Geoff Muldaur

Geoff Muldaur & Amos Garrett - Flying Fish (1978)


my rip (vinyl) | mp3 >192 vbr | with small cover | 52mb


TrackList:

01 My Tears Came Rolling Down - Davis - 3:52
02 River's Invitation - Mayfield - 3:16
03 Prelude in E Minor, Op. 28, No. 4 - Chopin - 2:38
04 Sloopy Drunk - Traditional - 3:15
05 Carolina Sunshine Girl - Rogers - 3:13
06 Washboard Blues - Callahan, Carmichael, Mills - 3:19
07 Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy - Tchaikovsky - 1:36
08 Chicken Stew, Pt. 1 - Muldaur - 3:46
09 Dance of the Coloured Elves - Muldaur - 2:32
10 Beautiful Isle of Somewhere - Fearis, Pounds - 2:23




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Geoff Muldaur - Beautiful Isle of Somewhere (2003)


my rip | mp3 vbr >224 kbps | w/ scans


The most widely known quote about Geoff Muldaur comes from British folkrock master Richard Thompson: "There are only three white blues singers, and Geoff Muldaur is at least two of them", the man once remarked with his tongue firmly in cheek. But when taking a closer look at Geoff Muldaur’s career and music, one must indeed conclude that this man ranks among America’s most remarkable roots music personalities. Unfortunately, not too many people seem to be familiar with his name and his music at this point, partly due to the fact that Muldaur went into a self-imposed exile from the business in the early 80s. He did not record or perform publicly for eighteen years and only recently came back with two remarkable albums: "The Secret Handshake" (1998) and "Password" (2000). It was then that Geoff Muldaur finally came to Europe for some solo live performances. Fortunately, this tour also led him to Bremen/Germany, where he delivered an intense and intimate performance at the "Moments" club. Local music critics rejoiced and found this to be "a deeply inspired and moving concert." Luckily, this performance was recorded professionally and TRADITION & MODERNE is happy to be able to release this performance from May 30th, 1999, now. BEAUTIFUL ISLE OF SOMEWHERE was the final encore that night, a Methodist hymn from 1897, rendered a cappella. With this gem, Geoff Muldaur concluded a wonderful evening that will remain in everyone’s memories as an intense and unforgettable concert experience.

Geoff Muldaur counts among the most important voices coming from the folk and blues scene of the US east coast. With Cambridge, Mass. and Woostock, NY as the centers of activity, this scene founded in the late 50s and early 60s was deeply influential for the ascent of American roots music in the years to come. Not only did it provide a creative home for Bob Dylan and Joan Baez — two of the most important musical voices of the US counterculture —, there were many others as well: Eric Von Schmidt, Tom Rush, Eric Andersen, Richard & Mimi Fariña, and many more. From the living rooms and coffeehouses of this scene, both a traditional and a new folk and blues repertoire were carried into the world. It’s a canon of songs that still transports magic and meaning today. Later on, the honesty and vitality of this music were combined with the electric energy of urban blues and rock’n’roll, resulting in a new form of popular music and the most important countercultural force of the 1960s — rock music. In that sense, a roots musician like Geoff Muldaur was an agent for social change early on. His personal interpretations of traditional folk, blues, jazz, ragtime and gospel still belong among the most striking examples of American roots music as interpreted by a contemporary artist.

BEAUTIFUL ISLE OF SOMEWHERE finally presents this contemporary aspect of Geoff Muldaur’s long and winding career on an album recorded live and completely solo — pure and unadorned. The record features a typically eclectic repertoire — a select choice of folk, blues, jazz and gospel, performed and delivered with artful restraint and subtle passion. The diversity of the material ranges from a Tennessee Williams poem set to music ("The Common Cold") and a Vera Hall moan from the pre-blues era ("The Wild Ox Moan") to the gospel of Blind Willie Johnson ("Trouble Soon Be Over") and country blues à la Sleepy John Estes ("Drop Down Mama"). In these performances, Geoff Muldaur manages to combine his deep love and respect for the tradition with an contemporary attitude that puts an emphasis on the timelessness of the songs. They are all brought into the here and now in a gentle kind of way. All the while, Geoff Muldaur’s ways remain understated but soulful, relaxed but effective — truly one of a kind.

