Sunday 30 December 2018

Holger Czukay - Cinema (2018) {5CD+DVD Box Set Grönland Records CDGRON180 }



LIMITED EDITION : (5CD+DVD) 2018 retrospective of the Can co-founder's solo works with bonus DVD "Krieg Der Töne" (War Of The Sounds) a late-'80s experimental film that he scored & starred in. Also includes booklet with unseen photos & a biography.

FLAC, DVD, ARTWORK

Dizzy Gillespie with Sonny Rollins and Sonny Stitt - Duets (1957) {Verve 835 253-2 rel 1988}



One of the greatest jam session records on Verve! Although some of the label's "big horn talent" albums tended to be a bit snoozy, this one crackles with energy, and features three different classes of boppers working together perfectly on long, lively tracks with Ray Bryant on piano, Tommy Bryant on bass, and Charlie Persip on drums. In fact, it's probably the soulful rhythm section that makes the whole thing so darn good – as they really chop up some nice rhythms on cuts like "Wheatleigh Hall", "Haute Mon", and the album's classic version of "Con Alma". Great stuff, and essential for fans of Diz and Rollins especially!

Sunday 2 September 2018

Dizzy Gillespie - The Verve/Philips Dizzy Gillespie Small Group Sessions (1954-1964) {7CD Box Set Mosaic MCD7-234 rel 2006}


These sessions document unequivocally why Dizzy Gillespie is still considered one of the greatest improvisers in the history of jazz, for his mastery of the instrument, his command of time, his control over musical ideas, and his ability to entertain. He was blessed during this period, which spans 1954 to 1963, with stellar sidemen, unparalleled arrangements, and a surge of excitement for making music.

Various Artists - Famous Organ Music from Europe (2013) {10CD Box Set Ars Musici 233793}


The 10-CD set ‘Famous Organ Music from Europe’ presents organ music from six centuries played on famous organs in Germany, Austria, Poland, Italy, Spain, Belgium, Holland, and Transylvania. The instruments on which the pieces are played are among the greatest in existence and were built by names such as Silbermann, Schnitger, Hillebrand, and Grenzing.

The organ works featured in this collection are by celebrated organ composers like J.S. Bach, Buxtehude and Sweelink as well as lesser-known masters. The music is performed by renowned organists including Harald Vogel, Michael Radulescu, Lorenzo Ghielmi, Jozef Sluys, Christoph Bossert, Horst Gehann, Oskar Gottlieb Blarr, Jean Ferrard, Xavier Deprez, and Andreas Liebig.

Andreas Schaerer & Lucas Niggli - Arcanum (2014) {Intakt CD 232}


Just vocals and drums – that’s the line-up of the dream team of Andreas Schaerer and Lucas Niggli. Outstanding virtuosity and enormous creativity combined with the intuition of sleepwalkers, produces an astonishing sound universe full of surprises.

The imagination and ability of the two musicians to communicate and react is key to their free improvisations, which nevertheless are very precise.

The album was recorded in the legendary “Loft” club in Cologne and is a mixture of live and studio recordings. The result is music played on the first instruments of mankind – voice and drum – which is opulent and impulsive, direct and delicate.

Saturday 1 September 2018

The Turtles - The Complete Original Albums Collection (2016) {6CD Set FloEdCo MFO 48047 Official Digital Download rec 1965-70}

Judging from their radio hits, the Turtles were one of the best American pop bands of the '60s, crafting a series of engaging singles that were tuneful, witty, and fueled by a potent mix of Brill Building professionalism and knowing musical experimentation. But while one could certainly get a perspective on their genius through hits like "Happy Together," "Eleanor," "She's Rather Be with Me," and "You Baby," it was on their albums (and the B-sides of their 45s) where they let their imaginations run free and cut their wittiest and most ambitious material.

Thursday 30 August 2018

Grateful Dead - Summer 76: The Complete Broadcasts (2018) {12CD Box Set Sandoz SNZCD2004}


5 Show, 12CD Limited Edition/1000 only. The '76 sound in all its glory, bridging the gap between the early post-hiatus shows and the tightly spun symphonies of '77. Five shows across twelve cd s remastered from the original broadcasts. Also includes booklet with essay. June 12th, Boston Music hall, Boston, MA - WBCN Broadcast June 19th, Capitol Theater, Passaic, NJ - WNEW Broadcast June 24th, Tower Theatre, Upper Darby, PA - WMMR Broadcast June 29th, Auditorium Theatre, Chicago, IL - WXRT Broadcast July 18th, Orpheum Theatre, San Francisco, CA - KSAN Broadcast.

