Gabor Szabo - High Contrast (1971)

Gabor Szabo - High Contrast (1971)

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

Verve

Allmusic:
An unusually successful pairing of Gabor Szabo with R&B legend Bobby Womack. Szabo digs deep into a soulful groove, inspired by Womack's silky-smooth originals. High Contrast features "Breezin," the Womack tune written especially for Szabo, which George Benson parlayed into a huge hit in 1976, and several tunes Womack popularized in the film Across 110th Street.

Tracks
-1. Breezin' - (Bobby Womack) 3:03
-2. Amazon - (Gábor Szabó) 4:55
-3. Fingers - (Gábor Szabó, Meltz) 7:25
-4. Azure Blue - (Gábor Szabó) 4:12
-5. Just A Little Communication - (Bobby Womack)7:45
-6. If You Don't Want My Love - (Gábor Szabó, Bobby Womack) 5:08
-7. I Remember When - (Bobby Womack) 7:35

Personnel
* Gábor Szabó - Guitar
* Bobby Womack - Rhythm Guitar
* Phil Upchurch, Wolfgang Meltz - Bass
* Mark Levine - Piano
* Felix Falcon - Congas
* Carmelo Garcia - Percussion
* Jim Keltner - Drums
* The Shadow - Tambourine, Percussion

Sample & buy: High Contrast

New Klezmer Trio - Melt Zonk Rewire (1993)

New Klezmer Trio - Melt Zonk Rewire (1993)
jazz, klezmer | 1cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 305MB

Tzadik

Allmusic:
The New Klezmer Trio are a group of three high-caliber musicians making klezmer-rooted jazz with some definite rock included. Electric bassist Dan Seamans occasionally uses effects pedals more often found in thrash rock than jazz; versatile percussionist Kenny Wolleson effortlessly moves between jazz techniques and rock; and clarinetist Ben Goldberg, well-versed in the klezmer music tradition, sometimes plays his "Fender reverb clarinet." With a perfect mixture of a sincere love of music, wit, and serious chops, they create a new klezmer that draws from jazz, rock, and improvised traditions. Melt Zonk Rewire is full of creativity, with high energy and grooves tastefully offset by subdued, whispery pieces such as "The Chant" or Wolleson's marimba solo on "The Haunt." Songs like "Feedback Doina" demand that listeners be rock fans too. This great recording for Tzadik's Radical Jewish Culture series is essential for anyone whose music collection holds many disparate musical styles.

Tracks
-01. "Gas Nine" - (trad., arr. Wolleson) - 2:24
-02. "Sarcophagous" - (Goldberg) - 5:02
-03. "The Haunt" - (Seamans) - 4:33
-04. "Thermoglyphics" - (Goldberg) - 3:33
-05. "The Chant" - (Goldberg) - 3:23
-06. "We Got" - There" - (Seamans) - 5:27
-07. "Feedback Doina" - (Wollesen) - 5:08
-08. "Freilakh Nakht" - (trad., arr. Wolleson) - 3:04
-09. "Hypothetical" - (Goldberg) - 3:22
-10. "The Shot" - (Goldberg) - 3:59
-11. "Distiller" - (trad., arr. Seamans) - 3:59
-12. "Phrases" - (Goldberg) - 3:29
-13. "Fourth" - Floor" - (Seamans) - 2:59
-14. "Starting Place" - (Goldberg) - 4:11

Personnel
* Bass – Dan Seamans
* Clarinet, Clarinet [Bass] – Ben Goldberg
* Drums – Kenny Wollesen

sample & buy: Melt Zonk Rewire

Red Garland - Red Garland's Piano (1957) (RVG)

Red Garland - Red Garland's Piano (1957)
jazz | 1cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 270MB

Prestige | RVG 24-bit remaster 2005

Allmusic:
Red Garland's third session as a leader finds the distinctive pianist investigating eight standards (including "Please Send Me Someone to Love," "Stompin' at the Savoy," "If I Were a Bell," and "Almost Like Being in Love") with his distinctive chord voicings, melodic but creative ideas, and solid sense of swing. Joined by bassist Paul Chambers and drummer Art Taylor, Garland plays up to his usual consistent level, making this an easily recommended disc for straight-ahead fans.

Tracks
-1. "Please Send Me Someone to Love" - Mayfield - 9:51
-2. "Stompin' at the Savoy" - Goodman, Razaf, Sampson, Webb - 3:12
-3. "The Very Thought of You" - Noble - 4:12
-4. "Almost Like Being in Love" - Lerner, Loewe - 4:52
-5. "If I Were a Bell" - Loesser - 6:41
-6. "I Know Why (And So Do You)" - Gordon, Warren - 4:50
-7. "I Can't Give You Anything But Love" - Fields, McHugh - 5:05
-8. "But Not for Me" - Gershwin, Gershwin - 5:52

Personnel
* Red Garland (piano)
* Paul Chambers (bass)
* Art Taylor (drums)

sample & buy: Red Garland's Piano

Captain Beefheart - London 1974

Captain Beefheart - London 1974
rock, blues, avantgarde | 1cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 220MB

MPG 74025

Allmusic:
This live recording of Captain Beefheart & the Magic Band was taken from a London date during one of the more fierce peaks of the band's existence, the same period that produced the overlooked classic masterpiece Clear Spot. Though the session was intended to produce a live album for Virgin, the release never materialized, though the versions of "Mirror Man" and "Upon the Me Oh My" came out of the 1975 Virgin sampler V. Thanks to the obscure Portuguese imprint Movie Play Gold, highlights from the concert made it onto CD at a concise 40 minutes. The disc features nine tracks of full-tilt Magic Band mayhem on "Full Moon Hot Sun," "Sugar Bowl," "Crazy Little Thing," "This Is the Day," "New Electric Ride," as well as older '60s classics like "Abba Zabba" and "Peaches." The CD has exceptional sound quality, while some other live Captain Beefheart from the same period fares a little rough in recording quality. This comes highly recommended as an opportunity to hear the Magic Band at an all-time high.

Tracks
-1. "Mirror Man" - Van Vliet - 4:48
-2. "Upon the Me Oh My" - Di Martino, Van Vliet, Van Vliet - 4:07
-3. "Full Moon Hot Sun" - Di Martino, Van Vliet, Van Vliet - 3:29
-4. "Sugar Bowl" - Di Martino, Van Vliet, Van Vliet - 2:55
-5. "Crazy Little Thing" - Van Vliet - 3:45
-6. "This is the Day" - Di Martino, Van Vliet, Van Vliet - 7:48
-7. "New Electric Ride" - Di Martino, Van Vliet, Van Vliet - 3:20
-8. "Abba Zabba" - Van Vliet - 3:16
-9. "Peaches" - Di Martino, Van Vliet, Van Vliet - 6:03

Personnel
* Captain Beefheart (Don Van Vliet) / harmonica, vocals
* Del Simmons / Tenor saxophone, flute
* Dean Smith / guitar
* Fuzzy Fuscaldo / guitar
* Michael Smotherman / keyboards
* Paul Uhrig / bass
* Ty Grimes / drums

sample & buy: London 1974

Curtis Fuller - The Opener (1957) (RVG)

