S4L Showdown III: "Tamiko Jones vs. Myrna Hague"

For the third round of my "vs." series, I thought I'd shine the spotlight on a tune penned by Johnny Bristol, "Touch Me Baby (Reaching Out For Your Love)," and masterfully performed for you by two vocal heavyweights.

In the left corner, out of Kyle, West Virginia, with an uppercut from her Arista LP, Love Trip, it's the tantalizing temptress, Tamiko Jones!!!

In the right corner, hailing from Jamaica, WI, and armed with a lethal blow from her classic Studio One LP Melody Life, it's "Jamaica's First Lady of Jazz," the mesmerizing, melodious Myrna Hague!!!

Ready to add Tamiko's take to your collection? You're in luck because, as of today, eBay is littered with priced-to-own copies of the 45. Need more Tamiko in your life than that? Okay, then you might be better off with her entire Love Trip album, which you can pick up on vinyl and CD right here.

On the other hand, if you found the Myrna version more to your liking and want a copy to call yer very own, you've got some options too. Hague's Melody Life LP is still in print and, with a little leg work, you can track it down. But of course, I've done the work for ya, so all you have to do is whip out that Visa and pull the trigger. If you can make it to Brooklyn, you can try your luck snagging a copy directly from the manufacturer at Coxone's Music City, located at 3135 Fulton Street.

If a trip to NY isn't in the cards, but you still want the LP, you can check the stock and cop one over here.

If that's not workin' for you either, not to worry; back in 2005, Myrna's rendition made an appearance on Studio One Lovers, one volume in a magnificent series of Studio One compilations assembled by the good people at Soul Jazz Records. You can lay your hands on your choice of the CD or vinyl edition right here.

Njoi! (password req'd)

Stanley Turrentine - Always Something There

A legend of the tenor saxophone, Stanley Turrentine was renowned for his distinctively thick, rippling tone, an earthy grounding in the blues, and his ability to work a groove with soul and imagination. Turrentine recorded in a wide variety of settings, but was best-known for his Blue Note soul-jazz jams of the '60s, and also underwent a popular fusion makeover in the early '70s. Born in Pittsburgh on April 5, 1934, Turrentine began his career playing with various blues and R&B bands, with a strong influence from Illinois Jacquet. He played in Lowell Fulson's band with Ray Charles from 1950-1951, and in 1953, he replaced John Coltrane in Earl Bostic's early R&B/jazz band. After a mid-'50s stint in the military, Turrentine joined Max Roach's band and subsequently met organist Shirley Scott, whom he married in 1960 and would record with frequently.

Upon moving to Philadelphia, Turrentine struck up a chemistry with another organist, Jimmy Smith, appearing on Smith's 1960 classics Back at the Chicken Shack and Midnight Special, among others. Also in 1960, Turrentine began recording as a leader for Blue Note, concentrating chiefly on small-group soul-jazz on classics like That's Where It's At, but also working with the Three Sounds (on 1961's Blue Hour) and experimenting with larger ensemble settings in the mid-'60s. As the '70s dawned, Turrentine and Scott divorced and Turrentine became a popular linchpin of Creed Taylor's new, fusion-oriented CTI label; he recorded five albums, highlighted by Sugar, Salt Song, and Don't Mess With Mister T. While those commercially accessible efforts were artistically rewarding as well, critical opinion wasn't as kind to his late-'70s work for Fantasy; still, Turrentine continued to record prolifically, and returned to his trademark soul-jazz in the '80s and '90s. Turrentine passed away on September 12, 2000, following a massive stroke and was laid to rest in Pittsburgh's Allegheny Cemetery.

Released in 1968, Always Something There was Turrentine's 4th Blue Note LP for the year and boasted no less than 7 covers of pop tunes of the day. Guest players included Herbie Hancock, Kenny Burrell Mel Lewis and many more. While the album may not win any critic's choice awards or hold the reverence of some of his more critically acclaimed efforts, Always Something There is still a fun listen and has it's share of noteworthy moments.

Always Something There is, of course, OOP but you can still find your own copy with very little effort or dough. Vinyl, cassette and CD reissues appeared back in the eighties on Applause records and can be found here. If you're not big on the reissue game and want an original Blue Note pressing of your own you can try your hand here.

Featured cut: "Little Green Apples"

Listen to the full album here.

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We are Experiencing Technical Difficulties, please stand by.

