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Francoise Hardy - The Yeh-Yeh Girl From Paris, 1962 (Pop)

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1. Tous Les Garçons Et Les Filles (All The Boys And Girls) 3:06
2. Ça A Raté (It Failed) 1:57
3. La Fille Avec Toi (The Girl With You) 2:37
4. Oh Oh Chéri 2:20
5. Le Temps De L'Amour (The Time Of Love) 2:24
6. Il Est Tout Pour Moi (He's All For Me) 1:55
7. On Se Plait (As You Please) 2:07
8. Ton Meilleur Ami (Your Best Friend) 2:09
9. J'Ai Jeté Mon Cœur (I Threw Away My Heart) 2:32
10. Il Est Parti Un Jour (He Left One Day) 1:46
11. J'Suis D'Accord (I Agree) 2:02
12. C'Est L'Amour Auquel Je Pense (I Think About Love) 3:13

Francoise Hardy - Vocals
Roger Samyn And His Orchestra

AMG:
"From the Bardot-like cover shot of a windswept and gorgeous Françoise Hardy to the oddly chipper title, this 1965 U.S. debut (originally released on the proto-world music label Four Corners) is clearly pitched at the adventurous edge of the U.S. pop market, pitching Hardy as the Gallic Petula Clark. (Clark was, unbeknownst to the U.S. market at the time, making terrific French-language pop records herself at the time.) Complicating this, of course, is the fact that Hardy's music, for all its catchiness, is stripped down to its barest essentials - acoustic and electric guitar, bass, minimalist drums, very little else - and Hardy herself sings her (mostly self-penned) lyrics in an attractive but chilly drop-dead monotone that's far removed from the perkiness of almost every other female singer (minus Nico and Mary Weiss of the Shangri-Las) of the '60s. Even the perkier tunes, like the enormous French hit single 'Tous les Garcons et les Filles,' have a measured, restrained quality. The Yeh-Yeh Girl From Paris is an outstanding record, but it's the '60s pop equivalent of Shaker furniture: free of ornamentation and exquisitely simple."



The Yeh-Yeh Girl From Paris

or

The Yeh-Yeh Girl From Paris


Chris Rea - Deltics, 1979 (Album Rock)

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1. Twisted Wheel 5:16
2. The Things Lovers Should Do 3:34
3. Dance! (Don't Think) 3:51
4. Raincoats and a Rose 4:08
5. Cenotaph/Letter from Amsterdam 5:49
6. Deltics 5:26
7. Diamonds 4:54
8. She Gave It Away 3:58
9. Don't Want Your Best Friends 3:44
10. No Qualifications 2:19
11. Seabird 2:52

Chris Rea - Vocals, Guitar, Accordion, Synthesizer
Mick Hutchinson – Bass
Norman Nosebait – Drums
+
Steve Gregory - Saxophone
Eddie Guy - Guitar (Acoustic)
Martin Jenner - Guitar (Acoustic)
Kevin Peak - Guitar (Acoustic)
Graham Watson – Organ (2)
Morris Pert – Percussion
Gus Dudgeon - Percussion
Vicki Brown - Vocals
Stuart Epps - Vocals
Liza Strike - Vocals
Joy Yates - Vocals

AMG:
"Indeed, whatever happened to Benny Santini? The name that Magnet Records were considering using for their new solo signing but instead he went with his real name of Chris Rea, and Deltics was his second album after Whatever Happened to Benny Santini? and his first to reach the charts, althoug it didn't make much of an impact, only peaking at number 54 in the spring of 1979 - not the best time for an introspective singer/songwriter to crash the charts. Named after the British Rail class 55 of diesel locomotive trains that were built in the early '60s and were just about to be withdrawn from service, Rea showed his interest in various forms of transport that would continue throughout his recording career. He took a leaf out of the Elton John songbook with the opening track 'Twisted Wheel' which has a thumping piano running throughout and a melody not unlike Elton's song 'Part Time Love.' This style was continued on the song 'Dance (Don't Think)' and the one single taken from Deltics, the track 'Diamonds,' but this was hardly surprising as the album was produced by Gus Dudgeon who had been influential in producing most of Elton John's albums to date. However, there was a variety on the album that showed great promise, from these uptempo numbers to the great atmospheric guitar work by Robert Ahwry on the title track and the ballads 'She Gave It Away' and 'The Things That Lovers Do.''Raincoat and a Rose' was obviously going to tug at the heartstrings with a string section during the intro and the chorus, and the song did turn out to be about forbidden love while the track 'Cenotaph' was an interesting two-minute instrumental that led into the more rock-oriented 'Letter from Amsterdam.' Because Rea's career has lasted so long, still enjoying hit albums in the 21st century, his early work, which was not as commercially successful, is sometimes overlooked and Deltics is a prime example, a great album, hardly ever mentioned in discussions of Chris Rea's many recordings."



