John Coltrane – Giant Steps

The title track of this album is supposed to be a motherfucker to solo over. Ask poor Tommy Flanagan, the pianist on this recording, who had the sheet music dropped in his lap mere hours before the recording session, and – despite being thrown under the jazz-bus - made a better job of it than any of us ever could.

Whilst listening to this, I went down a bit of a rabbit hole over whether this piece was 12-Tone or not. There’s an interesting article here (blog.danreitz.com/why-giant-st…), if you’re as dull as me.

Nowadays, as far as difficulty playing music is concerned, I’m just glad when I can see the numbers on the label without my glasses, to be honest.

#Vinyl
#JohnColtrane
#GiantSteps
#Jazz

The Headhunters - Survival of the Fittest

A Herbie Hancock produced Afro-space-funk project.

If You've Got It...takes me back to listening to pirate radio in London in the late '80s.

Alas, this is just a reissue.

#NowPlaying
#funk
#vinyl

In about 1985, my mate Tim and me went off to the 100 Club to watch Phil Guy & Jimmy Dawkins. This remains one of the best gigs I've ever been to.

As a result of that I picked up this LP when I saw it for sale (in Our Price Records in Romford, I reckon, which rather oddly had a decent #blues section.)

Dawkins' guitar tone is class - I'm a sucker for an ES-335 - his playing is never fancy, but always delightful.

#blues
#100Club
#vinyl
#PhilGuy

#JimmyDawins
#GibsonES-335