Wednesday 29 August 2018

Paweł Szymański - Dissociative Counterpoint Disorder - Małgorzata Sarbak (2016) {Bôłt‎ DUX 1332}


Andrzej Chlopecki, the late critic and animator of the music scene, wrote extensively about Szymanski's music as well as supporting the composer by means of his longtime role with the Warsaw Autumn festival. Chlopecki puts things thus: "the formal structure is beautiful while stylistic expression is calculated: for Szymanski's music is a continual game." He then offers precedents in Johannes Ockeghem and Anton Webern, deducing that Szymanski's "guiding principles would be speculation and constructivism." Rendering the loaded quality in the composer's works, Chlopecki adds that the aim of Szymanski's music is the creation of symbolic entities within abstract art forms."

The Jazztet and John Lewis ft. Art Farmer and Benny Golson (1961) {2013 Japan Jazz The Best Series 24-bit Remaster UCCU-9749}


Features 24 bit remastering and limited edition. Release Date: December 04, 2013. The idea of the Jazztet playing arrangements by John Lewis written especially for them is intriguing. According to Gene Lees' liner notes, Art Farmer first approached Lewis about writing something for the sextet, to which the composer replied that he'd rather score an entire record. Even though the Jazztet and Lewis' own group, the Modern Jazz Quartet, are dissimilar in many ways, the marriage is a successful one.

Charles Mingus - Jazzical Moods, Vol. 1 (1954) {Essential Media Group Digital Download rel 2010, Digitally Remastered}


One of the most important composers of jazz, Charles Mingus was also one of jazz's premier bassists and a pioneer in bass technique. The classic recording presented here was recorded in New York, in December of 1954 and features Mingus on bass and piano with Thad Jones (trumpet 1,3) John LaPorta (clarinet, alto sax) Teo Macero (tenor sax, baritone sax) Jackson Wiley (cello 1,3) and Clem DeRosa (drums, tambourine). All selections newly remastered.

Stephane Wrembel - The Django Experiment I (2017) {Water Is Life Records WIL11}


The Django Experiment is the Stephane Wrembel Band's unique way of performing the music of Django Reinhardt. A perfect blend of the original Gypsy sound with the New York City voodoo. Mainly Django's music, and a few compositions by Stephane Wrembel.

Ronnie Cuber - Airplay (1992) {SteepleChase SCCD31309}


“ This is Ronnie Cuber’s first CD for SteepleChase …in the capable hands of the SteepleChase organization, Cuber is back making the kind of satisfying music he produced in an earlier era…All but one of the tunes are Cuber originals, and all are joyously funky” (Krin Gabbard, Cadence)

The Modern Jazz Quartet And The Oscar Peterson Trio At The Opera House (1957) {2013 Japan Jazz The Best Series 24-bit Remaster UCCU-9945}


The Modern Jazz Quartet make a rare appearance on Verve Records in the 50s – splitting half the album here with the classic Oscar Peterson Trio! The live performance was recorded in Chicago, and definitely has the MJQ working in a looser vibe than on some of their late 50s recordings for Atlantic – a bit more open and swinging, in a Verve mode – with some of the bop inspiration that first showed up on their early Prestige recordings – as you'll hear on the cuts "Now's The Time", "Round Midnight", and "D&E Blues". The second half of the record features live material from Oscar Peterson's hip group with Herb Ellis on guitar and Ray Brown on bass – that great drum-less lineup that really lets Oscar take off on piano – on tunes that include "Big Fat Mama", "Should I Love You", "Indiana", and "Elevation".

Sunday 26 August 2018

James Brown - Think! (1960) {Universal Music Japan Mini LP UICY-9281 rel 2003}


Limited to 5000 copies.Paper sleeve. THINK, credited to James Brown and The Famous Flames was originally released as KING 12-683 in 1960. It was Brown's third album, and as with most of his non-live pre-1970's albums, it contains previously released singles. Here it's some of his final Federal and early King sides. All songs are backed by his first great "James Brown Band" lead by J.C. Davis. Tracks 11 & 12 are James solo without The Flames. It was reissued numerous times throughout his career, some with different covers.

Friday 17 August 2018

RCO - Anthology of the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Vol 1, 1935-1950 (2002) {13CD Box Set Q Disc 97017, Limited Edition}


Böhm was reported to have told the Wiener Philharmoniker towards the end of his life "I loved you as one can only love a woman". Listening to this boxset, capturing the Concertgebouworkest at the peak of its powers (between 1935 and June 1941), still at a commendable level (between July 1941 and 1944) before having to rebuild from the ashes of war (1945 to 1947) to finally come back to the highest level (1949-1950), the careful auditor has history in the making unfolding with its drama, its joys, but essentially its incommensurable beauty.

