Ernest Hood - Neighborhoods [Freedom To Spend 014 Promo]

Re-released via Freedom To Spend on October 11, 2k19 is Ernest Hood's originally 1975-issued album "Neighborhoods", formerly only available as hard to impossible to find private pressing financed and commissioned by the Portland-resident, Jazz musician, composer, field recordist and locally famed personality Ernest Hood by himself. Over the course of eight musical pieces and approximately 57 minutes runtime the listener is taken on a dreamy, comforting and somewhat ethereal, nostalgia-infused journey through the beautiful city of Portland around the time, with chirping birds and random street scene sounds to be found all over the albums tracks whilst soft, oftentimes slightly hazy and diffuse Proto-Ambient synthesizer works and zither melodies provide a warm, welcoming musical soundscape - a combination that is as unique and touching in its composition as it is cinematic and storytelling in its overall approach. If you'd be tasked to come up with the most innocent, yet partially psychedelic soundtrack for dreams dreamt in the late 60s and early 70s that do not include any Rock'n'Roll and / or music aired on the radio something very very close to this album would most likely be what you'd compose for a reason. A well beautiful journey into a better past and an unearthed piece of American music history that's unbeknownst to many. Recommended, not only to our Portland-based friends and readers out there.