1. A Million Grains of Sand 2:39
2. "... When In the Course of Human Events" (Draft Beer, Not Students) 1:50
3. Interpolitation: We Shall Overcome 1:44
4. Rose of Smiling Faces 4:16
5. Behind the Mind 2:18
6. The Subway Ride Thru Inner Space 2:43
7. Butterfly Dream 1:38
8. My Rainbow Life 2:51
9. The Center of My Soul 2:26
10. Watered Down Soul 2:37
11. Red Roses Will Weep 2:20
12. Mind Bender 2:28
13. Grok! 1:31

Rusty Evans - vocals
David Bromberg - guitar
???

AMG:
"The one and only Freak Scene record is just one chapter in the strange saga of entrepreneurial psychedelic pioneer/journeyman Rusty Evans, whose first album was the Deep's 1966 release Psychedelic Moods. Like that project, the Freak Scene was strictly a studio outing staffed by sidemen, not a full-fledged band at all. Nevertheless, Psychedelic Psoul's reputation as a psych-exploitation album is unjust; while the trippy themes and production techniques employed here would become clichés of psychedelic-era rock, they weren't clichés in 1967, when the style was still in its infancy. In fact, a strong case could be made for Evans being ahead of the curve. 'Mind Bender,' for instance, with its Dadaist recitations, throbbing pulse, and scrappy guitars, predated the Velvet Underground's very similar 'Murder Mystery' by a couple of years. The combination of tape manipulation and exotic world music influences on the short instrumental 'Grok!' seems rather prescient in retrospect as well. Besides, even if the most cynical opinions turned out to be true, and the backwards guitars, fuzztones, and 'far out' effects overflowing from most of the tracks on Psychedelic Psoul were incorporated strictly in the interest of bandwagon-jumping, it was all done skillfully enough that it doesn't really matter, especially so many decades after the fact. Psychedelic Psoul stands as an evocative sonic time capsule, although 'topical' spoken word pieces like 'When in the Course of Human Events' admittedly haven't aged as well as the album's more conventional, melodic compositions. Followers of Evans' journey - after the Freak Scene, he went on to make an excellent, atmospheric psych-folk album under the alias Marcus - may be interested to note that Psychedelic Psoul's opening track, 'A Million Grains of Sand,' appeared in different versions on both Psychedelic Moods and the Marcus album."


( Read more... )

1-5. Sextet, for percussion, piano & synthesizers
6. Six Marimbas (rearranged version of "Six Pianos")

Bob Becker - Crotale, Drums (Bass), Marimba, Stick, Tamtam, Vibraphone
Russ Hartenberger - Crotale, Drums (Bass), Marimba, Stick, Tamtam, Vibraphone
Garry Kvistad - Crotale, Drums (Bass), Marimba, Stick, Tamtam, Vibraphone
Glen Velez - Crotale, Drums (Bass), Marimba, Stick, Tamtam, Vibraphone
Edmund Niemann - Piano, Synthesizer
Nurit Tilles - Piano, Synthesizer
Kory Grossman - Marimba
James Preiss - Marimba
Bill Ruyle - Marimba
William Trigg - Marimba

AMG:
"Although Reich's music during the '80s, as he gained in popularity, was increasingly written for larger, lusher ensembles (with, oftentimes, the concomitant loss of 'edge'), he occasionally and happily reverted to more contained compositions such as those included here. 'Sextet' is pared down to four percussionists and two keyboardists (the latter including synthesizers) and evokes early pieces of Reich's Drumming while incorporating his ongoing use of longer melodic lines. In five sections, it tends toward a buoyant and jazzy bubbliness, percolating with all manner of busy interaction and wonderfully intermeshed rhythms. One of the new techniques employed is having the vibraphonists bow their instruments, generating long, ghostly tones reminiscent of musical saws but cleaner and more precise. Since this cannot be done quickly, Reich writes patterns that interweave between performers, achieving a kind of hocketing effect where, by playing only every third or fourth note in a rhythmic line, the ensemble can produce what the listener perceives as a fast tempo even as each individual is playing slowly. The closing section is pure effervescent bliss. 'Six Marimbas,' scored for, unsurprisingly, six marimbas, sounds even closer to the pieces that originally brought Reich to renown and is, in fact, a rescoring of his 'Six Pianos' from 1973. The pure, luscious tones of the marimbas make it even more successful than the original and the work is played with obvious delight and rigor by the percussion ensemble Nexus, who includes several members of Reich's working band of the early '70s. In sum, Sextet/Six Marimbas is one of the finest releases of mid-career Reich, entirely without the pretensions that marred some of his other work from the period, and is highly recommended."


