FF:A Faux-Lost B-3 Record Becomes Old Enough To Be What It Said It Was
To a nascent acid/soul/groove jazz fan in 1992 pawing through the new releases at Reckless Records in Chicago, this cover stood out. But I was skeptical because of the over-the topness, so I flipped it and read the back cover notes..
That pretty much sealed the faux deal for me, but the cat at Reckless (a fellow who went on to start the legendary Dusty Groove website/store) told me this was a side project of the James Taylor Quartet. I was familiar with their work which ranged from reworked spy/lounge themes to their early 90's neo-soul/dance crossover bids, but I was assured this was an old school B3 record..which in those days wasn't too easy to find..especially without the internets. Sure you could go down to the Jazz Record Mart and score Groove Holmes, Larry Young, and Jimmy McGriff records (and I did fairly often), but hardly anyone was making new records with Hammond B3's. I mean Medeski, Martin, and Wood were just pulling themselves together at this time.
So though Party To The Bus Stop seemed like a trifle, it was actually at the front end of a trend that has seen the resurgance of the Hammond B3. The Beastie Boys were on this wavelength too (Groove Holmes from '92) and it has blossomed to the point that you can't throw a stone in Brooklyn without hitting a B3 player. Jazz, Americana/Country, Funk/Groove and Rock bands have fallen in love with a sound that was pretty much dismissed as old fashioned roller rink music back then. Ironically, it was the much maligned Acid Jazz scene that helped bring the B3 back into the graces of the cool kids and Party To the Bus Stop was one of the first records to do that.
The James Taylor Quartet is still around today..they just released a Motown themed record with a few vocals and plenty of B3. check it out.
The final funny bit, for me anyway, is that the New Jersey Kings-Party to The Bus Stop (now almost 20 years old) is a semi-rare, out of print, Hammond B3 album...it makes perfect sense,no?
Get Organized
Sweet Cakes
The Latin One
All Wrapped Up (great Melvin Sparks cover)
Locating MOG account...
Comments (12)
thanks for posting, been looking for this ever since i heard about it.
Vinyl was released on small ltd editions back in the 90's, so a lot of the music from that era released on that format is highly collectable these days... or it will be in the next 3-4 years when the 90's revival will be a fact.
This was released originally on the Acid jazz label and I had no idea it was domestically released in the USA too.
It's a solid release that still sounds fresh unlike most of the rest of the label's catalogue. Nice one, man.
@bilbo-I see many used copies out there on CD..like the muppet sez though, the vinyl is gonna be expensive.
@SM- It came out in the US in 1996 after Acid Jazz UK got in a deal with Hollywood/Polygram..I don't hink there was ever US vinyl..CD only. I picked up the Acid Jazz CD as an import back in '92 and yes, it was one of the few non-electro records Acid Jazz put out.
I think I saw the vinyl of this on ebay for 80 bucks, so you are on the money with your prediction of a growing demand for 90's vinyl.
You must be mixing labels here, Cody (maybe Ninja Tunes?). I cant think of a single electro album released by Acid Jazz, home of Corduroy, Brand New Heavies, Mother Earth & Snowboy among others. They were proud back in the day to be a "non-tech" label.
I was meaning electro in the sense of non-acoustic and electric key dominated music, but I guess I'm still kinda wrong..I like the Corduroy record Dad,Man,Cat (was it?)..and the Brand New Heavies were fine with me too. Mother earth kinda leaned over to the Brian Auger/Rock side a bit too much as it went on, and Snowboy was pretty cool too. The records that made it out in the states were invariably the ones I liked least....The JTQ, it seems, was the only group that was meant to last. oooh, they had D-Influence too..I liked them.
I guess in the states we got later ones like Night Trains, Beaujoulais band, and Vibraphonic that all seemed to be aimed at the Incognito/Sade loving smooth jazz fans.
I see where you are coming from. When I see the "electro" label stuff like "Rockit" or "Planet Rock" comes to my mind.
"Dad man Car" was Corduroys first album and I havent heard it since it came out. The next one ("High Havoc") sounded quite dated the last time I played it. Same as the Snowboy albums too. Proly the reason the JTQ are still playing today is because they were the best of the whole lot.
Werent Galliano & Freakpower (Norman Cooks funk-rock band) part of Acid Jazz too?
Dad man caT*
Yeah, I think galliano was with them,too. Usually I found at least one good record from each of the AJ artists, but by the end of the 90's the pickings were getting quite slim.
It definite had that JTQ/spy movie thing going on..
Money Is
E-Type
Chowdown
How to Steal the world
Electric Soup
Thanks for the post, great funky sound. Think I am going to try to pick up this CD.
Good to hear..saw a few Jersey Kings on Amazon
I am familiar with JTQ and this sounds different. Oh so funky, and of course, you get a w00t from me for giving it for the B-3 once more. I agree that AJ had slimmer pickings towards the end of the '90s, perhaps because the audience thinned out, too (or, well, it's chicken/egg). And I certainly agree that few braved B-3 waters in those days. Nice one, Mr. B!