Bela Fleck - banjo
Stacy Phillips - dobro
Paul Kahn - vocals & acoustic bass
Bobby Hicks - fiddle ("Sweetheart.." & "Sweet Rhythm...")

Let's Go!

This next album deserved a simple introduction and so I used what is probably the most recognizable cut on the 1984 album of the same name, "Let's Go" by the Connecticut band, The Reducers. "Let's Go", the very first cut on the album really kicks things off with a lot of energy and fun, and for the most part, I think the rest of the album follows suit. These guys often remind me of a slightly simpler version of the Revillos/Rezillos but at times there are quite a few other influences noted that generally seem indicative of the times back in 1984. Some Ramones, even ZZ Top, but most of all it's a rockin' collection of well played, fairly down to basics good music that captures that early eighties "New Wave/Post Punk" feel. I can see where they get their name...reducing things to the best of elements. From a post office box in New London, Connecticut, I give you...The Reducers!

Let's Go

The Reducers - Let's Go! - 1984
Rave On Records TCP-1001

Let's Go
Bums (I Used To Know)
Fashion of the Times
Your Mother
Hippy Hippy Shake

Closing Time
Maximum Depression
Take It Away
(That'll Be) Just Fine
Big Man
Rocks

The Reducers:
Hugh Birdsall - guitar/vocals
Peter Detmold - guitar/vocals
Steve Kaika - bass/vocals
Tom Trombley - drums/vocals

All songs written by Birdsall/Detmold/Kaika/Trombley except "Hippy Hippy Shake"

Freakbaby...the heartbeat of Connecticut

Here's another band that made the Connecticut scene in the early 90's and touts an impressive lineage that ties in with the likes of 76% Uncertain among others. I really find this stuff to be very unique and would love to have heard more recordings from this group. Fortunately I do have this one 45 to share and I will be curious to see your comments. Go ahead, after all, it's a Freak country...

Freakbaby

Freakbaby - "Full Size" (45 rpm)
Delirium Records - 1993

My Pet Pig (side A)........ Unable To Turn The Bat On Himself (side B)










Here's a little history from their MySpace page...
Started by Martha Hamilton, Elisa Flynn and John Howard in and around Danbury, CT in 1989. First gigs in 1990. Added Todd Knapp on guitar in 1993. Changed name to Jet Jaguar in 1995. Ended 1996. Output: Flathead Longo (Oil Burner Cassette) 1991; Peel b/w Boot (Oil Burner Records) 1992; Retroactive Karma (Chop, Grate, Whip, Liquify comp) 1992; My Pet Pig b/w (Unable to) Turn The Bat (on Himself) (Delerium Records) 1993; Honour The Ugly Dormer (Oil Burner Cassette) 1994; Michael's Type b/w Echo 'n' Preamble (Romance Records) 1996.

Reflex...a natural

This is another tremendous Connecticut punk band that flourished in the early 80's and was home to a number of musicians who ended up filtering into other outstanding bands that evolved in the Nutmeg State, including "Violent Children" and the great "76% Uncertain". Here is a 45 rpm recording they released in 1983 called "Black and White". The quality rooted in this band's playing and compositions is obvious I think, but you judge for yourself. If you decide you like it then that "reflex" well on your taste in music...rock on! This and other Reflex recordings are included on other blogs but since I had this one I wanted to post it as a link to my buddy Todd who later performed and recorded with Reflex From Pain on guitar and continues to perform with 76% to this day!

Reflex

Reflex From Pain - Black and White - 1983
Death Threat Records (Stratford, CT)

Rednecks
Generic Life
Hangover

Media Control
Chemicals
Holy Pictures

Greg - vocals
Andrew - guitar
Dave - bass
Bill - drums

Reale-in' and a rockin'...

During my care free days of bar hopping and night-clubbing, and the constant pursuit of good live music, I can remember a fairly early experience in New Haven, CT at a somewhat short lived new wave/punk club called The Joint. Situated in a basement of a downtown building, you walked down some cement stairs as I recall, down a long hallway into a claustrophobic series of rooms that included a small stage. I'm pretty sure that one of the first groups I saw perform here was a local band called Roger C. Real & Rue Morgue. For this tiny place I recall I was immediately impressed that these guys not only brought a lot of energy to the "joint" but they were pretty polished. Though their music was relatively straight forward, not highly quirky like some of the bands that were making the scene at that time locally, this band was tight and had all their licks down and delivered each song convincingly with plenty of sweat and enthusiasm. It was gut wrenching rock n' roll. I liked them and eventually tracked down the album you see here, "Radio Active". It's been a lot of years since I listened to this album (like most of my record collection), and I don't think I ever saw the band perform again, but this vinyl still sounds great today. Fairly simple, power trio garage rock that falls somewhere between The Who and The Ramones with some hints of The Chords and maybe even some Bruce Springsteen if that isn't too damaging a comment to make. Roger certainly has a dramatic flair for Harley Davidson type rock vocals, gravelly and relentless, in a good way. But G.E. Smith never lets up on his revved up guitar work and drummer Hilly Michaels more than carries his share, as well. I particularly like "Dear Dad" and check out the punk-like attack on "Kill Me". I don't see any clunkers on this LP, it is the Reale deal and I hope you enjoy it. I understand that Roger is still in the Connecticut area but I don't think he is performing these days. Too bad.

Reale Deal

Roger C. Reale & Rue Morgue - Radio Active - 1978
Big Sound Records (NY, NY) BSLP-028

High Society
Dear Dad
Stop and Go
Pain Killer
Kill Me

Reach For The Sky
Madonna's Last Stand
Please Believe Me
Inside Outside
I Can't Control Myself

Roger C. Reale - lead vocals & bass
G.E. Smith - guitar
Hilly Michaels - drums & vocals