Deltics

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Deltics

Phil Upchurch - L.A. Jazz Quintet, 1986 (Jazz)

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1. Summertime 8:40
2. Sunday Morning 7:34
3. Here's That Rainy Day 5:12
4. Big Al 5:45
5. You'd Be So Nice to Come Home To 8:11
6. The Look of Love 6:21

Brandon Fields - Flute, Sax
Phil Upchurch - Guitar
Bobby Lyle - Piano
Brian Bromberg - Bass
Harvey Mason - Drums

AMG:
"A prolific guitarist who is comfortable playing blues, soul, R&B, and jazz, Phil Upchurch has been a prominent figure in Chicago music circles since the mid-'50s. He initially did freelance sessions with such musicians as Jerry Butler before becoming house guitarist for Chess. Upchurch's sensitive, often funky chording, riffs, and licks were heard on numerous releases by such artists as the Dells, Howlin' Wolf, Gene Chandler, and Muddy Waters. He frequently teamed with drummer Maurice White, who later headed Earth, Wind & Fire. He formed the Phil Upchurch Combo in the early '60s, and had a hit with the instrumental 'You Can't Sit Down' in 1961. They did some follow-up singles, but none equaled the initial record's success. Upchurch did several soul-jazz and funk dates for such labels as Sue and Cadet in the mid- and late '60s. He signed with Blue Thumb in the '70s and split his time between sessions with the Crusaders and Ben Sidran and making his own albums. Tommy LiPuma produced Darkness, Darkness and Lovin' Feelin in 1972 and 1973. Upchurch did one LP for Creed Taylor's Kudu label in 1975, Upchurch Tennyson, with pianist/vocalist Tennyson Stephens. He returned to studio work, but recorded as a leader for Palladin in 1985, Ichiban in 1991, and Ridgetop in 1995 and 1997. He remains active as a session musician and bandleader, returning in 1999 with Rhapsody & Blues. Tell the Truth appeared in spring 2001."



L.A. Jazz Quintet

or

L.A. Jazz Quintet

Ten Years After - Undead, 1968 (Blues-Rock)

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1. I May Be Wrong, But I Won't Be Wrong Always 9:42
2. Woodchopper's Ball 7:21
3. Spider in My Web 7:36
4. Summertime/Shantung Cabbage 5:27
5. I'm Going Home 6:36

Alvin Lee - Guitar, Vocals
Chick Churchill - Keyboards, Drums
Leo Lyons - Bass
Ric Lee - Drums

AMG:
"Recorded live in a small London club, Undead contains the original 'I'm Going Home,' the song that brought Ten Years After its first blush of popularity following the Woodstock festival and film in which it was featured. However, the real strength of this album is side one, which contains two extended jazz jams, 'I May Be Wrong, But I Won't Be Wrong Always' and Woody Herman's 'Woodchopper's Ball,' both of which spotlight guitarist Alvin Lee's amazing speed and technique. Side two is less interesting, with an extended slow blues typical of the time, a drum solo feature, and the rock & roll rave-up of 'I'm Going Home'."



Undead

or

Undead

Sun Ra - Pictures Of Infinity, 1968 (Avant-Garde Jazz)

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1. Saturn 6:08
2. Song of the Sparer 4:22
3. Spontaneous Simplicity 7:56
4. Somewhere There 15:10
5. Outer Spaceways Incorporated 7:02

Sun Ra - Piano
Danny Davis - Flute, Sax (Alto)
Marshall Allen - Flute, Oboe, Percussion, Sax (Alto)
John Gilmore - Percussion, Sax (Tenor)
Pat Patrick - Flute, Percussion, Sax (Baritone)
Robert Cummings - Clarinet (Bass)
Ahk Tal Ebah - Percussion, Trumpet
Kwame Hadi - Percussion, Trumpet
Ali Hassan - Percussion, Trombone
Teddy Nance - Percussion, Trombone
Bernard Pettaway - Percussion, Trombone (Bass)
Ronnie Boykins - Bass
Nimrod Hunt - Drums
James Jacson - Drums, Flute
Clifford Jarvis - Drums, Percussion

AMG:
"Although no precise date is given, these five cuts are thought to have been documented circa 1967-1968 by Sun Ra (piano) and his Arkestra in New York City, where the band was in residence at the time. There is a mixture of older works as well as newer selections on 1971's Pictures of Infinity. That said, even the established compositions - most notably the full-throttled reading of 'Saturn' that commences the collection - are given fresh sonic visages. Tenor saxophonist John Gilmore is particularly potent with his flawless fluidity running melodic yet hard bopping lines over top of the solid rhythm section. He gives a hearty personality to his interjections as they dart in and out of the spiraling mile-a-minute arrangement. Bassist Ronnie Boykins is commanding, especially as his solo emerges out of drummer Nimrod Hunt's rapid-fire timekeeping. 'Song of the Sparer' is an exquisite and rarely documented tune that begins with some intricate phrases from Ra before evolving into a languid and practically dirgelike improvisational piece. 'Spontaneous Simplicity' is highlighted by some warm and inviting interplay between a flutist - presumably either Danny Davis or Pat Patrick - and Ra, whose strident piano accompaniment is remarkably suited to the earthy nature of the woodwind's ethereal, alternately liberating and plaintive sound. Immediately contrasting the more rural expressions is the aggressive extended free jazz attack heard on 'Somewhere There.' The bombastic percussion and practically sadistic sax-and-drum onslaught thrash about in an almost definitive example of the sheer power possessed by the Arkestra. The 'Outer Spaceways Incorporated' chant concluding this long-player is similar to other versions and remains an affirmative statement juxtaposing an inescapably dissonant introduction with the playful nature of the singalong quality of the verses."



