Shine (Nickey Barclay) (LP 1098)

Nickey Barclay  Diamond In A Junkyard (Vinyl, Ariola America Records, 1976) ***  

Genre: Pop, rock

Places I remember: Vinyl Countdown (el cheapo bins)

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: You Can't Love Somebody

Gear costume: Didn't I

Active compensatory factors: I am a fan of Fanny (the band stoopid), and Nickey was a key component of that all female band, playing keyboards and singing. As well as contributing songs.

This was her first (and only) solo offering after she left Fanny. 

The cover image sums her and the album up. She ain't smiling! Instead, we get a sober bunch of introspective (good) songs. 

Where do they all belong? I guess she was disillusioned by the rock biz experience, as she hasn't put out a record since, instead she relocated to the UK and has appeared sporadically. The one interview I read was full of frustration, with clear-eyed views of music and musicians.

The victor (Dick Dale and his Del-Tones (LP 1097)

Dick Dale and his Del-Tones   Mr. Eliminator  (Vinyl, Sundazed music, 2010 reissue of original album 1964) ****  

Genre: Rock and Roll 

Places I remember: JB Hi Fi (Palmy)

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Blond In The 406

Gear costume: Mr. Eliminator

Active compensatory factors: I love the sound Dick Dale conjures up from his surf-guitar. 

Here he manages to jump aboard the hot rod bandwagon (super stock version) for some typical high octane instrumentals and a few vocal cuts with Gary Usher doing the biznis.

The Del-Tones'band is basically a bunch of top sessioners - Glen Campbell and Bruce Johnson among them.

Rad, daddio!

Where do they all belong? A worthy addition to the rock'n'roll section.

Elusive dreams (Nancy and Lee) (LP 1096)

Nancy Sinatra and Lee Hazlewood   Nancy and Lee (Vinyl, Reprise Records, 1968) ****  

Genre: Easy listening  

Places I remember: Vikings' Haul (Woodville)

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Summer Wine

Gear costume: Jackson

Active compensatory factors: I had been searching for a clean copy of this one for a while and lo and behold, there it was in a secondhand shop in Woodville.

I guess this was a big party record in hip New Zealand circles back in 1968 because up to this point each copy I had found had been in really rough condition.

My copy isn't mint, it has a couple of jumps, but generally it's in good condition.

This has become something of a classic because the two stars are perfect foils for each other. Their duet style is perfect for 1968 and still sounds retro cool in 2023.

The highlights are many - Some Velvet Morning, You've Lost That Loving Feeling and those two above are perfect. High praise I know.

Jackson is interesting because I mainly know it from the Johnny Cash and June Carter version - which isn't raunchy at all! June gives as good as she gets. Instead, Nancy plays it with a knowing coquettishness that also suits the song.

Where do they all belong? It's in the Easy Listening section because that's where I put Nancy's solo album from my dad's collection.

The boy next door (Bill Evans) (LP 1094 - 1095)

Bill Evans Trio   Waltz for Debby (Vinyl, DOL Records, 1961) ****  

Bill Evans Trio   Explorations  (Vinyl, Waxtime Records, 1961) ****  

Genre: Jazz piano 

Places I remember: My Music (Taupo)

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: My Romance (Waltz For Debby)

Gear costume: Milestones (Waltz For Debby)

Active compensatory factors: What I love about Bill Evans is that he is so totally in charge that I feel my body relax immediately, because I trust him implicitly.

These two albums came out in 1961, with the same personnel - Scott LaFaro on bass, Paul Motian - drums. Waltz For Debby is a live album (at the famous Village Vanguard) but the sound is as good as the studio Explorations.

Where do they all belong? Always keen to pick up more Bill Evans albums.

After you've gone (Sonny Clark) (LP 1093)

Sonny Clark   The Sonny Clark Memorial Album (Vinyl, Xanadu Records, 1975) ***  

Genre: Jazz piano

Places I remember: The Little Red Bookshop (Hastings)

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Oslo

Gear costume: After You've Gone

Active compensatory factors: I was drawn to this because it combines a piano trio on two lengthy tracks with solo piano improvisations on shorter tracks. Plus it was recorded live in Europe in 1954, when Sonny was only 22.

