The Second Baptist Church Of Evanston Presents Dr. Hycel B. Taylor and the Combined Choirs - Too Far Gone To Turn Around

 

I just went to my first Pitchfork Music Fest in Chicago - well at least one day of it - Friday's lineup featuring Phoebe Bridgers, Animal Collective, and Big Thief: all great performers who did a stellar job providing the soundtrack for what was a surprisingly relaxing evening. A free ticket fell into my lap and I thought what the hey. There's a huge tent-like dome located at the far end of Union Park where artists and creators can sell their wares; everything from clothing to water bottles. The most engaging tables set up (to me at least) were the record labels and vinyl sellers. It was at one of these tables that I found the aforementioned album above - a remarkably rare gospel record from the 70s. The Second Baptist Church of Evanston is located very close to Northwestern University's campus - Evanston is a town known for its religion, being that it is home to countless churches and houses of worship. This album features some incredible artistry and soul, a fascinating combination of rhythm and blues, gospel, funk, classical, and opera. The voices are a driving factor - the choirs obtain some breath-taking range that I frankly have never heard in a non-theatrical setting. The musicians are no slouches either, laying down some seriously funky beats that provide the backbone for several tracks on the album. The album was released on Dee Dee Records, the label of producer/guitarist Bobby Robinson in an unknown year. I adore this record and would love to find more Chicago gospel records of a similar caliber. Gospel music, especially from Chicago, hits differently, it's on another level of music existence that few secular albums can touch.    

Benny Goodman Trio - Tiger Rag (1936)

 

One of the best things about jazz is without a doubt how varied the sound is. The deeper I dive into jazz the more assorted the music I find. I found a 10" of the Benny Goodman Trio at a local record store that specializes in jazz and blues. It's was released in 1951 but the music was recorded in the mid 30's. Fantastic swing. Benny Goodman on clarinet, Gene Krupa on drums, and Teddy Wilson on piano. What a trio. Three of the best of the era, and it shows. This music is timeless and I hope it will continue to find an audience. Swing music is classy and always in style.  

Sun Ra - Lanquidity (1978)

 

The music of Sun Ra is magical. He and his Arkestra take major risks, both musically and culturally. Although most associated with outer space and the mystery of the cosmos, Sun Ra is still remarkably humanistic in the emotion he crafts from his outer-world sounds. Lanquidity is one of his later albums, recorded during his 1970's Philadelphia period - a musical mecca that no doubt played an influence on this album's unique instrumentation. The horns and raw funk of Philly soul creeps its way onto this slab of wax, molding beautifully with the surreal jangles of the bells and gentle hum of the organ. Sun Ra has been noted for his large discography and varying degrees of experimentation, but Lanquidity is not a difficult album to love, in fact it is pretty easy. Through soulful space-age magic, Sun Ra connects the ideas of the past with the spirit of the future. There are other world they have not told you of.       

Nektar - Remember the Future (1973)

 

Remember the Future is the fourth album of British/German rock band Nektar, a stellar group with a garden variety of experimental sounds and studio prowess. This album sounds like a mix between the hard rock of Led Zeppelin and the classical jazzery of Yes. The guitar playing is immaculate, the drumming never misses a beat, and the keys are pure 70's perfection. And that bass. Lyrics are esoteric and introspective poetry -  a perfect fit. This bad lad rocks all the socks. Nektar never gets the love it deserves, although this album charted well in the States upon release. Each side flows as one beautiful song, so maybe not the most radio friendly album, but it's still a masterpiece. 

Masayoshi Takanaka - T Wave (1980)

 

Masayoshi Takanaka's music is the sun on a beautiful day. It's the wet sand between your toes. If the beach had a soundtrack, this would be it. Takanaka is one of the slickest guitarists to ever wield an axe, the man can ride scales like no other. To call him a guitar god would be underwhelming, this dude is a guitar professor with a PHD in jazz alchemy. The rest of his band is swinging too, these cats can jam. T-Wave is a fun drive down the highway after a day at the beach. Every song is a romp amongst the palm trees - some are funky fusion while others are gentle hammock swinging melodies. Bring on the summer!

Pink Floyd - Ummagumma (1969)

 

Ummagumma is the fourth Pink Floyd album and it's one strange cookie. The first half is comprised of live tracks with lots of spacey improvisation. The second half features suites created by each member of the band, which are more on the experimental side as opposed to the riff heavy radio friendly tracks the band is known for. A vibrantly fun Pink Floyd album that never gets its day in the sun.   

Maulawi - Maulawi (1974)

 

A superb gem from the Chicago/Detroit 70's jazz communities. This record feels like a meeting of the minds between two urban jazz hubs. Soulful, spiritual, catchy, extravagant, poignant, and relevant - a few words that capture the essence and energy of this recording. It feels special on several different levels, a culmination of artistic visions in one recording studio. I was lucky to pick up the recent vinyl reissue of this legendary album just yesterday. Originally released on the diverse Detroit DIY jazz label, Strata Records, this album has been brought to new audiences thanks to 180 Proof Records.