Duane & Gregg Allman - Duane & Gregg Allman 1972

Duane & Greg Allman is an album credited to brothers Duane and Gregg Allman, released by Bold Records in May 1972. The release is essentially an album-length demo recording of the 31st of February, a Tallahassee-based folk rock band featuring drummer Butch Trucks, bassist David Brown, and guitarist Scott Boyer. The 31st of February formed in 1965 and released their first, self-titled album in 1968. This second recording, according to Trucks, was intended to be their second album. It features Duane Allman on guitar and Gregg Allman on vocals. The two had been performing with the 31st of February for several months.

It was recorded at TK Studios in the Miami suburb of Hialeah, Florida in September 1968. Steve Alaimo engineered the sessions and later claimed producer's credit. The album is notable for the first recording of "Melissa", which was later re-recorded with the Allman Brothers Band.

Bold Records released the opening track "Morning Dew" as a single in 1972, backed with "I'll Change for You". The single didn't make it into the record charts, but the album peaked at No. 129 on the Billboard Top LPs during an eight-week run on the chart. The album was re-released several times after 1972 on various record companies and with varying cover art in various countries, including Germany and Japan, and is currently available digitally and on streaming services under the corrected title Duane and Gregg Allman.

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Ben Sidran - I Lead A Life 1972

Pianist, singer/songwriter, producer, author, and host Ben Sidran is a literate performer known for his engaging, jazz-influenced sound and laid-back, conversational style. Essentially a pianist/vocalist with a storytelling approach in the tradition of Mose Allison, Sidran grew from a supporting player with rocker Steve Miller to a solo performer, and to an award-winning radio and TV host. Along the way, he has produced albums for such luminaries as Allison, Van Morrison, Michael Franks, Rickie Lee Jones, and others. He has also hosted shows for National Public Radio and VH1. Born in Chicago in 1943, Sidran grew up in Racine, Wisconsin. In the early '60s, he played with Steve Miller and Boz Scaggs in a band called the Ardells at the University of Wisconsin. After Miller moved to San Francisco and secured a recording contract, he called on old friend Sidran to join him in the Steve Miller Band following the departure of original keyboardist Jim Peterman. Sidran contributed on the keys and as songwriter on several Miller albums beginning with Brave New World in 1969, co-writing the classic "Space Cowboy" and three other tunes on that LP. He also authored "Steve Miller's Midnight Tango" on Number 5 and collaborated with Miller on several other tunes through the years. He also produced his friend's underappreciated Recall the Beginning...A Journey from Eden in 1972. Sidran received a Ph.D. in philosophy/musicology, writing his doctoral thesis on African-American culture and music in the United States. The thesis was published to positive critical response in 1971 as Black Talk. Since 1972, he has released a number of solo albums in a cool, easy swinging style similar to Allison, including 1976's Free in America, 1977's The Doctor Is In, and 1978's A Little Kiss in the Night. While his early albums relied on acoustic instruments and lyrical references to his musical heroes, his later releases used electronic instruments and tasty synthesizers for an interesting sound best presented on albums like 1985's On the Cool Side and 1988's Too Hot to Touch. Through the years, Sidran and Miller have remained close friends, popping up from time to time on one another's recordings or live performances. In 1988, Sidran co-produced one of Miller's most interesting latter-day recordings, Born 2B Blue, a collection of jazz standards dressed up in the same cool, low-key arrangements Sidran employs on his own albums. Also during the '80s, Sidran began expanding his profile by hosting shows for National Public Radio, including the Jazz Alive series, for which he earned a Peabody Award. During the '90s, Sidran released a number of albums on his own Go Jazz label, including 1994's Life's a Lesson, 1996's Mr. P's Shuffle, and 1999's The Concert for García Lorca. He also appeared on television, hosting the Ace Award-winning New Visions program on VH1. Also during this period, he collaborated with Van Morrison and Georgie Fame on the tribute album Tell Me Something: The Songs of Mose Allison. He then formed the Nardis label with his son, and delivered such efforts as 2004's Nick's Bump, 2006's Live à Fip, 2009's Dylan Different, and 2013's Don't Cry for No Hipster. In 2017 Sidran returned with Picture Him Happy, a philosophical production centered on the myth of Sisyphus and featuring backing from guitarist Will Bernard, bassist Will Lee, saxophonist John Ellis, and others. AMG.

