Art Blakey & The New Jazz Messengers – 'Buttercorn Lady'

 

'Buttercorn Lady' is a rare and, for some reason, overlooked album in the Art Blakey cannon.

By the mid-1960s, after Wayne Shorter departed as his musical director, Art Blakey was in the process of rebuilding his band.  For the past decade, he had successfully led The Jazz Messengers, utilizing the talents of young and promising musicians to explore new territories within the hard bop and post-bop subgenres.  He had played a pivotal role in the debut of notable artists such as trumpeters Lee Morgan and Freddie Hubbard, saxophonist Wayne Shorter, and pianists Cedar Walton and Bobby Timmons.  However, as is common among young musicians, they progressed in their careers.  Art was more than happy in helping provide a platform for this new generation, but at the same time, he had to constantly keep his ear to the ground for fresh talent.

In late 1965, the drummer found what he was searching for.  First, he brought in trumpeter Chuck Mangione, a 25-year-old musician from Rochester, New York.  Then, Art stumbled upon an enigmatic piano player who was still discovering his musical voice.  His name?  Keith Jarrett.  After incorporating Mangione and Jarrett into the band, Blakey embarked on a tour, heading west.  During this tour, Frank Mitchell joined on tenor sax, and Reggie Johnson joined the band on bass.

On New Year's Day, 1966, the re-energized "New" Jazz Messengers visited Hermosa Beach, California to play and record at The Lighthouse.  The result was today's freeload: 'Buttercorn Lady

The sound of this band is notably different from the trademark sound of the Jazz Messengers from the late 1950s.  It feels like a refreshing revival of the music, as well as a subtle response to the general changes in popular music at the time, without compromising on quality.

To my ears, the standout on 'Buttercorn Lady' is not Chuck Mangione or Keith Jarrett, but tenor saxophonist Frank Mitchell.  His stint with Art, which began in 1964 when he was just 19, catapulted him to fame.  Tragically, he was murdered in 1971 while at the height of his popularity, having led a memorial concert for John Coltrane.  His body was found in the East River, but no motive or suspects were ever identified.  Frank’s playing exudes a certain prowess reminiscent of Hank Mobley, with a touch of Coltrane’s influence.

'Buttercorn Lady' is one of the tightest Jazz Messengers albums, and, breaking out of the by then formulaic sound of the old band, it is also a very refreshing one.  

This album has long been out of print (but recently reissued as a digital download), this is an essential, much recommended, and slightly different Art Blakey album.

For the freeload, let's talk about albums that for some reason are overlooked.

Babs' Bootleg Bonanza - 'Exile On Main Street Sessions'

Torn and Frayed in London, 
the French Rivera, and Los Angeles

This is a 2CD compilation, in chronological order, of the best quality recordings of all the early versions, unreleased material, etc. that are currently available from the sessions that produced 'Exile On Main Street'.

After Brian Jones’ untimely departure in spring 1969, the Stones embarked on a new chapter.  They recruited Mick Taylor and engaged in intensive sessions at London’s Olympic Studios. During these sessions, they rehearsed their repertoire and composed new songs, including "Dancing In The Light", "I Ain’t Signifying", and "Gimme A Little Drink".  The latter song was performed at July’s Hyde Park concert, which served as a poignant memorial to their beloved founding member.  Throughout 1970, the Stones continued recording 'Sticky Fingers' and other tracks that would eventually appear on 'Exile On Main Street'.  These recordings took place at Olympic Studios and Stargroves, Mick Jagger’s country estate near Newbury, Berkshire.  The Stones also utilized the newly customized Rolling Stones Mobile for these sessions.

In 1970, the world’s biggest rock ’n’ roll band, the Rolling Stones, found themselves broke and trapped in a restrictive contract.  With Prince Rupert Lowenstein now taking charge of their finances, the band was informed that to evade the punishing UK tax laws, which imposed a staggering 93% tax on earnings exceeding £15,000 annually, they would be compelled to reside abroad for two years.  This meant they could only visit their home country for a maximum of 90 days each year.  Since the relocation deadline in April 1970 was too short, they opted to move a year later, coinciding with the launch of their own record label.

