An update on some “lost albums” from two years ago, after the jump ….
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Nearly two years ago, I posted an essay on “lost albums” — so-called because:
(a) the artist hates the recording, (b) the band is in the process of breaking-up, and no one cares about it, (c) the subject matter is delicate, and the performer has misgivings, (d) the artist falls ill while making the album (even dying), (e) it has been available on bootlegs so long, no one cares, (f) sometimes much of the work appears in a different format — Pete Townshend’s Lifehouse project was abandoned, with much of the work appearing in the band’s famous Who’s Next album — and even (g) — it is simply “lost”, misfiled somewhere (particularly for those who spend a great deal of time in recording studios) that may yet be located. And for numerous other reasons.
In it, I recounted works by Marvin Gaye, Jimi Hendrix, CSNY, the Beach Boys, Jeff Beck, the Doors and others. You can read my original essay … at this link.
Now …... an update.
In 2018, I noted the release of a 1963 album by the classic John Coltrane Quartet that had been unearthed after fifty-five years— which was John’s first album ever to debut in the Billboard Jazz album charts (at #21). Fans of the saxophone legend were delighted to have new material to savor, a dream-come-true. And then last year … another unreleased album to savor (I imagine some saying “pinch me”).
John Coltrane (1964) — “Blue World”
It turns out that in 1964, French-Canadian film director Gilles Groulx (who was a Coltrane fan) was able to make the acquaintance of Coltrane’s bassist Jimmy Garrison, and asked if the Quartet could record some songs for a film he was making? This film today is considered a landmark of Québec cinema, Le Chat dans le Sac(The Cat in the Bag).
And so the quartet went to the legendary Rudy Van Gelder studio in New Jersey, recording thirty-seven minutes of music (although only ten minutes were used in the final cut of the film).
The songs include one of Trane’s most famous ballads (Naima) as well as the title track, Blue World— modeled in part on the Harold Arlen-Johnny Mercer tune Out of this World. Perhaps because this was not a recording for the label that Trane was on, somehow the June 24, 1964 session was not listed in the studio’s logs … one reason why it remained lost all these years.
It might have stayed that way, but for an archivist from the National Film Board of Canada: who was assigned the task of cataloging all of the works of Gilles Groulx (who had died in 1994) and discovered the master tape. It took time to negotiate, with the Impulse! label having the album rights.
Finally, it was released in September, 2019 — fifty-five years later, with the pianist McCoy Tyner the only surviving band member, until his death this past March at age eighty-one. As a Coltrane historian says in the liner notes, “This music has been hiding in plain sight, ever since”.
Neil Young (1975) — “Homegrown”
I had profiled this on my previous essay as belonging to the “Will it ever be released?” category. This was a solo recording that was a very personal album, and the record company was expecting a hit (the cover art was already printed).
But the album’s music was … too personal: he had just split from film star Carrie Snodgress and CSNY was going through some horrible times. And so he released Tonight’s the Nightinstead, shelving Homegrown.
The All Music Guide’s Stephen Erlewine suggested that the material was stripped for parts— a few of its songs performed in concert, and others re-recorded for subsequent albums. Yet there were other songs that through 2019 had never saw the light of day.
In recent years, Neil Young has been launching his Archives series — his entire recorded output, available for streaming. And as time passes, he seems ready to move on from the past, even writing last year on his Archives:
“I apologize. This album Homegrown should have been there for you a couple of years after Harvest. It’s the sad side of a love affair. The damage done. The heartache. I just couldn’t listen to it. I wanted to move on. So I kept it to myself, hidden away in the vault, on the shelf, in the back of my mind …. but I should have shared it. It’s actually beautiful. That’s why I made it in the first place. Sometimes life hurts. You know what I mean. This is the one that got away.”
And so just last month, Homegrown was released: with guest performances from Levon Helm of The Band, plus Emmylou Harris — as heard on this song.
Thelonious Monk (1968) — “Palo Alto” (live album)
In 1968, a Palo Alto, California high school student named Danny Scher (who went on to be a concert promoter himself, having an apprenticeship working for Bill Graham) was able to book the jazz piano legend Thelonious Monk to perform one afternoon at his high school — a benefit for the school's International Club, which supported educational initiatives in Kenya and Peru — on a day when Monk had a larger gig that evening in San Francisco.
