Herbie Hancock - River: The Joni Letters (2007)

I just don't get it. Here we've got Herbie Hancock (I'm a fan) paying homage to his friend Joni Mitchell (I'm a fan) with an outstanding backing band and numerous special guests, including Norah Jones and an uncredited Prince. The thing won two Grammy awards: Album Of The Year and Best Contemporary Jazz Album. Everything indicates I should love this release, I simply don't, and I have no explanation why.

Hancock - piano
Wayne Shorter - saxophone
Dave Holland - bass
Vinnie Colaiuta - drums
Lionel Loueke - guitar

Album chart peaks:

• US Billboard 200: #5
• Billboard Jazz: #1

Tracks:

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: None

Previously revisited for the blog:

Best of The Blue Note Years (1988)	Head Hunters (1973)
Round Midnight Soundtrack (1986)	Speak Like A Child (1968)
Lite Me Up (1982)	Maiden Voyage (1965)
Sunlight/Feets Don't Fail Me Now (1978/1979)	Empyrean Isles (1964)
	Takin' Off (1962)

Ernie Watts - Chariots Of Fire (1982)

Note: this release was originally purchased as a LP (twice), later replaced by a CD.

Lifted directly from an earlier post:

When I was in high school jazz band circa 1983, the director gave us a chart that I fell in love with the first time we played it. It was titled Valdez In The Country and the promo line at the top of the sheet music stated something like "as heard on Chariots of Fire, the new Qwest album from Ernie Watts." At the time, I had never heard of saxophonist Ernie Watts, but I found a copy of his 1982 album and listened to this track over and over.

I was informed that this album had been released on CD back in 2005 on Wounded Bird Records, but I had never been able to find a copy for a reasonable price. I mean I like the thing and have fond memories of it, but I don't like it $100 worth, ya know? So I settled for buying a second copy of the LP, listened to that occasionally, and ripped some mp3 files. But after a decade-long hunt, I was finally able to locate a reasonably priced copy and here we are.

Q, of course, is Quincy Jones, producer of this album and founder of the Qwest label

It's an okay album, nothing to write home about, but it brings back fond memories of my senior year in high school and that's worth the price paid plus some. Compare it to comfort food, if you will. In addition to Watts, there's a few other familiar names in these credits, including James Ingram, Steve Lukather, Don Grusin, Jerry Hey, Michael Omartian, and Greg Philliganes.

The lead track, Chariots of Fire (Theme) (Dance Version), won a Grammy award in the now-defunct category of Best Pop Instrumental Performance, beating such releases as Crazy For You by Earl Klugh and As We Speak by David Sanborn.

Reviews/ratings:

• Billboard: "This is a classy package."
• Record World: "the selling points are two tunes featuring Grammy nominee James Ingram."
• The Virgin Encyclopedia of Jazz (1999): ★★★

Album chart peaks:

• US Billboard 200: #161
• Billboard Jazz: #13
• Billboard R&B: #46
• CashBox: #156
• CashBox Jazz: #14
• Record World Jazz: #14
• Radio & Records Jazz Radio National Airplay: #16

Tracks: Four the eight tracks are covers of music from Vangelis's hit soundtrack to the movie Chariots Of Fire, including two versions of the familiar main theme, a dance version (track 1) and a slow version (track 8). There's also two covers here - the aforementioned Valdez In The Country (Donny Hathaway) and Lady (Lionel Richie, made famous by Kenny Rogers). The "two tunes featuring Grammy nominee James Ingram" are originals titled Hold On and (mostly instrumental) Gigolo. Both feature the typical Quincy Jones style of the time: funky bass, lots of horn licks, and hooks for days (see also The Dude, Thriller, Every Home Should Have One, etc). Even after all these years, my favorite track is still Valdez In the Country.

This just in: the slow version of Chariots Of Fire can be heard in the first scene of WKRP In Cincinnati, season 4, episode 19, "The Creation Of Venus" (first aired March 31, 1982). Venus introduces the artist as "the magnificent Mr. Ernie Watts" and the album cover can be seen. Bonus points for promo posters of Trust by Elvis Costello, Come Morning by Grover Washington, Jr., and A Place For My Stuff by George Carlin. (A wealth of promo posters featured on WKRP can be found over at the My Favorite Decade blog.)

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: see above

Nick Lowe - Jesus Of Cool (1978)

Note: the CD I listened to was a promo copy of the 30th Anniversary Edition. The album title was changed in the US to Pure Pop For Now People. I guess the Columbia label was afraid some evangelical from Kansas might write an angry letter.

It's almost as if Lowe decided to make an infuriatingly catchy pop music masterpiece while simultaneously mocking the entire idea of pop music. Coming out of England's pub rock scene, he combined roots rock, new wave, and power pop with ease. Lots of hooks, great production, clever lyrics - it's all here and doesn't seem dated in the least. But you know the old story: critical adoration (see below) doesn't necessarily mean commercial success.

