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Greetings to you all. Thanks for taking the time to read the Sorry State Newsletter. It’s greatly appreciated and hopefully you get some useful information out of it and a brief distraction from “other stuff” that is going on. Music and the arts in general are especially important right now and have real power to unify, to soothe, to entertain, to inspire and to communicate truth. For our small part, it is an honour to pass on information and to highlight cool shit that you might like.
Writing for the newsletter is fun and a privilege, but in the company of my colleagues can be a little tough sometimes. We boast some bona fide credentials and talent amongst the team, and attempting to pen anything as interesting as theirs is always a challenge. Speaking for myself only, but I really struggle to pull the words out of my head sometimes, and can stare at a blank screen for a while. Partly because my head is full of too many other “life” things, which makes it difficult for me to concentrate, and partly because I love music and the artists that created it so much that I don’t want to do a poor job talking about something (especially if others have done it way better) or simply “phone in” a review of a record or whatever. Believe it or not, it matters to me. As it does all of us here. You don’t work at a record store and small label thinking you’re going to be super rich. If anything, it’s the complete opposite. As Daniel says, a vow of poverty. I have committed to that philosophy over the years and have chosen records over almost everything else in my life. Clearly that has been to my detriment, but at least my soul got to take in some killer shit, and hopefully I enriched other peoples’ souls by sharing and passing on knowledge of good stuff. Whether that’s been as a DJ or as a shopkeeper, the goal has always been to evangelize and pass on and to keep alive quality human artistic expression. I’m happy to play a minuscule part in that and always will.
One of the best and most exciting parts of buying and selling records is when you score a great collection. Sorry State (touch wood) has historically had good luck with that, but we’re always looking for the next cool pick up. The holiday period cleared out the bins significantly at the store and we needed replacements. I love seeing our compatriots at other record stores picking up cool collections, but admit to getting envious sometimes. So, it was a blessing from the vinyl gods that delivered a large collection to us just recently. From the collection of a music industry insider who worked from the mid 1970s through to the late 1990s and acquired, multiple in many cases, promo copies of records he was involved with. We have tons of (mostly) un-played promo copies of cool Jazz, Rock, Pop, Country, Classical, Soundtracks and more besides, which we will work on pricing and getting into the store and listing directly to our online channels as well. The store saw the first fruits of that collection hit the bins last Friday and will see more to come over the next few weeks, but many titles will go straight up online, so make sure to scan our listings. A lot of these will be sealed or unplayed copies too.
Over the weekend, I filled up a few boxes of more potential sellers for the store, but because we got busy with other things they remained in the trunk of my car, and I ended up bringing them home. The temperature has been in the 60s this weekend, so there are no worries of them being too hot or cold. However, I brought them inside just in case. That gave me a chance to pull out one or two that I didn’t know and that looked interesting to check out. The perfect way to spend my Sunday between watching the football. I only had time to listen a few of the many cool records and have gone with something new to me for my “pick” this week. I could have easily picked one of several more obviously cool and known titles. There are loads of those in this collection, and many that come with a price tag reflecting their desirability. But instead I’ve gone with a cheaper one. I have a soft spot for records that aren’t too expensive but still pack a punch and provide for some good listening. Also, like Daniel, I don’t mind having lower grade copies of records that would otherwise be a lot more expensive. If the vinyl is mostly clean and decent and plays without major noise and/or skips, I’m okay. Certainly, jackets don’t have to be spotless for me. Obviously, I prefer a nice copy without damage, but I can live with a seam split or some writing on the back, etc. Just no mold from moisture exposure. I can’t do that. The copy I am about to talk about is decent, has a punch hole and plays well. I only pulled jazz records from the collection, so if that’s not your bag, you can be excused. LoL.
