Author: allanstephenson47

“It’s midnight….. lights off….. clothes off…… candles glowing….. incense is fading away……. don’t need no electricity, baby- I’ll be your amplifier, because we can boogie in the dark'”

So  San Francisco disc jockey Voco introduced himself every Saturday night at midnight.

it is 1971 (give or take a few years)- and you tune into KSAN San Francisco on a weekend night to hear the midnight show with Voco and Dusty Street. They played mostly R and B of the day from both the black and white ends of the spectrum and often featured the local Bay Area artists such as Sylvester, Tower of Power and Stoneground.

Though called it Lights Out it was anything but sleepy. So my attempt at recreating the mood.

Vol 15 Country Joe, Cold Blood, Santana, Tracy Nelson, Paul Butterfield etc

Vol 14 Junior Parker start the show followed by The Rev Al Green giving his eulogy to Junior-

Vol 13 starts with that organ piece from Ray Manzarek of the Doors isolated from the other players.

Vol 12- Bobby Humphries plays some funky flute followed by Donny Hathaway, Nina Simone, Marvin Gaye, Tower of Power etc

Vol 11-The Temptations, Donny Hathaway Oscar Brown Jnr, Bobbi Humphrey , Ann Peebles, Undisputed Truth etc

Vol 10-White wall tires taking you the River along Harlem River Drive with Bobby Humphrey, William De Vaughan,Al Green, Bill Withers, Boz Scaggs, Quincey Jones et al

Vol 9-This show kicks off with the great Harvey Mandel playing the gospel tune Take Me To The River backwards (and forwards) on guitar.

Vol 8- Isaac Hayes, The 5th Dimension, Laura Nyro, Marvin Gaye,The Dramatics,Bobby Bland, Dusty Springfield, Curtis Mayfield, Paul Butterfield, Brian Auger, Cold Blood et al

Vol 7- Van Morrison, Ben Sidran, Boz Scaggs, Africa, Herbie Hancock,Bonnie Raitt, Mose allison, Leon Russell, Maria Muldaur, Booker T, Herbie Mann, et al

Vol 6- Electric Flag,Country Joe,Janis Joplin,Tracy Nelso, Tower of Power, Santana,Cold Blood, Ben Sidran, Van Morrison, Loading Zone, Al Kooper et al

Toe tappin’ stuff from the the heyday of The Jazz Age when swing was in it’s infancy. From Harlem to Paris to London.

Harlem and the Cotton Club were not the only place that had good swing in the thirties. Paris had a vibrant scene with Django Reinhart and Stephane Grapelli which gave swing a certain unique gypsy flavor  This was true of most capital cities of Europe at that time. London also had its own flavor which was quirky and almost comedic in attitude.

After the First World War many black Americans found  a home in France especially Paris where their abilities playing music were appreciated. This provided a base for many others to come later in the thirties (and then post war). On this compilation many of these artists were playing with Django Rinehart and his orchestra but the recordings sometimes came out under their own names.

In Britain the material was mostly derivative from records brought in from the US.  The best players were well above average many of whom had hits, toured and were stars in the US at the time. For instance this video of Black Coffee with Nat Gonnella with images of the night clubs where this kind of “new” music was played.

Watch Nat Gonnella and his Georgians. These guys were all white boys. Nat went on to some success in the U.S. Many bands were filled with black players. Either Caribbean, African or in some cases ex US servicemen staying on in Europe.

For more like this hear SWING and how this style of music developed into Swing.

ATMOSPHERIC JAZZ FOR THE DEEP OF NIGHT

Lights Out was a midnight radio hour on KINK FM in Portland Oregon through the seventies and eighties which is where I first heard some of these quiet pieces.  In those days there wasn’t any other way to hear new music except by radio…unless you had a friend who worked in a record store.

Vol 8- El Chicano, Colman Brothers, Bebo Best, Nicola Conte, Joe Livoti, Candido, etc

Vol 7 –Yello, Club Belugas, Ry Cooder, Ballistic Brothers, Clark Terry, Jack Costanza,Nortec Collective, Soel, Campo, Bebo Best, Bahama Soel,Klement Julienne.

Vol 6- John Powell, Bahia Black, Ballistic Brothers, Dodo Da Bahia, Bebo Best, Bebel Gilberto, New Phink Theory, Gilberto Gil

Vol 5-Sergio Mendes, Dodo Bahia, Bahia Black,Club Belugas, Mo Horizons, JuJu Orchestra,Ballistic Brothers, Nicola Conte,St Germain, Souljazz orch,

Vol 4- De Phazz, Mo Horizons, Stephane Pompou, Major Boys, Bahama Soul, S Tone, Bebo Best, Ju Ju Orch, Club De Belugas, Jazz Juice.

Vol 3-Bahama Soul, Juju Orchestra,Iain Mackenzie, Soel,St Germain, meytropolitan Jazz, Jazz Juice, Nicola Conte, Ballistic Brothers,

Vol 2 Bajofondo,Gotan Project, Dublex, David Benoit, Chico Hamilton, JuJu Orchestra, Jazz Juice,Marco Di Marco, Tao of Groove, Roberto Roena, Monty Alexander, Nicola Conte, Ballistic Brothers etc

Vol 1-Chico Hamilton, Sergio Mendes, Poncho Sanchez,Gare Du Nord, Ry Cooder,Rodrigo Amarante,Mongo Santamaria,Jazzinuf, Willie Bobo, Jack Constanza, Joe Burton Qt,Marc Ribot

OLD SCHOOL LATIN:

Below-Mex Mix- a playful mix of Mex inspired tunes.

SUNDAY MORNING ECLECTICA  are companion shows to SUNDAY MORNING CLASSICAL -(which are of course classical music). These shows take classical music further afield into what might be loosely called jazz.

Vol 6 ?

The funkier end of jazz.

A bit of this… and a bit of that…. from the jazz smorgasbord. Usually perky. Play around cocktail hour -perhaps 4.20 onwards ?

Come up to my Bachelor Pad and hear some Andre Kostelanitz

The Hammond great big organ sound.

That song by different artists…

That song by different artists…

I clearly remember the first record that made me get up and want to dance was a swing record. I wanted my older brother who’s record it was, to play it again…and again…and again. It was by the Lionel Hampton Orchestra. Took me a while to find the actual recording but here it is …Flying at The Olympia live in Paris. I think about 1957

NEW OLD SCHOOL: New skin for old wine.

VERY NEW OLD SCHOOL : Techno swing.

THE JAZZ AGE: Listen to shows from the early swing era of the late twenties early thirties HERE.

You are in Paris. You see some musicians go into a cafe. You follow.