The art of Geoff Muldaur lies in creating deep music. It’s a kind of music that goes back to the well in a gentle and graceful kind of way. Considering the traditional nature of most of the repertoire, it’s quite remarkable that Muldaur does not become a copycat when he does these songs, but manages to create something original with just his voice and guitar alone. All of the nuances of these songs are carried by this voice and guitar in a very original kind of way. Hopefully, we will get to see him again on European stages in the future. There aren’t many of his calibre around anymore. BEAUTIFUL ISLE OF SOMEWHERE delivers acoustic roots music at its best. It’s music built to last .


TrackList:

01 The Common Cold 02:39
02 My Tears Came Rolling Down 03:16
03 Wild About My Lovin' 04:10
04 Downtown Blues 02:52
05 Gee Baby Ain't I Good To You 03:50
06 Motherless Child 03:18
07 Just A Little While To Stay Here 04:54
08 The Wild Ox Moan 05:43
09 I Can't See Your Face Anymore 06:08
10 Trouble Soon Be Over 05:19
11 Drop Down Mama 04:00
12 Tennessee Blues 03:51
13 Got To Find Blind Melon Part I 04:49
14 Sloppy Drunk 04:22
15 Beautiful Isle Of Somewhere 03:15




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Geoff Muldaur's Futuristic Ensemble - Private Astronomy: A Vision of Bix Beiderbecke


mp3 vbr >192 kbps | w/ smaller cover? | 60mb

Review by C. Michael Bailey:
It is certainly not by accident that the Universal Classics Group is the label imprint on Geoff Private Astronomy—A Vision of the Music of Bix Beiderbecke. The rarely heard piano compositions of Bix Beiderbecke are majestically transformed into American chamber music by the loving touch and musical panache of another American original, Geoff Muldaur. For release during the Bix Beiderbecke Centenary, Mr. Muldaur’s recording of Leon "Bix" Beiderbecke compositions, and compositions associated with the coronetist, can not so much be termed a tribute disc as eine hommage. Taking what are essentially sketches for piano pieces; Mr. Muldaur builds a precipice out of the notes on the staff using the tonal palette of reeds and brass capturing the whimsy and humor of the roaring ‘20s.

Included and elaborated on are five Beiderbecke piano compositions, only one of which was recorded ("In A Mist"). "In the Dark," "Candlelight," and "Flashes" were transcribed by Beiderbecke’s editor Bill Challis and exist as sheet music. "Davenport Blues" was developed from his famous band recording. Mr. Muldaur was very specific on the treatment of these recordings. A core of instruments including violin, clarinet, alto saxophone, trombone, and baritone saxophone were assembled and arranged for the recording. Beiderbecke’s coronet solos would be played per transcription by other instruments. For the music associated with Beiderbecke, if Bing Crosby sang a song with the Rhythm Boys on the original recording, then a single voice (either Muldaur, Loudon Wainwright, or Martha Wainwright) would sing alone. Songs originally sung by Frankie Trumbauer were presented via the vocal trio of the Harmony Boys (Muldaur, Wainwright, and Greg Prestopino).

The resulting recording is a fully realized suite from Hemingway and Fitzgerald’s Jazz Age. Muldaur’s voicings on the instrumental selections are as delicate as a lily and pungent as honeysuckle. The vocal arrangements are perfectly suited for the period, one of gaiety and joy and hopeful abandon experienced before the Great Depression. Mr. Muldaur called upon the likes of Wynton Marsalis, Randy Sandke, Ted Nash, Dan Levine, and Butch Thompson for the recording, all of whom played with dedication and reverence (though, not enough to strangle the pieces). The sum of all of these parts is easily the finest jazz recording of 2003.


from a Bix site:
A Vision of the Music of Bix Beiderbecke. Private Astronomy. This an Edge Music CD # B000907-02 by Geoff Muldaur's Futuristic Ensemble, produced by Dick Connette and released in September 2003 by Deutsche Grammophon. As the liners indicate, the title of the CD is inspired by a sentence in Ralph Berton's book "Remembering Bix." "Bix was as usual gazing off into his private astronomy."

All the tracks but one were composed and/or recorded by Bix. Bix's four piano compositions -In A Mist, Flashes, Candlelights, In The Dark- and Davenport Blues, Bix's only composition for a jazz band, are included in the CD. In addition to these, we have "Take Your Tomorrow," "Singin' the Blues," "Futuristic Rhythm," "Waiting at the End of the Road. The single track neither recorded nor composed by Bix is "Clouds." I believe that this is an apocryphal Bix tune -see some discussion of this tune by clicking here.

