The Blackbyrds - Action (1977)/Better Days (1980)

EU import

Back in 2022, I was introduced to the song Soft And Easy through a compilation CD and liked it so much that I immediately sought out the 1977 album on which it originally appeared, Action. I found Action on this Blackbyrds twofer reissue on the BGP label and bought it immediately. The compilation captures the band's transition from danceable R&B (Action, produced by mentor and namesake Donald Byrd) to more synth based funk (Better Days, produced by George Duke). I prefer the former to the latter and if sales are any indication, so did the record buying public.

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ACTION (1977)
7 tracks, 34 minutes

Sleek grooves, tasty EWFish horn arrangements, disco strings, and bass lines perfect for your local lighted dance floor. Features guest appearances from Ernie Watts and Ray Parker, Jr. Sticking with the group's characteristic formula, the album lacks a Top 40 hit, but it is definitely funky enough for the club while still being refined enough to remind you the band members came from jazz backgrounds.

Press of the time:

• CashBox: "A sizzling, multilayered, funk-laden disc destined for mass appeal"
• Billboard: "cheery, funky synthesized r&b...mellow, sleek soul ballads...midtempo jazz-tinged efforts."
• Record World: "should hurdle jazz, r&b and rock barriers with little difficulty."

Album chart peaks:

• US Billboard 200: #43
• Billboard R&B: #8
• CashBox: #47

Tracks: Nothing to skip among these seven tracks. Three singles were released from the album: the aforementioned Soft And Easy (#20 R&B), Supernatural Feeling (#19 R&B), and Street Games. However, I think the smoothest cut here is Mysterious Vibes (Wikipedia tells me a remix of Mysterious Vibes was released in 2002, but consider the source).

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BETTER DAYS (1980)
10 tracks, 40 minutes

It seems like the group was trying to be a cross between Rick James and Kool & The Gang and it didn't quite work for them. Pity. The grooves are here, there's plenty of production tricks that were popular in 1980, and the performances are quite good. The only thing missing is hooks. 

Press of the time:

• Record World: "fuel for the body and spirit"
• Billboard: "a polished collection of punchy sophistosoul"

Album chart peaks:

• US Billboard 200: #133
• Billboard R&B: #40
• CashBox: #142

Tracks: Four singles were released from the album: Don't Know What To Say, Dancin' Dancin' (#59 dance), What We Have Is Right (#38 R&B), and Love Don't Strike Twice (#52 R&B). I think the best track is Without Your Love plus there's plenty of filler cuts.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: None

Lee Morgan - Four Classic Albums: Second Set (2019)

UK Import

2019 compilation of four albums by Lee Morgan from the late 1950s. Another quality compilation from the British Avid label, who take full advantage of the length of copyright laws in Europe (50 years) and, might I add, make classic jazz releases quite affordable: I paid $11.98, new, for this 2 disc set. Albums have been remastered and the original liner notes are included. Morgan was such a fantastic trumpet player. The whole set is highly enjoyable.

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CANDY (1958)
6 tracks, 37 minutes

Previously appeared on The CD Project.

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CITY LIGHTS (1958)
5 tracks, 38 minutes

Original liner notes written by Leonard Feather.

Morgan - trumpet
George Coleman - tenor & alto saxophones
Curtis Fuller - trombone
Ray Bryant - piano
Paul Chambers - bass
Art Taylor - drums

Reviews/ratings:

• DownBeat (★★★★): "a lot of rewarding listening here"
• The Virgin Encyclopedia of Jazz (1999): ★★★★

Tracks: Five tracks, none written by members of the band. Three of the tunes were written by Benny Golson, plus one each from Johnny Green and Gigi Grice. Fuller really brings the goods throughout and really pushes Morgan - it's a joy to hear the playful battles here. Things get a little sloppy in Just By Myself. My top picks are the title cut and You're Mine You.

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LEE MORGAN - INDEED! (1957)
6 tracks, 41 minutes

Morgan's debut album as a leader, but plays like a seasoned pro. These four albums were recorded when Morgan was 18 & 19 years old and you'd never know it - such a mature sound.

Original liner notes written by Leonard Feather.

Morgan - trumpet
Clarence Sharpe - alto saxophone
Horace Silver - piano
Wilbur Ware - bass
"Philly" Joe Jones - drums

Rating:

• The Virgin Encyclopedia of Jazz (1999): ★★★

Tracks: 6 tracks: 1 from pianist Silver, 1 from Donald Byrd, and 2 each from Owen Marshall (a name previously unknown to me) and the aforementioned Benny Golson. The highlights of this debut are the two middle tracks, The Lady and Little T.

