Articles by Trevor MacLaren

Genesis: The Peter Gabriel Years (1967-1975)

by Trevor MacLaren
January 14, 2007

During the last thirty years the world has been stuck in the syrupy sludge of the Phil Collins era of Genesis, when it was impossible to distinguish a solo Collins record from a Genesis one. Fans of the original group have long been dismayed by the acquired, gargantuan pop overtones of a band which was one of the most intriguing prog-rock groups of the early 1970s. Unless you've heard those early records forget all that has happened from the 1978 ...

Isaac Hayes: Shaft

by Trevor MacLaren
July 3, 2006

Isaac HayesShaftStax Records1971 “Who's that black private dick who's a sex machine with all the chicks? Shaft! Damn right!... The opening lines to Isaac Hayes' score for the seminal 1971 movie, Shaft, sound like a camp put-on today--but in the early '70s they were about as camp as the Black Panthers. Black sexuality and black pride were explosive issues in an America where the hardcore, fundamentalist ...

James Taylor Quartet's The First Sixty Four Minutes

by Trevor MacLaren
April 6, 2006

James Taylor Quartet The First Sixty Four Minutes Re-elect The President/Acid Jazz 1988

Though virtually unknown in North America, the James Taylor Quartet has been a cult phenomenon in the UK for the past twenty years. The group began by revitalizing the great soul jazz of Blue Note's late-'60s/early-'70s catalog, then moved on to help lead the organic version of the acid jazz movement. The First Sixty Four Minutes is comprised of ...

Regis Philbin: My Darker Moods

by Trevor MacLaren
April 1, 2006

Annoying talk show host and wannabe jazz vocalist Regis Philbin has finally made a disc worth buying. Seemingly influenced by Paul Anka's return to the top with Rock Swings, Regis decided to tackle more eclectic and obscure works. After having the gall to release two Rat Pack-influenced vocal records--one in 1968 and another in 2004--and a Christmas disc, My Darker Moods makes up for it again and again.

First, Philbin rids himself of Steve Tyrell's jazz-pop polished sheen. Instead he ...

Sammy Davis Jr.: Sammy Davis Jr.: Satan Swings Baby and That's the Truth, The Whole Truth and Nothing But...

by Trevor MacLaren
April 1, 2006

It's no secret that The Candyman was digging the Dark Lord in the early '70s, when he was awarded an honorary Warlock degree by the Church of Satan. But this long-lost recording of odes to the devil is a bit a surprise. These seven tracks were recorded in Los Angeles in 1974 with a small swing band. The mix has the vocals hidden behind the horns and sounds as if it has been mastered from vinyl. The package lacks liner ...

Antony and The Johnsons: I Am a Bird Now

by Trevor MacLaren
February 28, 2006

Antony and The Johnsons I Am a Bird Now Secretly Canadian 2005

This column rarely examines new music, but I am a Bird Now, released in February of 2005, is a notable exception. The record and its composer have been slowly building a cult following in the alternative rock and pop world. But the sounds infused throughout the record should be of great interest to fans of more eclectic jazz tastes.

Since ...

Black Flag: Family Man & The Process of Weeding Out

by Trevor MacLaren
February 1, 2006

Black Flag Family Man SST 1984 & Black Flag The Process of Weeding Out SST 1985

It is hard to convince many jazz fans that the most influential hardcore punk band of all time created some of the most interesting jazz of the '80s. But Los Angeles' Black Flag--along with its sister band Gone--played some of the most challenging free and avant-garde ...

The Tony Williams Lifetime: Emergency!

by Trevor MacLaren
November 16, 2005

The Tony Williams Lifetime Emergency! Polydor 1969

A few months back I came across a great book written on the last forty years of jazz, Howard Mandel's Future Jazz. The book covered a lot of stylistic ground, including avant-garde, fusion, and free. It basically touched on jazz that Ken Burns never deemed a necessary part of jazz history. In a chapter on guitarist John McLaughlin, Mandel mentioned a band that ...

Mats/Morgan Band: Thanks For Flying With Us

by Trevor MacLaren
October 20, 2005

The Mats/Morgan band is centered around child prodigies Mats Oberg and Morgan Ägren, who worship at that altar of American composer and cult icon Frank Zappa. Oberg, who by the age of three was singing, playing keyboards, and listening to Miles Davis, would later hone a palette that would include progressive rock and funk. Ägren is a percussionist who began at age four with a penchant for Louie Bellson and Buddy Rich. They met and started their collaboration in 1981 ...

Ndio: Airback

by Trevor MacLaren
October 19, 2005

In the past few years there has been a revival of the legendary Canterbury scene, especially where Soft Machine is concerned. It's certainly not that progressive rock, fusion, or free jazz has fallen off the map, but the Canterburians had a sound that was distinct, yet embraced these genres. Soft Machine had a sound that was again different from peers such as National Health and Caravan, as well. Their style had more of a pop sensibility early on, thanks to ...