The Stones’ exile commenced with their relocation to the French abodes that their team had arranged for them.  Bill Wyman resided in Vence, Charlie Watts purchased a château in Provence (which his family still owns), and Mick Taylor and his wife Rose settled in Grasse.  Initially, Stones’ assistant Jo Bergman envisioned a sprawling, Roman-style mansion called Villa Nellcote as an ideal residence for Jagger.  However, his wife-to-be, Bianca, found it too public, leading them to temporarily reside in the Plaza Athenee Hotel in Paris and a villa in Biot.

Keith, accompanied by girlfriend Anita Pallenberg and their 18-month-old son Marlon, moved into Villa Nellcote.  Keith initially settled well into the Riviera lifestyle, taking his family to the beach, going to the zoo and buying a speedboat he called "Mandrax" (Quaalude to Americans).

After spending a fruitless month looking for a suitable location to record their new album, the Stones realized that the answer was staring them in the face; for better or worse, they would try to record in Keith’s dingy, clammy basement at Nellcote.

The Mobile arrived on June 7 after a four-day drive.  Built at a cost of £65,000 (roughly £580,000 ($777,635) in today's money), it was equipped with a talk-back system and a black and white camera for communication between studio and band.

For Keith, Nellcote seemed like a paradise, where he could freely express his ideas at any time of night. Within weeks, the villa transformed into one of his hotel rooms, adorned with decorations, debris, and a constant influx of eager participants for the most extraordinary party on the planet. However, the ‘Tropical Disease’ sessions, as they were affectionately called (another working title was 'Eat It'), were in full swing.  Locals grumbled, the music could be heard echoing across the harbor.

Bill Wyman’s amp was parked under the stairs.

The brass section of Bobby Keys and Jim Price played at the end of an underground corridor.

The 120 degree (49°C) temperature plus 100% humidity made guitars go out of tune mid-song.

There was a hold-up when Keith had a Go-kart accident, leaving him with a nasty laceration on his back.  This required quite a few stitches, time to recover and opiates to numb the pain, which took a one-way spiral when Corsican drug dealers from the nearby smack epicenter Marseilles turned up with pure pink heroin (christened "Cotton Candy") from Thailand.  Keith and Anita piled in, while engineer Andy Johns, Bobby Keys, Mick Taylor and Jimmy Miller also developed healthy habits, thus setting the tone for the druggy chaos which would dominate the next few months.

A darker mood was creeping in as the junk took further hold.  Visitors to Nellcôte included, William S. Burroughs, Terry Southern, John Lennon, Marshall Chess, and Gram Parsons who was asked to leave Nellcôte as a result of his obnoxious behavior.  Other unwanted presences increased, like the Corsican smack dealers who took nine of Keith’s beloved guitars (including the Flying V he played at Hyde Park) in lieu of Keith's heroin bill.  They also took Bobby Keys’ saxophones, Bill Wyman's bass, and Mick Taylor's main guitar, a 1959 Sunburst Les Paul (nicknamed the "Keithburst"), which he bought from Keith.

There was a fire after Keith and Anita nodded out in their bed with a spliff.  "Fat Jack" the junkie cook blew up the kitchen and tried to blackmail Keith and Anita; alleging they shot up his teenage daughter with heroin.  By now, the local police force were keeping a watchful eye on Nellcote.

Mick Jagger complained he couldn’t use a microphone because someone was tying off to find a vein with the cable. 

"Charlie's looking good tonight, ineee...."

In November, the entire Stones entourage relocated to Los Angeles, in fear of the inevitable bust.  Nellcote was finally raided on December 14; The Stones long gone, but large quantities of drugs left behind. The court case wouldn’t come up for another year but, in the meantime, Keith had to continue paying rent.  Eventually, most charges were dropped.  The Stones attended the hearing, except Keith, who was fined 500 francs, given a year’s suspended sentence and banned from France for two years.

