Götz Friedrich’s 1981 Elektra film sets Richard Strauss’ opera in a dark and dingy abandoned 20th-century factory populated by grungy denizens in psuedo-Greek garb. Elektra herself appears like some deranged homeless woman reeking with sweat and slime (in the rain). And the depravity doesn’t stop there. Friedrich plays up the work’s sado-masochistic elements, with bloody whippings and an orgy sequence involving nude lesbians bathing themselves in the blood of a sacrificial ram. Now you might think that all of this detracts from the score, but on the contrary, the production matches image to music so brilliantly that anyone seeing this opera for the first time would think they were created for each other (which allows you to ignore the occasional useless, almost silly gesture, such as the frequent and prolonged shots of Agamemnon’s bloodied visage during Elektra’s opening monologue).

Chris Hazelton's Boogaloo 7 - Soul Jazz Fridays (2016) {Sunflower Soul Records SS-3001 rec 2015}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 279 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 96 Mb
Full Artwork @ 300 dpi (jpg) -> 13 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 2016 Sunflower Soul Records | SS-3001
Jazz / Soul Jazz / Jazz Funk / Hammond B-3 Organ

For over two years, organist Chris Hazelton and his soulful septet, the Boogaloo 7, have held down a wildly successful residency every Friday night at Kansas City's acclaimed Green Lady Lounge. Expanding on the funky sounds popularized by Jimmy McGriff, Charles Earland, Lou Donaldson, and others, this group brings a mixture of original tunes and covers, both old and new, that excite and move audiences week after week. With two in-demand 45rpm singles already under their belt, the logical next step was a full length album, and this one catches them in their element: live at the club they call home.