Cannonball Adderley - Nippon Soul (1963) (eac-flac-cover)

Cannonball Adderley - Nippon Soul (1963)

jazz | 1cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover  | 355MB

OJC | rar +5% recovery

AMG:
Recorded live in Tokyo on July 14th and 15th, 1963, Nippon Soul is not the Asian-jazz fusion suggested by the title (check out Cal Tjader's Several Shades of Jade and Breeze From the East for that), but a solid live set that showcases one of Cannonball Adderley's finest groups, featuring himself, brother Nat Adderley on cornet, bassist Sam Jones, drummer Louis Hayes, and most notably pianist Joe Zawinul and reedsman Yusef Lateef. Both near the beginnings of their careers, Zawinul and Lateef nonetheless dominate this set; two of the original tracks are by Lateef, including the centerpiece "Brother John," for John Coltrane and featuring an astonishing extended Lateef solo on oboe, an instrument not normally associated with jazz, but which takes on an almost Middle Eastern fluidity and grace in its approximation of Coltrane's "sheets of sound" technique. Zawinul arranged the standards for the group, reinterpreting Cole Porter's warm "Easy to Love" as a fleet bebop vehicle for a wicked Adderley solo and working the "Come Sunday" section of Duke Ellington's "Black, Brown and Beige" into a full gospel-style call and response between himself and Jones. Often overlooked, this is one of Adderley's finest albums. The CD reissue includes an extra track, an extended take on "Work Song."

Tracks:
1. "Nippon Soul (Nihon No Soul)" (Julian "Cannonball" Adderley) - 9:34
2. "Easy to Love" (Cole Porter) - 3:49
3. "The Weaver" (Yusef Lateef) - 10:50
4. "Tengo Tango" (Julian "Cannonball" Adderley, Nat Adderley) - 2:40
5. "Come Sunday" (Duke Ellington) - 7:03
6. "Brother John" (Lateef) - 13:03
7. 'Work Song" (Nat Adderley) - 9:06 Bonus track on CD

Personnel:
* Cannonball Adderley - alto saxophone
* Nat Adderley - cornet
* Yusef Lateef - tenor saxophone, flute, oboe
* Joe Zawinul - piano
* Sam Jones - bass
* Louis Hayes - drums

sample & buy

r c

Roy Harper - Flat, Baroque And Berserk (1970) (eac-flac-cover)

Roy Harper - Flat, Baroque And Berserk (1970)

Rock | 1cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 440MB

Science Friction  | rar +5% recovery

AMG:
Roy Harper's fourth album found him in an acoustic folkie mode more often than not, though as usual (for circa late-'60s Harper) there were detours into pretty rocky items on occasion. It's not much of either a progression or a slide from the lyrically convoluted, somewhat but not incredibly melodic path he had established with his prior work. "I Hate the White Man," however, is certainly one of his most notable (and notorious) compositions, a spew of lilting verbiage that's hard to peg. It could be irony, it could be ironic self-hatred, it could be muddled reflections on the chaos that is the modern world, or it could be a combination of all of them. There are gentler items, sometimes with subdued harmony vocals and orchestration, that sound rather like Harper's most acerbic side sanded off with edges of Al Stewart, Donovan, or Tim Hardin; "Another Day" is the prettiest of those. The atypical "Hell's Angels," on the other hand, has a twisted, chunky rock feel rather like the solo work of another of producer Peter Jenner's clients, Syd Barrett.

Tracks:
01. "Don't You Grieve" – 5:43
02. "I Hate the White Man" – 8:03
03. "Feeling All the Saturday" – 1:56
04. "How Does It Feel?" – 6:29
05. "Goodbye" – 5:42
06. "Another Day" – 2:57
07. "Davey" – 1:30
08. "East of the Sun" – 3:02
09. "Tom Tiddler's Ground" – 6:48
10. "Francesca" – 1:19
11. "Song of the Ages" (H. Ash)[6] – 3:52
12. "Hell's Angels" – 7:46

sample & buy

rc

David Bowie - Aladdin Sane (1973) (2009 SHM cd) (xld-log-cover)

David Bowie - Aladdin Sane (1973) (2009 SHM cd)

rock | 1cd | xld-flac-cue-log-cover | 400MB

EMI | rar +5% recovery

AMG:
Ziggy Stardust wrote the blueprint for David Bowie's hard-rocking glam, and Aladdin Sane essentially follows the pattern, for both better and worse. A lighter affair than Ziggy Stardust, Aladdin Sane is actually a stranger album than its predecessor, buoyed by bizarre lounge-jazz flourishes from pianist Mick Garson and a handful of winding, vaguely experimental songs. Bowie abandons his futuristic obsessions to concentrate on the detached cool of New York and London hipsters, as on the compressed rockers "Watch That Man," "Cracked Actor," and "The Jean Genie." Bowie follows the hard stuff with the jazzy, dissonant sprawls of "Lady Grinning Soul," "Aladdin Sane," and "Time," all of which manage to be both campy and avant-garde simultaneously, while the sweepingly cinematic "Drive-In Saturday" is a soaring fusion of sci-fi doo wop and melodramatic teenage glam. He lets his paranoia slip through in the clenched rhythms of "Panic in Detroit," as well as on his oddly clueless cover of "Let's Spend the Night Together." For all the pleasures on Aladdin Sane, there's no distinctive sound or theme to make the album cohesive; it's Bowie riding the wake of Ziggy Stardust, which means there's a wealth of classic material here, but not enough focus to make the album itself a classic.

Tracks:
01. Watch that Man
02. Aladdin Sane (1913-1938-197?)
03. Drive-in Saturday
04. Panic in Detroit
05. Cracked Actor
06. Time
07. The Prettiest Star
08. Let's Spend the Night Together
09. The Jean Genie
10. Lady Grinning Soul
thx mgubarenko

sample & buy

r c

Charles Mingus - Changes One & Two (1975) (eac-flac-cover)

Charles Mingus - Changes One & Two (1975)

jazz | 2cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 620MB

Atlantic - Rhino | rar +5% recovery

AMG.
1: Charles Mingus' finest recordings of his later period are Changes One and Changes Two, two Atlantic LPs that have been reissued on CD by Rhino. The first volume features four stimulating Mingus originals ("Remember Rockefeller at Attica," "Sue's Changes," "Devil Blues" and "Duke Ellington's Sound of Love") performed by a particularly talented quintet (tenor-saxophonist George Adams who also sings "Devil Blues," trumpeter Jack Walrath, pianist Don Pullen, drummer Dannie Richmond and the leader/bassist). The band has the adventurous spirit and chance-taking approach of Charles Mingus' best groups, making this an easily recommended example of the great bandleader's music.
2: Along with its companion volume Changes One, this is one of the great sessions from one of the best working bands of the 1970s. Starting with the spirited "Free Cell Block F, 'Tis Nazi U.S.A," this volume also includes the vocal version of "Duke Ellington's Sound of Love" with guest singer (and acquired taste) Jackie Paris, a remake of the classic Mingus composition "Orange Was the Color of Her Dress, Then Silk Blue," Jack Walrath's "Black Bats and Poles," and Sy Johnson's "For Harry Carney." The challenging repertoire from these December 1974 dates sustained the Jazz Workshop for several years; these are the definitive performances.

Tracks:
Changes one
01 - Remember Rockefeller At Attica
02 - Sue's Changes
03 - Devil Blues
04 - Duke Ellington's Sound Of Love
Changes two
01 - Free Cell Block F, 'Tis Nazi U.S.A.
02 - Orange Was the Color of Her Dress, Then Blue Silk
03 - Black Bats and Poles
04 - Duke Ellington's Sound of Love
05 - For Harry Carney

sample & buy 1
sample & buy 2

Thelonious Monk - Live At Monterey '63 vol.1-2 (MFSL) (eac-flac-cover)

Thelonious Monk - Live At Monterey '63 vol.1-2 (MFSL)

jazz | 2cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 770MB

MFSL UDCD 24k Gold | rar +5% recovery

AMG:
This double-CD contains pianist/composer Thelonious Monk's two sets at the 1963 Monterey Jazz Festival, music that was unreleased until 1994. Monk, tenor-saxophonist Charlie Rouse, bassist John Ore, and drummer Frank Dunlop perform lengthy versions of two standards: "I'm Getting Sentimental over You" and a nearly 19-minute "Sweet and Lovely," and seven of Monk's originals. Nothing all that unusual occurs (outside of the two-beat feel that Ore gives "I Mean You") but Monk and Rouse have plenty of fine solos. An above-average effort.