The sessions at Sunset Sound, ran until the following February.  It became a mission to construct a finished album out of what had been spawned in Keith’s dank basement and tracks in various stages of completion from Stargroves and Olympic studios.

After Nellcote’s opiated bubble, LA was like reentering civilization, with a dry, airy studio and normal working facilities.  Andy Johns handled much of the mixing as Jimmy Miller was pretty burnt out from his Nellcote experience.  Keith was now firmly in the throes of his own addiction, so Mick stepped up to take control and bring the album home.  He had hated trying to work at Nellcote, while Bianca and Jade had been the priority then anyway, along with supervising the upcoming US tour and the Allen Klein situation, which had only just been resolved.  Mick now took the reins with single-minded determination to meet the deadline, starting with overdubbing his vocals.

Final mixing was finished as February turned into March.  After ruling out 'Tropical Disease', the Stones decided to call the album 'Exile On Main Street'.

'Exile On Main Street' was released on May 12th 1972, it was the first album that was released on the Rolling Stones Records label.  The Stones would never sink so low, or rise so high, again…

For me, 'Exile On Main Street' was the soundtrack to the summer of 1972, and has been in regular rotation ever since.

(With apologies to John Milton)
A postcard from Pandemonium

This picture has always struck me as somewhat troubling on a number of levels.

This is William T. Simpson, aka "Three Ball Charlie", he was a 1930s sideshow performer from Humboldt, Nebraska. 

Denise "The Grease" had a boyfriend, who she referred to (in private) as "One Ball Gino", for a different reason.  But that, as they say, is another story for another day.

For the freeload, caption the picture below.

Lazy Lester - 'I Hear You Knockin'! The Excello Singles'

Leslie Johnson a.k.a. "Lazy Lester" was born on June 20, 1933, in Torras, Lousiana.  His nickname was given to him by producer Jay Miller due to his laid-back, easygoing style.

Lazy Lester was an influential American blues musician, and a key figure in the development of the blues sub-genre known as "Swamp Blues", which incorporates elements of zydeco, Cajun, country, and rockabilly.

His distinctive harmonica playing, gnarled vocals, and guitar and drum talents made him a pivotal artist for the legendary Excello Records label in the 1950s and 1960s.  During his tenure at Excello, he not only released records under his own name, but contributed songs and also served as a sideman for other blues legends such as Slim Harpo, Katie Webster and Lightnin’ Slim.  His musical contributions often included harmonica, guitar, and percussion, and he frequently improvised using items like cardboard boxes and rolled up newspapers for drum sticks.

In the mid 1960s, Lazy Lester grew tired of working smoky juke joints for little to no pay, and took manual labor jobs as a truck driver, worked in a Detroit auto plant, and was even a lumberjack.

In the late 1987, he launched a welcomed comeback, recorded albums for Blue Horizon, Alligator, Antone’s, and APO labels, and played blues festivals, where his easy-going nature and good-humored presence (on and off-stage) made him a favorite with blues audiences around the world.

Lazy Lester was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame in 2012 and received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Boston Blues Society in 2002.

He continued to perform at major festivals, including the Ponderosa Stomp (named after one of his songs), and even appeared in a national  commercial for the auto insurance company, Geico shortly before his death in 2018.

'I Hear You Knockin'! The Excello Singles' was released in 1994 on the Excello label which at the time was a subsidiary of the AVI label (it's now part of Universal Music Group).

To me, this thirty song collection is the definitive Lazy Lester release, and a great introduction to Lazy Lester's laid-back, haunting and hypnotic Louisiana sound.  This is a comprehensive exploration, that delves into the singles that shaped his early career and created his legacy in blues music.

For the freeload, what was the worst job you ever had?

Count Basie - 'Basie in London'

 

'Basie in London' was originally released in September 1957 on Norman Granz's Clef label.

