Luna: Que Vida! from 1979

I like the modernized Marc Chagall cover quite a bit. Today we would never see anything as good.

This is another way out of the unexpected arena from my wonderful friend, god bless his great music-sniffing soul, and information about this Danish one-off release can be found here in the database.

First track introduces the beautiful bona fides of fusion in Crazy:





Some silly Mexican or Latin material is mixed in here and there, a similar situation to what obtained on our old familiar friend Tequila.  But stay tuned to the end wherein the final, ten-minute song, just knocks it out of the ballpark...  all the way outta there...

Irene Becker and Pierre Dorge in Hos Anna 1978 and 1979

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I would really appreciate it if someone out there could translate the cartoon featured on the inside
gatefold of the last album just above.

The band's discography here, and now here in this post, missing the Live album from 1980.

I already shared the first album in connection with Irene Becker's involvement in the Thermaenius-like Canoe album.  That's her in the group photo in the middle of the above scans, with the glasses.  You can see that starting with a very nice all-female quartet lineup on the first album a couple of guys were allowed into the inner sanctum, if you know what I mean; guitarist Pierre Dorge being one of the two lucky ones.  The other is the interesting multi-instrumentalist Bent Clausen, brother of Thomas Clausen.  Did I once post his album Mirror?  I think so, now so long ago.  Bent played in Dr. Dopo Jam as well as Iron Office.

On the first ST I really enjoyed the track called Modløs, written by Lotte Rømer.  In keeping with the times there's a nice mix of progressive turns here and there in the otherwise straight up pop songwriting.  Of course, we're not talking about Pepe Paradise style creativity here, but who could ever equal their skills?






On the 2nd album with its impossibly typical of the 70s cover (the lettering as well as the redhair on the doll are in relief and embroidered) the first track of the second side features again some nice twists and turns in imaginative musical penwomanship (by our power couple Irene Becker and Pierre Dørge):





A beautifully done whole-band a cappella song closes it out.

The Third album continues along the same vein, some more sophistication is apparent, starting with the title track:





I should mention that the principal vocalist, with the beautiful crystalline voice, is Lotte Rømer who formed her own band subsequently, presumably as Dorge and Becker ran off together in the jazz direction.

In fact, the last track on the third album clearly foreshadows the direction they would go in with their Thermaenius:






So, enough enjoyable material here all in all to keep us occupied for a nice week.  Sorry, did I say week? I meant an hour, or maybe half that, the way we roll...

Claudio Tallino's Preludio 1981

Wow!

Here's a first, no covers to be displayed.  Anyone have any ideas?

Some really stunning Italian library of the highest calibre coming out of a plain orange sleeve-- who but the experts would've known?  It has one marring quality which is a bit of imbalance in the mix of starring instruments of the orchestra as you'll notice if you listen carefully.  But in a way that's a minor quibble for such a great set of music.

There isn't much to his discography, unfortunately, but he did make a great OST called Calamo which is well worth seeking out with its mix of fusion and soundtracky orchestral.  Sparse information on this one, from 1981, here.

Tracklist and examples:

A1 Solitudine 2:50





A2 Incontro 2:13
A3 Alba 2:30
A4 Preparazione E Marcia 3:20
A5 Tensione 2:13
A6 Elegia 2:20
A7 Abbandono 1:20

B1 Preludio Oggi 3:40





B2 Preludio Con Archi 2:44
B3 Dialogo 1:10
B4 Rito Pagano 4:29
B5 Piccola Suite 7:02


A heartachingly pessimistic, melancholy mood that pervades, with almost everything written in minor keys.  Only one throwaway track (the Pagan Rite) which is saying a lot for this kind of sight unseen library, although I was quite underwhelmed by the finishing suite / fugue.

Thanks to all those library masters of the past...

Cal State University in L.A. (CSULA) Jazz Ensemble's 1978 debut by request

About the CSULA Jazz Ensemble:

The award winning California State University, Los Angeles Jazz Ensemble; Los Angeles Times jazz critic Zan Stewart gave them four of five stars in his May 1989 review. The jazz band had numerous student musicians that have made a name for themselves as professionals to include Sharon Hirata, Luis Bonilla, Jack Cooper, Charlie Richard, Danny House, Phil Feather, Corey Gemme, Eric "Bobo" Correa, Vince Dublino, Alan Parr, Paul De Castro, Alex Henderson, and José Arellano. There has been a consistent tradition of musicians coming from the CSULA program who have worked with major musical acts, on major studio and movie projects, and hold positions in higher education in music. The roster is self-evident as to the diversity and level of student musicians CSULA developed at that time and has for many years dating far back to musicians (graduates) such as Lennie Niehaus and Gabe Baltazar.

