Penguin Cafe Orchestra - Concert Program (1994) (eac-log-cover)

Penguin Cafe Orchestra - Concert Program (1994)

new age, chamber jazz | 2cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 510MB

Zopf

Allmusic:
This two-disc live program of music spanning the history of the group from the early 1970s to the early 1990s is remarkable not only for the quality of the music, but for the absolute hush of the audience; there's not a cough or a clap out of them. We are thus left free from distraction to enjoy PCO's unique combination of old-time parlor stylings, park bandstand music, folk, and classical. Emotionally, the mélange adds up to a wistful yet hopeful nostalgia. Intellectually, it's fascinating to watch the kaleidoscopic interplay of elements, such as the minimalist factor that enters the mix in "Numbers 1-4" with its Glass-like repeated gallop.
The music is all instrumental (it really is all small orchestra), but the possible sameness of the sound is broken up by clever arrangements and a little variation in the instruments, as with the occasional harmonium and the ukulele featured on the all-out hoe-down "Beanfields" (not to mention the telephonesounds on "Telephone and Rubber Band"). The instruments are unfortunately pushed too far back in the sound-space, as an effect rather like a soft-focus in a movie flashback. This may have been composer/producer Simon Jeffes' intent, but it doesn't serve the music well.
Half the fun of listening to PCO is trying to pin down the allusions and influences, the funniest being the riff from "La Bamba" played on the cuatro by Jeffes in "Giles Farnaby's Dream." However, the eclecticism makes it hard to define the market who will appreciate this music. If you like Cafe Noir, 81/2 Souvenirs, or Squirrel Nut Zippers, there's a pretty good chance you'll like this, too. But remember that Penguin Cafe Orchestra was there first.

Tracks
cd1
-01. "Air A Danser" - Jeffes - 5:26
-02. "Cage Dead [Version 2]" - Jeffes - 4:46
-03. "Organum" - Jeffes - 4:26
-04. "Southern Jukebox Music" - Jeffes - 5:10
-05. "Numbers 1-4" - Jeffes - 7:43
-06. "Air" - Jeffes - 4:13
-07. "Perpetuum Mobile" - Jeffes - 4:42
-08. "Nothing Really Blue" - Jeffes - 5:16
-09. "Telephone and Rubber Band" - Jeffes - 3:55
cd2
-01. "Beanfields" - Jeffes - 4:38
-02. "Vega" - Jeffes - 10:10
-03. "Surface Tension (Where the Trees Meet the Sky)" - Jeffes - 2:08
-04. "Oscar Tango" - Jeffes - 3:43
-05. "Music for a Found Harmonium" - Jeffes - 2:36
-06. "Lifeboat (Lovers Rock)" - Jeffes - 6:51
-07. "Steady State" - Jeffes - 5:20
-08. "Scherzo and Trio" - Jeffes - 6:58
-09. "Giles Farnaby's Dream" - Farnaby, Jeffes - 5:25
-10. "Salty Bean Fumble" - Jeffes - 4:06
-11. "Red Shorts" - Jeffes - 3:59

sample & buy: Concert Program

Miles davis - Bag's Groove (1954) (RVG & XRCD) (eac-log-cover)

Miles davis - Bag's Groove (1954)

jazz | 1 + 1cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover
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Prestige | RVG 24-bit remaster 2007 | 250MB

JVC XRCD 20-bit K2 1998 | 325MB

Allmusic:
There are a multitude of reasons why Bags' Groove remains a cornerstone of the post-bop genre. Of course there will always be the lure of the urban myth surrounding the Christmas Eve 1954 session -- featuring Thelonious Monk -- which is documented on the two takes of the title track. There are obviously more tangible elements, such as Davis' practically telepathic runs with Sonny Rollins (tenor sax). Or Horace Silver's (piano) uncanny ability to provide a stream of chord progressions that supply a second inconspicuous lead without ever overpowering. Indeed, Davis' choice of former Dizzy Gillespie Orchestra and concurrent Modern Jazz Quartet members Milt Jackson (vibes), Kenny Clarke (drums), and Percy Heath (bass) is obviously well-informed. This combo became synonymous with the ability to tastefully improvise and provide bluesy bop lines in varied settings. The up-tempo and Latin-infused syncopation featured during the opening of "Airegin" flows into lines and minor-chord phrasings that would reappear several years later throughout Davis' Sketches of Spain epic. The fun and slightly maniacally toned "Oleo" features one of Heath's most impressive displays on Bags' Groove. His staccato accompaniment exhibits the effortless nature with which these jazz giants are able to incorporate round after round of solos onto the larger unit. Bags' Groove belongs as a cornerstone of all jazz collections. Likewise, the neophyte as well as the seasoned jazz enthusiast will find much to discover and rediscover throughout the disc. The remastered CD includes both historic takes of "Bag

Tracks
-1. "Bags' Groove" (Milt Jackson) [take 1] – 11:12
-2. "Bags' Groove" [take 2] – 9:20
-3. "Airegin" (Sonny Rollins) – 4:57
-4. "Oleo" (Rollins) – 5:10
-5. "But Not for Me" (George Gershwin) [take 2] – 4:34
-6. "Doxy" (Rollins) – 4:51
-7. "But Not for Me" [take 1] – 5:42

Personnel
* Miles Davis - Trumpet
* Sonny Rollins - Tenor saxophone
* Horace Silver - Piano
* Percy Heath - Bass
* Kenny Clarke - drums
* Milt Jackson - Vibraphone
* Thelonious Monk - Piano

sample & buy: Bag's Groove (XRCD)

sample & buy: Bag's Groove (RVG)

Clifford Brown - Jazz Immortal (RVG) (1954) eac-log-cover)

Clifford Brown - Jazz Immortal (1954)

feat: Zoot Sims

jazz | 1cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 120MB

Pacific Jazz | RVG 24-bit remaster 2001

Amazon:
Clifford Brown recorded this album in 1954 in California with a great band, including Zoot Sims on Tenor Sax and Russ Freeman on Piano. Clifford Brown was a masterful trumpet player at a very young age and soon achieved a high stature in the jazz world in the early 50's. He played with Charlie Parker and Tadd Dameron, as well as leading his own bands. I think this recording is one of his best, with original songs and arrangements done by Jack Montrose. Clifford Brown's alternatively sweet, tough and complex trumpet playing integrates wonderfully with Zoot Sims saxophone. The song 'Tiny Capers' is a brilliant excursion in jazz improvisation and playfulness, while retaining a beautiful melody.

Tracks
-01. "Daahoud" - Brown - 4:13
-02. "Finders Keepers" - Montrose - 3:52
-03. "Joy Spring" - Brown - 3:16
-04. "Gone With the Wind" - Magidson, Wrubel - 3:40
-05. "Bones for Jones" - Brown - 4:15
-06. "Blueberry Hill" - Lewis, Rose, Stock - 3:16
-07. "Tiny Capers" - Brown - 4:16
-08. "Tiny Capers" - Brown - 2:59
-09. "Gone With the Wind" - Magidson, Wrubel - 2:58

Personnel
*Baritone Saxophone - Bob Gordon
*Bass - Carson Smith , Joe Mondragon
*Drums - Shelly Manne
*Piano - Russ Freeman
*Tenor Saxophone - Zoot Sims
*Trombone - Stu Williamson
*Trumpet - Clifford Brown

sample & buy: Jazz Immortal

Albert Ayler - Goin' Home (1964) (eac-log-cover)

Albert Ayler - Goin' Home (1964)

aka: Swing Low Sweet Spiritual

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

Black Lion | BLCD 760197

Allmusic:
This LP contains one of Albert Ayler's most unusual projects. The free jazz tenor/innovator (who doubles here on his less-assured soprano) performs six traditional melodies including "Going Home," two versions of "Old Man River," "Nobody Knows the Trouble I've Seen," and even "When the Saints Go Marching In." Ayler works well with his backup group (pianist Call Cobbs, bassist Henry Grimes, and drummer Sunny Murray) and creates very emotional music (really hanging onto the themes), all of which has been reissued (with additional tracks) on CD by Black Lion.

