It’s Proms season in England at the moment and, for all my interest in Classical music, the thing that has been a delight over the past few years is how major talent outside of the conventional Prom-like fields have been included. The pick this year has been a mesmerising set by the Jazz saxophonist Nubya Garcia, whose recognition as a vessel for musical progression not to mention her mature ear for melodic structure is wholly deserved. The much talked about ‘London Jazz Scene’ is certainly the most exciting collection of artists and sonic explorers to be found in 2021, to say they give you hope for the future is putting it modestly, this perpetually mixing and collaborating collective are tapping into the very source of everything that is magical about music. Right there at the centre of it all is Nubya Garcia, grace and poise personified, lost in music, never over playing and yet definitively bottling that ‘source’ whenever she breathes life into her instrument. 2020’s ‘Source’ album is a great place to start although Fruit Tree Records will return in the future to many more essential releases from this movement. If you want to go in for some ultra fresh juice however, why not check out the 2021 Record Store Day limited 12″ release on the Concord Jazz label here:
Aaron Lee Tasjan is not a new name to Fruit Tree Records, he registered on the radar at least three years ago with his own ear catching brand of cosmic Americana. Now though, he is really showing the roots of his musical excellence, to such a degree that with latest album ‘Tasjan! Tasjan! Tasjan!’ even high profile pop pickers like Elton John are singing his praises. That he has gone on record to state The Beatles as a primary influence will be no surprise when you listen to this, the album is bursting at the seams with Fab sounds! From the liquid George Harrison guitar solos, to the sweet sounding production that echoes so much that was good in a post-Beatle pop world; you’ll hear waves of Jeff Lynne, Tom Petty, The Pretenders and the Travelling Wilburys splash into your mind. But the key thing that Aaron has taken from the pop masters is that, before the sonic delights of the production were applied, he made sure he wrote an albums worth of hook filled, ear worm worthy pop songs. It’s rather an undervalued artform you know, especially when someone like Aaron Lee Tasjan makes it sound so natural and easy. Be sure to pick up a vinyl copy of this LP:
Here’s a new artist who absolutely has to be heard by record buyers who love that vintage Soul and R&B sound harvested by the likes of Nick Waterhouse, Eli Paperboy Reed or as heard on the funky Daptone label. PM Warson is very much cut from that same cloth and he has paid his dues on the independent scene self releasing raw and classic sounding 45s. His debut album released on Legere Recordings is sure to be one of the most enduring albums put out in 2021, get it on vinyl now while it’s still affordable:
A Fruit Tree Records curated collection of recent Coral and related live activity around the release of superb new LP ‘Coral Island’
I watched the movie ‘Yesterday’ last night, the one about an aspiring singer-songwriter who discovers that the world has no memory or knowledge of The Beatles after a worldwide 12 second power cut. He uses this freak, unexplained circumstance to raid his memory of the Beatles catalogue and claim their songs as his own originals and realise worldwide fame and acclaim as the worlds greatest songwriter; a status emphasised by his eclipsing even the mighty Ed Sheeran. Much like the Fab Four I am all about spreading the love so I’ll set aside my personal feelings about Ed and give him kudos for being able to laugh at himself and at least acknowledge, on film, that the Beatle catalgue is greater than his own.
I enjoyed the film, after all it was a vehicle for a musical picture largely based around the Beatles catalogue, how could I not? And while there were representations of the John Lennon and George Harrison contributions to the canon, there were undoubtedly prime feature status given to the Paul McCartney numbers which, if you saw my ruminations in this months playlist, you’ll know is something on my musical mind right now. Yes I have been found guilty of undervaluing the work of McCartney but, as the man himself once said, it can take time for things to cut through and I too am a firm believer that the best stuff rises to the top eventually. That is proving true with McCartney but I am certain the sheer volume of great work produced by The Coral will prove ripe for rediscovery eventually too.
To just refer back to the film a moment longer, the scenes that rang most true in terms of the music scene today were those immediately after the lead character had realised the world no longer aware of The Beatles and he began presenting the songs as his own new works. Nothing happened, he continued to fall below the radar and would-be defining moments like the unveiling of his great new piece, in this case ‘Let It Be’, were flattened by short attention spans and untimely mobile phone interruptions. That’s how things are nowadays, great songwriters are not presenting to a world ready to give its appreciation to nuanced compositions of melodic splendour and structural inventiveness. A band like The Coral are a prime example of this. To the casual observer they may well remain filed away as psychedelic scousers from the early noughties who briefly rode the wave of garage rock revivalism that shone a while as the White Stripes blasted into the mainstream. They may not have paid quite such close attention to the fact that for nearly 20 years now, The Coral have carried on making music in a similar vein that has never dropped off in quality. The trouble is all too often, just being very good at the craft of songwriting isn’t news, it doesn’t grab the attention it deserves and can be taken a little for granted.
There is so much to be fascinated by in the two decades of Coral and related music making endeavours. So many incredible songs, I fully intend to go deeper over the time and write a lot more on here in appreciation of one of Liverpool’s greatest ever bands. For now though, I am drawing your attention to this years monstrous concept album ‘Coral Island’. Constructed in the style of an old sixties classic a-la ‘Ogdens Nut Gone Flake’ and complete with spoken word narratives between songs courtesy of James Skelly’s grandad, it is a record that is made to be experienced on vinyl and easily one of the essential albums of 2021. I urge you to get a copy here: https://www.discogs.com/The-Coral-Coral-Island/release/18541153
Fruit Tree Records 