Curtis Fuller - The Opener (1957)
jazz | 1cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 170MB

Blue Note/EMI | RVG 24-bit remaster 2008

Allmusic:
The Opener is trombonist Curtis Fuller's first album for Blue Note and it is a thoroughly impressive affair. Working with a quintet featuring tenor saxophonist Hank Mobley, pianist Bobby Timmons, bassist Paul Chambers and drummer Art Taylor, Fuller runs through a set of three standards -- "A Lovely Way to Spend an Evening," "Here's to My Lady," "Soon" -- two originals and an Oscar Pettiford-penned calypso. The six songs give Fuller a chance to display his warm, fluid style in all of its variations. "A Lovely Way to Spend an Evening" illustrates that he can be seductive and lyrical on ballads, while the brassy "Hugore" and hard-swinging "Lizzy's Bounce" shows that he can play hard without getting sloppy. His backing musicians are equally impressive; in particular, Mobley's robust playing steals the show. In all, The Opener, along with his three earlier sessions for Prestige and New Jazz, establishes Fuller as one of the most distinctive and original hard bop trombonists of the late '50s.

Tracks
-1. "A Lovely Way to Spend an Evening" (Harold Adamson, Jimmy McHugh) - 6:52
-2. "Hugore" (Fuller) - 6:43
-3. "Oscalypso" (Oscar Pettiford) - 5:40
-4. "Here's to My Lady" (Rube Bloom, Johnny Mercer) - 6:43
-5. "Lizzy's Bounce" (Fuller)- 5:25
-6. "Soon" (George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin) - 5:33
Recorded at Rudy Van Gelder Studio, Hackensack, New Jersey on June 16, 1957.

Personnel
* Curtis Fuller - trombone
* Hank Mobley - tenor saxophone (tracks 2, 3, 5 & 6)
* Bobby Timmons - piano
* Paul Chambers - bass
* Art Taylor - drums

sample & buy: The Opener

Max Roach, Hank Mobley - Max Roach Quartet feat. Hank Mobley (1953)

Max Roach, Hank Mobley - Max Roach Quartet feat. Hank Mobley (1953)
jazz | 1cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 170MB

OJC

Allmusic:
Drummer Max Roach's first studio session as a leader falls stylewise between bop and hard bop. The earlier set, which has four group originals played by a septet that also includes trumpeter Idrees Sulieman, trombonist Leon Comegys, altoist Gigi Gryce, Hank Mobley on tenor, pianist Walter Davis, Jr. and bassist Franklin Skeete, was the recording debut for both Mobley and Davis. The other session (two standards, two originals by Roach including his solo "Drum Conversation," Mobley's "Kismet" and Charlie Parker's "Chi Chi") features the same rhythm section, with Mobley as the only horn. The music is enjoyable although not as essential as the great drummer's later dates. This CD reissue adds "Drum Conversation Part 2" to the original LP program.

Tracks
-01. "Cou-Manchi-Cou" - Roach - 3:01
-02. "Just One of Those Things" - Porter - 3:08
-03. "The Glow Worm" - Lincke, Mercer, Robinson - 2:27
-04. "Mobleyzation" - Mobley - 2:42
-05. "Chi-Chi" - Parker - 2:58
-06. "Kismet" - Mobley - 2:39
-07. "I'm a Fool to Want You" - Herron, Sinatra, Wolf - 3:13
-08. "Sfax" - Roach - 2:17
-09. "Orientation" - Mobley - 2:50
-10. "Drum Conversation" - Roach - 2:42
-11. "Drum Conversation, Pt. 2" - Roach - 4:38

Personnel
* Alto Saxophone – Gigi Gryce (tracks: 3, 4, 8, 9)
* Bass – Franklin Skeete*
* Drums – Max Roach
* Piano – Walter Davis II*
* Tenor Saxophone – Hank Mobley
* Trombone – Leon Comegys (tracks: 3, 4, 8, 9)
* Trumpet – Idrees Sulieman (tracks: 3, 4, 8, 9)

sample & buy: Max Roach feat H Mobley

John Coltrane - Coltrane (1957)

John Coltrane - Coltrane (1957)
jazz | 1cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 250MB

OJC

Allmusic:
On his first session as a bandleader, tenor saxophonist John Coltrane is joined by Johnny Splawn on trumpet, Sahib Shihab on baritone sax, and a rhythm section of bassist Paul Chambers and drummer Albert "Tootie" Heath with piano duties split between Mal Waldron and Red Garland. Right out of the gate, the propulsive syncopated beat that drives through the heart of Coltrane's fellow Philly denizen Calvin Massey's "Bakai" indicates that Coltrane and company are playing for keeps. Shihab's emphatic and repetitive drone provides a manic urgency that fuels the participants as they weave in and out of the trance-like chorus. Coltrane grabs hold with bright and aggressive lines, turning the minor-chord progressions around into a spirited and soulful outing. While the refined and elegant "Violets for Your Furs" as well as the slinky and surreptitious "While My Lady Sleeps" are undeniably ballads, they aren't redundant. Rather, each complements the other with somewhat alternate approaches. "Violets for Your Furs" develops the role of the more traditional pop standard, whereas the somnolence is disrupted by the tension and release coursing just below the surface of "While My Lady Sleeps." The Coltrane-supplied "Straight Street" is replete with the angular progressions that would become his stock-in-trade. In fact, the short clusters of notes that Coltrane unleashes are unmistakable beacons pointing toward his singular harmonics and impeccably timed phrasing on 1960's Giant Steps and beyond. The closer, "Chronic Blues," demonstrates Coltrane's increasing capacity for writing and arranging for an ensemble. The thick unified sound of Coltrane, Splawn, and Shihab presents a formidable presence as they blow the minor-chord blues chorus together before dissolving into respective solos. The trio's divergent styles prominently rise, pitting Shihab's down-and-dirty growl against Coltrane's comparatively sweet tones and Splawn's vacillating cool and fiery fingering. Regardless of the listener's expertise, Coltrane is as enjoyable as it is thoroughly accessible.

Tracks
-1. "Bakai" - Calvin Massey - 8:41
-2. "Violets for Your Furs" - Tom Adair, Matt Dennis - 6:15
-3. "Time Was" - Gabriel Luna de la Fuente, Paz Miguel Prado, Keith Russell - 7:27
-4. "Straight Street" - John Coltrane - 6:17
-5. "While My Lady Sleeps" - Gus Kahn, Bronislau Kaper - 4:41
-6. "Chronic Blues" - John Coltrane - 8:12

Personnel
* John Coltrane — tenor saxophone
* Johnny Splawn — trumpet on "Bakai," "Straight Street," "While My Lady Sleeps," "Chronic Blues"
* Sahib Shihab — baritone saxophone on "Bakai," "Straight Street," "Chronic Blues"
* Mal Waldron — piano on side one
* Red Garland — piano on side two
* Paul Chambers — bass
* Albert "Tootie" Heath — drums

sample & buy: Coltrane

Cramps - Flamejob (1994)

Cramps - Flamejob (1994)
psychobilly, rock | 1cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 320MB

Creation

Allmusic:
Something of a return to form, Flamejob features the band's most committed, energetic performances in quite some time, with wild, crazed vocals from Lux Interior and sizzling guitar work from Poison Ivy enlivening some of the band's most entertainingly stupid and crude offerings, including "Let's Get Fucked Up" and "Inside Out and Upside Down (With You)." The failed stylistic experiments of some then-recent work are gone, replaced by simple, straight-ahead vintage Cramps psychobilly. Also featured is a cover of "Route 66."

