Ever wonder what the Creative Loafing music team has been listening to, above and beyond all those albums we review? There's plenty, believe me; here's this week's selections.
Leilani – Dizzy Gillespie, Swing Low, Sweet Cadillac (1967)
Bebop trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie recorded this short five-song album over two days at The Memory Lane, a Los Angeles nightclub. It kicks off with the title track, Dizzy's infamous rendition of the gospel song that's marked by a low and primal percussive beat paired with the Afro-Cuban vocal calls of Dizzy and saxplayer James Moody. I like Swing Low, Sweet Cadillac because you can hear the musicians laughing, clapping, and generally having a grand old time, in their time, but getting serious when the music calls for it. The album's bop-swing rendition of Jorge Ben's "Mas Que Nada" (made popular by Sergio Mendes) is really fun, but my favorite part by far is Dizzy's intro to his 16-minute "Kush" : "Our next tune is an original composition of mine that was inspired by and dedicated to Mother Africa. Hope you got with that, baby. Mama Africa. We hope this one will make some of you feel more or less at home. If it doesn't, shame on you, baby.... "
Ivan – Chris Issak, Baja Sessions (1996)
I have had this in my CD collection since '96. Got it as a recommendation from Columbia House (remember THAT!?) and it has never left my sight since. It's a nearly perfect record that has a unique and dreamy vibe. This is a great album to play in the background when you need "magic" music. Chris Issak is a branding genius and a master songsmith.
– A bunch of Blaze Foley's music, specifically: Live at the Austin Outhouse (1999), "the vital album" and Cold, Cold World (2006).
At the age of 39, Foley was murdered while attempting to help his friend Concho January defend himself from his violent son, Carey. Despite having written hundreds of songs and recorded numerous albums at the time of his death, none of Blaze’s music had ever been released. One album’s masters were seized by the DEA when the executive producer was caught in a drug bust. Another album’s masters were stolen when the station wagon Blaze was living in was broken into, and another album, “Wanted More Dead Than Alive”, was believed lost until an old friend found some master tapes while cleaning out his car some years after Blaze’s death. Despite having a small but rabid fanbase that included such luminaries as Gurf Morlix and Townes Van Zandt, it would take some 10 years after his death before a Blaze album would see the light of day.
Joel – Gogol Bordell0, Trans-Continental Hustle (2010)
I've listened to this album once so far, and I wasn't very excited by it. Was my worst fear confirmed? Did Rick Rubin succeed at the impossible? Did he make Gogol Bordello boring? I'm gonna have to listen some more before I decide...
