Blimey, this has taken an age. All because of a sleeve idea. That went wrong. It was a sleeve idea done becoase I didn’t want to make a KPM green sleeved LP and I have some original KPMs that have a card label on the front with tracklisting. So this is what I wanted to do. Well it arrived all right, but the sleeve was a spineless disco bag, one where if you were to send out the album, the vinyl would easily pierce the spineless sleeve. I had asked for a 3mm sleeve but this never arrived. Well the regional pressing to about 6 months because of some odd confusion, and then the replacement sleeve about another 6 months. Anyway it’s here now.

So, of all the KPM LPs issued, the most illusive are three Jazz Convention LPs by the Poll winning Clarke-Boland Big Band. They form part of a series of four unusual “International” LPs with the unique "INT" catalogue prefix (starting with John Mayer's Indo-Jazz Interpolations) but all have the standard KPM cube or 1000 series style sleeves.

I have no history as to why or how three Clarke-Boland LPs were put together for a music library, but I assume someone at KPM decided to go on a bit of a sub-licensing spree in the hip modern jazz world, a spree that ended in very few syncs and possibly not a great deal of interest from the TV library using massive.

The music issued across the three Clarke-Boland LPs varies in style and length (from 30 seconds to 8 minutes plus), some cues come across a little like unreleased session cues or specially requested “stings”. Others appear to be finer re-workings or extended takes of legendary and important Clarke-Boland numbers (Umm Mannie Umm here / Om Mani Padme Hom elsewhere). I believe much of the music was recorded in 1967 in Prague, and cues from Jazz Convention I appear on a later Clarke-Boland LP issued in 1975, and cues written by the great Gary McFarland appear on Latin Kaleidoscope in shorter forms. But importantly, much from the three releases are unique to KPM.

For a contemporary release, rather than issue the slightly patchy three LPs individually, I thought best if I compile my favourite cues from all three onto one monster album. So here they are. This is superb moody jazz. Inspiring, intense, cool and hot.

Thanks for listening

Jonny Trunk 2018

TRACKLISTING

SIDE ONE

1) Mack’s Track (Written by Francy Boland)
2) Kibla’s Mood (Written by Francy Boland)
3) Oryge (Written by Francy Boland)
4) Bis Millah (Written by Francy Boland)
5) Bonpos Walk (Written by Francy Boland)
6) Uum Mannie Umm (Written by Francy Boland)
7) Un Grao De Areia (Written by Gary McFarland)

SIDE TWO

1) Open Door (Written by Francy Boland)
2) Duas Rosas (Written by Gary McFarland)
3) A Rosa Negra (Written by Gary McFarland)
4) Into The Second (Written by Francy Boland)
5) Oldos Negros (Written by Gary McFarland)
6) Orquideas (Written by Gary McFarland)
7) Uma Fita De Tres Cores (Written by Francy Boland)