Up is pianist Rupert Cobbett and a record he released in 1976 called Sensitive Cat on the independent Soul Deep label out of Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
I was drawn to the title first. I consider myself a sensitive cat and have a poorly sensitive cat at home currently. Then there was a cartoon sketch on the back of the jacket depicting a cat playing keyboards with the black keys spelling out progressive. Cool. That and the nature of the Soul Deep private label intrigue coupled with the photo of Mr. Cobbett on the cover and the dedication to the “Jazz Freaks” of the industry on the back all shouted out to me to drop the needle and see what sounds came out of the speakers. I’m happy to report a winner. Not an out and out classic or an essential banger, but a decent record that would appeal to anyone who likes 70s Jazz Funk and electric keyboard led music. I was a little skeptical as the first track began as it sounded mainstream, and I was fearful this might be a lame cocktail lounge record. This song called Just One Reason was hyped on the front cover as being a hit single. I don’t know about that. Maybe on the Holiday Inn bar scene it was. LoL. Although at halfway through that song, I heard some cool percussion and signs that there might be better to come. The second track, On Three Legs, quickly proves that to be the case. Producers might want to get their samplers out for elements of this track. There were some tasty beats in parts, and the piano playing was top-notch. Rupert has the chops to be spoken about alongside big names like Ramsey Lewis and Herbie Hancock when it comes to this particular period of piano based jazz.
The rest of the musicians on the date are allowed to demonstrate their talents as the album continues. The third song, Ultra Wave, gives both the drummer some and the bassist space to groove and show what they can do. Side one ends with my favorite cut so far. Called Seven Heaven, it has an Afro-Funk sort of groove going on and would appeal to fans of groups like Cymande and War, or perhaps even Mandrill. Not as heavy or overtly funky, but the song has a nice groove to it and features some tasty flute work.
Side two opens with Bad Rooster and more tasty drums that surely have been sampled (or need to be) and progresses in a Stanley Turrentine and Freddie Hubbard on CTI records sort of fashion. The drummer keeps the groove going throughout and would make Steve Gadd proud. As the song gets into a bit of a breakdown, this sweet synth sound comes in. Really cool.
The next song, Play The Game, gets into a Latin Funk light type of groove. There’s some more tasty flute and bass parts and consistent percussion and drums.
They lose me a little on the third track called Ballad Acoustics, as they take their foot off the gas a little, but it’s still a nice track in the vein of something Vince Guaraldi might play on one of the Charlie Brown TV Specials soundtracks that I love so much. Beautiful piano playing and deft bass lines.
The album closer is called What It Is, and is the only song with vocals. The song has a Caribbean sounding vibe to it and doesn’t quite fit in with everything that proceeded it. It isn’t that bad of a song, but it isn’t that great either, and seems to be an odd addition. I wonder what the thought process was behind including that, and whether it was recorded at a different time to the rest of the album.
So yeah, there you have it. Worth checking out and keeping an eye out for if you like the type of Soul Jazz that labels such as Muse or Black Jazz were releasing at the same time. You can click here for a link to listen to the song Seven Heaven and get a taste.
Rupert Cobbett released a second record on the same Soul Deep label, his own I believe, the following year in 1977 called Peaceful Morning that’s in the same vein as Sensitive Cat. Looking at Discogs, it seems like people are paying good money for a copy of that one, and the same might be said about the first one now too, although the median on that one is still at $20. I think tracks from the second album have been sampled and compiled on to mix tapes, which has raised their profile and hence has more people on the hunt which, in turn, raises the price.
I’ve checked that album online and liked it too. Maybe I’ll find a copy in this current collection we are still going through. There might be one. If he had the first, why not the second? It would make sense. Keeping my fingers crossed. In the meantime, I’ll enjoy listening to Sensitive Cat with my sensitive self and my actual sensitive kitty cat.
Cheers everyone. Thanks for reading and supporting us and supporting everyone else that is trying to put the good word out and do good things. We’re in this together. It’s going to be rough, but if we find community in music and other interests, then we might just make it. Keep the faith.
-Dom