Adam Rudolph - Morphic Resonances (2017) {Meta Digital Download, Bandcamp 16-44.1}


Listeners should be advised that Adam Rudolph doesn’t play a beat on this album; it’s a gathering of recent compositions performed by various others, including members of his own New York-based Go: Organic Orchestra. The clear standouts are the first two tracks, in which the Momenta String Quartet gives incisive readings of “Morphic Resonances” and “Syntactic Adventures”—the latter piece dedicated to Rudolph’s mentor Yusef Lateef. Rudolph’s background as a percussionist manifests itself in the use of what he calls “ostinatos of circularity,” layered polyrhythms that create the effect of one part blending almost imperceptibly into another. On the aptly titled “Morphic Resonances,” the sound generated by the violins, viola and cello often brings to mind a backwards tape loop, with individual note attacks camouflaged by subtle shifts in timbre.

Cannonball Adderley - Cannonball Enroute (1958) {2013 Japan Jazz The Best Series 24-bit Remaster UCCU-9961}


Cannonball Enroute is the sixth album by the jazz saxophonist Cannonball Adderley, and his first released on the Mercury label, featuring performances with Nat Adderley, Junior Mance, Sam Jones, and Jimmy Cobb. Cannonball Adderley's enroute to a great jazz legacy here – stepping out in a groove that begins to show some of the soul jazz modes he was forging at the end of the 50s – a great change from the straighter bop styles of his early years! The lineup here is a wonderful early expression of the familiar Adderley groove – with brother Nat Adderley on cornet, Junior Mance on piano, Sam Jones on bass, and Jimmy Cobb on drums – with Mance and Jones bringing an especially nice bottom end to the record – one that gets things moving in a very soulful way! Titles include "Porky", "Hoppin John", "That Funky Train", "I'll Remember April", and "18th Century Ballroom".

Stephan Mathieu - Radiance (2018) {12CD Box Set Schwebung Étendue I-XII}


RADIANCE is a new work by Stephan Mathieu comprising twelve album-length pieces, each of them following the concept of stasis, the unfolding of time and sustained frequencies, deep listening, and immersive soundscapes.

Moondog - Katia Labeque & Triple Sun (2018) {Deutsche Grammophon Digital Download}


Louis Thomas Hardin, called "Moondog," was one of the true geniuses of his time. Prolific and visionary, he linked Bach, jazz, and Amerindian rhythms and wrote mini-symphonies, madrigals, and piano pieces. Moondog's admirers included Igor Stravinsky, Arturo Toscanini, Frank Zappa, Janis Joplin, and more. In tribute, pianist Katia Labèque presents a selection of Moondog pieces rearranged with the group Triple Sun (David Chalmin, Massimo Pupillo and Raphaël Séguinier).

Thursday 16 August 2018

Be Bop Deluxe - Modern Music (1976) {2008 Harvest Japan Mini LP TOCP-70361}


Things had changed for Be Bop Deluxe by the time of the group's fourth album. The band that turned up in glam rock regalia on its 1974 debut, Axe Victim, was in suit and tie on the cover of Modern Music in 1976. Inside, the band's transformation into a sophisticated pop group seemed complete. Arrangements were still ornate, but the songs were dominated by their highly imagistic lyrics, and as often as not, Nelson was borrowing ideas from the Beatles. It didn't quite work, despite pleasant numbers such as "Orphans of Babylon" and "Kiss of Light," perhaps because a true pop sensibility requires a gift for simplicity that Nelson has never exhibited. The album charted high in England and made the Top 100 in the U.S., but it was Be Bop's peak, not its breakthrough.

Various Artists - Yen Box, Vol. 1 (1996) {16CD+Bonus CD Yen Records - ALCA-5073~5088, ALZZ-10 rec 1982-1985}


¥・E・N Box Vol.1.

Includes 64-page booklet. Set released in a cardboard box. Each disc comes in a cardboard sleeve with artwork replicating the original LP covers. The inserts for each of these albums come bundled together with a paper sleeve stamped Yen Records.

Yen Records - an imprint of Alfa Records that ran from 1982 to 1985 fronted by Haruomi Hosono and Yukihiro Takahashi of Yellow Magic Orchestra. Most albums were produced by Hosono or Takahashi.

Jordi Savall & Hesperion XXI - Le Royaume Oublie - La Tragedie Cathare (2009) {3CD Set Alia Vox AVSA 9873}


Catharism was the name given to a Christian religious sect that appeared in the Languedoc region of what is now southern France and flourished in the 12th and 13th centuries. The Cathars saw matter as intrinsically evil. They denied that Jesus could become incarnate and still be the son of God and thus, the Catholic Church regarded the sect as dangerously heretical. Faced with what they saw as a rapidly spreading cancer, the Church called for a crusade, which was carried out by knights from Northern France and Germany and was known as the Albigensian Crusade. This campaign, and the inquisition that followed it, eradicated the Cathars completely. It also had the effect of weakening the semi- independent southern principalities in the area, ultimately bringing them under direct control of the King of France.

