Aretha Franklin - Eleanor Rigby

Does anything really need to be said about the combination of the the queen of soul & the beatles? naw... This is just something i picked up recently and great funky soul version. dig it.

Tune removed...

Aretha Franklin - Eleanor Rigby

Eyes Of Blue - Yesterday

Today we get a cool and crazy jazzy progy take on the Beatles Yesterday by Eyes of Blue. Here is the straight dope...

The Eyes Of Blue evolved during the mid-sixties from covers and R&B band The Mustangs, based in Neath. The early line-up consisted of Wyndham Rees (Vocals), Ray Williams (Guitar), Ritchie Francis (Bass), Melvyn Davies (Guitar) and David Thomas (Drums). Thomas had replaced Byron Phillips in October 1964 a month before the change of name, and before too long Melvyn Davies also decided to leave, reducing the Eyes to a four-piece. Starting out as a soul-based R&B band the Eyes quickly established a strong reputation in the South Wales music scene. They played the same circuit as many other familar groups, The Bystanders, The Jets, and took in gigs in Llanelli, Swansea, Skewen, Cardiff and Neath, winning a few local talent competitions on the way. Early in 1966 drummer Thomas was off and away, and John Weathers was drafted in as a temporary replacement. From another Neath based band - the Smokestacks - came keyboard player Phil Ryan, and vocalist Gary Pickford-Hopkins.

By May that year the band were ready to turn professional. During the late spring and summer of '66 Eyes Of Blue entered and won the national Melody Maker 'Beat Contest', which offered the chance of a one year Decca recording contract. This turned out to be something of a poisoned chalice as none of the tracks recorded for Decca were representative.

Once the Decca contract had expired the band signed with the Mercury label, and during March to July 1968 recorded their first album across a number of sessions in Chappell Studios, London. Later that year the Eyes backed american singer-songwriter Buzzy Linhart on his album 'Buzzy' released on the Phillips label. When some critics suggested that this could be a more productive route an angry Ritchie Francis responded; "We will not be called a backing group for anyone"

The Eyes debut album 'Crossroads Of Time' was eventually released early in 1969. It included two Graham Bond R&B songs (Bond also wrote the sleevenotes) 'Love Is The Law' and 'Crossroads Of Time' which was especially written for the band. It also included an interesting version of Love's '7 + 7 Is' while The Beatles' 'Yesterday' is given a treatment suggesting something of a jazz hymn.
http://www.manband-archive.com/evolution/history-roots-eyes-of-blue.php

Eyes Of Blue - Yesterday

The Myrol Brothers - If I Fell

Happy April fools day peoples, not sure if this record came out on April 1st but the jokes on you with this one... But maybe somebody will have some use for it....? It is after all a Beatles cover.... Beatles fans how do you feel about this? What do expect from brothers from Canada....??? I'm not sure what to make of it...

The Myrol Brothers - If I Fell

Jimmy Ponder - While My Guitar Gently Weeps

I just picked this LP up and man is it a good one. After the guitar-less post of Rare Bird i thought i needed a little guitar action in my life so here it goes. This is obviously a Beatles or George Harrison cover if you will and this is certainly "fuzzy" as you all know i dig! The rest of the album is a bit more smooth & jazzy with a lil' bit of funkiness thrown in. A pretty damn fine album that will certainly have me digging for more of Mr. Ponder's releases.

The jazz world is full of unsung legends that generally fly under the radar of mainstream attention. One such legend is Pittsburgh native and guitarist extraordinaire Jimmy Ponder, who has been recording soulful, swinging jazz for four decades strong.

An excellent guitarist with a soulful sound and the ability to uplift any funky jazz date, Jimmy Ponder has appeared on many recordings during his long career, over 80 as a sideman and 15 as a leader. Ponder began playing guitar when he was 14 and considers Wes Montgomery and Kenny Burrell to be his two main early influences and Thornel Schwartz later on. Offered a job with Charles Earland after having only played guitar three years, Ponder waited until he graduated from high school and then spent three years with the organist's group, recording several dates with Earland. He worked and recording with Lou Donaldson, Houston Person, Donald Byrd, Stanley Turrentine and Jimmy McGriff and in the early 1970's moved to New York (from Philadelphia), leading his own groups. Ponder has since recorded as a leader in the 1970's for Cadet, ABC/Impulse, TK, CBS and Toshiba, in the 80's for Milestone and in the 90's for Muse and HighNote.

Ponder, like his idol Wes Montgomery, plays with his thumb exclusively. Unlike Montgomery, however, Ponder exercises a more aggressive, punchy approach that makes his instrument rattle and hum, creating moments of sheer exuberance which can certainly be heard on this cut.

Jimmy Ponder - While My Guitar Gently Weeps