Paul Horn Corner

[Teasing the Korean]

Now playing the aforementioned "Monday Monday" LP on RCA.

This is a mixed bag, but the track I posted above, "Karen's World," is incredible, and is arguably the money cut.

"Satisfaction" sounds like it was arranged for an episode of "The Mothers-In-Law."  There should be a law against flutes that play in such a high register.

[Teasing the Korean]

So I have now spun the entire "Monday Monday" album, and of the 11 tracks, I would rank 7 of them as good or better, and the other four as pure schlock.

Your own schlock threshold may result in a different ratio than mine.

The money cut is definitely "Karen's World," which I encourage all of you to listen to (above).

The other good tracks are "Norwegian Wood," "Acapulco Gold," "Girl" (the Rubber Soul tune), "Paramahansa," "Guv-Gubi," and "Eight Miles High."  This version of "Eight Miles High" is not quite as great as the Bob Thiele version, but it is very good.

The schlock numbers are "Monday, Monday," "Satisfaction," "You've Got Your Troubles," and the dreaded "Exclusive Butterfly."  These are all Oliver Nelson arrangements.  You can perfectly imagine Eve Arden and Kaye Ballard turning on and tuning in to the moods, feelings, and vibrations of today.  

Edited June 14, 2020 by Teasing the Korean

[sgcim]

On 6/11/2020 at 10:46 PM, mjzee said:

Paul Horn had an interesting career.  I recently picked up a used copy of his 1965 RCA album Cycle.  It's really nice: contemplative, moody, at times swinging.  Great accompaniment from Lynn Blessing, Mike Lang, Bill Plummer and Bill Goodwin.  Great sound, too, on this mono Dynagroove LP.

My first album of his was A Special Edition (1974, on Island).  I thought it was so interesting that Island would release a double LP by a jazz musician.  There's a great version there of Freedom Jazz Dance.

I then became aware of 1969's Inside, really a classic of the genre.  Although it might have helped launch the New Age category, the music really does transport me to another place.  I wish I didn't have such a noisy vinyl copy.

Dips into his catalog show a restless mind and a desire to mix up different genres, with consistently rewarding results.

What do people here think about his music?

Lynn Blessing and Bill Plummer were sidemen on all the albums of Judee Sill. Blessing may have influenced Horn's entrance into the New Age field, as he had one of the largest library of books on the occult in the US. He only made one album under his own name, but it was an early example of the New Age genre. Sill's music was filled with elements of New Age music.

[Teasing the Korean]

9 minutes ago, sgcim said:

Lynn Blessing and Bill Plummer were sidemen on all the albums of Judee Sill. Blessing may have influenced Horn's entrance into the New Age field, as he had one of the largest library of books on the occult in the US. He only made one album under his own name, but it was an early example of the New Age genre. Sill's music was filled with elements of New Age music.

Context is everything.  I don't consider "Inside" to be new age.  I consider it to be late 1960s decadent Now Sound. 

[Teasing the Korean]

Now enjoying a 1944 Trader Vic's maitai with Paul Horn's "Cleopatra."

This is an excellent album, inhabiting a space someplace between early 1960s modal jazz and 1950s Martin Denny exotica.  It could have been the template for a new subgenre.

The lineup includes Paul Horn on flutes, plus vibes, piano, bass, drums, and percussion. 

The album is further improved by simultaneously blasting jungle sounds from your tiki bar, as I am doing now. 

Anyway, it goes very well with this cocktail, which includes:

• 1 part dark Jamaican rum
• 1 part Martinique rum
• 1part fresh-squeezed lime
• 1/2 part orgeat
• 1/2 part dry curaçao.

Shake with ice, and pour into an old-fashioned glass filled with ice.

Garnish with fresh mint. 

Edited June 14, 2020 by Teasing the Korean

[Teasing the Korean]

Still enjoying a 1944 Trader Vic's maitai, now paired with Paul Horn's "Cycles," on a a UK RCA stereo LP in pristine condition.  This is not as good as "Cleopatra," but it is pretty good, especially while blasting jungle sounds from the tiki bar.  

Edited June 14, 2020 by Teasing the Korean

[Teasing the Korean]

A lot of today's pop artists are writing tunes that are very adaptable to jazz.

I am talking about artists such as David Crosby, Joni Mitchell, and Stevie Wonder.

Today's generation is saying some really beautiful and  important things.  And as adults, it is up to us to listen.

