Author: John EckmanPage 4 of 103

Sonny Boy Williamson, The Real Folk Blues, 1966 on Chess

This album was first released in the UK in 1965 as In Memorium, (Williamson died in May of 1965). In the US it was retitled to The Real…

Jens Lekman, The Cherry Trees Are Still in Blossom, 2022 on Secretly Canadian

“This is a reconstruction / reimagining / excavation of the album ‘Oh You’re So Silent Jens’ that originally came out in 2005″ Jens Lekman is a very intriguing…

Safety Last, Safety Last, 1982 on Twin/Tone

Safety Last only put out two records – this self-titled “mini-album” and Struck By Love, both on Twin/Tone and produced by Paul Stark. On this EP, recorded at…

Steely Dan, Katy Lied, 1975 on ABC Records

Walter Becker and Donald Fagen on the fourth full length studio album from Steely Dan. This was the first album after the departure of Skunk Baxter and Jim…

Fleetwood Mac, The Pious Bird of Good Omen, 1969 on Blue Horizon

This is the earlier, Peter Green led, British Blues Fleetwood Mac, and collects their first four non-album UK singles and their B-Sides. It serves as a pretty good…

S. Carey, Break Me Open, 2022 on Jagjaguwar

S. Carey (aka Sean Carey) is the drummer and backing vocalist from Bon Iver – he put out a solo album All We Grow back in 2010. Break…

The Getz/Gilberto Collection: 20 Golden Greats, 1985 on Deja Vu

Italian release of tunes recorded between 1958 and 1964 by Stan Getz with Joao and Astrud Gilberto – varying recording quality from track to track. Classic bargain bin…

Joe Cocker, Mad Dogs and Englishmen, 1970 on A&M

Technically the soundtrack to the live movie of the same name, a sprawling live set with a tremendous band including (led by?) Leon Russell, across rock, soul and…

Ella Fitzgerald, The Harold Arlen Songbook, (originally) 1961 on Verve

I miss this trend from the 50s and 60s where great singers like Ella (as well as folks like Oscar Peterson) did “song books” of great composers. My…

Superchunk, Wild Loneliness, 2022 on Merge

Twelfth studio album from Superchunk on Merge, the label founded by McCaughan and Ballance back in 1989. Superchunk came out of Chapel Hill in the late 80s and…

Howard Jones, One to One, 1986 on Elektra

Howard Jones was one of my first concerts I saved up for and bought tickets to myself. I don’t think he was the first, but he was certainly…

David Bowie, Young Americans, 1975 on RCA Victor

Mid-Seventies Bowie, with guests like Earl Slick, John Lennon, David Sanborn, abd Luther Vandross (who also did the vocal arrangements). Bowie called this “Plastic Soul” and he recorded…

Bill Evans, Spring Leaves, 1976 on Milestone

2xLP release from 1976 which collects two previous Riverside releases: Portrait In Jazz (1960) and Explorations (1961). This one includes two takes on “Autumn Leaves” – one which…

Chet Baker, Big Band, 1957 on Pacific Jazz

A ton of great musicians here, including Chet Baker but also: Norman Faye, Conte Candoli, Frank Rosolino, Art Pepper, Bud Shank, Bill Perkins, Phil Urso, Bobby Timmons, James…

Shovels & Rope, Busted Jukebox Volume 3, 2021 on Dualtone

The third in a series of cover albums by Shovels & Rope, this one focuses on kids songs or songs in lullaby style, thus the “Juicebox” joke in…

David Bowie,  Blackstar, 2016 on ISO Records / Columbia

Wow, what a final album. So much to say about Blackstar, recorded more or less in secret in New York with Tony Visconti and some local jazz musicians,…

Killers, Hot Fuss, 2004 on Island / UMe

Originally released on Lizard King Records / The Control Group in 2004 – my copy is a more recent (2023) reissue on Island / UMe, but the music…

Tim Finn, Escapade, 1983 on A&M

Tim Finn’s better known as one of the co-founders of Split Enz, and later member of Crowded House. This was his debut album as a solo artist, originally…

Squeeze, Cool for Cats, 1979 on A&M

Second album from the late 70s power-pop version of Squeeze (aka UK Squeeze) with Jools Holland joining Chris Difford and Glenn Tilbrook. The “UK Squeeze” name was ropped…

Valerie June, Under Cover, 2022 on Fantasy

Valerie June’s a multi-instrumentalist and singer from Memphis and part of the Broken Strings Collective. She’s known broadly for her unique voice and range across Americana / Blues…