Tracks:
1 I'm Getting Sentimental over You 15:04
2 Well, You Needn't 15:11
3 Evidence 12:03
4 I Mean You 12:06
5 Light Blue 9:37
6 Criss-Cross 7:25
7 Epistrophy 6:16
8 Sweet and Lovely 19:01
9 Bright Mississippi 9:18

Personnel:
*Charlie Rouse - ts
*Thelonious onk - p
*Frank Dunlop - d
*John Ore - b

sample & buy 1
sample & buy 2

 

r c

Clifford Brown - Memorial Album (1953) (RVG) (eac-flac-cover)

Clifford Brown - Memorial Album (1953) (RVG)

jazz | 1cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 260MB

BN RVG | rar +5% recovery

AMG:
Like swing guitarist Charlie Christian, Clifford Brown was incredibly influential for someone who died so young. The Fats Navarro-minded trumpeter was only 25 when a car accident claimed his life in 1956, but his influence remained long after his death -- Freddie Hubbard, Lee Morgan, Woody Shaw, Donald Byrd, and Carmell Jones were among the many trumpet titans who were heavily influenced by Brown. In the early to mid-'50s, Brown kept getting more and more exciting; those who found him impressive in 1952 found even more reason to be impressed in 1955. That means that when it comes to Brown's CDs, excellent doesn't necessarily mean essential. Recorded in 1953, the material on this 18-track CD isn't quite as essential as some of Brown's work with drummer Max Roach in 1954 and 1955, but is still superb. The trumpet icon is heard at two different sessions -- one with saxmen Gigi Gryce and Charlie Rouse, pianist John Lewis, bassist Percy Heath, and drummer Art Blakey, the other with Heath, alto saxman Lou Donaldson, pianist Elmo Hope, and drummer Philly Joe Jones (who in 1953 was two years away from joining Miles Davis' quintet). Brown's solos are consistently expressive; he swings unapologetically hard on up-tempo fare like "Carvin' the Rock," "Cherokee," and Quincy Jones' "Wail Bait," but is quite lyrical on the ballads "You Go to My Head" and "Easy Living." One thing all of the performances have in common is a strong Fats Navarro influence; Navarro was Brown's primary influence, although Brown became quite distinctive himself at an early age. Casual listeners would be better off starting out with some of Brown's recordings with Max Roach; nonetheless, seasoned fans will find that this CD is a treasure chest. [The 2001 Blue Note reissue features a different track sequencing than the original and also includes several alternate takes as bonus tracks. These alternate takes had appeared on the 1989 reissue, but Blue Note shuffles the sequencing here to ensure that the music is presented as it was recorded, session by session.]

Tracks:
01-Bellarosa
02-Carvin' The Rock
03-Cookin'
04-Brownie Speaks
05-De-Dah
06-You Got To My Head
07-Carvin' The Rock (alternate take #1)
08-Cookin' (alternate take)
09-Carvin' The Rock (alternate take #2)
10-Wail Bait
11-Hymn Of The Orient
12-Brownie Eyes
13-Cherokee
14-Easy Living
15-Minor Mood
16-Wail Bait (alternate take)
17-Cherokee (alternate take)
18- Hymn Of The Orient (alternate take

Personnel: Clifford Brown (trumpet); Gigi Gryce (flute, alto saxophone); Lou Donaldson (alto saxophone); Charlie Rouse (tenor saxophone); John Lewis, Elmo Hope, John Richard Lewis (piano); Jo Jones , Philly Joe Jones, Art Blakey (drums).

sample & buy

r c

Gidon Kremer - Mahler / Shostakovich (2007) (eac-flac-cover)

Gidon Kremer - Mahler / Shostakovich (2007)
classical | 1cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | cover | 360MB
  ECM | rar +5% recovery

AMG:
Gidon Kremer and his chamber orchestra-sized Kremerata Baltica combine two symphonies on the subject of death by the two most morbid composers of the twentieth century: Gustav Mahler and Dmitry Shostakovich. As they always do, Kremer and the Kremerata Baltica give everything they have: from hushed pianissimos to screaming tuttis, the intensity of tone and the urgency of expression is unrelenting. Given the subject matter, the extreme approach is appropriate for both works. But some listeners who enjoy Mahler's Tenth in the composer's original massively scored version may or may not be able to enjoy this strings-only version by Hans Stadlmair adapted by the Kremerata Baltica. Because while there is much to be said for the infernal agony of the central climax and the ethereal quality of the final pages when played by only 20 strings, the weighty textures, vivid colors, and gravitas associated with Mahler's music are nowhere to be found. ECM's digital sound is wonderfully clear and present -- though one can hear some fellow coughing discreetly but nearly continually in the opening movements of the Shostakovich.

Tracks:
01. Mahler-Symphony No 10-Adagio
02. Shostakovich-Symphony No 14-Op 135-1-De Profundis-Adagio
03. Shostakovich-Symphony No 14-Op 135-2-Malaguena-Allegretto
04. Shostakovich-Symphony No 14-Op 135-3-Loreley-Allegro Molto
05. Shostakovich-Symphony No 14-Op 135-4-The Suicide-Adagio
06. Shostakovich-Symphony No 14-Op 135-5-On The Watch-Allegretto
07. Shostakovich-Symphony No 14-Op 135-6-Madam, Look!-Adagio
08. Shostakovich-Symphony No 14-Op 135-7-In The Sante Prison-Adagio
09. Shostakovich-Symphony No 14-Op 135-8-The Zaporozhian Cossacks' Answer To The Sultan Of Constantinople-Allegro
10. Shostakovich-Symphony No 14-Op 135-9-O Delvig, Delvig!-Andante
11. Shostakovich-Symphony No 14-Op 135-10-The Poet's Death-Largo
12. Shostakovich-Symphony No 14-Op 135-11-Conclusion-Moderato

Gidon Kremer
KremerATA Baltica
Yulia Korpacheva
Fedor Kuznetsov

sample & buy

rc

Dandy Warhols - The Dandy Warhols Come Down (1997) (eac-log-cover)

Dandy Warhols  - The Dandy Warhols Come Down (1997)

alternative, indie | 1cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 450MB

Capitol | rar +5% recovery

AMG:
Power pop bands are often caught in a quandary. Their core audience praises them for their classicist approach, but if they ever want to break out into a larger audience, they have to modernize their sound, which makes their cult angry. The problem is especially difficult for bands that came of age in the early '90s, since they were weaned on not just the Beatles and Beach Boys, but also the Pixies and Sonic Youth. As a result, bands like the Dandy Warhols are restless, anxious to make catchy pop songs while keeping indie cred, and that's why their major-label debut, The Dandy Warhols Come Down, is so uneven. The band has talent for not just punchy hooks, but for layered sonics as well, but they don't know how to meld the two together. As a result, the most immediate moments on the record are awash in a sea of feedback, which can't be trance-inducing since its spell is punctured by pop hooks. And while those pop songs are good, they aren't enough to prevent Come Down from being a frustrating listen.

