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

Cecil Taylor - Conquistador! (1966) (RVG)

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

BN RVG | rar +5% recovery

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

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

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

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

Primus - Brown Album (1997)

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

Interscope | rar +5% recovery

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

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

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

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

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

MFSL UDCD |rar  +5% recovery

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Live in Amsterdam, June 26, 1989

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

Primus - Tales From The Punchbowl (1995)

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

Interscope | rar +5% recovery

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

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

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

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

Wayne Shorter - The Soothsayer (1965) (RVG)

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

BN RVG | RAR +5% recovery

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

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

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

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

Roy Harper - Folkjokeopus (1969)

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

Science Friction  | rar +5% recovery

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

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

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