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This blog is for those who are true Music Lovers,
and those who are looking for something that is not necessarily inside the proverbial box.
Be prepared for a few surprises along the way...
with some ordinary, but excellent items added from time to time, as Garnish and Condiment.

I'm finally finding my way here on this Music Blog...not merely featuring random posts in order to generate page hits (think Twitter), but documenting significant events in my Listening Experience (though not in chronological order). Collectively, they have shaped my Ear to accommodate a ridiculously wide range of Music. There is not one genre in which I have not found Music that I was fascinated by. Also, I cross-referenced the new Music I discovered by "re-searching" recordings of the Musicians surrounding (or referenced by) the Album Artist.

Sometimes I even bought Music "in the blind" so to speak, based upon my record store salesman's recommendation or after browsing really thorough liner notes (ex., any classic Blue Note LP)...or even a brilliant Title (ex., Wendall Harrison - "An Evening With The Devil", or Pink Floyd - "Several Species Of Small Furry Animals Gathered Together In A Cave And Grooving With A Pict") or unique Album Art (ex., Aquanote - "The Pearl", Minnie Riperton - "Come To My Garden", Doug Carn - "Spirit Of The New Land, Spooky Tooth - "Ceremony", or any P-Funk or Hed Kandi, and certain Zappa and "electric" Miles covers). I realized from experience that few will invest the Time/Money/Resources to generate boutique artwork for inferior Music (ex., some so-called rap "mixtapes" [sic]). The more often I took chances, the more often I'd discover a Prize.

And few laypersons will invest the Time I spent standing for HOURS inside record&department stores flipping through EACH&EVERY lp, 45, 8-track, cassette, and/or cd just to make sure that I did not overlook an "Easter Egg". Add to that the HOURS spent actually LISTENING to all that Music! I wasn't a "frustrated" Musician as much as a "vicarious" one. Every payday in the early 70's, I would buy about seven LP's...mostly items that I had never heard before. And my record salesman always gave me a money-back guarantee, but I never needed to use it.

So for example I had heard George Duke, and Jean-Luc Ponty well before many because I listened to Zappa. In fact, it was Zappa's "Weasels Ripped My Flesh" track - 'Eric Dolphy Memorial Barbecue' that caused me to wonder just WHO Eric Dolphy was. When I finally found out, that took me on ANOTHER Musical quest. And by exploring all of electronic Miles' sidemen, I was introduced to another whole universe of creativity...Tony Williams Lifetime, Mahavishnu Orchestra, Mwandishi, Headhunters, NTU Troop, Return To Forever, and the numerous individual artist-led collaborations by Musicians that had passed through Miles.

So my purpose here is to share not just Music, but an entire Musical Perspective. Just as Experience shapes Behavoir, "listening Experience" shapes "listening Behavior".

Are You Experienced?


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Sunday, February 13, 2011

The Jam Factory - Sittin' In The Trap (1970)










The track "It's Your World" is a true Lost Underground Gem...with it's hints of Blood, Sweat, & Tears or Chicago Transit Authority. Also the rhythm section flavors early Sly & The Family Stone at times. The proliferation of Musical changes within this one track epitomizes what experimental Music was all about in the 70's. Did I mention that this track's lyrics are some of the most righteous, social, and DEEP that you will Ever find on vinyl...?!

I most definitely rate this group above B.S. & T. and Chicago (except C.T.A. & Chicago I). They were much tighter, and their individual talent was proven a short while later. Tracks #A5 and #B2 are fine examples of that tight groove. Additionally, track #A3 is as mellow as one can get for that time period & genre. This song has a vocal flavor reminiscent of a Larry Graham ballad.

I've seen/heard the Wolfgang's Vault live concert, but it's not for sale or download at this time. However I prefer this studio album anyway...by a LONG shot! 
- DJ Baltimore Boogie Man

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Jam Factory Concert [AUDIO]
Richmond Coliseum (Richmond, VA) Dec 12, 1971

http://www.wolfgangsvault.com/jam-factory/concerts/richmond-coliseum-december-12-1971.html

CONCERT SUMMARY:
Mark Hoffmann - guitar, vocals
Kent DeFelice - bass, vocals 
Gene McCormic - keyboards, saxophone, vocals
Joe English - drums, percussion, vocals
Steve Marcone - trumpet, flugelhorn
Earl V. Ford, Jr. - trombone, vocals

At the dawn of the 1970s, the Columbia Records label was enjoying monumental commercial success from their signings of Blood, Sweat & Tears and Chicago Transit Authority, two North American bands that had integrated horn sections into a modern rock context. The widespread appeal and chart success of these groups led the label, and its partner label, Epic, to actively pursue other groups which were following a similar path, which led Epic to the horn infused rhythm and blues/funk sextet, Jam Factory. Based out of Syracuse, NY, Jam Factory formed in 1968 and established their reputation as a popular regional band over the next few years. They eventually opened concerts for many high profile national and international acts, picking up fans along the way, many of them fellow musicians.

