“A unique and essential recording that is an absolute dream musically in every way possible” - Paul Murphy (Jazz Room)

"Webster Lewis - file under Legend!" Gilles Peterson (BBC Worldwide)

The complete set: the original 1972 Live at Club7 album and Club7 Live Tapes from 2007— together in a box as 4 LPs!

As Jazzaggression celebrates its 20th anniversary, we knew we had to do something special. So, we went back to our very first release and thought: How can we make it even better? The answer was to bundle the original Live at Club7 release from ’72 with previously unreleased material, giving you, for the first time, the entire session as one complete experience. We returned to the master tapes for fresh transfers and had new lacquers cut by Jukka Sarapaa of Timmion fame. Plus, we dove into the photo archives to include previously unseen photos from the session.

Much has already been written about this Boston-based band, handpicked by George Russell and touring Norway in the early seventies, as well as the series of coincidences that led to its recording by engineer Jan Erik Kongshaug (later known for his work with ECM) in 1971. The story is well-covered in the liner notes of the 8-page booklet that accompanies the box set. To keep it brief here: this music embodies the best of both worlds for rare groove fans—soulful jazz with a killer backbone. But it’s more than that; there’s an esoteric, free-flowing energy in the jazz tracks that resonates even more today than when we first released the Club7 tapes two decades ago.

The music reflects the vision of a nonconformist Webster Lewis in his late 20s, backed by a powerhouse lineup. Tenor Judd Watkins brings an “Isaac Hayes” style to the vocals, while the extraordinary drummer Jimmy Hopps anchors the rhythm with force, alongside Bobby Greene on alto sax and Stan Strickland on tenor sax and flute. Together, they form a quintet with an eclectic selection of songs and a scale of sound that remains unmatched to this day.

Or as Webster himself said back then: “We’ve only just begun.” It’s The Post-Pop, Space Rock, Be-Bop, Gospel Tabernacle Chorus and Orchestra, BABY!

As we said at the start, we’ve gone the extra mile on this one: new transfers from the original master tapes, new lacquers cut, an 8-page booklet with rare photos, updated liner notes, four tip-on sleeves in a custom box, and digital downloads included. Plus, bonus stickers! To keep it collectible, we’ve limited it to just 500 copies. With the strong interest in this band and their unique sound, these are set to go fast—so if you want one, don’t hesitate.

Live at Club 7 box Snippets

www.yesitsananias.com 

The vibrant new titles "Treizeta", "The Third Era" & "Vollenweider" off the freshly released 3rd Studio Album "Yes It's Ananias III: The Commencement of The Third Era" in 2022 have glimpsed couple of sparks of the upcoming new age and sound of YIA... In December 2021, Yes It's Ananias has released a surprise Solo Rhodes Single which is part of the third Saga. "Hot Snowflake Pt. I (Ice-O-Lation)" tells a story of an Utopia in our modern world. Although, the peculiar year of a post-millenium pandemic lead to a one-off performance in september 2020 when the 70's look inspired Swiss Pianist/Improvisationist went on stage for 6:29 min time. He conserved the moment and released his only digital output within 5 years since his well-approven second studio record "Yes It's Ananias II".

It's called "To Venus And Back" and was played on a Electric Piano in the oldest cinema in the country. Nicolas Streichenberg (His real Citizen Name) reveals the inside and puts it to the outer sphere. He toured heavely in the past couple years in search of finding his own signiture in the soundscape and playing by recording live-concerts on tour and release the limited Vinyl-Copies to the audience, re-listening to it and excerp the imprompti from all sections.

In 2018/2019/2021 he was playing/visiting in Sweden, Italy, Spain, France, Denmark, Switzerland and Germany the most honest way: Solo Piano. While gathering an increasing fanbase around Switzerland and Eastern France, he held up the first official PIANO DAY in Zurich. Swiss Radio/Television SRF Kultur portrayed him and his work during their Winter-Campaign #SRFZämeStah. A platform of selected Artists/Actors/Musicians in Switzerland. In the end of 2021 YIA got featured on the swedish shoebrand "Everyday Hero" in their artist/music section "Listen Up". A space for rocknroll spirits and fashionistas who are empowered by the musical taste of the shoedesigner. The filmwork for "Vollenweider" got premiered on their webpage of selective artists worldwide. It took only 6 days until one of most prestigeous Venues in Switzerland "Atlantis", who has been a base for the 60's/70's Rockscene in Basel and today's renowned Jazz/Contemporary Music Temple, was sold out. There are rumours for a new fourth era in 2023

