Recommendations - WINTER 00-01

Languidity - Sun Ra

At last, this £500 vinyl beast is on CD. And worth hunting down too as the cosmic martian really peaks here. Two funky numbers too. One of those great recordings that you don't really understand to start with and then you realise and it's really great when that happens.

Fantastic Voyage - Leaonard Rosenmann

This is actually a big old score but I don't like the score. I just listen to the electronic cut and paste weird stuff at the beginning which I think is cool. It always makes me think of Raquel Welch in a white wetsuit. Excuse me.

Eva by Eva

This is not E.V.A by JJP, but a weird and butch german songstress. I found this eventually in a crap shop in France, and I've waited years to find it. Like listening to someone in drag but much better and beautifully produced and a bit spooky too. This is actually Barry Humpries favourite artist, so there's another piece of useless info to pass on.

Dorothy's Harp - Dorothy Ashby

Those of you turned on by hearing the recently re-issued Afro Harping should track down this. Great covers of classics like By the time I get to Pheonix, but mad. Fab version of Tornado that I remember playing out on Stoke Newington about 8 years ago and being threatened. The bloke told me I was in Stoke Newingtoin and not "sum fukin Soho jazz basement - we want a party mate, put on the Stones".

The Blob - By the Five Blobs

I love this. Written for the Steve McQueen movie by no less than Bacharach! And in about '61. Really groovy. "Beware of the Blob, it creeps and sneeks and slides across the floor".

Mrs Millers Greatest Hits

No, this is not Mrs Mills. This is Mrs Miller. Her one album deal resulted in this horror. Unbelievable version of "Downtown" where she sings, then whistles like a fat garden bird and then forgets to words. And she's really unattractive. You gotta hear this.

The Lark in the Clear Air - John Doonen etc

This is a weird little LP. Killer Jews Harp tracks all going mad like a Digereedoo thing. On Topic, good olde Topic.

Quasimoto

Like this little hip hop helium dude. Actually takes risks and is most entertaining. Gets on your nerves after a whole LP, but great none the less, and the talk of the underground hip hop massive of whatever they are currently tagging themselves.

Westbound Oddity

Now I don't know what this is. I know it's Parliament but it's a white label and there is very little information. Trippy tracks including "I goota thing you gotta thing". Don't know if this was ever an LP but it seems to be on Nine records whoever they are. One of the most Psychedelic funk LPs ever.

Readers Digest - The Thrillers

This is a dreadful LP of painful TV thriller music, but there is a version of Quiller on it with the fattest, longest super break on it, which means it must be worth £50 already. I keep playing down the phone to junglists at the wrong speed.

Lincoln Chase 'n You

What an LP. Trippy, odd and funky all at the same time. This guy's a bit like a black Frank Zappa but groovier. Musicians include Idris Muhammed and the Pazant Brother, so its got a damn fine pedigree. I love this LP and that's why I've got two copies. If anyone wants the other, let Jonny know.

The Advancement

Wow. I may well have even written about his before but it is truly amazing. Hippy folk jazz with all sorts of awesome drum patterns. An inspirational LP that everone who's ever heard it really loves. We have two copies of this so again, if your interested, email Jonny and be shocked at the price.

OUT OF TOWN WITH JACK HARGREAVES

Well I never knew there were more Roach about than there were people. And I never knew that about Pike. And that's a really interesting fact about that clever old man of the lake, the carp. Well, one whole hour of Jack and his fish facts.

JAZZ HIP TRIO - JAZZ IN RELIEF

Been trying to find this elusive jazz LP for ages. Found it and it's bloody marvellous. Cool French jazz dudes just being cool. Beautiful and clever melodies to suit the mood you are always in, and some that you'll eventually find. Amazing.

JOHNNY BURNETTE AND THE ROCK 'N' ROLL TRIO

The first time RnR has been mentioned on this site. Just listened to this LP and it is quite amazing. Fantastic bass guitar sound, that sounds even more rockin once I'd put it through a couple of filters. A classic LP for years.

EMIL RICHARDS - STONES

Sort of a concept records in lots of different ways: i) playing around with time elements within jazz forms ii) naming each tune after a) a different month b) a different gemstone iii)then playing this funny music with jazz but adding in the incredible sounds of Dr. Irv Wilson's 22 tone-to-the-octave electronic instruments. Believe me, this is one of those great wibbly wobbly records.

LES VALSEUSES - STEPHAN GRAPELLI

This is the soundtrack to a Bertrand Blier film. He makes rude French films, but they are rude in a sort of what you don't see way. Three in a bed with all the sheets on, that kind of thing. But lovely sounds from the true entertainer of the 20th century. Yes lovely.

A HANDFUL OF SONGS - MARIA AND KEITH

A high concept by Yorkshire TV. Get hippy Keith and hippy Maria to sing lovely popular songs to all the children watching in about 1976. Unforgettable TV shit, but when you see the scans of their faces it will all come rushing back like something warm and squooshy. I will also mention that their version of Puff the Magic Dragon is not a patch on the one by Marlene Deitrich, which if you haven't heard, you must. She said Poof instead of Puff, but it's better than just that.

TRIP TO THE MARS - ROLAND KOVAC ORCHESTRA

At long last MPS records have re-issued this sci-fi jazz monster. 17 tracks cut in about 1964, and all about a flight into Space. Fantastic in every way. I nearly got really desperate, anxious and sweaty just trying to track one of these rare re-issues down. I think an original is about a monkey (£500), so I'm obviously not going to get one of them.

KAKO'S NEW YORK AFTER HOURS ORCHESTRA - TRIBUTO A NORO

Mental title for possibly the greatest latin jazz record of all time. Legendary. Actually re-issued for the first time in 1995, and quickly disappeared. I never got one then, but the strange thing is, when I found this in the funny shop I bought it in, the bloke in the shop told me it had been in the shop since 1995 and nobody had even picked it up. It actually reads like a who's who of latin music, and is truly awesome. The template of that tough latin that started happening in the mid to late sixties.

THAT'S THE WAY I WANT IT TO BE - BLOSSOM DEARIE

At bloody last. Took me years to find this cheap looking Blossom record. Worth the bloody wait though. All the groovy jazz boys backing her in a slightly progressive mood. Amazing love songs, lovely production, great lyrics blah blah blah. And my mum thought it was lovely too.

HIGH PRIESTESS OF SOUL - NINA SIMONE

Get this LP when you see it just for the sparse and percussive "Cum Ye". Very deep and I think better than all that guff you hear her sing on car ads.

FRESH - OUT OF BORSTAL

Yes, crap mod like band made up of Borstal inmates. Terrible band actually, and dreadful music, but there's this one track that's all drum breaks and thug speak. Classic. Produced by Simon Napier Bell and you may well know who that is.

THE HARLEM CHILDREN'S CHOIR DO THEIR THING

Rubbish versions of funky soul classics sung by ghetto kiddies all wearing their Sunday best. Great version of "the Name Game", and not much else, but you never get that much for £3. The cover is somewhere between shit and absolute shit.

THE VERY SPECIAL WORLD OF LEE HAZELWOOD

Now I bought this because there's a version of "These Boots are made for Walking" but it's sung by him and I'd not heard that before. I also found to my ears delight another great tune on the record called "When a fool loves a fool" which caught my ears and then I realised that he is an absolute genius and really does deserve the amazing praise and re-recognition he got last year.