Press of the time:

• High Fidelity: "an album that is both brainy and visceral"
• Billboard: "some truly entertaining rock'n'roll"
• Record World: "an album of refreshing, faultlessly executed pure pop"
• CashBox: "songs are framed in classic pop melodies and arrangements"
• Roadrunner: "BUYITBUYITBUYITBUYITBUYITBUYITBUYITB"
• Rolling Stone: "a novelty record, an admiring vivisection of other people's hit singles."
• Stereo Review: Recording of Special Merit
• Trouser Press: "Thank God for Nick Lowe"
• Robert Christgau (A): "an amazing pop tour-de-force"

Album chart peaks:

• US Billboard 200: #127
• Billboard Catalog (2008): #32
• CashBox: #109

In The Village Voice's annual 'Pazz & Jop' critic's poll, this album placed at #3 for the year, just behind The Rolling Stones and Elvis Costello. And in 2020, Paste made a list of The 50 Best New Wave Albums in which Jesus Of Cool ranked at #11. Curiously, I found that I only own 26 of those 50 on CD. Lead us not into temptation.

Tracks:

...from the original album: I could do without the heavy metal satire of the opening track, but starting with track 2, it's all good. So It Goes and I Like The Sound Of Breaking Glass are the stand outs here, but not far behind are Little Hitler (à la Beach Boys), Tonight, No Reason (ska lite), Marie Provost (you come for the lyrics, but then realize the chorus is an earworm), Nutted By Reality (McCartneyesque pastiche), and the fun rocker Heart Of The City (Live). Lowe spoils us.

...and more: The tops of these ten include (but not limited to) the surf-rock instrumental Shake That Rat, They Called It Rock, the cheap shot at The Bay City Rollers (Rollers Show), I Don't Want The Night to End (I hope he closed at least a few of his concerts with this one) and, of course, the original Rockpile version of Cruel To Be Kind and the studio version of Heart Of The City. But again, no tracks to be skipped.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: I heard Cruel To Be Kind on my AM radio in 1979, but I didn't start seeking out Lowe music until the early '80s when I was searching for anything connected to artists related to Squeeze, Paul Carrack, Rockpile, etc. Even after buying The Abominable Showman in 1983, I didn't delve into Lowe's back catalog as quickly as I probably should have. I'll blame that on being 16 years old and desperately wanting to be on the leading edge of the latest new pop music development, not realizing I could buy both the latest Kajagoogoo album AND a 5 year old Lowe album at the same time. Facepalm emoji.

Previously revisited for the blog:
At My Age (2007)
Basher: The Best Of Nick Lowe (1989)
The Abominable Showman (1983)
Nick the Knife (1982)

Steps Ahead - Live In Tokyo 1986 (1994)

I thought I'd check out live versions of tunes with which I am very familiar. Sawite. And somehow, these live versions sound more dated than the studio versions I've been listening to for many decades.

By this time, Steps Ahead was Michael Brecker and Mike Mainieri supported by other fine musicians. In this case, we've got Mike Stern on guitar (fresh off his gigs with Miles Davis), Darryl Jones on bass (just after leaving Sting's backing band and, since 1993, with The Rolling Stones), and drummer Steve Smith (who I always associate with Journey). They work together well, but the only bit here that varies much from the studio versions is a nice segue from In A Sentimental Mood to Trains. This isn't one of those albums I'll seek out, but I won't skip a track should it come around on a shuffle.

Reviews/ratings:

• DownBeat (★★★): "packed with catchy jazz-pop melodies and plenty of invigorating stretches of harmonized playing."
• The Virgin Encyclopedia of Jazz (1999): ★★

Peak on the US Billboard Top 200 chart: Did not chart

Tracks: Of the eight tracks here, 3 originally appeared on Modern Times, the remaining 5 on Magnetic.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: None

Previously revisited for the blog:
Magnetic (1986)
Modern Times (1984)
Steps Ahead (1983)

Grant Green - Born To Be Blue (1985)

These tracks were recorded December 11, 1961 & March 1, 1962, but not released until 1985 on LP and cassette, 1989 on Compact Disc. While revitalizing the Blue Note record label in the 1980s, Bruce Lundvall and Michael Cuscuna started rereleasing classic Blue Note albums while also clearing the vaults of previously unreleased recordings by Blue Note artists. That last part is where this album comes in and the late release explains the uncharacteristic album cover they chose instead of a Reid Miles-inspired classic Blue Note design. This 1985 article in CashBox magazine suggests that Alfred Lion didn't release some '60s albums because the material was "just not up to Blue Note standards." I will note that the article is vague about which recording Lion was referring to. But this collection of standards and pop songs features Green, Sonny Clark, and Ike Quebec, so I can't figure out why the label sat on it for over twenty years.