Kim Byoung Duk - Experiment No. 2 (1992) {LP - Daedo Records DL-KBD-01} (Released on VINYL but not CD)


Kim Byoung Duk. His name may sound unfamiliar to the general public, but Kim Byoung-duk was the pioneer of art rock and experimental music in Korea in the 1990s. He pursued meditative music that combined jazz and contemporary music, both artistic and experimental.

“These days, a growing number of young people in Western countries are taking an interest in the genre of ambient music like that of Kim Byoung-duk or New Age,” said an official from “Daehan Electronics.” “We wanted to introduce the unique, Korean-style experiment to the world.”

Wednesday 15 August 2018

Dionne Warwick - Dionne (1979) {2012 Remastered & Expanded Reissue - Big Break Records CDBBR0176}


Dionne Warwick is a legendary American vocalist, she’s also Whitney Houston’s cousin. Throughout her career she’s released over fifty albums, won five Grammy’s and been nominated for a further seven as well as getting over thirty top 40 R&B hits.

The Soft Machine - The Soft Machine (1968) {2013 Japan Mini LP SHM-CD Edition UICY-75650}


Cardboard sleeve (mini LP) reissue features the high-fidelity SHM-CD format (compatible with standard CD players). The cardboard sleeve faithfully replicates the first pressing US LP artwork (gatefold). Includes a description and lyrics. A wild, freewheeling, and ultimately successful attempt to merge psychedelia with jazz-rock, Soft Machine's debut ranges between lovingly performed oblique pop songs and deranged ensemble playing from drummer/vocalist Robert Wyatt and organist Mike Ratledge.

Buddy DeFranco - Pretty Moods (1954) {Verve Japan SHM-CD Mini LP UCCV-9484 rel 2013}


Reissue. Features the high-fidelity SHM-CD format (compatible with standard CD player) and 24 bit digital remastering. Cardboard sleeve. Mono. David Stone Martin 10 inch Collector's Selection Series. Buddy DeFranco is one of the great clarinetists of all time and, until the rise of Eddie Daniels, he was indisputably the top clarinetist to emerge since 1940. It was DeFranco's misfortune to be the best on an instrument that after the swing era dropped drastically in popularity and, unlike Benny Goodman and Artie Shaw, he has never been a household name for the general public.

Wes Montgomery - Wes Montgomery & The Billy Taylor Trio (2005) {Lone Hill Jazz LHJ10211 rec 1963, 1965}


This release includes two rare sessions led by West Montgomery in 1963 and 1965. The first date was recorded in New York on November 1963 and features the solid drumming of Montgomery's long-time contemporary Grady Tate as well as the tasteful playing of pianist Billy Taylor. The group is rounded out by bassist Ben Tucker and drummer Grady Tate with a special guest appearance by jazz vocal giant Joe Williams. An excellent studio date. The second group of tunes was recorded live during his triumphal European tour in the spring of 1965, with a completely different lineup. The four titles include the participation of the exceptional guest star, Clark Terry on trumpet, with accompaniment by a local rhythm section. A must have for all Wes Montgomery fans. Includes booklet with comprehensive liner notes.

Tuesday 14 August 2018

McCoy Tyner - Horizon (1979) {2007 Milestone} [Keepnews Collection Complete Series]


Remastered in 24-bit from the original master tapes. Part of our Keepnews Collection, which spotlights classic albums originally produced by the legendary and arguably the most respected of all jazz producers, Orrin Keepnews. McCoy Tyner has fronted many mid-sized ensembles, but this one ranks with the very best he has led. As violinist John Blake jives and jousts with alto and soprano saxophonist Joe Ford and the incendiary tenor saxophonist George Adams, Tyner realizes a perfectly balanced, extroverted, compatible and utterly unique front line.

Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers - Three Blind Mice, Volume 1 & 2 (1962) {2CD Set Blue Note rel 1990}


Phenomenal live material from the sextet-era version of the Jazz Messengers! This 2-volume CD series takes a small amount of live material that was originally issued under the 3 Blind Mice title, and adds a huge amount of previously unreleased tracks to expand both CDs into a whopping batch of hardbop killers. The group includes Wayne Shorter, Freddie Hubbard, Curtis Fuller, and Cedar Walton – and the live setting shows the band at their finest, able to trade lines and invent solos with amazing dexterity.

