Morning Coffee Vinyl Side

Happy Diwali!

I started French immersion in grade 6 in 1980, leaving my old school behind and joining about 35 other students - most of us thrown together in a brand new school - on a scholastic adventure. We started out with 11 or 12 guys, losing 5 within weeks, and a disproportionate number of girls - maybe 25? By the time we graduated to grade 7 those numbers had settled to 18 girls and 6 guys. These were the classmates I would go through Jr. and Sr. High with. I came into grade 6 an Elvis & Beatles fan, but somewhat lacking exposure to modern rock. I do remember when Pink Floyd’s The Wall dropped in late ‘79 - you couldn’t escape hearing“Another Brick In The Wall” that following spring. It seemed to be playing everywhere. And I remember bands like Blondie, and the Cars. One of my Immersion friends, Kevin, had 3 older brothers which meant that Kevin had access and exposure to a wicked record collection. I can still remember thumbing through it when I visited his house - It was impressive. One of the brothers must have really loved Ted Nugent because he was well represented in the collection. I think it was Kevin who first heard and told us about Rush & Tom Sawyer. In fact it was Kevin’s influence (and his older brothers) that were part of what helped define cool and shaped my own musical tastes. I was (at the time) a C-Fun listener which was a middle of the road top 40 radio station. Kevin hipped me to the harder edged and more AOR focused C-Fox - and more importantly - Seattle’s KISW - “Seattle’s Best Rock” which was the preeminent rock station in the pacific north west which you could pickup on the radio if you were lucky (and later through connecting to cable tv). Spinning this takes me back to all those memories - including Kevin and I spinning this album in my basement (on my crappy turntable) and the two of us just marveling what we heard. Rush was cool. And that opening Synth blast on Tom Sawyer is still magic. The songs on Moving Pictures would be part of the soundtrack of the next 3 years of our lives as Rush followed it up with a live album - “Exit Stage Left” - featuring many of those same songs. Just a little Sunday reflection.

Today’s Morning Coffee Vinyl Side: The Lancers With George Cates’ All-Stars “The Dixieland Ball” 1957. The Lancers were a vocal quartet put together by students of famed Hollywood Vocal Coach Peter Lance in 1950. Lead by lead tenor Jerry Meacham, and rounded out by Dick Burr, tenor, Carlton Linogren, Bass, and Bob Porter, Baritone, the group enjoyed success through the 50’s barbershop revival, and caught the white doo-wop wave - taking them from Hollywood, to the Copacabana in New York, and beyond to places like the London Palladium. Signed to Coral Records for this album, the Lancers availed themselves to the talents and resources of the label which included George Cates - the label’s A&R Director who conducted and arranged all the label’s sessions for its roaster of artists. Cates made his bones for Corel recording Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye, and the Andrew’s Sisters and was simultaneously the Musical Director for Lawrence Welk - conducting and arranging his orchestra up until the 1970’s. This album appears to be an attempt to catch the Dixieland Revival wave, and in some ways it’s quite unique in the melding of Barbershop with Dixie. And there’s no question - the orchestra is totally pro-level. But it’s also way too clean - and dare I say - way too white - to yield itself to any meditative consumption. There’s no real swing here. And when you consider what was brewing - rock n roll, folk, and youth oriented music - all in many ways a rejection of this kind of overproduced, unfeeling production - well you get it. These guys were not old either - but this was old man’s music - even then. And in contrast to the Dixie we listened to the other day with Eddie Condon, this is saccharin - I wanted some molasses. If it was a sexual encounter it would end with no sweat on the bodies, no dishevelment, or hair out of place…. It would be buttoned down and empty, and both parties would be left wondering if it ever even happened. The only time it comes close to opening up to something real with actual sentiment is “Weary Blues” but I had to wait till the second last song on the album to hear it. And even then… … cont in comments #vinyladay #vinylcommunity #dixieland

Today’s Morning Coffee Vinyl Side: Veres, Lajos And His orchestra “Gipsy Fire!” Hungarian born Lajos Veres was a popular Gipsy Jazz violinist who found fame (& presumably fortune) in the Netherlands, and enjoyed a career that spanned over 65 years until his death in 1981 at the age of 69. Born to a musical family of Roma origin, Lajos’ Father was a violinist in a rather boisterous Gypsy Jazz Ensemble. Yearning to follow in his footsteps, Lajos picked up the violin at the age of 5, and studied with diligence - even attending a conservatory - dreaming of one day joining his Father’s ensemble and playing at his side. The opportunity to join the ensemble came about sooner than anticipated - in less than ideal circumstances - after his Father took ill, and Lajos, only 14 at the time, had to take over his chair in the band. He continued his music education by day, gigging with the band at night, and developed into a band leader of local renown until an opportunity to go to Holland presented itself. It was there that Lajos found love, settled, and built a career, becoming a popular Gypsy Jazz performer and recording artist specializing in a Hungarian-Roma repertoire, and performing throughout Europe. I don’t really have much to say about this album. Sonically it leaves something to be desired, and musically it seems overly rushed and unrehearsed… I kept an open mind here but I’ll just have to say it - it wasn’t very good. It was actually quite bad. But hey - let’s not end this on a sour note - here’s a little trivia for you. Lajos had children - and his daughter Mariska Veres was a member of the Dutch Rock Band “Shocking Blue”. That’s her singing on “Venus” - their biggest hit - later covered by Bananarama. How about that! #vinyladay #lajosveres #gipsyjazz #violin #vinylcommunity

