iJazz therefore i am

Group 3

2009-01-04T13:52:00.003-05:00

A big part of The Soundtrack Of My Life revolved around compilations, those discs put out for promotional purposes by the record labels to showcase their rosters. It was an excellent way to learn about artists that I may have been unfamiliar with. Of all the labels, GRP did a really great job, in its hey-day, of keeping the fans apprised of what they were putting out. I purposely used the phrase hey-day, because after Verve & UMG let Dave Grusin and Larry Rosen go, the new 'suits' in charge basically took an incredibly successful Contemporary Jazz roster and drove it into the dirt; of course, these were industry professionals and consultants who knew what the Jazz fan wanted! Thank God for the internet. Anyway, in 2002 Verve released a compilation for GRP's 20th Anniversary, The Best Smooth Jazz Ever; basically it was a pile of shit - no imagination or risk taking whatsoever. But, two tracks do standout, if for no other reason than that to my knowledge, they have never been released before, except on this disc; Group 3, comprised of Richard Elliot, David Benoit and Jeff Golub. The 3 of them, I believe, toured for awhile under this moniker; the music's ok, they've all done better on their own, but I'm sure some A&R guy patted himself on the back pretty good for this one. Like I said, thank God for the internet, I know The Soundtrack Of My Life does!

Incognito Incognito

2009-01-04T13:27:00.003-05:00

Inner Shade is one of those one-of side projects, basically, it's Incognito Incognito; another project which was the brainchild of guitarist, composer and all around talent, Jean-Paul 'Bluey' Maunick. I picked this one up in 1988 (can't believe it's been 11 years), it was a no brainer, I really liked Incognito, so when I found out this was going to released, the biggest challenge was hunting down a copy for The Soundtrack Of My Life. Ah, those pre-internet days, when you had to actually go into a record store and hopefully it carried what you were looking for. As i've written on this Blog before, one of my all time favorite compositions is the Freddie Hubbard song, Little Sunflower. I thought that it would only be appropriate to post another version of this incredibly touching masterpiece, in light of Hubbard's passing this past week. Freddie was one of the early discoveries of The Soundtrack Of My Life; although he had serious health and lip issues that prevented him from recording significantly the last decade, his work was the standard by which I measured other trumpet players; this one is for you Freddie!

Funky Flute

2009-01-04T13:10:00.003-05:00

I love Jazz Flute! Always have; usually it's a saxophonist who doubles on occasion on the flute, but one of the all time flute masters was Herbie Mann, an artist who moved very freely amongst the various styles of Jazz. An incredible example of his exceptional musicianship is Memphis Underground, recorded in 1969 with rock guitarist Duane Allman. I'm not sure when I first heard Memphis Underground, but I have this memory of being in a bar after work, circa 1998, turning my co-workers onto this track, which was loaded into the juke box of this cigar bar we used to go to. I never had the chance to see Herbie live, and it's safe to say that he's really better known for much of the Brazilian flavored recordings that he did, but Memphis Underground is my all time Herbie Mann favorite. Enjoy!

Happy New Year!

2009-01-01T11:12:00.003-05:00

I apologize to everyone for not posting any new stories of late, besides being very busy and somewhat distracted the last few months, I've been in a quandary as to how to post my album tracks ever since boomp3 went out of business. I appreciate all the emails and inquiries that I've received, and I promise that 2009 will bring a whole host of new posts. Since there are so many other blogs that allow readers to download the music that they are writing about, I'm only interested in posting music to listen to, so that if you like it, you can go out and acquire the tune and support these incredibly talented musicians. Hence my problem; there are numerous services that allow me to upload music, but I haven't found a site that will allow me to host my music, for listening only. If anyone can steer me in the direction that I'm looking to go, your advice would be greatly appreciated. I just feel so strongly about not only writing about my passion but also allowing you to listen to some standout tracks as well - hopefully I'll figure it out soon. Thanks and have a great year!