Tracks
-01. "Mean Machine" - 3:57
-02. "Ultra Twist!" - 3:48
-03. "Let's Get Fucked Up" - 3:55
-04. "Nest of the Cuckoo Bird" - 3:26
-05. "I'm Customized" - 3:04
-06. "Sado County Auto Show" - 2:59
-07. "Naked Girl Falling Down the Stairs" - 2:44
-08. "How Come You Do Me?" - 2:17
-09. "Inside Out and Upside Down (With You)" - 2:27
-10. "Trapped Love" - 2:00
-11. "Swing the Big Eyed Rabbit" - 3:39
-12. "Strange Love" - 2:49
-13. "Blues, Blues, Blues" - 2:23
-14. "Sinners" - 2:06
-15. "Route 66 (Get Your Kicks On)" - 3:17

Personnel
* Lux Interior - vocals
* Poison Ivy Rorschach - guitars, theremin
* Slim Chance - bass guitar
* Harry Drumdini - drums

sample & buy: Flamejob

New Klezmer Trio - Masks and Faces (1990)

New Klezmer Trio - Masks and Faces (1990)
jazz, klezmer | 1cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 310MB

Tzadik

Allmusic:
This first release from the New Klezmer Trio is rocking, energetic, and young. Not quite as developed as the later Melt Zonk Rewire, it is nevertheless an invigorating and fun listen. After all, clarinetist Ben Goldberg, bassist Dan Seamans, and drummer Kenny Wolleson are terrific musicians, and Masks and Faces is a restructuring and resurrection of traditional Jewish music melted into rock, with a good amount of improvisation. But don't let the improv element deter you -- this raucous, bursting, and somewhat disjointed music sustains a groove that's not so hard to hang on to. Almost an hour in length, New Klezmer Trio's first release ebbs and flows, relentlessly packed with high quality tunes.

Tracks
-01. "Cardboard Factory" - Goldberg - 5:06
-02. "Hot and Cold" - Traditional - 3:44
-03. "Rebbe's Meal" - Traditional - 7:36
-04. "Up" - Black Oak Arkansas, Seamas - 4:19
-05. "Washing Machine Song" - Traditional - 2:59
-06. "Galicain" - Beckerman - 5:18
-07. "Masks and Faces" - Goldberg - 6:33
-08. "Haphazard" - Kramtweiss - 4:03
-09. "Bitonal Song" - Kramtweiss - 3:06
-10. "The Gate" - Goldberg - 10:33

Personnel
* Bass – Dan Seamans
* Clarinet, Clarinet [Bass] – Ben Goldberg
* Drums – Kenny Wollesen

sample & buy: New Klezmer Trio: Masks & Faces

Anthony Braxton - Eugene (1989)

Anthony Braxton - Eugene (1989)
jazz | 1cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 410MB

Black Saint

Allmusic:
The innovative alto-saxophonist and composer Anthony Braxton leads the Northwest Creative Orchestra (a 16-piece big band) through eight of his compositions on this CD. Few of the sidemen have yet gained more than a local reputation (trumpeter Rob Blakeslee is the biggest "name"), but they perform the complex music quite well, although it would have been nice if the liner notes had identified the soloists and listed what reeds the saxophonists play. A stimulating set of avant-garde music.

Tracks
-1. "Composition No. 112" - 10:03
-2. "Composition No. 91" - 9:53
-3. "Composition No. 134" - 10:49
-4. "Composition No. 100" - 8:48
-5. "Composition No. 93" - 8:26
-6. "Composition No. 45" - 12:55
-7. "Composition No. 71" - 10:32
-8. "Composition No. 59" - 8:01
All compositions by Anthony Braxton
Recorded at Beall Hall at the University of Oregon in Eugene, Oregon on January 31, l989

Personnel
* Anthony Braxton - alto saxophone, conductor
The Northwest Creative Orchestra:
* Rob Blakeslee, John Jensen, Ernie Carbajal - trumpet
* Ed Kammerer, Tom Hill, Mike Heffley - trombone
* Thom Bergeron, Jeff Homan, Carl Woideck, Mike Curtis - reeds
* Mike Vannice - reeds, piano
* Todd Barton -synthesizer
* Joe Robinson - guitar
* Forrest Moyer - bass
* Tom Kelly -percussion
* Charles Down - percussion, vibrophone

sample & buy: A Braxton - Eugene

RCA Living Stereo: Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninoff - Piano Concertos (1958)

RCA Living Stereo: Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninoff - Piano Concertos (1958)
Van Cliburn & Chicago S O
classical | 1cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 355MB

RCA | SACD | rel.: 2004

Classicstoday:
Recorded hot on the heels of his landmark Gold Medal victory in the first Moscow Tchaikovsky Competition, the 23-year-old Van Cliburn's million-selling 1958 Tchaikovsky First remains one of this war-horse's most poetic, intelligently paced versions on disc. If an operatic aesthetic governs Cliburn's golden tone and big technique, the heart of the ballet lies within Kondrashin's enlivening support, especially in the Finale's syncopations. Surround-sound technology allows us to appreciate the spatial perspective of the original three-track stereo master. The results prove less dry and more three-dimensional than the standard two-track mixdowns passed down to consumers over the years.
Similar sonic improvement marks Cliburn's 1962 Rachmaninov Second under Fritz Reiner. However, that doesn't change my long-held mixed response to the performance. Cliburn's easygoing line and tendency toward expansive phrasing come alive in the outer movement's slower episodes and throughout the central movement. Yet friskier, scintillating passages lack fire and vitality, especially when compared to, say, Rubinstein's dashing interpretation with the same conductor and orchestra six years earlier. I'll bet that if you played Cliburn and Rubinstein back to back, you'd swear that Cliburn was the older pianist. But Reiner's dovetailed accompaniments carry Cliburn like a baby, and the Chicago Symphony's principal winds particularly stand out. In sum--a qualified recommendation for the Rachmaninov, while the Tchaikovsky's legendary patina has yet to fade.

Tracks
-1. "Piano Concerto No. 1 in B flat minor, Op. 23" - 34:41
(Tchaikovsky)
* RCA Symphony Orchestra
* Van Cliburn piano
* Kiril Kondrashin - conductor

-2. "Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor, Op. 18" - 34:08
(Rachmaninov)
* Chicago Symphony Orchestra
* Van Cliburn - piano
* Fritz Reiner - conductor

sample & buy: Piano Concertos

Gabor Szabo - Femme Fatale (1978)

Gabor Szabo - Femme Fatale (1978)

jazz | 1cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 215MB

Hungaroton/Mambo 1999

Allmusic:
Released in 1981 on a small Hungarian label, this 1978 session recorded in Hollywood is the guitarist's final record. "Out of the Night" interestingly pairs him with pianist Chick Corea. But the remainder of the record is a standard late-'70s fusion date without Corea, highlighted by the Return to Forever intrigue of "A Thousand Times."

