The Humble Souls album, Thoughts and Sound Paintings was a revelation for me. A friend turned me onto it several years ago and I’ve determined it’s a lost classic. Right in between acid jazz and trip hop, they remind me a lot of my favorite trip hop group, Massive Attack. Released in 1993, I think Thoughts and Sound Paintings should’ve been as big as Massive Attack’s Mezzanine, which came out two years later. Every song on it is just killer.
It’s out of print, but you can find used CDs on Amazon. I think I got it used for like $2.
The album was on Gilles Peterson’s Acid Jazz label (which by the way is RIAA safe). I had a hard time tracking down a lot of information about them on the Internet, but someone on eBay took the time to share the info from the liner notes (which I could read myself if they didn’t use tiny print on a purple background – not enough light and couldn’t find a magnifying glass).
Personnel includes: Marie Jamilla (vocals); Anthony Clark, Simon Bartholomew (guitar); Edie Parker (flute); Ollie Moore (saxophone); Dave Priseman (trumpet).
Personnel: Spider, Hugh Brooker, Simon Anniky (vocals); Simon Bartholomew (guitar); Anthony Clark (acoustic guitar); Dave Priseman (trumpet); Cyril Maccamann (piano); Paul Gunter (congas).
Unknown Contributor Role: Hugh Brooker.
Arrangers: Hugh Brooker; Simon Anniky.
I’m going to have to do a post about Gilles Peterson one of these days also. He’s the one who came up with the term “acid jazz,” and he’s a renowned DJ and “rare crate digger.” He finds the coolest stuff you never would’ve heard otherwise.
Funny how this one stayed off all radars mapping out the music landscape. But it’s on mine. I still love it!
What do you call it though, is it more acid jazz or more trip hop? (BTW, might as well give you the credit for turning me onto this. A musicmissionary in your own right.)