Musik Szene Saar II (Germ., 1981)

Back when the growing bin blog was going strong with beautiful german and other seventies albums, one of my favourites posted was discobasso's Musik Szene Saar I album, which you can read here:
http://thegrowingbin.blogspot.ca/2011/02/musik-szene-saar.html
I can't believe this was already almost 2 years ago!

It was a very uneven recording, but there were some really gorgeously progressive tracks on it that really blew me away.  I didn't know there was a second one from a year later until it was featured for sale on his record store site.
For me the best tracks are from the soul-rock group Double You, which according to rateyourmusic and discogs never did a full album, and the folk quartet Ambi and Arno, same story, no record according to those sites, just the tracks on these two compilations.  If this is true and complete, it's tragic these talented groups never got to record albums.

Then there was just a shockingly RIO-esque prog number by Wolfgang Brendel with the most awesome dissonances and tritones.  This guy unfortunately doesn't appear on this second record.
http://rateyourmusic.com/artist/wolfgang_brendel

Needless to say, the second edition is not as good as the first, but I had to get it out of curiosity.  It's quite possible most will not enjoy it so much, other than the true german rock music fans, of which I'm a big one.  But every once in a while a true gem appears from that period, in that country, that is completely unknown, so the search goes on.... 

The best track to me is from the hard rock band called Lancelot, their track 9, Danger in Sky, I feature here:

Wake up and.... Jazzy (Macedonia or Yugo?, 198?)

For the edification of the confused, the country ascription above is due to the fact the album was recorded in Macedonia (as you can see from the back cover) by Yugoslav (specifically, Serbian) musicians.  Macedonia is a small country just north of Greece which has nothing to do with the former Yugoslavia obviously, geographically, I say this due to some confusion in the comments below created by someone who probably doesn't understand English too well.  Or if they do understand English they don't read well, or perhaps, have trouble comprehending.  Or are simply out to catch me even at the cost of making a mistake.  Something like that.  At any rate this record was posted before on the website yugojazz -- which I figured was likely because it's hard to find any yugo-related material not yet posted online.  My mistake for thinking I had found something original!

This record reminds me a bit of Kjol's stuff with its intense fusionary output from a quartet of wonderful musicians and its 'updated' eighties style of breathy jazz.  I'm surprised it's not better known considering how good the music is.  There is some experimental stuff in here too, and very little of the conventional (jazzy or bluesy standards) -- if at all.

The start of track 5 sampled below features some really oddly ahead of its time distorted vocals behind the furiously fast pianist runs.  Notice the synths behind him blowing as if in a wind chamber.

Really remarkable find, again from the growing bin record store.  I will repeat how amazing it is to see so many rare and marvellous gems in one place and at such affordable prices compared to many an online record store.

The stars are Milos Petrovic the pianist, and Rade Bulatovic the bassist.  They are rounded out by Jovan Maljokovic on tenor sax and Miroslav Karlovic on drums.

Track 5, Mondovisia from Milos Petrovic:

Chettini and The Turkish Trio - "Oriental Soul" {France} [1972] turkish psychedelic folk/funk

this album was in my wishlist for a very long time, since the day, i saw it on ebay's lp listings.. since the lp released in france; even in turkey, very few aware the existence of this album. there are zillions of okay albums made in 70s' turkey, which try to benefit from country's authentic value, but musically somewhat dull. believe me this one is different. a hidden treasure for the lovers of turkish funky folky jazzy fussion of 70s.. the only information that we know about Çetin Bükey is that he played flute and clarinet at 1965's Altin Mikrofon Contest (a music contest annually held between 1965-1968 in Turkey organized by the newspaper Hürriyet) as a member of the Ferdi Özbegen Orchestra.


Bağdat..

Enjoy!

Mwendo Dawa ST (Swed, 1981)

After the VA record I tried looking for more from this swedish jazz band with mild fusionary tendencies.  I believe in online record stores this is referred to as fusion simply because a so-used label sells better than 'acoustic jazz' which is what this really is for the most part, with the exception of some nice synth work.  I really love the way Susanna washes her synths into the pieces in that atmospheric, cloud-like kind of way, big thick chords flowing over the surface of the beat like white reflections moving on a turmoiled ocean.   Unfortunately for me there isn't enough of this effect, only sparingly employed.