-jzyjohn

Hopes & Dreams

2008-11-23T11:45:00.009-05:00

Hopes & Dreams, we all have them, don't we? Sometimes we forget, especially in these trying times, but they're there. It's been almost 8 years since I've been back in town, and my hopes & dreams seem to keep growing, expanding and shifting. As The Soundtrack Of My Life has grown, expanded and shifted over the last 8 years, there hasn't really been much representation of Local Talent added to The Soundtrack. I think that it may have more to do with my lack of exposure than the lack of talent here in CNY. This CD was given to me by a friend, who to their credit, kept after me to listen to it and perhaps I'd be moved enough to write about it. Well, I gave Evan Knight a listen, and I haven't been able to stop listening to his CD 'Reminiscence' over the last week. An incredible debut recording from this Syracuse area saxophonist, which immediately reminded me of the best that Nelson Rangell had to offer early in his career. Although I haven't shared that much about the present, this blog isn't just about the past; Hopes & Dreams; when I start my download only Jazz Label, Evan Knight is exactly the type of young local talent I've been dreaming about to produce ..... it's only a matter of time!
Listen to 'Reminiscence', 'Sound Check' and 'Hopes & Dreams'

Who Is This Guy?

2008-11-14T16:32:00.004-05:00

Who is this guy and how did he manage to get Miles Davis, Wayne Shorter, Herbie Hancock, Andy Summers and Carlos Santana on his CD? Paolo Rustichelli is a keyboard player from Italy, that much I know; something about approaching these guys at various Jazz Festivals throughout Europe and playing demos for them is the story I've read. Whatever ...... I came across this CD in 1992, freshly wedded, in Raleigh, NC. Didn't take me long to decide that The Soundtrack Of My Life needed a new addition; I'm talking about the CD, not the wife, especially after seeing who some of the side players on this disc were. Of special note is the tune Capri (Reprise) where Miles blows without the mute, he really was not recorded much if any in his later period without using the mute on his trumpet. Wayne is featured on Femmes and Bokrug. Enjoy!
Listen to 'Femmes', 'Capri', 'Bokrug' and 'Capri (Reprise)'

01 Femmes
03 Capri
05 Bokrug
10 Capri (Reprise)

Mysterious

2008-11-14T16:11:00.004-05:00

It was 1988, all kinds of things going on - no need to start from the beginning, especially if you happen to be a regular reader of this blog! If not, then it's a mystery - need to go back and do some homework! I come across this sampler, from a label called Pro Jazz, never heard of it..........whoa. It's got one of Spyro Gyra's early guitarists on it; but it also has this other guitarist from Long Island that I've never heard of, Joe Taylor. Well, after hearing the cut Mystery Walk, and rocking out to it over numerous Absolut & Tonics, I had to have it - bad. Another notch for The Soundtrack Of My Life, so to speak.
Listen to 'Delphin's Daughter' and 'Mystery Walk'
01 Delphin's Daughter
02 Mystery Walk

Healing The Wounds

2008-11-09T08:46:00.003-05:00

I like those three words, Healing The Wounds - a timeless endeavor? Perhaps. In the case of Joe Sample and Wilton Felder, minus Stix Hooper; The Crusaders - it's the name of their 1991 GRP release. By the early 1990's Sample, Felder and Hooper had pretty much split up and gone their own way, so I was filled with much excitement and anticipation when I found out that they were releasing a new recording on GRP in '91. I first discovered The Crusaders in 1980, at the very beginning of my quest, and believe it or not, I've just recently finished acquiring their back catalog (thank you fellow bloggers!!), 28 years later! Sample and Felder reunited for Healing The Wounds, which carries over the same sort of vibe that was reflected on Sample's recent solo projects of the time (Spellbound and Ashes To Ashes), and once again, Marcus Miller plays a prominent role. It wouldn't be until 2003 that The Soundtrack Of My Life would add another Crusaders release, but that's best left for another post.
Listen to 'Pessimisticism', 'Maputo' and 'Running Man'
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Boomp3.com
Boomp3.com

