Finally...Bourbon County Stout! Oh yeah and did I mention I enjoy Jazz Fusion

The Jogger- Alphonse Mouzon MP3


Space Invaders- Alphonse Mouzon MP3

12/27/11

beeradvocate.com rating- http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/1146/10672

Goose Island Bourbon County Stout 2011- TriBoro Beverage- Astoria, Queens- 12 oz. bottle into Belgian Beer Glass- 14.5% ABV (damn!)

Head- About half a finger of head which receded almost immediately. The head while there was brown with pinkish, purple hues. Absolutely zero lacing

Color- Black, motor oil black

Mouthfeel- Medium bodied, with medium active carbonation. Nice, not exactly creamy but a velvety texture which is quite nice.

Aroma- Definitely can smell sweet bourbon. Vanilla but predominately bourbon. As it has warmed up a bit it has really gotten a boozy aroma to it.

Taste/ Overall- This is my last review of the year and somehow I ended up doing the same amount of reviews as last year which is a bit disappointing. But in the big picture I am happy I continued doing reviews and hope to continue to do so in 2012. Hopefully I can continue to both improve my writing and refine my ideas about both music and beer. For my last post of 2011 I have something special to drink and something I have waited a long time to try. Goose Island Bourbon County Stout! This is a pretty hard beer to come by around these parts but I managed to get it this year with the help of my friend and co-worker. This stout has a really nice mouth feel a bit thinner maybe than an average stout but still nice. Its pretty saturated in bourbon. There is no real way around it. It dominates both the taste and aroma. This is not a bad thing. I wanted to taste bourbon in this stout and I would have been disappointed if I didn't. There is a sweetness which I would like dialed back a bit but I suppose that is from the bourbon casks. I couldn't drink more than one or two in a sitting but one or two would be perfect. I think this would be great to age for a couple of months, as suggested on the label, to tone down some of the boozy edges. Looking forward to having this beer again some time.

I don't do end of the year lists like a lot of people/blogs largely because I buy so few current records. Actually I can't think of any records I bought this year that was actually released this year. Its unfortunate but around 2005 or 2006 I really sort of stopped pursuing new releases for a number of reasons. Here is a brief list why:

Finances and time. I can only dedicate a specific amount of money and time on purchasing music. I have to choose carefully and there are still thousands of records from the past I want to focus my energy on.

I would never illegally download an album by a new artist. I may download an album I used to have and lost, an album out of print or download an album by an artist who is dead. I'm not gonna take an album from a working group for free.

Too many bands. There is no filter anymore and there are to many bands to sift through. Radio and MTV had there drawbacks but they did serve a purpose by allowing cream rise to the top.

Music blogs and youtube channels still are not selective enough and there opinions are skewed for a variety of reasons.

There hasn't been anything that really captured my imagination. I sample music on blogs, youtube and read about new groups in magazines but nothing has really warranted a financial commitment on my end.

I do think there are a lot of creative bands out there now but nothing I really feel connected to musically or socially.

It wasn't always like this and I always enjoyed being up on current releases but in my early 30's I kind of pulled back from trying to keep pace with new bands and releases. I kind of mourn the disconnect between me and the larger record buying culture. I have learned though it is just a fact of life and the result of my current taste. I do have another theory on why I pulled back. In my opinion once you hit your 30's and you are not involved in the music industry, in some financial capacity, I think there is less incentive for you to actively pursue new bands. For example when an established artist like David Bowie endorses a young band ____________. I am always wary of this. I get a sense this is done more out of a sense of maintaining credibility with a younger audience than Mr. Bowie's actual opinion of this band and their success. For me there is far less interest in bands who are coming up, who are younger than me, and I find its harder for them to win my respect, not that my respect really matters to them. Its a pretty jaded opinion but its true for me. Forming this opinion also forces you to accept you are getting older and you may no longer be the key demographic bands are seeking to connect with. I never imagined feeling this way just like I never thought I would tire of some bands I used to like (who will remain nameless) but who I no longer care to listen to. I always thought I would be above such biases but I'm not. I do not have to impress anyone with my taste in current bands and culturally for me the bands that matter and the ones I truly get enjoyment from listening to are ones whose histories have largely been written.