Tracks
-01. "Goin' Home" - 4:26
-02. "Ol' Man River (Take 2)" - 5:25
-03. "Down By The Riverside (Take 6)" - 4:39
-04. "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot (Take 3)" - 4:30
-05. "Deep River" - 4:15
-06. "When The Saints Go Marchin' In" - 4:12
-07. "Nobody Knows The Trouble I've Seen" - 4:44
-08. "Ol' Man River (Take 1)" - 3:58
-09. "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot (Take 1)" - 4:49
-10. "Down By The Riverside (Take 5)" - 4:28

Personnel
*Bass - Henry Grimes
*Drums - Arthur Murray
*Piano - Call Cobbs Jr.
*Saxophone - Albert Ayler

sample & buy: Goin Home

Oscar Pettiford, Vinnie Burke - Bass by Pettiford / Burke (1955)

Oscar Pettiford, Vinnie Burke  - Bass by Pettiford / Burke (1955)

jazz | 1cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 110MB

Betlehem / Avenue Jazz

Allmusic:
Although the great bassist Oscar Pettiford gets first billing, this CD actually has six selections from his quintet (with tenor saxophonist Charlie Rouse, Julius Watkins on French horn, pianist Duke Jordan, and drummer Ron Jefferson) and eight from bassist Vinnie Burke's quartet (clarinetist Ronnie Oldrich, Don Burns on accordion, and guitarist Joe Cinderella). The Pettiford half is notable for including three of his compositions ("Tricrotism" is best known), utilizing the Rouse-Watkins front line (which would become the Jazz Modes during 1956-1958) and for Pettiford doubling on cello. The Burke group has the usual instrumentation exploring melodic versions of seven standards, plus the bassist's "Time Out." These two unrelated sessions are complementary, displaying the cooler side of 1950s bebop.

Tracks
-01. "Sextette" - Mulligan - 2:56
-02. "Golden Touch" - Jones - 2:33
-03. "Cable Car" - Clark, Pettiford - 2:20
-04. "Trictrotism" - Pettiford - 2:42
-05. "Edge of Love" - Ables, Baker, Goode - 2:24
-06. "Oscar Rides Again" - Pettiford - 2:33
---
-07. "The Continental" - Conrad, Magidson - 2:51
-08. "For All We Know" - Coots, Lewis - 2:17
-09. "Yesterdays" - Harbach, Kern - 3:15
-10. "Imagination" - Burke, VanHeusen - 2:42
-11. "Time Out" - Battle, Burke, Burke, Durham - 2:41
-12. "Softly, As in a Morning Sunrise" - Hammerstein, Romberg - 1:24
-13. "On the Alamo" - Jones, Kahn - 4:02
-14. "Honeysuckle Rose" - Razaf, Waller - 2:20

Personnel
Oscar Pettiford Quintet: Oscar Pettiford (cello, bass); Charles Rouse (tenor saxophone); Julius Watkins (French horn); Duke Jordan (piano); Ron Jefferson (drums).
Vinnie Burke Quartet: Vinnie Burke (bass); Ronny Odrich (clarinet); Don Burns (accordion); Joe Cinderella (guitar).

sample & buy: Bass By Pettiford & Burke

Henry Cow - Western Culture (1978) (eac-log-over)

Henry Cow - Western Culture (1978)

rock, avantgarde | 1cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 310MB

ReR HC4

Allmusic:
The group's fourth and final studio LP, Western Culture remained for a long time Henry Cow's hidden treasure. Two factors were instrumental to its occultation (and one more than the other): first, it was not released by Virgin like the other ones; second, it did not have the "sock" artwork common to its brothers. East Side Digital reissued it in the 1990s, giving the fans wider access to it, but they had to wait until January 2002 for a definitive CD reissue on ReR Megacorp, complete with extensive liner notes and three bonus tracks. Obscurity aside, Western Culture remains one of the group's strongest efforts in the lines of composition, especially since the unit was literally torn apart at the time. Side one of the original LP consists of a suite in three parts, "History & Prospects," written by Tim Hodgkinson. The opener, "Industry," stands as one of Henry Cow's finest achievements, the angular melody played on a cheap electric organ hitting you in the face so hard it makes an imprint in your brains. Side two features another suite, this one in four parts and by Lindsay Cooper. While Hodgkinson's music leans toward rock, energy, and deconstruction, her writing embraced more contemporary classical idioms. Filled with contrasting textures and delicate complicated melodies, these pieces showcased another aspect of the group's sound while foretelling her later works. Swiss pianist Irène Schweizer performed a cadenza of sorts in "Gretel's Tale." The ReR reissue adds "Viva Pa Ubu," the only vocal track, a rock song closer to the material found on In Praise of Learning, plus an alternate version of "Look Back" and the one-minute "Slice."

Tracks
-01. "Industry" (Hodgkinson) a
-02. "The Decay of Cities" (Hodgkinson) a
-03. "On the Raft" (Hodgkinson) a
-04. "Falling Away" (Cooper) a
-05. "Gretels Tale" (Cooper) a
-06. "Look Back" (Cooper) a
-07. "½ the Sky" (Cooper, Hodgkinson) b
Bonus tracks on 2001 and 2002 CD re-issues
-08. "Untitled" (silence only) – 1:29
-09. "Viva Pa Ubu" (Hodgkinson) – 4:28 b
-10. "Look Back (alt)" (Cooper) – 1:21 a
-11. "Slice" (Cooper) – 0:36 a
a Recorded at Sunrise Studio, Kirchberg, Switzerland, 26 July to 8 August 1978
b Recorded at Sunrise Studio, Kirchberg, Switzerland, 15–29 January 1978

Personnel
* Tim Hodgkinson – organ, clarinet, alto saxophone, Hawaiian guitar, piano, vocals ("Viva Pa Ubu")
* Lindsay Cooper – bassoon, oboe, soprano saxophone, sopranino recorders, vocals ("Viva Pa Ubu")
* Fred Frith – electric & acoustic guitars, bass guitar, soprano saxophone (background "On the Raft"), vocals ("Viva Pa Ubu")
* Chris Cutler – drums, electric drums, noise, piano, trumpet (background "On the Raft"), vocals ("Viva Pa Ubu")
Guests
* Annemarie Roelofs (July–August 1978 sessions only) – trombone, violin
* Irène Schweizer – piano ("Gretels Tale")
* Georgie Born – bass guitar ("½ the Sky", "Viva Pa Ubu"), vocals ("Viva Pa Ubu")
* Dagmar Krause – vocals ("Viva Pa Ubu")

sample & buy: Western Culture

Sidney Bechet - Runnin' Wild (1949-50) (eac-log-cover)

Sidney Bechet - Runnin' Wild (1949-50)

feat.: Wild Bill Davison

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

Blue Note | 20-bit SBM

Allmusic:
After Blue Note switched to bop in 1947, it was the end of trad jazz on the label, with the exception of a few sessions led by Sidney Bechet and George Lewis. The masterful soprano saxophonist Bechet led no less than nine dates for Blue Note, as well as appearing as a sideman on four others, all of which were included in Mosaic's now out-of-print comprehensive Bechet box set. Three of Bechet's outings for Blue Note co-featured cornetist Wild Bill Davison, and all of that music is on this single 1998 CD. Since Bechet was generally quite dominant in ensembles, he did not usually get along well with trumpeters, and since Davison could be quite fiery, it is surprising that this matchup works so well. Bechet actually enjoyed Wild Bill's playing because the cornetist played fairly simply and left plenty of space. Davison had great respect for Bechet and is slightly more restrained than usual throughout these numbers, although he does let loose with some heated blasts here and there. This excellent Dixieland collection features one quintet and two sextet sessions with Bob Diehl or Jimmy Archey on trombone, Art Hodes or Joe Sullivan on piano, Pops Foster or Walter Page on bass and Freddie Moore or Slick Jones on drums; there are lots of hot moments on the warhorse material from the two principals. A surprise success.

