NORTH ATLANTIC JAZZ

Jazz I Føroyum 3

LP Tutl – HJF 9, Faroe Islands, 1982

This album is the third in a three LP series documenting the Faroese Jazz scene in the 80s.  It caught my attention because of its origin. The Faroe Islands is not a place usually associated with Jazz.  As a matter of fact I realize I know very little about the Faroe Islands, I’m much more familiar with islands in the Caribbean, the Indian Ocean and the Pacific than with those in the Northern Atlantic.  The other thing that caught my interest was the presence of two better known musicians:  Eero Koivistoinen on two tracks and Karsten Vogel (Burning Red Ivanhoe / Secret Oyster) on one.

The Koivistoinen tracks are duos with guitarist Olavur Oster.

The track with Karsten Vogel is somewhat prog rock oriented and should be of interest to fans of Scandinavian fusion / prog.  The title “Grindadrap” refers to the traditional whaling practiced in the Faroes.

Pianist Kristian Blak (Yggdrasil) appears also on three tracks.

Tracklist

A1       Wolf    4:30

Guitar – Ólavur Øster

Soprano Saxophone – Eero Koivistoinen

A2       And Then        3:09

Guitar – Ólavur Øster

Tenor Saxophone – Eero Koivistoinen

A3       Bollabossa      3:02

Bass – Kolbein Simonsen

Drums – Jan Jacobsen

Guitar – Ólavur Øster

Piano – Kristian Blak

A4       Andvekur       2:45

Bass – Kolbein Simonsen

Drums – Jan Jacobsen

Guitar – Ólavur Øster

Piano – Kristian Blak

B1       Fotalag                       4:03

Bass – J. Á Rógvu Joensen*

Drums – Poul Strøm

Guitar – Hans Bøgh Andersen

Piano – Kjeld Køngerskov

Tenor Saxophone – Olaf Sørensen

B2       Pigen I 3d       5:17

Bass – J. Á Rógvu Joensen*

Drums – Poul Strøm

Guitar – Hans Bøgh Andersen

Piano – Torben Kjær

Tenor Saxophone – Olaf Sørensen

B3       Grindadrap    10:35

Alto Saxophone – Karsten Vogel

Bass – J. Á Rógvu Joensen*

Drums – Poul Strøm

Guitar – Ólavur Øster

Piano – Torben Kjær

Recorded between 1978 - 81, Tórshavns Jazz Club, Faroe Islands.

Jazz I Føroyum 3 is the third in a series of joint releases by Havnar Jazz-Felag and Platufelagid Tutl. The Jazz I Føroyum recordings provide the listener with a sampling of music played in Havnar Jazzfelag by both local artists and visiting musicians.

I have volumes 1 and 2 also which I may post later on when I get a chance to digitalize them.

HEY GYP!

DOCTOR FEELGOOD

SOMETHING TO TAKE UP TIME (US, 1971)

(rare US bluesy prog).

 This one is not for the Jazzers but should please the Prog Heads / psychedelic blues freaks.  As you may have noted I have pretty catholic tastes.  This album was for a long time a mystery to me.  I remember hearing one track on the radio, probably on José Arthur’s Pop Club.  I enquired around, in specialised record shops and among friends but nobody had heard of the band.  A few years later I thought I had found it but it was a completely different Dr Feelgood, the UK pub rock band, very enjoyable but nothing to do with the music of “my” Doctor Feelgood”.

I would define the music as blues-based prog rock with mild jazz influences. It has vocal parts and lot of sax or flute-driven instrumental parts.   It sounds at time like a UK prog / Canterbury-influenced band, an unusual sound for an American band.  Think to early Jethro Tull or Gravy Train.  If you like bands like Delivery or Backdoor (UK), or the Colwell-Winfield Blues Band (US), you may give this one a try.

It seems that the original album released in 1971 is pretty rare indeed.  A bit of research on the net yielded some scarce info on the band. It hailed from Massachusetts. Members came from at least two local pop/ garage rock bands (Teddy and the Pandas and The Sensations).

…  Bill Corelle's further disenchantment with the direction the group (i.e. The Pandas) was heading led in 1969 to him forming his own blues and jazz band. ... Sharing Corelle's views, Paul Rivers decided to join him and, too, left the Pandas. Hooking up with Dick Winters and Ralph Cooper - both original members of the Sensations but at this time playing together in the Warlocks - the quartet then formed Dr. Feelgood. Dr. Feelgood later recorded an LP, titled 'Something To Take Up Time', on the Number One label.

(source: http://www.spectropop.com/Teddy/index.htm )

The album was released on the Number One label (their own?) with no number on the label, but dead-wax number DFCR-1.

Tracklist:

01. Number ten (2:47)

02. The roach did it (3:03)

03. Smoke dream (8:49)

04. Mr. Bojangles (2:32)

05. Medicine man (4:04)

06. Nasal greens and toe jam (3:10)

07. Hey gyp (5:17)

08. 5 x r.v.w. (6:10)

09. Something to take up time (7:41)

10. Junk (5:28)

Credits:

Dick Winters: flute, tenor, baritone and soprano saxophones, maracas

Ralph Cooper: drums, conga, maracas

Bill Corelle: bass, cow bell

Paul Rivers: guitars

 The album was reissued on CD a few years ago, I got my copy from the now defunct Freak Emporium.  It’s OOP again but if you search the web, you’ll  still find it. Buy it !