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Eric Burdon & The Animals - Eric Is Here 1967

During the months after Eric Burdon and the remaining members of the original Animals split, the singer cut this album backed by an orchestra and doing songs by Randy Newman, Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil, and other pop-music fixtures -- quite a turnaround for the blues purist Burdon, and also very effective as mainstream pop music, including the U.S. hit "Help Me Girl." To add to the general confusion surrounding this material, some of it seems to have been recorded with the original Animals, or at sessions conducted while they were still together. Several songs, including "Help Me Girl," show up on Sequel Records' Inside Looking Out. AMG.

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Johnny Almond Music Machine - Hollywood Blues 1970

b. 20 July 1946, Enfield, Middlesex, England. This accomplished saxophonist and flautist rose to prominence during the mid-60s as a member of London R&B group Tony Knight’s Chessmen. In 1965 he replaced Clive Burrows in Zoot Money’s Big Roll Band and two years later joined the successful Alan Price Set. This group became known as the Paul Williams Set following the original leader’s departure and the same unit also formed the basis for a 1969 venture, Johnny Almond’s Music Machine. Williams (vocals), Jimmy Crawford (guitar), Geoff Condon (trumpet), John Wiggins (keyboards), Roger Sutton (bass) and Alan White (drums) were featured on Patent Pending, a propulsive set drawing inspiration from both jazz and blues, but Almond subsequently disbanded the line-up, and a second album, Hollywood Blues, was completed with the aid of American musicians.

A session musician on albums by Fleetwood Mac (Mr. Wonderful) and John Mayall (Bluesbreakers With Eric Clapton), the saxophonist joined the latter in 1969 in a pioneering ‘drummer-less’ unit captured on The Turning Point and Empty Rooms. Here Almond forged a partnership with guitarist Jon Mark, which resulted in the formation of a breakaway act, Mark-Almond in 1971. This imaginative ensemble completed a series of albums during the 70s and continued their partnership into the 80s. AMG.

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Dusty Springfield - The Look of Love 1967

A true mixed bag, from the sensual title track to the melodramatic "If You Go Away," and some fine soul stylings in between, most notably "Small Town Girl" (check out the choruses) and "I've Got a Good Thing." This is the last of Springfield's Philips albums to be released in America (she signed with Atlantic in the U.S. soon after, and the label declined to release most of her Philips' output here). AMG. listen here

Stan Getz & Charlie Byrd - Jazz Samba 1962

"One of the very best Bossa Nova Jazz albums, Jazz Samba marked the beginning of the Bossa Nova wave in the United States and, more generally, in the West. This wave reached its peak in the mid-1960s. Presented as a collaboration between guitarist Charlie Byrd and saxophonist Stan Getz, it was heavily inspired, conceived, and produced by Charlie Byrd alone. Legend has it that Stan Getz and his ego stole the show by following up with the album Getz Gilberto, released in 1963. The great strength of Jazz Samba is its homogeneity, although, in my opinion, it is dominated by the superb version of Antônio Carlos Jobim's "Desafinado." There is only one composition by Charlie Byrd on Jazz Samba: "Samba Dees Days." The other tracks are Samba or Bossa Nova standards such as "Samba Triste" by Baden Powell and Billy Blanco or "Samba de Uma Nota So" by Antônio Carlos Jobim. Jazz Samba is a lovely album that succeeds in creating a rather relaxed atmosphere. It bridges the gap between pure Brazilian Bossa Nova and mainstream American Jazz. Unfortunately for him and for us, Charlie Byrd would never again produce an album of such quality." D.D. AMG

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Plus - Plus 1972

Belgian jazz/soul rock group that evolved from The J.J. Band after recruiting Leslie Kent. They recorded one album under this name. 