( Read more... )

Ingvar Lidholm: Sonata for flute 9:40
Arne Mellnäs: Family Flute, for 10 flutes 6:12
Åke Hermansson: Suoni d'un flauto for alto flute, Op. 6 3:07
Åke Hermansson: Flauto d'inverno for bass flute, Op. 16 3:13
Erland von Koch: Monologue No.1 for flute 5:50
Erland von Koch: Cantilena e vivo, for organ 2:41
Øistein Sommerseldt: Divertimento, Op. 9 for solo flute 7:42
Øistein Sommerseldt: Vårlåter, Op. 44, for solo flute 7:08
Sverre Bergh: Pan for flute solo 3:40
Leif Thybo: Aria con variazioni for 4 flutes 6:05
Erkki Salmenhaara: Preludi, iskelmä ja fuuga soolohuilulle 12:02
Leonid Bashmakov: Fantasia for flutes 6:51
Tauno Marttinen: Ilman, Virgin of the Air, for piccolo 3:02

Gunilla von Bahr - Flute
Robert von Bahr - Flute

AMG:
"A ubiquitous flutist at the beginning of the digital age thanks to her many LPs and CDs for BIS, Gunilla von Bahr saw her recording career wane after her divorce from Robert von Bahr, who ran that label. Gunilla by no means retired, though; she continued to perform and increased her activities as an educator and music administrator. She began learning the flute at age eight, and by 14, she was playing in an amateur orchestra in Malmö. She studied at the University College of Music in Malmö and then at the Royal College of Music in Stockholm, whereupon she spent five years playing in Sweden's various orchestras before going freelance as a soloist. Von Bahr mastered all four varieties of the flute, and although her repertory extended back to the Baroque era, she eventually focused much of her attention on new music, with more than two dozen composers writing music especially for her. In the mid-'70s, she began making recordings for BIS. The eclectic collections issued under the title Sun Flute were especially successful, some selling more than 100,000 copies each. From 1987 to 1990, she was the director of Kronoberg's regional music organization, then served from 1990 to 1995 as director of the Malmö Symphony Orchestra. Von Bahr was the artistic director of the Norrtelje Chamber Music Festival from 1991 to 2000, and founded the Baltic Academy Foundation. In 2000, she became rector of Stockholm's Royal College of Music."


( Read more... )

1. Oh Lord, Stand by Me 2:45
2. You Got to Move 2:29
3. Lord Have Mercy 2:14
4. Living for My Jesus 2:28
5. Precious Lord 2:38
6. I'll Fly Away 2:07
7. This May Be the Last Time 2:30
8. Alone and Motherless 2:02
9. Since I Met Jesus 2:41
10. Our Father's Praying Ground 2:16
11. Broken Heart of Mine 2:33
12. Here Am I 2:25
13. Marching up to Zion 1:59
14. Servant's Prayer Amen 2:07
15. Count Me In 2:02
16. When I Lost My Mother (Something About the Lord Is Mighty Sweet) 2:47
17. There Is a Fountain 3:05
18. I've Been Born Again 2:47
19. He'll Be There 2:52
20. Think About Me 2:47
21. Does Jesus Care? 2:42
22. Fix It Jesus 3:00
23. Goodbye Mother 2:42
24. I've Got a Home 2:09

Rev. Sammy Lewis
Clarence Fountain
George Scott
Olice Thomas
Johnny Fields

AMG:
"Two of this seminal gospel group's Specialty albums on one compact disc. Compiled by musicologist Dr. Demento (under his real name Barret Hansen), this collection offers several of the group's original singles, all of them chock-full of fervent vocalizing from lead singers Clarence Fountain and the Rev. Samuel K. Lewis. This is the perfect introduction to these wonderful musicians and some of the most passionate gospel singing you're likely to encounter."