That alone was an achievement, as wealthy Palo Alto and the predominantly black community of East Palo Alto stood quite apart:
There had been tensions among black and white students at the school, according to the release, and the nation still was grieving the assassinations of Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert F. Kennedy. The Vietnam War also was tearing at the country’s conscience at the time.
Tickets (priced at $2) went slow at first, until enough publicity garnered a sell-out.
Then, the day before the event: an African-American janitor approached Scher, saying “If you let me record the concert, I’ll get the piano tuned”— after the show, he handed Scher the tape — and as Scher did not recall the name of the janitor, there is now a search to learn his identity (and whether he is even still alive).
The show ran for only forty-seven minutes, as the band had to travel thirty miles for their main gig. Scher held onto the tape for over fifty years, finally contacting the late pianist’s son for his approval for its release, and T.S. Monk says of it:
“That performance is the one of the best live recordings I’ve ever heard by Thelonious. I wasn’t even aware of my dad playing a high school gig, but he and the band were on it. When I first heard the tape, from the first measure, I knew my father was feeling really good.”
The album (release date July 31st) features some of Monk’s best-known tunes: “Well, You Needn’t”, “Blue Monk”, plus my favorite of his (the ballad “Ruby, My Dear”). Personnel : Thelonious Monk (piano), Charlie Rouse (tenor saxophone), Larry Gales (bass) plus Ben Riley (drums) — who had been the last survivor of this line-up (who died in 2017 at age eighty-four). The only song (as of yet) available is another Monk classic:
Now, on to Top Comments:
From Kluger2:
In the diary by teacherken about the Lincoln Project commercial featuring Mount Rushmore— I don't know how your image quilt works, but I want to highlight the image from this comment by jqjacobs (where permission is given to freely share the image!). Several comments in the article give some background on why and how fireworks are even being allowed at the venue this weekend. → Have a great Fourth!
From indycam:
In the front-page story about the hospitalization of Herman Cain from Covid-19 after attending the recent Tulsa rally — this comment from revbludge.
Highlighted by funinthesun:
In the front-page story about Mitch McConnell worried about losing his Senate majority— this comment made by fat old man.
Highlighted by both tjlord as well as by bbctooman:
In the diary by Aldous J Pennyfarthing about Gabriel Sherman’s latest report of anxiety inside the GOP— this comment by MindMatter.
From peregrine kate:
In the diary by Oklahoma resident crxmeup about Tuesday’s statewide referendum to accept expanded Medicaid— It's been a while, but I am happy to submit this comment by Blue Boomer - who played a big role in getting across the finish line, it seems to me. While they weren't bragging I think they deserve a special shout-out for their hard work!Virtual hugs to all.
And from Ed Tracey, your faithful correspondent this evening ........
In the diary by FrankDiPrima about a NY State appellate court lifting the temporary restraining order over publishing the book written by Mary Trump (since the publisher is not part of the NDA that she is supposed to have signed) — although the author notes that an appeal to NY State’s highest court may not be fruitful (as all seven judges were appointed by Democratic governor Andrew Cuomo), winegrower points out that the background and track record of some of these justices is suspect.
TOP PHOTOSJuly 1st, 2020 Next - enjoy jotter's wonderful *PictureQuilt™* below. Just click on the picture and it will magically take you to the comment that features that photo.
(NOTE: Any missing images in the Quilt were removed because (a) they were from an unapproved source that somehow snuck through in the comments, or (b) it was an image from the DailyKos Image Library which didn't have permissions set to allow others to use it.) |
And lastly: yesterday's Top Mojo - mega-mojo to the intrepid mik ...... who rescued this feature from oblivion:
2) Defund Karens by BOHICA +19219) Also the KKK motto! … by jqjacobs +9622) Thanks. Nice summary. by RickBoston +8928) Thug? by Denise Oliver Velez +7630) Daily Karen … by Denise Oliver Velez +75