This album was not recorded in London, but approximately 650 miles (around 1,046 kilometers) "as the crow flies" away in Gothenburg, Sweden, in September 1956.  Due to an ongoing feud between the American Federation of Musicians and the British Musicians’ Union (they would "kiss and make up" in early 1957), Count Basie’s 1956 European tour did not include any UK dates.  I have never been able to find a definitive answer to the purpose of Norman Granz’s deceptive marketing strategy.  

Be that as it may…

'Basie in London' features the so-called "New Testament" Basie band firing on all cylinders, and is their definitive live recording.  The New Testament Basie band had a different approach than his "Old Testament" band, he brought up from Kansas City in late 1936, which was loose, airy, and centered on soloists like tenor saxophonist Lester Young and trumpeter Buck Clayton.  Its arrangements were often little more than a collection of catchy riffs played from memory.  Basie’s "New Testament" band turned that concept on its head.  Where the original Basie band was light and loose, his new orchestra was tight and heavy.  The soloists were now secondary to the arrangements. Frank Foster, along with Ernie Wilkins, Neal Hefti and other composer/arrangers, helped shape the powerful, new Count Basie sound.

On ‘Basie in London,’ we are treated to stellar solos from players like Joe Newman and Frank Wess.  The rhythm section, featuring the great Freddie Green, Eddie Jones, and Sonny Payne, forms the backbone of the band, and of course, the star of the show is Count Basie himself.  Then there's Joe Williams with his smooth baritone voice, on "Alright, Okay, You Win", "Roll ‘Em Pete" and "The Comeback".

Sonny Payne, The Count, and Joe Williams

Tracklist  
  1 - Jumpin at the woodside
  2 - Shiny stockings
  3 - How high the moon
  4 - Nails
  5 - Flute juice
  6 - One o'clock jump
  7 - Alright, okay you win
  8 - Roll em pete
  9 - The comeback
10 - Blues backstage
11 - Corner pocket
12 - Blee blop blues
13 - Yestarday
14 - Untitled
15 - Sixteen men swinging
16 - Plymouth rock

The Players:
Piano: Count Basie
Alto Sax: Bill Graham, Marshall Royal
Baritone Sax: Charlie Fowlkes
Bass: Eddie Jones
Clarinet: Marshall Royal
Drums: Sonny Payne
Guitar: Freddie Green
Flute: Frank Wess
Tenor Sax: Frank Foster, Frank Wess
Trumpet: Wendell Culley, Reunald Jones, Thad Jones, Joe Newman
Trombone: Henry Coker, Bill Hughes, Benny Powell
Vocals: Joe Williams

'Basie in London' is a prime example of the post-war Basie band's power and style, featuring classic tunes and unique arrangements.

For the freeload, let's talk about albums that are deceptively titled, or not as advertised etc.

Bo Diddley's Beach Party

 

On July 5th and 6th of 1963, Bo Diddley along with Norma-Jean "The Duchess" Wofford on rhythm guitar, backing vocals, and Jerome Green on drums, maracas, backing vocals, played two late night shows at The Beach Club in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.  Chess/Checker recording engineer, John Brooks was there to recorded it.

The results were… 

The cover looks like a one of those squeaky-clean American International Pictures' "Beach Party" movies where Frankie Avalon and Annette Funicello (both with no natural sense of rhythm whatsoever) do the Frug on Malibu Beach.

But this was Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, after midnight.  So instead of squeaky-clean suburban types, it was 1%er Bikers, weekend warriors, parole violators (and god only knows who else), with their girlfriends.  All are "hopped up" on beer 'n' bennies, hell-bent on having a great time.
And why not?

I can easily picture the early 60s scene…it's after midnight, but the heat and humidity still lingers from a blistering day.  Except for a small bonfire, the dark is all-enveloping, and couples vanish into it (don't look—mind your own business).  At the fire, a 1%er is carving his girlfriend's initials onto his forearm with a genuine made in Italy stiletto switchblade, while his girlfriend and another woman dance to the waves, or maybe just the music in their amphetamine fueled heads.

Some music is needed…

But then, a cloud of dust materializes at the far end of the boardwalk, it's heading their way, getting closer by the minute.  As it approaches, you can just make out the silhouette of a rather large man atop a motor scooter, with some crazy looking guitar slung over his shoulder.
 