On the turntable is By All Means- Alphonse Mouzon. Released in 1981 on Pausa Records licensed by MPS (Magic Purple Sunshine) Records. I chose this record as a tribute to the end of 2011. Since I don't do any type of best of list for the year I chose this record because it is symbolic for me for the year 2011. I bought this at a yard sale in Queens this summer. It was in some guys backyard and I wish I had taken a picture of the sale but I didn't. I picked up some real nice stuff there for cheap, including some Harry Nilson records I had been searching for, and this is a record I took a chance on. I'm not sure why I bought this LP because I wasn't really sure who Alphonse Mouzon was but I just a had a feeling about this record. I later learned the Beastie Boys sampled one of Mouzon's tunes for the intro drumbreak to "Shake Your Rump".It was the first record I put on when I got home and after a few spins I was really hooked on the mix of fusion and R&B. The sidemen are a who's who of jazz and fusion including Freddie Hubbard, Herbie Hancock and Lee Ritenour among others.

This record really shifted my record buying patterns in a big way for the 2nd half of this year. Another record that did that for me was the Genesis Live album I bought at a flea market in Brooklyn over the summer. Before these records I was really still buying country records and west coast cool jazz primarily. This has been a really positive move for me . I kind of burned out a bit on buying country LP's over the last 3 or 4 years and fusion and hard rock/prog records are giving me a new direction to move in and one that is pretty far removed from the rootsier stuff I have favored over the last couple of years. This is one of the reasons why I have such a scattered collection of LP's. My focus I have realized is never completely consistent. I'll buy 5 jazz records but with those five I'll have a metal and a classical LP. Or I will buy 2 country, 1 soul and 4 blues rock records. So I end up with a collection which is kind of a mixed bag of stuff but for the forseable furure I will probably be focusing on 70's jazz/fusion and seeing where it takes me.

I'm Still Here

Merry Xmas!



Adjacent to the label on the bottleneck is a faint picture of UFO barely discernable in this picture. When this gatefold is opened it reveals the statuesque "stormtropper" on the cover gazing out at the UFO.




Time Was- Wishbone Ash MP3

12/21/11

beeradvocate.com rating- beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/140/1904

Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale 2011- Quick Mart, Rego Park, Queens, NY- 12 oz. bottle into Belgian Beer Glass- 6.8% ABV

Head- 2 finger of head, dense and stuck around for quite a bit. Minimal lacing

Color- Reddish oranges and hazy

Mouthfeel- Light to a medium bodied, active carbonation

Aroma- Super piney

Taste/ Overall- I was looking forward to this beer. I tried it for the first time last year and it does not disappoint this year. Below is my 20110 review:

2010 Review- thursdaynightrecordsandbeer.blogspot.com/2010/12/if-if-onlyelvis-could-have-played.html

This years beer is very much in the same vein as last years beer. Lat Friday night I actually drank 4 bottles of these which is pretty impressive in my opinion because it is a pretty complex and bitter beer but the alcohol content is not super high. I actually would describe it as the same as I did last year. This beer seems to be a beer I will look forward to every winter season from now on.

On the turntable is Argus- Wishbone Ash. Recorded and released in 1972- I have been neglecting my blogging duties big time. I hope this does not become more of a trend. than it already has. My lack of posts is partially due to some work we have had done on our apartment the last few weeks. It also has some personal shifts in my own life which have necessitated some reflection and some time away from the blog. Hopefully I will be able to continue with the blog but only the next few months will tell.

This is an LP I has passed on a few times but decided to pick up fairly recently and I am glad I did. This is kind of a forgotten gem. If you conduct a search of the internet you can find a number of glowing reviews regarding this album and there deserved. Problem is if you weren't looking for this band specifically there is zero chance of coming across them in popular culture whether on the radio or on television. I don't even know where heard of them but most likely I read about them in a magazine.

