I listened to a few tracks and knew right away this was not just another Bob Marley cover album, it was so much more! Therefore, the decision to buy it on the spot was easily made.
For whatever reason I wasn’t aware of the other two albums in this new Blue Note series, Fareed Haque’s Déjà Vu and Everette Harp’s What's Going On, nor the ones that followed in 1998...
By now I’ve listened to all six albums in this series and still consider Charlie’s the best, closely followed by Fareed Haque's CSNY cover album, Bob Belden (Tapestry), and George Howard (There's A Riot Goin' On).
Ronnie Laws’ Portrait Of The Isley Brothers (Harvest For The World) and Everette Harp's What's Going On are dangerously close to smooth elevator jazz, but each still has a few acceptable tracks.
In 1997 Blue Note issued a promo sampler with three songs each from Charlie, Everette, and Fareed. There was no follow-up, which gave us here at JOKONKY another project -- to add three tracks from each of the three 1998 releases in the Blue Note Cover Series!
PREVIOUSLY ON JONDERBLOG: if you like this post, check out Koen's excellent overview of Nonesuch Records' American Explorer Series, as well as Koen's more recent compilation, Blue Note Funk: Steady Groovin!
https://tinyurl.com/BlueNoteCover
ReplyDeletePer his usual standards, Koen has included with today's compilation a PDF of the album cover art and reviews of each release in this series. I echo his recommendation of Natty Dread by the Charlie Hunter Quartet. Check out their version of Lively Up Yourself:
https://youtu.be/k--JfatucHY?si=0tQCLGrb2d2xoJId
And if you like song-by-song cover albums, climb aboard the Voodoo Wagon and grab Pussy Galore's free jazz version of Exile On Main Street, thanks to that infamous pussy grabber, Jobe! https://voodoowagon.blogspot.com/2024/06/pussy-galore-exile-on-main-st.html
DeleteBy now we should invoice Blue Note for promoting their records/artists!
ReplyDeleteThanks Art -- looks great!
ReplyDeletehttps://twilightzone-rideyourpony.blogspot.com/ When you look at the And Now For Something Completely Different sections you will find an Andy who is on his 5th Cover Me cd. Today Steely Dan - Aya - The Darcys. Previously Dylan, Beefheart, The Who, and Radiohead.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the tip, Richard! Here are a few more:
Deletehttps://myzuka.club/Album/382242/Camper-Van-Beethoven-Tusk-2002
https://myzuka.club/Album/499712/Becks-Record-Club-Record-Club-Project-By-Beck-Hansen-Beck-Record-Club-No-1-The-Velvet-Un-2009
https://myzuka.club/Album/499719/Becks-Record-Club-Record-Club-Project-By-Beck-Hansen-Beck-Record-Club-No-2-Songs-Of-Leon-2009
https://myzuka.club/Album/499720/Becks-Record-Club-Record-Club-Project-By-Beck-Hansen-Beck-Record-Club-No-4-Inxs-Kick-2010
https://myzuka.club/Album/499721/Becks-Record-Club-Record-Club-Project-By-Beck-Hansen-Beck-Record-Club-No-5-Yanni-Live-At-2010
https://myzuka.club/Album/103883/Beck-Oar-Beck-Covers-Alexander-Skip-Spences-2010
https://mapledeathrecords.bandcamp.com/album/disappears-low-live-in-chicago
How does one cover "Oar"?!? It's all about Skip Spence's shambolic state of mind and the fractured subterranean atmosphere he creates. Lots of talent involved so I guess I'll need to listen to the copy my past self seems to have acquired somewhere but never played. Present nor past self was aware of CBV's Tusk though -- that sounds like a fun one!
DeleteGood question, MrDave! Not being a Beck fan, I don't have an answer -- but I did enjoy the "More Oar" tribute album, and I can confirm that Camper Van Beethoven's version of Tusk is a fun listen. CVB definitely put more effort into it than Pussy Galore. Here's a long list of albums that have been covered in full:
Deletehttps://www.discogs.com/lists/Albums-re-recorded-track-for-track/203158
Quite the list of contributors on More Oar! Runs the full gambit from obscure New Zealand loner folk-psych (Alastair Galbraith) to Rock Hall of Fame luminaries (Robert Plant, Tom Waits) and all the Alt/Indie luminaries in between. Definitely looks like one I'll need to track down!
DeleteGod I love the Internet! Would have probably taken five years of digging through used CDs to stumble across something like this back in the day but here it is for instant filing away into the archives (who's got time to listen?!?). "More Oar" for your reader's gratification: https://workupload.com/file/4EUuxAvEPSj
DeleteThanks for "More Oar", MrDave! There was a plague of tribute albums back in the 90's, but "More Oar" and the Roky tribute ("Where The Pyramid Meets The Eye") are two of the good 'uns.
DeleteAs one of the requesters, I say: Excelsior! (...and thanks!)
ReplyDeletegreat! your comment about 'dangerously close to elevator music' made me nod knowingly. But then I stopped and said, 'what's wrong with elevator music?" My tastes are changing as I get closer to the final goal line of life and I wouldn't say elevator music is actually good, but there is a certain 'soft' aesthetic that I am finding fun to explore. Yacht Rock. Country Rock. Soft Rock. Easy Listening. Exotica. And my latest rabbit hole, Schlager. If you have any recommends on that last category i'd me mighty grateful. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteI hear you. Feeling more open-minded myself about genres I previously dismissed as I get older. We do in fact have some Schlager coming up, although I can't claim to be knowledgeable enough to make any recommendations!
Delete