Weekend Music Roundup!

The weekend has arrived, and after a week of being sick, I'm certainly ready to just lay back and listen to music. I caught a stomach virus this week that knocked me out of commission, but I still managed to get some drive time music listening in. Luckily, I have a bunch of albums waiting in the queue for their turn on the roundup, so there's still something to share with you all. It's mostly old stuff that I recently acquired and discovered, as well as one new release of old material. There's psych rock, jazz, folk and fusion on here. Enjoy.

Baby Grandmothers - Merkurius: Last year, the Swedish acid rock band which had been together only one year (from '67 to '68) reformed to record this album of songs from that time. A band reforming 51 years after originally disbanding, and having only archival releases in their catalog, is definitely something interesting, and perhaps something to be weary of. However, the band that rocked then, rocks just as hard today. The music sounds as tight as ever and this is definitely something that fans have been waiting for, and by that I mean a high quality recording of their legendary heavy pscyh songs. 

John Abercrombie - Timeless: The '75 debut album from technical jazz musician John Abercrombie is the sound of jazz evolving. Jazz fusion often gets a bad rep, but those people haven't heard this masterpiece that blends core jazz elements with elements of space rock and prog rock to create a record that moves from mellow to exciting and brings you back again. This has been a wonderful addition to the Sunday morning jazz rotation, and perfectly fits the bleakness of winter mornings.

Babe Ruth - Stealin' Home: The fourth album from the UK hard rock band was their second album released in 1975. Their '72 debut is one of those lost classics that is a must, this one is close to that, and far better than the other two that came between. It opens with the killer track "It'll Happen in Time" that captures their Zep style, but with a female vocalist, they resemble early Heart, which we know is also very Zep inspired. Lots of great heavy blues rock on here, including  "Fascination," "Say No More," and "Tomorrow (Joining the Day)".

Woody Guthrie - Woody Guthrie (Archive of Folk Music): Another pick up from the cheap bin was this 1965 archival release from one of America's greatest folk singers and storytellers. In the 40's, Guthrie was to music what Steinbeck was to the literary world, capturing the stories of the forgotten in America with his Dust Bowl ballads. His music would go on to influence the course of American folk music for decades, with Bob Dylan being his master student.

Thelonious Monk - Monk's Music: This iconic album from the iconic figure was released in '57 at the height of jazz cool in America. This album features Coleman Hawkins, Art Blakey, and John Coletrane, all favorite players of mine, making this a supergroup type of record. Everything comes together on these recordings, capturing what jazz does best...anticipation of the unexpected.

Minnesoda - Minnesoda: Released in '72, this is only official release by the band from Minneapolis. This is sort of fusion record that falls between psychedelic rock, prog, and jazz fusion. This record has solid groove that runs throughout. More upbeat and engaging then say, Caravan, or other early proggish bands. Not quite essential, but interesting. I found a copy in the 4 for $10 bin, and it was a good buy at that price. "Where's My Season," "Child's Play," and "Maggie" are my personal favorites.