Tracks:
1. "Be-In" – 7:00
2. "Boys Better" – 4:31
3. "Minnesoter" – 3:03
4. "Orange" – 5:41
5. "I Love You" – 4:12
6. "Not If You Were the Last Junkie on Earth" – 3:11
7. "Every Day Should Be a Holiday" – 4:02
8. "Good Morning" – 5:01
9. "Whipping Tree" – 3:49
10. "Green" – 3:10
11. "Cool as Kim Deal" – 3:03
12. "Hard On for Jesus" (Taylor/Holmstrom) – 4:36
13. "Pete International Airport" (Taylor/Holmstrom) – 5:57
14. "The Creep Out" (The Dandy Warhols) – 8:59

Personnel:
* Courtney Taylor-Taylor – vocals, guitar
* Zia McCabe – keyboards, bass (synthesized)
* Peter Holmstrom – guitar, vocals
* Eric Hedford – drums, vocals
* Tony Lash – keyboards, percussion

sample & buy

rc

Cannonball Adderley - Mercy, Mercy, Mercy! Live at The Club (1966) (eac-flac-cover)

Cannonball Adderley - Mercy, Mercy, Mercy! Live at The Club (1966)

jazz | 1cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 290MB

Capitol | rar +5% recovery

AMG:
Cannonball Adderley's most popular album, Mercy, Mercy, Mercy wasn't actually recorded "Live at 'The Club'," as its subtitle says. The hoax was meant to publicize a friend's nightclub venture in Chicago, but Adderley actually recorded the album in Los Angeles, where producer David Axelrod set up a club in the Capitol studios and furnished free drinks to an invitation-only audience. Naturally, the crowd is in an extremely good mood, and Adderley's quintet, feeding off the energy in the room, gives them something to shout about. By this point, Adderley had perfected a unique blend of earthy soul-jazz and modern, subtly advanced post-bop; very rarely did some of these harmonies and rhythms pop up in jazz so saturated with blues and gospel feeling. Those latter influences are the main inspiration for acoustic/electric pianist Joe Zawinul's legendary title cut, a genuine Top 40 pop hit that bears a passing resemblance to the Southern soul instrumentals of the mid-'60s, but works a looser, more laid-back groove (without much improvisation). The deep, moaning quality and spacy texture of "Mercy, Mercy, Mercy" stand in contrast to the remainder of the record, though; Nat Adderley contributes two upbeat and challenging originals in "Fun" and "Games," while Zawinul's second piece, "Hippodelphia," is on the same level of sophistication. The leader's two selections -- the gospel-inflected "Sticks" and the hard-swinging, bluesy bop of "Sack O' Woe" (the latter of which became a staple of his repertoire) -- are terrific as well, letting the group really dig into its roots. Adderley's irrepressible exuberance was a major part of his popularity, and no document captures that quality as well -- or with such tremendous musical rewards -- as Mercy, Mercy, Mercy.

Tracks:
1. "Fun" (Nat Adderley) – 8:26
2. "Games" (N. Adderley) – 7:19
3. "Mercy, Mercy, Mercy" (Joe Zawinul) – 5:10
4. "Sticks" (Cannonball Adderley) – 3:54
5. "Hippodelphia" (Zawinul) – 5:49
6. "Sack O' Woe" (C. Adderley) – 10:29

Personnel:
* Cannonball Adderley - Alto saxophone, leader
* Nat Adderley - Cornet
* Joe Zawinul - Piano, Wurlitzer electric piano
* Victor Gaskin - Bass
* Roy McCurdy - Drums

sample & buy

rc

Leonard Cohen - Recent Songs (1979) (eac-flac-cover)

Leonard Cohen - Recent Songs (1979)

rock | 1cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 250MB

Columbia | rar +5% recovery

AMG:
The first thing Leonard Cohen's music fans noticed about his sixth new studio album, given the typically open-ended title Recent Songs, was that, musically, it marked a return to the gypsy folk sound of his early records after the incongruous arrangements Phil Spector imposed on its predecessor, Death of a Ladies' Man, only two years earlier. There were subtle musical developments, particularly a flavor of the American Southwest, courtesy of the band Passenger, which played on several tracks, but the acoustic guitars and violin recalled classic Cohen. Fans of the artist's poetry noticed something else. His writing had become increasingly bitter and angry during the 1970s in the books The Energy of Slaves and Death of a Lady's Man as well as in his lyrics, but there was a new equanimity in these Recent Songs that began with the welcoming introduction of "The Guests." All was not suddenly well, of course, but "the open-hearted many" outnumbered "the broken-hearted few." Cohen's usual mixture of religious and sexual imagery in the songs was elegant and evocative rather than painful. If he was conscious of the sacrifices he had made in vain in "Came So Far for Beauty," he was nevertheless able to make a sincere plea to a woman in "The Window," mixing it with a prayer to "gentle this soul." The album was full of references to absence and dislocation, but Cohen deliberately countered them with humor. The cover of "The Lost Canadian (Un Canadient Errant)" was enlivened by a mariachi arrangement, and the album ended with "Ballad of the Absent Mare," an allegory about a cowboy's search for a horse that ended with the suggestion that the pursuit was only a romantic game. Though often abstract, Recent Songs suggested Cohen had regained a certain equilibrium after a long dark period.

Tracks:
1. "The Guests" – 6:40
2. "Humbled in Love" – 5:15
3. "The Window" – 5:56
4. "Came So Far for Beauty" (Cohen, John Lissauer) – 4:04
5. "The Lost Canadian (Un Canadien errant)" (trad., Antoine Gérin-Lajoie) – 4:42
6. "The Traitor" – 6:16
7. "Our Lady of Solitude" – 3:13
8. "The Gypsy's Wife" – 5:13
9. "The Smokey Life" – 5:19
10. "Ballad of the Absent Mare" – 6:26

sample & buy

rc

Art Pepper - Mosaic Select 15 3cd (1956-57) (limited edition) (eac-flac-cover)

Art Pepper 1956-57 - Mosaic Select 15

jazz | 3cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 1390MB

Mosaic | Limited Edition: 5000 sets | rar +5% recovery

AMG:
The three CDs in Art Pepper's Mosaic Select volume -- limited to 5000 sets -- contain the three albums he did for Pacific Jazz -- The Return of Art Pepper (titled as such as after a stay in a Texas Federal Prison), Modern Art, and The Art of Pepper -- complete with alternate takes not available on the original CD issues, and two sessions headed by Joe Morello and Bill Perkins, totaling 45 cuts in all. This is not substandard playing, but fully realized, mature Art Pepper at his creative peak. These sets compiled by Michael Cuscuna also contain the CD release essays by the late writer Pete Welding

Tracks:
Disc 1: Pepper Returns; Broadway; You Go to My Head; Angel Wings; Funny Blues; Five More; Minority; Patricia; Mambo de la Pinta; Walkin' Out Blues; Straight Life; Yardbird Suite; Pepper Steak; You're Driving Me Crazy; Tenor Blooz.
Disc 2: Blues In; Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered; Stompin' at the Savoy; What is this Thing Called Love; Blues Out; Diane's Dilemma; When You're Smiling; Cool Bunny; Summertime; Diane's Dilemma; What is this Thing Called Love; A Foggy Day; Diane-a-Flow; Zenobia; Angel Eyes.
Disc 3: Holiday Flight; Too Close for Comfort; Long Ago and Far Away; Begin the Beguine; I Can't Believe that You're in Love with Me; Summertime; Fascinatin' Rhythm; Body and Soul; Without a Song; The Breeze and I; Surf Ride; Webb City; Begin the Beguine; Fascinatin' Rhythm; Webb City.

Personnel:
Art Pepper- alto saxphone, tenor saxophone; Jimmy Rowles, Russ Freeman, Gerald Wiggins, Carl Perkins, Leroy Vinnegar, Ben Tucker- bass; Mel Lewis, Chuck Flores, Shelly Manne, Joe Morello- drums; Bill Perkins- tenor saxophone; Jack Sheldon- trumpet; Red Norvo- vibraphone.

sample & buy

rc

McCoy Tyner Big Band - The Turning Point (1991) (eac-flac-cover)

McCoy Tyner Big Band - The Turning Point (1991)
jazz | 1cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 340MB
Birdology | rar +5% recovery

AMG:
This recording may not have been an actual "turning point" in pianist McCoy Tyner's productive career but its success gave momentum to his big band. Although only a part-time affair, Tyner's orchestra (seven brass, four reeds and a four-piece rhythm section) is considered one of the major jazz big bands of the 1990s, a perfect outlet for the leader's percussive and modal-oriented piano. With arrangements by Tyner, Dennis Mackrel, Slide Hampton, Steve Turre and Howard Johnson, many of these performances are quite powerful. It is a pity though that the liners do not identify the soloists since there are several that are quite colorful. Recommended.

