Tuesday, March 20, 2007

Baron Von Ohlen Quartet- The Baron

Do not sleep on Creative World, there's several cool titles to hit up on that label... yes!
One joint that really sticks out though seems to be The Baron LP from 1972.
This is a record featuring a group lead by drummer Baron Von Ohlen.
Equipt with extensive liner notes on the musicians which I'm not going to quote here, instruments includes: drums, electric piano, organ, with a few vocals and abstract singing.
The line-up is a little bit out of the ordinary, there is no bassist present but two keyboard players where the organist plays the bass part as well as taking leads and solos.
With the two keyboards Fender Rhodes and Farfisa organ complementing each other it creates a thick mellowed out groove and gives the music a distinct and blissful sound.
A fave track off here is the opening cut entitled Tergiversation (The Whistling Tune).
I'm not sure if Baron Von Ohlen ever put out other records, and was this guy a real baron or was it a self-proclaimed title?

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Saturday, March 10, 2007

Creme Fraiche- Plays Compositions By Lars Togeby

Picking up on Storyville as I mentioned there's other releases on the label thats worth talking about.
I'm proud to say that my uncle Lars Togeby actually put out a record on that label, yes!
The album features his bigband Creme Fraiche consistant of mainly Danish players with all music composed by Lars Togeby, from 1978 this is modern electric jazz borderline fusion with some slight latin elements.
If this LP had been recorded by Rudy Van Gelder it would have fitted straight into the CTI catalogue, no doubt Lars Togeby was inspired by the early 70's US bigband sound themes and complex arrangements.
I do have a favourite cut off the album, Thats All has a almost spooky soundtrack like groove with Mads Vinding laying down the foundation, a looping bassline with the brass section remenisent of those classic CTI records, the track has some nice Rhodes breaks with spacey reverb and the following piano solo progresses into a somewhat Herbie Hancock flavored vibe, not bad at all.
I heard Creme Fraiche preform this track at the Copenhagen Jazz Festival acouple of years ago and it was pure fire!!
In the late 70's Lars Togeby was negotiating to sign with Stan Kenton's Creative World for a US release of Creme Fraiche, unfortunately Kenton passed away before the deal was closed and the album has remained a DK only gem.

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Saturday, March 3, 2007

Green Line

On a Steve Marcus related note, today I'm flossing a Danish album recorded in Japan 1970 by four musicians from Europe and the US.
Green Line is very rare and one the most sort after LP's on Storyville, a Danish jazz label that did mainly traditional releases but with a few exeptions.
The players include Steve Marcus, sax, Miroslav Vitous, bass, Sonny Sharrock, guitar and Daniel Humair on drums.
With tracks exploring avant-garde jazz, I wouldnt really have kept this joint if it wasnt for the (for me) stand out cut Melvin.
Yes this is what its all about, Melvin penned by Humair opens with hardcore modal jazzfunk held down by a tough upright bass + guitar riff...definitely recommendable for the funk jazz collectro.
As you can see the cover is not in the best of conditions but the vinyl is fortunately near mint.
I found it many years ago, I recall that the shop had a whole pile of these glued together due to water damage, I literally pulled them apart one by one and chose the least damaged, thing is I only bought one copy, they were under a dollar a piece and I should have copped the entire stack of course, they would have made me a small ebay fortune today!

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