Weekend Mix/Mark-Almond

I don't like to think about how many records I've bought since moving to Massachusetts two years ago. From Record Stores, Record Riots, Discogs, Bandcamp, $5Dollar Records, and many others. Do the math: 104 weeks averaging a couple per.  I've got 3 arriving from Sal today, and a 1/2 speed master of "The Who Sell Out" from Germany. I just got an email letting me know that four more $5Dollar records are on the way.

I've seen Mark-Almond albums all my record store life, alongside Elliott Murphy, and other artists no one ever turned me onto. Sometimes while spinning discs all gummied up and watching YouTube without sound (just like the old days), I'll search 40 pages of vinyl dreck on $5Dollar Records for what can best be described as thrift store treasures in VG condition. With YouTube handy I can quickly find anything to preview. I ran a search for The Best Of Mark-Almond and immediately found "The City", which I remember hearing back in the day on FM radio, thinking it was Santana. I was instantly hooked, adding it and their first album to my shopping cart. I need to find 4 records to make the $6 shipping worth it. It's a great place for obscure Jazz, Henry Mancini soundtracks, bachelor pad music, you get the idea. 

The Mark-Almond albums didn't disappoint. I soon found Mark-Almond II on Discogs, and their third, "Rising", came as a packing bonus from Sal, just as I was putting this together. It has a cool folk-jazz- Island Records-early-70's vibe. I'm reminded of John Martyn's "Solid Air", King Crimson's "Formentera Lady", and sometimes Nick Drake. I hear some Chet Baker in Jon Mark's smooth vocal delivery.

The only personnel on "Rising"(1972) in common with the first album are Jon Mark (Singer/songwriter/guitars) and Johnny Almond (woodwinds). In October 1972, while rock climbing in Hawaii, Jon Mark suffered an accident and lost most of the ring finger on his left hand. This put an end to any momentum the band might have acquired, and that was essentially it. He can be seen in a 1973 Midnight Special furiously strumming chords with a shadow where his finger used to be. Two of their best songs are on side 1 of their first album. It was a little harder choosing the good ones* from "Rising", their third. I fell so hard working on this mix last summer that I began to mistrust my instincts. I don't always listen to lyrics, and there's a lot to process here. I needed to live with it long enough to be sure it was worth our time, and not be embarrassed by my temporary infatuation. 

Fortunately everything sounded even better after the break. Jon Mark's vocals, musicianship and the sophisticated blend of folk and jazz makes me wish there were more records like this out there. 

wikipedia post script:

Mark moved to New Zealand in the mid 1980s, and released a number of successful solo ambient music recordings on his White Cloud record label, as well as collaborating with other artists on traditional Celtic and folk recordings and producing other artists. A release of Tibetan monk chants Mark recorded and produced with his wife Thelma Burchell won a Grammy Award in 2004.

Almond lived in the San Francisco Bay Area. He died on 18 November 2009 from cancer, aged 63. He occasionally surprised local bar owners, arriving with his sax to jam, some of which was recorded, including a rousing rendition of "Stormy Monday".

Folk Jazz Confusion

Enjoy!

-B Baby J