Tracks:
1. "Passion Dance" - 9:05
2. "Let It Go" (Turre) 9:14
3. "High Priest" - 5:14
4. "Angel Eyes" (Brent, Dennis) - 5:15
5. "Fly With the Wind" - 11:55
6. "Update" - 8:16
7. "In a Sentimental Mood" (Ellington, Kurtz, Mills) - 6:08
* Recorded in NYC, November 19 & 20, 1991

Personnel:
* McCoy Tyner: piano, arranger
* Kamau Adilifu: trumpet
* Earl Gardner: trumpet
* Virgil Jones: trumpet
* Frank Lacy: trombone
* Steve Turre: trombone, arranger
* John Clark: french horn
* Howard Johnson: tuba, arranger
* Joe Ford: alto saxophone
* Doug Harris: flute
* Junior Cook: tenor saxophone
* John Stubblefield: tenor saxophone
* Avery Sharpe: double bass, electric bass
* Aaron Scott: drums
* Jerry Gonzalez: percussion
* Dennis Mackrel, Slide Hampton: arrangers

sample & buy

r c

Charles Mingus - Mingus Plays Piano (1963) (20bSBM) (eac-flac-cover)

Charles Mingus - Mingus Plays Piano (1963) (20bSBM)

jazz | 1cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 260MB

Impulse!-GRP | 20-bit SBM | rar +5% recovery

AMG
Bassist Charles Mingus would never qualify as a virtuoso on the piano but his technique was reasonably impressive and his imagination quite brilliant. This unique solo piano CD (which was reissued in 1997) has a few standards ("Body and Soul," "Memories of You" and "I'm Getting Sentimental over You") along with some freely improvised originals, most of which are quite fascinating to hear, as if one were listening to Mingus think aloud.

Tracks:
1. "Myself When I Am Real" – 7:38
2. "I Can't Get Started" (Vernon Duke, Ira Gershwin) – 3:43
3. "Body and Soul" (Frank Eyton, Johnny Green, Edward Heyman, Robert Sour) – 4:35
4. "Roland Kirk's Message" – 2:43
5. "Memories of You" (Eubie Blake, Andy Razaf) – 4:37
6. "She's Just Miss Popular Hybird" - 3:11
7. "Orange Was the Color of Her Dress, Then Silk Blues" – 4:18
8. "Meditations for Moses" - 3:38
9. "Old Portrait" - 3:49
10. "I'm Getting Sentimental Over You" (George Bassman, Ned Washington) – 3:46
11. Compositional Theme Story: "Medleys, Anthems and Folklore" – 8:35

Charles Mingus - piano, vocals

sample & buy

read the comments

Cannonball Adderley - C Adderley & the Poll Winners (1960) (20bSBM) (eac-flac-cover)

Cannonball Adderley -  C Adderley & the Poll Winners (1960)

jazz | 1cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 310MB

Capitol | 20.bit SBM | rar +5% recovery

AMG:
The "Poll-Winners" at the time of this recording were Adderley, guitarist Wes Montgomery and bassist Ray Brown; together with Victor Feldman doubling on piano and vibes and drummer Louis Hayes they cut this excellent quintet date. This was the only meeting on records by Adderley and Montgomery and, although not quite a classic encounter, the music (highlighted by "The Chant," "Never Will I Marry" and two takes of "Au Privave") swings hard and is quite enjoyable.
Digitally remastered using 20-bit technology by Ron McMaster.

Tracks:
1. The Chant
2. Lolita
3. Azule Serape
4. Privave
5. Yours Is My Heart Alone
6. Never Will I Marry
7. Privave [Alternate Take]

Personnel:
Personnel: Cannonball Adderley (alto saxophone); Victor Feldman (vibraphone, piano); Wes Montgomery (guitar); Ray Brown (acoustic bass); Louis Hayes (drums).

sample & buy

r c

Ginger Baker - Falling Off The Roof (1996) (HDCD) (eac-flac-cover)

Ginger Baker - Falling Off The Roof (1996) (HDCD)

jazz-rock | 1cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 400MB

Atlantic | rar +5% recovery

AMG
The second project to match drummer Ginger Baker with guitarist Bill Frisell and bassist Charlie Haden does not reach the heights of the first effort. Guest appearances by banjoist Bela Fleck on three songs and guitarist Jerry Hahn on one are welcome, but the diversity and wide scope of the first Baker trio set are not reached. The music often leans toward country (Frisell was probably preparing mentally for his Nashville project), the originals are less memorable than before, and the element of danger is mostly absent. A bit of a disappointment.

Tracks:
01 - Falling off the Roof 4:00
02 - Amarillo, Barbados 4:41
03 - Bemshaw Swing 4:21
04 - Sunday at the Hillcrest 5:54
05 - Au Privave Parker 3:06
06 - Our Spanish Love Song 5:21
07 - C.B.C. Mimps 6:49
08 - Skeleton 5:57
09 - Vino Vecchio 3:56
10 - The Day the Sun Came Out 8:23
11 - Taney County 5:23

Personnel:
Ginger Baker - drums
Bill Frisell - guitar
Charlie Haden - bass
guests:
Bela Fleck - banjo
Jerry Hahn - guitar

sample & buy

rc

Primus - Discography (lossless) (eac-flac-cover)

Primus - Discography

alternative, rock | EAC rip | Logs | covers

rar+5% recovery

Biography(AMG):
Primus is all about Les Claypool; there isn't a moment on any of their records where his bass isn't the main focal point of the music, with his vocals acting as a bizarre side-show. Which isn't to deny guitarist Larry LaLonde or drummer Tim "Herb" Alexander any credit; no drummer could weave in and around Claypool's convoluted patterns as effortlessly as Alexander, and few guitarists would willingly push the spotlight away, like LaLonde does, just to can produce a never-ending spiral of avant-noise. All of this means that they are miles away from being another punk-funk combo like the Red Hot Chili Peppers; Claypool may slap and pop his bass, but there is little funk in the rhythm he and Alexander lay down. Instead, they're a post-punk Rush spiked with the sensibility and humor of Frank Zappa. Primus' songs are secondary to showcasing their instrumental prowess. Their music is willfully weird and experimental, yet it's not alienating; the band was able to turn their goofy weirdness into pop stardom. At first, the band was strictly an underground phenomenon, but in the years between their third and fourth albums, their cult grew rapidly. 1991's Sailing the Seas of Cheese went gold shortly before the release of Pork Soda. By the time of the album's 1993 release, Primus had enough devoted fans to make Pork Soda debut in the Top Ten. After touring for a year -- including a headlining spot on Lollapalooza 1993 -- Claypool revived his Prawn Song record label in 1994 and released a reunion record by Primus' original lineup under the name Sausage. In the summer of 1995, Primus released their fifth album, Tales From the Punch Bowl. It was another success, going gold before the end of the year. In the summer of 1996, Primus announced they were parting ways with their drummer, Tim Alexander. He was replaced by Brian "Brain" Mantia, who made his debut on The Brown Album, which was released in the summer of 1997. The covers EP Rhinoplasty followed in 1998, and a year later, Primus returned with Antipop. Antipop was a departure from previous Primus albums, as different producers were used on almost each track (including such notables as Rage Against the Machine's Tom Morello, Limp Bizkit's Fred Durst, Tom Waits, South Park creator Matt Stone, and former Police drummer Stewart Copeland) and it featured such guest artists as Metallica's James Hetfield and former Faith No More guitarist Jim Martin. After a supporting tour wrapped up in 2000, Mantia left the band to join Guns N' Roses. Claypool talked about reuniting with former drummer Tim "Herb" Alexander in the press, but shortly afterward announced that Primus was going on indefinite hiatus. During the ensuing break, Claypool focused on recording the debut album by his side project, Oyster Head (who also included Copeland and Phish guitarist Trey Anastasio), as well as releasing his two-part solo outing, Live Frogs: Set 1 and Set 2.

