John Paul

John is a Michigan-based musician and writer. His work has appeared in PopMatters, Spectrum Culture, Cover Me Songs, Hagerty magazine and more. Follow him at @john_r_paul
Flamin’ Groovies: Fantastic Plastic
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Flamin’ Groovies: Fantastic Plastic

By
 / 1 November 2017
Reuniting the classic Groovies front line of Cyril Jordan and Chris Wilson for the first time in nearly 40 years, Fantastic Plastic shows the duo and the band to have lost nary a step in the intervening decades.
Yasuaki Shimizu: Music for Commercials
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Yasuaki Shimizu: Music for Commercials

By
 / 1 November 2017
Japanese composer and saxophonist Yasuaki Shimizu’s 1987 collection of striking original compositions for commercials – appropriately entitled Music for Commercials – gets the reissue treatment.
Jackie Shane: Any Other Way
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Jackie Shane: Any Other Way

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 / 23 October 2017
Numero Group gathers assorted singles, live recordings and generous liner notes to provide a more complete picture of revolutionary transsexual soul singer Jackie Shane, in the process producing a minor masterpiece of overlooked soul.
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Aquaman, Blooperman, Plastic Man, Bee-Man, Fatman: ‘Hero-A-Go-Go’!

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 / 5 October 2017
Life “Between and Betwixt Two Worlds”: Diary of a Reluctant Dreamer
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Life “Between and Betwixt Two Worlds”: Diary of a Reluctant Dreamer

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 / 2 October 2017
With both humor and pathos, Alberto Ledesma’s graphic novel/memoir provides an inside look at the life of an undocumented immigrant.
The Healing Power of Music: A Conversation with Linda Perhacs
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The Healing Power of Music: A Conversation with Linda Perhacs

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 / 26 September 2017
At 75, Linda Perhacs shows no signs of slowing down creatively, returning for her third album a mere three years after a more than 40-year absence.
Joe Henderson and Alice Coltrane: The Elements
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Joe Henderson and Alice Coltrane: The Elements

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 / 21 September 2017
The Elements represents Joe Henderson’s sole full immersion into the avant-garde, with help from a few seasoned veterans, including Alice Coltrane, Charlie Haden, and Michael White.
F.J. McMahon: Spirit of the Golden Juice
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F.J. McMahon: Spirit of the Golden Juice

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 / 18 September 2017
Available once more, F.J. McMahon’s stark and sobering assessment of the decline of ‘60s idealism and impending introspective ‘70s is the rarest of rarities: a true lost masterpiece.
Expect the Unexpected: A Conversation with Sparks
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Expect the Unexpected: A Conversation with Sparks

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 / 13 September 2017
For nearly half a century (and a new album to boot), the Mael brothers Ron and Russell have been confounding listeners' expectations with their ever-changing, stylistically broad brand of artfully rendered pop.
Raymond Scott: Three Willow Park
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Raymond Scott: Three Willow Park

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 / 5 September 2017
This double-disc set collects more than 60 ideas, experiments, and fully-realized works from early electronic music pioneer Raymond Scott.
Prohibition: When Chicago’s Seedier Elements Became National Celebrities
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Prohibition: When Chicago’s Seedier Elements Became National Celebrities

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 / 31 August 2017
Al Capone’s Beer Wars features an exhaustively researched, incredibly in-depth look at organized crime in Chicago during the years of Prohibition.
Gary Bartz NTU Troop: Harlem Bush Music – Uhuru
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Gary Bartz NTU Troop: Harlem Bush Music – Uhuru

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 / 30 August 2017
Stepping out on his own with the NTU Troop, saxophonist Gary Bartz delivered an empowering declarative opening statement of purpose with 1971’s Harlem Bush Music – Uhuru.