I know there are at least a couple of Greg Foat fans among the Afterword, so I thought that an appreciation thread might be nice. Especially since a new album is in the pipeline, this time a collaboration with a techno-orientated chap called Linkwood. Greg is an instant purchase for me, and it’ll be interesting to see what he’s come up with this time. He put out a staggering four albums last year, all very different and all great.
I see that there’s also just been a reissue of one of his Greg Foat Group albums too, Girl & Robot With Flowers (from 2012). I’ve not delved into this purer jazz side of his career much yet, but I get the feeling it’s going to get all of my pocket money.
Any other Foat fans here?
From his library album with Warren Hampshire:
From Galaxies Like Grains of Sand:
Ah, I think you posted something from this album before. I listened to it, liked it and then completely forgot the name! Cheers for the reminder.
Hear that stampede, that’s them fans that is. Mark my words, this thread is going straight to hamper status.
I listened to one of his records El Duco, or perhaps someone else, nominated in the Best Of 2019 poll.
Mmmm, nice
The man is willing to try anything and seems unable to stop. He behaves like a fifties jazz man, hooking up with different musicians all the time, recording quickly in the studio, and trying lots of different styles.
Girl And Robot With Flowers has a space age sound including a prominent moog. Last year’s The Mage almost every track is very different. Always listenable, though.
He is somewhat under the radar. He has no Wikipaedia page and few of his albums get an Allmusic review. Perfect for The Afterword, I’d say.
Excellent, the Wrongness Seal of Disapproval!
I think JoJo Rabbit should win Best Film
I really like the Hampshire and Foat albums, especially The Honeybear. They seemed to be releasing a new album every thirty minutes or so, but then stopped, possibly because Duco was lukewarm about the last one in his end of year round up. I blame Duco for that.
Greg’s been busy without Warren Hampshire. Of the four albums from last year only one was with him.
Funnily enough The Honey Bear is the only one I don’t have. Not my cuppa.
Well it’s my favourite Mini, so there.
*Harrumphs*
I’ll give it another go!
I’ve never knowingly heard of Mr Foat, but those little samples sound intriguing.
I’ll explore another time – my head is not in that place at the moment… (as I explained on my recent Sibelius thread, I’m a serial musical monogamist….)
I’ve listened to a couple of his albums on Spotify, The Mage and another one I can’t remember the name of, plus a few odd tracks.
I’m not entirely convinced of his greatness yet, he seems merely “pretty good”.
Was it The Dreaming Jewels? One at the jazzier end of his catalogue.
This is not necessarily my answer, but:
He bloats my Foat.
I’m here all week, etc.
I am slowly beginning to explore Greg’s music after DuCool recommended him.
I have also discovered that he is a lively and enjoyable user of Facebook, full of ideas and opinions.
Hope he gets to Stockholm soon.
15 down…
Make that 16
Piss off.
17 down.
Listening to Greg Foat is like eating cold porridge. Why?
Because your appetite is satisfied for many hours afterwards?
You have a weird appetite. I’m more a boiled egg and soldiers followed by a 20 k run through the vineyards, a cold shower then some hot sex with the little cutie that’s moved into No22 type of guy (some, if not all, of that may just be made up)
I actually really liked Knives Out – did it get a Best Film nomination?
Anybody watching “New Lives In The Sun”? One of the couples, Simon & Monica, live just a couple of chateaux along from ours
Mini promised me everything, and by everything I mean everything, if we once again get to a hamper.
**** everything = a bumper bag of maltesers
Yeah, yeah, but we all know hard times have you really living back in Peterheid, in a flat upstairs from the Indian restaurant with broken windows.
Is there a comma missing in that sentence? A flat with broken windows or an Indian restaurant with broken windows?
Really, really, honestly – The Mage is almost as bad as The Artist Whose Name We Cannot Speak’s Carrie & Lowell. Nothing of course is as bad as Carrie & Lowell but Greg gives it a damn good try. Jesus, how does anyone get past Track 1?
Excellent. The Wrongness Seal Of Approval!
https://youtu.be/-cHQqXAoHP0. Get a life
It’s like watching Lowell George. Man that girl
I’ve tried very hard to *see* through your eyes but, to me, Lana looks very different to Lowell in almost every way. She is amazing, though.
I love Mini, I love my deer friend and I really miss Moose (wherever he is) but “”artistes” like Jesus Christ Almighty, Greg Let’s All Pretend We Are Indeed Serious People
Foat should be laughed off into the distance like squirrels eating your almonds.
Just given him a burl as older Aussies used to say.
Nice groove, nice playing. Nice enough. Good for having on while doing something else. Praise and criticism in the one statement.
After my rather faint praise further up this thread, I thought I’d give him a second listen on Spotify. They have The Dreaming Jewels, Photosynthesis, The Mage and the Gone To The Dogs EP available to stream. All released in 2019. I let them play in that order and settled down to read my book.
There was the occasional track where something grabbed my attention but most of it seemed a bit bland but with a decent groove. Then I fell asleep about half way through but woke up briefly as Gone To The Dogs was starting. It occurred to me that out of those 26 tracks over 3½ albums there would probably be enough for one good solid album if he self-edited better.
I, too, let it run on Spotify with the same impression. The Mage had some great Miles electric sounding grooves and some stuff came close to… ok I’ll say it – Kenny G.
You’ve reminded me that a Kenny G. comparison did come to mind at one point, but none of it’s as bad as that. ’70s smooth jazz with beats and drones, some of it. Had me remembering a Bob James & Earl Klugh album that a friend bought back then, which I’ve not heard since.
Yes Kenny G is harsh. Plus he had none of the good bits of Mini’s man Greg.
Gone To The Dogs is surprisingly ok-ish