Cannonball Adderley - Sophisticated Swing (1957) {2013 Japan Jazz The Best Series 24-bit Remaster UCCU-9960}


Sophisticated Swing is the fifth album by jazz saxophonist Cannonball Adderley, and his fourth released on the EmArcy label, featuring performances with Nat Adderley, Junior Mance, Sam Jones, and Jimmy Cobb. A couple of decades ago Sophisicated Swing was the title of an instrumental tune - by Will Hudson, if our memory holds up - and the music that corresponded with it had a certain sleekness that probably justified the title by the standards of that era. But today sophistication in jazz has a somewhat deeper meaning. The true jazz sophisticate has absorbed the lessons of a new musical generation, one that brought with it great advances in harmonic, melodic and rhythmic subtlety. The word "swing", too, has acquired a significance mare far-reaching than any of us could have imagined in the days of monotonous four-to-the-bar rhythm sections and comparatively limited and unimaginative syncopation.

Charles Mingus - The Complete Savoy and Period Master Takes (1954) {Fresh Sound Digital Download rel 2015}


The compositions herein are performed by two of the famed Charles Mingus Jazz Workshop groups and they are considered among his best recorded works. These 1954 recordings represent the grass roots from where all the innovative forms and expressions of tomorrows jazz conceived by Mingus really began. From then on, Mingus became the most influential composer and bassist of various generations in jazz history. After its first date, he said about the improvised interplay between every instrument: I feel that it is usually impossible to attempt such delicacies with musicians who do not enjoy the unusual freedom or understand the thought of the leading instrument. Teo Macero, John LaPorta, George Barrow and Mal Waldron, of course, are just as responsible as I am for the final construction.

Moondog - Instrumental Music by Louis Hardin (1978) {LP - Musical Heritage Society MHS3803} (Released on VINYL but not CD)


Cover notes

LOUIS T. HARDIN (MOONDOG)

In the beginning was tonality. Then came atonality which was revolutionary. Tonality continued in folk music and popular music, in spite of atonality, but in the case of serious composers, it was taboo to even think of writing tonal on pain of being ignored and unperformed.
I persisted in writing tonal music, and by opposing the atonal revolutionaries, I became a counter-revolutionary. I maintained the tonal tradition, unaware that the founder of atonality himself had repudiated the 12-tone System, which he had conceived. But that was not the end of atonality, for even though its founder gave it up, his pupils did not, and so, for the time being, at least, it survives.
As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, Tonality!
I write much keyboard music which can be played on piano, harpsichord or even on the organ manuals. I did not start writing organ music until 1974 in Germany for my friend, the organist Paul Jordan. For the first time I began writing music for the pedals, resulting in my first LOGRUNDR Book. I combined two forms into one, the canon and the ground, giving the ground to the pedals and the canon to the manuals. I coined the word LOGRUNDR: Log meaning Law or Canon, Grundr means Ground.

Conrad Cummings & Chinary Ung - Tall Wind, Beast Songs (1983) {Composers Recordings NWCRL487 Digital Download rel 2017}


This disc is part of an ongoing series of re-issues of the Lp catalog of the CRI (Composer's Recordings Inc.) label. These important documents of 20th c. compositions have been out of print since the advent of the CD, but have now been transferred to digital files from the original master tapes in order to make them available once again.

Monday 13 August 2018

Frank Foster - Basie Is Our Boss (1963) {2013 Japan Jazz The Best Series 24-bit Remaster UCCU-9979}


Tracks have a nice rolling feel, and the group is very comfortable with each other. Foster's tone is excellent. “….this is a great, great record; a very swingin', soulful, and I dare say slightly modal side from the great sax man Frank Foster, long time sideman and musical director of the Count Basie organization. …..Foster has assembled a very competent and skillful support crew, mostly former and then current Basie sideman (which accounts for the title of the LP: 'Basie is Our Boss…) but he is also supported by a great favorite of this blog; the unheralded John Young on piano. Unusually for an Argo side, there are only 6 tracks on this LP, as Foster & company are given a rare opportunity to stretch out and tackle the material.

Charles Mingus - The Complete Birdland Broadcasts 1961-1962 (2015) {Air Cuts Remastered, Digital Download, Concert In Superb Fidelity}


Charles Mingus - The Complete Birdland Broadcasts 1961-1962 (2015) {Air Cuts Remastered, Digital Download, Concert In Superb Fidelity}

This amazing set compiles all existing Birdland broadcasts by the Charles Mingus Jazz Workshop of 1961-62. These long unavailable broadcasts feature such important musicians as Booker Ervin, Yusef Lateef, Jimmy Knepper, Pepper Adams, Rahsaan Roland Kirk, Charles McPherson, Jaki Byard, Toshiko Akiyoshi andDannie Richmond. Among the many highlights is the drumless broadcast of May 12, 1962, which presents two bassists on Mingus’ only existing live version of “Ysabel’s Table Dance”, from Tijuana Moods. Mingus is the piano soloist on two broadcasts. This music has only been previously available on separate long out of print releases with inferior sound quality.

Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers - Buttercorn Lady (1966) {EmArcy 822 471-2 rel 1986} (ft. Keith Jarrett)


Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers - Buttercorn Lady (1966) {EmArcy 822 471-2 rel 1986} (ft. Keith Jarrett)

Few jazz followers would think of trumpeter Chuck Mangione and pianist Keith Jarrett as former members of Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers, but in 1966, they both worked in the drummer's classic hard bop unit and the stint gave them needed exposure and helped the pair to develop their own individual voices. With tenor saxophonist Frank Mitchell and bassist Reggie Workman completing the quintet, this particular version of The Jazz Messengers only had the opportunity to record this one excellent live LP (which is currently out of print) but proved to be a worthy successor to their more acclaimed predecessors.

Friedemann - The Master Tracks (2015) {Biber 76865 Digital Download}


Friedemann - The Master Tracks (2015) {Biber 76865 Digital Download}

For half a century his life has been his music. And on this long and wondrous way the German composer and guitar player Friedemann has come across some deep rivers and some high mountains. Or as he himself puts it: »The music has made me poor and rich, happy and unhappy. It makes me ill and it heals me. It frustrates me, frightens me and gives me hope. Sometimes I hate it. But, it lives within me; it nourishes me and it inspires me to new deeds.«

The John Young Trio - A Touch Of Pepper (1962) {2013 Japan Jazz The Best Series 24-bit Remaster UCCU-9742}


The John Young Trio - A Touch Of Pepper (1962) {2013 Japan Jazz The Best Series 24-bit Remaster UCCU-9742}

One of the few sides ever recorded as a leader by Chicago soul jazz pianist John Young – a tasty trio set with just the right touch of pepper! The tracks are short and lively, very much in the mode of other Chicago trio players – like John Wright or Ramsey Lewis – and most of the tunes have a nicely rolling groove, thanks to great backing from from Sam Kidd on bass and Phil Thomas on drums – both of whom echo strongly the great Chicago groove going on at the time. The album also features a strong mixture of originals and upbeat standards – with titles that include "Joey", "In Other Words", "Blues Oreenee", "The Bridge", "Serenata", and "Search Me".

Sunday 12 August 2018

James Brown - Live At The Apollo (1962) {Universal Music Japan Mini LP UICY-9283 rel 2003}


James Brown - Live At The Apollo (1962) {Universal Music Japan Mini LP UICY-9283 rel 2003}

An astonishing record of James and the Flames tearing the roof off the sucker at the mecca of R&B theatres, New York's Apollo. When King Records owner Syd Nathan refused to fund the recording, thinking it commercial folly, Brown single-mindedly proceeded anyway, paying for it out of his own pocket. He had been out on the road night after night for a while, and he knew that the magic that was part and parcel of a James Brown show was something no record had ever caught. Hit follows hit without a pause – "I'll Go Crazy," "Try Me," "Think," "Please Please Please," "I Don't Mind," "Night Train," and more. The affirmative screams and cries of the audience are something you've never experienced unless you've seen the Brown Revue in a Black theater. If you have, I need not say more; if you haven't, suffice to say that this should be one of the very first records you ever own.

Jordi Savall & Hesperion XXI - Esprit des Balkans (Balkan Spirit) (2013) {Alia Vox AVSA9898}


Jordi Savall & Hesperion XXI - Esprit des Balkans (Balkan Spirit) (2013) {Alia Vox AVSA9898}

Jordi Savall once again enriches our view of a region teeming with history: the Balkans. Following on the success of Spirit of Armenia, Alia Vox, a label acclaimed for revealing hidden gems from the vast history of music, presents Balkan Spirit - a collection of music that sheds light on a little-known repertoire that conveys the whole spectrum of human emotions. Presented with both the iconographic richness and quality packaging that Alia Vox is famous for, this journey of musical discovery is another important milestone in the discography of Catalan master Jordi Savall and his ensemble Hesperion XXI.

