VINYL RELEASES: SPEAKERS CORNER

Brief news of vinyl releases from Speakers Corner

Three new releases (www.speakerscornerrecords.com). The first is Charles Mingus’ Pithecanthropus Erectus (1956), his major release as a leader and composer, stretching the entire notion of jazz into tonal arrangements.

LaVern Baker’s Sings Bessie Smith (1958) is a splendid release from this R&B singer, surprisingly so. With a jazz backing group this rich style soup allows Baker to sing Smith in her own effective manner. 

Finally, Albert King’s Born Under A Bad Sign (1967) is his wonderful Stax cut, a host of singles strung into a LP and oh, so influential. Clapton built his early career on the guy.