Evangelist Herb Pugmire “Cordovox and Brass”

I don’t exactly remember when, or in what milkcrate of desperation I found this precious flawed oddity but I’m sure I must have been attracted, first of all, to the album cover, which has one of the more crude cut-and-paste jobs I’ve ever seen—quite charming! It’s Dr. Herb Pugmire’s disembodied head (as well as him with Cordovox and him with trombone), floating in a sea of Safety Orange. It’s striking. It’s disturbing. Mine also has a ballpoint scrawl—and upon closer examination I discover it’s signed by Herb Pugmire! The back cover includes three square inches of liner notes, all you need. Also, a mailing address—I’m not sure if it’s Pugmire’s, or Artist’s Records, or perhaps some random shyster’s—though that’s all water over the dam by this point. Also, the price $5.00, or $5.50 by mail. Dr. Pugmire, when not Bible crusading on “four continents,” had time to put out a few records in 1972, including this one, one called “The Great Pyramid and Christ,” and one called “Zodiac – Eternal Gospel”—which I’d be interested to hear (somewhat against my better judgment). Side One features the Cordovox electric accordion—which as far as I care to investigate seems to be an accordion/organ/rhythm combo—and sounds great—though the gospel standards aren’t my cup of Lipton. Side Two includes more gospel instrumentals, this time with John Gilrup backing with a full Conn organ, sounding enormous, and pretty great, and Pugmire playing insane sounding lead, over the top, alternating between the euphonium and his “special-built” trombone. I’m not sure how it’s altered, exactly, the photo on the cover is too crudely glued on to garner clues. Either way, they sound similar, difficult for me and my hearing fatigue to keep track of which horn is which—but either way, it sounds like the world’s largest kazoo.

7.3.26