Pictures Of Infinity

or

Pictures Of Infinity

Mongol - Doppler 444, 1997 (Prog/Fusion)

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1. From The Beyond~Doppler 444 9:53
2. Garadama 7:00
3. Homewards 1:05
4. Driller 5:52
5. Merazoma 6:43
6. Greatful Paradise 18:12

Hirofumi Mitoma - guitars and straws
Takeshi Yasumoto - piano and keyboard
Naoto Amazaki - fletless ignition bass
Kiyoshi Pochi-Imai - drums and percusssion

progarchives:
"The Japanese quartet (keyboards, guitars, bass, drums) offers a loud and intense style of jazz-rock fusion. Mongol created only one album and it is a masterpiece of the genre. Here they try an energetic, symphonic-ornamented fusion style rather similar to Kenso and Ain Soph.
‘Doppler 444’ has been released in 1997 and it is today not easy to find it. This band is almost unknown and this should not be. The compositions by the keyboardist are finally powered by a dynamic and very energetic rhythms section. The fretless bass insures a jazzy tone while the drumming has more of a rock flavour. Solid performances, a rich production and a rock context that allows a jazzy touch (ex: U.K.) as well as a more heavier one (ex: Dream Theater).
"



Doppler 444

or

Doppler 444

Lô Borges - Lô Borges, 1972 (Bossa/Psych)

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1. Você Fica Melhor Assim 2:07
2. Canção Postal 2:10
3. O Caçador 1:59
4. Homem Da Rua 2:00
5. Não Foi Nada 1:47
6. Pensa Você 1:26
7. Fio Da Navalha 2:19
8. Prá Onde Vai Você 0:37
9. Calibre 1:29
10. Faça Seu Jogo 1:42
11. Não Se Apague Esta Noite 2:32
12. Aos Barões 2:31
13. Como O Machado 1:45
14. Eu Sou Como Você É 3:03
15. Tôda Essa Água 2:49

Lô Borges - Voz, Violão
Beto Guedes - Violão
Piano - Tenório Jr.
Baixo - Toninho Horta
Bateria - De Jesus
Guitarra - Nelson Angelo Sonho

AMG:
"Reminiscent of the Clube da Esquina album he made the same year with Brazilian superstar Milton Nascimento, Lô Borges' 1972 solo debut proves that his influence on Nascimento was quite strong. The recording is texturally lush and dreamy, at times urgent and bizarre, and filled with the fantastic and intricate guitar playing one would expect of Borges after hearing his dazzling work with Nascimento. His vocal arrangements are lavish, often similar to the vocal qualities of George Harrison's All Things Must Pass, and his instrumental arrangements are just plain confounding. Piano phrases mash in and out of control over the unorthodox yet clever progressions; polyphonic percussion interlocks with jazzed-out organ lines and thoughtful, melodic bass work. Occasionally, a string section will fall into place, fulfilling the album's decorative quota, and the whole construction becomes watertight. It is truly stunning to pick apart the timbre of individual instruments and realize how necessary and meticulous each part is in the overall presentation. Borges is one of those arrangers who can build up a music bed with miles of depth and construct a wall of sound, yet keep the overall concept in crisp focus. No layer of the instrumentation seems to ever become obscured by another, nor does any part seem unnecessary, and so much is going on rhythmically and melodically that it demands full attention. The remarkable quality of Brazil's musical culture to seamlessly integrate as many outside influences into one place is well represented here. Many western textures, such as soul, rock, jazz, and pop, are absorbed into the picture with fervor and grace rarely executed in the world of western music. 'Não Foi Nada' illustrates this particularly well, but the melting-pot sentiment echoes through all of Borges' performances here."



Lô Borges

or

Lô Borges

Nils Petter Molvaer - Recoloured: The Remix Album, 2001 (Future Jazz)

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1. Merciful (Herbert's We Mix) 5:57
2. Dead Indeed (Jan Bang's 7:00 AM Mix) 8:26
3. Solid Ether (Underlying Love Mix By Joakim Lone) 6:13
4. Vilderness (Cinematic Orchestra Mix) 6:12
5. Vilderness (Chilluminati Mix) 5:24
6. Ligotage (Phonoversion) 7:45
7. Kakonita (Deathprod Mix) 3:50
8. Dead Indeed (Tunnel Mix By Mind Over MIDI) 7:53
9. Ligotage (TeeBee Mix) 5:10
10. Solid Ether (Funkstörung Mix) 4:54
11. Dead Indeed (Pascal Gabriel Mix) 5:41
12. Merciful/Ligotage (Incunabula Mix By Bill Laswell) 8:16

exclaim.ca:
"A remix album by various artists such as Cinematic Orchestra, Chilluminati, Pascal Gabriel and Bill Laswell, all of who bring their interpretive slant to of Molvaer's music. These interpretations range in style from acid and psychedelic jazz to deep house to dub. The best remixes on the album appear to be by Cinematic Orchestra, Jan Bang and Herbert's 'We' mix. The Cinematic Orchestra sounds like a classic era psychedelic jazz jam session, and Jim Bang's remix of 'Dead Indeed' has the vitality and uplifting emotional feel of a city awakening from slumber, hence the apt co-title '7AM mix.' The Herbert remix of 'Merciful,' which starts off with fragile lo-fi vocals that croon a ballad and then are joined by a crunchy rhythmic bass line a minute into the song before the piece unfurls with the accompaniment of instrumental arrangements and the vocals brought into crisp stereo sound, is anthem material that should be placed next to St. Germaine's 'Rose Rouge.' Recolored is a nice reworking of Molvaer's material."