Only The Good Die Young part2

2008-11-08T18:13:00.002-05:00

George Howard; talented, soulful, seductive, young. I first heard George Howard's incredibly seductive and soulful soprano saxophone in 1985 when I was living in San Diego; I was immediately struck by how much emotion he blew through that horn, I knew right then that he was going to be a major part of The Soundtrack Of My Life. Unfortunately, I would only have a little more than a decade to soak up his sound. George Howard, at one point was a member of Grover Washington, Jr's touring band, then went out on his own to record a number of LP's for TBA, MCA, GRP and finally Blue Note. There's going to be a number of future posts about George, but right now I'd like to introduce you to his GRP debut, Love And Understanding, released in 1991, not long after the MCA/GRP merger. As I've written previously, this was an extremely exciting and fertile time for GRP; me, I was just about to turn 30 years old when this CD was released. I was going through a transition period in my life, trying to figure out what was next, all the while looking for inspiration from the music - from My Soundtrack. The more things change, it seems the more they stay the same - ok, maybe not, but the music, The Soundtrack Of My Life will always be there.

Listen to 'Baby Come To Me', 'Love And Understanding', and 'Everything I miss At Home'

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Boomp3.com
Boomp3.com

Collaborations Part 2

2008-11-02T10:29:00.003-05:00

In 1986, again, Warner Bros had two Contemporary Jazz superstars, who had a long association with each other, signed at the same time; Bob James and David Sanborn. Sanborn had been with the label, it was James who had come over after a very lengthly and fruitful association with Columbia. Once again, it's the incredible Marcus Miller who's the glue to this project, providing not only his unique bass sound but compositional skill as well. Although both Bob James and David Sanborn have done so many individual and group projects over the last 22 years, Double Vision in my opinion is one of the true highlights of both of their career's. Marcus Miller's 'Maputo' has been in regular rotation on The Soundtrack Of My Life since 1986, I hope that you enjoy it as much as I have!
Listen to 'Maputo' and 'It's You'
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Boomp3.com

Collaborations Part 1

2008-11-02T10:08:00.003-05:00

Although George Benson first discovered Earl Klugh, it wasn't until 1987 that these two incredibly talented guitarists, both signed to the same label (Warner Bros) finally collaborated for a full album. I was living in a small upstairs flat on a quiet tree lined street, my stereo, the center of attention in the small dining room. I grabbed this CD as soon as it was released, having no doubts as to how great it was going to be ..... and it was and still is! Among others who helped out on this recording, Marcus Miller was flying high at Warner Bros (Miles), and was perfectly suited to this project. George and Earl; huge parts of The Soundtrack Of My Life, finally brought together!

Listen to 'Mt. Airy Road' and 'Collaboration'

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Boomp3.com

Catastrophic Hard Drive Failure

2008-11-02T09:58:00.004-05:00

Well, those are four words I hope not to hear ever again! It's been four weeks since my trusty G4 Powerbook's hard drive shit the bed! The good news is that it's been repaired and I have all 100gb of my music, the bad news is that I have nothing else that was on my computer!!! Although all I really need is The Soundtrack Of My Life, it's still no excuse not to back-up on a regular basis!

My Crazy Uncle

2008-09-19T19:24:00.011-04:00

Oh how I searched for this one! I first became acquainted with Uncle Festive in 1987; I liked what I heard, but it honestly took me awhile to understand what I was listening to. I must have read a review about their Say Uncle release, because I was on a mission to track it down for a good 2 years - hey, this was pre-internet - no online ordering or downloading! I've lost track of these guys, don't know what's happened to them after all these years, although I still see the names popping up here and there. 1987 was when I first went digital, so these guys have been a part of The Soundtrack Of My Life from the early years!

Listen to 'Say Uncle' and 'N'Gaoundere'

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Boomp3.com

Homegrown

2008-09-19T19:24:00.007-04:00

It's 2001, I'm traveling back and forth, between my new home and my old house, 142 miles door to door - weekly. Still hitting the record store in the old town on weekends; so I'm in there one weekend, pawing through the Jazz section, finger tips dirty from the dust on the top of the jewel cases, and I hear this crazy-ass hyper Acid Jazz. Immediately I walk over to the counter to see what their playing; it turns out to be some local kid named Wasik, who's got this group called The Waz; well that was good enough for me. Organigalactic was just another adventure and unexpected find for The Soundtrack Of My Life!

Listen to 'Impressions' and 'Dig?'