Tracks
-01. "Sister Kate" - Piron - 3:01
-02. "Tiger Rag" - Costa, Edwards, Edwards, LaRocca… - 3:04
-03. "Tin Roof Blues" - Brunies, Brunis, Mares, Melrose… - 2:56
-04. "I Found a New Baby" - Palmer, Williams - 3:06
-05. "Nobody Knows You When You'reDown and Out" - Cox, Cox - 3:04
-06. "When the Saints Go Marching In" - Black, Traditional - 2:57
-07. "Basin Street Blues" - Williams - 3:15
-08. "Cake Walking Babies from Home" - Smith, Troy, Williams - 2:37
-09. "At the Jazz Band Ball" - Edwards, LaRocca, Ragas, Sbarbaro… - 3:01
-10. "Joshua Fit the Battle of Jericho" - Traditional - 3:19
-11. "Fidgety Feet" - Edwards, Edwards, LaRocca, Ragas… - 2:58
-12. "Tailgate Ramble" - Manone, Mercer - 2:51
-13. "Copenhagen" - Davis, Davis, Melrose - 2:49
-14. "China Boy" - Boutelje, Winfree - 3:02
-15. "Runnin' Wild" - Bartholomew, Gibbs, Grey, Wood - 3:04
-16. "Runnin' Wild" - Bartholomew, Gibbs, Grey, Wood - 3:06
-17. "Ain't Gonna Give Nobody Noneof My Jelly Roll" - Williams, Williams - 3:18
-18. "Ain't Gonna Give Nobody Noneof My Jelly Roll" - Williams, Williams - 2:55
-19. "Mandy, Make up Your Mind" - Clarke, Johnston, Meyer, Turk - 2:49
-20. "Shim-Me-Sha-Wabble" - Williams - 2:42

Personnel
Sidney Bechet (soprano saxophone); Wild Bill Davidson (cornet); Bob Diehl, Jimmy Archey (trombone); Art Hodes, Joe Sullivan (piano); Walter Page, Pops Foster (bass); Fred Moore, Slick Jones (drums).

sample & buy: Runnin' Wild

Count Basie - Basie's Beatle Bag (1966) (eac-log-cover)

Count Basie - Basie's Beatle Bag (1966)

jazz | 1cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 265MB

Verve

Allmusic:
The Count and his orchestra tackle the music of the Fab Four, without any hint of condescension or lassitude. Indeed, the 11 songs by John Lennon and Paul McCartney and one ("Kansas City") by Leiber & Stoller are treated with the same kind of dignity and enthusiasm that the band would give to the likes of Johnny Mercer or Harold Arlen. "Kansas City" is the bluesiest number here, and the one with which the band is obviously the most comfortable -- it's the only number here that could have appeared, as is, on any Basie album of the previous decade. But "Michelle" is the best track here, a gently swinging rendition in which Basie's piano is featured in some pleasing flourishes and the band slips into a satisfying groove. The rest also comes off well -- the ballads fare the best, showing off the quieter side of the band, stretching out and luxuriating on pieces like "Do You Want to Know a Secret." Basie and company also rise to the occasion on rockers like "I Wanna Be Your Man" and "Can't Buy Me Love," taking big bites out of the beat and the principal melodies with some hot ensemble playing and solos. In the end, the songs and the band are both well served by Chico O'Farrill's arrangements, which manage to maintain the familiar and emphasize some surprises. Even "Yesterday," the most over-recorded of the Beatles' songs, comes off fresh, with a moving jazz vocal treatment from Bill Henderson supported by Basie's engaging organ fills and a quietly soaring trombone and sax section. The band romps, and the soloists, in addition to Basie, include Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis and Al Grey.

Tracks
-01. "Help!" – 2:15
-02. "Can't Buy Me Love" – 3:21
-03. "Michelle" – 2:43
-04. "I Wanna Be Your Man" – 3:20
-05. "Do You Want to Know a Secret" – 2:59
-06. "A Hard Day's Night" – 4:22
-07. "All My Loving" – 2:59
-08. "Yesterday" – 3:04
-09. "And I Love Her" – 2:49
-10. "Hold Me Tight" – 2:44
-11. "She Loves You" – 2:54
-12. "Kansas City" (Jerry Leiber, Mike Stoller) – 4:00
*All songs written by Lennon and McCartney, except where otherwise noted.

Personnel
* Count Basie – organ, piano
* The Count Basie Orchestra

sample & buy: Basie's Beatle Bag

Duke Pearson - Dedication! (1961) (eac-log-cover)

Duke Pearson - Dedication! (1961)

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

OJC ltd

Allmusic:
Recorded for a small label that proceeded to go broke, Dedication! would not be released until nine years after its initial recording. This seems odd considering the all-star cast of players. Pianist Duke Pearson is joined by trumpeter Freddie Hubbard, baritone player Pepper Adams, trombonist Willie Wilson, bassist Thomas Howard, and drummer Lex Humphries on seven selections. The set kicks off with Tommy Flanagan's "Minor Mishap," an upbeat piece that brings forth nice solos from everyone. This might be Pearson's session, but everybody is given plenty of room to cut loose. Wilson, for instance, is featured for the length of "The Nearness of You" and for a great deal of "Time After Time." This is fortunate in retrospect; he made few recordings and would pass away in 1963, two years after this record was made. Pearson also turns in a number of nice solos. Like Hank Jones, his light touch serves him well on instrumentals like "Blues for Alvina" and "Time After Time." The performances by Hubbard and Adams are topnotch throughout; they turn in first-rate work on numbers like Donald Byrd's "Lex" and the Pearson original "The Number Five." An important factor in the success of this album is the unusual combination of trumpet, trombone, and baritone saxophone that creates a resonant, full sound. Pearson would make a number of other fine recordings for Blue Note during the '60s, but none finer than this one. Dedication! serves as a fine introduction to a talented pianist.