Grant Green - guitar
Ike Quebec - tenor saxophone
Sonny Clark - piano
Sam Jones - bass
Louis Hayes - drums

CD liner notes by Richard Seidel.

Reviews/ratings:

• The Penguin Guide to Jazz (5th ed., 2000): ★★★★ "best of all [Green's] Blue Notes"
• The Rolling Stone Jazz & Blues Album Guide (1999): ★★★★
• The Virgin Encyclopedia of Jazz (1999): ★★★

Peak on the US Billboard Top 200 chart: Did not chart

Tracks:

1. Someday My Prince Will Come - from Walt Disney's 1937 animated movie Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.
2. Born To Be Blue - 1946 jazz standard written by Mel Tormé and Robert Wells.
4. If I Should Lose You - from the 1936 film Rose of the Rancho.
5. Back In Your Own Back Yard - popular song from 1928 with lyrics by Al Jolson & Billy Rose with music by Dave Dreyer.
6. My One And Only Love - 1953 jazz standard written by Guy Wood and Robert Mellin.
7. Count Every Star - 1950 pop song written by Bruno Coquatrix and Sammy Gallop.
8. Cool Blues - jazz blues written in 1947 by Charlie Parker.
9. Outer Space - Green original

I'm hard-pressed to pick a favorite here, but today I'm leaning toward the beautiful ballad My One And Only Love. Quebec steals the show on many of the tracks, most notably on the swinging Someday My Prince Will Come.

Included is an alternate take of track 2, Born To Be Blue, which is almost as good as the track ultimately used so I have no problem with it. My problem is the sequencing: the alternate take immediately follows at track 3, ruining any kind of flow to the album.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: None

Previously revisited for the blog:
Talkin' About (1965)
Idle Moments (1965)
Feelin' The Spirit (1963)
Green Street (1961)
Sunday Mornin'/Grantstand/Grant's First Stand/Green Blues

Various Artists - 50 Years Of Como MS Blues (2019)

Austrian import

According to my parents and confirmed by my birth certificate, I was brought into this world in Batesville, Mississippi, 14 miles south of Como and spent the first five months of my life (June - October, 1966) in Sardis, about 5 miles from Como. This is all in Panola County, which is located just east of the Delta in an area commonly known as the North Mississippi Hill Country.

So for me, this CD of blues music from Como is more of an educational tool than anything. I'm trying to learn more about that area, its history, and its musical legacy. To that end, we're treated to 19 mostly acoustic tracks from 6 blues artists associated with Como. Three of the six have Mississippi Blues Trail markers in Panola County: Jessie Mae Hemphill, Fred McDowell, and Othar Turner

Until recently, I was unfamiliar with the difference between Hill Country Blues and Delta Blues. If you're in the same boat, here's a rudimentary breakdown of the two main differences:

1. Hill Country Blues emphasizes hypnotic grooves, repetition, and rhythm; Delta Blues emphasizes chord changes, song structure, and storytelling.
2. HCB often stays on one chord or riff for long stretches, while DB usually follows recognizable 12-bar or related blues progressions.

More on this particular compilation can be found online at: Blues Blast Magazine and Wolf Records International.

Recommended for the back porch on a hot summer day with some mosquito repellent, a 3 speed oscillating fan, and a tall cold beverage of your choice.

Peak on the US Billboard Top 200 chart: Did not chart

Tracks, with my favorites marked with an asterisk:

1. Jessie Mae Hemphill - Go Back To Your Used To Be*
2. Jessie Mae Hemphill - Shame On You (Take 2)
3. Fred McDowell - Frisco Line
4. Fred McDowell - You Gotta Move*
5. Ranie Burnette - I Wonder Why
6. Ranie Burnette - I Call My Baby*
7. R.L. Boyce - Gonna Boogie/Poor Black Mattie
8. Jessie Mae Hemphill - Train, Train*
9. Jessie Mae Hemphill - Eagle Bird
10. Jessie Mae Hemphill - Shake It, Shake It
11. Eli Green with Fred McDowell - Brooks Run Into The Ocean*
12. Eli Green with Fred McDowell - Bull Dog Blues*
13. Ranie Burnette - I'm Goin Away
14. Ranie Burnette - Moonshine Blues
15. Ranie Burnette - Come On Baby
16. Othar Turner - Rooster Blues
17. R.L. Boyce - Child of God/One Of These Days
18. R.L. Boyce - Baby Please Don't Go/Lonesome Road*
19. Jessie Mae Hemphill - Shame On You (Take 1)

Many of these tracks sound like they were recorded on somebody's front porch and it's so doggone authentic you can't help but be captivated by the hypnotic repetition mentioned above.

