Real Eyes, Reflections, Moving Target.

‘After Gris-Gris, Dr. John found himself in a strange and awkward position. The US was deep into the Vietnam War, and the assassinations of Martin Luther King Jr. and Bobby Kennedy were fresh in the public memory. On top of that, Dr. John was being pursued by various Los Angeles authorities for a handful of criminal offenses. It was, in his own words: “a heavy time for me.”
‘Much like Sly Stone’s There’s A Riot Goin’ On, Dr. John’s sophomore album Babylon would be a reflection of the chaotic and tumultuous time that he was living in. He and the band dove deeper into the voodoo-inflected psychedelic rock and R&B of Gris-Gris, while touching upon elements of free jazz and Captain Beefheart-style avant garde. As with his debut record, production was handled by the legendary Harold Battiste, and much of the same session personnel returned for Babylon, including Plas Johnson on saxophone, Alvin Robinson on guitar, and backing vocals from Jessie Hill, Shirley Goodman, and Tami Lynn.
‘Babylon stands out as one of Dr. John’s most overtly political albums, and is a singularly murky and darkly entrancing record in his discography. A psychedelic swamp of apocalyptic songs and drunk, disorienting experimentation, not repressed on vinyl in over forty years.’

Very early Glads, from 1967, seemingly pre-Albert Griffiths — and a killer Tommy McCook instrumental. Both previously unreleased Duke Reid productions, when Trojan was properly trojan; by way of Japan.

Sweet rocksteady — expertly arranged, with boss guitar, horns and harmonies.
“We’re going to put it on… we are loaded… (long pause)... with soul music.”

CD from BGP.

From the same year Smith left the Miles Davis group, the title track is such an almighty classic, it has eclipsed this lovely LP.
Desert Nights, Voodoo Woman and the dubby Shadows are variations of the same ecstatically cosmic, limberly funky modal jazz as the beloved opener, centred on the sublimity of Cecil McBee’s bass-playing. Summer Days and My Love go Latin. The tenor voice of Lonnie’s bro Donald leads a version of Horace Silver’s Peace (with new, yearning lyrics by Doug Carn).

‘Ace is celebrating the fiftieth anniversary of the original Flying Dutchman release, with an ultra-high quality deluxe vinyl edition of the album. Using the original album master tape we decamped to Frank Merritt’s East London studio, the Carvery, for an all-analogue cut of the album. It has never sounded better!
‘We have housed this in a tip-on a laminated gatefold sleeve, which has allows Jack Martin’s original painting of Lonnie to shine as never before. We have also a fully illustrated sleeve note by Frank Tope, telling the story of how the record took its journey through the universe from its spiritual jazz route to become a clubland anthem. This story is told with help from Gilles Peterson, Norman Jay, and others.’

The best of the Flying Dutchmans.