Sonny's back story is quite tragic but sadly typical for jazz musicians - a heroin habit, and an early death at age 31. 

This album shows him off as a very promising/talented hard bop musician.

I prefer the two extended trio work outs that I've highlighted above. He really flies during these songs and the band - Bobby White (drums), Simon Brehm (bass) are sympathetic accompanists.

Where do they all belong? Always adding to the jazz piano section!

Rhapsodic (Claude Bolling) (LP 1092)

Claude Bolling  Concerto For Classical Guitar and Jazz Piano (Vinyl, Angel Records, 1981) ****  

Genre: Jazz piano

Places I remember: A gift store in Woodville. He had about a dozen records in a basket and this was one of them amid the usual James Last and Herb Alperts. Mint condition! Not kidding.

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Finale

Gear costume: Rhapsodic 

Active compensatory factors: George Shearing, Shelly Manne (drums), Ray Brown (bass) and Angel Romero are on board this time. Yowsers! What a line-up!

Claude must have been pinching himself. George Shearing contributes some piano - given Claude is an amazing pianist, I can only guess that he was being a fanboy by including George. I don't have the ears to distinguish the two pianists but it sounds fantastic!

Suite for Flute and Jazz Piano will always be the standout in his catalogue, but this one, being a concerto, unfolds and develops in quite an organic way with the integration of jazz combo and classic guitar being pretty seamless.

Where do they all belong? Just when I think I've got enough Claude Bolling records, another one pops up in front of me.

In and out (Brian Auger and Julie Driscoll) (LP 1089 - 1091)

Brian Auger, Julie Driscoll and The Trinity Open (Vinyl, Polydor Records, 1967) ****

Brian Auger's Oblivion Express Live Oblivion Vol 1 (Vinyl, Polydor Records, 1974) ****

Brian Auger Search Party (Vinyl, Headfirst Records, 1981) *****

Genre: Jazz fusion

Places I remember: Real Groovy Records

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Isola Natale (Open)

Gear costume: Don't Look Away (Live Oblivion); Planet Earth Calling (Search Party)

Active compensatory factors: Open was the first album uniting Jools and Auge. Kind of. Although Jools gets the front cover (and Brian the back) they each take a side to display their talents. 

Brian's side has a few instrumentals that sound absolutely vital and cooking. It's 1967 remember - the year of Sgt Pepper. In the jazz fusion arena Driscoll, Auger and The Trinity were where it was at maan.

That means experimentation without fear. Driscoll sounds like a veteran and Brian is already a mastermind. Her version of Season of the Witch is definitive!

A remarkable record - it sounds fresh as a daisy!

The Oblivion Express records are all impressive. I particularly like this live one (Vol 2 has eluded me thus far). Alex Ligertwood takes the lead vocals and he's a great fit for this funky jazz fusion outfit.

There is creative space within the arrangements and the band effortlessly lock into a great groove (try Don't Look Away and you'll see what I mean).

Search Party continues the adventure into the eighties in great fashion and more. I think it's a classic. There's only one song with vocals and it's a catchy one. Most of the album then is instrumental, featuring thrusting exploratory progressive jazz rock/fusion at its finest.  

Where do they all belong? I suspect there will be a lot more to come as I've become a completist!

Everything happens to me (Sonny Rollins) (LP 1088)

Sonny Rollins  Sonny Rollins On Impulse (Vinyl, Impulse! Records, 1965 - re-release 1986) ****  

Genre: Jazz 

Places I remember: Facebook friend purchase

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Three Little Words

Gear costume: Blue Room

Active compensatory factors: I'm not precious about eighties reissues of classic albums. 'The music is the message' after all. This one came out originally in 1965 and was Sonny's first for the legendary label.

Sonny Rollins has a unique, muscular tone which he brings to these five standards with a quartet (Ray Bryant on piano, Walter Booker on bass, Mickey Roker on drums round out the band). 

There's plenty of room for the musicians to stretch out. I could have highlighted any of the tracks but the last two provide a fantastic end to the record, so I went with those.

Where do they all belong? My only Sonny Rollins to this point, but I'll be searching out others.