Tracks
-1. "Minor Mishap" (Tommy Flanagan) - 4:27
-2. "Number Five" - 3:49
-3. "The Nearness of You" (Hoagy Carmichael, Ned Washington) - 5:04
-4. "Apothegm" (Pepper Adams) - 5:39
-5. "Lex" (Donald Byrd) - 5:51
-6. "Blues for Alvina" (Willie Wilson) - 7:14
-7. "Time After Time" (Sammy Cahn, Jule Styne) - 6:51
* All compositions by Duke Pearson except as indicated
* Recorded at Bell Sound Studios, NYC on August 2, 1961

Personnel
* Duke Pearson - piano
* Freddie Hubbard - trumpet
* Willie Wilson - trombone
* Pepper Adams - baritone saxophone
* Thomas Howard - bass
* Lex Humphries - drums

sample & buy: Dedication

Captain Beefheart - Spotlight Kid & Clear Spot (1972)

Captain Beefheart - Spotlight Kid & Clear Spot (1972)

rock, blues, avantgarde | 2 lp on 1 cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 450MB

Reprise

Allmusic:
The Spotlight Kid
On Spotlight Beefheart took over full production duties. Rather than returning to the artistic aggro of Trout Mask/Decals days, Spotlight takes things lower and looser, with a lot of typical Beefheart fun crawling around in weird, strange ways. Consider the ominous opening cut "I'm Gonna Booglarize You Baby" -it isn't just the title and Beefheart's breathy growl, but Rockette Morton's purring bass, Zoot Horn Rollo's snarling guitar, Ed Marimba's brisk fade on the cymbals again and again, and more. The overall atmosphere is definitely relaxed and fun, maybe one step up from a jam. Marimba's vibes and other percussion work -- including, of course, the marimba itself -- stand out quite a bit here as a result, perhaps, brought out from behind the drums and the more straightforward work on Clear Spot. Consider "When It Blows Its Stacks," with its unexpected breaks into more playful parts, or "Alice in Blunderland"'s admittedly more aimless approach, but vibing along well nonetheless. Sometimes things do sound maybe just a little too blasé, but Beefheart at his worst still has something more than most groups at their best. Spotlight does have one stone-cold Beefheart classic -- "Grow Fins," an understated number with fine harmonica and a brilliant lyric about getting so tired of his woman that the best option is to take to the sea and fall in love with a mermaid. Another song, though, does have an all-time great title -- "There Ain't No Santa Claus on the Evenin' Stage." Definite fun touch -- the cover photo of Beefheart looking great in a classic Nudie suit, outlined in yellow light to boot.
Clear Spot:
Producer Ted Templeman was a bit of a surprising choice given his firmly mainstream production credits, with the Doobie Brothers already under his belt and Van Halen lurking in the near future. As it turned out, such a combination led to a better-working fusion than might be expected, making one wonder why in the world Clear Spot wasn't more of a commercial success than it was. The sound is great throughout, and the feeling is of the coolest bar-band in town, not to mention one that could eat all the patrons for breakfast if it felt like it. Fans of the fully all-out side of Beefheart might find the end result not fully up to snuff as a result, but those less concerned with pushing back all borders all the time will enjoy his unexpected blend of everything tempered with a new accessibility. "Nowadays a Woman's Got to Hit a Man," besides having a brilliant title, shows the balance perfectly -- Van Vliet serves up his rough asides with all his expected wit and sass, while the Magic Band trade off notes here and there just so. At the same time, the track is strong blues-rock that doesn't pander, with a particularly fierce solo thanks to Zoot Horn Rollo. "My Head Is My Only House Unless It Rains" is a great love song, the softer arrangement saved from being too off by Beefheart's delivery. Other winners include the title track, a sharp combination of an off-kilter arrangement for a straightforward melody, the great shaggy-dog story of "Golden Birdies," and "Big Eyed Beans from Venus," a fantastically strange piece of aggression.

Tracks
-01. "I'm Gonna Booglarize You Baby" – 4:33
-02. "White Jam" – 2:55
-03. "Blabber 'n Smoke" – 2:46 (Van Vliet, Jan Van Vliet)
-04. "When It Blows Its Stacks" – 3:40
-05. "Alice in Blunderland" – 3:54
-06. "The Spotlight Kid" – 3:21
-07. "Click Clack" – 3:30
-08. "Grow Fins" – 3:30
-09. "There Ain't No Santa Claus on the Evenin' Stage" – 3:11
-10. "Glider" – 4:34
---
-11. "Low Yo Yo Stuff" – 3:41
-12. "Nowadays a Woman's Gotta Hit a Man" – 3:46
-13. "Too Much Time" – 2:50
-14. "Circumstances" – 3:14
-15. "My Head Is My Only House Unless It Rains" – 2:55
-16. "Sun Zoom Spark" – 2:13
-17. "Clear Spot" – 3:40
-18. "Crazy Little Thing" – 2:38
-19. "Long Neck Bottles" – 3:18
-20. "Her Eyes Are a Blue Million Miles" – 2:57
-21. "Big Eyed Beans from Venus" – 4:23
-22. "Golden Birdies" – 1:36

Personnel
* Captain Beefheart - vocals, harmonica, jingle bells
* Zoot Horn Rollo (Bill Harkleroad) - guitar, slide guitar
* Rockette Morton (Mark Boston) - bass, guitar
* Drumbo (John French) - drums, percussion
* Ed Marimba/Ted Cactus (Art Tripp) - drums, percussion, marimba, piano, harpsichord
* Winged Eel Fingerling (Elliot Ingber) - guitar
* Rhys Clark - drums (on "Glider")
---
* Captain Beefheart - vocals, harmonica, "wings on Singabus" (apparently referring to the flapping noise you can hear when he says the word Singabus, in "Golden Birdies")
* Zoot Horn Rollo (Bill Harkleroad) - guitar, slide guitar, mandolin
* Rockette Morton (Mark Boston) - guitar, bass
* Ed Marimba (Art Tripp) - drums, percussion
* Orejón (Roy Estrada) - bass
* Milt Holland - percussion
* Russ Titelman - guitar
* The Blackberries - backing vocals

sample & buy: Spotlight Kid & Clear Spot

Dinah Washington - For Those In Love (1955) (eac-log-cover)

Dinah Washington - For Those In Love (1955)

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

EmArcy

Cduniverse:
Dinah Washington cut a lot of sides in two decades of recording. However, her straight jazz sessions were few and far between because of the mass popular and commercial appeal that she had as a pop singer. Still, the versatile Dinah thrived in just about any setting and the one provided here in 1955 by the gifted Chicago producer Bob Shad showcases her intimate side to perfection.
Since Dinah Washington just about invented gospel-based soulful singing, it's thrilling to hear her at the peak of her powers backed by a small group that includes trumpeter Clark Terry and pianist Wynton Kelly. The session is also graced by Quincy Jones' tidy arrangements. With such expert support, the singer's powerful phrasing, precise diction, and pitch-perfect intonation draw as much emotion and meaning possible out of her chosen material, including Billie-associated tunes like "Easy Living" and "My Old Flame." Dinah Washington was first and foremost a musician--not a showboat. And part of her genius was that she could make her formidable presence actually underscore her own vulnerability, as in the lilting "Blue Gardenia" and blues-tinged "You Don't Know What Love Is."
This CD contains two bonus tracks.

Tracks
-01. "I Get A Kick Out Of You" - 6:17
-02. "Blue Gardenia" - 5:18
-03. "Easy Living" - 5:00
-04. "You Don't Know What Love Is" - 4:02
-05. "This Can't Be Love" - 6:50
-06. "My Old Flame" - 3:05
-07. "I Could Write a Book" - 4:23
-08. "Make the Man Love Me" - 5:23
-09. "Ask a Woman Who Knows" - 3:14
-10. "If I Had You" - 4:45
*Digitally remastered by Kiyoshi Tokiwa and Suha Gur.
*Recorded in New York, New York on March 15-17, 1955. Originally released as Emarcy (MG 36011)

Personnel
* Dinah Washington - vocals
* Clark Terry - Trumpet
* Jimmy Cleveland - Trombone
* Paul Quinichette - Tenor Saxophone
* Cecil Payne - Bass
* Wynton Kelly - Piano
* Barry Galbraith - Guitar
* Keter Betts - Bass
* Jimmy Cobb - Drums

sample & buy: For Those in Love

Horace Silver - 6 Pieces Of Silver (RVG) (eac-log-cover)

Horace Silver - 6 Pieces Of Silver (1956)

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

Blue Note | RVG 24-bit remaster 2000

Allmusic:
The first classic album by the Horace Silver Quintet, this CD is highlighted by "Señor Blues" (heard in three versions, including a later vocal rendition by Bill Henderson) and "Cool Eyes." The early Silver quintet was essentially the Jazz Messengers of the year before (with trumpeter Donald Byrd, tenor saxophonist Hank Mobley, and bassist Doug Watkins, while drummer Louis Hayes was in Blakey's place), but already the band was starting to develop a sound of its own. "Señor Blues" officially put Horace Silver on the map.