Geoff Muldaur is a Bix fan from way back. As a youngster [he is now 60 years old], he listened to his brother's jazz collection and tells us that "Of all the musicians I listened to back then, none moved me more profoundly than Bix Beiderbecke." At the end of the liners, Muldaur writes, "This album is meant to convey the spirit of Bix and his time."

Although the interpretations are not done, with some exceptions, in the style of the 1920s, I find that Muldaur is quite accurate when he tells us that he is trying to convey the "spirit of Bix." In particular, the "chamber arrangements" of Bix's piano compositions bring out their bittersweet sensibility and haunting feeling, two of Bix's musical characteristics. The instruments used in three of the four compositions are violin, cornet, trombone, clarinet, alto sax and bass clarinet. In the fourth composition -In A Mist- the bass clarinet is replaced by baritone sax and tuba. The combination of instruments and the way the music is arranged makes Bix's compositions sound even more impressionistic than when played on a piano. The other tunes are played in a style that reminds me a bit of the smooth jazz sound of the 60s, in particular the vocals.

I was surprised to see that Randy Sandke, Bix scholar and friend of the Bixography, plays trumpet in four of the tracks -There Ain't No Sweet Man That's Worth the Salt of My Tears, Futuristic Rhythm (solo transcribed by Peter Ecklund), Singin' the Blues, and Bless You Sister. As usual, he brings his high technical proficiency and deep understanding of Bix's music to make these tracks significant. Other talented musicians are described as follows in the iclassics website. "Performing for this album are some of New York's finest instrumentalists, including Mark Gould, principal trumpet with the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, and saxophonist Ted Nash, a veteran of the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra, the Kennedy Center Jazz Orchestra, and a frequent collaborator with the likes of Wynton Marsalis and Mel Lewis. In addition to the chamber ensemble, other top players contributing to the big band treatments of the songs on this album include pianist Butch Thompson and drummer Arnie Kinsella of A Prairie Home Companion’s "Shoe Band," and ex-Ellington trombonist Art Baron. Besides creating the arrangements, Muldaur sings solo on several tracks, and joins with Loudon Wainwright and Greg Prestopino for some Rhythm Boys-style tunes. Martha Wainwright sings “Singin' The Blues” and “There Ain't No Sweet Man (That's Worth The Salt Of My Tears).”

Clearly, the album represents a labor of love: it has been twenty years from the time the idea was first conceived by Geoff Muldaur. But it has been time well spent.


by producer Dick Connette:
Sometime around 1971, I was hanging around my college dorm room doing whatever college students did in those days when they were hanging around college dorm rooms, and the song Memphis off a Jim Kweskin album (yes, of course, vinyl) came on, and I asked my roommate who was that singing, as I was mightily impressed, and was informed that it was Geoff Muldaur. Fast forward thirty years, when what amounted to a critical mass of mutual interests and friendly connections somehow led Geoff to ask me to produce a record he was working on. It was all about songs and pieces by and/or associated with the legendary cornetist and composer, Bix Beiderbecke. Geoff had already made ingenious chamber arrangements of Bix’s solo piano pieces, and was working out small and big band charts for a bunch of the songs Bix had recorded. We shopped around a demo, and, given the esoteric untimely (if timeless) nature of the project, I was not sanguine of its prospects. But, through the efforts of Joe Boyd, who became Executive Producer, we secured a deal with (maybe you better sit down) Deutsche Grammophon. The album, Private Astronomy, features vocals by Loudon and Martha Wainwright, and, of course, by Geoff, whose voice first put me on this path. Bonus: there’s one song with Bix music and words by Linda Thompson, Dick Connette and Rufus Wainwright, my coolest writing credit to date.
(9/30/03)


One thing nobody's mentioned thus far is how Geoff's older brother used to beat him up when Geoff couldn't recognize a Bix solo in a jazz band performance. I guess he HAD to develop a critical sense of listening.


TrackList:
01 Take Your Tomorrow (And Give Me Today) - J C. Johnson, Razaf - 2:42
02 In the Dark - Beiderbecke - 3:06
03 There Ain't No Sweet Man That's Worth the Salt of My Tears - Fisher - 3:51
04 In a Mist - Beiderbecke - 4:53
05 Futuristic Rhythm - Fields, McHugh - 2:23
Composed by: Fields, McHugh
06 Davenport Blues - Beiderbecke - 2:13
07 Singin' the Blues - Conrad, Lewis, Robinson, Young - 4:12
08 Candlelights - Conrad, Lewis, Robinson, Young - 4:38
09 Bless You! Sister - Robinson - 3:14
10 Flashes - Beiderbecke - 3:17
11 Waiting at the End of the Road - Berlin - 4:11
12 In a Mist (Reprise) - Beiderbecke - 1:13
13 Clouds - Beiderbecke, Connette ... - 2:16


