Sept 2024

Vol. 4 of the MMJ Live series documents the first night of My Morning Jacket’s 5-night run in 2010 at Terminal 5 in New York City. Performing their debut album, Tennessee Fire, in its entirety plus a 7-song encore, which includes covers of songs by Elton John and Jefferson Airplane.

A founder member of SOFT MACHINE, Kevin embarked on a solo career in 1969, signing to EMI’s Harvest label and recording the album ‘JOY OF A TOY’ the same year. It is a mark of Kevin’s stature that his recordings during this period would feature contributions from notable musicians such as arranger and keyboard player DAVID BEDFORD, ROBERT WYATT, SYD BARRETT, MIKE OLDFIELD, LOL COXHILL, STEVE HILLAGE, ARCHIE LEGGET and more. This boxed set includes all of the surviving BBC sessions and In Concert appearances recorded by Kevin during this period, including a previously unreleased John Peel concert from 1970 and other tracks featuring Soft Machine, Bridget St. John and Gong. Other highlights include the inclusion of a complete set recorded at a Hyde Park Free concert in 1970, newly mixed and restored by Stephen W Tayler, previously unreleased session out-takes and a segment from a 1972 concert and a performance at London’s Queen Elizabeth Hall in 1973. Rounding off the set is a region free Blu-ray video disc which includes a series of live performances recorded for French television, along with two sessions for The Old Grey Whistle Test in 1972 and 1973 (with three previous unseen alternate performances from 1972) and the ‘Caribbean Moon’ promotional film.

The Hot Club of San Francisco has never shied away from putting their own stamp on the Gypsy jazz sound created by Manouche guitar legend Django Reinhardt and French violin maestro Stephane Grappelli in 1930s Paris. Guitarist Paul "Pazzo" Mehling, a leading force in North America's Hot Club movement since it's inception in the late 1980s, has long made a point of featuring original tunes along with Reinhardt standards and imaginative Djangofied interpretations of songs by the likes of Lennon and McCartney. But the HCSF's 15th album, Original Gadjo, captures the creative ferment of the whole group, not just that of it's fearless leader. Slated for release Sept. 13, 2024, it's a project that finds the venerable combo revivified after a pandemic-induced hiatus, hitting on all creative cylinders. "From the beginning our mission statement was not just to preserve this music, but to pursue the intriguing question, 'What would Django do if he were still alive?'" Mehling says. "And after 35 years of chasing that sound, this album embraces our identities as gadjos, aka outsiders and Americans who were drawn to Django's sound but were not born to it."While the album features original tunes contributed by an impressive cast of current and former members of the HCSF, Mehling is still the quintet's defining compositional voice, with ebullient pieces like "Dainty" and "Praise D. Lloyd, " a churchy piece that will inspire many an "amen!" Some 35 years into the group's reign as the nation's longest-running Hot Club ensemble, the HCSF continues to expand the possibilities of Djangology.

The Hot Club of San Francisco has never shied away from putting their own stamp on the Gypsy jazz sound created by Manouche guitar legend Django Reinhardt and French violin maestro Stephane Grappelli in 1930s Paris. Guitarist Paul "Pazzo" Mehling, a leading force in North America's Hot Club movement since it's inception in the late 1980s, has long made a point of featuring original tunes along with Reinhardt standards and imaginative Djangofied interpretations of songs by the likes of Lennon and McCartney. But the HCSF's 15th album, Original Gadjo, captures the creative ferment of the whole group, not just that of it's fearless leader. Slated for release Sept. 13, 2024, it's a project that finds the venerable combo revivified after a pandemic-induced hiatus, hitting on all creative cylinders. "From the beginning our mission statement was not just to preserve this music, but to pursue the intriguing question, 'What would Django do if he were still alive?'" Mehling says. "And after 35 years of chasing that sound, this album embraces our identities as gadjos, aka outsiders and Americans who were drawn to Django's sound but were not born to it."While the album features original tunes contributed by an impressive cast of current and former members of the HCSF, Mehling is still the quintet's defining compositional voice, with ebullient pieces like "Dainty" and "Praise D. Lloyd, " a churchy piece that will inspire many an "amen!" Some 35 years into the group's reign as the nation's longest-running Hot Club ensemble, the HCSF continues to expand the possibilities of Djangology.

It's 50 years since Paul Carrack wrote How Long and the record came out to huge success so it seemed like a good time to reflect on his career as a whole and put together a collection of his most successful recordings - 50 years is a long time so it's quite a long list that we have whittled down to fit on a single CD - I hope you enjoy the choices and some new recordings of old favourites - It's been fun - There is an extensive celebratory UK tour in Sept & Oct and we look forward to seeing you then! - Peter Van Hooke