Various Artists - Koko Mojo The Song Writer Series: Lincoln Chase (Various Artists) (CD)

From a mixed race parentage of Cuba and West Indian, a child named Lincoln Chase was born on 29 June 1926 in New York City. As he grow up his musical skill became apparent; he became a pianist and composer, trained in music at the American Academy of Music in New York City, and then began his own recording and songwriting career. The vibrant and largely neglected music from his pen is sourced from the years 1953 to 1963 with twenty titles coming from the 1950s. The album purposefully omits, the novelty and love ballads, plus the titles Chase wrote for Shirley Ellis to focus on the rockin' side of his penmanship. The album contains a wide variety of music and sound that will appeal to collectors, and be of interest to those who wish to hear something which is not overly reissued. The album's intention is to offer a tribute to an artist who wrote and sang and crafted numerous hit records. Chase remains relatively unknown to many even though he wrote songs that were very different from that of other songsmiths, and numerous versions of his songs are in circulation. With this album, Koko Mojo Records' aim is to inform people about his music and his importance to the music world. Due to Chase's mixed Cuban and West Indian parentage, some of his sounds have an exotic sound and tempo, and his mainstream compositions are well-known, unlike the man himself. Chase is featured within the album performing solo, and with The Sandmen, who had in their membership Benjamin Peay, aka Brook Benton, and The Spencer-Hagen Orchestra providing a full arrangement. The Vulture Song which opens the album could have people thinking he was Screamin' Jay Hawkins, and this is one of the two "very odd-ball" titles on the album, that is wacky and compelling to hear.