Ouverture Éclair

Michel Herr Trio - Ouverture Éclair (1977)
MD 014

Still very active on the music scene, I hope Monsieur Herr won't mind my posting this relative obscurity put out a year after the fusion bomb Solis Lacus in '76. Recorded at Michel Dickenscheid Studio and released in small quantity. Beautiful & timeless Belgian trio jazz.

Michel Herr - piano
Freddie Deronde - double bass
Félix Simtaine - drums

Danny Long

Danny Long - She's Here At Last (1971)
Hark 28

Obscure privately pressed LP out of Chicago by singer/songwriter/pianist Danny Long. A quirky album of breezy tunes effortly blending jazz with folk. These indulgent albums sit uncomfortably in any one genre, which only adds to the appeal for me. He cut a double LP around the same time called 'Four Sides Of Love' - anybody?

1) She's Here At Last
2) Come To The Country
3) Our Happiness In Love
4) Guess I'll Have To Go Away
5) What Have They Done To The Moon
6) Looking Love To Me
7) Peaceful
8) New Child
9) Spartacus

Bryony James

Bryony James - Feeling Good (1969)
Mercury 20139SMCL

Moderately unknown American songstress on a UK only pressing - backed by an incendiary Laurie Holloway Quartet, who after Harry Stoneham was the man who led the band and traded quips with Michael Parkinson on his BBC chat show.
A solid listen but her motoring version of 'Our Day Will Come' and the bongo-driven 'Summertime' immediately leap out at you.

1) Feeling Good
2) I Got It Bad
3) Our Day Will Come
4) Sunny Gets Blue
5) Soon It's Gonna Rain
6) Look Of Love
7) Come Back To Me
8) Goin' Out Of My Head
9) Summertime
10) If You Go Away
11) How Insensitive
12) La Bamba

Love and Fantasy

Dieter Reith - Love And Fantasy (1978)
Intercord 160116

A wonderfully slinky set of grooves from ubermensch Reith with tracks originally recorded for the German thriller series 'Die Kette', in his own modest words "the waste-product of the soundtrack". I don't hear much waste product here, lots to be had in fact but the dreamy down-tempo funk of ''Uschi' complete with those slick ethereal backing vocals does it for me every time - then of course that 'Beams' track!

1) Pace-Maker
2) Transmitter
3) Beams
4) Uschi
5) Lift-Off
6) Love And Fantasy

genießen...

Vacances

Guess where I'm going for a fortnight? I leave you with a batch of French recordings suitably compiled for my journey. See you soon...

Henny Vonk

Henny Vonk - Vonk's First!
Philips 855838 XPY (1969)

A great little album by songstress Henny Vonk on Dutch Philips. Her name crops up regularly for those Chris Hinze, John Lee/Gerry Brown albums of the 70s but she's hardly what I'd call prolific and you never see this one, her debut.

What lifts this for me is the slick backing of the Rob van den Broek Trio and the arrangements of Tony Vos who guests on sax. Cracking stuff!

Dany Montano Interpreta Bossa Nova

Music Hall 60011 (mid 60s?)

Been a while since I posted some bossa so (atrocious artwork aside) here's a rare Argentine EP of a subtly alternative vintage. Nothing earth-shattering but an authentic, laid back & cool listen.

1) Solo
2) El Barquito
3) Ten Pena De Mi
4) El Pato