United

Waving goodbye to 2019 with a swinging six pack of fine jazz tracks I've been grooving to of late. Just dig in and dig.

Archie Shepp - Naima
Ahmed Abdul-Malik - Summertime
Kenny Drew - Weird-O
Sonny Clark - Blues Blue
Charles Mingus - Wednesday Night Prayer Meeting
Larry Young - The Moontrane

Purple Roses

And here we go with For The Sake Of The Song's dirty dozen of 2019, so take a step behind if you please. Unseen and out of sight, between the country and the mountains and the sea, and with ripping artwork by Tinca, these are the albums that moved and shook us this year.

1. Rose City Band - Rose City Band
2. Ian Noe - Between The Country
3. Purple Mountains - Purple Mountains

4. Garcia Peoples -  One Step Behind

5. Joan Shelley - Like The River Loves The Sea

6. Steve Gunn - The Unseen In Between
7. Jake Xerxes Fussell - Out Of Sight
8. Dire Wolves - Grow Towards The Light
9. Nick Cave - Ghosteen
10. James Matthew VII - Stoned When I Pray
11. Simon Joyner - Pocket Moon
12. Hiss Golden Messenger - Terms Of Surrender

Rose City Band - Rip City

Groovy Thunder

It's nearly time for the inevitable FTSOTS end of year list, but let's get the finest reissues and archival albums of 2019 out of the way first ok? You'll come alive when the band starts swinging... With stocking stuffing artwork by the almighty Tinca, it's ho ho ho and here we go.

1. Peter Laughner - The Peter Laughner Box
2. Bob Dylan - The Rolling Thunder Revue: The 1975 Live Recordings
3. Jimi Hendrix - Songs For Groovy Children: The Fillmore East Concerts
4. v/a - If You're Not Part Of The Solution: Soul, Politics And Spirituality In Jazz '67-'75
5. Jim Sullivan - If The Evening Were Dawn
6. Neil Young & The Stray Gators - Tuscaloosa
7. Sachiko Kanenobu - Misora
8. Grateful Dead - Dave's Picks Vol. 30: Fillmore East 1970
9. v/a - Black Man's Pride 3: None Shall Escape The Judgement Of The Almighty
10. Tunng - This Is Tunng... Magpie Bites And Other Cuts

Peter Laughner - Fat City Jive

On The Road Again

Two recent acquisitions from Bandcamp, which remains a cool institution to say the least. First up is Party of the Sun, a young and mellow combo from rural New Hampshire. Clearly inspired by early seventies psychfolk, their Trekker is a confident debut that feels like a warm bath.

Party of the Sun - Sea Surrounds

And the bath water is even warmer on Stoned When I Pray by James Matthew VII, a Canadian session veteran who finally saw fit to release his full lenght debut recently. Smelling like a forgotten country rock classic, it's got lots of pedal steel and a surprising guest role for Augie Meyers of Sir Doug fame to boot.

James Matthew VII - Stoned When I Pray

Let In The Sun

Underrated roots picker Charlie Parr takes on a classic composition by fellow Minnesotan Grant Hart, and he does that very well indeed.

Charlie Parr - Twenty-Five Fourty-One

Ramble On

Since it's been ten years ago since picker extraordinaire Jack Rose left us, the fine folks at Tompkins Square decided a special commemoration was in order. The resulting tribute rings like a bell and what's more, provides ample opportunity to discover some exciting new names on the solo guitar front.

Mariano Rodriguez - Raga For Dr. Ragtime

Trippin' Out

Delicate instrumentals in an ambient desert style? High Line by SUSS bring us exactly that. File under mood music for imaginary westerns.

SUSS - Road Trip Part 4 (Fork In The Road)

A Monster

Just got the sad news that Roy Loney has passed away at 73. The original singer of the Flamin' Groovies, and later of the Phantom Movers, was born on Friday the 13th and died on Friday the 13th. Miss him.

Flamin' Groovies - Teenage Head

Passing Through

Happy Len's last will and testament, tastefully curated by his son Adam. And a fine farewell it is, too, with Catalan guitar maestro Javier Mas stealing the show on all things with strings. Lilies from the dead indeed.

Leonard Cohen - The Night Of Santiago

No Problem

All hail this new, exemplary compilation. Subtitle says it all really: Soul, Politics and Spirituality in Jazz 1967-1975. So just dig that delightful, understatedly funky track below to hear what's going down here and be sure to put If You're Not Part Of The Solution on your Xmas lists pronto.

Johnny Lytle - Tawhid

Try To See

It's not that often you get a musical surprised in a bar, but this righteous roots track from legendary Studio One came on when I was enjoying a drink in one of my fave watering holes in the barrio last weekend. You have to take this ride, my brethren, if only for that deep bass and that lovely swirling organ.

Al Campbell - Take A Ride

What I Do Well

Boring Prince Billy? Never thought I'd say that, but ever since Mr. Oldham tied the knot a couple of years back the edge seems to have gone out of his music. Coincidence? Who knows, but all I can say is he just doesn't move me the way he used to do, and he used to move me a lot. Bonnie may have made a place alright, but the also made the damp squib of the year.

Bonnie Prince Billy - Squid Eye

Worth The World

Mr. Smog shows his good taste by covering obscure outlaw Lee Clayton. And as his interpretation of the happy Len classic on the flip ain't half bad either, I'm keeping my fingers crossed in hope of a full-length covers album.

Bill Callahan - If You Could Touch Her At All
Lee Clayton - If You Could Touch Her At All

Out There

Jazz on a monday with a fresh re-release of a rather obscure 1966 album by the unique Sun Ra. Tune in and travel them spaceways, folks.

Sun Ra - The Idea Of It All