Xanadu

Jimmy Raney - Live In Tokyo (2016) {Xanadu Master Edition 906092 rec 1976}
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© 1976, 2016 Xanadu Master Edition / Elemental Music | 906092
Jazz / Cool / Post Bop / Guitar

On the 1976 Silver Session Tour of Japan, Barry Harris played the first set with Sam Jones (bass) and Leroy Williams (drums), then 'the world's greatest Jazz guitarist' (according to Don Schlitten) Jimmy Raney took Harris's spot and played a stellar trio set of his own with Jones and Williams. This deluxe CD includes a 16- page book with original liner notes essay by producer Don Schlitten plus extra photos and session notes, and a new essay by jazz journalist Bill Milkowski who notes: 'His obituary in the New York Times called him one of the most gifted and influential postwar jazz guitarists in the world. Those gifts are on full display on Live in Tokyo'. First US reissue since the original 1976 LP release.

Charlie Parker, Clifford Brown, Phil Woods - International Jam Sessions (1995) {Xanadu XCD1232 rec 1950-1957}
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© 1950-57, 1995 Xanadu Records | XCD1232
Jazz / Bebop / Saxophone / Trumpet

This Xanadu LP has an odd title because only half of the music can be described as international. There are four valuable selections that feature the remarkable altoist Charlie Parker with a group of Swedes (including trumpeter Rolf Ericson) and the great trumpeter Clifford Brown is heard playing a lengthy "Indiana" in 1953 with a group of erratic Danish musicians. Side two of the album is from New York with altoist Phil Woods, Frank Socolow on tenor and baritonist Cecil Payne in a sextet performing fairly long versions of "Yardbird Suite" and "Scrapple from the Apple"; those renditions have since been reissued by Savoy.

Hollywood never learns. Hot on the heels of box-office failures Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band and Can't Stop the Music, comes the roller-skating Olivia Newton John in Xanadu. This soundtrack is fluff stuff to be sure, but some pearls float amongst the mire. Lead-off "Magic" remains a fine single…

Dolo Coker - California Hard (1976) {Xanadu Records XCD1229 rel 1994}
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© 1976, 1994 Xanadu Records | XCD 1229
Jazz / Hard Bop / Piano

Pianist Dolo Coker had just four opportunities to lead his own record dates during his career, all for the Xanadu label between 1976-1979. The title of this LP refers to the fact that the music is not California "cool jazz" but intense hard bop from the Golden State. In addition to bassist Leroy Vinnegar and drummer Frank Butler (who appear on Coker's first three Xanadu albums) and trumpeter Blue Mitchell (who was on the preceding LP Dolo), the great altoist Art Pepper (doubling on tenor) makes one of his very rare appearances as a sideman. The well-rounded set has originals by Coker, Pepper ("Mr Yohe") and Mitchell (a drum feature for Butler on "Roots 4FB") along with a showcase for the trio ("Gone Again") and a vintage standard ("Gone with the Wind"). A strong effort.

"Xanadu" is the title song from the soundtrack album Xanadu, and is the title song from the 1980 film of the same name. The song is performed by the Electric Light Orchestra (ELO) and Olivia Newton-John. Newton-John sings the primary vocals, with ELO lead singer Jeff Lynne adding "parenthetic" vocals in the style of their other songs on the Xanadu soundtrack, along with ELO providing the instrumentation. It is Jeff Lynne's favourite song of all that he has written.
The single reached number one in several countries, and was the band's only UK number one single, when it peaked there for two weeks in July 1980. It was certified as "silver" by the British Phonographic Industry. The song peaked at number eight on the Billboard Hot 100 in the US.