I'm goin' thru it with this confounded machine at the moment so bear with me while I get my rig back up and running. New posts are coming soon.
--
1,
Slay'd

Quickie: Betty Wright - I'll Love You Forever

It's really not like me to ignore a B-side but every once in a while one slips thru the cracks. I've owned the source LP along with multiple of instances of the A side appearing on various comps throughout my collection but never took much notice of this single's flipside until a few days ago while combing thru a box of battered 45s. No doubt you're already familiar with Betty Wright's massive '71 hit, "Clean Up Woman." but today, allow me to present to you the other side of Alston A-4601 (the catalog number...yep, record geekiness in full swing). I'm sure most of the crate diggers and collectors out there know this one already but for those of you that don't, listen and enjoy.

If you're looking for a 45 copy of your own, you shouldn't have too much trouble as one can usually find a super cheap copy right here. No turntable? No problem. Back in 2006, the good people at Water records saw fit to reissue Betty's 1972 album, I Love The Way You Love, on CD. You can fetch a copy by clicking here.

N-joi!

Isaac Hayes - Live At The Sahara Tahoe

A legend, pioneer and icon has slipped away.

This classic, as well as most of Isaac's body of work is still in print and easy to find in all formats. Do yourself a favor and pick up a CD here, or better still an original press LP here.

Featured cut: "Ike's Rap VI"


Listen!!

Cornelius Brothers & Sister Rose - s/t

With the economy being what it is and gas prices being what they are, my wife and I have decided to conserve funds and stick close to home this Summer in the hope of enjoying a series of "staycations". During our most recent weekend trip to nowhere, I found myself down in my basement where I rediscovered a tub full of records, most of which I'd forgotten I had even picked up. Out of the tub I share with all of you the debut album from a family group from Dania Beach, Florida -- Cornelius Brothers and Sister Rose. The original members were siblings Carter Cornelius, Eddie Cornelius, and Rose Cornelius but, after awhile, another sister, Billie Jo Cornelius, was added to the fold.

The group hit the pop charts in 1971 with the single "Treat Her Like a Lady" (US R&B Top 20, Billboard Hot 100 #3) and charted again in 1972 with "Too Late to Turn Back Now" (US R&B #5, Hot 100 #2) both written by Eddie Cornelius. Issued on the United Artists label, Cornelius Brothers and Sister Rose served as the source of two additional chart hits as "Don't Ever Be Lonely" and "I'm Never Gonna Be Alone Anymore" both reached the Billboard Top 40.

Working again with producer Bob Archibald, in 1973 the group relased their second LP, Big Time Lover. While the album did have it's moments, it simply wasn't able to match the success of it's predecessor.

Their final charting single was "Since I Found My Baby" in 1974, from their third and last album -- Greatest Hits.

The group broke up in 1976 when Carter joined a black Hebrew sect in Miami and adopted the name Prince Gideon Israel. He wrote, recorded and mixed the sect's music and videos for the next 15 years. He was working on a comeback song to return to the pop field when he died of a heart attack in November 1991.

As with their other two albums, Cornelius Brothers & Sister Rose's debut LP is long OOP but, as usual, you can find a reasonably priced copy floatin' around over here.

Featured cut: "Too Late To Turn Back Now"


N-joi!!

Clarence Wheeler & the Enforcers - The Love I've Been Looking For

The second fantastic album from Chicago saxophonist Clarence Wheeler and his hard-hitting Enforcers combo -- a group who were one of the brightest lights in soul jazz at the start of the 70s, really helping to keep the genre fresh and exciting! The groove here is in the tenor/organ mode first popularized in the 60s -- but the overall sound is a lot more expansive, and filled with unusual time changes, complicated rhythms, and inventive solo work that go way beyond more familiar albums of this nature on Prestige or Blue Note!

Sonny Burke is the organist in the group, and he's got a touch on the keys that's a lot like Jack McDuff at his best -- filled with great sounds and unusual notes that always keep things interesting. Added to that is trumpet from Sonny Covington, guitar from Eric Gale, and tenor from Wheeler -- all vamping and grooving in an amazing way! There's a bit of the Charles Earland sound from the same period going on here -- and like Earland, the group have a great way of keeping things slightly funky, even when mellow!

Source: Dusty Groove America

The Love I've Been Looking For is still OOP on vinyl but with patience & persistence, you can find a copy here at a decent price.

On the upside, a Japanese CD reissue is available and you can get yer paws on it right here.

Featured cut: "We've Only Just Begun"

Listen to the full album here.