My first discovery is Fletch Wiley's "Nightwatch" album from 1981, found in the album bin at the Goodwill Thrift Store in Chillicothe, Ohio. He looks so happy! So sparkly and swirly! So hairy (in a Bee Gees sort of way)! Surprisingly, listening to this album is quite enjoyable and not nearly as painful as the album cover hints at. Even more surprisingly (based on the album cover) is that Fletch is an award winning musician and producer – and not just any award. He won a Grammy in 1974, Jazz album of the year in 1978 and Grammy nominations in 1982, 1983 and 1984. But apparently nothing for this album. (pause while I flip the album to side B) But I have admit, this is a really nice jazz album. Shame about the cover. Here's his website: http://fletchwiley.com/index.htm Here's his Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/fletch.wiley I'm eager to continue my excavations of lost and forgotten album covers while discovering and sharing new music (hopefully most as good as this album) along the way. Today's lesson: Don't judge a book, or album or artist, by its cover.
