It’s Sunday and I hope you’re in the mood to accompany me on another trip through space and time to explore the miraculous world of music. The magical time machine is all set to go, so hop on board and fasten your seatbelt.
Charles Mingus/Dizzy Moods
For our first stop today, I’ve set the time controls to November 1957. That’s when American upright jazz bassist, composer and bandleader Charles Mingus came out with Mingus Three. Unlike the title may suggest, this wasn’t his third album but rather a reflection of the trio format, a less common setting for Mingus who most often recorded and played with large ensembles. Dizzy Moods is one of his three original compositions on Mingus Three. He was backed by pianist Hampton Hawes and drummer Dannie Richmond. This is groovy stuff, so feel free to snip along!
Creamery Station/Crazy Night
From the past, we shall return to right back to the present and a cool six-piece group from Connecticut. Creamery Station, who have been around for four years, blend jam, blues, rock and bluegrass into what their website confidently guarantees is “a thrilling live experience you won’t be able to get enough of.” To my ears, they also sound pretty good on what is their third and latest album, Story to Tell, released on June 23. Here’s Crazy Night, a fun blues rock tune I previously considered for my weekly new music review – not really sure why it didn’t make the post at the time!
Art/Supernatural Fairy Tales
I hope you’re not afraid of things that you don’t understand. Our next stop takes us back to November 1967 and Supernatural Fairy Tales, the title cut of the only album by Art. Initially, the British band was known as The V.I.P.’s who had formed in 1963 out of an earlier group called The Ramrods. Seemingly, change was the main constant of the group. Art shortly dissolved after the album’s release, and their four members – Mike Harrison (vocals, piano), Luther Grosvenor (guitars, vocals), Greg Ridley (bass) and Mike Kellie (drums) – teamed up with American keyboarder and vocalist Gary Wright, best known for his mid-’70s hits Dream Weaver and Love Is Alive, to form rock band Spooky Tooth.
Steve Conn/River of Madness
Next, let’s pay a visit to the small central Louisiana city of Pineville, the home of Steve Conn, who his website notes has played piano, organ or accordion with the likes of Bonnie Raitt, Kris Kristofferson, Sonny Landreth and Albert King, among many others. He also writes his own music and to date has released five albums. His first, River of Madness, appeared in October 1995. Here’s the soulful title track featuring Landreth on slide guitar. Conn’s music sounds as rich and tasty as a Louisiana gumbo!
Climax Blues Band/Couldn’t It Right
Time for a stop-over in the ’70s with a groovy tune by Climax Blues Band I was reminded of the other day when I heard it on the radio. When the English blues rock band, which had come together in 1967, presented their nineth album Gold Plated to their record label RCA in 1976, they were told it lacked a hit, so they should try and write one. They did. Ironically titled Couldn’t Get It Right, it would become their biggest hit, climbing all the way to no. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100. Outside the U.S. it reached no. 8 and no. 10 on the mainstream charts in Canada and the UK, respectively – another great groovy tune!
Pete Townshend/White City Fighting
Our upcoming sixth stop means we need to wrap up another music time travel journey. To do that let’s go to November 1985 and the fourth solo studio album by Pete Townshend. It’s probably my favorite by the British rock artist who of course is best known as co-founder, leader, guitarist, second lead vocalist and principal songwriter of The Who. Off White City: A Novel, here’s the de facto title track, White City Fighting. It was penned by another famous guitarist, David Gilmour, of Pink Floyd fame, and originally intended for his second solo album About Face. At the time, he asked Townshend to write the lyrics. But he couldn’t relate to the words and ended up giving the song to Townshend who turn invited Gilmour to play guitar on it. It all worked out nicely!
Well, folks, that’s it for today, except of course for a Spotify playlist of the above tracks. As always, I hope there’s something there you dig and that you’ll be back for more. So long!
Sources: Wikipedia; Creamery Station website; Steve Conn website; YouTube; Spotify
Christian's Music Musings 