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Boomp3.com

Only The Good Die Young part 1

2008-09-19T19:24:00.003-04:00

An incredible artist, truly. I first became familiar with Michael Brecker through his association with the group Steps, then of course that led me to the great Brecker Brother recordings; that's pretty much how The Soundtrack Of My Life works, discovery through association. Sadly, Brecker passed away, way too soon, in January of 2007. It was 1990, when he released his 3rd solo recording; the MCA/GRP merger had taken place and GRP assumed responsibility for the Jazz division of MCA; so I was excited to see his Now You See It....(Now You Don't) with it's lime green and blue M.C. Escher cover art. The usual suspects that Michael kept company with at this period of his career are all helping out on this one, especially the late great Don Grolnick and the ever quirky Jim Beard.

Listen to Beard's 'Ode To The Doo Da Day' and Grolnick's 'Dogs In The Wine Shop'

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Boomp3.com

Island Fantasy In The Snow

2008-09-14T12:26:00.004-04:00

I stopped into a local stereo dealer, 1991, not far from where I lived, think I needed something done to my cassette deck (remember those?!!); the shop had this real elitist attitude - you know the type. Anyway, they had this music playing, very Caribbean, instrumental, I liked it! Turns out it was a local guy, from the snow belt, making this really great Island type music - I bought the CD, from these stuck up assholes at the stereo store. Mike Smiarowski's Island Fantasy, love it, especially with a little Sailor Jerry's Spiced Rum, some cola and a wedge of lime! (actually I'd love it even more if I was on Tybee!) Turns out that The Soundtrack Of My Life is a small world indeed, the keyboard/producer of this excellent disc is Chas Eller of the Burlington, VT group Kilimanjaro, who I've been a fan of for a very long time. Smiarowski has three releases that I'm aware of; before the Fall creeps upon us and Summer is nothing but a memory, check this guy out, and if you can't find any Sailor Jerry's, you can always substitute Captain Morgan's!

Listen to 'Mellow Yellow' and 'Isle of Jabeam'

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Boomp3.com

Perfection

2008-09-14T11:33:00.004-04:00

7,000 Jazz CD's, 100 gigabyte's of Jazz, a long abandoned collection of Jazz on vinyl; who do you define perfection? Not favorite but perfection, in terms of the perfect recording? For me, it's Spellbound, the 1989 release by Joe Sample. I've always loved The Crusaders and the individual works that Joe Sample, Wilton Felder and Stix Hooper released, especially when they were still together on an active basis. By 1989, for all practical intents, The Crusaders were history, Sample moved from their longtime label, MCA (now under the GRP banner) to Warner Bros, and the result, Spellbound, was just an amazing piece of work, perhaps his greatest work ever - this coming from someone who played the shit out of his first two solo releases, Rainbow Seeker and Carmel, never expecting it to get any better than that! I still look forward to anything Sample releases, and it's all good - but nothing like Spellbound - I really think that the prescience of Omar Hakim on drums and Marcus Miller on bass is what drove Sample to such perfection!!

Listen to 'Spellbound', 'Somehow Our Love Survives' and 'Bones Jive'

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Boomp3.com
Boomp3.com

The Journey

2008-09-14T10:57:00.004-04:00

I got my first CD player in 1987, prices had finally dropped to around $500 for a player! I remember how excited I was, after all, The Soundtrack Of My Life was finally going to go digital! I had been salivating over a player for about 18 months, but I wasn't in the position to afford one. How things have changed; 21 years and 7,000 Jazz CD's later, I barely use my CD player (which isn't even a CD player, but a BOSE 3-2-1 system) and I may have purchased 4 physical CD's this year - that coming from someone who was up to a 5 CD a week habit! Don't get me wrong, I'm still as addicted to my passion as ever - Jazz, it's just that now, I purchase it online and download it immediately - nothing like a little instant gratification, huh! No more stereo system, just a Mac Laptop, a pair of Harmon Kardon Sticks, an Apple Airport Express with iTunes, and a 1 terabyte hard drive to store my treasure; the more things change the more they stay the same - the method of delivery may have changed but the drug of choice remains - The Soundtrack Of My Life. I mention all this, because in 1987 my choices for CD's were limited; one of the 'early adopters' was the DMP label, which was recording Thom Rotella at the time. The only reason I discovered Rotella was because he had music out in CD format, and I was looking to purchase CD's of music that I didn't already have on LP. Rotella's 1989 release, Home Again, is a masterpiece! But my memories aren't of 1989 when I purchased this one, but of Fall of '92, living in Raleigh, NC, sitting on the floor of the living room Sunday mornings, reading the paper, and cranking this CD - full of hope & dreams!
Listen to 'Gonna Love You', 'Moon Over Venice' and 'Journey'
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Boomp3.com
Boomp3.com

