Tag: Vinyl Me Please Classics

  • Jimmy Scott, Falling In Love Is Wonderful, 1963 on Tangerine Records

    Jimmy Scott, Falling In Love Is Wonderful, 1963 on Tangerine Records

    American jazz vocalist sometimes referred to as “Little” Jimmy Scott, who had a very high contralto voice due to Kallmann’s syndrome, a genetic condition.Scott performed in the final episode of Twin Peaks which led to a bit of a career resurgence in the 1990s. This album was out of print between the 1963 release and…

  • Bill Frisell, Have a Little Faith, 1993 on Elektra Nonesuch

    Bill Frisell, Have a Little Faith, 1993 on Elektra Nonesuch

    Frisell on guitar, joined by Don Byron (clarinet, bass clarinet), Guy Klucevskek (accordion), Kermit Driscoll (bass), and Joey Baron (drums). Covers a wide variety of sounds here including some Aaron Copeland from his ballet Billy the Kid, two excepts from Charles Ive’s orchestral Three Places in New England, plus Dylan, Muddy Waters, Sonny Rollins, and…

  • Junior Wells, It’s My Life, Baby, 1966 on Vanguard

    Junior Wells, It’s My Life, Baby, 1966 on Vanguard

    Junior Wells’ sophomore album, released on Vanguard in 1966 after Hoodoo Man Blues came out on Delmark. From the liner notes: Some of this album, Junior Wells’ first solo record for Vanguard, was recorded in Pepper’s Lounge on Chicago’s south side, to get the feeling of a blues band working with its blues audience. The…

  • David Porter, . . . Into A Real Thing,  1971 on Enterprise

    David Porter, . . . Into A Real Thing, 1971 on Enterprise

    Porter was the staff songwriter for Stax – this was his second full length LP issued under his name, following up Gritty, Groovy, & Gettin’ It. Enterprise was a sub-label of Stax, which also released the early Isaac Hayes solo albums. (Apparently label president Al Bell was a Star Trek fan). Wonderful early 70s Stax/Volt…

  • Teo Macero with the Prestige Jazz Quartet, Teo, 1957 on Prestige

    Teo Macero with the Prestige Jazz Quartet, Teo, 1957 on Prestige

    Macero is likely best known as the producer of both Bitches Brew and Time Out but he was also a great saxophone player and composer. He made multiple albums with Mingus and cofounded the Jazz Composers Workshop. Here he is joined by Addison Farmer (bass), Jerry Segal (drums), Mal Waldron (piano), and Teddy Charles (vibes).…

  • McCoy Tyner, Trident, 1975 on Milestone

    McCoy Tyner, Trident, 1975 on Milestone

    Tyner (who plays harpsichord and celeste as well as piano) is joined here by Ron Carter (bass) and Elvin Jones (drums), and the album was produced by Orrin Keepnews. It was his eighth LP for Milestone after recording on Blue Note and Impulse! throughought the 60s. (Elvin Jones worked with Tyner in the John Coltrane…

  • Hound Dog Taylor and the House Rockers, Natural Boogie, 1974 on Alligator Records

    Hound Dog Taylor and the House Rockers, Natural Boogie, 1974 on Alligator Records

    Second record from Hound Dog Taylor and his band, originally issued as AL 4704. The band her includes Ted Harvey on drums and Brewer Phillips on 2nd guitar, with Hound Dog Taylor on lead guitar and vocals. (Their debut LP had been the first release on newly-formed Alligator in 1971). Great electrified Chicago blues. Unfortunately…

  • Black Nasty, Talking To The People, 1973 on Enterprise

    Black Nasty, Talking To The People, 1973 on Enterprise

    Enterprise was a sub-label of Stax, and released the early solo work of Isaac Hayes. It is actually named after the Star Trek spaceship – Al Bell was a big fan. Black Nasty cut three singles and an album (this one) for Enterprise before being dropped by the label. Johnnie Mae Matthews, the “Godmother of…

  • Nina Simone, Silk & Soul, 1967 on RCA Victor

    Nina Simone, Silk & Soul, 1967 on RCA Victor

    This was Simone’s second album for RCA, following Nina Simone Sings the Blues, and was recorded in RCA Victor Studio B in New York. It includes great renditions of “The Look of Love” and “Cherish” neither of which I thought of as particularly Nina Simone material, along with a brilliant “I Wish I Knew How…

  • Oliver Nelson with Eric Dolphy, Straight Ahead, 1961 on Prestige / New Jazz

    Oliver Nelson with Eric Dolphy, Straight Ahead, 1961 on Prestige / New Jazz

    Nelson on sax and clarient, with Dolphy also on sax, bass clarinet, and flute, supported by Richard Wyands on piano, George Duvivier on bass, and Roy Haynes on drums. Recording supervised by Rudy Van Gelder. Nelson had earlier recorded Screamin’ The Blues with Dolphy and Richard Williams. It is safe to say that if you…

  • La Lupe, Queen of Latin Soul / Reina De La Canción Latina, 1968 on Tico

    La Lupe, Queen of Latin Soul / Reina De La Canción Latina, 1968 on Tico

    Guadalupe Victoria Yolí Raymond – aka La Lupe – was a Cuban singer who emigrated from Cuba in the early 60s. (According to Wikipedia, while performing in Havana, she earned fans including Ernest Hemingway, Tennessee Williams, Jean-Paul Sartre, Simone de Beauvoir and Marlon Brando – can’t vouch for any of that). She performed and recorded…

  • The Mar-Keys / Booker T. and the MGs, Back to Back, 1967 on Stax

    The Mar-Keys / Booker T. and the MGs, Back to Back, 1967 on Stax

    The Mar-Keys were the backing band on lots of early Stax records, and had personnel overlap with what became the MGs & The Memphis Horns. Deanie Parker’s liner notes say “Booker T. & The MG’s . . . is the rhythm section of The Mar-Keys.” This album was recorded live on a Stax/Volt tour in…