Since I spend a lot of time in the kitchen, I'd always watch something while cooking or whatever. Used the stereo only about once a month for the past 8 years because the living room is so far out of the way. You'd have to crank it to hear it in the kitchen, and almost always somebody was watching TV or playing the piano. Most of my listening since then has been in the car on the way to work and back.
Well, about a month ago we did some painting, replaced the carpet and got some new furniture. And, we moved the TV into the living room and the stereo into the family room. Got some small speakers sitting on top of the island counter facing right into the kitchen. Now, I'm listening to something almost every evening. Damn, over the years I forgot how much I missed all that music, especially the LPs. Been getting out some of the old ones and playing them lately. There's some really good stuff that I'd almost forgotten about.
Here's what I dug up tonight:
This album came out in 1972, when I was in HS and was the second of their albums that I bought. The Crusaders...basically my intro into jazz. This is some great blues/funk/soul and straight ahead jazz. These guys were awesome improvisers. Joe Sample, Wilton Felder, Wayne Henderson, Stix Hooper. Most of them were also busy sidemen for most of the 70s and 80s. Larry Carlton, Arthur Adams and David T. Walker sit in on guitar.
Released in 1973 this is a compilation of four pieces from other earlier albums.
This guy could play some tenor.
Side men include Ron Carter, Milt Jackson, George Benson , Airto , Billy Cobham , Eumir Deodato , Eric Gale, Bob James, Idris Muhammad.
Simply put, nobody could play piano like Oscar Peterson. He'd go off on one of his flights of bluesy inprovisation and the notes would just come cascading out like rain pouring down. You get to wondering where it all comes from.
Lowell's only solo album. Little Feat-like but more Lowell oriented, with a lot of the most popular LA based sidemen of the late 70s fleshing out the band. Good songs, great vocal talent and excellent slide work. Two Trains is one of my favorite Feat songs and he does a really good version here.
Wish I could remember what I was playing the other night...had some good stuff out then too. Some old Chick Corea and RTF, Santana, Stanley Clarke, Weather Report...