( Read more... )

1. Kilometre Heure
2. Terre de Feu
3. Nutella
4. Miroir Des Yeux
5. Canal grande
6. Victims
7. En Un Clin D'oil
8. Smog
9. Enfin

Marc Vallée - guitars
Eric Lonesworth - cello
Clermont Bouliane - vibes, synth, piano
Jean-François Martel - bass
Mario Blouin - drums, percussion

progarchives:
"A few years after the Quebec prog boom was out, and all that remained was OFFENBACH (by then not prog anymore) and its non-prog offshoot CORBEAU, the scene was all but dead if you'll except the jazz group UZEB (going famous world-wide) and the future-slightly-proggy (in the late 90's) THE BOX. Out of the blue appeared in 85, this jazzy-prog band called Contrevent that released their first album Jeu De Paume, which as you can probably guess went totally unnoticed. This guitar-dominated quintet also featuring violin/cello and vibes (with the Paradis brothers in the rhythm section) developed a fairly smooth-going instrumental fusion that presented constant progression and could've found place on the ECM Label catalogue even if it lacked a bit of energy as so typical of the 80's. The lack of profile didn't stop the fairly-different (only guitarist and main-songwriter Vallée was left) group from releasing four years later, Youkali, much in the same vein as its predecessor, without much more success than the local jazz-scene.
The group reappeared (again much different) in 93 with their last effort Terre De Feu (tierra del fuego), this time with a fairly different sound too. Alas, although the prog movement was slowly rising from its ashes (even locally, as VISIBLE WIND had now appeared), the band was on its last leg and would fold quietly. Sadly none of their three albums were ever reissued in the CD format, but the vinyl albums should still be financially accessible to prospective progheads and fusionheads. Marc Vallée has kept making music for movie and theatres, and his musical creations have shifted to an acoustic world-folk."


( Read more... )

1. La Prueba De La Manzana 2:38
2. Invocacion A Lo Mejor De La Humanidad 5:02
3. El Perro De Pavlov 4:49
4. A Cada Paso Puedes Cambiar Un Detino 4:06
5. La Etica Del Verdugo 6:01
6. La Maternidad Del Alacran6:01
7. No Puedo Ser Lo Que No Quiero Ser 3:35
8. La Profecia De Las Plaga 4:19
9. La Busqueda De La Verdad En Si Mismo 7:49
10. Desprendimento 2:31

Ricardo Moreno - guitars, keyboards
Ricardo Ortegon - guitar
Nohemi D'Rubin - bass, vocals
Victor Baldovinos - drums

AMG:
"Released on a small local label, De Todos Uno allowed Iconoclasta to briefly reach out to progressive rock circles. Despite a cold, surgical production, the album contains strong instrumentals and a few nice songs, too. Spanish lyrics and prominent use of Spanish guitar give the music more of a local flavor than, say, Cast's mainstreamed neo-prog songs. The strength of De Todos Uno resides in the fluidity and ease of the many odd-metered instrumentals. Tracks like 'La Maternidad del Alacrán,' 'La Prueba de la Manzana,' and 'La Profecia de las Plagas' really groove. Ricardo Ortegon's choice of lead guitar lines is often puzzling, a note or two regularly (and deliberately) falling just outside of the chosen tonality. Ricardo Moreno wrote all the material and supplied keyboards and acoustic guitar. Bassist Nohemi D'rubin doubles as the group's singer. Her relatively low-range voice is not something to die for, but it has warmth and conviction to compensate for a certain lack of power. Drummer Victor Baldovinos does a convincing job, but his drums sound dry and lifeless. Each track contains catchy themes (à la mid-period Genesis) that counterbalance the jazz-rock inspired rhythmical complexity, striking a really nice balance. If you can overlook the misled production, this is a fine album, although maybe not worth the effort and money you will need to invest in order to put your hands on it."