Today’s Morning Coffee Vinyl Side: The Trio Raisner “Hi-Fi Harmonica” 1957. From the first notes of this album I realized that I’m more familiar with the Trio Raisner & their music than I thought - and that it’s as much linked to my experience of France and French culture as visuals of the Eiffel Tower, the smell of warm baguettes, and the sounds of Edith Piaf. As I dropped the needle on the opening track - “Minute Waltz” by Chopin - it was like I was dropping into a Jean-Pierre Jeunet film…. complete with a certain sense of diminution that I’ve always associated with things “French”. And again (similar to our experience of the last Trio Raisner album we played) - there’s no sense of this being a novelty album. There’s no punchline - not even a joke. But there’s kaleidoscope and carnival - and that’s how It connects to the darkness found in Jeunet films. There’s an ephemeral malaise to everything - to its aesthetic and the experience of it. But France has always existed with one foot standing on a plane of absurdity - starting with Rabelais and continuing up throughout most of modern history. Look at the Court of Louis XVI, through to the Revolution & the Napoleonic Wars; The Franco-Prussian War, WW1 & the French idea of a “White Peace; The Treaty of Versailles and its punishing reparations; The political philosophy of André Breton, The Maginot Line - even the idea of a French Resistance... absurdity. There’s a reason Peter Sellers’ Inspector Clouseau was French… because he had to be. But life is absurd isn’t it? We just spend a lot of time hiding from that realization - pretending that it’s not full of contradictions. We posit binaries; trying to live black and white when most things are actually shades of grey. Maybe that’s why France produced some of the greatest philosophers of the 20th century: Albert Camus, Henri Bergson, Jacques Lacan, Simone de Beauvoir, Deleuze & Guattar, even Derrida and Foucault — and then consider artists like Marcel Marceau, and of course, Harmonica player Albert Raisner. They’re all products of the same absurdity. … cont. in comments #vinyladay #albertraisner #harmonica #trioraisner #vinylcommunity

Today’s Morning Coffee Vinyl Side: Eddie Condon “Dixieland Dance Party” 1958. Where do you start with Eddie Condon? Obviously Chicago; born in 1905 in Indiana, the son of a Bar-Keeper - and raised in the Chicago ‘burbs, Eddie Condon knew the value of looking sharp, speaking his mind, and being prepared to throw-down. He wasn’t just tough - he was Chicago tough which meant he was tough with style and attitude; an orientation that meant even if he didn’t come out on top, his opponent would still finish bloodied - Chicago usually trumped (one way or another). Eddie was a banjo and guitar player - and what made him distinct (and in demand) as a rhythm section player was his knowledge of chords. He was also a natural leader and organizer, so he often found himself leading sessions or bands, despite not being a soloist. Entrepreneurial, his hustle was second to none - and he wasn’t shy about going out and learning (and giving credit) to the cats who were better musicians than he was… In some ways you could say this pursuit was instrumental in him developing his chops. He sought out the best - quite willing to observe and even surrender the room - learning and becoming a monster musician himself. This was good for Eddie, but It was also good for Jazz as a genre. As he was coming into his own as a young cat in the 20’s, music and the recording industry was strongly racially segregated… but his reverence, and interest, in the black side of the Jazz divide, inspired him to put together some of the first integrated recording sessions with black and white musicians. At the time, Jazz (in the early tradition) had a white & black divide - and what Jazz was, and who Jazz was for, was still very much up for grabs. Though there were institutionalized forces trying to perpetuate the divide, the musicians, particularly the great ones, found themselves drawn together - pulled by unseen musical forces. Condon was instrumental in knitting together the two communities. … cont in comments #vinyladay #eddiecondon #jazz #dixielandjazz #hotjazz