Tracks
-1. "Femme Fatale" - Szabo - 8:13
-2. "Zingaro" - Jobim - 7:08
-3. "Serena" - Harrah - 3:37
-4. "A Thousand Times" - Szabo - 9:17
-5. "Out of the Night" - Corea - 8:07

Personnel
* Gabor Szabo (guitar)
* Chick Corea (keyboards)
* Jim Keltner (drums)
* Paulinho Da Costa (percussion)
* Jerry Hey (trumpet, trombone)
* Kim Hutchcroft (sax)
* Bud Nuanez (guitar)
* Ken Wild (bass)

sample & buy: Femme Fatale

Miles Davis - Live In Copenhagen & Rome (1969) (music video)

Miles Davis - Live In Copenhagen & Rome (1969)

jazz | DVD5 NTSC | DD 2.0 | iso, cover | 4200MB

JazzShots 2008

ejazzlines:
For the first time on DVD are two concerts from one of Miles' great later quintets, with Wayne Shorter, Chick Corea, Dave Holland, and Jack DeJohnette.
Filmed live at Tivoli Koncertsal in Copenhagen on November 4, 1969, and from teatro Sistine in Rome on October 27, 1969.
Note: The Copenhagen part of this show is of questionable quality, but remains a valuable document of a classic Miles group. The Rome footage is closer to the quality expected today.

Tracks
-01. Bitches Brew (Copenhagen)
-02. Agitation (Copenhagen)
-03. I Fall In Love Too Easily (Copenhagen)
-04. Sanctuary (Copenhagen)
-05. It's About That Time into The Theme (Copenhagen)
--
-06. Bitches Brew (Rome)
-07. Miles Runs The Voodoo Down (Rome)
-08. I Fall In Love Too Easily (Rome)
-09. Sanctuary into The Theme (Rome)
-10. Directions (Rome)
-11. Masquelero (Rome)
81 mins

Personnel
* Miles Davis - Trumpet
* Wayne Shorter - Tenor and Soprano Sax
* Chick Corea - Electric Piano and Keyboards
* Dave Holland - Bass
* Jack DeJohnette - Drums

buy: Miles Davis Live in Copenhagen & Rome 

Duke Ellington & Count Basie - First Time! (1961)

Duke Ellington & Count Basie - First Time! (1961)
(The Count Meets The Duke)

jazz | 1cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 235MB

Columbia/Legacy 2009

Allmusic:
At first glance this collaboration should not have worked. The Duke Ellington and Count Basie Orchestras had already been competitors for 25 years but the leaders' mutual admiration (Ellington was one of Basie's main idols) and some brilliant planning made this a very successful and surprisingly uncrowded encounter. On most selections Ellington and Basie both play piano (their interaction with each other is wonderful) and the arrangements allowed the stars from both bands to take turns soloing. "Segue in C" is the highpoint but versions of "Until I Met You," "Battle Royal" and "Jumpin' at the Woodside" are not far behind.

Tracks
-1. "Battle Royal" (Ellington) - 5:33
-2. "To You" (Benny Davis, Tommy Dorsey, Thad Jones, Ted Shapiro) - 3:53
-3. "Take the "A" Train (Billy Strayhorn) - 3:46
-4. "Corner Pocket" [aka "Until I Met You"] (Freddie Green, Donald Wolf) - 4:53
-5. "Wild Man" [aka "Wild Man Moore"] - 6:20
-6. "Segue in C" (Frank Wess) - 8:22
-7. "B D B" (Ellington, Strayhorn) - 4:43
-8. "Jumpin' at the Woodside" (Count Basie) - 3:09
Recorded at 30th Street Studio, New York on July 6, 1961

Personnel
* Duke Ellington, Count Basie – piano
* Cat Anderson, Willie Cook, Eddie Mullens, Ray Nance, Sonny Cohn, Lennie Johnson, Thad Jones, Snooky Young - trumpet
* Louis Blackburn, Lawrence Brown, Henry Coker, Quentin Jackson, Benny Powell - trombone
* Juan Tizol - valve trombone
* Jimmy Hamilton - clarinet, tenor saxophone
* Johnny Hodges - alto saxophone
* Russell Procope, Marshall Royal - alto saxophone, clarinet
* Frank Wess - alto saxophone, tenor saxophone
* Paul Gonsalves, Frank Foster, Budd Johnson - tenor saxophone
* Harry Carney, Charlie Fowlkes - baritone saxophone
* Freddie Green - guitar
* Aaron Bell, Eddie Jones - bass
* Sam Woodyard, Sonny Payne - drums

sample & buy: First Time! the Count Meets the Duke

Stan Getz & Bob Brookmeyer - Recorded Fall (1961)

Stan Getz & Bob Brookmeyer - Recorded Fall (1961)

jazz | 1cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 315MB

Verve Master Edition

Allmusic:
Shortly after returning to the U.S. (following three years in Copenhagen) Stan Getz had a musical reunion with Bob Brookmeyer. As usual the cool-toned tenor blends in very well with the valve trombonist and, backed by a fine rhythm section (pianist Steve Kuhn, bassist John Neves and drummer Roy Haynes), they perform three Brookmeyer pieces (including one titled "Minuet Circa '61"), two standards and Buck Clayton's "Love Jumped Out." This little-known session is often quite memorable.

Tracks
-1. "Minuet Circa '61" (Bob Brookmeyer) - 10:38
-2. "Who Could Care?" (Brookmeyer) - 4:46
-3. "Nice Work If You Can Get It" (George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin) - 5:58
-4. "Thump, Thump, Thump" (Brookmeyer) - 6:52
-5. "A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square" (Eric Maschwitz, Manning Sherwin) - 6:59
-6. "Love Jumped Out" (Buck Clayton) - 7:46

Personnel
* Bob Brookmeyer - valve trombone
* Stan Getz - tenor saxophone
* Steve Kuhn - piano
* John Neves - double bass
* Roy Haynes - drums

sample & buy: Recorded Fall 1961

Arvo Part - Te Deum (1993)

Arvo Part - Te Deum (1993)
Tallinn Chamber Orchestra and the Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir

contemporary | 1cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover |255MB

ECM

Allmusic:
A richly realized collection of prayers that brings deep, resounding enlightenment to the ears. Everything about this compact disc feels like Arvo Pärt's master work, right down to the gorgeous photos in the accompanying booklet. "Te Deum" opens patiently and ominously, then proceeds to run the spectrum between overflowing swells and hushed contemplation. The Tallinn Chamber Orchestra and the Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir breathe as one under the magnificent direction of Tönu Kaljuste for this and "Berliner Messe," the closing mass that parts the clouds with its stark beauty and pious rejoicing (the third passage within the mass, "Erster Alleluiavers," is a brief teardrop of reverence that even atheists would ponder). Elsewhere, the a cappella chorus of "Magnificat" shines with vocals that embrace the church walls with chills and crispness, like a beam of moonlight through winter. One of the composer's strengths has always been to find the depth in simplicity. To this end, ever-present ECM producer Manfred Eicher's sparse and beautiful sensibilities fit Arvo Pärt like a glove, especially with "Silouans Song," which blossoms in stoic waves of strings. Such bittersweet longing resides here ("My soul yearns after the Lord") that a little sadness seems to slip out through all the reverence. This is uniformly his finest album, but by no means does it encompass all he has to offer. The compositions in Te Deum may not reveal Pärt's more eclectic and thunderous side, but few other albums carry such a consistent theme.