Recoloured: The Remix Album

or

Recoloured: The Remix Album


Badfinger - BBC In Concert, 1972-1973 (Album Rock)

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1. Better Days 3:54
2. Only You Know and I Know 6:16
3. We're for the Dark 4:55
4. Sweet Tuesday Morning 2:48
5. Feelin' Alright 9:11
6. Take It All 4:18
7. Suitcase 7:35
8. Love Is Easy 3:12
9. Blind Owl 4:40
10. Constitution 4:05
11. Icicles 2:34
12. Matted Spam 3:45
13. Suitcase 6:18
14. I Can't Take It 4:31
15. Come and Get It 2:35

Joey Molland - Guitar, Vocals
Pete Ham - Guitar, Piano, Vocals
Tom Evans - Bass
Mike Gibbins - Drums, Percussion

AMG:
"Members of Badfinger have often been quoted as saying that Badfinger were a misunderstood 'rock' band, and that their studio output did not do them justice, as it portrayed the band as 'pop.' It had also been said that they utilized the live stage to showcase their hard-edged rock sound. This CD somewhat demonstrates such a claim. Badfinger have not been represented well with live recordings, and although these recordings were done at (arguably) their creative peak, this CD does little to remedy that situation. The hits are not played, with the exception of the 1970 live television performance of 'Come and Get It'. No 'Day After Day' or 'No Matter What,' but the listener is treated to two very long cover versions of Dave Mason's 'Only You and I Know', and 'Feelin' Alright?'. In all honesty, the band's playing sounds sloppy at times, although Pete Ham does shine with some great guitar playing, but overall they performances are not tight, or even together at times. To add to this, the CD is not particularly well recorded or mixed. Also of question is the choice of material, since the concerts were obviously longer than presented here, is there any purpose to two, all most identical live versions of 'Suitcase,' a second-rate Badfinger song to begin with? Their harmonies are not really present, and true classics, such as 'Take It All' and the beautiful 'Sweet Tuesday Morning,' do not fare well live. It is not a total loss, however. The material from Ass ('Constitution,' Icicles,' and 'Blind Owl') holds up very well, as that particular album already had a rock sound. But this CD seems aimed at the Badfinger collector, and not the average listening fan. It is a fascinating, and perhaps important, document in terms of Badfinger's history, but it also proves to be somewhat disappointing."



BBC In Concert

or

BBC In Concert

Zbigniew Namysłowski z góralami - Jazz Jamboree 1994

Ralph Lundsten - Cosmic Phantazy, 1986 (Electronic)

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1. Part 1
2. Part 2

Ralph Lundsten - Electronic Musical Instruments

Wiki:
"Ralph Lundsten is a Swedish composer of electronic music, as well as a film director, artist and author.
He was born on 6 October 1936 in Ersnäs, Norrbotten, in northern Sweden, and now lives in Nacka on the outskirts of Stockholm, still close to the forest and the sea. His home is Castle Frankenburg, dating from 1878, a wooden fairytale mansion which also houses his famous picture and electronic music studio Andromeda.
Since 1959 he has lived an independent life, creating his own personal musical language, and preparing original films and exhibitions. His song Out in the Wide World serves as the signature tune for Radio Sweden International broadcasts.
During the 1950s Ralph Lundsten built his own electronic musical instruments and was one of the first pioneers in this field."



Cosmic Phantazy

or

Cosmic Phantazy

Isham Jones And His Orchestra - Swinging Down the Lane, 1923-1930 (Early Jazz)

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1. Farewell Blues 3:13
2. Memphis Blues 3:03
3. Nobody's Sweetheart 3:09
4. Blue Evening Blues 3:07
5. It Had to Be You 3:00
6. My Best Girl 3:08
7. Why Couldn't It Be Poor Little Me? 3:01
8. I'll See You in My Dreams 2:52
9. Danger 3:04
10. Headin' for Home 2:38
11. Paddelin' Madeline Home 3:08
12. That Certain Party 2:59
13. I'm Sitting on Top of the World 2:59
14. I Wonder Where My Baby Is Tonight 3:12
15. It's the Blues 3:02
16. Three-Thirty Blues 2:54
17. What's the Use? 2:58
18. Swingin' Down the Lane 2:56

Isham Jones - Conductor, Sax (Tenor)
Artie Vanasec - Sax (Soprano)
Al Mauling - Clarinet
Louis Panico - Cornet
Frankie Quartell - Trumpet
Carroll Martin - Trombone
Guy Carey - Trombone
Bud Graham - Trombone
John Kuhn - Brass Band
Pierre Olker - Brass Band
Charles McNeill - Banjo
Joe Miller - Banjo
Leo Murphy - Violin
Victor Young - Violin
Roy Bargy - Piano
Joe Frank - Drums
Ernest Hare - Vocals
Billy Jones - Vocals
Frank Sylvano - Vocals

