Black cat bone ((LP 589)

Albert Collins, Robert Cray, Johnny Copeland   Showdown! (CD, Alligator Records, 1985) *** 

Genre: Blues

Places I remember: From Lindsay Hope's collection

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Black Cat Bone

Gear costume: The Dream 

Active compensatory factors: I am not a big fan of any of these three blues guitarists. I find Albert King's tone too strident, Robert Cray's too smooth, and... Johnny who?

Having said that, the three together manage to balance each other well, so what we have here is a pleasant, inoffensive set of songs, played well.

I wish I could be more effusive, but that's the truth ruth.

Where do they all belong? A stand alone item in the collection.

The truth is in the dirt (Karen Elson) (LP 588)

Karen Elson The Ghost Who Walks (CD, Third Man Records, 2010) **** 

Genre: Americana 

Places I remember: A second hand shop in Waipu (when we lived in Maungaturoto) 

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: The Ghost Who Walks

Gear costume: Pretty Babies

Active compensatory factors: Jack White's former wife is probably best known for her stellar modelling career but this is a fine slice of Americana.

He produces this album, contributes drums, and it's on his record label, but it's certainly Karen's album. She writes some interesting songs, plays acoustic guitar, and sings them really well (I hope that's not faint praise or manslaining - I genuinely like the album and think she's really talented).

Where do they all belong? It sits very comfortably in the Americana section of my CD collection.

Farther along and further in (Mary Chapin Carpenter) (LP 587)

Mary Chapin Carpenter  The Dirt And The Stars (CD, Lambent light Records, 2020) ***

Genre: Country 

Places I remember: JB Hi-Fi (Palmerston North)

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Between The Dirt And The Stars (the interweaving of the Stones' Wild Horses is perfect and I love the way the song builds and builds)

Gear costume: It's OK To Be Sad (from her kitchen, during Lockdown)

Active compensatory factors: I'm a fan. It all started with her appearance on Later... with Jules Holland (singing Party Doll) and the Party Doll compilation and the admiration has continued to grow over the years.

This album is growing on me. It's her most recent studio offering and it showcases most of the things I love about her: the vocal style; the acoustic guitars; the calm introspection; the sincerity; and the depth of feeling. 

Where do they all belong? Well that's it for now. I'll continue to seek out the back catalogue that I don't have yet, and I'll always return to the Party Doll album.

Old sugar bear (Bill Frisell) (LP 585 - 586)

Bill Frisell gone, just like a train (CD, Nonesuch, 1998) ****

Bill Frisell Unspeakable (CD, Nonesuch, 2004) ****

Genre: Jazz (filed in the ECM label section, as that's where he started his career and I have a compilation of his three ECM albums - so I wanted them all together - such is my system for filing records and CDs!) 

Places I remember: Middle East and Virgin Megastores in Abu Dhabi and Dubai.

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Lookout For Hope (gone, just like a train)

Gear costume: Stringbean (Unspeakable)

Active compensatory factors: I love it when musicians make it all appear effortless - I'm thinking of Ry Cooder, J J Cale, and Bill Frisell.

I've selected a couple of my favourites above which are sort of jazz fusion at work (one of my preferred genres), but Bill is very adaptable and varied in his approach - hence another reason for positioning him in the ECM collection rather than the jazz fusion one.

His acoustic guitar style verges on being ambient at times, and I really like that too.

Where do they all belong? Selected Recordings on ECM is your next stop.

Squeeze me (Diana Krall) (LP 581 - 584)

Diana Krall Only Trust Your Heart (CD, GRP Records, 1995) *** 

Diana Krall Love Scenes (CD, Impulse!, 1997) ** 

Diana Krall When I Look In Your Eyes (CD, Verve Records, 1999) **

Diana Krall Live In Paris (CD, Verve Records, 2002) ***

Genre: Vocal jazz

Places I remember: Inherited from my father's collection

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Is You Is Or Is You Ain't My Baby (Only Trust Your Heart); Fly Me To The Moon (Live In Paris)

Gear costume: I Love Being Here With You (Live In Paris)

Active compensatory factors: My dad loved Diana Krall (maybe as much as he loved Mary Tyler Moore - not sure). His funeral music was easy to choose!

I don't share that love but I admire the ease with which she plays/sings. First album here is actually her second release and has the redoutable Ray Brown on bass and Stanley Turrentine on sax on a few tracks.

Love Scenes introduces guitar as a foil for her piano and vocals, but dispenses with drums. I prefer her traditional jazz trio set up of bass/drum/piano  so this isn't one of my favourites (although it does include Peel Me A Grape). 

When I Look In Your Eyes is her fifth studio album. It has her in a variety of settings. It won a multitude of Grammy awards (including album of the year). And the syrupy style's not to my taste.

Live In Paris is better as DK gets relatively stripped down (so to speak) for the most part on some great songs: Let's Fall In Love; The Look Of Love: I've Got You Under My Skin; and my favourite - Fly Me To The Moon.

Where do they all belong? A few more Krall to come.

When I go, I go all the way (Stan Getz) (LP 577 - 580)

Stan Getz West Coast Jazz (CD, Avid Jazz, 1955) *** 

Stan Getz The Soft Swing (CD, Avid Jazz, 1957) **** 

Stan Getz Cool Velvet (CD, Avid Jazz, 1960) ** 

Stan Getz Focus (CD, Avid Jazz, 1961) *****

Genre: Cool Jazz 

Places I remember: The Warehouse

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: I'm Late (Focus)

Gear costume: Downbeat (The Soft Swing) 

Active compensatory factors: Focus and The Soft Swing are my pick of these four. 

Focus is a suite, with string arrangements that Getz solos against and it's superb. I'm not really a fan of albums that include these kind of arrangements (Cool Velvet tries the same approach and it doesn't work for me), but Focus is a really rewarding album.

The Soft Swing featuring a quartet (that includes Mose Allison on piano) is superb too for different reasons. This is archetypal cool jazz. Feels effortless but it takes genius to get to that point.

West Coast Jazz, featuring a quintet (trumpet, piano, bass and drums) is good but not great.

Where do they all belong? A lot more Getz to come in this sub genre.

Taurian matador (Billy Cobham) (LP 573 - 576)

Billy Cobham Spectrum (CD, Atlantic, 1973) *****

Billy Cobham Shabazz (Recorded Live In Europe) (CD, Atlantic, 1975) ****

The Billy Cobham and George Duke Band 'Live" On Tour In Europe (CD, Atlantic, 1976) ***

Billy Cobham's Glass Menagerie Stratus (CD, Inak Digital, 1981) ****

Genre: Jazz fusion

Places I remember: HMV (East Croyden); JB Hi-Fi; Kings Recording (Abu Dhabi)

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Stratus (Spectrum)

Gear costume: Spectrum 

Active compensatory factors: Billy Cobham has a great rock pedigree. He's played with Miles Davis, Mahavishnu Orchestra, Jack Bruce, George Duke and his solo records are fantastic. 

Of all those various bands and musicians, I prefer his solo albums. They are full of variety (and not too many drum solos).

Spectrum is the standout classic - it actually went to number one on jazz album charts at the time. Stratus is the peak for me, but the whole album is thrilling to listen to.

The George Duke collaboration is the weakest listed here. George's sense of humour works in Zappa's universe, but it doesn't translate too well outside of it.

Where do they all belong? All roads lead back to Spectrum.