MC Powahed / Krutown / Power Ende Mauz / hiphop / fonk / boombap

The Lost Soul Crusade are a noisome bunch: the perfect storm of soul burned vocals, crashing harmonies and hurricane feedback. They're also one of London's (so far) best kept secrets, shifting units of their amp-buckling debut EP, This Is The Blues through a string of independent record stores. Their attitude? Do it off your own back; take them on, on your own.

"We've been recording for years," says singer, songwriter Simon Keeping, who fronts the four piece which also features guitarist Steve Christmas, bassist and brother James Keeping and James Bunce on drums. "People started taking a lot of attention of us at gigs, so we figured we could release a couple of records on our own, without any label help. If it's good enough for Radiohead, then it's good enough for us."

The fruits of this work ethic is This Is The Blues, a stark, heart bruised three track EP that mixes the brittle, porch blues of Johnny Cash and Tom Waits with pop's more brutal experimentalists - My Bloody Valentine, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Spiritualized and The Jesus And Mary Chain.

The nuts and bolts of this sound can be found in Keeping's record collection where the likes of Pink Floyd, Kraftwerk, The Velvet Underground and The Byrds shoulder RZA, The Stooges, The Verve and Oasis. "I love anything with soul," says Keeping. "I want to get a lot of honesty, passion and truth into our music, whether that's in that lyrics or the full on, guitar rush of Lay It On Down, which really takes off at the end of the track. But we also love
the old school funk riffs that were lifted in early hip hop and the less noodly jazz of Sun Ra and Pharaoh Sanders."

However, Jason Pierce's work with Spirtualized and Spaceman 3 looms largest over the band that first began recording in Keeping's bedroom in 2000. "Me and Steve loved Spiritualized, so we used to meet up and jam. I'd play the drums and he would play the guitar. At first it was just a load of noise, but I went out and bought an eight track recorder for a couple of hundred quid and we starting writing tunes."

Keeping began sketching songs on an old guitar and after moving to London in 2006 The Lost Soul Crusade became a serious concern. James Bunce joined the band and Keeping's brother James took up the bass. "Suddenly it felt like a proper band," says Keeping. But by 2008, and with a handful of gigs in place, the band nearly killed their frontman.

"We were rehearsing and I went on holiday, but I became really ill as soon as I landed," he says. "When I got home I was hospitalised for three days
and I lost two stone. The doctors reckoned I'd picked up an infection from the microphone I'd been using in the rehearsal studio."

With Keeping's near death experience behind him, The Lost Soul Crusade played a string of typically grandiose shows, packing pubs and London clubs with a line up that included gospel singers on backing vocals. Three tracks - This Is The Blues, Lay It On Down and I Don't Know - were later recorded at Leamington Spa's Woodbine Studios and produced by John Rivers, before the band began spreading the word via indie record stores.

"It was an off the cuff idea," says Keeping. "I thought we'd go back to basics so I went down to Rough Trade in Ladbroke Grove and asked them if they'd like to stock the EP. The guy behind the counter said he'd give it a listen and would let us know later in the week, but as I was looking through the albums in the store he put it on. Two blokes asked for copies straightaway, so the store agreed to take some singles off us. It was a bit of a defining moment for me. I was standing in a record shop I'd used for years and suddenly they were playing my stuff on the stereo. It was f***ing mental."

And if you're wondering about the band name, it comes from an old episode of US hit cop show, Colombo which featured an appearance from Johnny Cash. "The episode was called Swan Song and Cash plays a singer in a band called The Lost Soul Crusaders - he's an old washed up country star and he's secretly knocking off all these girls on the side. It's a brilliant episode and the name sounded great."

The next step for The Lost Soul Crusade travels a less darker path, however. Over the next few months the band will play a string of London shows in support of This Is The Blues before recording a second single and an album. "I've got so many tracks and ideas ready to go," says Keeping. "We're always writing and we've got tapes of demos to work from. We have the belief that we have great songs. Now everyone else is finding about it, too."

Matt Allen 2010