Cut-Out Magic

2008-09-14T10:16:00.004-04:00

It had to be 1981, I was at the mall doing what I did best - rummaging through the bins at the record store, Cavages to be exact, a long gone local music emporium. I came across Tom Scott's 1978 release Intimate Strangers - it was in the cut-out bin, I can't remember what I paid, but it was probably no more than $4 or $5. I remember what really attracted me to the Lp and Scott in particular, was his playing of the Lyricon; over the last 20 years or so, many saxophonist who want to play a wind synthesizer have either gone the route of the Yamaha Wind-Synth or the Akai EWI, but in my opinion, neither sounds as good as the Lyricon (check out any early Tom Scott or Richard Elliot for yourself). I loved this album, and it was in heavy rotation for years on The Soundtrack Of My Life, I was able to finally track down a Japanese copy of the CD a few years ago. The whole first side of the Lp was a suite, a sort of Love Story in music - how I wish I were a musician!

Listen to 'Intimate Strangers Suite Part 2' ('Getaway Day' & 'Night Creatures'), 'Breezin' Easy' and 'Puttin' The Bite On You'

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Boomp3.com
Boomp3.com

Mark Whitfield

2008-09-09T23:26:00.003-04:00

Sometimes, a new artists or recording just comes out of nowhere and takes your breath away; in 1990, Warner Bros. released Mark Whitfield's debut, The Marksman; going back through Whitfield's recorded output over the last 18 years, The Marksman truly took my breath away in 1990 and still does today. An incredible debut recording, that still holds up after all these years and after all the attempts by various producers to place Whitfield in surroundings which really didn't suit his style or try and turn him into something that he wasn't. Once again, it was summer time when I bought this CD, I saw an ad in Billboard for this release, evidentially, Warner Bros. and Tommy LiPuma (the guy who ruined GRP) were really pushing this release; after all, 1990 was at the height of the neo-conservative, back to the past, young guys in suits - who had no new original ideas of their own, let's play the music of our elders instead of pushing the envelope forward movement (i.e., see Wynton Marsalis, et al). Through all the bull-shit, Mark Whitfield was and is a true talent; I'm not sure that his recorded output has lived up to his potential, but The Marksman is truly a significant part of The Soundtrack Of My Life, and I continue to follow his output and career to this day.
Listen to 'The Marksman' and 'Medgar Ever's Blues'
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Boomp3.com

Foreplay

2008-09-09T22:49:00.004-04:00

Ah yes, Foreplay; an activity that according to most, gets lost in the overall scheme of things. Fourplay, an all-star Jazz Group, that, while it doesn't get lost - we just don't get enough of!! Who couldn't use more Fourplay - that is, Bob James, Nathan East, Harvey Mason and Larry Carlton, who replaced original member Lee Ritenour. It was Summer of 1991 when Fourplay released their debut recording on Warner Bros.; although James, East, Mason and Ritenour had all collaborated many times in the past, and more recently (1989-1990) as an ensemble on Ritenour's and James' releases, this was their first deliberate effort to compose and record as a group (super-group?). Needless to say, the anticipation for this release (at least mine!!) was huge (Tom!). Fourplay didn't disapoint, nor for the most part have any of their subsequent releases as a group, over the the last 17 years - where the hell has the time gone? (suggestion; live every day as though it may be your last! 17 years? What the hell?). Fourplay is set to release their newest recording as a group later in September, titled Energy. I've been listening to a pre-release for the last 3 weeks, and rightly so, I should write a review for ContemporaryJazz.com; as I've listened to Energy, I can't help but think back to this first release of theirs from 1991, yes Ritenour is gone, replaced by the capable and more blues oriented Carlton, but Energy so reminds me of this first recording, it's giving me a writers block!
Listen to 'Bali Run', 'Eastbound', 'Max-O-Man' and 'Wish You Were Here'
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Boomp3.com
Boomp3.com
Boomp3.com