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THE COOKER (1958)
5 tracks, 39 minutes

Morgan's fifth release for Blue Note and the first to feature some of his own compositions.

Original liner notes written by Robert Levin.

Morgan - trumpet
Pepper Adams - alto saxophone
Bobby Timmons - piano
Paul Chambers - bass
"Philly" Joe Jones - drums

Ratings:

• The Rolling Stone Jazz & Blues Album Guide (1999): ★★★★
• The Virgin Encyclopedia of Jazz (1999): ★★★★

Tracks: In addition to two of Morgan's compositions - titled Heavy Dipper and New-Ma - there are versions of Lover Man, Cole Porter's Just One Of Those Things, and Dizzy Gillespie's A Night In Tunisia, the latter two in which Morgan burns through the tunes in dazzling display of technique. The Cooker, indeed.

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Previously revisited for the blog:
Candy (1958)

The Best Of Siouxsie And The Banshees (2002)

I'll let Billboard magazine do the heavy lifting on this art-driven post-punk compilation:

Billboard, November 16, 2002, p. 24

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

Tracks, with my admittedly predictable favorites checked:

	Song	Year	UK	US Dance	US Mod. Rock
1	Dear Prudence	1983	3			✔
2	Hong Kong Garden	1978	7
3	Cities In Dust	1985	21	17
4	Peek-A-Boo	1988	16	14	1	✔
5	Happy House	1980	17
6	Kiss Them For Me	1991	32	8	1	✔
7	Face To Face	1992	21		7
8	Dizzy	2002
9	Israel	1980	41	73		✔
10	Christine	1980	22			✔
11	Spellbound	1981	22	73		✔
12	Stargazer	1995	64
13	Arabian Knights	1981	32	64
14	The Killing Jar	1988	41	37	2	✔
15	This Wheel's On Fire	1987	14

I think the psychedelic cover of Dear Prudence is one of the best Beatles covers of all-time, just behind Earth, Wind & Fire's Got To Get You Into My Life and Stevie Wonder's We Can Work It Out. That said, my favorite track here is Kiss Them For Me. And when you're in just the right mood, this is a fantastic compilation. What's the right mood? Well, for me, that mood involves a warm, sunny day and tunes are cranked on the car stereo on a trip to no particular place. It's currently 83° here in San Antonio and I'm eyeballing a drive down I-37 this afternoon.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: I was driving along listening to the 1st Wave channel on SiriusXM (as one does), heard the song Christine, and without even thinking about it, chanted right along with Siouxsie: "Now she's in purple, now she's a turtle." That made me wonder why I didn't have any SATB discs on my shelves. After a quick facepalm, I ordered this compilation to correct that oversight.

Various Artists - Soul Hits of the '70s: Didn't It Blow Your Mind, Vol. 16 (1995)

Volume 16 of a 20 volume Rhino series. I had no plans to collect all 20 CDs, but they keep appearing in used bins and I simply can't help myself so we'll have to wait and see where this leads. From what I can ascertain, the later volumes released in 1995 are getting harder to find which normally translates to higher price tags, so I'm lucky I happened across this one in 2024 even though it came with a $19.99 price tag (I'm not saying that's what I paid, simply stating what the price sticker read).

Tracks, with Billboard chart peaks:

1. Patches - Clarence Carter (1970, #4 pop, #2 R&B)
   I dig the building pre-chorus, but not so much the spoken word verse. And it's such a depressing song. Nevertheless, it won the 1971 Grammy Award for Best Rhythm & Blues Song.
2. Betcha By Golly, Wow - The Stylistics (1972, #3 pop, #2 R&B, #7 AC)
   From the mind of Thom Bell comes this classic, oft covered tune. So dadgum smooth it could glide on sandpaper.
3. You're Still A Young Man - Tower Of Power (1972, #29 pop, #24 R&B)
   Love this waltz with its screaming trumpets and doo-wop vocals. I don't care much for the abbreviated single edit included on the compilation.
4. Misdemeanor - Foster Sylvers (1973, #22 pop, #7 R&B)
   11 year old Foster does his best Michael Jackson imitation and sounds almost exactly like him. Unfortunately, the backing group isn't up to the standards of the Funk Brothers or The Corporation. That's Foster in the CD's cover photo. A couple of years later, he'd contract a bad case of boogie fever.
5. Nobody Wants You When You're Down And Out - Bobby Womack (1973, #29 pop, #2 R&B)
   In which a Rock and Roll Hall of Famer takes an old blues tune, completely deconstructs it, and makes it his own.
6. Cheaper To Keep Her - Johnnie Taylor (1973, #15 pop, #2 R&B)
   Part bluesy jazz tune, part Stax groove, all good.
7. Put Your Hands Together - The O'Jays (1974, #10 pop, #2 R&B)
   Another cut on this compilation performed by members of The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Written and produced by the legendary Gamble & Huff team, containing the same formula - both musically and lyrically - as the group's 1972 hit Love Train. What a joyful chorus!
8. Trying To Hold On To My Woman - Lamont Dozier (1974, #15 pop, #4 R&B)
   Also a member of the Rock Hall. This song is a pleading slow burn and was Dozier's biggest hit as a solo artist.
9. Sexy Mama - The Moments (1974, #17 pop, #3 R&B)
   Take a smooth groove, add some strings plus a little pillow talk and you've got a sexy stew goin'.
10. Touch A Hand, Make A Friend - The Staple Singers (1974, #23 pop, #3 R&B, #27 AC)
    The Staple Singers (Rock Hall 1999) recorded tunes that were so basic they immediately hooked you, lyrics so positive they immediately uplifted you, and arrangements so perfect they always gave you something new. This track is no exception. 
11. Skin Tight - Ohio Players (1974, #13 pop, #2 R&B)
    A sweet chunk of polished funk from the boys from Dayton. Between the bass line, the horn licks, and the immediately identifiable "well, well, well" from Sugarfoot, I can't decide which I like more.
12. Sha-La-La (Make Me Happy) - Al Green (1974, #7 pop, #2 R&B, #28 disco)
    They literally saved the best for last. What a legend. Of course the Rev. Green is in many Halls of Fame, including Rock, Grammy, Gospel Music, Songwriters, Memphis Music, etc. And here's a picture from the time I saw him in concert in Austin, April 2012.

Previously revisited for the blog:

Volume 2	Volume 13
Volume 5	Volume 14
Volume 6	Volume 15
Volume 12	Volume 18

Ike Quebec - Easy Living (1987)

These tracks were recorded at Ven Gelder Studio on Saturday, January 20, 1962, but not released until the latter half of 1987. While revitalizing the label in the mid-'80s, 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. I also couldn't find any printed example where this release was publicized or promoted. The only printed reference of the album I could find was a simple ★★★ rating in The Virgin Encyclopedia of Jazz (1999).

The sextet present at the session is of an unusual instrumentation, most notably the presence of two tenor sax players. Regardless of instrumentation or quality, I simply couldn't pass up an album from Quebec because I love his tone.

Quebec - tenor saxophone
Stanley Turrentine - tenor saxophone
Bennie Green - trombone
Sonny Clark - piano
Milt Hinton - bass
Art Blakey - drums

CD liner notes by Michael Cuscuna.

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

Tracks:

Tracks are the usual mix of standards and originals from Quebec and band members Green and Turrentine. The album gets off to a weak start, picks up in the middle, and ends in spectacular fashion with the three best cuts, all standards: I've Got A Crush On You, Nancy (With The Laughing Face), and Easy Living.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: None

Previously revisited for the blog:
Blue & Sentimental (1963)
Heavy Soul (1962)

*When the album was reissued on vinyl in 2013, it was given a more appropriate album cover:

Blog post #2200

Ned Doheny - Hard Candy (1976)

Japanese import

A largely unknown album with a considerable reputation. Various online blurbs I found:

• "widely considered the finest blue-eyed soul album of all time"
• "one of L.A.'s phantom treasures, a rarely heard gem"
• "blue eyed soul opus"
• "the epitome of breezy AOR"
• "One of the best, if not greatest blue eyed soul records ever made"
• "nice little cool pop-rock LP full of good vibes"

And Rolling Stone magazine described it as "soft-core funk for soulful white boys." C'est moi!

More about Doheny from his old website: neddoheny.com

The album is certainly an easy listen that all goes down smooth. My problem is that none of the hooks are hooking me. Nevertheless, if you have a adult-oriented rock (AOR)/West Coast playlist (and who doesn't?), this album is a pleasant addition.

Press of the time:

• Rolling Stone: "undeniably accomplished and enjoyable"
• CashBox: "Doheny, as evidenced by this fine LP, is an excellent songwriter/singer."

