Willis Jackson (April 25, 1932 – Oct. 25, 1987) was an American tenor saxophonist who released more than 40 albums as a bandleader on Prestige, Muse, and other labels between 1959 and 1983. Starting under the auspices of trumpeter/bandleader Cootie Williams at the outset of the 1950s, Jackson lent his talent to other artists throughout […]
Saluki were a Norwegian maximalist rock quintet of the mid-1970s. Members: Freddy Dahl (vocals, guitar), Peter Berg Nilsen (vocals, saxophone), Kjell Rønningen (keyboards), Sverre Beyer (bass), Bjørn Jenssen (drums) Frontman Dahl had the most active background, first as a member of Junipher Green on their classic double-platter Friendship (1971), followed by time with the George […]
Chalibaude were a French folk quartet of the mid-1970s. The band comprised half of the eight-piece Francis Guillon et Son Orchestre on the 1975 one-off Spécial Danse 8. Members: Christian Bonneault (Guitars, Bass, Crumhorn, Banjo, Vocals), Georges Felletin (Violin, Organ), Jean Chevalier (Drums, Percussion, Flute), Michel Lefort (Acoustic Guitar, Bass, Dulcimer, Flute, Vocals) Drummer/percussionist Jean […]
Asgard were a French folk combo that released two albums in the late-1970s. The band coalesced mid-decade around the trio of Bernard Darsch, Patrick Grandpierron, and William Lawday. Members: Patrick Grandpierron (Vocals, Flute [Irlandaise], Dulcimer, Psaltery), William Lawday, Bernard Darsh, Daniel Mantovani (Guitar), Dominique Urruty (Bass, Steel Guitar, Vocals), Dominique Labarre (Keyboards, Vocals), Umberto […]
Sourdeline are a French folk ensemble that was primarily active as a recording unit during the late 1970s. Formed in 1974, the band recorded two albums for the folk label Discovale. Members: Catherine Burban (vocals, psaltery, dulcimer, spinet), Jean-Pierre Danielsen (vocals, guitar, dulcimer, flute, crumhorn), Jean-Pierre Dalongeville (vocals, guitar, mandocello, mandolin, sitar, crumhorn, 1974-79), Jacky […]
Combo 8 were a Swedish instrumental sextet of the mid-1970s. Comprised of highly trained newcomers, the band issued Vibrationer on the local Levande Improviserad Musik label in 1976. Members: Björn Hallberg (guitar), Janne Wiklund (saxophone), Lennart Johansson (trumpet), Torbjörn Johansson (drums), Tore Hultgren (trumpet), Ulf Mårtensson (bass) Musically, the album spans the outer-reaches of metric […]
Missing Link were a German jazz-rock sextet from Munich that released the album Nevergreen! on United Artists in 1972. Members: Markus Sing (guitar), Günther Latuschik (saxophone), Gabriel Dominik Mueller (vocals), Dieter Miekautsch (keyboards), Dave Schratzenstaller (bass), Holger Brandt (drums) The comic, colorful cover art of the band’s sole release animates the virtuosic energy of the […]
Ramon Morris is an American jazz-funk saxophonist who was briefly active during the early 1970s. Debuting in a latter-day incarnation of Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers, Morris quickly spread his talents over 1972–73 releases by Reuben Wilson, Curtis Fuller, Shirley Scott, and Woody Shaw — credits that afforded him a one-off deal with Groove […]
Dianne Brooks (Jan. 3, 1939 — April 29, 2005) was an American jazz and soul singer who was active from the late 1950s to the early 1990s. Following a pair of late-’60s singles, she issued two albums during the 1970s. In 1957, the Jersey native launched her career as part of doo-wop act The Three […]
Travis Biggs is an American composer, producer, and multi-instrumentalist whose services were widely employed on the jazz-funk and soul circuits throughout the 1970s and early 1980s. Under his own name, he released two albums during the late 1970s. Spreading his talents over sides by John Kasandra and Bohannon, among others, Biggs adopted the little-used nickname […]
Hubert Eaves is an American keyboardist, composer, and producer who played on numerous jazz-funk and soul recordings during the 1970s and ’80s. As a bandleader, he released the coveted Esoteric Funk LP in 1977. A home-taught musician, the St. Paul prodigy emerged as sideman to Gary Bartz as part of the saxist’s NTU Troop on […]
Retta Young is an American soul singer who was active between the late-1960s and late-1970s. Following a string of shortplayers with The Superbs and The Devotions, she issued a trio of singles and one album under her own name during the mid-1970s. Signed to Sylvia Robinson‘s All Platinum label in 1975, Young hit pay-dirt with […]
White Summer were a Chicago-area rock trio that was active during the mid-1970s. Members: Jimmy Watkins (lead vocals, guitar, drums, percussion), Rick Lowe (electric guitar, acoustic guitar, backing vocals), David Wheeler (bass, backing vocals) In 1976, the band self-released a homonymous longplayer. Recorded on a shoestring at Uncle Dirty’s Sound Machine Studio in Kalamazoo, Mich., […]
