Eclectic Grooves

Eddie Harris- Free Speech [Atlantic Records, 1970] Many moons ago, I wrote an in-depth feature on Eddie Harris and his pioneering use of the varitone saxophone on the now defunct blog Ear Fuzz . Today's edition of Rediscoveries of Lost Gems will focus on Eddie's oft-overlooked LP called Free Speech . In the canon of jazz, and specifically in Eddie's discography, this album was never fully appreciated when it was first pressed in 1970.   In a sense, Eddie Harris was an anomaly in the world of jazz, always looking for what's next while the rest of the jazz scene was struggling to keep up with him. He could have very easily stuck with the tried and true soul jazz sound that got him noticed, but instead he chose the road less traveled filled with potholes, bumps and dead-ends. The opening cut "Wait Please," starts out unassumingly enough with a slow drum and bass groove accompanying the intoxicating sound of Harris's Varitone sax. I...

I had planned on getting this year's summer mix completed before Summer Solstice.  As usual, my perfectionism stepped in, preventing me from completing the mix until a couple hours ago. While the process of gathering tracks began in the middle of May, I didn't get into finalizing my choices until last week. I feel that this years mix is filled with songs that are perfect for summer road trips, backyard barbecues and pool parties.  In keeping with the theme of the blog, it is an eclectic mix spanning genres such as rock, glam, garage, jazz, soul, funk and hip-hop. For those of you who still burn CD's, I have trimmed the length of the mix a little so it will fit on a single CD. Dive in, and let these songs make a splash in your eardrums this summer! Summer Mix2015 1) Witch- Introduction 2) Andres Landero- Perdi Las Abarcas 3) The Hombres- Let It Out (Let It all Hang Out) 4) White Fence- Raven on White Cadillac 5) Gene Harris- Put on Train 6) Shirly El...

This episode of I Hear a New World was recorded before Christmas, but due to working tirelessly to complete the "Favorite Albums of 2012" list, it was shelved until now. It features a hodgepodge of psychedelic, garage and jazz with a little soul and blues to round out the mix nicely. Artists featured on this edition include Unknown Mortal Orchestra, David Bowie, Albert Collins and Eddie Harris. I Hear a New World- Stacks of Wax Vol.18 1) Abdeslam Cherkami- L-Awsaf 2) Cymande- The Message 3) Albert Collins- Kool Aide 4) Public Nuisance- Ecstasy 5) David Bowie- All the Mad Men 6) Tame Impala- Mind Mischief 7) Unknown Mortal Orchestra- Waves of Confidence 8) Sic Alps- God Bless Her, I Miss Her 9) Eddie Harris- Is It In 10) Fontanelle- Reflex Vs. Parallax 11) Eternal Tapestry- Sand Into Rain I hope you enjoy this podcast, and your thoughts and comments are encouraged and greatly appreciated!

The latest edition of I Hear a New World is available to download here, and at http://ihearanewworld.podomatic.com/. This episode of I Hear a New World features a diverse mix of new and used vinyl that I have picked up recently at the Night Owl Record Show and Exiled Records over the past month. Since I have been buying a lot of international music lately, it leans heavily towards this style with a considerable dollop of funk, jazz, spoken work and psychedelic garage rock to even out the flow. Bands featured include Eddie Harris, Erkin Koray, Thee Oh Sees, Ahmad Zahir and Los Destellos. I would love to hear what you think about the songs featured on this week's episode of I Hear a New World. Also, stay tuned for my annual Best Music of 2011 list and a Christmas podcast.

It hasn't quite been a month since I've posted on here, but it's definitely not due to a lack of creative ideas. Lately, I have been listening to a wide variety of albums from 2010 as I gear up for the annual "Best Albums of the Year" list. Be on the lookout for this list when it officially drops in December. Until, then, I will whet your appetite with some of my favorite records from 2010 in an upcoming I Hear a New World podcast. Also, for those of you who live in Portland, OR, get your ass to Dante's this Friday to check out Thee Oh Sees. What comes to my mind when listening to Thee Oh See's lates EP Warm Slime is an image of a speeding freight train as it violently careens off the tracks. This isnt too far from the feeling one gets when experiencing their live show. When they bring their catchy brand of psychedelic-garage rock to Dante's, you can bet that the whole place will be a sweaty mass of bodies frantically bobbing up and down to the sound ...

I am going to try to correlate two events that have happened recently in my life, even though they don't really have anything to do with each other. Throughout my life, people have told me that I have a strong intuitive sense about people, places and things around me. For example, I could always tell when a girlfriend was about to break up with me, or when someone close to me was in trouble. Granted, if your significant other hasn't called you in days, and is seeming distant when you are together, that's obviously a tell-tale sign that something is wrong. But, the intuition I have is not as simple as that. After two weeks of obsessively listening to the music of Eddie Harris, I decided to write a post dedicated to his mastery of the Selmer varitone saxophone. Two days later, I notice that he is one of the main features in the latest Wax Poetics, and I hadn't heard about him being featured or read the article. Is this a coincidence? Maybe, but this isn't the first ti...

Well, I'm back from vacation with many ideas for this blog. I've been listening to all kinds of music and traversing the web for the latest and greatest blogs to feature on Eclectic Grooves. I will be updating the web links on the side of this page, as it has come to my attention that many of these blogs are defunct or have infrequent updates. In addition, I have a plethora of new sites that I have been checking out on a daily basis that I will be showcasing on here in a future post. I wanted to inform you that the fight for internet radio is still going on. Many people voiced their concerns over the past month, and let it be known that they will not allow their civil liberties and freedoms to be violated. Because of this, Pandora will have more of a fighting chance for survival in the internet radio business. Unfortunately, the fight isn't over yet, and we need to continue contacting our local representatives and state senators to support the passing of the Net Neutrality ...