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

Tracks: I was previously familiar with the lead track, Get It Up For Love, from it's inclusion on the first volume of the Too Slow To Disco series. I was surprised to discover that particular track was never released as a single. The released singles from this album were A Love Of Your Own (track 5) and If You Should Fall (track 2). Neither saw any chart action. Could be because there wasn't any disco flavor to the tunes and/or this type of music was just coming into its own, with Boz Scaggs taking the lion's share of the public's dollar via his Silk Degrees album. A Love Of Your Own is a nice ballad and should probably have charted somewhere, but I think the better tracks on the album are Each Time You Pray and On The Swingshift; the latter features a tasty solo from Tom Scott.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: My friend Richard and I were both terrible at golf (I've since given up the game), but when we'd play, we'd often skull the ball sending it skittering along the ground. After that happened, he'd always say "get it up for love" meaning that he needed to get the ball airborne on the next shot. I loved the double entendre. So I think of our many golf outings when I hear that song. Richard was probably familiar with the song from the Average White Band cover so my golfing memory really has nothing to do with this album so here's a scan of the CD obi followed by a weak English translation:

The charm of Boz Scaggs and Jackson Browne all to yourself. Warmly wrapped in naive kindness and stylish sounds. The bright album cover is also an excellent masterpiece.

Born in Los Angeles in 1948. Debuted in 1973 with Jackson Browne as the first artist signed to Asylum Records. This work is the first album transferred to Columbia, USA, and is a masterpiece of AOR. Produced by guitarist Steve Cropper, who has participated in numerous recordings for Stax, the prestigious soul label, the album skillfully incorporates Doheny's taste for soul into a stylish and sophisticated piece. Backing vocals include Don Henley, Glenn Frey, Linda Ronstadt, and J.D. Souther, and a young David Foster's name is also credited. Many cover versions of the famous song 'Get It Up For Love' have been created.

Idris Muhammad - Power Of Soul (1974)

Blurb from the back CD insert:

A frequent drummer on some of the most visible Kudu sessions, Idris Muhammad was finally signed to the label as a recording artist, and marked his album debut with the sensational POWER OF SOUL. With Bob James writing the charts, and Grover Washington, Jr. providing some exquisite contributions on the saxophone, the album made quite a splash at the time, and quickly established Idris as a force to contend with on the music scene.

That hyperbolic statement is, I believe, intentionally vague and misleading as this was not the drummer's first album, but rather his "album debut" on the Kudu label. He had previously released two albums on the Prestige label.

Nevertheless, this is a good - albeit brief - instrumental album put together with a whole lot of recognizable names from the smooth jazz genre. Recorded at Van Gelder Studios and engineered by Rudy Van Gelder, the album was produced by Creed Taylor, and the pieces were arranged and conducted by Bob James. If you're a fan of Taylor, James, or Grover Washington, Jr., this is an album worth checking out.

2002 reissue liner notes by Didier Deutsch who, in 1974 at the time of this album's release, was publicity director at CTI records.

Idris Muhammad - drums
Grover Washington, Jr. - soprano & tenor saxophones
Bob James - keyboards
Gary King - bass
Joe Beck - guitar
Ralph MacDonald - percussion
Randy Brecker - trumpet & flugelhorn

Ratings/reviews:

• Downbeat (★★★): "quite good"
• Billboard: "a real blockbuster"
• The Virgin Encyclopedia of Jazz (1999): ★★★
• The Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide (1985): ★★★

Album chart peaks:

• US Billboard 200: Did not chart
• Billboard Jazz: #15
• Record World Jazz: #9

Tracks: Only four tracks, and three of those four I had heard previously on other recordings prior to purchasing this CD.

1. Power Of Soul - a cover of a Jimi Hendrix tune, a.k.a. Power To Love. A tune which is much harder than the remaining tunes. Beck delivers a scorching solo, but is ultimately upstaged by Washington.
2. Piece of Mind - a midtempo Bob James original. Silky smooth with tasty work from Washington, Brecker, and, of course, James.
3. The Saddest Thing - this track, written by Joe Beck, was rerecorded for the 1975 Beck album and retitled Star Fire. So relaxing and calm with a restrained string arrangement, this is my favorite track on the album.
4. Loran's Dance - a Grover Washington, Jr. tune which the saxophonist later recorded on his 1978 album, Reed Seed.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: None

Previously revisited for the blog:
You Ain't No Friend Of Mine! (1978)