Bob Curnow is the "Hank Levy" of this outfit at least on this record, and you'll see most compositions and arrangements are by him.  He was a trombonist and arranger for the (great) Stan Kenton Band.

This was the first release by them and came late in the college band game, in 1978.  Overall, a bit disappointing (for me) being in the big band jazz vein, not more than a slight though barely perceptible nod towards fusion.

First track has the incomparably unforgettable title of Nerkmobile and is by one Neil Finn:






On the other hand, the best composition appearing here is the last one, La Meme Chose, with its startling polyrhythms on a presumably odd time signature, and it's by trumpeter/pianist Jeff Holmes:





Wow-- well worth the whole price I'd say, no?

Dennis Dreith's Tales Of The Electric Pong Orchestra 1977 [with lossless upgrade]

I posted this 5 years ago, but wanted to rerip it.

"This album I personally found quite interesting due to its compositional quality. The first side is the standout, opening with the ten-minute tales of the electric pong. It starts with typical 70s funky fusion stuff but a well-composed trumpet passage then brings in a fugue-like passage, before the energy heats up again, for a third part that reminds of soft machine's rubber riff period. The last part is an almost atonal schoenberg or stravinsky composition similar to the most adventurous egg compositions with clarinet, english horn, flute:"









By Scott Blackerby (Reston, Virginia) (REAL NAME):

"Pelican Records was an offshoot of the California-based Baby Grand label. Apparently one of those mid-1970s tax scam enterprises, the Baby Grand/Pelican catalog's quite large, though there are big gaps in the documented catalog. 

Written and produced by Dennis Dreith (Ronald Fair serving as executive producer), this is nothing but speculation on my part, but my guess is that 1977's "Tales of the Electric Pong" reflected material Dreith had previously written and recorded for various television and movie projects. Pelican somehow got access to the results, repackaging it as a quickie tax dodge release. Given Dreith's musical background, that might not be a major stretch. He started his professional musical career in the mid-1960s working as an arranger and ghost writer for Hanna Barbera cartoons. That led to composing and orchestrating scores for television films and motion pictures such as Howard the Duck, The Shadow, Purple People Eater, The Punisher, etc. Whatever the story, musically the album featured a collection of throwaway atmospheric instrumentals - I've heard stuff like this referred to as incidental music, that bounced all over the genre map including experimental, funk. jazz-rock fusion, and easy listening moves. Nothing here was going to change you world, but then that was the intent. 

- Most of the first side was taken up by the instrumental 'Tales of the Electric Pong'. A three part instrumental suite, 'Tales', 'Interlude' and 'Three' sounded like a cross between Booker T. & the MGs and something that might have been penned for the soundtrack for a cheapy television detective series. Course that only made sense given Dreith's extensive background in television and films. Needless to say, the Booker T. segments sounded a lot better than the television soundtrack segments. rating: ** stars 
- Well, say what you will about this album, but the instrumental 'Trio for Alto Flute, English Horn, & Bass Clarinet' was an apt description of the tune ... Very experimental and somewhat atonal, it's almost guaranteed to send rock fans running for the door in a hurry. rating: * star 
- Giving credit where due, side two's 'Karuna' exhibited a nice jazz-rock guitar solo and a touch of funk in the mix, but still retained that distinctive television soundtrack feel - easy to imagine the main character detective strolling along a beach thinking about his case ... rating: *** stars 
- Another truth-in-advertising cut kicked along by a slinky melody and some of the cheesiest synthesizers you'll ever hear 'Southern Slink' was probably the standout performance. rating: *** stars 
- Another synthesizer-propelled number, 'Nrujo' was the kind of jazz-rock fusion background piece you would have heard in a happening 1970s restaurant. rating: ** stars "

Notice too that Dreith's discogs page (linked above) only has two ost's, presumably there is more by him to be discovered.