Jessie Mae Hemphill (1923-2006) tracks recorded September 1991 near Como. Note: I was previously introduced to Jessie Mae Hemphill via the Deep Blues movie/soundtrack.
Fred McDowell (1904-1972) tracks recorded July 1965 in Berkeley, California
Ranie Burnette (1913-2000) tracks recorded September 1991 near Como.
Eli Green (190?-1966) tracks recorded March 1965 near Holly Springs, Mississippi.
Othar Turner (1907-2003) track recorded July 1975 near Senatobia, Mississippi.
R.L. Boyce (1955-2023) tracks recorded January 2017 in Como.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: Of course I don't remember anything about being an infant, but my wife and I did pass through Como in October 2025 as part of our trip down parts of the Mississippi Blues Trail. Continuing my research on the area, I've tried to read Politics of Southern Equality: Law and Social Change in a Mississippi County (1970) by Frederick M. Wirt, Ph.D., a mixed methods study of how federal civil rights laws reshaped race relations in Panola County during the 1960s. Unfortunately the book was too academic and dry for my tastes plus it didn't delve into the rich musical culture of the county at all. It's an eye-opening piece of political research, but I simply couldn't finish it. Is there a CliffsNotes available?

Your humble blogger, a true Texassippian,
on the Mississippi Blues Trail, 2025.

For another (more interesting) story about my family's history during the civil rights era in the Mississippi of the 1960s, check out this previous blog post.

Bill Conti - Rocky: Original Motion Picture Score (1976)

I spent most of the first 12 years of my life in Odessa, Texas, which is situated on the Eastern edge of the Chihuahuan Desert. So, when sharing stories of my childhood with family, I often start with the phrase, "When I was growing up in the desert..." And here ya go:

When I was growing up in the desert, my friends and I went to the movies quite a bit. In my mind, we went every Saturday, but it was probably closer to twice a month. Our mothers were probably thrilled to have us out of their way and we were thrilled to see some entertainment in an air conditioned building. (At the time, my house as well as my school used swamp coolers instead of air conditioning.)

In addition to the drive-in places (which we never attended for whatever reason), there were four movie theaters in town. Two were downtown: the Ector theater and the Scott theater. Closer to my house were the Grandview Theater and the two screen cinema in the new Winwood Mall out on East 42nd Street.

So if there was a movie we truly enjoyed, we were limited in terms of options:

1. If the movie was "held over" at the theater, we could pay to see it again.
2. We could wait a few years for it to appear on television (for Rocky, the first broadcast was on CBS, Sunday, February 4, 1979).
3. We could possibly find a novelization of the movie.
4. Buy a copy of the soundtrack album.

That's it. No VCR, no DVD, no PPV, no streaming, no on demand. And Rocky wasn't on HBO until 1986.

Of course, me and my friends absolutely loved Rocky and probably saw it more than once at the theater. My friend Troy also picked up a copy of the soundtrack album and we would listen to it over and over when I was at his house. Until I picked up this CD, I had forgotten how often we listened to the thing because I remember almost all of it.

The album was nominated for a Grammy award in the category of Best Sound Track Album – Background Score from a Motion Picture or Television, losing to Star Wars (the first of John Williams's six consecutive wins in that category, 1978-83). The album was also nominated for an Oscar for best soundtrack plus Gonna Fly Now was nominated for a Grammy in the category of Best Pop Instrumental Performance, both also losing to Star Wars.

Press of the time:

• RPM: "powerful and exciting"
• CashBox: "short pieces that stand on their own even if you have not seen the movie"
• Billboard: "includes a couple of vocal cuts that are right-on contemporary"
• High Fidelity: "the main part of Bill Conti's score proves quite listenable and varied"

Album chart peaks:

• US Billboard 200: #4
• Billboard R&B: #32
• CashBox: #5

Tracks: 13 tracks, 31½ minutes. Gonna Fly Now, the lead track here, was released as a single, peaking at #1 on Billboard's Hot 100 in July 1977 and #20 on the adult contemporary chart. It remains highly motivational at sports events a half-century later. There's an a capella doo-wop track written by Frank Stallone called Take You Back which may have been my first exposure to doo-wop and I'm amazed at how much of that one that I remember. I also recall Going The Distance and Fanfare For Rocky. Although I didn't know what a fugue was when I was 10 years old, I now recognize the counterpoint that closes the album, simply titled Rocky's Reward. The other tracks are brief cues from the movie that perfectly capture the mood of particular scenes and, like any good soundtrack, recycle a few leitmotifs. I had completely forgotten about You Take My Heart Away which features melodies from Gonna Fly Now and vocals from DeEtta Little & Nelson Pigford.

Gonna Fly Now also hit the Hot 100 in contemporary cover versions by Rhythm Heritage (peaked at #94, March 1977), Current (#94, April 1977), and most famously, Maynard Ferguson (#28, June 1977).

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: see above