August 2021 Vinyl Spin Challenge Thread: Summer Loving

15th August - Bookworms.

Lee Morgan ‎– The Cooker (Blue Note, 1958 First Mono Pressing)

I was slightly sneaky with this challenge as I love reading music-related books and was keen to add some more to my 'to read list'. So thanks for all the great suggestions!

Its no secret that Lee Morgan is my favourite jazz musician and I can't get enough of his music. Similarly, I cant seem to read enough of the handful of books that have focused on his life. There are 3 that I am aware of, with 2 being biographies and 1 being a mini-biography and interview series of Helen Moore (Morgan), his common-in-law wife that shot and killed him in Sluggs Saloon. They are all fantastic and hopefully there will be some more written in the future.
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15th August - Bookworms

Method Man - Tical

I just started reading a book called From the Streets of Shaolin: The Wu-Tang Saga by S. H. Fernando Jr. The book covers the history of The Wu-Tang and is a very enjoyable and informative read. The author really delves into the The forces and situations that brought them together and how they were influenced from everything from old-school hip-hop, Kung fu films, religious and philosophical ideologies, and of course crime and drug dealing.

I am currently on the chapter about Method Man’s solo debut. So spinning this felt fitting.

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16th August - This should be Grand.

Bill Evans - Evans In England (Resonance Records, 2019 Limited RSD Mono Pressing)
Mal Waldron Trio - Free At Last - Extended Edition (ECM Records, 2019 Extended Edition)

I'm going in for the double whammy today as it would have been the birthday of both Bill Evans and Mal Waldron. I'm actually putting a post up on my Instagram later about these 2 records so I dug them both out to listen to anyway. Both superb musicians and rather than delve into their early pressings I decided to focus on recently released material. Evans In England is a stunning set from Ronnie Scotts and Free At Last was released on ECM and this particular pressing is an extended edition.

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10th August - It's Been A While…
Play an album that you haven’t played in ages. The longer the gap between its last play and now the better. Tell us why its been sitting on your shelf for so long and how you feel about it after a listen.

Foals - Holy Fire

I did a play-through of my vinyl collection in 2020, so nothing's been on the shelf for longer than that, so I grabbed an album I'm pretty sure I hadn't thrown on yet this year.

Yup, still like it!

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16th August - This should be Grand.
Today would be the birthdays of pianists Bill Evans and Mal Waldron. Play an album that features the piano as a key element.

Fiona Apple - When the Pawn...

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14th August - That's unexpected!
Play an album that is unlike any other in your collection, or that we wouldn’t necessarily think would fit in with your tastes. Explain why you like it.

Leon Bridges - Coming Home

I don't know if I could surprise you all, but often the easiest way to surprise family and friends (most of whom have rather conventional tastes and find most of what I like "really weird" even when it really, really isn't) is to play something they find accessible, like this, which is some good Big Little Lies-core for the masses that deserves its popularity.

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16th August - This should be Grand.
Today would be the birthdays of pianists Bill Evans and Mal Waldron. Play an album that features the piano as a key element.

Duke Ellington "The Afro Eurasian Eclipse, A Suite in Eight Parts" (1975 Fantasy Records)

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15th August - Bookworms.
Show us a music-related book or a book that has musical themes, tell us why you recommend it and play an album by the musician/group that it highlights.

Shearwater - Animal Joy
b/w Jonathan Meiburg - A Most Remarkable Creature: The Hidden Life and Epic Journey of the World's Smartest Birds of Prey

The book isn't about music- it's a non-fiction science books about caracaras, a type of crow-like falcon written by Jonathan Meiburg, best known in indie rock circles as the voice of Shearwater (and given the band name, and albums with titles like Rook, perhaps it's not so surprising that he's also an avid birder that can write a well-received book on avian evolution and intelligence). I haven't started it yet, but it's near the top of my TBR pile.

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16th August - This should be Grand.

Today would be the birthdays of pianists Bill Evans and Mal Waldron. Play an album that features the piano as a key element.

Nick Cave - Idiot Prayer (Alone at Alexandra Palace).
Just Nick and a piano. One of the few rays of sunshine from the past 18 months. Worth watching as it beautifully shot and Nick's performance is absolutely riveting.
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13th August - Unlucky.
Play an album that took you ages to find, or that slipped through your fingers before you eventually found a copy.

Wilco - Summerteeth

When I first got into vinyl, this one was always available at my local, and so I kept putting it off for a future visit. One day it wasn't there when I dropped by, and when I looked online prices had spiked suddenly and availability had withered up. A while later the box set was announced, but I held off due to the price... until a couple months after it came out when the price dropped a little, and I caved and bought the box (which sounds great). Well played, Wilco, well played.

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16th August - This should be Grand.
Today would be the birthdays of pianists Bill Evans and Mal Waldron. Play an album that features the piano as a key element.

How about another pianist Evans?

Gil Evans Orchestra Featuring Cannonball Adderley - New Bottle Old Wine

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15th August - Bookworms

Jeff Tweedy - Warmer

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I love when I find a book that doesn’t feel like a chore. This was the most enjoyable book that I can remember reading in a long time. It’s very funny and is so spot on when it comes to describing what it’s like to love music with every ounce of yourself
 
17th August - Kind Of Blue

Miles Davis - Kind Of Blue (Columbia, 1959 First Mono Pressing) & (Columbia, 2021 Analogue Productions UHQR Pressing)

Happy to see duplicate posts today (unless you prefer to post another jazz album), lets see how many different pressings we all have! I have always been in the camp that doesn't look to buy multiple copies of the same album unless specifically for upgrade purposes but decided to treat myself with the UHQR pressing to go with the first mono. Honestly, it does sound fantastic there is no doubt about that but I do still question the price and whether all the extras (including the box) were needed for a single LP. Just my opinion though.

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17th August - Kind Of Blue Today marks the 62nd anniversary of Miles Davis’ seminal album ‘Kind Of Blue’. Play the album OR your favourite jazz album. Happy to see duplicate posts today (unless you prefer to post another jazz album), lets see how many different pressings we all have!

I've got the 2010 reissue, 180 g, cut by KPG & MZ, pressed at RTI.

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