This LP contains some superb twin guitar jams. Not only that but it also has some wonderful bass playing and airy vocal harmonies. Wishbone Ash is often mentioned in Prog Rock circles and the 2nd side of this LP certainly fits in with that definition. The jacket of the LP also has a distinct proggy feel and initially kind of made me back off a bit. In my opinion the first side of this LP doesn't feel particularly proggy to me. It has more of power pop feel, specifically, the opening track Time Was included hear as an MP3. If you are a fan of Thin Lizzy, Deep Purple, Yes and Cheap Trick you would probably enjoy this record. I would also go as far as saying fans of Television and Lynrd Skynrd may also find some songs here that are appealing. You decide.

One of These Days...

Narrow Way Pt. 3- Pink Floyd MP3

11/17/11

No beeradvocate.com rating

Barrier Brewing Frau Blucher- Brouweji Lane- Greenpoint Brooklyn, NY- 32oz. Growler into Belgian Beer Glass - N/A ABV

Head- About a 2 finger of head, airy and receded quikly, not much lacing

Color- Pilsner colored with a bit of an orange complexion

Mouthfeel- Light to a medium bodied pilsner quality

Aroma- At first I was not sure what I smelled but then I read a review and the nailed it...smoked meats. Yes that is right almost like a buttery smoked ham

Taste/ Overall- Interesting beer her is the official description:

“A 5.4% German ale with a light golden color and a heavy addition of German beechwood-smoked barley malt. It has big smokey flavors and aromas reminiscent of bacon and ham hock, along with a nice toasty, bready malt complexity and a subtle hop bitterness to balance.”

That smoked pork smell is there, although I don't quite get it in the taste. But this is a very easy drinking beer and the smokey aroma adds a really nice dimension to this beer. I haven't had a beer from Barrier Brewing in Oceanside, NY before but I am intigued and it is nice to see another quality brew from a Long Island Brewery. Glad I chose this brew.

On the turntable is Ummagumma- Pink Floyd. A double LP released in 1969 and is compromised of live tracks and new studio material. My friend is getting married on Saturday so I thought I would play this record in his honor. We are both very big fans of Floyd but I would have to say he took his dedication to them a little further than I did. I found this record this summer at a garage sale and got it for $2 which was a steal. I remember asking for this album for Christmas when I was in high school and actually got it that year. Of course it was on tape and after seeing the gatefold presentation of this LP I realize now what I was missing all of these years. I don’t remember the photograph from the back of the LP jacket, which is awesome, being included in the tape packaging.The vinyl was in VG condition but the jacket two split seams.



My friend who is getting married and I both got to see Pink Floyd play at Yankee Stadium in the summer of 1994 but we went separately. This was Floyd on the Division Bell Tour and was being fronted by David Gilmour. It was an exciting time in NYC because both the NY Knicks and the NY Rangers were both in the playoffs of their respective leagues. Eventually the Rangers went on to win the Stanley Cup but our beloved Knicks, well.... we all know how that championship ended. I mention this because the two teams being involved in the playoffs led to a charged atmosphere becoming an absolutely electric one. I remember distinctly walking up through the old Yankee Stadium, which was my first time there, up to our seats which were in the last row of the stadium and people were going absolutely nuts. Between the excitement for the show, the pregame festivities and the chants of Lets Go Rangers echoed by Lets Go Knicks; I pretty much was in heaven. It was an amazing show. Of all the concerts I went to that one is one of the most memorable for me. I remember bumping into more than a few friends and people I knew at the show which is pretty impressive considering the size of the stadium. It also illustrates the impact that band had on me and my peers even though at that point Floyd, the band, was about 25 yrs old!