AMG:
"At its best, the Isham Jones Orchestra was capable of playing real jazz. The strongest and hottest instrumental tracks woven into this Memphis Archives compilation emanate a substantiality approaching that of early Fletcher Henderson or very early Duke Ellington. 'Farewell Blues' and 'Memphis Blues,' recorded in January 1923, swing a little on the strength of the melodies. Even 'I'm Sitting on Top of the World' (not to be confused with the blues tune by Howlin' Wolf) cooks with inspired precision. 'It's the Blues' and 'Three Thirty Blues' are among the best recordings this band ever made. Most satisfying was the expressive cornet playing of Louis Panico, an element that was missing after September 1924. Panico's contribution to this band was roughly comparable to what Louis Metcalf, Arthur Whetsol, and Bubber Miley accomplished on some of Ellington's earliest recordings. Another aspect of Isham Jones is also documented here: it was essentially that of a pit orchestra accustomed to backing up pop vocalists and vaudeville entertainers. Bearing in mind the fact that this orchestra worked regularly with Al Jolson, the selections featuring singers - particularly Billy Jones and Ernest Hare, usually billed as the Happiness Boys - illustrate this important function most effectively. Even quite a number of the instrumental performances are noticeably reined in by shuffle rhythms that hardly manage to break free of the vaudevillian pop mode. This might explain why many jazz historians have concentrated on Isham Jones the composer of great melodies destined to become jazz standards rather than on Isham Jones the leader of an all-purpose popular dance band that periodically incorporated real jazz into its performing itinerary."



winging Down the Lane

or

winging Down the Lane

Terry Riley - Salome-Dances for Peace, 1989 (Modern Composition)

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Anthem of the Great Spirit:
1 1. The Summons
2 Peace Dance
3 Fanfare in the Minimal Kingdom
4 Ceremonial Night Race
5 At the Ancient Aztec Corn Races Salome Meets Wild Talker
6 More Ceremonial Races
7 Oldtimers at the Races
8 Half Wolf Dances Mad in Moonlight

Conquest of the War Demons:
9 Way of the Warrior
10 Salome and Half Wolf Descend through the Gates to the Underworld
11 Breakthrough to the Realm of the War Demons
12 Combat Dance
13 Victory: Salome Re-enacts for Half Wolf Her Deeds of Valor
14 Discovery of Peace
15 The Underworld Arising

The Gift:
1 Echoes of Primordial Time
2 Mongolian Winds

The Ecstasy:
3 Processional
4 Seduction of the Bear Father
5 The Gathering
6 At the Summit
7 Recessional

Good Medicine:
8 Good Medicine Dance

Kronos Quartet

AMG:
"There is no string quartet that has ever been written that can compare length and diversity with Terry Riley's Salome Dances for Peace. Morton Feldman has written a longer one, but it is confined to his brilliant field of notational relationships and open tonal spaces. Riley's magnum opus, which dwarfs Beethoven's longest quartet by three, is a collection of so many different kinds of music, many of which had never been in string quartet form before and even more of which would - or should - never be rubbing up against one another in the same construct. Riley is a musical polymath, interested in music from all periods and cultures: there are trace elements of jazz and blues up against Indian classical music, North African Berber folk melodies, Native American ceremonial music, South American shamanistic power melodies - and many more. The reason they are brought together in this way is for the telling of an allegorical story. In Riley's re-examining Salome's place in history, he finds a way to redeem both her and the world through her talent. Two thousand years after her original infamous dance she is summoned by the Great Spirit who sees her as the epitome of the feminine force and needs her talent to win back peace for the world, which has been stolen by dark forces. The quartet that Kronos takes on here has five movements, but within each movement are sections where the music changes to illustrate certain themes in Salome's journey to dance for peace. In the first two movements alone there are a total of 15 such sections. Some of them move through Middle Eastern desert themes and others through the Old West as portrayed by Aaron Copland. The genius in such a work is not so much in having so many ideas and putting them into one pot, but in writing transitions for a group of musicians to make them believable and seamless. In Riley's quartet, the journeying from summoning to the recessional at the end, movement is constant: action, contemplation, and meditation all take place on the move. Kronos' sense of drama and pace is inherent in everything they do and so the theater involved here (this was originally conceived of as a ballet) is not a stretch for them. But the emotional changes involved in the solemnity of the cause - which Riley's mythical undertaking takes absolutely seriously - that move from great seriousness to righteous anger to being in awe of the Divine and the urge to give in to various temptations are all illustrated by rhythmic, tonal, and timbral changes within the score. Modes shift from interval to interval without seam, hesitation, or mindless transition. Riley takes all of the musical ideas he holds dear, places them in the context of all the world's musical styles he holds sacred, and then creates for them an allegory that has lasting implications for how people view not only history and their role in the present, but how they conduct their view of the world around them forever more. That this is done without a lyric or being autodidactic is a small miracle. That he and the Kronos Quartet have produced a string quartet at the end of the twentieth century that stands as one of the most sophisticated and musically challenging in the history of Western music is an enigma."



