We got together with friends to carve pumpkins, share stories, imbibe delicious hot mulled cider, and share good food. We followed that up last night by handing out candy to trick-or-treaters with my mom, with the glow of the jack-o'-lanterns next to us. The neighbors joined us — we had Halloween music playing and shared delicious Thai food on the front lawn.
I think we went through about 5 pounds of candy…
New Japanese Pressings I’ve Acquired
During my recent shows on whatnot, where I’ve sold more than 190 pieces of vinyl, I have also watched many shows… and purchased a few used albums, including these brilliantly sounding Japanese pressings of Moonflower by Santana, Cat by Hiroshi Suzuki, and The Quartet by The Modern Jazz Quartet. All three of these records are in immaculate shape, easily VG++ or better.
No, I didn’t just buy the Hiroshi Suzuki for the cat, but it helped! He recorded it with his old band Freedom Unity, featuring Takeru Muraoka on sax, Hiromasa Suzuki on keys, Kunimitsu Inaba on bass, and Akira Ishikawa on drums. “Shrimp Dance” opens with a loose, swinging groove and Suzuki’s trombone right up front, and their version of Joe Zawinul’s “Walk Tall” gets a bit funky. Every track is well done, but for me, it’s all about “Romance.” The melody rides on top of the electric piano, which seems to float along. It’s mellow, and it makes you feel good. Fifty years on, it still sounds like a late night you don’t want to end. A truly impressive recording.
Santana is one of my favorite fusion bands, and Carlos Santana is without a doubt one of the best guitar players of any genre to ever play the instrument. Some of his best playing is on this double album. Have you heard it? It includes both studio and live tracks, a great mix—and this pressing has tremendous sonics.
How can you go wrong with early The Modern Jazz Quartet? Especially this 1991 Japanese audiophile reissue of the 1956 Savoy Records release. These recordings were some of the first they made together. My mom met Milt Jackson once…
Halloween Playlist
Here’s a two-hour, 36-song Apple Music playlist just in time for your Halloween celebrations this year. Take a gander - share it with your friends and enjoy the day. Leo helped create this spooky concoction of tunes, just for you.
Stay safe & have fun. I’m going to the parade. 🎃 Thanks for reading. More to come!