I chose this album tonight party because of my experiences of listening to Pink Floyd with him. More specifically this story is about listening to Pink Floyd with him on his former car's stereo. Now let me preface this story by saying I have never been a car person so much. I don’t know why but I am not. I was more interested in Star Wars figures than Matchbox cars for instance. A car was more of a means to an end with me and it still is. I have learned to appreciate cars more since I have grown up a bit. In general I think I prefer riding trains but that is a whole different post. With that said, this car was really cool!! It was a black Pontiac Firebird and bared more than a little resemblance to the Batmobile. In addition to it being a cool car it had a stereo system that was at the time better than most home stereos. Now the song which really captured the essence of this stereo system the best for me was One of These Days from the album Meddle. Hearing One of These Days through that stereo on a summer night with the t-top open is still a memory which is hard to articulate but one which resonates with me like it happened yesterday. Crackling treble and surging bass made me feel like I was speeding down a desert out in California instead of a Long Island turnpike. Unfortunately my copy of Meddle is packed away so I chose to listen to Ummagumma which stylistically shares somethings with Meddle and is from around the same period. Included above is an MP3 for Narrows Way Pt. 3 which is a nice vehicle written and sung by David Gilmour. It demonstrates some of the wistful, melancholic vocals and guitar work that made Gilmour such an important addition to this band after Syd Barret departed.

Post WFMU Record Fair Post

11/01/11

Smuttynose Pumpkin Ale- Euro Market, 31 St. Astoria, NY- 12 oz. Bottle into Brandy Snifter- 6% ABV

beeradvocate.com rating

Head- Nice 1 1/2 finger head, no lacing

Color- Hazy orange

Mouthfeel- Kinda loose feeling, light

Aroma- Pumpkin spices, namely cinnamon, but a funkieness as well

Taste- Think this beer may be a bit skunked. I don't know. There is an unpleasantness to this ale. Maybe just hop bitterness I wasn't expecting. Not super pumpkiny but definitley spiced and no trace of alcohol. Kind of disappointing but I would try it again just to see if the flavors were intended or maybe I just got a bad bottle.

Since I am now officially inundated with records I decided that Instead of a standard blog post I thought I would write one regarding my post WFMU Record Fair analysis. I ended up with 25 records and spent about $80. I didn’t listen to them all, not even close, but I did listen to a couple. I cashed out a coffee can and a half of change at a local Coinstar machine a few days prior the fair and ended up with a nice little bankroll for the fair without going to the ATM.

So upon returning from a wedding in New Jersey the night before I headed downtown to the record fair during what some are now calling one of the worst storms the east coast has experienced in October. I was not dressed for the weather and once I arrived at the fair I was cold and wet but I was energized by the thrill of the hunt. My initial approach this year was to focus on some higher end records that the usual bargain bins I am normally drawn to. I also wanted to refrain from buying any country records. I succeeded at the latter but not the former.

I stopped at the WFMU bins near the front, which I usually do, but it was pretty crowded. I picked up an unexpected record, a double LP by John Renbourn from the group Pentangle. This was $3 and I think it is partially because the LP jacket was in pretty bad shape with at least one split seam, but the vinyl is in good condition. I did some research yesterday and this actually appears to be a twofer collection of his first two solo LP’s from 1965-66. I think Bert Jansch accompanies him on some tracks.

Then I headed into the main area and approached a few vendors’ tables here and there trying to find some things off my list of 10 or 12 records. I had very little luck and the tables were crowded for the most part. After about a half an hour I found a corner filled with about 20 crates advertising $3 records behind two dealers tables. Surprisingly there was only one other guy back there digging so I started flipping pretty furiously.

After about a half an hour or so I had gone through about 2/3 of the records and pulled out about 12. The crates were a mix of oldies, classic rock and miscellaneous. They were all in pretty good condition considering and I ended up with a couple of 80’s metal and classic rock LP’s. I even found a copy of Black Sabbaths Sabotage, which I passed on once and since got on CD, the cover was a bit worn but the record was in pretty good condition and I had always regretted not picking it up when I first saw it because I never saw it again until the fair. When I got home I cleaned the record with my friends cleaning solution and it took off quite a bit of grime and the LP now plays with minimum surface noise. I also found No Dice by Badfinger in these crates and I had been looking for it for some time.
After taking a bit of a break I ended up finding another list record Nursery Crymes by Genesis. The Genesis was an $8 (most expensive record of the day) British pressing, I wasn’t looking for a British pressing but that is all I could find. It was in really good condition. I haven’t listened to this yet but I have no doubt I will enjoy. At the same dealers table I also picked up The Dynamic Clarence Carter by Clarence Carter. This wasn’t on my list but it was a record I had seen before and wanted to buy but not at the price I had originally seen it for. I got this for $5 but the LP did have some light scratches.

