Real Time Reviews: End of Quarter Treat Myself to East Bay Record Day (or, Screw the NCAA)

First up is Lalo Schifrin's New Fantasy, a collection of his arrangements of some classics and modern classics, in what you'd call the Bossa Nova style if you knew what the hell Bossa Nova means. Schifrin penned the score to Bullitt, which is the only soundtrack I've ever wanted to own, besides Xanadu. This original swings fast n' furious. $7.99 Amoeba Berkeley, Verve.

Now it's Mating Call by Tadd Dameron with John Coltrane. First class tunes by Mr. Dameron. Coltrane is loud and up front and maybe too well mic'ed, but no complaints for this $4.95 Prestige original, courtesy of Rasputin's.

Mose Allison’s Down Home Piano looked beat up as hell, but for $2.95 it was worth the risk. Thee Piano Man is in fine form, tearing through solid originals, but man he needs some horns. Brubeck had Desmond, and Mose could have used him here. Hissy sounds just find for three bucks. Prestige, Rasputin’s, blah blah blah.

Fleetwood Mac’s Then Play On is the only record I like by them not featuring the vocal stylings of Ms. Gold Dust Woman. Peter Green and no chicks $2.99 Amoeba Berk, Reprise. Closing My Eyes should stink, but it kinda works in a heroin-slow way. I’m waiting for Oh Well to close out side one. Nice slide work, hippy tunes, I think I should have soulseeked this.

Monk at the Blackhawk (long dead SF club) was one of the first non rock CDs I bought. No idea what happened to it, but thanks to Rasput’s I got the black vinyl for 6 bucks. Still so great, easily the best sounding live album he made, and it’s got the short break version of Epistrophy, my favorite song. Riverside label.

Side A of Rollins' Nucleus is at times a Stax-sounding blues record. Sonny's horn takes over the vox, and this surprise is kinda fun after the 'serious jazz' I've ingested. It sounds like Duck Dunn and Al Jackson keeping time, and though it's not it's good enough for me. When they do get all jazzy it's ok, but the 4/4 stuff makes it a good buy. Side B starts with slow funk, and settles in to a great cool and steady vibe. $4.95, s'nitupsaR.