Tracks
-01. "Cool Eyes" - 5:55
-02. "Shirl" - 4:16
-03. "Camouflage" - 4:25
-04. "Enchantment" - 6:22
-05. "Señor Blues" - 7:01
-06. "Virgo" - 5:48
-07. "For Heaven's Sake" (Elise Bretton, Donald Meyer, Edwards Sherman) - 5:09
Bonus tracks
-08. "Señor Blues" (alternate take) - 6:38
-09. "Tippin'" - 6:16
-10. "Señor Blues" (Vocal version) - 6:12
* All songs written and composed by Horace Silver, except where noted.
* Recorded at Rudy Van Gelder Studio, Hackensack, NJ, November 10, 1956 (tracks 1-8) and November 15, 1958 (tracks 9 & 10).

Personnel
* Horace Silver - piano
* Donald Byrd - trumpet (tracks 1, 2, 4-6 & 8-10)
* Hank Mobley - tenor saxophone (tracks 1, 2, 4-6 & 8)
* Junior Cook - tenor saxophone (tracks 9 & 10)
* Doug Watkins - bass (tracks 1-8)
* Gene Taylor - bass (tracks 9 & 10)
* Louis Hayes - drums (tracks 1-8)
* Roy Haynes - drums (tracks 9 & 10)
* Bill Henderson - vocals (track 10)

sample & buy: Six Pieces of Silver

Bill Evans feat. Stan Getz - But Beautiful (1974) (eac-log-cover)

Bill Evans feat. Stan Getz - But Beautiful (1974)

jazz | 1cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 390MB

Milestone | MCD9249-2

Allmusic:
Stan Getz and Bill Evans initially worked on a recording in 1964 that, much like the Getz collaboration with Gary Burton entitled Nobody Else But Me, was done on the heels of the saxophonist's commercial success in the bossa nova arena. Both efforts were scrapped and laid on the shelf to gather dust, and were eventually issued for the first time some decades later. The Getz/Burton quartet was a touring unit, whereas in 1974 Evans and Getz performed live concerts in Europe, the source material for these dates, recorded by Radio One in Antwerp, Belgium, and NOS in Laren, The Netherlands. Even after a rehearsal, the pairing of Getz with the longstanding trio of Evans featuring drummer Marty Morell and bassist Eddie Gomez for both concerts had their rough moments, tense occurrences, and in one instance, Evans laying out entirely or playing without the tenor saxophonist. It is also assumable that there was additional material not included that might have been more of a train wreck. Of course, it would be difficult for these absolute masters of jazz to play anything less than very good music, but the flaws here are evident. A version of "Funkallero" has Getz rushing through and playing barely a half chorus on the melody before stepping aside. The most evident problem is during "Stan's Blues," where Evans barely plays at all, and at the end of the program the trio seems liberated without Getz, waltzing through blue fields in playful, childlike fashion à la Dave Brubeck or Vince Guaraldi on "See Saw" and the mostly improvised take of "Lover Man." A version of the Jimmy Rowles evergreen "The Peacocks" is a piano/sax duet that ranges from pensive to brooding. The band does get it together -- albeit in spurts -- starting with the chamber inspiration of Evans on "Grandfather's Waltz" evoking the lilting tenor of Getz, and continuing with the absolutely gorgeous "But Beautiful" with a sighing sound from Getz and the always lovely "Emily" and "Lover Man," a bit stock and phoned in, but still breathtaking. The highs and lows of jazz are all too telling on this recording, where one has to wonder what the audiences were feeling and thinking as this battle of the wills went on for all to witness. Nonetheless the sound quality is good, and this will be one completists will want to add to their Evans and Getz collections.

Tracks
-01. "Grandfather's Waltz" (Farnlof, Lees) – 7:45
-02. "Stan's Blues" (Getz, Gryce) – 5:32
-03. "But Beautiful" (Burke, VanHeusen) – 5:26
-04. "Emily" (Johnny Mandel, Johnny Mercer) – 5:26
-05. "Lover Man" (Davis, Ramirez, Sherman) – 7:50
-06. "Funkallero" (Bill Evans) – 6:18
-07. "The Peacocks" (Rowles) – 6:47
-08. "You and the Night and the Music" (Howard Dietz, Arthur Schwartz) – 7:24
-09. "See-Saw" (Coleman) – 6:22
-10. "The Two Lonely People" (Evans, Hall) – 7:58

Personnel
* Bill Evans – Piano
* Stan Getz – Sax (Tenor)
* Eddie Gomez – Bass
* Helen Keane – Producer
* Marty Morell – Drums

sample & buy: But Beautiful

RCA Living Stereo: Beethoven, Mendelssohn - Violin Concertos (1955&59) (eac-log-cover)

RCA Living Stereo: Beethoven, Mendelssohn - Violin Concertos (1955&59)
Jascha Heifetz, violin; BSO, C Munch

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

RCA | SACD | rel.: 2004

Musicweb:
There is certainly no chance of Beethoven’s extended first movement to his Violin Concerto sprawling under Heifetz’s fingers. His famed technique fully intact, and with Munch his willing Leporello, Heifetz unleashes a remarkably fiery view of this concerto. Perhaps that is reflected in his choice of cadenza (Auer/Heifetz), a cadenza that marries display, conceit, drama and virtuosic nonchalance in equal measure. True, perhaps he does not always let the music breathe where expected, but this may be because he’s saving the more interior emotions for the Larghetto. Again, here, the speed may be faster than expected (but it is after all Larghetto, not Largo) but this really is a meeting of minds. Heifetz soliloquises marvellously towards the end before embarking on a suave finale. There is an unfortunate drop in tension towards the end, and Heifetz is markedly too forward around the bassoon tune (around 3’30) but those caveats apart this is a magnificent reading. The cadenza in the finale is Joachim/Heifetz.
Mendelssohn takes less well to driven performances, yet it has to be admitted there is real excitement here that one rarely finds elsewhere. The ‘molto appassionato’ part of the first movement directive is taken at face value, to great effect. Heifetz reminds us of his knack of making the cadenza a highpoint musically as well as technically (not many musicians can claim this). The slow movement is a real andante, marked by a refusal to dawdle. Heifetz plays as if improvising (and trace of abrasive tone) and the entire seven minutes flows as if in one breath. The bridge passage between the last two movements (an ‘Allegretto non troppo’) is most effective, acting as a foil for the high-jinks of the Allegro molto vivace. And very lively it is, too, with all parties concerned exhibiting quicksilver responses. A vital rhythmic awareness permeates every bar.
One of the highlights of this series.

