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Abbey Lincoln – A Turtle’s Dream (1995)


The great Abbey Lincoln has been slated for some attention on this blog for years. At various points I have had one or another record from her early career lined up in the proverbial queue and yet they somehow missed the train.  I’ve had a bit of melancholy and existential blues lately and her music is just the right thing for it.  The title track in particular may become my new anthem. The album also features a cover of “Nature Boy” (meh) followed immediately by the Leo Ferré song “Avec Le Temps” (well, that was a pleasant surprise).  Charlie Haden holds down the bass on most of the cuts except for two tracks featuring Christian McBride and the recently-departed Roy Hargrove, who really gets to shine on “Storywise.”

Abbey Lincoln – A Turtle’s Dream (1995)

Reginaldo Rossi – Nos Teus Braços (1972) (CBS – 137777)

The song “Ser ou não ser” may not be Shakespeare, but Reginaldo Rossi sure did sing some catchy tunes in his heyday. Rossi was the city of Recife’s contribution to the Jovem Guarda music style of Brazilian 60’s pop-rock in the era when electric guitars were considered too low-class and “foreign” by music critics.  Although the cover of this 1972 Reginaldo Rossi album looks like it was created by an intern while the graphic arts department was on strike, Rossi got to work in good studios thanks to being signed to CBS, the same label that had Roberto Carlos, so the production value is pretty high. And while he obviously owed a debt to Roberto, Rossi definitely had his own style. He only wrote a couple of the tunes here, but they are some of the best ones.Reginaldo Rossi – Nos Teus Braços (1972) (CBS – 137777)

Roy Ayers Ubiquity – Virgo Red (1973) (Polydor PD-6016)

Roy Ayers Ubiquity – Virgo Red
1973 Polydor PD-6016
Vinyl rip in 24-bit/192 kHz | Art scans at 300 dpi

An underrated Roy Ayers Ubiquity album, Virgo Red has to overcome the fact that it leads off with its weakest track, a cover of the Hot Chocolate song “Brother Louie”, which became a #1 hit for Stories and was ruined for all perpetuity by disgraced comedian Louis C.K. Blame it on his time playing with hirsute Herbie Mann if you will, but Roy seemingly couldn’t pass up an opportunity for cheesy covers of pop songs.Roy Ayers Ubiquity – Virgo Red (1973) (Polydor PD-6016)

Arrow – Hot Hot Hot (1982) (Arrow Records-019)

Arrow
Hot Hot Hot
1982 Arrow Records ARROW-019

According to my well-placed sources, there was a time where you couldn’t go to a party in the Caribbean without somebody playing this record, or at least the title cut.  Monserrat native and Pillies fan Arrow (Alphonsus Cassell) had been releasing calypso and soca albums since the early 70’s, but most people outside the region will probably know the title track from the tepid “Buster Poindexter” version by David Johansen.  It’s a classic summertime jam, now with year-round appeal as our planet boils toward climate catastrophe and mass species extinction.   (continued below) Arrow – Hot Hot Hot (1982) (Arrow Records-019)

Rubens da Mangueira – Eu Sou Assim (1978) (Copacabana COLP – 12225)

Rubens da Mangueira
Eu Sou Assim
1978 Copacabana COLP – 12225

The Mangueira escola de samba has produced no shortage of delights in terms of composers, singers, and musicians, and they are still going strong today.  Understandably, with eternal titans like Cartola and Nelson Cavaquinho associated with the institution, other sambistas were destined to forever walk in their shadows as mere mortals, and were proud to do so.  This record by Rubens da Mangueira opens with the funky, humorous Estrangeiro no samba.  The real stand-out track here to me is the mournful A vida continua lamenting the loss of a fellow brother in samba.  The whole album is solid and has never been issued on CD.  This is another LP that I ripped and then misplaced for a few yearsRubens da Mangueira – Eu Sou Assim (1978) (Copacabana COLP – 12225)

Ned Doheny – Hard Candy (1976) (2014 Be With Records 180g reissue)

Ned Doheny – Hard Candy
Vinyl rip in 24-bit/192 kHz | FLAC |  Art scans at 300 dpi
1.4801GB (24/192) | 714MB (24/96) + 238 MB (16/44) |
2014 Be With Records BEWITH003LP | Genre:   Soul, Funk, Rock

I’m not sure that the release of Ned Doheny’s 1973 album sold enough copies to inculcate anything much in the way of expectations, but anybody who had happened to own that album could be forgiven for wondering if his second record in 1976 hadn’t accidentally been switched with the latest Vangelis when they first put it on the turntable. A full thirty seconds of  slowly faded-in, droning synth chords opens the album before a splash of Ned’s acoustic guitar, chimes and eventually drummer Gary Mallaber laying down a rock-solid beat on the moody “Get It Up For Love.” The whole record is heavenly blue-eyed soul, folky funk, swimming pool dreaminess and about as Laurel Canyon 1976 as it could possibly be.

Ned Doheny – Hard Candy (1976) (2014 Be With Records 180g reissue)