For the rest of the time I was there I wondered from vendor to vendor hoping to pick up a few more “list” records. I didn’t. I did pick up a couple of more albums though and one by a group I hadn’t expected to buy was The Kenny Clarke/ Francy Boland Big Band. I found one of their LP’s I didn’t have for $5 and was pretty psyched because there LP’s can be expensive and I have never seen this one before. This particular LP has David Pike on Vibraphone which is cool because I like the presence of vibraphone in a big band setting.

So my aim to focus on nice, higher end LP’s was left unaccomplished, maybe next year. The dealer tables were really crowded and I put in efforts at some of them but if I had spent more time at them I may have higher end stuff to report. I probably could have also found some more things on my list but I enjoyed the crate digging I did since the element of surprise in the bargain bins really adds a different dimension to the experience for me. I am happy to report I didn’t buy any country stuff unlike last year. Overall I am happy with my haul and should be kept busy listening for awhile.

Its Raining Outside and On This LP

Here Comes The Flood- Peter Gabriel MP3

10/27/11

beeradvocate.com review

Autumnation Sixpoint Pumpkin Ale- Community Beverage, Queens, NY- 16 oz. can into Pub Glass- 6.8% ABV

Head- Creamy 1 ½ finger head. The head on this beer lasted a while and continued to hang around for almost ¾’s of the beer. No lacing.

Color- Cloudy, orange. At first I thought it may have been an unfiltered beer but I don’t see any sediment collecting in the glass. Medium carbonation.

Mouthfeel- Nice creamy medium bodied ale.

Aroma- Grassy, slightly hoppy aroma. More of a piney quality and not much citrus at all. No pumpkin spices.

Brewed in Brooklyn, NY, the taste has an almost farmhouse or saison quality to it which was not what I was expecting. Kind of bitter and grassy. Maybe even has wheat beer qualities. This was described on beer advocate as a pumpkin beer but I detected very little spices or taste associated with other pumpkin beers I have had. This ale also lacks some of the qualities I associate with an autumnal/fall seasonal beer. Like I said above this beer reminds me of some of the Saison/ Farmhouse ales I have tried. A lot of the reviews I read were describing things I completely did not find in this ale. One review I did read mentioned wet-hopping and that may be what I am getting out of this beer myself. On a the good side this beer has a really nice mouthfeel with a creamieness similar to Boddingtons and a head that had almost stout like qualities but not quite as thick.

On the turntable is Peter Gabriel’s first solo album known variously as 1, Car and Windshield released in 1977. Its stark, vaguely creepy cover and LP insert were designed by the world class design group Hipgnosis. Try and count how many albums you have whose LP covers have been designed by this group! I got this and a few others at a thrift store this summer including Gabriel's more well known LP So. More encouragement towards my current Genesis fixation. I am not sure I am too happy about this fixation to be honest. I am actually fairly certain that as a younger man I would have cringed at the thought of listening to Genesis circa 1973 but what can I say I am enjoying a lot of it. In some ways there music reminds me of Pink Floyd. Some would call that comparison sacrilegious but I see parallels between the two bands. There are also glaring differences which for me is in their approach to lyrics. The dense, surrealism present in Genesis’ lyrics, for me, make them less easy to digest than Floyd’s lyrics have much more tangible and relateable quality. I guess what I find similar in both groups is their overall ambitious musical directions and the subtle, refined “Englishness” in mood experienced when I listen to their music.