Personnel:
Geoff Muldaur—Arrangements; Vocals, Glockenspiel;
James O’Connor—Trumpet;
Dan Levine— Trombone, Tuba;
Aaron Heick—Alto Saxophone;
Jonathan Levine—Tenor Saxophone, Baritone Saxophone, Bass Clarinet;
Matt Munisteri—Guitars;
Doug Wamble—Guitars;
Greg Cohen—Bass;
Paul Woodiel—Violin;
Mark Gould—Cornet;
Walt Weiskopf—Clarinet;
Randy Sandke—Cornet;
Art Baron—Trombone;
Dan Block Clarinet, Tenor Saxophone;
Chuck Wilson—Alto Saxophone;
Conal Fowkes—Bass;
Nathan Durham—Tuba;
Arnie Kinsella—Drums;
Ted Nash—Alto Saxophone;
Butch Thompson—Piano.





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Geoff Muldaur - Is Having A Wonderful Time (1975)


(vinyl, cleaned) | mp3 >192kbps vbr | w/ cover | 61mb

I uploaded this a while ago but forgot to post it. Fantastic album.


TrackList:

01 Livin' in the Sunlight - Lewis, Sherman - 2:55
02 Gee Baby, Ain't I Good to You - Razaf, Redman - 3:49
03 99 1/2 - Coates - 3:50
04 I Want to Be a Sailor / Why Should I Love You? - Denham, Rozsa - 10:30
05 Higher and Higher - Jackson, Miner, Smith - 3:40
06 Wondering Why - Carner, Saunders - 3:05
07 Jailbird Love Song - Vinson - 3:56
08 High Blood Pressure - Smith, Vincent - 3:22
09 Tennessee Blues - Charles - 3:33


Credits (wow!):
Kenny Berger Clarinet
Gus Bivona Clarinet (Bass)
Patti Bone Piano, Keyboards
James Booker Organ, Keyboards
Turner Stephen Bruton Guitar, Vocals
Billy Butler Guitar
Don Butterfield Tuba
John Cale Violin
Capitol City Stars Vocals
Benny Carter Arranger
Ron Carter Bass
Doc Cheatham Trumpet
John Clark Horn, French Horn
Eddie Daniels Flute
George Dorsey Saxophone, Sax (Alto)
Cornell Dupree Guitar
Joe Farrell Organ, Oboe
Amos Garrett Guitar, Arranger, Harmony Vocals
Peter Gordon Horn, French Horn
Herschel Holder Trumpet
Paul Humphrey Drums
Quentin Jackson Trombone
Gerald Jemmott Bass
Howard Johnson Sax (Alto)
Taft Jordan Trumpet
Bill Keith Guitar (Steel)
Lionel Kingham Saxophone
Densil Lang Percussion, Vocals
Eddie Locke Drums
Graham Lyons Bassoon
Earl McIntyre Trombone (Bass)
Benny Morton Trombone
Geoff Muldaur Guitar, Celeste, Keyboards, Vocals, Harmony Vocals
Jenni Muldaur Vocals
Maria Muldaur Fiddle, Violin, Vocals
Jimmy Nottingham Trumpet
Paul Owens Vocals
Chris Parker Drums
Romeo Penque Clarinet
Seldon Powell Saxophone, Sax (Tenor)
Greg Prestopino Vocals, Harmony Vocals
Russell Procope Saxophone, Sax (Alto)
Bernard "Pretty" Purdie Drums
Billy Rich Bass
Fritz Richmond Vocals, Jug
Merl Saunders Organ, Keyboards
Jimmy Shirley Banjo
Bob Siggins Banjo
David Simon Harmonica, Vocals
Lloyd Smith Saxophone
Lew Soloff Trumpet, Flugelhorn, Horn
Richard Thompson Guitar
Harold Vick Saxophone, Sax (Tenor)
Frank Wess Saxophone, Sax (Alto)
Bob Wilber Wind
Bob Wilbur Clarinet, Sax (Soprano)
Charles Williams Saxophone



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Geoff & Maria Muldaur - Sweet Potatoes (1971)



