On December 9, 2010, James Moody died aged 85. He was musician (saxophone, flute) and singer, best known for his work in bebop and hard bop Jazz. He recorded and performed with some of the biggest names in Jazz music including Dizzy Gillespie, Art Farmer, Kenny Barron, Jon Faddis, Eddie Jefferson, Johnny Coles, Todd Coolman, Rufus Reid, Gil Fuller, Milt Jackson, Dexter Gordon, Elvin Jones, Quincy Jones, Charles Mingus, Max Roach, Lalo Schifrin, Bobby Thimons, Cedar Walton, Tubby Hayes, and Roberta Gambarini. In 2011, Moody posthumously won “Grammy Award” for “Best Jazz Instrumental album”, for his album “Moody 4B”. The “New Jersey Performing Arts Center” hosts the “James Moody Democracy of Jazz Festival”. As a leader Moody released 44 albums.
Monthly Archives: December 2020
Harold Budd
On December 7, 2010, Harold Montgomory Budd died aged 84. He was musician (piano, keyboards, guitar), composer, professor, and poet, noted for his work in the avant-garde minimalist scene in the USA in the 60’. His work in avant-garde, jazz, minimalism, ambient, and neoclassical music brought him world recognition, especially through his collaboration with Brian Eno and Robin Guthrie. He also collaborated with Andy Partridge, John Foxx, Graham Haynes, Simon Raymonde, Elizabeth Fraser, Eralso Bernocchi, Bill Nelson, Clive Wright, Jaki Liebezeit, Ruben Garcia, Daniel Lentz, Bill Laswell and Jah Wobble.
Hoobastank: Reason

On December 9, 2003, “Island” label released “Reason”, the second Hoobastank studio album. It was recorded March – August 2003, at “Bay 7 Studios”, “Valley Village Studios”, “Sparky Dog Studios” in Calabasas, California, and was produced by Howard Benson. The album was certified Platinum in Canada by “Music Canada”, 2 x Platinum in the USA by “RIAA”.
Personnel:
- Doug Robb – lead and backing vocals
- Dan Estrin – acoustic and electric guitar
- Markku Lappalainen – bass guitar
- Chris Hesse – drums
- Michael Valerio – upright bass
- Howard Benson – keyboards
- Mark Robertson – violin, string contractor
- Sam Fisher – violin
- Rene Mandel – violin
- Simon Oswell – viola
- Shanti Randall – viola
- Evan Wilson – viola
- Victor Lawrence – cello
- David Low – cello
- David Mergen – cello
- Deborah Lurie – string arrangements
- Jamie Oliver – group vocals
- Ian Watkins – group vocals
- Chris Lord-Alge – mixing
- Mike Plotnikoff – mixing
- Louis Marino – art direction, design, illustrations
- Danny Clinch – band photography
- RJ Muna – cover photography
Track listing:
All lyrics by Doug Robb; all music by Daniel Estrin.
- Same Direction
- Out of Control
- What Happened to Us
- Escape
- Just One
- Lucky
- From the Heart
- The Reason
- Let It Out
- Unaffected
- Never There
- Disappear
Yello: The Eye

On October 9, 2003, “Motor Music” label released “The Eye”, the eleventh Yello studio album. It was recorded in 2003, and was produced by Boris Blank and Dieter Meier.
Personnel:
- Boris Blank – arranger, engineer
- Dieter Meier – vocals
- Christoph Stickel – mastering
- Martin Wanner – design
- Beat Pfändler – photography
Track listing:
All tracks by Boris Blank.
- Planet Dada
- Nervous
- Don Turbulento
- Soul On Ice
- Junior B
- Tiger Dust
- Distant Solution
- Hipster’s Delay
- Time Palace
- Indigo Bay
- Unreal
- Bougainville
- Star Breath
- Goober Sadoodoo Snowflake Safanny
- Planet Dada (Flamboyant)
Verve Pipe: Pop Smear