B3

2008-09-09T22:11:00.004-04:00

I don't know, maybe it was 1979 or 1980, I was either 18 or 19 years old; we would go to a rock club on Broadway, near Penora, to listen to Talas every week. I can't remember the name of the club, but the bass player of Talas was unforgettable, Billy Sheehan. After those late Seventies, early Eighties gigs, Sheehan moved out West to LA, and the rest of his bio and accomplishments are well documented. Although predominately a rock bassist, in 1997, he, along with B3 organist John Novello and drummer Dennis Chambers formed Niacin and released their first self-titled recording on Chick Corea's then new imprint, Stretch Records, via GRP. This never was, nor did Niacin pretend to be a Jazz group; these guys were clearly on the rock side of the fusion fence. I remember when I came across this CD, it was at a Media-Play; remember that place? Another mega-media store that ruined the mom & pop local vendors - these guys even sold instruments?? (talk about not doing one thing right - but certainly doing everything??). I obviously was aware of Sheehan through his local rock roots and Dennis Chambers was a session drummer who I was well aquatinted with, but I had no idea of who Novello was, and although he's a very talented player, to this day, after having picked up all their releases, both domestic and import, I still don't know a whole lot about him - but he's good! You don't really get to hear much organ nowadays, unless it's in a greasy fried chicken sort of funk setting, so it's really great to hear a true rocker go off on his B3.
Listen to 'No Man's Land', 'Bullet Train Blues' and 'Hell To Pay'
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Boomp3.com
Boomp3.com

Orchestral

2008-09-09T21:28:00.003-04:00

The beauty of The Soundtrack....... and of Jazz in particular, is that improvisation and great music takes the shape of many different forms and can borrow, rightly so, from many diverse sub-genres. Case in point, just about anything that classical arranger Claus Ogerman has released; unfortunately, those releases have been few (very few) and far between. I believe I have them all, but as with most things GRP*, coupled with that incredibly fertile period of 1988-1992 or '93, the 1991 release, Claus Ogerman Featuring Michael Brecker is a standout. Often I've tried to answer my own question as to why this particular Ogerman release stands out more than the others; the strongest justification that I can come up with is Ogerman's use of a full complement of instrumentalists, a band, on each song, as opposed to just an orchestra and the featured soloist that he's written for. There are times, when I just want the music, The Soundtrack Of My Life, to take me somewhere else - that place where only a true orchestral arranger, such as Ogerman, or Vince Mendoza can take me. My ear isn't advanced enough to listen to and appreciate true classical music, for me, this is about as close as it gets.

*I tend to listen to The Soundtrack....... in an organized sort of way, maybe it's my obsesive compulsive, over the top, organized, anal personality; in any event, I have a tendency to 'mine' a specific style, period, artist or label - before I'll move to the next 'chapter' of The Soundtrack Of My Life. With well over 8,000 recordings, it may be years, possibly a decade, since I've listened (discovered again?) a particular recording. I probably should learn to relax, or be more spontaneous in my music listening habits, unfortunately, that's probably not going to happen at this point in my life, but it does lend itself to some pleasant re-discoveries.

Listen to 'Corfu'

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Ink

2008-09-01T13:06:00.003-04:00

It was in 1982 that I discovered the German Fusion group Passport. I had no idea who they were, had been hearing that they were the European equivalent of Weather Report (no!); but one thing I did know, I was fascinated with the cover of Blue Tattoo. So I did what I had to do, buy the album; 26 years later and 43 hours (and counting!) of ink, I'm still fascinated by Blue Tattoo - not just the cover, but the compositions and the group as well! It's been hard tracking down any new releases by Klaus Doldinger or his group, other than their output on Atlantic years ago, but when I find something, it still has that Passport sound. Little did I know that The Soundtrack Of My Life would lead to 43 hours of needle time, but hey, there's worse things!

Listen to 'Radiation', 'Blue Tattoo' and 'Rambling'

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Boomp3.com
Boomp3.com

Remember When

2008-09-01T13:01:00.002-04:00

Remember when you could look forward to great new releases........?