Category: Indie Jazz

BROOKE D - NEW YEARS BLUES

12/29/2015

We were doing Blues on the front page today, so I stumbled across "New Years Blues" by Brooke D, a native of the California coast currently based in Portland, Oregon (I think). Oddly enough, this tune isn't (strictly speaking) Blues. It's a cappella Folk Jazz. What it is is interesting and different. And you know that "different" is one of my favorite words. "New Years Blues" is from Brooke's 2011 EP "A Kinder Winter" and you can download all three tunes free from Bandcamp. Dig around and you'll find a live version that's also free. Brooke is currently working on a real honest to goodness album which hopefully sees the light of day in 2016.

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b3groover - ORGANISSIMO HOLIDAY SAMPLER

12/11/2015

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I love finding good free Christmas Jazz on the 'Nets. It's like....Christmas. And nothing says Christmas like a Hammond B3 organ.

The maestro on the keys is Jim Alfredson. Jim wears many hats and so I'm still shaky on the group name. The widget says it's b3groover, so who am I to say otherwise? But you can also find organissimo as either a group name or album title (or maybe its the label). And then there's Theo, Jim's Progressive Rock band.

Jazz by any other name rarely comes as sweet as this "Holiday Sampler" on Soundcloud. Seven tracks and they're all free. I'm not even going to try to break down the tracks for you. You know good Jazz when you hear it, and this is the Funky goods. Listen, download, listen again.

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VARIOUS - A NOTROCK HOLIDAY COMPILATION, VOLUME 7

12/7/2015

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1. Hides A Well - Decorations
2. Sally - Christmas Isn't Over
3. Young Legs - First Day
4. Borrasca - Snowed In
5. Please Exist - Bleed Christmas Dry
6. We Have Ghosts - I Wish it was Christmas Today
7. Zack Frank - Winter Weekend
8. Nicole Grogan - Christmas Present
9. Deja Gravy - Yule
10. Joe Egan - I'll Be Home For Christmas
11. straight creep. - All I Want For Christmas Is A New Cellphone
12. John Fisher & Molly Farrell - Black Christmas
13. Murph - Memory Lights
14. We Use To Love - 12-31-????
15. The McCarthyists - Merry Christmas, or Hanukkah, or Whatever You Like to Call It
16. Tabitha Booth (feat. Jesse Hardy) - Winter Blues
17. Joe Egan - Play Your Flute For Grandma
18. Ezra Lowry - True North
19. Awjita - Linus & Lucy
20. Eric K - It's Time To Go

NotRock is a New Jersey DIY label and this their SEVENTH holiday compilation. They just put out the call--to anyone, really, and artists submit their Christmas songs. Hey, its DIY; that's how its done. So you get a little bit of almost everything, here--from Indie Folk to Punk. Twenty songs is a bit much for me to digest this time of year (I don't even want to think about the other six volumes), and there's actually plenty, here, that doesn't work for my head. There are a bunch I really kinda like. And there are TWO tracks from this collection I am in love with.

One of my two faves is the one represented in video (it does kind of bug me that Bandcamp comp players will just keep going, not stopping after the one song you want to feature; there must be a way to fix that, but I haven't figured it out yet). Awjita proves nothing less than the genius of Vince Guaraldi, as his "Linus & Lucy" sounds absolutely brilliant in this Psych Jazz cover. In general terms, it reminds me of the great jamming bands of the late 60s (Greatful Dead were the kings of it, but everyone was doing the free form thing at the time). Awjita, here, does remind me of a specific band, but I can't put my finger on it. Anyway Free Form Psych Jazz is about as different as you're going to find anywhere. And I like different.

My other fave is Nicole Grogan's "Christmas Present", a Lo-Fi Indie tune with a cool melody, some great guitar work, wonderful lyrics, and miles and miles of attitude. And, from that, you might think I was describing some raucous Metal or something. But, no, the song's genius is in its laid back self assurance. It reminds me a lot of the early days of Indie on the Internets, when some very talented people were making beautiful sounds that, at the same time, were simple, low tech and Lo-Fi.