A customized 1957 Cushman Step-Thru Scooter ("The Bo-Mobile") chugs to a stop, and off steps the only musician in the known world who could play to 1%er bikers without having the crap kicked out of him for showing up on a scooter: and that musician is Mr. Bo Diddley.

Bo plugs in, kicks off a scorching guitar riff, the "The Duchess" and Jerome Green fall in.  The beach goes totally batshit crazy, and who could blame them?

Bo rips through self-referencing cuts such as "Hey! Bo Diddley" and "Bo Diddley’s Dog", but it’s the rendition of "I’m All Right" that signalled an era of all-out rave rock (crossed with R'n'B charisma) to groups such as the Rolling Stones and The Yardbirds. Then there's the closing "Roadrunner", which might be the most unhinged live performance from rock’s first decade, with Bo Diddley in crazed Wile E. Coyote mode. He even makes a little "Beep Beep" sound with his guitar to kick off the chase.

In 2026, 'Bo Diddley's Beach Party' sounds like a Proto-Garage/Punk/ Grunge masterpiece.  AND, you just know this was David Johansen and Johnny Thunders' blueprint.  Sound quality is "Distort-O-Phonic Mono".  This was never meant to be an audiophile document, and mastering engineer Erick Labson didn't do anything to clean it up or modernize it.  It's not been limited, and I hear no evidence of noise reduction.  It's raw, rockin', and oozes gritty power.

The liner notes by Chris Morris are brief but excellent.  Morris says the album "bristles with almost punk-like energy."  I couldn't agree more.

For the freeload, what are some of your favorite songs, not by Bo Diddley, but with that Bo Diddley beat?

Sonny Terry & Brownie McGhee - 'Sonny & Brownie'

In 1939, Sonny Terry & Brownie McGhee started a partnership that would last for forty years, probably longer than any working blues or folk duo or group.  The style of blues that Sonny and Brownie play is called "Piedmont Blues"; a term coined by American folklorist, writer, record producer, and ethnomusicologist, Peter B. Lowry.

Sonny and Brownie's sound has been called the perfect blues duo, characterized by Brownie's clean, tasteful guitar work, and vocals, along with Sonny's distinctive harmonica and vocal "whoops".

The duo, surfed different trends, becoming stars of the 60s blues revival and also transcended the blues genre by including American folk songs and ballads in their repertoire.

In 1982 Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee were named National Heritage Fellows in recognition of their distinctive musical contributions and accomplishments.

On the surface of things, they appeared to be the closest of friends, but in truth, they couldn't stand the sight of each other. (Or rather, each other's presence, as Sonny Terry injured his eyes as a child, and was blind by the age of 16.)

'Sonny & Brownie' was recorded at Paramount Recording Studios in 1973, and released the same year.  The album was co-produced by Hal Winn and Mo Rodgers.

Along with Sonny Terry, Brownie McGhee, is an all-star backing band, that includes John Mayall, Arlo Guthrie, John Hammond Sugarcane Harris, Michael Franks, Clydie King, Jackie Ward, Venetta Fields, and others.   

The material performed is some original Sonny and Brownie songs, and covers written by Sam Cooke ("Bring It On Home To Me"), Curtis Mayfield ("People Get Ready") and Randy Newman (finally, a cover of "Sail Away" that gets it right).  While this may not be a "pure blues" album, it is a helluva lot of fun.

The freeload, is the 1995 Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab reissue from their Ultradisc II series, and it sounds pretty great.

For the freeload tells us who some of your favorite duos, musical or otherwise, are.

Sonny Rollins - 'Complete Sonny Rollins In Japan'

 

'Complete Sonny Rollins In Japan' was recorded on September 30, 1973, at Nagano San-Plaza, Tokyo.  It was originally released as ''Sonny Rollins In Japan' in 1973 on the Victor label.

