Jazz Sabbath: Jazz Sabbath

Jazz Sabbath was created and marketed as a fictional English jazz trio from the late sixties. The band was formed by Adam Wakeman, keyboard and guitar player for Black Sabbath and Ozzy Osbourne. Jazz Sabbath covers jazzed up versions of various Black Sabbath songs. As the spoof story is told on the back album cover, the Jazz Sabbath members were the original writers of the covered songs, accusing Black Sabbath of plagiarism.

Jazz Sabbath was conceptually developed in Berlin while Wakeman was enjoying a night off touring. As the story goes, Wakeman and a Sabbath security guard were sitting in a hotel bar early one morning (aka late night) when the security guard asked if he could play the Sabbath set on the piano in the bar. Wakeman thought it would be a nice challenge and fun to see if he could play the songs as jazz improvised versions. He subsequently played until the hotel bar staff made them leave. The rest is history.

Wakeman and fellow band members [Milton Keanes (aka Adam Wakeman) piano, Jacque T'fono (aka Jerry Meehan) upright bass, and Juan Také (aka Ash Soan) bass] assumed fictitious names and crafted what has become one of the most interesting and subsequently successful jazz records of the decade. The album debuted at #4 in the UK, #3 in the US and #1 in Canada on the iTunes Jazz Album Charts. The album peaked at #14 on the Official Jazz & Blues Albums Chart Top 30 and at #25 on the Billboard Jazz Albums Chart. If the reception tells you anything, it should indicate that this is a very good jazz record. Musically it is on point!

As far as the pressing goes, the record is pressed on 140/150 gram vinyl. For a small label, the record is incredibly dynamic with great sonic range. There's good separation between the highs and lows. As such, the piano fills the room, the bass booms and the drums are very snappy. There is very little noise and virtual silence between tracks.

TRACK LIST
1. Fairies Wear Boots
2. Evil Woman
3. Rat Salad
4. Iron Man
5. Hand of Doom
6. Changes
7. Children of the Grave

If you are a fan of jazz, the piano, or simply a fan of great music, this record is worth a listen. The record itself is balanced, clear, and detailed. For a label such as this, the mastering and pressing rival some audiophile records. The only negative we have heard is that some have received warped vinyl, so use caution when purchasing. That said, this pressing is definitely worth the investment, especially when you consider the quality you receive for the price. 💰
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