Jon Young Thropugh Native Eyes

Two of the most memorable albums from the trip-hop and acid jazz era are by cornettist Graham Haynes (Transition) and trumpeter Ben Neill (Goldbug). Dressing for Pleasure preceeded them both. Usually, an adjective like "suave" doesn't sit easily on an ethnomusicologist whose knack for directness is grounded by his sense of beauty; neither does a label like "acid jazz." But this is Hassell's only album to fit its musical moment, following his appearance on the soundtrack of the crime film Trespass. The feel of a fully committed band is especially amazing – Hassell and drummer Brain work with an army of bassists (six, including Flea of the Red Hot Chili Peppers) and enough programmers (three) to field a dot com startup on a coffee break. Hassell's horn flits through a sexy blend of trip-hop's hard drum programs topped with soft, impassive electronic textures like a bird circling over a crowded intersection. Woodwind player Kenny Garrett and guitarist Gregg Arreguin provide thematic voices, too, but melody is rarely enough in this genre.

Where a slow-burning, word of mouth campaign was hugely beneficial to Jon Allen – his debut album, 2009’s Dead Man’s Suit, was given a sizeable leg-up by one track’s use in a Land Rover campaign, while champions included Jo Whiley, Jools Holland and Emmylou Harris – second album Sweet Defeat not only has the task of matching this, but is also burdened with the albatross of assumed instant impact. But it seems as though that’s the last thing Allen is worried about. While his passport may substantiate the on-paper Britishness of this Hampshire-born artist, his yarns and philosophies paint a picture of a grizzled American folk musician, decades of abandon behind him. Sweet Defeat, in this vein, employs good honest rock'n'roll ideals, actioned via a collection of simple, folksy melodies.

Larry Young who like most organists originally sounded close to Jimmy Smith, took a big step away from the organ's dominant influence on this adventurous and colorful set, which was his debut as a leader for Blue Note. Performing with a quartet also including tenor saxophonist Sam Rivers, guitarist Grant Green and drummer Elvin Jones, Young performs four of his originals plus Green's "Plaza de Toros." Other than the blues "Backup," the music is fairly complex, grooving in its own fashion and showing that Young was quite aware of John Coltrane's modal excursions.

Crazy Horse by another name is Molina, Talbot, Lofgren & Young, the group who released their debut All Roads Lead Home in 2023. The genesis of the album lies in the COVID-19 pandemic: isolated at home, Ralph Molina, Billy Talbot, and Nils Lofgren all wrote new material, eventually getting a chance to bring these sessions to life around the same time they supported Neil Young on his 2021 album Barn. Young is a presence on All Roads Lead Home - he contributes a live solo version of "Song of the Seasons," which debuted on Barn - but the focus is squarely on the other three members of Crazy Horse, who all contribute three songs apiece. Where other, earlier Crazy Horse albums tend to lumber as the group shoulders the burden of heavy volume, All Roads Lead Home is relatively light on its feet, relying on interplay over amplification…

In April 1989, Neil Young released the 5-track mini-album Eldorado on CD in Japan and Australia under the name “Neil Young and the Restless”. Neil (guitar & vocals) was backed by Rick Rosas on bass and Chad Cromwell on drums, with long-time Crazy Horse band-mate Frank “Poncho” Sampedro contributing guitar on the title track. Long sought after by Neil Young fans, this wonderful album and guitar tour-de-force finally gets a worldwide release on CD, and the first US release on vinyl outside of Australia. Number ORS 21 in Neil’s Official Release Series, the album comprises of 4 Neil Young compositions, plus a cover of the American standard “On Broadway”, written by Leiber, Stoller, Weil and Mann.

Deep Purple co-founder and organist Jon Lord was remembered at the Royal Albert Hall back in April this year when some friends and musicians (Glenn Hughes, Bruce Dickinson, Ian Paice, Don Airey and Rick Wakeman and Paul Weller) assembled to pay tribute to him…