LP Inner Sleeve - Kind of Creepy

As ubiquitous as Peter Gabriel is I haven’t really heard much of his stuff with a critical ear until now. I didn't even know Solsbury Hill was on this LP, I had assumed it was the product of one of his 80's LP's. When I think about he is really is a remarkable singer and stylist. You can't really mistake a Gabriel vocal for anything else. I did have his third solo LP at one time known as ‘Melt” but I think I actually gave it to someone because to be honest at the time I didn’t really give it the listens it needed for me to fully appreciate it. I will be keeping my eyes open for some Genesis and or Gabriel LP’s at the record fair this weekend to augment my collection. Particularly I would like to find a copy of Nursery Crymes by Genesis and the live Peter Gabriel LP from 1983. There is probably not a whole lot that I can contribute to the discourse on Gabriel but I would recommend digging into his catalog beyond the hits like Salsbury Hill, Sledgehammer and In Your Eyes. There are a lot of layers to his music and as with a lot of artists who have experienced mainstream success as wide as Gabriel his more experimental and less known works get neglected. This record includes music that borders on Vaudeville (Excuse Me) and Down the Dolce Vita is a clavinet driven track with instrumental backing by the London Symphony Orchestra. I included the MP3 of Down In The Flood, which to me, has that Floyd feel I mentioned above.

Mean Town Blues- Johnny Winter MP3


Jumpin Jack Flash MP3

10/20/11

beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/12959/45074

Captain Lawrence Pumpkin Ale- Brouweji Lane- Greenpoint Brooklyn, NY- 32oz. Growler into Belgian Beer Glass - N/A ABV

Head- About a 2 finger of head, dense but receded pretty quikly

Color- Reddish orange

Mouthfeel- Medium bodied

Aroma- Nutmeg, cinnamon, brown sugar, not overpowering, mild and appealing

Taste/ Overall- I find this beer more enjoyable than the Pumking. Everything from the aroma to the taste to the alcohol is dialed back to actually make for a beer which is truly drinkable. Would definitely revisit this beer.

On the turntable is Live- Johnny Winter And. Released in 1971 and recorded in1970 live at the Capitol Theater in Florida and New York. I don’t have too much to say about this LP other than it’s an enjoyable record which doesn’t demand too much attention. Just solid blues/boogie rock circa the early 70’s and sometimes that is all I need. This is one of the records I had in my stack of summer purchases which needed to be listened to. I am chipping away at these recent summer purchases so that by next weekend so I will have fresh ears following the WFMU record fair. All the records won’t get listened to by then but if I continue the pace of the last 2 or 3 weeks I should be able to make it down to about 5 LP’s next weekend. Then I will have to improve upon the cursory listen I gave them all and dedicate some more to time to digesting a portion of these records. Some of the records from this summer were merely filling gaps in my collection (Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple, etc.) but others need to be examined more closely (Oscar Peterson, Harry Nilson, Eric Dolphy, etc.)

This is LP could make the case for why I started to buy records. It is a record I was curious about but did not want to buy at the price of a CD but was willing to spend a few bucks for it on vinyl. Again not a knockout record but I try to look for records that could be interesting merely from a guitarist’s perspective and this one fit that bill. After I started learning to play guitar I started becoming more interested in musicians and genres I would have never have approached if I had remained purely a listener. Johnny Winter is a good example of someone who I read about in Guitar World but whose music I had never been exposed to. So when I saw this LP I was excited. This LP gets really good reviews from what I have read. This illustrates the problem with reading reviews prior to listening since I was mildly disappointed. I actually expected some more well executed solo's on this one but all in all the energetic boogie styled riffs are enough to hold my interest here.The gatefold sleeve shows all of Winter’s band members including Rick Derringer in all there fuzzy haired glory. A motley looking crew who probably wreaked their own brand of havoc in Holiday Inn’s across the country in the early 70’s. Included here as MP3's is Mean Town Blues and a Stones a rocking version of Jumpin Jack Flash.

Pumking On Draft with Shades Of Jade

Hot Sake- Cal Tjader MP3

10/13/11

beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/3818/38394

2010 Review of Pumking at thursdaynightrecordsandbeer.blogspot-

thursdaynightrecordsandbeer.blogspot.com/search/label/Southern%20Tier%20Pumking%20Ale%3B%20The%20Final%20Cut-%20Pink%20Floyd

Southern Tier Pumking Ale- Brouweji Lane- Greenpoint Brooklyn, NY- 32oz. Growler into Belgian Beer Glass - 8.6% ABV

Head- About a finger of head, which receded almost immediately after the pour

Color- Between light to medium orange

Mouthfeel- Medium to light mouthfeel, very mild fizzy carbonation

Aroma- Pumpkin pie crust is the best description. Nutmeg, cinnamon, brown sugar, etc.