1990 - Suck on This

details:

1990 - Frizzle Fry (2002rem)

details: 

1991 - Sailing The Seas Of Cheese

details: 

1993 - Pork Soda
details: 

1995 - Tales From The Punchbowl

details: 

1997 - Brown Album

details: 

1998 - Rhinoplasty

details:

1999 - Antipo

details: 

EP 1992 - Miscellaneous Debris

details: 

Roy Harper - HQ (SNS 20-bit) (1975) (eac-flac-cover)

Roy Harper - HQ (SNS 20-bit) (1975)

Rock | 1cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 410MB

Science Friction  | rar +5% recovery

AMG:
Roy Harper was already coming off two stellar efforts in Lifemask (1973) and Valentine (1974), which marked yet another artistic peak and his introduction to American audiences. Previous settings of acoustic guitar and orchestration were supplanted by Harper's formation of Trigger, a relatively straightforward hard rock trio anchored by ace guitarist Chris Spedding and former King Crimson/Yes drummer Bill Bruford. (The unit disbanded after this album, however.) Pink Floyd guitarist David Gilmour and Led Zeppelin bassist John Paul Jones are among the other all-star contributors on this album, which gets off to a rousing start with "The Game"'s multi-part critique of modern society and features some hard-hitting guitar passages. "The Spirit Lives" upholds yet another long-running Harper theme of critiquing Christianity and its premises. "Hallucination Light" and "Forget Me Not" maintain the brooding romanticism associated with Harper's earlier work, but it's the last track that should stick longest with listeners. Harper's understated, elegaic ode to life's departures gains power from a blend of string and brass band lines; it remains one of his finest, most enduring compositions. Commercially, Harper's profile remains that of a cult artist, but he surely deserves wider recognition on his own merit. If you only know Harper as an associate of the '70s English rock aristocracy or the shadowy subject of Led Zeppelin's "Hats off to Harper," make this album one of your first starting points.

Tracks:
1. The Game (Parts 1-5) (13:42)
2. The Spirit Lives (4:15)
3. Grown Ups Are Just Silly Children (2:56)
4. Referendum (Legend) (3:49)
5. Forget Me Not (2:25)
6. Hallucinating Light (6:24)
7. When An Old Cricketer Leaves The Crease (7:28)
bonus
* The Spirit Lives (4:37) (early mix 1975-03-23)
* When An Old Cricketer Leaves The Crease (7:52) [Exeter 1977-10-31]
* Hallucinating Light (7:33) (acoustic version)

Personnel:
* Roy Harper – vocals, guitar
* David Gilmour – guitar on "The Game"
* John Paul Jones – bass on "The Game"
* Steve Broughton – drums on "The Game"
* Chris Spedding – guitar
* Bill Bruford – drums
* Dave Cochran – bass
* The Grimethorpe Colliery Band – brass on "When an Old Cricketer Leaves the Crease"

sample & buy

rc

Dandy Warhols - Dandys Rule OK (1995) (eac-flac-cover)

Dandy Warhols - Dandys Rule OK (1995)

alternative, indie | 1cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 505MB

Tim Kerr Records | rar +5% recovery

AMG:
The Dandy Warhols seem like they should be a great band — they bring together shoegazing, Brit-pop, lazy grunge, and Velvet Underground-style grittiness, all with a wicked sense of humor. Despite all this — and despite the fact that Dandys Rule OK? is fairly well written — their songs tend to slip by unnoticed, never really leaving an impression. The band seems to be at its best when it parodies other bands: "Lou Weed," "Ride," and "The Coffee and Tea Wrecks" are all affectionate pastiches of their namesakes, and "The Dandy Warhol's T.V. Theme Song" is a fine bit of bouncy pop. Unfortunately, none of the album's more clever segments stand out, buried as they are in a murky mess of forgettable material.

Tracks:
01. introduction by young tom
02. the dandy warhols' t.v. theme song
03. ride
04. best friend
05. not your bottle
06. (tony, this song is called) lou weed
07. nothin' to do
08. the coffee and tea wrecks
09. genius
10. dick
11. just try
12. nothing (lifestyle of a tortured artists for sale)
13. grunge betty
14. prelude: it's a fast-driving rave-up with the dandy warhols sixteen minutes
15. it's a fast-driving rave-up with the dandy warhols sixteen minutes
16. finale: it's a fast-driving rave-up with the dandy warhols sixteen minutes

Total Length: 1:13:50

sample & buy

rc

Count Basie Jam - Montreux '77 (P) (24b rem) (eac-flac-cover)

Count Basie Jam  - Montreux '77 (24b rem)

jazz | 1cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 290MB

Pablo | rar +5% recovery

AMG:
From Norman Granz's marathon series of performances recorded at the 1977 Montreux Jazz Festival, this set finds Count Basie fronting a jam session featuring trumpeter Roy Eldridge, altoist Benny Carter, Zoot Sims on tenor and the trombones of Vic Dickenson and Al Grey. Despite the possibility of being overcrowded, a bit of planning by Basie made this into a very coherent set with a blues, a long ballad medley and the closing "Jumpin' at the Woodside." Lots of nice moments.

Tracks:
Bookie Blues
She's Funny That Way
These Foolish Things
Kidney Stew
Trio Blues
I Got It Bad (And That Ain't Good)
Jumpin' At The Woodside

Personnel:
Roy Eldridge (tp) Vic Dickenson, Al Grey (tb) Benny Carter (as) Zoot Sims (ts) Count Basie (p) Ray Brown (b) Jimmie Smith (d)

sample & buy

rc

Wayne Shorter - Native Dancer (1974) (eac-flac-cover)

Wayne Shorter - Native Dancer (1974)

jazz | 1cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 290MB

SONY | rar +5% recovery

AMG
Some jazz purists would say that Wayne Shorter went downhill in the 1970s, when he passionately embraced electric jazz-fusion and co-led the innovative Weather Report with Joe Zawinul. But remember: Those are the same people who also claim that Miles Davis' stunning Bitches Brew has no value and that Chick Corea's visionary Return to Forever was a complete waste -- so it's hard to take their opinions seriously. The fact is that the 1970s were a highly productive time for Shorter, and it wasn't until the 1980s that the tenor and soprano saxophonist really declined creatively. One of Shorter's best-selling albums from the 1970s was Native Dancer, a Brazilian-oriented jazz-fusion masterpiece that boasts Herbie Hancock on acoustic piano and electric keyboards, and employs such Brazilian talent as singer Milton Nascimento (a superstar in Brazil) and percussionist Airto Moreira. Everything on this melodic, consistently lyrical effort is a jewel, and that includes Hancock's "Joanna's Theme" as well as pieces by Nascimento ("From the Lonely Afternoons," "Ponta de Areia," "Tarde," "Lilia," and "Miracle of the Fishes") and by Shorter himself ("Ana Maria," "Beauty and the Beast," and "Diana"). Reissued on CD by Columbia in 1990, Native Dancer is clearly among Shorter's most essential albums.

Tracks:
1. "Ponta de Areia" (Nascimento) - 5:18
2. "Beauty and the Beast"- 5:04
3. "Tarde" (Brant, Nascimento) - 5:49
4. "Miracle of the Fishes" (Brant, Nascimento) - 4:48
5. "Diana" - 3:04
6. "From the Lonely Afternoons" (Brant, Nascimento) - 3:15
7. "Ana Maria" - 5:10
8. "Lilia" (Nascimento) - 7:03
9. "Joanna's Theme" (Hancock) - 4:17

Personnel:
* David Amaro - Guitar
* Jay Graydon - Guitar
* Herbie Hancock - Piano, Keyboards
* Dave McDaniel - Bass
* Airto Moreira - percussion
* Milton Nascimento - Guitar, Vocals
* Wayne Shorter - Saxophone, Sax (Soprano), Sax (tenor)
* Roberto Silva - drums
* Wagner Tiso - Organ, Piano

sample & buy

rc

Primus - Miscellaneous Debris (EP) (1992) (eac-flac-cover)

Primus -  Miscellaneous Debris (EP) (1992

alternative | EP | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 125MB

Interscope | rar +5% recovery

AMG
What makes this 5-song EP of covers Primus's best release is the material. For once, Les Claypool's crew plays actual songs instead of sketching out a few ideas as an excuse for jamming. As a result, Miscellaneous Debris isn't as weird and alienating as previous albums, and often their reinterpretations -- from the clever ribbing of XTC's "Making Plans for Nigel" and Pink Floyd's "Have A Cigar" to the relatively respectful readings of The Meters, the Residents and Peter Gabriel's "Intruder" -- show flashes of brilliance, largely due to the loose yet focused musicianship.