John Cage - Complete Piano Music, Vols. 1-10 - Steffen Schleiermacher (2004) {18CD Set MDG 613 1731-2 rec 1997-2002}


John Cage - Complete Piano Music, Vols. 1-10 - Steffen Schleiermacher (2004) {18CD Set MDG 613 1731-2 rec 1997-2002}

Steffen Schleiermacher's monumental traversal of the complete piano music of John Cage will be essential for the collection of any fan of the composer's, unless he or she has already purchased the previously released ten volumes (a total of 18 discs) that are boxed together here and reissued in recognition of the composer's 100th anniversary in 2012. The 20-hour compilation is a testimony to Cage's hugely prolific output, and certainly constitutes one of the most significant collections of keyboard music of the 20th century. There could hardly be a more sympathetic and skillful interpreter of Cage's oeuvre than German pianist/composer Steffen Schleiermacher. Much of the music was derived from chance and other pre-compositional procedures, and in an indifferent performance can sound random and meandering, but Schleiermacher consistently brings an acute sensitivity, intelligence, and sense of direction to the scores. Cage often allows extraordinary freedom to the performer; in some cases, as in Music for Piano 21-52, he offers only written instructions outlining certain procedures and parameters that require the performer to write the music him/herself. The marvel of Schleiermacher's performances is the consistency with which he takes advantage of the composer's assumption that the pianist will use the sometimes-skeletal notation to personally discover and convey meaning and beauty in the music's execution.

John Zorn - There Is No More Firmament (2017) {Tzadik TZ8352}


John Zorn - There Is No More Firmament (2017) {Tzadik TZ8352}

There is No More Firmament is a remarkable collection of recent compositions from 2013–2016 that showcase the range, variety and continued creativity of Zorn as he enters his sixties. Connected together with a thread of intensity, magic and madness, the music tells a twisted and complex story of a magical descent into madness. The compositions include two works for brass ensembles, a woodwind quintet, jazz piano trio, string trio and two solo pieces for clarinet and trumpet, with the outrageous trumpet solo Merlin appearing in two realizations—one by jazz master Peter Evans and another by the European classical virtuoso Marco Blaauw.

The Thelonious Monk Orchestra - At Town Hall (1959) {2007 Riverside} [Keepnews Collection]


The Thelonious Monk Orchestra - At Town Hall (1959) {2007 Riverside} [Keepnews Collection]

Remastered in 24-bit from the original master tapes. Part of our Keepnews Collection, which spotlights classic albums originally produced by the legendary and arguably the most respected of all jazz producers, Orrin Keepnews.

Saturday 11 August 2018

Horatiu Radulescu - Dizzy Divinity, Byzantine Prayer, Frenetico il longing di amare, Capricorn's Nostalgic Crickets II (1993)


Horatiu Radulescu - Dizzy Divinity, Byzantine Prayer, Frenetico il longing di amare, Capricorn's Nostalgic Crickets II (1993)

The restrained, minimal burst-like flute-playing of Dizzy Divinity, the noisy, sharp Byzantine Prayer, the oddly metallic-sounding Frenetico il longing di amare, and the slightly less distinct Capricorn's Nostalgic Crickets II all make for an interesting package. Some spectralism is so abrasive it is irritating but not the case here.

Horațiu Rădulescu (1942-2008)

24-page booklet includes notes in French, English and German.

Recorded 16, 17 and 18 January 1992 at Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse de Paris.
Dizzy Divinity I (Turin 1985) for flute alone
Byzantine Prayer (1988) for 40 flutists with 72 flutes
Frenetico Il Longing Di Amare (1984/87) for bass voice, octobass or double-bass flute and sound icon
Capricorn's Nostalgic Crickets II (1980)


Tracks & performers
01 Dizzy Divinity I Op. 59 [1985] for solo flute
Flute, Alto Flute, Bass Flute, Baroque Flute, Shakuhachi: Pierre-Yves Artaud

02 Byzantine Prayer Op. 74 [1988] for 40 flutists with 72 flutes
Orchestre Français de Flûtes
conducted by Horaţiu Rădulescu

03 Frenetico il longing di amare Op. 56 [1984/87] for bass voice, octobass or double-bass flute and sound icon
European Lucero Ensemble (Bass Voice: Horaţiu Rădulescu/Doublebass Flute: Beata Gabriela Schmidt/Sound Icon: Petra Junken, Eric Tanguy)

04 Capricorn's Nostalgic Crickets II Op. 16h [1980] for 7 flutes
Orchestre Français de Flûtes
conducted by Horaţiu Rădulescu

The Allman Brothers Band with Jerry Garcia - Road Trips: Volume One (2017) {9CD Set Sandoz SNZCD2002 rec 1972-1979}


The Allman Brothers Band with Jerry Garcia - Road Trips: Volume One (2017) {9CD Set Sandoz SNZCD2002 rec 1972-1979}

Limited edition 9CD Box Set featuring FM broadcasts. New series of Allman Brothers live show box sets. Mastered from the original FM broadcasts. Volume One features three classic shows across 9 CD's from 1972, 1973 and 1979. Manley Field House, Syracuse, New York April 7th 1972 WNEW-FM (Discs 1,2). Cow Palace, Daly City, California December 31st 1973 KSAN-FM (Discs 3,4,5,6). Nassau Coliseum, Uniondale, New York December 30th 1979 WLIR-FM (Discs 7,8,9).

