The backlog of music… a great problem to have, or a sign that you are spread too thin.
There is a great line from the intro of “Better Off Without a Wife” off Tom’s Wait’s seminal classic from 1975, “Nighthawks at the Diner” where he paints the scene of going out on a date (comically with himself), going to dinner and a movie, aving some provocative conversation on the way home in the car, pulling up to the house, smoothly scooting a little closer, sultrily whispering “I think you have something in your eye”, walking the date (again, himself) up to the porch, inviting himself inside, pouring himself “I don’t know, maybe I’ll have something in a brandy snifter” and saying “How about we listen to something from my ‘back records’” and then finally… well, I let you paint the rest of the picture, but yeah, the way Tom alludes is “making the scene with a magazine.”
Anyway, I first heard this album back when I was probably 22 or so, had only a very modest collection at the time, and always wondered “What did he mean by ‘back records’?”. I came to think that the only thing that could be would be the records that you keep in the least accessible spot in your collection, the least “front” space. Records that you don’t necessarily regularly listen to, but that are there for when you need them, in my case, it would be my Monty Python and Cheech and Chong records which are situated near my Annie soundtrack and my Muppets records, which oddly enough rest near my Stravinsky, Ravel, and Debussy, adjacent to which is my modest, but respectable Jazz collection, in which sits Getz Au Go Go, featuring Astrud Gilberto which I think must be the most quintessential “back record” of my collection, a record that, if I was bringing myself home on a date, that I would most likely reach for. And if things got going from there, I might go to Sonny Rollins, or Miles, or even Ornette Coleman next, if the vibe was there, or just some good ol’ Bill Evans if it wasn’t. I don’t currently own any Pharoah, but he’d definitely be nestled up next to my Monk and Co. As for Danny Korthmar, I know the name but sadly not the music …that is of yet.
So I have to thank friendly Shinichi whom I met in Kichijoji outside of Disk Union, who shared with me that he has some 3000 albums (!!!), and though he loves all genres of music, he’s a big Jazz and Soul guy, and Curtis Mayfield is one of his all-time favs. He’s pictured here with two very intriguing records – records that, having not listened to just YET, I’m putting in my digital backlog, and will have to come back to these on a night I have completely to myself, with maybe something in a brandy snifter. I have a feeling these will be the perfect “back records” to have on hand.
THANKS, Shinichi! More TRS on the way!
Pharoah Sanders & Bill Laswell – With A Heartbeat
Pharoah Sanders – With A Heartbeat album cover
Label: Douglas: – AD-01
Format: CD, Album
Country: France
Released: 2004
Genre: Electronic, Jazz
Style: Future Jazz, Ambient
https://www.discogs.com/release/1518517-Pharoah-Sanders-Bill-Laswell-With-A-Heartbeat
Danny Kortchmar – Kootch
Label: Warner Bros. Records – BS 2711
Format: Vinyl, LP, Album
Country: US
Released: 1973
Genre: Rock
Style: Pop Rock
https://www.discogs.com/release/3835553-Danny-Kortchmar-Kootch
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