Epic released Jam Factory's debut album, Sittin' In The Trap, in 1970 and the band took to the road for the next several years performing on the same bill as many of the greatest groups of the era. They became friends with members of The Allman Brothers Band and soon relocated to Macon, becoming active within the thriving Southern Rock scene then revolving around the Allmans and the other talented artists involved with the fledgling Capricorn label.

Other than Jam Factory's obscure Epic album, and a rare single featuring two non-album tracks, recordings of the band are virtually non-existent, which makes this live recording somewhat of a holy grail for fans. Recorded in 1971, when Jam Factory opened for Rita Coolidge and The Byrds at the Richmond Arena, this set not only captures the group near the peak of their powers, but also features most of the original material destined for a second album. With the exception of the set-closing "Mr. Slow," which they perform by request, Jam Factory's set consists entirely of material yet to be recorded.

The set kicks off with the funky rocker "You're The One," beginning with the core quartet establishing the groove and the horns easing in shortly thereafter. Stylistically, the closest comparison may be to the great west coast band, Sons Of Champlin, who were pursuing a very similar path as the Jam Factory takes here, both vocally and instrumentally. "The Ballad Of Maxine," a deep grooving vamp about an aging prostitute, follows. The centerpiece of the set is an epic modular piece, possibly titled "Bright Blue Trips On Sailing Ships." Recalling early Chicago, here Jam Factory ventures into more psychedelic territory, featuring compelling horn arrangements and a hot instrumental break. The rhythm section of Joe English and Kent DeFelice are particularly tight and propel the group through this lengthy composition and throughout the remainder of this set.

Joe English's powerful drumming kicks into the short celebratory number, "I'm You're Friend," featuring a southern-flavored vocal arrangement and swirling organ from Gene McCormic. This sounds right at home with the early stages of Southern Rock, sounding not unlike a precursor to Sea Level, the band formed by keyboardist Chuck Leavell several years later, of which Joe English eventually joined. "Doctor Freeze," which follows, returns to the funky rocking that kicked off the set and transitions into a dramatic speed-jam near the end.

An audience member requests "Mr. Slow" and the band obliges to close their set. The only non-original performed here, this song was featured as the closer to their Sittin' In The Trap album. Written by John Houston, a friend from the band's Syracuse days, the storytelling lyric builds into a hot jam that showcases the various factions in the band. It begins with bass and horns. The guitar and drums join in and slowly build up the momentum. Following the bridge, with its lyric of "take off for the moon," the group launches into a fiery jam, featuring propulsive drumming and blazing guitar runs. Eventually this high-powered jam shifts into a bluesy framework that fades into the ether as the tape stock ran out.

That flaw aside, this is an excellent example of Jam Factory in their prime, performing before an appreciative audience. The band would soon evolve into the Tall Dogs Orchestra of Macon, before the extraordinary drummer, Joe English, would be recruited by Paul McCartney to join Wings. With McCartney, English recorded several hit albums and toured extensively, before joining Sea Level and eventually pursuing a career under his own name.

 - WOLFGANG'S VAULT - 




[Ctrl +A]

http://preview.tinyurl.com/cbl3w6a

5 comments:

  1. Jam Factory member Gene McCormic actually posted two comments on Wolfgang's Vault inquiring how he might get a copy of that live concert. If that was really him, then what a DAMN SHAME that the record labels choose to bury outstanding Music to the extent that even the Artists themselves don't have access to it.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I just found the link for the Jam Factory concert on Wolfgang's Vault. What a find! I wish the quality was better, but it's great to hear some different songs that would have been on their second album. I have one or two copies of Sittin' In The Trap, and a tape somewhere but it would be great to have a good digitized copy. I picked up my first copy on Marshall Street in Syracuse around 1970 when I was a college student, then caught their performances a few times that summer in a bar near Albany, NY.

    Re your previous comment, Chuck Mangione can't get his Friends and Love album on CD either, because he doesn't own the rights!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Any chance you could reupload Jam Factory-Sittin In The Trap. The one copy ive heard is pretty scratchy and low in volume. I have a feeling your rip would be better. Thank You

    ReplyDelete
  4. If you pay close attention to the end of the post, you will find what you're looking 4...

    ReplyDelete

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