Today’s Morning Coffee Vinyl Side: Steve Martin “A Wild And Crazy Guy” 1978. Steve Martin was a rockstar of a comedian in 1978 and I have vivid memories of his appearances on things like award shows, chat shows, and of course SNL. His standup of the day can best be described as absurdist - and therein lies the problem. Absurdism is temporally fixed - and outside of that intersection with time, the funny ages out so to speak. The experience of what was absurd and therefore funny in 1978 is almost inaccessible to us today. It’s a “you had to be there” kind of thing. I remember Steve for the two huge catch phrases he developed that were his bread and butter…. and that I used to quote and reference them all the time on the playground with my friends. We all would. “Excuse Me!” was one - the title of a bit on his first album - and “I’m A Wild And Crazy Guy” was the other. As kids we’d take turns setting each other up to drop a big “Well Excuse Me!” and roar with laughter…. The best was when we could orchestrate an opportunity to drop the line on some poor unsuspecting adult… we were annoying as hell. If we’d have had TikTok back then we would have been public menaces. Steve was always smart - it was something he couldn’t hide. And behind the goofy personae, fueled by his sharp wit, was a fierce social critic. But there was also an element of simmering contempt just below the surface to his comedy - both by design (it was part of his personae) but it was also inescapably real. Think Jerry Seinfeld in this way. Steve was a bit of a prick - or perhaps a better word would be a “Jerk”. But there’s no denying how effective those early catch phrases were, and how deeply they propagated through the culture in the day…. … cont in comments #vinyladay #stevemartin #vinylcommunity #comedy #awildandcrazyguy

Today’s Morning Coffee Vinyl Side: Eddie Bert “Like Cool - The Contemporary Trombone of Eddie Bert” 1955/58 This “Somerset” reissue of Eddie Bert’s 1955 album “Let’s Dig Bert (Eddie that Is)” is really good. I got worried when I pulled it out of the sleeve and saw the Somerset label. Not only were they a bit of a scammy label, but as a budget operation, they were not known for their Quality Control. My disk had rough edges from the post-pressing trim of excess material, and the grooves looked pretty shallow… enough so that I was worried about the needle skating. But it played well enough after a clean, so I was happy. Born in Yonkers New York in 1922, Bert got his first trombone from his father at the age of 13 and developed an immediate obsession. Practicing 6 to 8 hours a day (most of his non school waking hours) it is said he would sneak off to the big city at the age of 16 to watch the Basie band, and while there - petition the trombonists for lessons at the stage door. It actually worked - and Eddie received instruction from both Bennie Morton and JC Higginbotham for his efforts. Securing his first paid gig in 1940, Bert’s career was long and distinguished - and lasted until his death in 2012 at the age of 90. Eddie Bert played with all the greats; Stan Kenton and Benny Goodman, Coleman Hawkins, Charles Mingus and Thelonious Monk, and he also accompanied singers like Lena Horn and Bobby Short. He was there at the Birth of the Cool with Miles’ band, & played with Charlie Parker in the infamous 27 piece “band that never was”, put together by arranger Gene Roland, and he even played with experimental composer Edgard Varèse. Pulled out of Woody Sherman’s band and drafted into the army in 1944 (into Bill Finegan’s US Army band), Eddie was able to pursue a music degree, then a Masters degree at the Manhattan School of Music on his discharge, complements of the GI Bill, which lead to him getting teaching credentials in the mid 50’s for music education. He taught as a University Professor in parallel to his playing career for the rest of his life. …cont in comments #vinyladay #vinylcommunity #eddiebert #cooljazz

Today’s Morning Coffee Vinyl Side: Al Goodman “Al Goodman Salutes Irving Berlin” 1957. The year of this album’s release marked Irving Berlin’s 50th year as a songwriter; his first song having been published in 1907 after he sold its publication rights for 37 cents. In the first 50 years of his career, the body of work he created was instrumental in establishing what we affectionately call “The Great American Songbook”… the loosely compiled virtual songbook of American music standards from the Jazz and Swing age, that included both popular music and show-tunes. By the time he retired, after celebrating his 60th working year as a songwriter, Irving Berlin had written and published over 1500 songs, and he is considered one of the Greatest American songwriters in history. Born in the year 1888, in the shadow of the Ural Mountains in Imperial Russia, Irving Berlin immigrated to the USA at the age of 5 - arriving at Ellis Island in 1893. Raised in abject poverty in New York City, Irving was forced to work from the time he was 8 years old as his family struggled to find their footing in America. After losing his Father to illness, and moving out on his own at 14 to minimize the burden he placed on his remaining family, Irving eventually found himself a job as a singing waiter - literally “singing for his supper”. Not only would he sing popular songs while he took a drink order or busked a table, but he’d also break into song in the street - hustling for a few pennies. I guess that was the early 1900’s version of the portable music player…. You’d just wait to be randomly accosted by a singer as you went about your day Suffice to say when singing something pleasing for a stranger was how you were making your living - when it determined whether you ate or had shelter - you develop a knack for knowing what pleases and delights people… Irving the songwriter was born in this paradigm. … cont in comments #vinyladay #vinylcommunity #irvingberlin #algoodman #greatamericansongbook #vinylcollection