Tracks
Beethoven:
-1. Violin Concerto in D major, Op. 61: Allegro, ma non troppo
-2. Piano Concerto in D major (after the Violin Concerto, Op. 61), Op. 61a: Larghetto
-3. Violin Concerto in D major, Op. 61: Rondo: Allegro
(37:49)
Mendelssohn:
-4. Violin Concerto in E minor, Op. 64: Allegro molto appassionato
-5. Violin Concerto in E minor, Op. 64: Andante
-6. Violin Concerto in E minor, Op. 64: Allegretto non troppo; Allegro molto vivace
(24:01)
recorded Symphony Hall, Boston 1955 & 1959

Jascha Heifetz: violin
Boston Symphony Orchestra, Charles Munch

sample & buy: Beethoven, Mendelssohn: Violin Concertos

Marianne Faithfull - Before The Poison (2004) (eac-log-cover)

Marianne Faithfull - Before The Poison (2004)

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

Naive

Allmusic:
Each time Marianne Faithfull issues a recording, fans and pundits hold their breaths waiting for another outing as iconoclastic as Broken English. Before the Poison isn't it for a number of reasons, quality not being one of them. Simply put, Before the Poison is an album that concerns itself with both sides of love, friendship, and redemption, not desolation or desperation. That said, there is plenty of human shadow in these ten songs. Polly Harvey wrote three songs here, co-wrote a pair with Faithfull, and is present on all of them. Nick Cave co-wrote three with the singer and his Bad Seeds back her on these tracks. She also co-wrote one apiece with Blur's Damon Albarn and composer Jon Brion. Along with Harvey and Cave, Rob Ellis and Hal Willner aided in production. Therefore, Before the Poison, like its predecessor, Kissin' Time, is an album of collaborations. But unlike that offering, this one is seamless; its songs are sequenced impeccably and all feel of a piece linked by emotional thematics. Harvey's songs are all moving and beautiful. Faithfull's reading of "No Child of Mine," a track that appeared on PJ's own last album, Uh Huh Her, has more depth and texture than the original. Harvey is pushing it on, underneath, her signature guitar sound ushering in each line as Faithfull -- in fantastic voice throughout -- does a call and response with herself until the refrain, when Harvey harmonizes and adds dimension to the stark loss and resignation uttered with great empathy and even tenderness. On "The Mystery of Love," which opens the set, Faithfull brings the weight of her life experience to Harvey's poetic lyric and opens its fathomless heart. On Cave's "Crazy Love," the lyric could have accompanied the footage in Wim Wenders' Wings of Desire. As Faithfull paints the skeletal portraits of the song's protagonists who move around the chessboard of life, she gets to the refrain where the tune splits wide and, as Warren Ellis' raggedly elegant violin sweeps above the rest, the singers offers a poetic truth from her own life: "Crazy love is all around me/Love is crazy, love is kind/But I know somehow you'll find me/Love is crazy, love is blind." On Albarn's "Last Song," possibility has passed into memory amid the swell of strings, tambourines, and acoustic pianos. It's a devastating track, and Faithfull sings with an authority that can only be borne by a witness. The disc closes with "City of Quartz," written with Brion. It's a fractured, slightly off-kilter waltz that could have easily appeared on Blazing Away or even as an outtake from 20th Century Blues. The notion of time's passage is in the present tense here, as strings enter amid the chimes underscoring longing, and the acceptance of human need. Before the Poison is poetic and unnerving; it stands alone in her catalog in the same way that Broken English did -- but this time, on the other side of the mirror.

Tracks
-01. "The Mystery of Love" (PJ Harvey) – 3:53
-02. "My Friends Have" (PJ Harvey) – 2:48
-03. "Crazy Love" (Marianne Faithfull/Nick Cave) – 4:04
-04. "Last Song" (Marianne Faithfull/Damon Albarn) – 3:19
-05. "No Child of Mine" (PJ Harvey) – 6:15
-06. "Before the Poison" (Marianne Faithfull/PJ Harvey) – 4:10
-07. "There Is a Ghost" (Marianne Faithfull/Nick Cave) – 4:32
-08. "In the Factory" (Marianne Faithfull/PJ Harvey) – 3:51
-09. "Desperanto" (Marianne Faithfull/Nick Cave) – 4:22
-10. "City of Quartz" (Marianne Faithfull/Jon Brion) – 4:04

sample & buy: Before the Poison

'Rahsaan' Roland Kirk - Domino (1962) (24-bit rem) (eac-log-cover)

'Rahsaan' Roland Kirk - Domino (1962)

jazz | 1cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 600MB

Verve Master Edition | 24-bit remaster

Allmusic:
The expanding musical universe of Rahsaan Roland Kirk continues its orbit on Domino. While always true to his exceptional talents, Kirk's previous efforts are somewhat derivative when compared to his later and more aggressive sound. On Domino, the genesis of his more assertive presence is thoroughly evident. Additionally, this disc features several impressive originals, as well as the most distinctly branded cover tunes to date, including the intense bop of the title track. As evidenced throughout the album, Kirk's compositions are becoming denser and more involved. "Meeting on Termini's Corner" -- an ode to the legendary Five Spot club -- mimics the off-kilter rhythms of Thelonious Monk. The tenor sax solo that rises through his multi-instrumentation is stunning. The contrast between the lilting flute work, which bookends "Domino," and the stirring tenor sax solo at the center is yet again indicative of the boundaries Kirk would be approaching. However, it's the Latin-tinged "Rolando" that might best display the unmistakably singular sound that comes from the stritch -- a Kirk modified second generation B flat soprano sax -- and the tenor sax, when performed simultaneously. The warmth and clarity are at once unique and hypnotic. Another prime example of the multiplicity in Kirk's performance styles can be heard on "I Believe in You." The juxtaposition of the husky tenor with the spry manzello provides a false sense of balance as Kirk delays combining the two until the final chorus. This produces a surprising and memorable effect, as Kirk's arrangement does not anticipate the finale. The 2000 CD reissue contains both recording dates for the original album as well as a previously undocumented session that includes Herbie Hancock(piano), Roy Haynes (drums), and Vernon Martin (bass). Additionally, Domino was the first album to feature Kirk's live band of Haynes, Andrew Hill (celeste/piano), and Henry Duncan (percussion) on several tracks.

Tracks
-01. "Domino" (Don Raye, Jacques Plante, Louis Ferrari) – 3:16
-02. "Meeting on Termini's Corner" (Roland Kirk) – 3:41
-03. "Time" (Richie Powell) – 3:13
-04. "Lament" (J. J. Johnson) – 3:40
-05. "A Stritch in Time" (Kirk) – 5:06
-06. "3-in-1 Without the Oil (Kirk) – 2:35
-07. "Get Out of Town" (Cole Porter) – 4:49
-08. "Rolando" (Kirk) – 3:47
-09. "I Believe in You" (Frank Loesser) – 4:26
-10. "E.D." (Kirk) – 2:36
bonus tracks:
-11. "Where Monk and Mingus Live"/"Let's Call This" (Kirk)/(T Monk) – 4:12
-12. "Domino" [alternate version] – 4:07
-13. "I Didn't Know What Time It Was" (Lorenz Hart, Richard Rodgers) – 3:15
-14. "I Didn't Know What Time It Was" – 2:18
-15. "I Didn't Know What Time It Was" – 2:21
-16. "Someone to Watch Over Me" [breakdown take] (G. Gershwin, I. Gershwin) – 2:37
-17. "Someone to Watch Over Me" (G. Gershwin, I. Gershwin) – 3:38
-18. "Termini's Corner" (Kirk) – 2:35
-19. "Termini's Corner" [breakdown take] – 2:28
-20. "Termini's Corner" – 2:45
-21. "Termini's Corner" – 4:10
-22. "When the Sun Comes Out" (Harold Arlen, Ted Koehler) – 2:48
-23. "When the Sun Comes Out" – 2:05
-24. "When the Sun Comes Out" – 2:44
-25. "Time Races With Emit" [erroneously issued as "Ad Lib"] (Kirk) – 0:22

Personnel
* Roland Kirk - flute, tenor sax, vocals, stritch, manzello, nose flute, siren
* Henry Duncan - drums
* Herbie Hancock - piano
* Roy Haynes - drums
* Andrew Hill - piano, celeste
* Wynton Kelly - piano
* Vernon Martin - bass

sample & buy: Domino

Bill Frisell with Dave Holland and Elvin Jones (2001) (eac-log-cover)

Bill Frisell with Dave Holland and Elvin Jones (2001)

jazz | 1cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 480MB

Nonesuch

Allmusic:
What can you expect but good things from a date featuring three players of such high pedigree. With Dave Holland and Elvin Jones representing the steadfast rhythm sections of old, and with Frisell's post-modern tones being among the finest voices moving jazz forward, a date like this should easily yield some classic moments. But Frisell comes up with only partial melodies and bare bones sketches for the band to play. Jones sounds at times utterly bored with his rhythm duties, desperate for a chance to stretch out. Frisell himself is often hesitant. Henry Mancini's "Moon River" and Stephen Foster's century-and-a-half old "Hard Times" together offer brief glimpses of levity, but cannot save the set entirely.