This was recorded April 20-21, 1980, in Stockholm.  The Mwendo Dawa (in Swahili: the way to a special goal) players are:
Ove Johansson - tenor sax
Susanna Lindeborg - keys
Ulf Wakenuis - guitars
Anders Jormin - bass
David Sundby - drums
Not too sure what you guys opine but I don't think I'll go out of my way to find any remaining of their records, I think I'll leave the rest for true completists in jazz only.  Is it surprising I can be turned off by 'too much jazziness?'  It shouldn't be, I love fusion for its progressive moves, but my heart is in prog.  Note that this band is still very active, one of the few from this period that continued almost verbatim through to the present era.  This particular record is OOP of course and not currently available online or on cd.
http://www.lj-records.se/mwendo.html



On track 5, a good ex. of Susanna's synthwork:

Media - Realite (FRA 1980)

Highly reminiscent to me of the Phileas Fogg record I posted some time back, but with much less jazziness in it.  A few songs have a bit of reggae-tinged beat as might be expected for this time period, & quite a bit of new wave influence here, like zauberfinger.  Unfortunately the female vocalist is nowhere as beautifully endowed laryngeally as Phileas Fogg's.   For the progressive fan, be patient at the start -- you will be rewarded towards the end of side 1 moving on to side 2, with some unusual chord changes and melodies.

The band is led by Jean Launay, who plays drums, synths, and organs, and contributes vocals, and Ghislaine Clavier, responsible for the vocals.  This couple is credited with the arrangements, production, and compositions.  Album was recorded in Toulouse, March 1980.  Rounding out the band are Remy Chebr on bass, Antonio Gomez and Serge Faubert on guitars, Jean Labelle, Jean-Claude Cruciati and Patrick Double on piano (on different tracks) and synths, & Jean Ribul on trumpets.  This should be a nice break for those not so much into the fusion and jazzier stuff that I am apparently addicted to on this blog.  It's too bad our beautiful princess of prog Isabel has kept a low profile of late since she was so good at ferreting out the rockier albums for sharing.

Tony DuPuis - Night Visions (USA, 1985)

In the last post our Master Shige talked about when one is feeling down-- what to do?

For myself, there is no feeling like hearing the postman ringing, or coming home to see a record in my mailbox.  When this happens twice in one day, there's nothing like it.  (I hope out there others will feel inspired to feel the same, buying and ripping rare records.)  Yesterday this was exactly what I needed, with (what is a common experience) unpleasantness and bad feelings at work, followed by a record at my door.

"Welcome to a day in my life.  'Night Visions' is a concept album written as my perception of life.  We live in a fast-paced society and sometimes forget the meaning of tranquility.  The music on this album is an example of these times and how we must, through our most trying times, go on living with love for fellow man and self through tranquility and awareness."  T.D.

Very well said and something always worth remembering in this day of "social media" especially.  Taking a break from everything to think about why we are here, who we really are, or who we are to others around us, and what are we to do with the problems everywhere around small and large, is the most important duty for all of us.  Because then for my part I realize I want to be remembered as someone who made others feel better in some way, small as it may be, whoever they might be-- I say this without arrogance, meaning only that if I'm to leave this earth tomorrow at least it will be mostly positivity I will leave behind (I hope).

In this mid-80s private pressed fusion outing, Tony on piano, synths, and percussion, is accompanied by James Marshall - Trumpet, Perc; Dixon Shanks - Sax, Flutes; James Ranka - keys; Brain Robinson - Bass; Wally Parks - Vibes; Donny Todd - Trombone; and Jay Eker on Bass.  All the songs were written by Tony except the second one co-written with Ranka.  The sound is very similar to Mike Elliott's Diffusion but updated by a few years into the more smooth fusion era.  A couple of songs get pretty adventurous and progressive and you will surely notice these when you hear them.

Beltane Fire "Different Breed "(1985,UK,pomp)

Beltane Fire "Different Breed "(1985,UK,pomp)

This album might cheer you up when you feel dissapointed or downer.

Excellent pomp album from UK released in 1985.

Beltane Fire released this sole album and some singles.

RYM

track2