Salome-Dances for Peace

or

Salome-Dances for Peace

Television - Adventure, 1978 (Punk/New Wave)

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1. Glory 3:11
2. Days 3:14
3. Foxhole 4:49
4. Careful 3:18
5. Carried Away 5:12
6. The Fire 5:56
7. Ain't That Nothin' 4:53
8. The Dream's Dream 6:37
9. Adventure (Previously Unissued) 5:36
10. Ain't That Nothin' (Remastered Single Version) 3:52
11. Glory (Early Version) (Previously Unissued) 3:37
12. Ain't That Nothin' (Run-Through) (Hidden Track) 9:48

Richard Lloyd - Guitar, Vocals
Tom Verlaine - Guitar, Keyboards, Vocals
Fred Smith - Bass, Vocals
Billy Ficca - Drums

AMG:
"Television's groundbreaking first album, Marquee Moon, was as close to a perfect debut as any band made in the 1970s, and in many respects it would have been all but impossible for the band to top it. One senses that Television knew this, because Adventure seems designed to avoid the comparisons by focusing on a different side of the band's personality. Where Marquee Moon was direct and straightforward in its approach, with the subtleties clearly in the performance and not in the production, Adventure is a decidedly softer and less aggressive disc, and while John Jansen's production isn't intrusive, it does round off the edges of the band's sound in a way Andy Johns' work on the first album did not. But the two qualities that really made Marquee Moon so special were Tom Verlaine's songs and the way his guitar work meshed with that of Richard Lloyd, whose style was less showy but whose gifts were just as impressive, and if you have to listen a bit harder to Adventure, it doesn't take long to realize that both of those virtues are more than apparent here, and while one might wish the sound had a bit more bite on 'Foxhole' or 'Ain't That Nothin',' the quieter, more layered sound is just what the doctor ordered for 'Glory' and 'The Dream's Dream.' Sure, Marquee Moon is a better album, but Adventure has one of the greatest guitar bands of all time playing superbly on a set of truly fine songs, and albums like this come along far too infrequently for anyone to ignore music this pleasurable simply on the grounds of relative evaluation; it's not quite a masterpiece, but it's a brilliant record by any yardstick."



Adventure

or

Adventure

Henry Threadgill and the Society Situation Dance Band,NDR Jazz-Festival Haamburg 1998

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Henry Threadgill - conductor, flute, alto sax
Drew Richards - vocals
Sherry Scott - vocals
John Stubblefield - tenor sax
Booker T. Williams - tenor sax
Ted Daniels - trumpet
James Zollar - trumpet
Craig Harris - trombone
Frank Lacy - trombone
Bob Stewart - tuba
Deidre Murray - cello
Abdul Wadud - cello
Akbar Ali - violin
Charles Burnham - violin
Leroy Jenkins - violin
Brandon Ross - guitar
Jean-Paul Bourelly - guitar
Jerome Harris - bass guitar
Pheroan AkLaff - drums

Henry Threadgill - Song Out Of My Trees, 1993 (Avant-Garde Jazz)

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1. Gateway 9:24
2. Over the River Club 9:24
3. Grief 10:11
4. Crea 8:47
5. Song Out of My Trees 8:15

Henry Threadgill - Sax (Alto)
Teddy Daniel - Horn, Trumpet
James Emery - Guitar (Soprano)
Ed Cherry - Guitar
Brandon Ross - Guitar
Tony Cedrus - Accordion
Amina Claudine Myers - Harpsichord
Myra Melford - Piano
Michelle Kinney - Cello
Diedre Murray - Cello
Jerome Harris - Bass
Jerome Richardson - Bass
Gene Lake - Drums
Reggie Nicholson - Drums
Mossa Bildner - Voices

AMG:
"Even longtime Threadgill fans may be surprised at the direction and content on his most recent session. The five tunes include three pieces where Threadgill is absent, and one ('Over The River Club') is a nine-minute-plus opus dominated by three guitars colliding, intersecting, and dueling. The title track showcases Threadgill's blues and gospel roots, with some wonderful organ by Amina Claudine Myers. Only 'Crea' and 'Gateway' are similar to past Threadgill works, with 'Crea' featuring the unusual sound of Ted Daniel on hunting horns. Even a champion of the unorthodox like Threadgill may have some people scratching their heads after they hear this, but it's a signal that he'll never settle for doing what's expected."



Song Out Of My Trees

or

Song Out Of My Trees

Eddie Hazel - Jams From The Heart EP, 1975 (Psych)

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1. Smedley Smorganoff 3:07
2. Lampoc Boogie 11:47
3. From the Bottom of My Soul 12:34
4. Unkut Funk 2:06

Eddie Hazel - Guitar
Bernie Worrell - Keyboards
Bootsy Collins - Bass
Buddy Miles - Drums

AMG:
"Eddie Hazel rose to fame in the early '70s as part of George Clinton's Parliament/Funkadelic troupe. An extremely talented and underappreciated guitarist/songwriter, Hazel had no problem nailing down Hendrix-like guitar freakouts ('Maggot Brain') or nasty, straight-up funk ('Loose Booty,''Red Hot Mama'). Although drug abuse would hinder his talents (he went to prison in the late '70s and eventually died in 1993 because of it), Hazel still came through when inspired and focused. Although he did release one official solo album in 1977 (Games, Dames & Guitar Thangs), there wasn't much material left behind where the listener could hear Hazel cut loose on guitar due to the Clinton-generated pressure to write a hit single. All of this is solved by the Jams From the Heart EP, which features some of Hazel's greatest playing ever committed to tape. The tracks are from a 1975 studio session, when he was laying down demos for his upcoming solo debut. Quite simply, Hazel rips on guitar. 'Smedley Smorganoff' opens up with Hazel getting the feel for the other musicians, while the near 12-minute 'Lampoc Boogie' is the near-ultimate guitar showcase for him (the above-mentioned 'Maggot Brain' gets top honors). The gut-wrenching ballad 'From the Bottom of My Heart' is another long track, and is the only song on the album to contain vocals. The final selection, the short 'Unkut Funk,' features some great band interplay on a fat groove, which wraps up the EP nicely. A wonderful introduction for those curious about the many talents of Eddie Hazel, especially since it's nearly 30 minutes long yet priced as a mini-album."