Tracks
-01. "Te Deum, for 2 choruses, strings, prepared piano & tape" - Part - 28:54
-02. "Silouans Song, for string orchestra" - Part - 5:41
-03. "Magnificat, for chorus" - Part - 6:48
-04. "Kyrie" - Part - 3:09
-05. "Gloria" - Part - 3:42
-06. "First Alleluia Verse" - Part - 0:52
-07. "Second Alleluia Verse" - Part - 1:10
-08. "Veni Sancte Spiritus" - Part - 4:57
-09. "Credo" - Part - 3:56
-10. "Sanctus" - Part - 4:04
-11. "Agnus Dei" - Part - 2:41

sample & buy: Arvo Part: Te Deum

Lennie Tristano - Lennie Tristano & The New Tristano (1955&62)

Lennie Tristano - Lennie Tristano & The New Tristano (1955&62)

jazz | 2lp on 1cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 410MB

Atlantic

Allmusic:
Lennie Tristano: Lennie Tristano's Atlantic debut was a controversial album at the time of its release. Though Tristano was regarded as a stellar and innovative bebop pianist, he had been absent from recording for six years and had founded a jazz school where he focused instead on teaching. The first four tunes on this set shocked the jazz world at the time of their release (though not critic Barry Ulanov, who was Tristano's greatest champion and wrote the liner notes for the set). The reason was that on those four original tunes -- "Line Up," "Requiem," "Turkish Mambo," and "East Thirty-Second" -- Tristano actually overdubbed piano lines, and sped the tape up and down for effect. While the effect is quite listenable and only jarring in the most splendid sense of the word -- because of the sharp, angular arpeggios and the knotty, involved method of improvising that came directly by improvising against the rhythm section of drummer Jeff Morton and bassist Peter Ind -- it was literally unheard of at the time. The last five tunes on the disc were recorded live with a rhythm section of bassist Gene Ramey and drummer Art Taylor. Lee Konitz plays alto as well. The tunes are all standards, including "These Foolish Things," "Ghost of a Chance," and "All the Things You Are." The performance is flawless, with beautiful interplay between Lee and Lennie and stellar harmonic ideas coming down from the bandstand in a fluid relaxed manner. This is a gorgeous album with a beautiful juxtaposition between its first and second halves, with the rhythmic and intervallic genius of Tristano as an improviser on full display during the first half and the pianist as a supreme lyrical and swinging harmonist during the back half.
The New Tristano: Tristano's piano solos are challenging and ambitious on these unaccompanied solo works, recorded between 1960 and 1962 (all except "You Don't Know What Love Is" Tristano originals). The variety and sheer amount of ideas, plus the facility of the lines and the overall performances, are impressive. This is a superb presentation of Lennie Tristano's work

Tracks
-01. "Line Up" – 3:34
-02. "Requiem" – 4:53
-03. "Turkish Mambo" – 3:41
-04. "East Thirty-Second" – 4:33
-05. "These Foolish Things" (Harry Link, Holt Marvell, Jack Strachey) – 5:46
-06. "You Go to My Head" (J. Fred Coots, Haven Gillespie) – 5:20
-07. "If I Had You" (Jimmy Campbell, Reginald Connelly, Ted Shapiro) – 6:29
-08. "I Don't Stand a Ghost of a Chance With You" (B Crosby, N Washington, V Young) – 6:07
-09. "All the Things You Are" (Oscar Hammerstein II, Jerome Kern) – 6:11
----
-10. "Becoming" - 4:32
-11. "C Minor Complex" - 5:50
-12 . "You Don't Know What Love Is" (DePaul, Raye) - 3:28
-13 . "Deliberation - 4:50
-14 . "Scene and Variations: Carol/Tania/Bud - 11:42
-15 . "Love Lines" - 2:19
-16 . "G Minor Complex - 3:51
All songs composed by Lennie Tristano, unless otherwise noted.

Personnel
* Lennie Tristano – piano
* Peter Ind – bass (1-4)
* Jeff Morton – drums (1-4)
* Lee Konitz – alto saxophone (5-9)
* Gene Ramey – bass (5-9)
* Art Taylor – drums (5-9)

sample & buy: Lennie Tristano / New Tristano

Kronos Quartet - Kronos Quartet Performs Philip Glass (1995)

Kronos Quartet - Kronos Quartet Performs Philip Glass (1995)

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

Nonesuch

String Quartet no.5
1. "I" - 1:11
2.. "II" - 3:00
3. "III" - 5:28
4. "IV" - 4:38
5. "V" - 7:36
String Quartet no.4 "Buczak"
6. "I" - 7:54
7. "II" - 6:18
8. "III" - 8:38
String Quartet no.2 "Company"
9. "I" - 2:09
10. "II" - 1:34
11. "III" - 1:28
12. "IV" - 2:04
String Quartet no.53 "Mishima"
13. "1957-Award Montage" - 3:27
14. "November 25-Ichigaya" - 1:19
15. "1934-Grandmother and Kimitake" - 2:41
16. "1962-Body Building" - 1:40
17. "Blood Oath" - 3:11
18. "Mishima/Closing" - 2:56

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more info:
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sample & buy: Kronos Quartet performs Philip Glass

Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis - Afro-Jaws (1961)

Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis - Afro-Jaws (1961)

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

OJC

Allmusic:
This set was a change of pace for tenor saxophonist Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis. Backed by three trumpeters (Clark Terry gets some solos), a rhythm section (pianist Lloyd Mayers, bassist Larry Gales and drummer Ben Riley) and a percussion section led by Ray Barretto, Lockjaw performs four compositions by Gil Lopez (who arranged all of the selections) plus "Tin Tin Deo," "Star Eyes" and his own "Afro-Jaws." The Afro-Cuban setting is perfect for the tough-toned tenor, who romps through the infectious tunes.