In the midst of leaving the Jim Kweskin Jug Band and beginning the juggernaut that would be the solo career of Maria Muldaur, the happily singing and swinging couple made several sides which made expert use of a loose-knit group of players who had grown into masters of the folk revival arts. At times the choice of material on this album is unfortunately lazy; "Havana Moon" was a song that not even Chuck Berry himself could complete without boredom setting in, and the efforts here don't pay off much better. At the same time, the players here really don't need much more than the most basic framework from which to jump off and they are hard at it, pushing the music forward with a sense of purpose that inevitably helped it earn its hard-fought respectability. As a whole, Sweet Potatoes is something of a masterwork, rich and revealing, possessing the contagious enthusiasm of young musicians finding a personal voice in the rich traditions of the past as well as the relaxed sophistication that develops when these players are no longer novices. The Geoff and Maria Muldaur combination, when it was working, was also very special, a challenging partnership that also was something of an inviting nucleus to the players with the talent to be drawn into the fold. This album contains some of the better playing of harmonica man Paul Butterfield, removed from the hyper-drive excess of his blues bands. "Kneein' Me" and "Cordelia" are among the song highlights. © Eugene Chadbourne, All Music Guide


TrackList:

01.Blue Railroad Train by Alton Delmore
02.Havana Moon by Chuck Berry
03.Lazybones by Hoagy Carmichael & Johnny Mercer
04.Cordelia by Geoff Muldaur
05.Dardanella by F. Fisher, F. Bernard, J. Black
06.I'm Rich by Geoff Muldaur
07.Sweet Potatoes by Jeff Gutcheon
08.Kneein' Me by Geoff Muldaur
09.Lover Man (Oh Where Can You Be) by R. Ramirez, J. Davis, J. Sherman
10.Hard Time Killin' Floor by Nehemiah 'Skip' James


Band
Geoff Muldaur Vocals, Piano, Guitar, Luzan, Organ, Horns
Maria Muldaur Vocals, Tambourine
Amos Garrett Electric Guitar, Trombone, Vocal on track 3
Bill Keith Pedal Steel
Billy Mundi Drums, Luzan, Percussions
John Kahn Bass

Guests
Paul Butterfield Harmonica
Jeff Gutcheon Piano
Bobby Notkoff Violin
Trevor Lawrence Bariton Sax
Peter Ecklund Trumpet
Gene Dinwiddie Tenor Sax
Munc Blackburn Alto Sax
Junior Turlock Bass
Stu Brotman Bowed Bass, Bass Trombone
Billy Wolf Bass on track 10
Joe Boyd Producer on track 10



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Geoff Muldaur - The Secret Handshake

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Review by Cub Koda
Geoff Muldaur, alumnus of Jim Kweskin & the Jug Band and Paul Butterfield's Better Days, came back in 1998 with his first solo album in several years, and the self-assuredness that permeates Secret Handshake was well worth the wait. Muldaur, always an eccentric interpreter of other people's material (his version of "Brazil" pervades the soundtrack of the Terry Gilliam film with the same name), takes on a batch of his favorite old country-blues tunes and adds a couple of atmospheric originals to the mix as well. But rather than the standard, reverent solo acoustic approach, Muldaur definitely puts his own touch on each and every obscure chestnut that's here, with nary a one resembling the original version. Recorded over the course of a year in a variety of studios across the U.S.A., he has assembled a first-rank cast of players including Turner Stephen Bruton on guitar, Bill Rich on bass, and Larry Thompson on drums, with Hal Ketchum, Sean Hopper, Lenny Pickett, David Grisman, Amos Garrett and John Magnie all making guest appearances. Highlights include "The Wild Ox Moan," "This World Is Not My Home," "Alberta," "Mistreated Mama," and a pair of Muldaur originals, "Got to Find Blind Lemon, Pt. 1" and "I Believe I'll Go Back Home." Muldaur has created something unique and original with this disc; your standard-fare white country-blues album this is not.


TrackList:

01. The Wild Ox Moan (Hall, Tartt) - 4:45
02. This World Is Not My Home (Brumley) - 4:43
03. Alberta (Leadbelly) - 3:59
04. Got to Find Blind Lemon, Pt. 1 (Muldaur) - 4:08
05. I Believe I'll Go Back Home (Muldaur) - 5:04
06. Chevrolet/Big Alice (Young, Young) - 7:37
07. I Can't See Your Face (Davis) - 4:51
08. Mistreated Mama (Traditional) - 2:59
09. Someday Baby (Estes) - 3:40
10. Just a Little While to Stay Here (Brumley) - 4:09





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