Blow The Man Down

Just when you think you’ve been through an archive with a fine-tooth comb and there’s nothing left that hasn’t seen the light of day, there’s always the attic – the long-forgotten tapes and acetates owned by the creators, and their most ardent collectors – especially when we’re talking about a legendary musical act such as The Seekers, the iconic Australian harmony group who have been together on and off for almost 60 years.

A record that could only have been made in the late '50s, 1959's Folk Jazz is a meeting of the two great collegiate crazes of the period, post-bebop modern jazz and traditional folk music. Clarinetist Bill Smith and a low-key piano-less trio? Jim Hall on guitar, Monty Budwig on bass and the great Shelly Manne on drums? take 10 songs from the folk tradition, strip them down to the bare essentials of melody and chord progressions and turn them into a Kind of Blue-like experiment in cool-toned modal jazz. Familiar standards like "Black Is the Color of My True Love's Hair" (which opens with an extended unaccompanied solo by Smith that's a marvel of economy) are presented in entirely new and fresh settings…

Richard Arnold ‘Groove’ Holmes, born May 2 1931 in Camden, New Jersey, was a jazz organist who performed in the hard bop and soul jazz genres. Best known for his 1965 recording of "Misty", Holmes's first album, on Pacific Jazz with guest Ben Webster, was recorded in March 1961. He recorded albums for Pacific Jazz, Prestige, World Pacific Groove Merchant, and Muse. While Groove Holmes never attained the same kind of superstar status as fellow Hammond legend Jimmy Smith, Holmes was equally skilled in the keyboard pyrotechnics department. This collection brings together eight original LPs by this jazz maverick, all fully remastered and presented here on this new 4CD set. A pure delight for jazz fans of all stripes, this selection is both a perfect starting point for beginners, and a boon for all fans searching for this great man’s often hard to locate earliest recordings.