Tracks
-1. "Wild Rice" - Lopez - 4:53
-2. "Guanco Lament" - Lopez - 5:18
-3. "Tin Tin Deo" - Fuller, Pozo - 5:10
-4. "Jazz-A-Samba" - Lopez - 4:14
-5. "Alma Alegre [Happy Soul] - 5:24
-6. "Star Eyes" - DePaul, Raye - 6:20
-7. "Afro-Jaws" - Davis - 7:36

Personnel
* Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis (tenor saxophone)
* Clark Terry, Ernie Royal, Phil Sunkel, John Bello (trumpet)
* Lloyd Mayers (piano)
* Larry Gales (bass);
* Ben Riley (drums)
* Ray Barretto (congas, bongos, quinto, percussion)

sample & buy: Afro-Jaws

Anouar Brahem - Le Voyage de Sahar (2006)

Anouar Brahem - Le Voyage de Sahar (2006)

jazz, world | 1cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 285MB

ECM

Allmusic:
Over the past 15 years, Tunisian oud master Anouar Brahem has assembled a relatively small but profound body of work. A skilled improviser who refuses to be part of the historical authenticity argument, Brahem works from the same trio setting that performed on Le Pas du Chat Noir in 2002, with pianist François Couturier and accordionist Jean-Louis Matinier. The dialogue between these players is, despite the sparseness of the music and the considerable space employed, intense. The deep listening necessary in the improvised sections allows for a natural flow of ideas to emerge from silence. The compositions themselves are skeletal, with repeating, slowly evolving vamps and lyric lines. They offer, on the surface, a contemplative approach, and indeed can be heard that way. However, when dynamics, timbre, and chromatics are listened for, what takes place is rather astonishing. Each player walks to the middle of a composition, steps back and reenters after ideas by the others are introduced, producing a kind of organic improvisation seldom heard. This is not to say that the most structured works here, such as "Vague/E la Nave Va," aren't full of meditative delight as well. They are, and there are vast spaces into which the listener can enter and disappear for a while -- not so much to drift and dream as to be absorbed in their hypnotic and repetitive beauty. "Les Jardins de Ziryab" begins with Matinier's accordion, which is answered by the oud and Brahem's voice, accompanying them both. It unfolds from the center out. "Le Chambre, Var." begins, for this ensemble, at a trot. Couturier's chord voicing and Brahem's percussive approach create a winding musical narrative that Matinier's accordion underscores rhythmically. The keyboard and air pulse create a terrain where intricate melodic lines come out of modal and chromatic tensions. Ultimately, Brahem has given listeners another of his wondrous offerings, full of deceptively simple compositions that open into a secret world, one where beauty is so present that it is nearly unapproachable, and it is up to the listener to fill in the spaces offered them by this remarkable trio.

Tracks
-01. "Sur le Fleuve" - 6:33
-02. "Le Voyage de Sahar" - 6:55
-03. "L 'Aube" - 5:48
-04. "Vague/E la Nave Va" - 6:19
-05. "Les Jardins de Ziryab" - 4:34
-06. "Nuba" - 3:12
-07. "La Chambre" - 5:01
-08. "Córdoba" - 5:30
-09. "Halfaouine" - 2:06
-10. "La Chambre Var." - 3:47
-11. "Zarabanda" - 4:26
-12. "Été Andalous" - 7:05
-13. "Vague Var." - 2:18
All compositions by Anouar Brahem
Recorded at Auditorio Radio Svizzera in Lugano, Switzerland in February 2005

Personnel
* Anouar Brahem - oud
* François Couturier - piano
* Jean Louis Matinier - accordion

sample & buy: Voyage De Sahar

Gabor Szabo - Spellbinder (1966)

Gabor Szabo - Spellbinder (1966)

jazz | 1cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 225MB

Impulse!

Allmusic:
Released just six months after Gypsy '66, Gabor Szabo's second album as a leader (after leaving a sublime Chico Hamilton band that also included Charles Lloyd) remains one of his finest moments in the studio. Szabo utilized the tales of bassist Ron Carter and his old boss Hamilton on drums, as well as a pair of fine Latin percussionists -- Willie Bobo and Victor Pantoja. The groove quotient was very high on Spellbinder, maybe even higher than on later albums such as Jazz Raga or Sorcerer. This set is all Szabo, drifting, wafting, and soaring above all that rhythm; the track selection provides ample space for Szabo's highly individualized Eastern modal style to shine. The set opens with the title track, a snaky guitar masterpiece with plenty of droning strings and pinched chords that are followed by open string flourishes. Carter holds the entire band together as Hamilton plays in counterpoint to the percussionists. This is followed with two nuggets from the pop book of the day, the Coleman/Leigh classic "Witchcraft" and "It Was a Very Good Year." From the performances here, it's apparent that Szabo was deeply influenced by singers, and Frank Sinatra was at his pinnacle during this time. There's the emerging '60s psychedelic sound in Szabo's playing, but it is underlaid with bossa rhythms and swells. These tracks, while flavored with Latin and pop stylings, are gorgeous guitar jazz. Szabo gets back into his own mystic thang with "Gypsy Queen" (the opening droning moments of which the Doors lifted entirely for "The End"). Here the Latin rhythms and guitar go head to head, point to counterpoint. A pronounced yet elusive melody line propels a series of polyrhythms forward into an abyss of melody, mode, and frighteningly intense legato phrasing, leaving the listener breathless. He takes the edge off with Sonny Bono's "Bang Bang (She Shot Me Down)." Szabo sings here in his plaintive Hungarian-inflected English, and the tune becomes something other than a pop song, but a tome on despair and loss. The funky "Cheetah" follows with gorgeous arpeggios, pointedly turning into chords of distinction as Hamilton rides the crash cymbal into territories unknown and double-times the band until it notches up the intensity. This set follows with one more Szabo original ("Yearning") and a trio of standards, with a heartbreakingly beautiful read of "My Foolish Heart" and a medley of "Autumn Leaves" and "Speak to Me of Love." Szabo's read on jazz in the '60s was brilliant. He embodied all of its most popular aspirations with a genuine spirit of innovation and adventure. Spellbinder is a masterpiece.

Tracks
-1. "Spellbinder" - 5:30
-2. "Witchcraft" (Cy Coleman, Carolyn Leigh) - 4:39
-3. "It Was a Very Good Year" (Ervin Drake) - 2:47
-4. "Gypsy Queen" - 5:13
-5. "Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down)" (Sonny Bono) - 2:28
-6. "Cheetah" - 4:10
-7. "My Foolish Heart" (Ned Washington, Victor Young) - 5:28
-8. "Yearning" - 2:59
-9. "Autumn Leaves/Speak to Me of Love" (J Kosma, J Prévert, J Mercer/J Lenoir) - 3:35
* All compositions by Gábor Szabó except as indicated
* Recorded at Rudy Van Gelder Studio in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey on May 6, 1966

Personnel
* Gábor Szabó - guitar, vocals
* Ron Carter - bass
* Chico Hamilton – drums
* Willie Bobo, Victor Pantoja - percussion

sample & buy: Spellbinder

Odetta - The Tin Angel (1954)

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Odetta - The Tin Angel (1954)

(Odetta & Larry)

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

OBC

Allmusic:
Although the 1993 CD version of this album is credited to Odetta and titled The Tin Angel, it's actually a reissue of a Fantasy LP credited to Odetta & Larry, which bore the slightly different title The Tin Angel Presents Odetta & Larry. That original LP had 13 tracks recorded in 1953 and 1954, some of them live at the Tin Angel club in San Francisco, with Larry Mohr contributing some banjo and harmony and lead vocals, though Odetta was the more prominent presence. This source of confusion duly noted, this is pretty much an Odetta album in most respects, as she takes a considerably larger part of the vocal duties on a set of traditional folk material including such standards as "John Henry," "Rock Island Line," and "Old Cotton Fields at Home," as well as some blues and spirituals, plus a good version of Woody Guthrie's "The Car-Car Song." Odetta's stirring vocal style is pretty fully formed on this, the first group of her recordings in wide distribution, as is her ability to emit bluesy grunts, as you can hear on "John Henry." Mohr's vocals (he takes unaccompanied lead on "Old Blue") and banjo are comparatively bland, but they're not much of a distraction from Odetta, who's definitely the main feature. The 1993 CD reissue adds six tracks, including some very popular folk revival tunes in "He's Got the Whole World in His Hands," "Wade in the Water," and "Another Man Done Gone."