In September 1973, Sonny Rollins, along with guitarist Yoshiaki Masuo, bassist Bob Cranshaw, drummer David Lee and percussionist James Mtume went to Japan on tour, and recorded a live album that has only ever released for the Japanese domestic market.

The album's opener, "Powaii" is named for the Indian city where Sonny studied yoga and meditation during his sabbatical. It’s a nearly 19-minute piece played with fierce intensity, and it sets the tone for the entire record. We are also treated to Sonny's classics, "St. Thomas", the theme from "Alfie", and "Moritat" aka "Mack the Knife".

Today's freeload is a 2CD version from 2008, and is also a Japanese domestic market only release.  It features a full hour’s worth of bonus material.  It has a 29-minute version of "Sais", also included are "Hold Em Joe" and "God Bless The Child".

The recording quality excellent, and the music unique blend of traditional jazz with 70s funk/fusion elements, making it a standout from Sonny's mid-70s period.  The band is on fire throughout.

This is rare and essential, Sonny Rollins, and to my ears, is one of Sonny's best albums of the 1970s. .

For the freeload, what was the last live show you attended?

The Grateful Dead - The Warfield, San Francisco, California, Oct 4 & 6, 1980 Acoustic Sets - Black Friday Record Store Day 2025 Release

The Grateful Dead's 1980 Fall Tour celebrated the Grateful Dead's 15th Anniversary, and was famous for a series of "residency" runs:

• The Warfield, San Francisco, with 15 shows, from September 25 to October 14.
• The Saenger Theatre, New Orleans, with 2 shows on October 18 and 19.
• Radio City Music Hall, New York City, with 8 shows from October 22 to 31.  I was lucky enough to see the entire1980 Radio City Music Hall run. 

All the shows featured a unique three-set format: one acoustic set followed by two electric sets.  These were the band’s first significant acoustic performances since the early 1970s, and a decade before "Unplugged" became a thing.

Material recorded during these runs was later released as two distinct live albums in 1981: 'Reckoning' compiled from the acoustic sets, and 'Dead Set' compiled from the electric sets.

I missed Black Friday Record Store Day this past November at my favorite local record stores in Manhattan, as I was in Los Altos, California, celebrating Thanksgiving with family.  

Disappointingly, upon my return home, The Grateful Dead's 'The Warfield, San Francisco, CA Oct 4 & 6, 1980' in the form of 180gm vinyl was completely sold out, everywhere, so I bought the 2CD set instead.  I eventually bought the vinyl online, but I would have much preferred to give my money to an independent record store.

The Dead's 'The Warfield, San Francisco, CA Oct 4 & 6, 1980' are the rare acoustic sets (not on 'Reckoning') that were recorded by Betty Cantor-Jackson.  They were widely bootlegged as what we Deadheads [if the head fits, wear it. — Ed] refer to as "Betty Boards", which are known for their high quality audio.

These two acoustic sets perfectly blend older cuts from Dead's extensive repertoire, these two sets include classics like "Bird Song", "Cassidy", "Dire Wolf" and "To Lay Me Down" amongst many others, with each set ending with "Ripple".

The freeload is the 2CD set, and sounds wonderful.

While I was never an MTV fan, I did however enjoy some episodes from their series, MTV Unplugged.

For the freeload, if you saw any of the Unplugged series, what were some of your favorites?

The Good Ol’ Grateful Dead - Fillmore West 1969: The Complete Recordings

 

'Fillmore West 1969: The Complete Recordings' is a 10 CD box set of every note played at the four Fillmore West shows from February 27th to March 2nd, 1969.

But wait, there's More!

If you pre-ordered (which I did) you received a bonus CD of previously unreleased live recordings from shows at the Carousel Ballroom/Fillmore West between 1968 and 1970.

The 'Fillmore West, 1969: The Complete Recordings' was a limited edition release of 10,000 copies.  It was mastered in HDCD. 51, and is around 10 hours of music.  There's also a very nice, 76-page booklet (included in the freeload — natch) 

For the freeload, post a verse from a few of your favorite Grateful Dead songs.