Taste/ Overall- Pumpkin beer time again and I have been looking forward to these. This the first pumpkin beer I ever tried (last year) but this time around I got it on draft. Unfortunately it doesn't really seem to be any different than I remeber it. Maybe a bit less boozy. I was really hoping I may get a creaminess from the draft that I din't get from the bottle. Though I am enjoyinging it. I do think that this style would well in a Boddingtons Pub Ale style. Kind of a medium, heavy body with a creamieness to it and pull back on the spices a bit. I think this would really make for a drinkable pumpkin beer. This is good but probably wouldn't want more than two pints in a sitting.

On the turntable is Shades of Jade- Cal Tjader- This is a seminal record for me and it has been some time since I have listened to it. This was one of the first records that captivated me as an object and as an exotic style of music. My friend started DJ’ing and collecting records in the early 90’s and we were hanging around one summer night at his place listening to music and he pulled this LP out. At this point in my life I was about 20 yrs old and I didn’t listen to jazz or instrumental music. When he put this record on I was pretty much hooked from the get go. I can honestly say I had never really heard anything like it before.

Personally I didn’t really grow up with records. My parents didn’t listen to LP’s much and when I started to buy my own music, around 1989, it was in tape format. CD’s weren’t economically feasible or very accessible at that point and I didn’t have access to a record player so it was all tapes until about 1996. Even as a high school kid I started to accumulate a pretty broad, eclectic collection of tapes. I also taped songs I liked off the radio and then would seek out the bands I really liked in the music store. In addition to music I bought at the store I had a pretty nice lot of tapes I had dubbed from my friends collections. Unfortunately when I went to college, specifically my freshman year, I didn’t take very good care of my collection and the tapes dispersed through various hands and the collection was irrevocably damaged. In all honesty I was actually still buying tapes to some degree until about 1999.

On a brief side note in 2009, during my last move from Brooklyn to Queens, I actually threw out the last vestiges of my once formidable tape collection. It was sad to see what remained of the collection but even sadder to hold on to it in the condition it was in. I dumped the remaining 15 or so tapes, along with years of accumulated stuff from my 20’s and early thirties, into a dozen or more loads of garbage and bid them farewell. I have no nostalgic allegiance to tapes and the current resurgence of “tape” culture and bands issuing music via the magnetic tape format is a curious one. As a commercial product, used to distribute and store music, I don’t care for it to much. People always bitch about reading liner notes from CD’s but I know from experience that reading liner notes and/or lyrics from tape inserts was far, far worse.



Now, back to LP at hand Shades of Jade; I asked my friend if I could look at the LP jacket. I inspected the cover and the back. I quickly became infatuated with its bold colors, photographs and the detailed notes on the inner gatefold. However it was only today that I noticed that the jade statues on the cover were provided from my former employers personal collection, The Metropolitan Museum of Art. I had no idea who Cal Tjader was, the significance of Verve Records or who the dozen or so musicians listed in the notes were. I did know, on a pure musical level, I was hooked. That summer we spent a couple of nights drinking beer and just listening to his collection. A couple of LP’s which stand out for me was his Instrumental Banjo records, Barry Whjite, Memphis Soul Stew by King Curtis and the Hair Soundtrack. Those may not seem like ecclectic record now but those records were really foreign to anything I had been listening to at the time (Classic Rock, Alternative and a bit of Hip Hop). Despite my naivete I had instant connection and appreciation for that music. For me it was exciting to know there was so music out there I had no knowledge of. It would be a few years before I got my first turntable, which was given to me by the same friend, and started my own collection but the desire was conceived during those nights leafing through and listening to old, unfamiliar LP’s. Conducted by Lalo Schfrin and featuring one of my favorite jazz guitarists Jim Raney this LP is really a pleasure and posted above is one of my favorite tracks, Hot Sake.