Paul Horn is one of those adults who is listening to what the kids are saying.  And he is demonstrating this on his 1974 Epic LP "Visions."

I am switching from maitais to white wine, a California Chardonnay, which pairs well with tonight's dinner.  

Edited June 15, 2020 by Teasing the Korean

[Teasing the Korean]

Well, that just about does it, folks!

The one album TTK didn't get to this weekend is the Lalo Schifrin/Paul Horn "Jazz Suite on the Mass Texts." That will happen next weekend!

But in the meantime, TTK has spun:

"Monday Monday"  - OK

"Inside II" - OK

"Cycles" - Better than OK/good:  Docked points for bagpipe content

"Visions" - Good

"Inside" - Very good

"Cleopatra" - Amazing.  

Thanks to the OP for reminding me of all these Paul Horn albums that I haven't spun in forever!

[JSngry]

1 hour ago, Teasing the Korean said:

I am switching from maitais to white wine, a California Chardonnay, which pairs well with tonight's dinner.  

Without stopping for a purge? YUCK!!!!

[sgcim]

5 hours ago, Teasing the Korean said:

Context is everything.  I don't consider "Inside" to be new age.  I consider it to be late 1960s decadent Now Sound. 

They actually have all of Lynn Blessing's only album "Sunset Painter", on You Tube, and it turned out to be produced by our boy, Paul Horn. It's the kind of commercial crap they were doing in 1969 on the West Coast. He does songs by The Beatles, The Who, and country crap like this. I don't think I hear anything beyond a triad on most of the LP. It sounds more like decadent Now Sound more than New Age to me:

 

[JSngry]

It's got the right label!

 

Why do I get the impression that this Paul Horn guy was a bit of a businessman as well as a bit of a musician?

And how will I know when to tell the difference? Of should I?

[Teasing the Korean]

23 minutes ago, JSngry said:

Why do I get the impression that this Paul Horn guy was a bit of a businessman as well as a bit of a musician?

And how will I know when to tell the difference? Of should I?

If you are correct, then the world could use more albums by businessmen and fewer albums by "musicians."  And you know why I place the latter in quotes.

[Teasing the Korean]

1 hour ago, JSngry said:

Without stopping for a purge? YUCK!!!!

I'm not an amateur. 

[sgcim]

17 hours ago, JSngry said:

It's got the right label!

 

Why do I get the impression that this Paul Horn guy was a bit of a businessman as well as a bit of a musician?

And how will I know when to tell the difference? Of should I?

On the basis of that POS, you can definitely say he and LB were after a quick buck

[Joe]

6 hours ago, sgcim said:

On the basis of that POS, you can definitely say he and LB were after a quick buck

We're a long way from Tommy Peltier's Jazz Corps here... or are we?

[sgcim]

18 hours ago, Joe said:

We're a long way from Tommy Peltier's Jazz Corps here... or are we?

Peltier was another one of that crowd that Sill hung out with. He later went to New Orleans, and started some type of rock group that featured him singing because he got into some type of accident that destroyed his trumpet chops. His act featured two scantily dressed women in bikinis.

[Joe]

2 hours ago, sgcim said:

Peltier was another one of that crowd that Sill hung out with. He later went to New Orleans, and started some type of rock group that featured him singing because he got into some type of accident that destroyed his trumpet chops. His act featured two scantily dressed women in bikinis.

Was aware of the Judee Sill connection (pun intended) but not the rest of this story.

Also, not sure of their availability, but the two volumes of Jazz Corps archival recordings Cadence put out several years back are worth hearing. http://www.jazzlists.com/SJ_Label_CJR2.htm.

[sgcim]

1 hour ago, Joe said:

Was aware of the Judee Sill connection (pun intended) but not the rest of this story.

Also, not sure of their availability, but the two volumes of Jazz Corps archival recordings Cadence put out several years back are worth hearing. http://www.jazzlists.com/SJ_Label_CJR2.htm.

They also did one with Roland Kirk.

[JSngry]

 

Where are those people?

 

[mjazzg]

fwiw I enjoy the recording with Kirk a great deal

[sgcim]

19 hours ago, JSngry said:

 

Where are those people?

 

Tommy be makin' the scene with da babes:

 

[Teasing the Korean]

Paul Horn plays on Cal Tjader's first Verve album, "In a Latin Bag," from 1961.

This track, "Triste," - not the Jobim tune - is stunning.