Bob Koch
Dedicated crate-diggers encounter some performers so often over the years that seeing their records becomes somewhat like background noise on a banged-up LP; it's there, but you may not really notice or think about it. As a dedicated digger myself, I have passed over both ubiquitous and less common titles for years before the day came for a random purchase. Of course, the best way for the musically curious but artist-uncommitted listener to pick up these sorts of albums is in the bargain bin. Here's a roundup of recent selections that hit the turntable this week.
I thought I had seen every LP by The Stampeders, but that turned out to not be the case. I always enjoy their records, so New Day was a no-brainer to snag for a singleton. Most listeners today (at least, in the U.S.) may not know the band name but probably have heard the Canadian trio's international hit, "Sweet City Woman," a Billboard Top Ten chart item in 1971. It was No. 1 in Canada, where they had hits both several years before and after. They were not a one-hit wonder in the U.S., either; their cover of Ray Charles' "Hit the Road Jack" scraped into the Top 40 in 1976. It's surprising they didn't have more success in America, as I've not heard a bad album from the band. All I can guess is it might have been confounding to radio programmers (and record labels) that "Sweet City Woman" is a quite different sound from much of their material. Their mid-1970s albums I've heard tend to be fairly hard rocking power trio affairs, and the bulk of New Day works that direction as well. There are some really heavy, catchy rockers on this album!
I finally got curious enough to look for more information about the band, and I've not even heard half of what they put out (though, I believe New Day is the last one released in America that I had not seen before). Their genesis goes all the way back to 1964 as The Rebounds; they became The Stampeders the following year and the group whittled down to the long-running hit trio by 1968. And they have remained active in some form up to the present day in Canada, where they remain a legendary band. (Capitol ST-11328, 1974)
I have seen LPs by If over the years, but never picked one up until recently. Waterfall fell into the dollar bin so I figured it was time to finally check them out. This album, at least, is that sort of uniquely British prog rock seemingly pulling in all directions at once but always managing to somehow land on the beat. The first song starts out sounding a bit like contemporary Cat Stevens before developing into a Jethro Tull-esque flute-led jam. Elsewhere, horn rock sections fight with lead guitar meltdowns for dominance over songs that begin as sort of folk rock. It's all a bit too scattered and adventurous for me to really get into, but it's an interesting listen waiting to see what they are going to try next. In the U.S., their first three albums were on Capitol, and this one being on Metromedia means there is always the chance something slightly sketchy is going on. And that is the case; Discogs reveals this is a repackaged version of If 4, with a couple tracks substituted: 'Paint Your Pictures" and "Cast No Shadow." From what I can tell online, those cuts may be exclusive to this release; it's impossible to Google those generic titles and the band name and get anything useful. (Metromedia KMD 1057, 1972)
I've also seen albums by John Klemmer many times over the years, but his records remained the crate-digging version of wallpaper...until now. Touch was sent to me in a box of LPs from a friend on a music forum. (An interstate bargain bin sharing project has been going on for a few years in which several of us mail albums around until they find a forever home.) My knowledge of Klemmer is 100 percent greater than before, because now I know he plays sax and flute. This album, at least, offers some super mellow sounds. Klemmer is joined by a cast of familiar studio names, including Dave Grusin on keys, John Guerin on drums, Larry Carlton on guitar, and others. Did I mention it's really mellow? Fans of smooth jazz should check it out. (MCA-37152, '80s reissue of 1975 album)
Howard Roberts has been more on my radar since digging deep into a 1970s offering, Antelope Freeway, in a past column. So, despite some minor trepidation about "with brass" appended to the ensemble name, I picked up Something's Cookin' for a spin. In this case, rather than worrying about extraneous horn charts, I should have maybe remembered that the Howard Roberts Quartet includes an organ player, which doesn’t usually suit my listening tastes. But with the pros involved in this session, there's not much to worry about; the organist is Charles Kynard, who recorded quite a few albums of his own for Prestige and Mainstream, among other labels. Kynard is not afraid to join the fray in the solo parade but is also adept at comping while everyone else is swinging, so it all works out fine. Something's Cookin' definitely has busy arrangements (collaborations among Roberts, veteran producer/guitarist Jack Marshall, and legendary west coast composer/arranger Shorty Rogers) but keeps most of the flash centered on Roberts' fleet-fingered playing. The cover art by Virgil Partch is also very nice. (Capitol T-2214, 1964)