Tracks
-01. "Outlaws" - 7:55
-02. "Twenty Years" - 3:15
-03. "Coffaro's Theme" - 4:50
-04. "Blue's Dream" - 4:49
-05. "Moon River" (Mancini, Mercer) - 6:25
-06. "Tell Your Ma, Tell Your Pa" - 9:06
-07. "Strange Meeting" - 5:22
-08. "Convict 13" - 3:54
-09. "Again" - 7:32
-10. "Hard Times" - 3:39
-11. "Justice and Honor" - 4:48
-12. "Smilin' Jones" - 5:03
All compositions by Bill Frisell except as indicated

Personnel
* Bill Frisell: guitars
* Dave Holland: bass
* Elvin Jones: drums

sample & buy: Bill Frisell with Dave Holland and Elvin Jones

Julian Cope - Jehovahkill (Deluxe Edition) (1992) (eac-log-cover)

Julian Cope - Jehovahkill (Deluxe Edition) (1992)

alternative, rock | 2cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 1080MB

Universal | rel: 2009

-> bio & more info <-
Allmusic:
Moving into what he later described as the second part of a trilogy of albums, Jehovahkill sees Julian Cope's focus shift from environmental collapse to raging against the destructiveness of mainstream religion and an attendant celebration of earlier, heathen impulses. The artwork and design draw this out further, with Cope providing commentary on a number of ancient megalithic temples and sites, along with attendant poetry. As with Peggy Suicide, though, the music is what is first and foremost, and following that earlier album's success Cope was on a roll. With only Skinner and Cosby making up the core band this time out, plus a variety of guest performers and snippets (including cult musician/astronomer Dr. Fiorella Terenzi on the crazed Krautrock/funk of "Poet Is Priest..."), Cope turned in another 70-minute-long effort. If Jehovahkill isn't quite as perfectly balanced as Peggy Suicide, it comes darn close, definitely leaving the late-'80s trough behind. "Soul Desert," the opening number, actually almost picks up where Peggy Suicide left off, with "Las Vegas Basement," with the same low-key late-night vibe. Cope's voice is again at full strength, whether gently singing or just going all out; here he's able to do both as the song amps up further about halfway through. From there Jehovahkill move through three phases, much like Peggy Suicide was divided into four. The overall tone of the record is looser than Peggy, with Cope's various celebrations and condemnations often sounding like they were captured on a first-time run-through. He definitely sounds like he's more performing intense rituals instead of songs, as on the powerful, building intensity of "Up-Wards at 45 Degrees" and the awesome "The Tower." Combined with everything from the rural blues-goes-drone rock of "The Mystery Trend" and the combined Neu!/Stooges tribute "The Subtle Energies Commission" to the amusing "Julian H. Cope," it adds up to another fine Cope album.
--
A special deluxe edition of Julian Cope's most controversial and forward looking album, "Jehovahkill". The deluxe edition comprises two discs, the original "Jehovahkill" plus a 14 track second disc including eight previously unreleased recordings from the album sessions. Among these is a 22-minute version of "Poet is Priest", which, to borrow from Dave Cavanagh's original review in Select Magazine is "Further Out Than Even the Shipping Forecasts Are Prepared to Go." The remaining six tracks on the second disc comprise the "Jehovahkill Companion" originally released as part of a two cd format that made up "Jehovahkill"'s only single "Fear Loves this Place", a catchy little anti-christian pop ballad.

Tracks cd1:
Phase 1
-01. "Soul Desert" - 3:53
-02. "No Hard Shoulder to Cry On" - 2:44
-03. "Akhenaten" - 2:52
-04. "The Mystery Trend" - 4:17
-05. "Up-Wards at 45°" - 5:46
-06. "Know (Cut My Friend Down)" - 3:19
Phase 2
-07. "Necropolis" - 4:40
-08. "Slow Rider" - 2:18
-09. "Gimme Back My Flag" (Cope, Donald Ross Skinner) - 5:33
-10. "Poet Is Priest..." (Cope, Donald Ross Skinner) - 6:23
-11. "Julian H. Cope" - 2:49
Phase 3
-12. "The Subtle Energies Commission" - 7:49
-13. "Fa-Fa-Fa-Fine" - 2:25
-14. "Fear Loves This Place" - 4:16
-15. "The Tower" - 10:23
-16. "Peggy Suicide Is Missing" - 0:42

cd2
Phase 4
-01. "Nothing" - 2:01
-02. "I Have Always Been Here Before" - 4:35
-03. "This Is My Kin" - 4:16
-04. "Michael Rother" - 4:36
-05. "Gogmagog" - 2:45
-06. "Gone" - 4:56
Phase 5
-07. "Vivien" - 2:57
-08. "You Gotta Show" - 4:38
-09. "Sqwubbsy The Olmec" - 1:44
-10. "Sizewell B" - 4:40
-11. "Paleface" - 4:56
-12. "Free" - 5:00
Phase 6
-13. "Poet Is Priest" - 21:23
-14. "Starry Eyes" - 7:11
All tracks composed by Julian Cope; except where indicated

Personnel:
Julian Cope - vocals, wah wah guitar, bass
* Donald Ross Skinner - guitar, bass
* Rooster Cosby - guitar, drums, saxophone
* Hugoth Nicolson - synthesizer, mixer
* James Dowdall - Executive Producer

sample & buy: Jehovahkill

Pepper Adams - The Cool Sound Of Pepper Adams (1957) (eac-log-cover)

Pepper Adams - The Cool Sound Of Pepper Adams (1957)

jazz | 1cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 190MB

Savoy / Denon remaster | mini LP

Allmusic:
The Cool Sound of Pepper Adams is the kind of record one buys for its remarkable cover art (depicting a flame-haired beauty cupping a seashell to her ear) only to discover the music contained therein is just as spellbinding. A wonderfully soulful session featuring striking contributions from pianist Hank Jones and drummer Elvin Jones, its four lengthy cuts pulsate with energy and invention. Despite complementing Adams' baritone leads with Bernard McKinney's euphonium, the music never sounds bloated. Instead, it's supple and slinky, with a dexterity that's utterly winning. Still, there's no mistaking the physicality of Adams' tone. Songs like "Bloos, Blooze, Blues" and "Like…What Is This?" are as rich and smooth as crushed velvet.

