Eclectic Grooves

Heaven- Brass Rock 1 [CBS, 1971] This album is another perfect example of why we should never judge a book by its cover. A cursory glance at the cover would likely lead you to believe that the music contained on this mysterious platter is either of the psychedelic folk or soft rock variety. The title is a bit misleading as well, as we have come to expect that anything with "brass rock" in the title could be written off as another Chicago rip-off. I'm here to tell you that you won't be able to properly prepare yourself for what you are about to hear. Just sit back, relax and get ready for a crack band of stellar musicians to hit you over the head with a heavy dose of unbridled enthusiasm and jazz-rock bravado. The first track, "Things I Should've Been," starts the proceedings off with a bang as the guttural scream from the lead singer leads right into the first astonishing riff on the record. After this, the song really only lets up...

Eddie Harris- Free Speech [Atlantic Records, 1970] Many moons ago, I wrote an in-depth feature on Eddie Harris and his pioneering use of the varitone saxophone on the now defunct blog Ear Fuzz . Today's edition of Rediscoveries of Lost Gems will focus on Eddie's oft-overlooked LP called Free Speech . In the canon of jazz, and specifically in Eddie's discography, this album was never fully appreciated when it was first pressed in 1970.   In a sense, Eddie Harris was an anomaly in the world of jazz, always looking for what's next while the rest of the jazz scene was struggling to keep up with him. He could have very easily stuck with the tried and true soul jazz sound that got him noticed, but instead he chose the road less traveled filled with potholes, bumps and dead-ends. The opening cut "Wait Please," starts out unassumingly enough with a slow drum and bass groove accompanying the intoxicating sound of Harris's Varitone sax. I...