2007/12/20

What on earth is DEEP GROOVES on vinyl records?

久方振りの更新です。日常生活や仕事の合間にこつこつ書きためていたものを (後追いになりますが) 暇を見つけては公開していくことにします。さて今回は . . . .

Sorry for scarce updates on this site. I’ve been writing several articles little by little when I had some spare time during my daily life as well as my work. And right now this topic deals with . . . .

Continue reading
2007/09/29

Groovin’ High / “Diz” and “Bird”

( . . . きちんと音楽を聴ける時間がやっととれた . . . )

This afternoon mother-in-law went long way back to Kobe. She stayed with us for about a month to help us with the baby. Thank you so much anyway.

The only regret with her was, for me, that she didn’t like listening to music much, and that she didn’t understand how much (and how often) I love listening to music as a daily basis. So while she was staying with us at home, the loud speaker on the right side had to stay away from the speaker-stand, because the speaker is always located in front of the window to the veranda, and she always complained that the speaker stood in her way out to the veranda with laundry . . . yes she’s right.

[Speaker, get away from the stand!]
Continue reading
2007/08/19

Max Roach a la carte

Last night I picked up two LP albums by Max Roach and put ’em on my turntable to pray R.I.P.

昨晩はマックス・ローチへの追悼の意味で 2枚の LP を聴きました。

 

Both albums recorded in the 1970s, both released only in Japan, both not so popular as Roach’s other masterpieces, and both not his best albums ever. But they have given me very interesting insights of the percussion artistry of how Max Roach can “sing” with the drums.

ともに 1970年代録音で、ともに日本のみのリリースだったものです。どちらの盤もマックス・ローチの幾多の名盤群に比べると有名な盤ではなく、最高傑作というわけでもありません。けれども私には、どちらのアルバムも初めて聴いた時から非常に興味深く感じられたものです。偉大なるパーカッショニスト、マックス・ローチのドラミングが文字通り「歌っている」、そのことがシンプルなフォーマットでここまで現れている盤は他にないようにすら思えます。

 
[Max Roach on Drums]
Max Roach in 1954
(taken from the back cover of EmArcy MG-36036 “Clifford Brown and Max Roach”)
 
[Max Roach on Drums]
Max Roach in 2002
(taken from the back cover of Eighty-Eights VRJL-7005 “Friendship”)
Continue reading
2007/08/17

Max Roach Dies at 83

What a sad news – all I can say right now is, please, please, Rest In Piece, Mr. Max Roach, a true innovator of rhythms and percussions . . .


[Max Roach and Bud Powell]

Max Roach and Bud Powell in 1949?
(taken from the back cover of Mercury MG-35012 / MG C-102 / MG C-502 “Piano Solos”)
2007/08/05

Old Record Catalogues, Pt.5

Part 1 (Bethlehem, Fantasy, Pacific Jazz)Part 2 (Roost, Atlantic, Blue Note)Part 3 (Riverside)Part 4 (Prestige) に続く第5回は、私の手持ちのカタログの中で 2番目に古いものです。 もちろん戦前、日本的にいうと昭和10年代 (笑) ですので、当時は SP 時代全盛期。私の様な SP 初心者のコレクションには、本カタログに掲載されているものはほとんど含まれていません (笑)

Continue reading
2007/07/30

Thelma Gracen on Ditto Label!

その筋 (?) のファンには有名なジャズシンガー セルマ・グレーセン (Thelma Gracen) と、泣く子も黙る偉大なロック/ポップアーティスト ポール・マッカートニー (Paul McCartney)。この二人を結ぶ意外な繋がりについてご存知でしょうか?

Thelma Gracen (a very obscure female Jazz vocalist) and Paul McCartney (needless to say the biggest icon in the Rock/Pops history) – do you happen to know the surprising link between these two artists?


[Wing MGW-60005 Front Cover]      [Wing MGW-60005 Side-A]

Thelma Gracen
(Wing [US] MGW-60005 ⇒ EmArcy [US] MG-36096)


[Parlophone/MPL 12R-6213 Front Cover]      [Parlophone/MPL 12R-6213 Side-A]

My Brave Face (maxi single) / Paul McCartney
(Parlophone / MPL 12R-6213)
Continue reading