Jams From The Heart

or

Jams From The Heart

Esther & Abi Ofarim - Die Ofarim-Story, 1972 (Pop/Folk)

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1. Garden of My Home 2:59
2. Donna Donna 3:34
3. Viva La Feria 1:50
4. Wenn Ich bei Dir Sein Kann 2:34
5. Morning of My Life 3:32
6. Drunten im Tale 2:49
7. Ich Fand Mein Glück 2:38
8. Bye Biddy Bye Bye Jack 2:29
9. Cinderella Rockefella 2:31
10. Noch einen Tanz 2:58
11. Go Tell It on the Mountain 3:04
12. Freight Train 2:30
13. Empty Pocket Blues 3:41
14. Sing Hallelujah 2:46
15. Die Wahrheit (Die Fahrt Ins Heu) 3:29
16. Ma Chanson 3:00
17. Melodie Einer Nacht 2:34
18. Never Grow Old 2:36

AMG:
"Veteran Israeli singer Esther Ofarim began recording in the late 1950s, and has put out records in several styles throughout her career, including folk music (of Israel and other cultures and countries), folk-rock, novelty, and orchestrated folk-pop-classical-rock in the style of Judy Collins. Ofarim often released records in English, with virtually no trace of an Israeli accent, and also performed and recorded for a while with her one-time husband Abi.
Although not too well-known to the English-speaking audience (particularly in the United States), Ofarim has impinged on the pop and rock consciousness from time to time. In 1968, she had a British number one hit (also a big seller in other countries, though not in the U.S.) with the novelty 'Cinderella Rockafella,' recorded as part of a duo with husband Abi; Esther and Abi had another British hit, 'One More Dance,' later that year. The pair's manager, Ady Semel, managed Scott Walker for a while, and co-wrote (with Walker) much of the material on Walker's 1970 album 'Til the Band Comes In. It was likely through that connection that Esther Ofarim actually ended up singing the sole vocal on a song on 'Til the Band Comes In, 'Long About Now' (although this was written by Walker and Semel), a most unusual move on an album billed to an entirely different solo vocalist. Semel also told the press he had plans to make Scott Walker and Esther Ofarim a team, although nothing came of it.
Around the early '70s, Ofarim recorded some material in a style remarkably close (more in production than vocals) to that being done by Judy Collins around the same time: eclectic folk-pop-art songs, given classically tinged orchestral arrangements. Noted producer Bob Johnston (Bob Dylan, Johnny Cash, Simon & Garfunkel) produced one of these, 1972's Esther Ofarim, which indicates that someone or some people in the industry must have thought she had the potential to attract a significant popular audience. One leading British collector, Phil Smee, has described (in Record Collector) some of her work as sounding like a female Scott Walker, particularly on the LP Israeli Songs. Little information about Ofarim, however, circulates in the English-speaking record collecting community, a situation that will no doubt change in the 21st century as cultists look for something relatively undiscovered to mine."



Die Ofarim-Story

or

Die Ofarim-Story

Carla Bley - The Lost Chords find Paolo Fresu, 2007 (Jazz)

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1. The One Banana 8:30
2. The Two Banana 6:38
3. The Three Banana 3:50
4. The Four 4:52
5. The Five Banana 7:52
6. The One Banana More 1:23
7. Liver Of Life 7:14
8. Death Of Superman/Dream Sequence #1 - Flying 7:50
9. Ad Infinitum 7:43

Carla Bley - Piano
Andy Sheppard - Sax (Soprano), Sax (Tenor), Soprano (Vocal)
Paolo Fresu - Flugelhorn, Trumpet
Steve Swallow - Bass
Billy Drummond - Drums