On December 9, 1993, “Landspeed” label released “Pop Smear”, the debut Verve Pipe studio album. It was recorded in 1993, at “Station C Studios” in Grand Rapids, MI, and was produced by Jon Frazer, A.J. Dunning, Donny Brown, and Brian Vander Ark.
Personnel:
- Brian Vander Ark – lead vocals, electric guitar, rbass, percussion, art direction, arranger
- A.J. Dunning – vocals, lead, acoustic and slide guitar, keyboards, mandolin, arranger
- Donny Brown – vocals, drums, arranger
- Brad Vander Ark – acoustic guitar
- Randy Sly- keyboards
- Donny Brown, Doug Corella – percussion
- Leslie E. Rose – violin
- Albin Rose – viola
- Kathryn Dykema – cello
- Mark Byerly – trumpet
- Robert Engelsman – trombone
- Patty Brower – art direction
- Jon Frazer – engineer, mixing, photography
- John Bruey – engineer
- Fred Baker – editing, sequencing
Track listing:
All tracks by Brian Vander Ark, except where noted.
- Pretty for You
- Spoonful of Sugar – Brian Vander Ark, Sid Herring
- Victoria
- Honest – Brian Vander Ark, Donny Brown
- The River
- Sleepy Town
- Bullies on Vacation
- What You Wanted
- Wanna Be – Brian Vander Ark, Donny Brown
- Out Like a Lamb
- Senator Speak
- Is It Worth It? – Donny Brown
Big Walter Horton
On December 8, 1981, Walter Horton aka Big Walter Horton or Walter “Shakey” Horton died aged 60. He was musician (harmonica), regarded as one of the best harmonica players in the blues history. Willie Dixon said about Horton “the best harmonica player I ever heard”, and Robert Palmer named him as “one of the three great harmonica soloists of modern blues”. In 1982, Horton was posthumously inducted into the “Blues Hall of Fame”.
James Brown: Bodyheat

In December 1976, “Polydor” label released “Bodyheat”, the 44th James Brown studio album. It was recorded in 1976, at “810 Seventh Avenue” in New Yorjk City, and was produced by James Brown.
Personnel:
- James Brown, vocals, arranger
- Virginia Team – cover art, design
Track listing:
- Bodyheat – Deanna Brown, Deidra Brown, Yamma Brown
- Woman – James Brown
- Kiss in 99’ – “Sweet” Charles Sgerrell
- I’m Satisfied – Deanna Brown, Deidra Brown, Yamma Brown
- What the World Needs Now Is Love – Burt Bacharach, Hal David
- Wake Up and Give Yourself a Chance – Deanna Brown, Deidra Brown, Yamma Brown
- Don’t Tell It – Deanna Brown, Deidra Brown, Yamma Brown
Eric Johnson: Up Close

On December 7, 2010, “Vortexan” and “EMI” labels released “Up Close”, the sixth Eric Johnson studio album. It was recorded in 2010, and was produced by Eric Johnson and Richard Mullen.
Personnel:
- Eric Johnson – vocals, guitar
- Sonny Landreth – guitar
- Jimmie Vaughan – guitar
- Jonny Lang – vocals, guitar
- Malford Milligan – vocals
- Steve Miller – vocals
- Roscoe Beck – bass guitar
- Kevin Hall – drums
- Barry “Frosty” Smith – drums
- Tommy Taylor – drums
- Kelly Donnelly – engineer
- Andy Johns – mixing
- Kelly Toombs – design
Track listing:
All tracks by Eric Johnson, except where noted.
- Awaken
- Fatdaddy
- Brilliant Room
- Texas – Mike Bloomfield, Buddy Miles
- Gem
- Traverse
- Austin
- Soul Surprise
- On the Way
- Arithmetic
- The Sea and the Mountain
- Vortexan
- A Change Has Come to Me
- Change (revisited)
- Your Book
Flora Purim: Butterfly Dreams

In December 1973, “Milestone” label released “Butterfly Dreams”, the second Flora Purim studio album. It was recorded in December 1973, at “fantasy Studios” in Berkeley, California, and was produced by Orrin Keepnews.
Personnel:
- Flora Purim – vocals, arrangements
- George Duke – electric piano, ARP synthesizer, clavinet, piano, arrangements
- David Amaro – acoustic and electric guitar
- Stanley Clarke – Fender electric bass, acoustic bass, arrangements
- Ernie Hood – zither
- Joe Henderson – flute, tenor saxophone
- Airto Moreira – drums, percussion
- Jim Stern – engineer
- Eddie Bill Harris – engineer
- David Turner – mastering
- Anthony Samuel Lane – art direction, design, photography
Track listing:
- Dr. Jive Pt. I – Stanley Clarke
- Butterfly Dreams – lyrics by Neville Potter, music by Stanley Clarke
- Dindi – lyrics by Aloisio de Oliveira, music by Antonio Carlos Jobim
- Summer Night – Harry Warren, Al Dubin
- Love Reborn – lyrics by Flora Purim, music by George Duke
- Moon Dreams – lyrics by Jay Livingston, Ray Evans, music by Egberto Gismonti
- Dr. Jive Pt. II – Stanley Clarke
- Light as a Feather – lyrics by Flora Purim, music by Stanley Clarke