The music is,of course great,the source being FM radio tapes is reasonable,not brilliant,but not bad.And it's a LOT cheaper than the Fox Box,due for re-release soon.Of course,that has the Hayes/Trucks combination on guitars,so it's a must have,but here we have Dickie Betts playing his heart out,shortly after the loss of Duane.I won't say his presence isn't missed,but Dickie is wonderful as he holds the band together.I always regret his sacking from the ABB,as he was the glue that held them together for so long,over some rough times.All in all,a good live set,fairly priced,and better than the upcoming volume 2.

Jordi Savall - Jean-Philippe Rameau - L'Orchestre de Louis XV (2011) {2CD Set Alia Vox AVSA 9882A+B}


Jordi Savall - Jean-Philippe Rameau - L'Orchestre de Louis XV (2011) {2CD Set Alia Vox AVSA 9882A+B}

Following the success of the albums L’orchestre de Louis XIII (Philidor) and L’orchestre du Roi Soleil (Lully), Jordi Savall explores another dynastic opus, this time focusing on music by Jean-Philippe Rameau. Once again, Le Concert des Nations sparkles in these four orchestral suites, which exemplify the genius of the great French composer. With glistening orchestral colors and breathtaking virtuosity, Savall and his group demonstrate their special affinity with the repertoire of the XVIIIth century. Offered at a special low price, this high-resolution recording is a must-have for anyone interested in this repertoire.

Michael Ball and Alfie Boe - Together (2016) {Decca Records B0025793-02}


Michael Ball and Alfie Boe - Together (2016) {Decca Records B0025793-02}

Two of the greatest voices in the world, the nations leading musical theater star, Michael Ball and the nations favorite tenor, Alfie Boe, are joining forces for the first time, to record a brand new album as well as take to the stage for a unique UK headline Tour.

Entitled, Together, the album is to be released on Decca Records on 4th November 2016, and will feature repertoire from the greatest Broadway shows as well as classic songs both Alfie and Michael have always wanted to record.

Having first met 10 years ago, performing together in Kismet at the London Coliseum, the stars became lifelong friends. That same year, Michael Ball made history as the first musical theater star to be given a solo concert at the Royal Albert Halls BBC Proms, and asked Alfie Boe to join him to perform at the classical music festival.

This instant personal connection and professional mutual admiration makes for the perfect pairing and, to the delight of their hundreds of thousands of fans across the globe, is finally realized with this compelling collaboration.

Stephane Wrembel - Dreamers Of Dreams (2014) {Water Is Life Records WIL06}


Stephane Wrembel - Dreamers Of Dreams (2014) {Water Is Life Records WIL06}

This album is a reflection of two years of touring all over the world, an exploration of the realm of dreams and a unique impressionist journey.

James Brown - The Amazing James Brown (1961) {Universal Music Japan Mini LP UICY-9282 rel 2003}


James Brown - The Amazing James Brown (1961) {Universal Music Japan Mini LP UICY-9282 rel 2003}

Long before he was the Godfather of Soul, James Brown was an artist that King Records struggled to fully understand or appreciate. His breakthrough hit Please Please Please was nearly not released, owing to the record company executive believing it to be rubbish and being perhaps as surprised as the public when it went on to become a major smash. King then tried to position him as a blues singer, only to see his body of work become revered on the R&B market. In time James would cross over to the pop field and register a series of hits that confirmed him as one of the biggest stars in popular music, irrespective of genre. This particular album was originally released in 1961 and whilst it failed to chart does contain no fewer than four hit singles.

Francisco Aguabella - H2O (1999) {Cubop CBCD024}


Francisco Aguabella - H2O (1999) {Cubop CBCD024}

One of the greatest new albums from this legendary conga player! Although Francisco Aquabella is probably best known to Dusty Groove customers for his 70's funk classic "Hitting Hard", or his work with the group Malo – in recent years, he's emerged as quite an important player on the Latin jazz scene, and is starting to return to the recording scene in a strong way. This album slightly predates Aguabella's current efforts for Cubop, but it's a similar session, with an excellent Latin jazz groove, and a moody mellow feel that shows Aquabella's heritage as a west coast Latin player. Charles Owens is in the band on reeds, and most of the tracks are instrumentals, with only occasional vocal choruses. The Latin Jazz component of the album is very very strong – and this is a totally satisfying session throughout!