AMG:
"Composer and pianist Carla Bley has been very consistent, if not exactly prolific, for most of her 40 years in jazz. When she and bassist/life partner Steve Swallow hired British saxophonist Andy Sheppard - then one of his country's young lions as both a composer and as a reedman - in 1989, they hired him on and he's been with the group ever since. The recorded evidence was heard on Sheppard's first appearance with Bley on the utterly beguiling Fleur Carnivore, and later on the fine trio recording Songs with Legs in 1995. Drummer Billy Drummond joined the unit as a permanent member in the early part of this century, and on 2004's Lost Chords debut, locked in with a unit that seemed to be evenly weighted all around. This quartet has been responsible for some astonishing gigs, and conceivably, Bley could record this group over and over. But she's a restless composer, whether writing for big band or smaller units. The silly but delightful story in the liner notes tells us that she'd been hearing the sound of a trumpet when writing, and found the perfect foil in the sounds coming from Sheppard's headphones. Closer to the truth is it was Sheppard who encouraged Bley to enlist Paolo Fresu for this recording. Simply put, after the great Enrico Rava there is no finer Italian trumpeter than Fresu, an intensely lyrical, warm-toned player who is capable of speedy bebop runs, to be sure (check his early sides for proof), but who favors a more lyrical approach to the music as many Italian jazzers do.
Evidenced by Bley's compositions here, hiring Fresu for this outing was an inspired idea. The combination of Sheppard's big, raw-edged tenor with Fresu's rich and textured approach to both in-line exchange playing and as a soloist is perfect. The disc opens with the six-part 'Banana Quintet.' (It's obvious that Bley hasn't lost any of her dry ironic wit since her last outing.) It begins slowly on 'One Banana,' with Fresu's trumpet playing a six-note line, and is joined by the band repeating it with either extra or fewer notes from the same sequence to keep Bley's bars clean. They trade like this for three repetitions before the ballad unfolds with Fresu's solo, as lyrical and pastoral as a warm summer rain in the country. His long solo is followed by a gorgeous one by Swallow before the tune begins to wind down with Swallow coloring the lead line on his high strings in the high register. It's one of the most beautiful songs she has ever composed. The blues enters on 'Two Banana,' and the listener is treated to the utterly striking and beautiful contrast to this two-horn line. Sheppard solos first on tenor, as the band shuffles along and Bley colors his phrasing with elegant chords that nonetheless contain the hint of something darker in their force. Fresu picks up on the tail end of that solo with his own after twinning on long sustained notes, and he slides into the opposite chair, articulating something more graceful, but no less emotive.
'Third Banana' reveals some of Bley's humor. Its odd phrasing, with Drummond punching in Sheppard's solo with accents, is belied by the sparseness of Bley's own comping, which certainly swings but is also highly idiosyncratic. 'Four' is introduced by a bass and piano ostinato line that deeply resembles the Beatles''I Want You/She's So Heavy.' The coolest thing about the cut is the way Drummond comes on more forcefully as it unwinds. He's driving it whether it's from the bell of his cymbal, his snare, his oddly punctuated bass drum accents, or the entire kit, and that force begins to push the other players to meet him. Sheppard finally does, blowing right out of the blue with a deep dark blues line. It becomes apparent about two thirds of the way through that Bley is using that Beatles line verbatim, but it leads somewhere else before the tune empties itself out. There's a subtle yet groovy Latin vibe on 'Five Banana' that has some very compelling and tighter, hotter solo work from Fresu. The rhythmic interplay between Swallow and Drummond is utterly entrancing and remarkable. The gorgeous chord voicing that underscore the solo lines by both Fresu and Sheppard are among some of Bley's tastiest yet. It's a kind of pronounced rhythmic counterpoint that uses the dynamic shapes and shades to offer something a little darker to the mix.
There are three cuts outside 'The Banana Quintet.' There's the languid, sloping swing of 'The Liver of Life,' with some wonderful harmonic head playing by Sheppard and Fresu. 'Death of Superman/Dream Sequence, No. 1: Flying' begins with another deeply song-like bass solo by Swallow and opens onto a limpid palette with breezy tones, at a ballad tempo. Sheppard's solo is spare but exquisite. Finally, 'Ad Infinitium' offers Bley's post-bop composition at its best with a fine swinger that walks a line between mid- and quick tempo, gaining in both musculature and a chameleon-like set of changes that are negotiated wonderfully - especially by their notation in Drummond's skittering breakbeats. Once more, Fresu rises to a faster, tighter flight solo and is answered by Sheppard, the distance between those two sounds breached by the shifting of Bley's big chords, giving them both a wonderful chromatic line to walk.
With all of her strengths on display here, from humor and a strict reliance on substance over her own considerable instrumental virtuosity, to her canny compositional skill at writing balanced and nuanced, elegant works that add to the actual literature of the music, this baby trumps the Lost Chords quartet date (it's sort of amazing that's even possible) in all the right places, making it arguably the finest small group record Bley's ever made."



The Lost Chords find Paolo Fresu

or

The Lost Chords find Paolo Fresu

The Best of the Guess Who, 1971 (Album Rock)

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1. These Eyes 3:45
2. Laughing 2:37
3. Undun 3:26
4. No Time 3:39
5. American Woman 5:05
6. No Sugar Tonight/New Mother Nature 7:51
7. Hand Me Down World 3:22
8. Bus Rider 2:56
9. Share the Land 3:53
10. Do You Miss Me Darlin' 3:54
11. Hang on to Your Life 4:09

Burton Cummings - Keyboards, Vocals
Greg Leskiw - Guitar
Kurt Winter - Guitar
Jim Kale - Bass
Garry Peterson - Drums

AMG:
"The Guess Who always seemed a bit like the Canadian predecessor/counterpart to Grand Funk Railroad, but they typically fared far better with the critics because of the versatility that they possessed. That trait is very evident on this collection of hits and great songs. From the opening 'These Eyes,' with its orchestral strings and Zombies-like baroque pop feel to the classic AOR crunge of 'American Woman,' The Guess Who played a wide variety of music. It is sometimes hard to believe that the same group that brought the world the jazzy 'Undun' and the CS&N-ish hippie anthem 'Share the Land' is also responsible for the rocking 'No Time.' This 11-track collection paints a very entertaining picture of a mutli-talented band and is a perfect introduction for the casual fan."



The Best of the Guess Who

or

The Best of the Guess Who

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