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Roy Ayers - Coffy (OST) 1973

A blaxploitation masterpiece on par with Curtis Mayfield's Superfly and Isaac Hayes' Shaft, Roy Ayers' soundtrack for the 1973 Pam Grier vehicle Coffy remains one of the most intriguing and evocative film scores of its era or any other. Ayers' signature vibes create atmospheres and textures quite distinct from your average blaxploitation effort, embracing both heavy, tripped-out funk ("Brawling Broads") and vividly nuanced soul-jazz ("Aragon"). The vocal numbers are no less impressive, in particular the rapturous opening cut, "Coffy Is the Color." Richly cinematic grooves, as inventive and cohesive as any of Ayers' vintage Ubiquity LPs. Highly recommended. AMG.

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Raul Seixas - Gita 1974

Second solo release by Raul Seixas, an important figure of Brazilian rock. Acid critic of establishment, he pardodies several figures of Brazilian showbiz in the rocking "Super-Heróis." "Medo da Chuva" is a tender ballad talking about not being afraid anymore. "As Aventuras de Raul Seixas Na Cidade de Thor" is built in the form of a Northeastern "desafio" (cutting contest), where he delivers his ecological, social, and economical concerns. "Água Viva" brings another delicate moment about a certain lost well. "Moleque Maravilhoso," in big band swing style, is again an ironic and irreverent tune, and the tone is extended to "Sessão das 10," a cynical self-descriptive bolero where he tells how it was to come from Bahia to Rio. The rocking "Sociedade Alternativa" is serious though: the Alternative Society was a movement that John Lennon and Yoko Ono took part in and which intended to build the foundation of a freer and healthier society. The lyrical "O Trem Das 7" is one of the songs that has remained extremely popular through the years. "S.O.S." talks about flying sauces, but underneath his self-ironic calling for the "guy of the flying sauce" one can perceive a true devotion. Social criticism is found in "Loteria de Babilônia," and the ballad "Gitâ," one of his biggest hits, closes the album. AMG.

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Peter Frampton - Wind Of Change 1972

Peter Frampton's solo debut after leaving Humble Pie (as they stood on the brink of stardom) spotlights Frampton's well-crafted, though lyrically lightweight, songwriting and his fine guitar playing. The songs on Wind of Change are built primarily around acoustic guitar foundations, but "It's a Plain Shame" and "All I Want to Be (Is by Your Side)" sound like they could have been lifted off Humble Pie's Rock On. The sound is crisp, the melodies catchy, and Frampton's distinctive, elliptical Gibson Les Paul guitar leads soar throughout. A comparison between this album and Humble Pie's post-Frampton turn to generic boogie-rock shows why Frampton left that group. Although Humble Pie's Smokin' was much more successful, hitting the Top Ten in the spring of 1972, Wind of Change was far superior musically. With its mix of ballads and upbeat numbers with just enough of a rock edge, Wind of Change showed Frampton at his creative peak. The band here includes Ringo Starr, Billy Preston, and Klaus Voorman. AMG.

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Yes - Fragile 1971

Fragile was Yes' breakthrough album, propelling them in a matter of weeks from a cult act to an international phenomenon; not coincidentally, it also marked the point where all of the elements of the music (and more) that would define their success for more than a decade fell into place fully formed. The science-fiction and fantasy elements that had driven the more successful songs on their preceding record, The Yes Album, were pushed much harder here, and not just in the music but in the packaging of the album: the Roger Dean-designed cover was itself a fascinating creation that seemed to relate to the music and drew the purchaser's attention in a manner that few records since the heyday of the psychedelic era could match. Having thrown original keyboard player Tony Kaye overboard early in the sessions -- principally over his refusal to accept the need for the Moog synthesizer in lieu of his preferred Hammond organ -- the band welcomed Rick Wakeman into its ranks. His use of the Moog, among other instruments, coupled with an overall bolder and more aggressive style of playing, opened the way for a harder, hotter sound by the group as a whole; bassist Chris Squire sounds like he's got his amp turned up to "12," and Steve Howe's electric guitars are not far behind, although the group also displayed subtlety where it was needed. The opening minute of "Roundabout," the album opener -- and the basis for the edited single that would reach number 13 on the Billboard charts and get the group onto AM radio in a way that most other prog rock outfits could only look upon with envy -- was dominated by Howe's acoustic guitar and Bill Bruford's drums, and only in the middle section did the band show some of what they could do with serious amperage. Elsewhere on the record, as on "South Side of the Sky," they would sound as though they were ready to leave the ground (and the planet), between the volume and intensity of their playing. "Long Distance Runaround," which also served as the B-side of the single, was probably the most accessible track here apart from "Roundabout," but they were both ambitious enough to carry most listeners on to the heavier sides at the core of this long-player. The solo tracks by the members were actually a necessity: they needed to get Fragile out in a hurry to cover the cost of the keyboards that Wakeman had added to the group's sonic arsenal. But they ended up being more than filler. Each member, in effect, took a "bow" in mostly fairly serious settings, and Squire's "The Fish" and Howe's "Mood for a Day" pointed directly to future, more substantial projects as well as taking on a life of their own on-stage. If not exactly their peak, Fragile was as perfect a record as the group would ever make, and just as flawless in its timing as its content. AMG.

