First Light (Chicago 1969-1971) - Terry Callier

...it.

So first a quick guide to the legend Terry Callier:

Originally from Chicago and a childhood friend of Curtis Mayfield, Terry has achieved cult status here in the UK. Terry's first release was in 1963 and some say that he was one of the main founders of the acid jazz movement, although his original style was definitely more Northern Soul.

In 1983 Terry retired from the music world to become a computer ...
...the UK and released his first album of new material here in London and interest in Terry was soon renewed, he began recording with the likes of Beth Orton, Koop and of course Massive Attack.

OK, now you know a bit about Terry, we should really get into the album.

For any of you Terry Callier fans already out there who do not own this album, you need to go out and buy it now. For anyone who has never heard of Terry Callier, ... more

I am a little loathed to review this album, because it is the best album I have ever owned, and I am a bit selfish and it is so good that I really don't want to share it!

I know that old Tezza is making a come back as he has recently recorded a track with Massive Attack, has just completed a tour of the UK and will be back for another one in July (oh and will be playing at the O2 festival as well), but this album is a true gem and not many English Callier fans know about it.

So first a quick guide to the legend Terry Callier:

Originally from Chicago and a childhood friend of Curtis Mayfield, Terry has achieved cult status here in the UK. Terry's first release was in 1963 and some say that he was one of the main founders of the acid jazz movement, although his original style was definitely more Northern Soul.

In 1983 Terry retired from the music world to become a computer programmer at the University of Chicago. At the start of the 90's Gilles Peterson & Russ Dewbury began to revive interest in ol' Tezza.

Terry began performing in the UK and released his first album of new material here in London and interest in Terry was soon renewed, he began recording with the likes of Beth Orton, Koop and of course Massive Attack.

OK, now you know a bit about Terry, we should really get into the album.

For any of you Terry Callier fans already out there who do not own this album, you need to go out and buy it now. For anyone who has never heard of Terry Callier, this album is definitely the one to start your collection with!

This is a "lost" album, on it, there are a number of different recordings, most of them live. It contains the original 8 track studio recording that got him his contract with Cadet (record company when he first started recording in the UK). Each track is a reflection of what Terry was about to record, and a lot of the tracks made it onto "Occasional Rain" (1972/3).

If you are a Terry fan and have heard Occasional Rain, the tracks on this album are so different to what actually made it onto the album, the feeling and emotion is completely different and they sound like completely different songs. For anyone who has been privileged enough to watch Terry live, you will know that he is a really laid back performer with a beautiful soulful voice, everything about him is calming and mellow, as this album is.

So you put your CD in your player and the first song that you will hear is "Ordinary Joe", still a complete classic today, nearly all Callier fans will have heard this track. Terry used this track to open his performance at the Jazz Cafe this year (24 - 25 March 06) and he used it to close his set in Brighton (23 March 06). A really offbeat funky, poppy, soul anthem, really uplifting, the lyrics are beautiful and remind me of a really bright, warm summer day. This track is really chilled out on this album, on "Occasional Rain" is a lot more upbeat, and has an all together different feel. I am biased and definitely prefer this version of the track!

There are a variety of tracks from various different albums on this CD, and my definite favourite is "Blues For Marcus" (Track 8) which also appears on "Occasional Rain". This track is guaranteed to stir emotion in anyone, and is often enough to make you cry. There is so much soul and feeling in this recording, if you have only heard this track on "Occasional Rain" then you will be completely stunned, the whole atmosphere is completely different. The song tells of a guy that needs to get away and clear his mind of a girl, half way through this track, you can hear a baby crying and a woman shouting for someone (possibly a band member or maybe even Terry) to come and see to the baby. Hearing this track on "Occasional Rain" the impression that you get is that the guy really wants to leave and clear his head, it is almost a "ha - I am going - see you later" feeling, on "First Light" the guy is reluctant to go and you can really feel his pain.

The album, although with lots of different recordings from different times, is arranged beautifully. Ordinary Joe immediately draws you and commands your attention, and as you move further through the album, each track is different and you really loose track of everything else around you as you are immersed in Terry's beautifully pure & soulful voice, each track not only features thought provoking lyrics, but the music is carefully matched to each song to make sure that it really gives you the mood that Terry is trying to get across.

Also featured on this album is "Can't Catch The Train" (track 5) this is a really jazzy track dedicated to John Coltrane, and is probably the richest, jazziest track on the album, the pace of the track almost resembling a train, another notable track is "Lean On Me" (track 9) straight after "Blues For Marcus" is so tender and soft, if you managed to listen to "Blues for Marcus" without shedding a tear, they will definitely start to flow now!

There are not many albums that you can listen to all the way through, and this one is definitely one of them, it is a classic album that will appeal to young and old alike, I have given copies of this album to so many different people, and I have not heard a single bad thing about it.

For lovers of Nick Drake, or Gil Scott Heron, this is right up your street, and for those of you with "newer" music tastes, if you love Feist, Kings of Convenience, King Creosole, or even Amp Fiddler then you need this album. Terry is a fusion of Jazz and folk and in my opinion is not widely recognised enough. As much as I love Terry, I am almost reluctant to post this review, because it will be even harder to get to his gigs!

For those of you that decide to try out this album and want to know as much as you can about this private legend, all I can suggest is you keep your eyes peeled for Jazz Cafe Dates (Terry is back at the end of July), Brighton Dates and O2 Festival Tickets (Terry is playing on the Sunday). I would definitely recommend going to see Terry, it is a very eerie atmosphere. When I saw him at the Jazz Cafe I was probably the youngest by about 10 years (I am 22), but I am not sure how long this is going to last for, I think that Terry is developing yet another generation of fans! When Terry comes on stage there is complete silence, even through his quitter songs you can barely even hear a whisper or a foot shuffle, people hang on his every word!

For those of you who don't want to shell out on the tickets, but would like to be "near him" go to The Premises in Hackney for Brekkie, Lunch or Dinner - Terry recorded an album here :)
 

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