Track listing
-01. "John Henry" – 3:09
-02. "Old Cotton Fields at Home" (Leadbetter) – 3:59
-03. "The Frozen Logger" (Haglund, Stevens) – 2:53
-04. "Run, Come See Jerusalem" (Blind Blake) – 2:06
-05. "Old Blue" – 2:36
-06. "Water Boy" – 3:40
-07. "Santy Anno" – 2:18
-08. "I Was Born About 10,000 Years Ago"/"The Biggest Thing" – 2:47
-09. "Riding in My Car (Car Song)" – 1:27
-10. "No More Cane on the Brazos" – 2:19
-11. "Payday at Coal Creek" – 3:02
-12. "'Buked and Scorned" – 2:46
-13. "Rock Island Line" (Leadbetter) – 1:47
-14. "Another Man Done Gone" [*] (Hall, Lomax, Lomax, Tartt) – 3:05
-15. "Children Go Where I Send Thee" [*] – 2:35
-16. "I Know Where I'm Going" [*] – 2:10
-17. "He's Got the Whole World in His Hands" [*] – 1:55
-18. "Timber" [*] – 3:49
-19. "Wade in the Water" [*] – 1:57
[*]are 1993 CD bonus tracks.
All songs traditional unless stated.

sample & buy: Cape Verdean Blues

Horace Silver - The Cape Verdean Blues (1965) (RVG)

Horace Silver - The Cape Verdean Blues (1965)

jazz | 1cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 330MB

Blue Note | RVG 24-bit remaster 2003

Allmusic:
After the success of Song for My Father and its hit title cut, Horace Silver was moved to pay further tribute to his dad, not to mention connect with some of his roots. Silver's father was born in the island nation of Cape Verde (near West Africa) before emigrating to the United States, and that's the inspiration behind The Cape Verdean Blues. Not all of the tracks are directly influenced by the music of Cape Verde (though some do incorporate Silver's taste for light exoticism); however, there's a spirit of adventure that pervades the entire album, a sense of exploration that wouldn't have been quite the same with Silver's quintet of old. On average, the tracks are longer than usual, and the lineup -- featuring tenor saxophonist Joe Henderson (a holdover from the Song for My Father sessions) and trumpeter Woody Shaw -- is one of the most modernist-leaning Silver ever recorded with. They push Silver into more advanced territory than he was normally accustomed to working, with mild dissonances and (especially in Henderson's case) a rawer edge to the playing. What's more, bop trombone legend J.J. Johnson appears on half of the six tracks, and Silver sounds excited to finally work with a collaborator he'd been pursuing for some time. Johnson ably handles some of the album's most challenging material, like the moody, swelling "Bonita" and the complex, up-tempo rhythms of "Nutville." Most interesting, though, is the lilting title track, which conjures the flavor of the islands with a blend of Latin-tinged rhythms and calypso melodies that nonetheless don't sound quite Caribbean in origin. Also noteworthy are "The African Queen," with its blend of emotional power and drifting hints of freedom, and "Pretty Eyes," Silver's first original waltz. Yet another worthwhile Silver album.

Tracks
-1. "The Cape Verdean Blues" - Silver - 4:59
-2. "The African Queen" - Silver - 9:36
-3. "Pretty Eyes" - Silver - 7:30
-4. "Nutville" - Silver - 7:15
-5. "Bonita" - Silver - 8:37
-6. "Mo' Joe" - Henderson - 5:45

Personnel
* Horace Silver (piano)
* Woody Shaw (trumpet)
* Joe Henderson (tenor sax)
* J. J. Johnson (trombone)
* Bob Cranshaw (bass)
* Roger Humphries (drums)

sample & buy: Cape Verdean Blues

Jackie Mclean - Consequence (1965) (Blue Note Connoisseur series)

Jackie Mclean - Consequence (1965)

jazz | 1cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 280MB

Blue Note Connoisseur edition | 24-bit remaster

Allmusic:
This 1965 session pairs Jackie McLean with Lee Morgan in the front line and features a rhythm section of pianist Harold Mabern, bassist Herbie Lewis, and drummer Billy Higgins. Right -- a powerhouse band. Originally recorded in 1965, it wasn't released on LP until 1979, and then on CD as part of the Mosaic box set (The Complete Blue Note 1964-1966). This is its first release as a separate title on CD. The music here is much more straight-ahead than on other McLean dates from the 1960s. The presence of Morgan puts McLean in the position of having to be at his best, as on the stellar opening cut, "Bluesanova," which combines bossa, soul-jazz, and hard bop. Another tight moment on the set is McLean's "Tolypso," a sideways take on calypso that reaches over into hard bop. The interplay between the saxophonist and trumpet player is air-tight and rousing. Other cuts of note are Morgan's fine swinging ballad "Slumber" and the steaming title cut. This is a welcome addition to the McLean catalog on disc.

Tracks
-1. "Bluesanova" (Lee Morgan) - 7:30
-2. "Consequence" - 5:32
-3. "My Old Flame" (Sam Coslow, Arthur Johnston) - 5:19
-4. "Tolypso" - 6:02
-5. "Slumber" (Morgan) - 6:06
-6. "Vernestune" - 5:52
All compositions by Jackie McLean except as indicated
Recorded at Rudy Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey on December 3, 1965


Personnel
* Jackie McLean - alto saxophone
* Lee Morgan - trumpet
* Harold Mabern - piano
* Herbie Lewis - bass
* Billy Higgins - drums

sample & buy: Consequence

Groundhogs - Solid (1974)

Groundhogs - Solid (1974)

rock, blues | 1cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 315MB

Talking Elephant 2001

Allmusic:
On the surface, the Groundhogs could easily have become one of the dozens of British "blooze and boogie" bands that cropped up in the late '60s and early '70s in the manner of Savoy Brown or Foghat, but Tony (T.S.) McPhee's ideas and ambitions were just eccentric enough to push the band into directions too challenging for most mainstream listeners, and as with much of their catalog it's McPhee's sense of invention that makes 1974's Solid memorable. Recorded in McPhee's home studio with Clive Brooks on drums and Peter Cruickshank on bass, most of Solid's nine numbers are anchored by the sonic overdrive of McPhee's guitar playing, which twists blues figures through psych and progressive frameworks, while the doomy poetics of his lyrics don't so much establish the mood of the songs as reinforce the tone of the music. While Brooks and Cruickshank are a fine rhythm section, giving these songs the muscle and backbone to make the most of their hard rock leanings, this is obviously McPhee's show, and an impressive show it is. Not too many guys would think to lay a Mellotron or a fuzzy synthesizer over a heavy blues jam, or run his recordings through such a remarkable maze of phase shifting and ping-pong panning, but in his own small way McPhee's music is in the grand tradition of the great eccentrics of British rock, and that windmill-tilting spirit is what Solid is all about -- it's not a freak masterpiece like Thank Christ for the Bomb or Who Will Save the World?, but if you dug the twists and turns of those albums you owe it to yourself to give this a listen.