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Orleans - Orleans II 1974

The right record deal can easily make or break a band; just ask the members of Orleans, who, in the 1970s, were well aware of the difference between a supportive and unsupportive label. The unsupportive label was ABC, which never really believed in Orleans and ended up dropping the band after two albums (Orleans in 1973 and II in 1974). The supportive label was Elektra/Asylum, which gave Orleans a lot more promotion than it had received at ABC; as a result, "Dance With Me" made Orleans a big name in soft rock in 1975. But "Dance With Me" was around before the band moved to Elektra/Asylum; in fact, it is among the songs on Orleans' second ABC album, II. Although ABC didn't think much of this 1974 release, it isn't a bad album. Some of the material is mediocre, but some of it is impressive -- and the record's best tracks demonstrate that ABC made a big mistake by giving Orleans the boot. Those tracks range from "Wake Up" (which addresses environmental concerns) to the anthemic "Let There Be Music" and the charming "Dance with Me." Commercially, this LP bombed -- that's what happens when a record company doesn't believe in an album and does little or nothing to promote it. But, thankfully, two of its best songs got a new lease on life at Elektra/Asylum. In 1975, "Let There Be Music" became the title track of Orleans' third album, and "Dance With Me" became the hit single that it deserved to be -- not just one of nine tracks on an underexposed LP that was plagued by inadequate promotion. Although uneven and imperfect, II deserved much more support than it got from ABC. AMG.

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Stanley Turrentine - That's Where It's At 1962

A Blue Note release with Les McCann on piano, Herbie Lewis on bass, and Otis Finch on drums. Small group format. Excellent (and exciting) soul-jazz session with Turrentine blowing hot. AMG.

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Graham Central Station - Release Yourself 1974

After a tentative but promising 1973 debut album, Graham Central Station returned the next year with a head-spinning blend of R&B styles that realized their promise in a truly impressive fashion. Release Yourself touches on everything from gospel music to psychedelia, as the band puts forth an impressive set of songs that strike an effective balance between accessibility and complexity. This time, keyboards carry a new level of importance: songs like "G.C.S." and "I Believe in You" flow forth on elaborate keyboard riffs layered with plenty of spacey synthesizer leads. The album's most impressive achievements are the title track, a pulse-pounding tribute to the joys of self expression that combines churchy organ riffs and stately horns over a furiously-paced bass/clavinet rhythm, and "Tis Your Kind of Music," a psychedelic-funk masterpiece that has Patryce "Chocolate" Banks and Graham trading sultry lead vocals over an otherworldly blend of keyboard and Mellotron riffs with a fluid bassline. Another stunner is "Today," a funk-rock workout that starts with a slowly-woven tapestry of keyboard riffs before launching into a cosmic vocal section that underscores the group's choral harmonies with some fiery guitar leads. Although it lacks an overtly pop-flavored classic like "Can You Handle It?" or "Your Love," nothing on this album is less than interesting thanks to stellar arrangements and the group's obvious love for what they do -- the sunny energy that propels songs like the title track and "Got to Get Through It" is positively infectious. The result is a true gem that is a treat for funk fanatics and a required listen for anyone with a serious interest in Graham Central Station. AMG.

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The Fabulous Thunderbirds - Girls Go Wild 1979

Their debut album, with the original lineup of Wilson, Vaughn, Buck, and Ferguson stompin' through a roadhouse set of covers and genre-worthy originals. One of the few white blues albums that works. AMG.

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