Ready for re-release, officially next month, but is available now. Title track very Black Jazz label influenced.
We are proud to present the first full international release for another lost classic from the Black Fire Records archives, ‘Southern Energy’, the only album recorded by R’n’B and jazz collective Southern Energy Ensemble in 1977.
“As Southern Energy, we played the chitlin circuit and ended up gigging most weekends at clubs, universities and military bases in Virginia and North and South Carolina,” remembers leader Marvin Daniels. After meeting Plunky Branch and Jimmy Gray, they recorded some high energy sessions during 1977. “Southern Energy was tight,” continues Daniels.
“The album was all about positive messages and celebrating real people." The band would break up soon after the members left college. Canned following the original recording, the album eventually surfaced on a limited CD and LP on Black Fire in 1993. ‘Southern Energy’ has been remastered from the original tapes by The Carvery, and features unseen photos and brand-new sleeve notes by co-bandleader Marvin Daniels.
When I was young, the Black Jazz label was one of those must-haves for me and it just pre-dated the Black Fire one - which was a bit more difficult to obtain in the 70s. Black Jazz was West-Coast (Oakland) and Black Fire was East-Coast (DC). Black Jazz put out an astounding number of good-to-great quality albums in just a short 4 years that had a certain black social-conscious consistency that I really liked. Good to see both labels getting deserved attention these days!
An amazing album, AMG says "drawing plaudits from specialist classical publications as well as indie music magazines, who compared the ensemble's sound to any number of musicians and composers, from Arvo Pärt and Ralph Vaughan Williams to contemporaries such as Godspeed You Black Emperor! and Brian Eno".
Progarchives says "North Sea Radio Orchestra are an experimental chamber group whose sound draws heavily on elements of British folk, orchestral music (both classical and contemporary) and art rock....often cited influences include Benjamin Britten, Vaughn Williams, Tim Smith (of Cardiacs),,,,,they have also been compared to the likes of Frank Zappa, Henry Cow, Penguin Cafe Orchestra, Kate Bush and Neu!".
"American blues rock guitarist known for his innovative approach to electric guitar playing. A professional at twenty, he played with Charlie Musselwhite, Canned Heat, The Rolling Stones, and John Mayall before starting a solo career." Harvey Mandel 1969 Righteous 1971 Baby Batter 1972 The Snake
Comments
1998 album which revisits early 70s progressive/psychedelic rock
1977 Portfolio 1979 Muse
1981 Nightclubbing 1982 Living My Life
1985 Slave To The Rhythm
Lååje by Marja Mortensson & Daniel Herskedal
Southern Energy Ensemble - Open Your Mind
Ready for re-release, officially next month, but is available now.
Title track very Black Jazz label influenced.
“As Southern Energy, we played the chitlin circuit and ended up gigging most weekends at clubs, universities and military bases in Virginia and North and South Carolina,” remembers leader Marvin Daniels. After meeting Plunky Branch and Jimmy Gray, they recorded some high energy sessions during 1977. “Southern Energy was tight,” continues Daniels.
“The album was all about positive messages and celebrating real people." The band would break up soon after the members left college. Canned following the original recording, the album eventually surfaced on a limited CD and LP on Black Fire in 1993. ‘Southern Energy’ has been remastered from the original tapes by The Carvery, and features unseen photos and brand-new sleeve notes by co-bandleader Marvin Daniels.
A number of really interesting albums but I must say that I am particularly taken by JuJu and their album "Live at 131 Prince Street"
https://black-fire.bandcamp.com/album/live-at-131-prince-street
1969 Throb 1973 Gary Burton / Chick Corea
Crystal Silence
1978 The Pavilion Of Dreams 1984 Abandoned Cities
On the same top Prog Rock label (Kscope) as Porcupine Tree and Steven Wilson.
http://www.progarchives.com/artist.asp?id=5664
An amazing album, AMG says "drawing plaudits from specialist classical publications as well as indie music magazines, who compared the ensemble's sound to any number of musicians and composers, from Arvo Pärt and Ralph Vaughan Williams to contemporaries such as Godspeed You Black Emperor! and Brian Eno".
Progarchives says "North Sea Radio Orchestra are an experimental chamber group whose sound draws heavily on elements of British folk, orchestral music (both classical and contemporary) and art rock....often cited influences include Benjamin Britten, Vaughn Williams, Tim Smith (of Cardiacs),,,,,they have also been compared to the likes of Frank Zappa, Henry Cow, Penguin Cafe Orchestra, Kate Bush and Neu!".
https://www.allmusic.com/artist/north-sea-radio-orchestra-mn0000470511/biography
http://www.progarchives.com/artist.asp?id=6667
1980 Outside Pleasure 1991 Henry Kaiser / Jim O'Rourke
- Tomorrow Knows Where You Live
2016 Tania Chen\Henry Kaiser\Wadada Leo Smith\William Winant
- Ocean Of Storms
Byard Lancaster – My Pure Joy
Bass – Leonard Hubbard
Congas – Keno Speller
Congas, Bells – Henry Dixon
Djembe, Berimbau – Eric Lewis
Drums – Baba Crowder, Chuck Lee, Webb Thomas
Drums [African] – Drummers From Ibadan, Tunde Kuboye
Flute, Piccolo Flute, Alto Saxophone, Piano, Soprano Saxophone,
Flute [Wooden], Flute [Plastic] – Byard Lancaster
Guitar – Warren Wimberly
Guitar, Bass – Jeff Lee Johnson*
Keyboards – Alfie Pollitt
Piano – Eddie Green (3)
Vocals – Reverend Joe Craddock
2011 Atlas Nation 2011 Annapurna Illusion / High Wolf
Bandcamp Emusic
2013 Kairos: Chronos 2015 Growing Wild
Bandcamp Bandcamp, Emusic
A professional at twenty, he played with Charlie Musselwhite, Canned Heat, The Rolling Stones,
and John Mayall before starting a solo career."
Harvey Mandel
1969 Righteous 1971 Baby Batter
1972 The Snake
Harvey Mason
1976 Earthmover 1977 Funk In A Mason Jar
The Heavenly States
2003 The Heavenly States 2008 Delayer
2011 Oui Camera Oui