Tracks
-1. "Light My Light" - McPhee - 6:23
-2. "Free from All Alarm" - McPhee - 5:14
-3. "Sins of the Father" - McPhee - 5:29
-4. "Sad Go Round" - McPhee - 2:55
-5. "Corn Cob" - McPhee - 4:46
-6. "Plea Sing, Plea Song" - McPhee - 3:43
-7. "Snow Storm" - McPhee - 3:28
-8. "Joker's Grave" - McPhee - 8:41
-9 "Over Blue" (Bonus Track) - McPhee - 2:48

sample & buy: Solid

Charlie Haden Quartet West - The Art Of The Song (1999)

Charlie Haden Quartet West - The Art Of The Song (1999)

jazz | 1cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 405MB

Verve

Allaboutjazz:
In the early-’60s bassist Charlie Haden worked with avant-garde jazz pioneers Ornette Coleman and Don Cherry. In 1969 he founded The Liberation Music Orchestra, an aggregation committed to performing complex, politically charged music. When Haden formed Quartet West in 1986, listeners quickly noted that this group represented a 180 degree shift in his focus. Where the Liberation Orchestra was abrasive and confrontational, Quartet West wallowed in the nostalgic, accessible mainstream. The Art Of The Song is an evocative collection of sombre ballads, immaculately performed by Haden, Alan Broadbent (piano), Ernie Watts (tenor), Larance Marable (drums), Shirley Horn (vocals), Bill Henderson (vocals); plus a string orchestra conducted by Murray Adler. Shirley Horn’s subtle, sparse renditions of Lonely Town, In Love In Vain and The Folks Who Live On The Hill stand out on a disc loaded with high points. Instrumentally, Ernie Watts (why doesn’t he sound this good on his own records?) provides a number of sensuous solos. Hypnotically beautiful.

Tracks
-01. "Lonely Town" (Leonard Bernstein, Betty Comden, Adolph Green) – 5:30
-02. "Why Did I Choose You" (Michael Leonard, Herbert Martin) – 7:23
-03. "Moment Musical Opus 16 No3 in B Minor" (Sergei Rachmaninoff) – 5:36
-04. "In Love in Vain" (Jerome Kern, Leo Rubin) – 5:05
-05. "Ruth's Waltz" (Charlie Haden, Arthur Hamilton) – 4:14
-06. "Scenes from a Silver Screen" (Alan Broadbent) – 6:24
-07. "I'm Gonna Laugh You Right out of My Life" (Cy Coleman, Joseph A. McCarthy) – 6:15
-08. "You My Love" (Jimmy Van Heusen, Mack Gordon) – 4:24
-09. "Prelude en La Mineur" (Maurice Ravel) – 5:14
-10. "The Folks Who Live On the Hill" (Jerome Kern, Oscar Hammerstein II) – 6:56
-11. "Easy on the Heart" (Haden, Hamilton) – 4:54
-12. "Theme for Charlie" (Jeri Southern) – 4:07
-13. "Wayfaring Stranger" (Traditional) – 4:23

Personnel
Charlie Haden Quartet West
* Charlie Haden – bass, local vocal on "Wayfaring Stranger"
* Alan Broadbent – piano, arranger, conductor, orchestration
* Larance Marable – drums
* Ernie Watts – tenor saxophone
Guest musicians
* Murray Adler – violin, conductor, concert master, orchestra contractor
* Bill Henderson – vocals on "Why Did I Choose You", "Ruth's Waltz", "You My Love", "Easy on the Heart"
* Shirley Horn – vocals on "Lonely Town", "In Love in Vain", "I'm Gonna Laugh You Right Out of My Life", "The Folks Who Live on the Hill"
& Orchestra

sample & buy: The Art of the Song

Fred Frith - Speechless (1981)

Fred Frith - Speechless (1981)

rock, avantgarde | 1cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 350MB

ESD 80542

Allmusic:
This is one of the most important experimental guitar-based titles from avant guitarist and founding Henry Cow member Fred Frith. Frith's second solo album, Speechless, includes appearances by Etron Fou Leloublan, Massacre, and Bill Laswell. This is a studio Frankenstein of live clips and found sounds. While Frith attests to the occurrence of many "happy accidents," the album comes across confidently and more often more coherent than merely challenging. Six bonus tracks appear on this CD version. This is often cited as Frith's best solo record, and its inspired manipulations hold up under repeated scrutiny. There is a bit of European folk influence here, too, but not as obvious as on Gravity.

Tracks
-01. "Kick the Can (part 1)" – 2:19
-02. "Carnival on Wall Street" – 2:51
-03. "Ahead in the Sand" – 3:16
-04. "Laughing Matter" / "Esperanza" – 7:47
-05. "Women Speak to Men; Men Speak to Women" (Frith, Curran) – 5:39
-06. "A Spit in the Ocean" – 2:17
-07. "Navajo" – 3:05
-08. "Balance" – 5:04
-09. "Saving Grace" – 1:57
-10. "Speechless" – 3:05
-11. "Conversations With White Arc" (Frith, Laswell) – 1:14
-12. "Domaine de Planousset" – 2:59
-13. "Kick the Can (part 2)" – 2:14
---bonus tracks
-14. "The Entire Works of Henry Cow" – 1:00
-15. "So Schnell Ich" (Frith, Laswell, Maher) – 3:25
-16. "I'm Still Here and I Know What Time It Is" (Frith, Curran) – 1:06
-17. "No More War" (Frith, Gore) – 4:46
-18. "Typical American Family" – 1:01
-19. "Dig" – 3:07
All tracks composed by Fred Frith except where noted.

Personnel
tracks 1-5:
* Fred Frith – guitar, violin, mellotron, organ and bass guitar (track 1), voice (track 3)
* Etron Fou Leloublan:
--Guigou Chenevier – drums, tenor saxophone and voice
--Bernard Mathieu[15] – soprano and tenor saxophones, voice
--Ferdinand Richard – bass, guimbarde, voice
--Jo Thirion – organ, harmonium
* Guests
--Tina Curran – recorders, unusual edits
--Roger Kent Parsons – bagpipes)
--Bob Ostertag – field tape recordings
Recorded at Studio Freeson, Pujaut, France and at Sunrise Studios, Kirchberg, Switzerland in July and August 1980.
tracks 6-13:
* Fred Frith – guitar, violin, keyboards, bass guitar, drums, voice
* Massacre:
--Bill Laswell – bass guitar
--Fred Maher – drums
* Guests
--Steve Buchanan – snake saxophone
--George Cartwright – alto saxophone
--Mars Williams – baritone saxophone
--Tina Curran – recorders, bass guitar

sample & buy: Speechless