Rickie Boger is an American soul singer and songwriter who was active in the mid-1970s. Signed to Muse Records and equipped with the label’s formidable jazz/blues session players, she released the album Slow Down, Baby in 1976. With bass-emphasized fourth notes over a modest Gmaj–Amin progression, “Do You Like My Song?” finds Boger humble yet […]
The Human League are an English synthpop band best known for the 1981 global No. 1 hit “Don’t You Want Me.” They emerged on the Sheffield post-punk scene with the 1978 DIY release “Being Boiled” / “Circus of Death,” a pioneering electro-pop single. The original lineup of singer Philip Oakey, slide-projectionist Adrian Wright, and keyboardists […]
Norma Jenkins is an American soul singer who was active between the mid-1960s and mid-1970s. She first appeared as the frontwoman for Norma Jenkins and the Dolls on the single “The Airplane Song,” released in 1966 on Detroit’s Maltese label. Several more singles followed on various labels over the next seven years. Contracted to Buddah […]
Sleepy Hollow was an American art-pop trio from Philadelphia that released a self-titled album on the Family Productions label in 1972. Members: Richard Billay (lead vocals, guitar, piano), Richie Bremen (bass), Joe Zucca (drums) Background Sleepy Hollow formed in Philadelphia, where singer and songwriter Richard Billay teamed with bassist Richie Bremen and drummer Joe Zucca. […]
New York Mary was an instrumental jazz-rock trio that was active in the Northeast U.S. during the mid-1970s, releasing two albums on Arista’s Freedom imprint in 1976. Members: Bruce Johnstone (baritone/alto/soprano sax), Rick Petrone (bass), Joe Corsello (drums, percussion) Saxophonist Bruce Johnstone and bassist Rick Petrone played in Maynard Ferguson’s backing band during the earlier […]
Weapons of Peace were an American soul/funk quintet active during the mid 1970s. The band released a lone, self-titled album on Playboy Records in 1976. Members: Finis Henderson (lead vocal, percussion), Andrew Hardy (guitar, backing vocals), David Johnson (bass, backing vocals), Lonnell Dantzler (keyboards), Bill Leathers (drums) Across the album’s eight songs, Weapons of Peace […]
Wiggy Bits were an American rock quintet active during the mid-1970s. Comprised of alumni from psych-rockers The Illusion and ex-Blues Magoos/Barnaby Bye vocalist Peppy Castro, Wiggy Bits released a self-titled album on Polydor in 1976. Members: Peppy Castro [aka Emil Thielheim] (vocals), Richie Cerniglia (guitar), Mike Ricciardella (drums), Dennis Santiago (bass) Mike Maniscalco (keyboards) Harnessing […]
Boxer was an English hard-rock supergroup that released two albums on Virgin and a third-recorded title on Epic between 1975 and 1979. The band marked the third pairing between vocalist Mike Patto and guitarist Ollie Halsall, who had previously played together in the bands Timebox and Patto. Members: Mike Patto (vocals, keyboards), Ollie Halsall (guitar, […]
Culture Club are an English pop band that was primarily active as a recording unit during the early–mid 1980s. The band achieved world renown with a string of hits in the pop/rock and blue-eyed soul veins. Members: Boy George (vocals), Roy Hay (guitar, electric sitar, piano, keyboards, synthesizer), Mikey Craig (bass, piano), Jon Moss (drums, […]
Major Surgery were an English instrumental quartet that was active during the late 1970s. Members: Jimmy Roche (guitar), Bruce Collcutt (bass), Don Weller (tenor sax), Tony Marsh (drums) Roche and Weller had both played with East of Eden amidst assorted other credits. The quartet issued The First Cut on their self-financed Next! imprint in 1977. […]
Chopyn were an English art-rock band that released the album Grand Slam on Jet Records in 1975. The band paired veteran jazz-rock guitarist Ray Russell with singer/songwriter Ann Odell. Members: Denny McCaffrey (vocals), Simon Colclough (vocals), Clyde McMullen (bass, vocals), Ann Odell (keyboards, vocals), Simon Phillips (drums), Ray Russell (guitar, vocals, sitar) Odell had released […]
Fuzzy Duck was an English hard-rock band that released a self-titled album on MAM Records in 1971. Their name was partially derived from that of drummer Paul Francis’s prior band, Tucky Buzzard. Filling out the ranks were ex-Andromeda/Killing Floor bassist Mick Hawksworth and fleeting Arthur Brown-sideman Roy Sharland. Members: Mick Hawksworth (bass), Roy Sharland (organ), […]
Nasty Pop was an English pop-rock band that released a self-titled album on Island in 1975, followed by Mistaken I.D. on Polydor in 1977. Musically, the band crossed the folksy whimsy of Stackridge and Stealers Wheel with the updated Revolver-isms of Pilot and the string-laden effervescence of Jigsaw. Members: Jon Fitzpatrick (piano, vocals), Steve Grace […]