Tracks:
1. "Intruder" (Peter Gabriel) 4:18
2. "Making Plans For Nigel" (Colin Moulding) 3:35
3. "Sinister Exaggerator" (The Residents) 3:37
4. "Tippi-Toes" (The Meters) 1:16
5. "Have a Cigar" (Roger Waters) 5:29

Personnel:
* Les Claypool - bass guitar, vocals
* Larry "Ler" LaLonde - guitars, synthesizer
* Tim "Herb" Alexander - drums, percussion

sample & buy

rc

Primus - Antipop (1999) (eac-flac-cover)

Primus - Antipop (1999)

alternative | 1cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 450MB

Interscope | rar +5% recovery

AMG
On the surface, all Primus albums seem to sound alike, especially to outsiders (read: anyone who either respects the group but doesn't get them, or the minority that actively hates them, particularly Les Claypool's demented comedy schtick). That's not really true, even if the same basic elements remain in place each time, no matter who is in the band. And Primus has never tried to shake things up as much as they do on their seventh album, AntiPop. Primus enlisted a dizzying array of collaborators - Stewart Copeland, Tom Waits, James Hetfield, Tom Morello, Jim Martin, Matt Stone, Martina, and Fred Durst among them - all in the purpose of challenging themselves to find different dimensions to its music. Some play or sing, some produce, but it's amazing how much each individual guest changes the tone of the music. It's not always for the best, but it keeps things fresh, if not necessarily coherent. Though there are a couple of good lyrics here, this is by and large an album about music; it would have been even better if it had been primarily an instrumental album, actually, since the vocals get in the way occasionally. By now, the popping bass, dissonance, and angular riffs don't seem like schtick, but the lyrics and singing do. Still, it's possible to get past those and hear AntiPop as one of Primus' most ambitious and best efforts. No, they're not always successful, but no two songs sound the same, and some collaborations are among the best things Primus has ever recorded. AntiPop is dense music that isn't afraid to be goofy or fall on its face - and even if it's not to your particular taste, it's hard not to respect this.

Tracks:
01 - Intro
02 - Electric Uncle Sam
03 - Natural Joe
04 - Lacquer Head
05 - The Antipop
06 - Eclectic Electric
07 - Greet The Sacred Cow
08 - Mama Didn't Raise No Fool
09 - Dirty Drowning Man
10 - The Ballad of Bodacious
11 - Power Mad
12 - The Final Voyage of the Liquid Sky
13 - Coattails of a Dead Man (+ hidden track: The Heckler)

Personnel:
Les Claypool - Bass, Vocals
Larry LaLonde - Guitar
Brian "Brain" Mantia - Drums

sample & buy

rc

Coleman Hawkins & Ben Webster - Coleman Hawkins Encounters Ben Webster (1957) (eac-flac-cover)

Coleman Hawkins & Ben Webster - Coleman Hawkins Encounters Ben Webster (1957)

jazz | 1cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 270MB

Verve Master Edition | 20bit remaster | rar +5% recovery

Amazon
Coleman Hawkins and Ben Webster first met at a Kansas City jam session at which Hawkins finally encountered his match in local tenors Webster, Herschel Evans, and Lester Young. The all-night meeting has become the stuff of legend (and a continuous thread in Robert Altman's film Kansas City, though there it's reduced to two tenors). Recorded by Norman Granz, this 1957 meeting supports the two with fine accompaniment that includes Oscar Peterson, Ray Brown, and Herb Ellis. The material includes the great "Blues for Yolanda," with a honking, squeaking solo that suggests Hawkins is the father of all R&B tenor saxophonists as well as those in jazz, while "Rosalita" has an engaging Latin beat. There's also plenty of room for the two to display their ballad art, but there's no real competition between the two big-toned, gruff tenorists, each a mature artist enjoying the highest challenge a peer might offer.

Tracks
1.# "Blues for Yolande" (Hawkins) – 6:44
2 # "It Never Entered My Mind" (Richard Rodgers, Lorenz Hart) – 5:47
3 # "La Rosita" (Paul Dupont, Allan Stuart) – 5:02
4 # "You'd Be So Nice to Come Home To" (Cole Porter) – 4:15
5 # "Prisoner of Love" (Russ Columbo, Clarence Gaskill, Leo Robin) – 4:13
6 # "Tangerine" (Johnny Mercer, Victor Schertzinger) – 5:21
7 # "Shine On, Harvest Moon" (Jack Norworth, Nora Bayes) – 4:4
8 # "Blues for Yolande" (alt) - 6:52
9 # "Blues for Yolande" (alt2) - 4:49

Personnel
* Coleman Hawkins – tenor saxophone
* Ben Webster
* Oscar Peterson – piano
* Herb Ellis – guitar
* Ray Brown – double bass
* Alvin Stoller – drums

sample & buy

rc

Thelonious Monk - 5 By Monk By 5 (1959) (eac-flac-cover)

Thelonious Monk  - 5 By Monk By 5 (1959)

jazz | 1cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 370MB

OJC | rar +5% recovery

AMG
As the '50s drew to a close, so did Thelonious Monk's illustrious tenure on Riverside Records. In fact, the three dates needed for this title would be his penultimate for the label. The concept of the album consists of five Monk originals performed in a quintet setting. Ironically, this was the first time that Monk had recorded with a lineup that so prominently featured the "standard" bop rhythm section incorporating both a trumpet (or, in this case, cornet) and sax player. The quintet featured on Five by Monk by Five includes Monk (piano), Thad Jones (cornet), Charlie Rouse (tenor sax), Sam Jones (bass), and Art Taylor (drums). Rouse would become Monk's permanent tenor saxophonist for the majority of the 1960s. In what had become somewhat of a tradition, the disc's program consists of several of Monk's more established works as well as a few new compositions. One of the new works, "Jackie-ing" (incidentally, named after one of Monk's nieces), leads off the disc. It exemplifies the loose, disjointed, and exceedingly difficult arrangements that would define Monk as a premier composer/arranger/bandleader. This is in contrast to Monk the keyboard player and band member, which he skilfully demonstrates throughout the track as well as the rest of the album. The song's opening jam features a tasty tug of war between Rouse's animated lead and Monk's interjections and piano antics. Jones' cornet is incorporated tastefully throughout Monk's tricky arrangements. The stark contrast in performance timbre between the comparatively subdued Rouse or Monk and the frenetic bleating of Jones is notably disconcerting. The CD reissue includes two alternate takes of "Played Twice," the other Monk composition to be debuted on Five by Monk by Five.

Tracks
01 - Jackie-Ing
02 - Straight, No Chaser
03 - Played Twice (Take 3)
04 - Played Twice (Take 1)
05 - Played Twice (Take 2)
06 - I Mean You
07 - Ask Me Now

Personnel
* Thelonious Monk - Piano
* Thad Jones - Cornet
* Sam Jones - bass
* Charlie Rouse - Tenor Saxophone
* Art Taylor - Drums

sample & buy

r c

Primus - Rhinoplasty (1998) (eac-flac-cover)

Primus - Rhinoplasty (1998)

alternative | 1cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 340MB

Interscope | rar +5% recovery

AMG
Rhinoplasty? Call it Miscellaneous Debris, Pt. 2. An EP of covers and live cuts designed to buy time between albums, Rhinoplasty is another small treasure for fans. When Primus covers songs, it rarely sticks to the original recorded versions, preferring to turn in new, sometimes startling arrangements that are often unpredictable. If the band hasn't chosen any surprising covers -- there are more Peter Gabriel and XTC tunes, as well as Police, Stanley Clarke, Metallica, and Jerry Reed songs, plus a new version of their own "Too Many Puppies" -- it makes up for it with great performances. Rhinoplasty is certainly an EP intended for the dedicated, but it does the most important thing any specialist release can do -- it doesn't disappoint.

