Shack Attack!

Actually, it's more of a blitzkrieg than an attack if you wanna be technical. This week saw six contributions from one submitter, Arkadin36! If you're a Mainstream fan, he's one man who definitely deserves recognition for his generosity in sharing these releases so show him some appreciation in the comments when you pick up any of the gems below.

[MRL 300] Ron Frangipane & His Orchestra - Rated X for Excitement

Boomp3.com
Boomp3.com

It may not be the Laura Nyro cover LP we've been hoping to see but it's the first in the Mainstream Red Lion series and it's got more than its fair share of Moogy madness to make it interesting, so it's worth a listen. It is heavy on the fromage though, so if these sample tracks don't wow you, you may as well keep movin' on...

[MRL 303] The Phoenix Authority - Blood, Sweat & Brass

Boomp3.com
Boomp3.com

"Movin' on" is bit of an understatement considering the cats Bobby Shad picked to bring their fiery funk to this set of hip pop hit covers. Check the roster: Grady Tate, Woody Shaw, Chuck Rainey, Hubert Laws, Kenny Burrell... Need we say more?

[MRL 313] Roy Haynes - Hip Ensemble

Boomp3.com
Boomp3.com

Haynes had just come off his work with Gary Burton and assembled his Hip Ensemble to embark on a jazz-rock fusion voyage with this release. A fine start it is with Hannibal and George Adams in top form over the driving rhythms. Highly recommended!

[MRL 325] Dizzy Gillespie & The Mitchell Ruff Duo - In Concert

Boomp3.com

Pretty self-explanatory, this one as the trio play well in front of an appreciative crowd at Dartmouth College. Nothing to write home about but nothing to be ashamed of either.

[MRL 377] Ellerine Harding - Ellerine

Boomp3.com
Boomp3.com

Talk about underrated! This slice o' soul certainly deserves better and is similar in feel and sound to Maxine Weldon's debut. Lots of amazing players on this one too: Bernard Purdie, Wilbur Bascomb, Cornell Dupree, Ray Barretto and others with horn & string arrangements by Wade Marcus. Solid soul with some funky & jazzy touches throughout and it's on heavy rotation here at the shad shack.

[MRL 386] Max Roach/Clifford Brown - Daahoud

Boomp3.com

Not a reissue of the critically acclaimed 1955 Roach & Brown LP also known by the same name, it's actually the demo tape they brought to Shad who signed them for EmArcy at the time. Informative liner notes and an early look at a classic recording make it well worth your attention.