Halloween, Alaska had a bit of a breakthrough earlier this year when they re-released their eponymous album, no doubt helped along by one of the tracks being used in The OC. This is much more varied, with even a hint of jazz, which shouldn't be a surprise as one band member doubles up as a jazz drummer. Overall, it has the same dreamy feel but with more change of tone and pace - you're less likely to drop off listening to this and more likely to remember individual tracks. I particularly liked I Can't Live Without My Radio, which captures that dislocated feeling you get when you're walking down a street to the rythym in your ears which no one else can hear, and Forever, which uses the sea and the beach as a metaphor for a relationship and warns that unrequited love has fifteen rows of teeth and will drag you under. Still not sure how to label this band so let's just try "good."
30.12.05
Halloween, Alaska - Too Tall To Hide - ESD81772
Halloween, Alaska had a bit of a breakthrough earlier this year when they re-released their eponymous album, no doubt helped along by one of the tracks being used in The OC. This is much more varied, with even a hint of jazz, which shouldn't be a surprise as one band member doubles up as a jazz drummer. Overall, it has the same dreamy feel but with more change of tone and pace - you're less likely to drop off listening to this and more likely to remember individual tracks. I particularly liked I Can't Live Without My Radio, which captures that dislocated feeling you get when you're walking down a street to the rythym in your ears which no one else can hear, and Forever, which uses the sea and the beach as a metaphor for a relationship and warns that unrequited love has fifteen rows of teeth and will drag you under. Still not sure how to label this band so let's just try "good."
11.12.05
Grasella Oliphant – The Grass Roots/The Grass is Greener – Collectables 7657
Grasella Oliphant is obscure. He worked as Gloria Lynne’s drummer for years, then was with the Turrentine/Scott band. In the mid-1960s, he ran his own band and made these two albums.
The first, from January 1965, is a very good, very relaxed affair, with the unusual instrumentation of tenor sax, vibes, bass and drums; Bobby Hutcherson on vibes, Harold Ousley on sax. Ousley is on both albums. After Horace Silver, Ousley is the most important composer of Soul Jazz standard material, most of which was not recorded by him (since he had only made five albums up to 2000).
The second, from March 1966, features John Patton and Grant Green, as well as Clark Terry. The standout tracks are The Yodel and Soul Woman, both written by and recorded by Patton and Green a month later on Blue Note. The Yodel, in addition to burning solos from the composers, has a magnificently preaching, screaming, solo from Terry, who hardly ever played this type of material. Overall, this is a brilliant album, with Yodel being one of the great performances of all time - AM.
The first, from January 1965, is a very good, very relaxed affair, with the unusual instrumentation of tenor sax, vibes, bass and drums; Bobby Hutcherson on vibes, Harold Ousley on sax. Ousley is on both albums. After Horace Silver, Ousley is the most important composer of Soul Jazz standard material, most of which was not recorded by him (since he had only made five albums up to 2000).
The second, from March 1966, features John Patton and Grant Green, as well as Clark Terry. The standout tracks are The Yodel and Soul Woman, both written by and recorded by Patton and Green a month later on Blue Note. The Yodel, in addition to burning solos from the composers, has a magnificently preaching, screaming, solo from Terry, who hardly ever played this type of material. Overall, this is a brilliant album, with Yodel being one of the great performances of all time - AM.
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