Jazz Harmony: Think

2012 two CD collection. Harmony, Melody and Style tells the story of Lovers Rock, which exploded in the UK in 1975, when an ex-Caribbean population of producers, artists and audience who had grown up in London, created for the first time a new uniquely British Reggae sound. Lovers Rock mixed American Soul music with Jamaican Reggae. At the heart of Lovers Rock remained the soundsystem culture that Jamaican producers brought from the Caribbean and transposed to inner city London life. Harmony, Melody and Style tells the story of Lovers Rock - from its soundsystem beginnings, its commercial explosion at the start of the 1980s and its underground continuance into the next decade as the founding producers continued to effortlessly absorb and mutate American soul, disco and rare groove styles into a distinctly British reggae sensibility. The album includes classic and rare tracks and comes with extensive text, as well as interviews with artists, musicians and producers who helped define lovers rock as well as exclusive photography.

2012 two CD collection. Harmony, Melody and Style tells the story of Lovers Rock, which exploded in the UK in 1975, when an ex-Caribbean population of producers, artists and audience who had grown up in London, created for the first time a new uniquely British Reggae sound. Lovers Rock mixed American Soul music with Jamaican Reggae. At the heart of Lovers Rock remained the soundsystem culture that Jamaican producers brought from the Caribbean and transposed to inner city London life. Harmony, Melody and Style tells the story of Lovers Rock - from its soundsystem beginnings, its commercial explosion at the start of the 1980s and its underground continuance into the next decade as the founding producers continued to effortlessly absorb and mutate American soul, disco and rare groove styles into a distinctly British reggae sensibility. The album includes classic and rare tracks and comes with extensive text, as well as interviews with artists, musicians and producers who helped define lovers rock as well as exclusive photography.

Acclaimed guitarist Bill Frisell will release his Blue Note Records debut with the October 4 arrival of his newest project HARMONY. Produced by his longtime collaborator Lee Townsend—and recorded by Tucker Martine at Flora Recording in Portland, Oregon—HARMONY features Frisell with a wholly distinctive quartet comprising two longtime collaborators—Petra Haden, voice; Hank Roberts, cello and voice—plus a relative newcomer, Luke Bergman, on acoustic guitar, baritone guitar, bass and voice. Hear the lead track “Everywhere” which is available today to stream or download. The album can be pre-ordered now and will be released on vinyl, CD, and digital formats.

Margo Guryan Died in 2021. Her Music Keeps Getting Rediscovered. “Words and Music,” a new anthology, shines light on a little-known but increasingly beloved master of pop and jazz songwriting. In the late summer of 1970, Elton John arrived at Los Angeles International Airport for his debut U.S. shows and was greeted by another wildly talented piano-playing singer-songwriter: Margo Guryan. Her husband, David Rosner, worked for the company that signed John, and together they helped him get sorted in the run-up to his legendary performances at the Troubadour, kicking off a long, spectacular career. Guryan’s career proved less of a spectacle. After modest success as a jazz-pop songwriter, she recorded one album of her own, with Rosner’s encouragement. “Take a Picture” was alive with dazzling melodies, lyrical wit, strikingly intimate vocals and marvelously florid arrangements — a small masterpiece of the microgenre known as sunshine pop. But Guryan was a reluctant performer who refused to tour, and her album, released in 1968, was a commercial flop, after her label barely promoted it. And yet, in a unique twist on a familiar story, the 11 songs of “Take a Picture” became a shared secret around the world; pirate pressings overseas earned her the sobriquet “The Soft Pop Queen of Japan.” In 2000 the LP was officially reissued, followed by others collecting her demo recordings — lean performances that could pass for 21st-century indie-pop.

Margo Guryan Died in 2021. Her Music Keeps Getting Rediscovered. “Words and Music,” a new anthology, shines light on a little-known but increasingly beloved master of pop and jazz songwriting. In the late summer of 1970, Elton John arrived at Los Angeles International Airport for his debut U.S. shows and was greeted by another wildly talented piano-playing singer-songwriter: Margo Guryan. Her husband, David Rosner, worked for the company that signed John, and together they helped him get sorted in the run-up to his legendary performances at the Troubadour, kicking off a long, spectacular career. Guryan’s career proved less of a spectacle. After modest success as a jazz-pop songwriter, she recorded one album of her own, with Rosner’s encouragement. “Take a Picture” was alive with dazzling melodies, lyrical wit, strikingly intimate vocals and marvelously florid arrangements — a small masterpiece of the microgenre known as sunshine pop. But Guryan was a reluctant performer who refused to tour, and her album, released in 1968, was a commercial flop, after her label barely promoted it. And yet, in a unique twist on a familiar story, the 11 songs of “Take a Picture” became a shared secret around the world; pirate pressings overseas earned her the sobriquet “The Soft Pop Queen of Japan.” In 2000 the LP was officially reissued, followed by others collecting her demo recordings — lean performances that could pass for 21st-century indie-pop.

Recorded in just one day, Tripwire is the latest album from saxophonist and composer Will Vinson. Realising a long-held ambition to record a chord-less trio album, Vinson is joined here by bassist Matt Penman, one of today’s most adventurous bass players, and drummer Eric Harland, known for his impressive work with the world’s jazz luminaries. Special guest tenor saxophonist Melissa Aldana also joins for two tracks.