Tracks
1. Scissor Man [XTC Cover] (5:11)
2. The Family and the Fishing Net [Peter Gabriel Cover] (6:26)
3. Silly Putty [Stanley Clarke Cover] (4:21)
4. Amos Moses [Jerry Reed Cover] (3:11)
5. Behind My Camel [The Police Cover] (2:52)
6. Too Many Puppies (3:00)
7. The Thing That Should Not Be [Metallica Cover] (6:47)
8. Tommy the Cat [live] (9:10)
9. Bob's Party Time Lounge [live] (7:40)

Personnel
Les Claypool (bass, vocals)
Larry "Ler" LaLonde (guitars)
Brian "Brain" Mantia (drums)

sample & buy

r c

Cecil Taylor - Conquistador! (1966) (RVG) (eac-flac-cover)

Cecil Taylor - Conquistador! (1966) (RVG)

jazz | 1cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 370MB

BN RVG | rar +5% recovery

AMG
For the second of Cecil Taylor's two Blue Note albums (following Unit Structures), the innovative pianist utilized a sextet comprised of trumpeter Bill Dixon, altoist Jimmy Lyons, both Henry Grimes and Alan Silva on basses and drummer Andrew Cyrille. During the two lengthy pieces, Lyons' passionate solos contrast with Dixon's quieter ruminations while the music in general is unremittingly intense. Both of the Taylor Blue Notes are quite historic and near-classics but, despite this important documentation, Cecil Taylor (other than a pair of Paris concerts) would not appear on records again until 1973.

Tracks
1. Conquistador
2. With (Exit)
3. With (Exit)(Alt. take)

Personnel
Bill Dixon, trumpet
Jimmy Lyons, alto sax
Cecil Taylor, piano
Henry Grimes, bass
Alan Silva, bass
Andrew Cyrille, drums

sample & buy

r c

Primus - Brown Album (1997) (eac-flac-cover)

Primus - Brown Album (1997)

alternative | 1cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 430MB

Interscope | rar +5% recovery

AMG
The replacement of drummer Tim "Herb" Alexander with Brian "Brain" Mantia doesn't affect Primus' sound in any notable way on The Brown Album. That isn't surprising -- Les Claypool's side project Sausage sounds identical to Primus. What's notable about The Brown Album is how Claypool moves Primus even further into progressive and jazz-rock territory, concentrating entirely on the instrumental interplay of the group and caring very little for writing full-fledged songs. "Shake Hands With Beef," the first single from the album, has a reasonably amusing adolescent lyric, but the real attraction of the song is how its thunderous bass riff weaves in and out with the syncopated drums and avant guitar. In that sense, it does let the listener know what the album is about, and very few Primus fans should be disappointed by what The Brown Album delivers. It's standard Primus -- all instrumental interplay and adolescent humor -- but it's delivered with more finesse and skill than ever.

Tracks
1. The Return Of Sathington Willoughby 05:04
2. Fisticuffs 04:25
3. Golden Boy 03:05
4. Over The Falls 02:42
5. Shake Hands With Beef 04:02
6. Camelback Cinema 04:00
7. Hats Off 01:57
8. Puddin' Taine 03:37
9. Bob's Party Time Lounge 04:43
10. Duchess And The Proverbial Mind Spread 03:30
11. Restin' Bones 04:29
12. Coddingtown 02:52
13. Kalamazoo 03:31
14. The Chastising Of Renegade 05:04
15. Arnie 03:54

sample & buy

r c

John Coltrane & Johnny Hartman - J Coltrane & J Hartman (1963) (MFSL) (eac-flac-cover)

John Coltrane & Johnny Hartman - J Coltrane & J Hartman (1963) (MFSL)

jazz | 1cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 195MB

MFSL UDCD |rar  +5% recovery

AMG
John Coltrane's matchup with singer Johnny Hartman, although quite unexpected, works extremely well. Hartman, who had not recorded since 1956, was in prime form on the six ballads, and his versions of "Lush Life" and "My One and Only Love" have never been topped. Coltrane's playing throughout the session is beautiful, sympathetic, and still exploratory; he sticks exclusively to tenor on the date. At only half an hour, one wishes there were twice as much music, but what is here is classic, essential for all jazz collections.

Tracks
1. They Say It's Wonderful
2. Dedicated to You
3. My One and Only Love
4. Lush Life
5. You Are Too Beautiful
6. Autumn Serenade

Personnel
* John Coltrane – tenor sax
* Jimmy Garrison – double bass
* Johnny Hartman - vocals
* Elvin Jones – drums
* McCoy Tyner – piano

sample & buy

r c

Astor Piazzolla - Luna (live) (1989) (eac-flac-cover)

Astor Piazzolla - Luna (live) (1989)
classical, latin | 1cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | cover | 307MB
EMI | rar +5% recovery

AMG
The last concert recorded by Astor Piazzolla with his New Tango Sextet was going to be released no matter how good it was; such is the nature of the market. Happily, this album has excellent performances and very good recording quality, and would have been a good candidate for a CD if Piazzolla had lived another 70 years. The old master is in fine form on this one, dueling with Gerardo Gandini's piano on "Camorra 3" with almost violent virtuosity. The reflective and turbulent sides of tango music are both explored on this disc, which has pieces from a 30-year period. Though Piazzolla did perform one concert after this one which was released as Bandoneon Sinfonico, the full orchestra at that event puts his music in a different and more formal setting. Those who prefer his music with a small ensemble will find Luna the one to seek out.

Tracks
Hora Cero
Tanguedia
Milonga del Angel
Camorra 3
Preludio y Fuga
Sex-Tet
Luna

Personnel
Astor Piazzolla: bandoneon
Daniel Binelli: bandoneon
Horacio Malvicino: guitar
Gerardo Gandini: piano
Jose Bragato: violoncello
Hector Console: double bass

Live in Amsterdam, June 26, 1989

sample & buy

r c

Primus - Tales From The Punchbowl (1995) (eac-flac-cover)

Primus - Tales From The Punchbowl (1995)

alternative | 1cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 360MB

Interscope | rar +5% recovery

AMG
By now, Primus' modus operandi is clear and well-established: twisted bass/drum grooves reminiscent of King Crimson gone horribly, horribly wrong, insane ringmaster vocals with cartoonish lyrics, and cutting, off-the-wall guitar. There is much unabashed prog rock in Primus' sound, which even the thick dollops of irony that the band seeks to impart to its compositions are unable to mask completely. Primus' musicianship continues to improve, with the intonation of Les Claypool's trademark fretless bass (a sore spot in the past) more spot-on than ever, and guitarist Larry LaLonde's Fripp-isms are truly convincing for the first time. The funk influences that have always been hinted at on previous Primus records seem more convincing here, as Claypool and drummer Tim "Herb" Alexander lay down some extremely grooving figures, as on the Red Hot Chili Peppers-esque "chorus" to "Mrs. Blaileen." Of course, the high-energy angular rhythms that Primus is known and loved for are as present as ever; they are just pulled off with greater zest and looser precision (if there is such a thing) than they have in the past. LaLonde in particular seems to have improved a great deal between Pork Soda and Tales From the Punchbowl. His dissonances seem a bit more calculated and less gratuitous and lazy than they often came off before. With high energy and full of surprises, Tales From the Punchbowl is one of Primus' finer discs.