Tracks
-1. "Bloos, Blooze, Blues" - V.P. Doved - 10:17
-2. "Settin' Red" - McKinney - 7:27
-3. "Like, What Is This?" - McKinney - 7:39
-4. "Skippy" - Awaodley - 7:47

Personnel:
*Pepper Adams (Sax (Baritone)
*Elvin Jones (Drums)
*Hank Jones (Piano)
*George Duvivier (Bass)
*Bernard McKinney (Euphonium)

sample & buy: Cool Sound of Pepper Adams

Art Blakey - Free For All (RVG) (1964)

Art Blakey - Free For All (1964)

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

Blue Note | RVG 24-bit remaster 2004

Allmusic:
Free for All is a high point in drummer Art Blakey's enormous catalog. This edition of the Jazz Messengers had been together since 1961 with a lineup that would be hard to beat: Freddie Hubbard on trumpet (his last session with the Messengers), Wayne Shorter on tenor sax, Curtis Fuller on trombone, Cedar Walton on piano, and Reggie Workman on bass. Shorter's title track is one of the finest moments in the Jazz Messengers' history. In the eight minutes of "Free for All," an emotional apex is reached that skirts the edge of free bop without losing Blakey's rhythmic glue. Another Shorter composition, "Hammer Head," is a mid-tempo soul-blues groove, with Shorter, Hubbard, and Fuller taking exceptional solos while Blakey keeps the mid-tempo vigorously swinging. Hubbard's "The Core," dedicated to the Congress of Racial Equality, comes close to capturing the heat of the title cut, as it contains similar fiery interplay. The session's closer, Clare Fischer's "Pensativa" (brought to the Messengers songbook by Hubbard), would remain a favorite with Blakey for years. A passionate Jazz Messengers workout that proves essential.

Tracks
-1. "Free For All" (Shorter) - 11:04
-2. "Hammer Head" (Shorter) - 7:47
-3. "The Core" (Hubbard) - 9:24
-4. "Pensativa" (Fischer) - 8:19

Personnel
* Art Blakey, drums
* Wayne Shorter, tenor saxophone
* Freddie Hubbard, trumpet
* Curtis Fuller, trombone
* Cedar Walton, piano
* Reggie Workman, bass

sample & buy: Free for All (RVG)

Oscar Peterson, Joe Pass, Ray Brown - The Giants (1974) (eac-log-cover)

Oscar Peterson, Joe Pass, Ray Brown - The Giants (1974)

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

OJC

Allmusic:
The title of this LP certainly fits the players. Pianist Oscar Peterson (who switches to organ on two of the eight selections), guitarist Joe Pass and bassist Ray Brown would each be on literally dozens of recordings for Norman Granz's Pablo label; all are worth acquiring by fans of straightahead jazz. This particular set has three Peterson originals (including one called "Jobim"), a few veteran standards and Quincy Jones's "Eyes of Love."

Tracks
-1. "Riff Blues" (Oscar Peterson) – 4:24
-2. "Who Cares?" (George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin) – 6:29
-3. "Jobim" (Joe Pass, Peterson) – 6:29
-4. "Blues for Dennis" (Peterson) – 5:31
-5. "Sunny" (Oscar Hammerstein II, Otto Harbach, Jerome Kern) – 4:49
-6. "I'm Getting Sentimental Over You" (George Bassman, Ned Washington) – 7:22
-7. "Caravan" (Duke Ellington, Irving Mills, Juan Tizol) – 6:34
-8. "Eyes of Love" (Quincy Jones, Bob Russell) – 6:53

Personnel
* Oscar Peterson – piano
* Joe Pass – guitar
* Ray Brown - double bass

Sample & Buy: The Giants

Archie Shepp - Mama Too Tight (20-bit SBM) (1966) (eac-log-cover)

Archie Shepp - Mama Too Tight (1966)

jazz | 1cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 275MB

Impulse!/GRP | 20-bit SBM

Allmusic:
The octet Archie Shepp surrounded himself with in 1966 was filled with new and old faces. The twin trombones of Roswell Rudd and Grachan Moncur III embodied this, but so did bassist Charlie Haden and trumpeter Tommy Turrentine, while familiar figures like drummer Beaver Harris and tubaist Howard Johnson had been part of Shepp's regular band. There are four tracks on Mama Too Tight, all of them in some way acting as extensions of the opening three-part suite, "A Portrait of Robert Thomson (As a Young Man)." Shepp had hit his stride here compositionally. The track is, at first, a seeming free jazz blowout, but then traces the history of jazz, gospel, and blues through its three sections. Certainly there is plenty of atonality, but there is plenty of harmonic and rhythmic invention too. The piece, almost 19 minutes in length, has an intricate architecture that uses foreshadowing techniques and complex resolution methods. The title track is a post-bop blues swinger with a killer front-line riff turning in and out as the trombones go head to head. And finally, "Basheer," with its Eastern modality that transposes itself toward blues and folk music, becomes a statement on the transitional ties the '60s were ushering in musically. Here again, lots of free blowing, angry bursts of energy, and shouts of pure revelry are balanced with Ellingtonian elegance and restraint that was considerable enough to let the lyric line float through and encourage more improvisation. This is Shepp at his level best.

Tracks
-1. "A Portrait Of Robert Thompson: A. Prelude to a Kiss / B. The Break Strain-King Cotton / C. Dem Basses" (Duke Ellington, Irving Gordon, Irving Mills/Public Domain/Archie Shepp) - 18:57
-2. "Mama Too Tight" - 5:25
-3. "Theme for Ernie" (Fred Lacey) - 3:21
-4. "Basheer" - 10:38
* All compositions by Archie Shepp except as indicated
* Recorded at Rudy Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, NJ, August 19, 1966

Personnel
* Archie Shepp: tenor saxophone
* Tommy Turrentine: trumpet
* Grachan Moncur III: trombone
* Roswell Rudd: trombone
* Howard Johnson: tuba
* Perry Robinson: clarinet
* Charlie Haden: bass
* Beaver Harris: drums

sample & buy: Mama Too Tight

Stan Getz - Sweet Rain (1967) (eac-log-cover)

Stan Getz - Sweet Rain (1967)

jazz | 1cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 210MB

Verve

Allmusic:
One of Stan Getz's all-time greatest albums, Sweet Rain was his first major artistic coup after he closed the book on his bossa nova period, featuring an adventurous young group that pushed him to new heights in his solo statements. Pianist Chick Corea, bassist Ron Carter, and drummer Grady Tate were all schooled in '60s concepts of rhythm-section freedom, and their continually stimulating interplay helps open things up for Getz to embark on some long, soulful explorations (four of the five tracks are over seven minutes). The neat trick of Sweet Rain is that the advanced rhythm section work remains balanced with Getz's customary loveliness and lyricism. Indeed, Getz plays with a searching, aching passion throughout the date, which undoubtedly helped Mike Gibbs' title track become a standard after Getz's tender treatment here. Technical perfectionists will hear a few squeaks on the LP's second half (Getz's drug problems were reputedly affecting his articulation somewhat), but Getz was such a master of mood, tone, and pacing that his ideas and emotions are communicated far too clearly to nit-pick. Corea's spare, understated work leaves plenty of room for Getz's lines and the busily shifting rhythms of the bass and drums, heard to best effect in Corea's challenging opener "Litha." Aside from that and the title track, the repertoire features another Corea original ("Windows"), the typically lovely Jobim tune "O Grande Amor," and Dizzy Gillespie's Latin-flavored "Con Alma." The quartet's level of musicianship remains high on every selection, and the marvelously consistent atmosphere the album evokes places it among Getz's very best. A surefire classic.

Tracks
-1. "Litha" 8:22 (Chick Corea)
-2. "O Grande Amor" 4:42 (Antonio Carlos Jobim-Vinicius DeMoraes)
-3. "Sweet Rain" 7:09 (Mike Gibbs)
-4. "Con Alma" 8:05 (Dizzy Gillespie)
-5. "Windows" 8:57 (Chick Corea)

Personnel
* Stan Getz, Tenor Sax
* Ron Carter, Bass
* Grady Tate, Drums
* Chick Corea, Piano

sample & buy: Sweet Rain