Dr John - Desitively Bonnaroo

A very underrated album from the good Doctor. His career is split between the voodoo psych madness of his first 4 LPs up to the Gumbo album and the laid back New Orleans funk of the rest of his work after his hit Right Place Wrong Time, which became something of an albatross round his neck as he seemed doomed to try and repeat it's success.

This was his follow up to the break through In The Right Place album and it unfortunately sank without trace despite being a superior set of tunes. While most people seem to regard his earlier spacier work as being the definitive Dr John sound there was always an accessible funky sound hidden in his music going all the way back to Mama Roux off his first LP Gris Gris, which Desitively Bonnaroo simply polished and clarified. While he seemed to slip into a bit of a rut with this approach on subsequent releases on this LP he presents a beautifully recorded set of blues, soul and funk expertly played by the Meters, who contribute a great deal to the grit and fire that keeps it from feeling like it is a by rote stab at the mainstream.

Dr John wikipedia

Les McCann - Talk to the People

Les McCann is a prolific jazz pianist and bandleader who released his first of over 50 albums in 1959. In the late 60s he became more experimental in his output with a variety of obscure instruments and recording techniques which can be heard on this album from 1972 . He was a renaissance man also known for his painting, photography and political activism.

Les McCann wikipedia

Santana - debut - self titled

Santana is the debut studio album by Latin rock band Santana released in 1969. Over half of the album's length is composed of instrumental music, recorded by what was originally a purely free-form jam band.
 At the suggestion of manager Bill Graham, the band took to writing more conventional songs for more impact, but managed to retain the essence of improvisation in the music.
The album was destined to be a major release, given a headstart by the band's seminal performance at the Woodstock Festival earlier that August. Although "Jingo" was not very successful (only reaching #56), "Evil Ways", the second single taken from the album, was a U.S. Top 10 hit.
Santana wikipedia

Gil Scott Heron - Small Talk at 125th and Lenox

This is Gil's debut album recorded when he was just 20 it nevertheless displays talent, political awareness and a literary wisdom far beyond his years, This is not as musical as his later work with Brian Jackson and contains some blatant homophobia but is regarded by many as the first rap album.
gil scott heron wikipedia

Joni Mitchell - Song to a Seagull

Song to a Seagull is Joni Mitchell's 1968 debut album. Mitchell would later note that the album is more a result of her love of classical music than of folk, and this is evident through the thick, rich, and often unusual harmonies, and the densely poetic lyrics of the album. This album was originally released as an untitled or self-titled LP because of an error at Reprise Records' publishing department.

Song to a Seagull is a concept album divided into two halves: "I Came to the City" and "Out of the City and Down to the Seaside". (The two halves correspond to the two sides of the LP, which are identified as "Part 1" and "Part 2" rather than the conventional "Side 1" and "Side 2"). The first track refers to her failed marriage to Chuck Mitchell in Detroit, and a similar theme is explored with "Michael from Mountains", which questions whether one can truly love someone without knowing him. "Night in the City" is a celebration of nightlife; "Marcie" is a profile of a lonely woman, presumably a friend of Mitchell's; and "Nathan La Franeer" ends side one with the account of a bitter city-dwelling taxi driver Mitchell once encountered.

album wikipedia

The The - Infected

A more modern offering than usual this week ( but still over 30 years old - 1986 ) just to offer something a bit different and hopefully complement our live act tonight Red Heaven from Canada.
Matt Johnson is the tortured genius and creative force behind The The who I suppose could be described as an English post punk band from the 80s but still active today.
Infected is the most complex The The album, every song on this album is arranged to the nth degree until it becomes almost too much. Lyrics-wise it is usual for Matt Johnson wallowing in the mess of his own feelings and merciless self-flagellation. "Here comes another winter of long shadows and high hopes. Here comes another winter, waiting for utopia, waiting for hell to freeze over". Saxes and trumpets, trombones and string orchestra, Steve Hodarth - who later will become the Marillion vocalist - plays nice piano on "Heartland" and "Twilight of Champion" starts with some stupendous baritone saxophone intro.
The The wikipedia
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Clifford T Ward - Home Thoughts From Abroad

This is Cliffords 2nd album released in 1973 recorded after the chart success of " Gaye " allowed him to retire from teaching English Lit in England ( one of his pupils was Trudie Styler future wife of Sting who championed him in later years when he fell ill ) . He had sevferal hits in the UK and further afield but due to his illness ( Multiple Scelerosis ) was unable to keep up the gruelling schedule needed in those days to carve out the international career and fame  he deserved.
Home Thoughts From Abroad is a well known short work by the famous Victorian poet Robert Browning (1812-89).
Clifford T Ward wikipedia
Cliffords Obituary in the Guardian newspaper
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