Some others (the ones I "really kinda like") are Sally's Indie Pop "Christmas Isn't Over", Borrasca's "Snowed In" (also Indie Pop), "All I Want For Christmas Is A New Cellphone" (Pop Punk from straight creep), the atmospheric Alt Rock/Pop Punk New Year's tune from We Used To Love ("12-31-????"), Tabitha Booth's "Winter Blues" (still working out how to categorize that one--sort of a Bluesy Dream Pop...or maybe Shoegaze...or maybe all of the above), the Indie Folk of Zach Frank's "Winter Weekend", and Joe Egan's Alt Jazz/Ambient Electronica "Play Your Flute For Grandma". So that's not bad. I liked half of it. You might find yourself drawn to some of the others. But the two that (IMO) make venturing to Bandcamp for the free download are the tracks from Awjita and Nicole Grogan.

There were hard copy CDs of "A NotRock Holiday Compilation, Volume 7", but they were for the artists and the release show. If any are left over, I'd assume they'll turn up at NotRock's online shop where it looks like they still have copies of the first three at stupid low prices ($3 for a 22 song CD? C'mon, that's like stealing). The download versions are all loaded at Bandcamp and "name-your-price".

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CITRUS & KATIE - I SAW MOMMY KISSING SANTA CLAUS

11/23/2015

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There are a number of Christmas songs that have been done to the death--songs that were pretty annoying from the jump. "Blue Christmas"? To me, there can be no redemption for that song. The very best and most original arrangements of "Blue Christmas" are (to me), at most, tolerable.

But most of the otherwise overdone and annoying Christmas songs can be saved by a truly original approach. And one such song is "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus". The Jimmy Boyd version, of course, sports some retro charm, I'll buy that. And, when I think of that song, my thoughts go immediately to John Mellencamp's version. Well here's another one to tuck in your rolodex.

Citrus & Katie (that would be lead vocalist Katie Howard, I'm guessing) turn "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus" into some funky Cosmic Jazz. And its really, really cool. The arrangement grabs you right from the beginning, while Katie's vocals entice you to take this ride all the way. And just when you figure you've lost the Jazz thread a bit, they change the song up on you and, oh, man, at that point, you're a goner for sure. Andre Flores deserves to be singled out for the nimble sax solo on the back end. But all them cats is playing it groovy. And then...they stick the landing with a bit of glockenspiel and the tone of a bell.

The band hails from San Diego and they're as smooth as an ocean breeze. It's a little bit Steely Dan, a little bit Jazz Crusaders, a little bit Parliament, a little bit Psych, a little bit Indie Pop, and a little bit vintage torch singer. You'll find all that and more, if you start unraveling the threads. Just can't understand why you'd do that, though, when--all together--it's such a beautiful tapestry. Citrus & Katie delivered "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus" just before last Christmas and I'd advise you to not only grab this one from Bandcamp, but to linger awhile and check out their other stuff (especially the single "Be My Ride"/"Pop Song (Whisper To Me)"). Everything Citrus & Katie have at Bandcamp is available either Free or as a Name-Your-Price. Their music is also up on SoundCloud. Then you can stop by the band's Facebook page and say, "Hello. Where have you been all my life?" They, of course, will promptly notify the authorities and secure a restraining order. So, yeah, best keep it simple and just hit the "Like" button. That'll do.

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BRETT WELLER & THE CONGREGATION - CHRISTMAS TIME IN NEW ORLEANS

11/20/2015

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I think I'm gonna call this "Indie Jazz", 'cuz it's Jazzy, but mixed with an Indie Folk Rock kinda thing.

Brett Weller & The Congregation are a New Orleans band and they just love to cook up a gumbo with all the sounds, spices, and culture of the Big Easy. And, like any fine gumbo, it is a recipe all their own. The closest thing I could compare it to is probably the Rend Collective. And they're nothing like the Rend Collective. So there.

The group's Christmas single is "Christmas Time In New Orleans". It's new! And the only place you can find it (they tell me) is on Noisetrade. Ain't that some stuff?

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BROOKE D - NEW YEARS BLUES

b3groover - ORGANISSIMO HOLIDAY SAMPLER

VARIOUS - A NOTROCK HOLIDAY COMPILATION, VOLUME 7

CITRUS & KATIE - I SAW MOMMY KISSING SANTA CLAUS

BRETT WELLER & THE CONGREGATION - CHRISTMAS TIME IN NEW ORLEANS

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