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In memoriam, Jerry Garcia (August 1, 1942 – August 9, 1995)

  August 9, 2020

Twenty-five years ago, when Jerry Garcia passed on this day in 1995, I was jaded and angry. Still reeling with unprocessed grief from the death of my only sibling a few years earlier, I had distanced myself from the scene I had once felt an affinity to (which had grown increasingly sketchy in the 1990s anyway). I refused to leave my apartment, stayed in bed most of the day, steadfastly avoiding the vigil in the park down the street from … Continue reading

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Eddie Hazel – Rest In P (1994) (P-Vine Records PCD-2884)

  July 15, 2020

Eddie Hazel – “Rest In P” 1994 P-Vine Records PCD-2884 Released in Japan Eddie Hazel would have turned 70 years old in April of this year.  This collection of rarities by Hazel is a delight for longtime fans and should impress the neophyte, though I wouldn’t recommend it for the totally uninitiated – those people should start with the first three Funkadelic albums, then Standing On The Verge of Getting It On, and then his solo album Games, Dames, and … Continue reading

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Jackson do Pandeiro – Raízes Nordestinas (1999)

  June 25, 2020 ,

Jackson do Pandeiro – Raízes Nordestinas 1999 EMI / Copacabana326 520558 2 Tonight is the night honoring São João, St. John the Baptist.  It’s a very traditional holiday in northeast Brazil and this blog used to have a tradition of São João and Festa Junina-themed posts at this time of the year.  But with everything else going on in the world, and the tragiclusterfuck that is Brazil under fascist fan-boy Bozonazi, I honestly didn’t even notice how quickly June has … Continue reading

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Freedom Rhythm & Sound: Revolutionary Jazz & The Civil Rights Movement 1963-82 (Soul Jazz Records 219)

  June 22, 2020 , ,

Various Artists – Freedom Rhythm & Sound: Revolutionary Jazz & The Civil Rights Movement 1963-82 2009 Soul Jazz Records I apologize for my absence during these challenging times of turmoil.  The truth is I am exhausted by everything happening in the world, but not anywhere near as exhausted as my black friends, especially those in the United States.  I feel like those who know me, know where I stand.

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Al Jarreau – Glow (1976)

  May 22, 2020 ,

  Al Jarreau – Glow 1976 Reprise MS2248 This reissue, late-80’s German CD pressing There has been another round of recent deaths of talented people in the arts, and I might be tempted to print another list here or to work up a bunch of “tribute” posts on this blog.  But my last post here was a bit ‘heavy’ and I thought I would change things up again for something more upbeat and life-affirming.  If you are the kind of … Continue reading

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Henry Cow – Western Culture (1978) (Interzone 1980)

  May 1, 2020 , ,

Henry Cow Western Culture 1980 Interzone IZ 1001 Original UK release – 1978 Broadcast Records May Day, 2020.  Not long ago, the hashtag #notdying4WallStreet was trending on Twitter, as Vulture Capitalism quite literally proposed killing untold thousands to buoy their stock portfolios.  And this week a conglomeration of far-right Christians praying for the next apocalypse to spew forth from their divine vehicle’s tanning bed puckered sphincter-larynx, in a suicidal love-tryst with armed angry white men posing on the steps of … Continue reading