Horacee Arnold Sextet - Captain Marvel
And just like that, we start a new month with an artist I never, ever, ever imagined I'd get to cover, yet somehow my looting of (you know where) has led me to pastures unknown once again.
It all happened because when I was appending the bonus track to the Herbie Mann post of 48 hours ago, and trying to scissor out the cloying, unctuous announcer voiceover, my husband came in and started talking to me, causing me to leave the end of the tape running longer than I would have.
That's when I turned back to the terminal, and annoying announcer dude said "And what about that Horacee Arnold set from earlier on?!"
That's when I froze and replied What Did He Just Say?
A quick search of You Know Where, and what had seemed as far removed from the realm of possibility as me being named Pope of the Roman Catholic Church was reality.
Once I confirmed it was one of those WV selections that has a spectral analysis that goes to 20 kHz, we were off and running into a spectacular, funky Soul/Spiritual Jazz set that makes a toppermost companion to this guy's only two known records as a leader, which were both made around this time 50 years ago.
Those two LPs -- Tales of the Exonerated Flea and Tribe, are as good as any 1970s Jazz platters and I command anyone unfamiliar to purchase them immediately.
As for Horacee Arnold, he eventually became a revered music teacher after drumming for a bunch of luniaries in the 1960s, '70s and '80s. He is still around and is 86 years young as of right now.
Look out for reeds & winds ace Joe "Moon Germs" Farrell, especially on soprano in the last tune, oh my.
All right, enough blather. It's 1973 and it's Showtime at the Apollo!
Horacee Arnold Sextet
Newport Jazz Festival
Apollo Theater
New York City, NY USA
7.2.1973
01 introduction
02 Captain Marvel
03 band introductions & Horacee talk
04 Spain
05 Tribe
06 outro
Total time: 48:22
Horacee Arnold - drums & percussion
Joe Farrell - soprano saxophone, flute & piccolo
David Friedman - vibes
Steve Khan - guitar
George Mraz - bass
Don Alias - congas & percussion
320/48k audio streamed from Wolfgang's Vault
spectral analysis goes to 20 kHz, making this essentially equivalent to a preFM source
converted to 16/44 CD Audio, repaired, tracked & very slightly remastered by EN, June 2024
306 MB FLAC/direct link
306 MB FLAC/direct link
OK, so I apologize for being unable to do Alan "Blind Owl" Wilson -- to me, the most ridiculously undersung member of the unfortunate 27 Club -- on his July 4th b'day, but it's just that all Canned Heat bootlegs from his time have the irritating Gorilla Man grunting and boogie-ing over mostly horrifyingly poor sound, and Alan only tiptoes out from behind that guy every so often to take center stage anyway. Maybe someday someone will excavate that unissued 1966 Takoma record of the Owl that his pal John Fahey made but never put out, with all the harmonica and guitar Blues ragas.
Anyway I shall return in 10 days with something tremendous, trust me. But make sure you check out what Horacee Arnold and his Tribe were up to at the Newport Festival 51 years ago today, it's sure to exonerate your fleas!--J.
Couldn’t agree more about Al Wilson. I guess we all grew up knowing that voice [Goin’ Up the Country, On the Road Again, etc.] but I only became more obsessive after reading John Fahey’s Dance of Death biography a few years ago. That’s also where I learned that one track from that unreleased Al Wilson blues/raga album turned up on Fahey’s Old Girlfriends and Other Horrible Memories. Based on that one track, it’s something of a Holy Grail to hear the rest one day.
ReplyDeleteyes he was a living Blues encyclopedia, it's a pity there's nearly nothing of him except the CH stuff, which is dominated by The Bear but architected by The Owl.
Deletethat unreleased Takoma album is on my Top Ten Holy Grails list fasho, oh to be turned loose in the archives
Many thanks
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