Today’s Cool Album of the Day (#1028 in the Series) is Jean-Luc Ponty, Imaginary Voyage. Some people might not realize how popular jazz-fusion was from the early 70s to early 80s. Acts like Jean Luc Ponty, Chick Corea, Al Di Meola, Brand X, Jeff Lorber, Herbie Hancock, Mahavishnu Orchestra, Passport, Pat Metheny, Lee Ritenour and Shadowfax were all over the place. Cripes, Spyro Gyra was a house hold name! (I was a bigger fan of “Spyrograph” myself) It was really a fun time. Jean Luc Ponty was one of the leaders in this genre.  He was popping them out like crazy while playing in bands along the likes of Frank Zappa and the previously mentioned Mahavhishnu Orchestra. Don’t get...

  Today’s Cool Album of the Day (#1020 in the Series) is Burt Ward, The Boy Wonder Sessions Produced by Frank Zappa “Batman” actor Burt Ward was 21 when he recorded the song “The Teenage Bill of Rights.” It’s a surprisingly stirring number, which decried the second-class treatment of American teenagers and was composed at the height of the nation’s battle over civil rights. “I don’t suggest we march all day and picket every night,” Ward proclaims with the utmost conviction. “I just propose the following: a Teenage Bill of Rights.” The music swells behind Ward as he launches into the first amendment. “Nothing we do so go unnoticed, not even the smallest deed. And no one should even...

From The JazzLine…. Rumors of the keys master’s death have been circulating since last night; however former Supreme’s member Scherrie Payne has confirmed that Duke died just yesterday on August 5. In a statement to the Mowtown Alumni Association, Payne wrote: ”I just received the devastating and sad news that the great musician, George Duke, passed away this evening at St. John’s hospital in L.A.” Payne went on to reflect on how close Duke’s death is to his late wife’s, saying: ”It was just one year earlier, July 18th, that his beloved wife and my friend, Corine, went to be with the Lord.” Duke’s latest album ‘Dreamweaver’ was released on July 16, and stands as a heartfelt tribute to his late wife Corine, who...

Song Of The Day by Eric Berman – “Electric Aunt Jemimah” by The Persuasions From Gospel to The Grateful Dead, The Persuasions are an a capella group whose musical tastes know no boundaries. The group’s five original members, Jerry Lawson, Jesse “Sweet Joe” Russell, Jayotis Washington, Herbert “Toubo” Rhoad, and bass vocalist Jimmy “Bro” Hayes began singing on the street corners of Bedford Stuyvesant, Brooklyn during the early 1960s. Jerry Lawson was their arranger, lead singer and producer for most of their career until his departure in 2003. Their big break came in 1968, when Stan Krause, who owned Stan’s Square Record Store in New Jersey, played a concert recording of theirs over the telephone to his friend, Frank...

  Song Of the Day by Eric Berman – “Mother People” by The Mothers Of Invention – Every Christmas Eve through Christmas morning I manage a homeless shelter in an area church. It gives the regular workers a night off on their holiest of holidays, and it is something that I find very rewarding. Inevitably every year, I either get home after, or someone comes up to me during the 15 hour shift to tell me of some celebrity who has passed. So it was that I came home today, not only to the news that we lost the great actors, Jack Klugman and Charles Durning, but we also lost Ray Collins of The Mothers Of Invention. Collins was...

    Today’s Cool Album of the Day(#539 in the Series) is Frank Zappa’s Sheik Yerbouti. (Zappa Records) If you ask Frank Zappa fans which album of his is there favorite an I’ll guarantee, Sheik Yerbouti will get some votes. No It probably will not win, it might, but it will definitely be in the team picture. It’s a double album. (Why Not, Zappa and the Mothers of Invention’s Freak Out! Was the first double album in Rock and Roll History)  Some songs are length, extended solo guitar pieces. Some songs are tight, shorter radio friendly hits. Well, for progressive stations that don’t mind a little twisted lyric here and there. What are we referring to there?  How ‘bout...

Today’s Cool Album of the Day (#232 in the Series) is Frank Zappa, Apostrophe(‘). Frank Zappa, Apostrophe (‘) was one of FZs’ most popular releases, maybe THE most popular. It was released directly after another of Frank’s best known works, Over-Nite Sensation. I’ve actually wanted to feature this album for some time.  I had to wait for ‘just the right time.’ The right time was now. One of the first days of winter (with apologies to our southern hemisphere readers). I’ve mentioned this before….. But some albums can only be listened to in certain seasons. I know every lyric to Apostrophe(‘) by heart, yet I can count on one hand how many times I listened to this when warmth...

Today’s Cool Album of the Day (#204 in the Series) is the debut, self-titled release from Toto. Could they be the most musically talented band of all time? Could they be the most misunderstood band of all time? Toto has always been an enigma. If you say ‘Toto’ you get some interesting takes. Someone who knows just hit radio…. We’ll they’ll most likely remember Toto IV and the huge hits and Grammy Awards that that album produced. ‘Rosanna, Africa, I Won’t Hold Back’ were all over the airwaves. As a rocker and you might get a look like ‘What the heck you listening to them for man?’ But ask a musician. Ask someone that can really play and they’ll...

Today’s Cool Album of the Day (#196 in the Series) is Darden Smith, Trouble No More. Yesterday we gave you one of the most popular singer songwriter/rockers that ever walked the planet. So today, I’m going to give you another great singer-songwriter. This time one that, I’m betting, not as many of you have heard. That man is named Darden Smith. He’s an Austin, Texas native.  He’s been recording since the mid-80s. The most of his commercial success was a little after that period when he released a number of albums for Sony Music. This was another artist that I became aware of after receiving a promo of his latest effort. In this case it was this album, Trouble...