Tracks
1. Professor Nutbutter's House of Treats 07:13
2. Mrs. Blaileen 03:20
3. Wynona's Big Brown Beaver 04:24
4. Southbound Pachyderm 06:22
5. Space Farm 01:45
6. Year of the Parrot 05:45
7. Hellbound 17 1/2 (theme from) 02:59
8. Glass Sandwich 04:05
9. Del Davis Tree Farm 03:23
10. De Anza Jig 02:26
11. On the Tweek Again 04:41
12. Over the Electric Grapevine 06:25
13. Captain Shiner 01:15

Personnel
Les Claypool (bass, bass banjo, vocals)
Larry LaLonde (guitars, 6 string banjo)
Tim Alexander (drums)

sample & buy

r c

Wayne Shorter - The Soothsayer (1965) (RVG) (eac-flac-cover)

Wayne Shorter - The Soothsayer (1965) (RVG)

jazz | 1cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 350MB

BN RVG | RAR +5% recovery

AMG
Part of an explosion of solo albums Wayne Shorter recorded just after he joined Miles Davis' band, The Soothsayer wasn't released until the late '70s. Listening to the album, it is hard to believe because it ranks with the best of his works from this incredibly fertile period. Shorter has been called Davis' "idea man," and the creativity and thoughtfulness that earned him that moniker are quite evident here. The album's five originals and one arrangement (of Sibelius' Valse Triste) show a multi-layered complexity that seems effortless even as it weaves together contributions from a very strong, stylistic sextet. Of particular interest is the interplay of the three horn players, including altoist James Spaulding and trumpeter Freddie Hubbard. As a performer, Shorter also shows a lot of strength, with fluid, at times subtly evocative, solos that bloom with energy without ever seeming frantic or harsh. The title track shows Shorter at his most forceful and is one of the most passionate moments on the album, but even here, beauty seems to come first, while his low-key standard "Lady Day" embodies grace and calmness in every moment. [The CD version of this album also contains an alternate take of "Angola" that features some crisp playing by McCoy Tyner, as well as an energetic solo by Shorter. On this CD the alternate take is sequenced immediately following the take of "Angola" included in the original LP.]

Tracks
1. "Lost" - 7:20
2. "Angola" - 4:56
3. "The Big Push" - 8:23
4. "The Soothsayer" - 9:40
5. "Lady Day" - 5:36
6. "Valse Triste" (Sibelius) - 7:45
7. "Angola" [alternate take] - 6:41
All compositions by Wayne Shorter except as indicated.

Personnel
* Freddie Hubbard — trumpet
* Wayne Shorter — tenor saxophone
* James Spaulding — alto saxophone
* McCoy Tyner — piano
* Ron Carter — bass
* Tony Williams — drums

sample & buy

r c

Roy Harper - Folkjokeopus (1969) (eac-flac-cover)

Roy Harper - Folkjokeopus (1969)

Rock | 1cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 310MB

Science Friction  | rar +5% recovery

AMG
This Shel Talmy-produced album is as sprawling and unwieldy as its title. Always a determined eclectic, Harper tries to cover a lot of ground here, and while his effort is impressive, the result is unnervingly inconsistent. The influences of Bob Dylan, Bert Jansch, Donovan, and maybe even early Al Stewart hover over most of this folk-rock. Harper tries to cram too many musical and (especially) lyrical ideas together here, and several of his heart-on-the-sleeve narrative folktales ramble on for too long, with an obscurity that verges on maddening. Some pretty, melodic passages here and there, with adequate folk singing that cracks when he even approaches the upper register. The acoustic guitar work is uniformly excellent, making this confused late-'60s timepiece sound rather more impressive than it should.

Tracks
1. "Sgt. Sunshine" – 3:04
2. "She's The One" – 6:55
3. "In The Time Of Water" – 2:16
4. "Composer Of Life" – 2:26
5. "One For All" – 8:11
6. "Exercising Some Control" – 2:50
7. "McGoohan's Blues" – 17:55
8. "Manana" – 4:20

sample & buy

rc

Ella Fitzgerald & Cole Porter - Dream Dancing (1978) (eac-flac-cover)

Ella Fitzgerald & Cole Porter - Dream Dancing (1978)

jazz | 1cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 320MB

OJC | rar +5% recovery

AMG
Originally released on Atlantic as Ella Loves Cole and then reissued on Pablo with two extra cuts from 1978, this set features the great Ella Fitzgerald (still in excellent form) backed by an orchestra arranged by Nelson Riddle performing an extensive set of Cole Porter songs. Fifteen years earlier Fitzgerald had had great success with her Cole Porter Songbook and this date, even with a few hokey arrangements, almost reaches the same level. Trumpeter Harry "Sweets" Edison and pianist Tommy Flanagan are among the supporting cast. Highlights include "I Get a Kick out of You," "I've Got You Under My Skin," "All of You," "My Heart Belongs to Daddy" and "Just One of Those Things."

Tracks
1. "Dream Dancing" – 4:02
2. "I've Got You Under My Skin" – 3:17
3. "I Concentrate on You" – 4:06
4. "My Heart Belongs to Daddy" – 2:33
5. "Love for Sale" – 4:36
6. "So Near and Yet So Far" – 2:21
7. "Down in the Depths (on the Ninetieth Floor)" – 3:40
8. "After You, Who?" – 3:14
9. "Just One of Those Things" – 3:53
10. "I Get a Kick Out of You" – 4:21
11. "All of You" – 2:18
12. "Anything Goes" – 2:51
13. "At Long Last Love" – 2:27
14. "C'est Magnifique" – 2:32
15. "Without Love" (lyrics by Ella Fitzgerald) – 2:46
All songs written by Cole Porter, except where indicated.

Personnel
* Ella Fitzgerald - Vocals
* Jackie Davis - Organ
* Louie Bellson - Drums

sample & buy

r c

Leonard Cohen - Songs of Leonard Cohen (1967) (SONY 2007) (eac-flac-cover)

Leonard Cohen  - Songs of Leonard Cohen (1967) (SONY 2007)

rock | 1cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 285MB

SONY | rar +5% recovery

AMG
At a time when a growing number of pop songwriters were embracing a more explicitly poetic approach in their lyrics, the 1967 debut album from Leonard Cohen introduced a songwriter who, rather than being inspired by "serious" literature, took up music after establishing himself as a published author and poet. The ten songs on Songs of Leonard Cohen were certainly beautifully constructed, artful in a way few (if any) other lyricists would approach for some time, but what's most striking about these songs isn't Cohen's technique, superb as it is, so much as his portraits of a world dominated by love and lust, rage and need, compassion and betrayal. While the relationship between men and women was often the framework for Cohen's songs (he didn't earn the nickname "the master of erotic despair" for nothing), he didn't write about love; rather, Cohen used the never-ending thrust and parry between the sexes as a jumping off point for his obsessive investigation of humanity's occasional kindness and frequent atrocities (both emotional and physical). Cohen's world view would be heady stuff at nearly any time and place, but coming in a year when pop music was only just beginning to be taken seriously, Songs of Leonard Cohen was a truly audacious achievement, as bold a challenge to pop music conventions as the other great debut of the year, The Velvet Underground & Nico, and a nearly perfectly realized product of his creative imagination. Producer John Simon added a touch of polish to Cohen's songs with his arrangements (originally Cohen wanted no accompaniment other than his guitar), though the results don't detract from his dry but emotive vocals; instead, they complement his lyrics with a thoughtful beauty and give the songs even greater strength. And a number of Cohen's finest songs appeared here, including the luminous "Suzanne," the subtly venomous "Master Song" and "Sisters of Mercy," which would later be used to memorable effect in Robert Altman's film McCabe and Mrs. Miller. Many artists work their whole career to create a work as singular and accomplished as Songs of Leonard Cohen, and Cohen worked this alchemy the first time he entered a recording studio; few musicians have ever created a more remarkable or enduring debut.

Tracks
01. "Suzanne" – 3:48
02. "Master Song" – 5:55
03. "Winter Lady" – 2:15
04. "The Stranger Song" – 5:00
05. "Sisters of Mercy" – 3:32
06. "So Long, Marianne" – 5:38
07. "Hey, That's No Way to Say Goodbye" – 2:55
08. "Stories of the Street" – 4:35
09. "Teachers" – 3:01
10. "One of Us Cannot Be Wrong" – 4:23
11. "Store Room" – 5:06
12. "Blessed Is the Memory" – 3:03

sample & buy

r c