( Read more... )

1. Gone With The Wind
2. All The Things You Are
3. Have You Met Miss Jones
4. My One And Only Love
5. Night And Day
6. My Ideal
7. Where Or When
8. Gone With The Wind [alternate take 1]
9. Gone With The Wind [alternate take 2]
10. Have You Met Miss Jones [alternate take]

Ben Webster - Sax (Tenor)
Art Tatum - Piano
Red Callender - Bass
Bill Douglass - Drums

AMG:
"The only album-length collaboration between pianist Art Tatum and tenor saxophonist Ben Webster (accompanied by a rhythm section of Red Callender, bass, and Bill Douglass, drums) was this September 11, 1956, session under the auspices of Norman Granz's Verve Records label. (It was also Tatum's last recording session before his death.) Granz probably suggested the repertoire of standards by the likes of Kern and Hammerstein, Rodgers & Hart, and Cole Porter, but the melodies, of course, only provide a framework. On each track, Tatum leads things off, with Callender and Douglass coming in discreetly (and low in the mix). Then, at a certain point, Webster appears in the foreground, playing comparatively few notes and sticking much more to the melody than his partner. This is a good approach, since Tatum never subsides to simple comping; he just keeps soloing away under Webster's rich tenor tones until Webster stops playing, and then keeps on to the end. So, although this is billed as a group effort, it's not a group of equals or really one in which the players are cooperating with each other. Tatum might as well be playing solo, since he takes very little account of what's happening around him. Granz makes it work by varying the volume of the different instruments in the mix, and the result is a fascinating study in contrasts."


( Read more... )

1. Heroica 4:19
2. Help This Lonely World 3:51
3. Carnival 5:59
4. Love Song 6:11
5. 7 Flowers Street 2:54
6. One Minute Prayer 0:47
7. Lonely Violin Crying For Peace 3:12
8. Stampede 5:35
9. Soon The War Is Over 7:53
10. Why I Didn't Win The Lottery 4:28
11. Everything Will Be OK 3:20
12. Genesis 4:37
13. Good To Be Together 4:39
14. Party Inside 2:55
15. Green Scooter On The Way To Asia 6:18

David Bachar - vocals, harmonica
Yonathan (Johnny) Stern - vocals, 12-string guitar
Efrayim Barak - guitars
Tony Brower - violin, mandolin
David (Doody) Rosenthal - synthesizer, percussion & effects
Ady Weiss - keyboards
Ehud (Udy) Tamir - bass
David Shanan - drums

progarchives:
"Israeli progressive rock band from the 70's, hailing from Tel Aviv & Ramat-Gan. They managed to complete only one (English-sung) album, called 'Peace', in 1975. The band disbanded due to low sales in Israel and no international interest in their music. Zingale's chief talents were Tony Brower (violin) and Adi Weiss (keyboards), but also Udi Tamir's bass is worthy of mention. The lyrics were inspired by the painful memories of the Israeli 'Yom Kippur' war in 1973 (some of the band members fought that war, and lost relatives & friends), and are concerned with the importance of global peace.
Zingale's album has been reissued on CD in 1992, with some Hebrew-sung bonus tracks that were intended for their next Israeli album. There's also a later digipack version of that same reissue. The sound quality is below average, since the master tapes were not found at the time. There are rumours of a planned remaster using newly found master tapes, but it hadn't materialized it."


( Read more... )

Thomas Tallis: In jejunio et fletu 4:30
Thomas Tallis: Te lucis ante terminum (Procul recedant somnia) 2:22
Thomas Tallis: Audivi vocem 4:04
Christopher Tye: Omnes Gentes, Plaudite Manibus 5:07
Christopher Tye: Missa Sine Nomine 7:11
John Sheppard: Gaudete Celicole Omnes for 4 voices 2005 5:59
John Sheppard: Beati omnes 6:42
Thomas Tallis: Salvator mundi 2:35
John Sheppard: Laudate pueri Dominum 6:15
John Sheppard: Aeterne Rex Altissime 4:10
Christopher Tye: In pace in idipsum 5:02

David James - Counter Tenor
Rogers Covey-Crump - Tenor
Steven Harrold - Tenor
Gordon Jones - Baritone
Robert MacDonald - Bass

AMG:
"The Hilliard Ensemble is a highly accomplished male vocal quartet, specializing in Medieval, Renaissance, and 20th Century avant garde music.
The group was founded in 1974, primarily to explore pre-Baroque music. As the Early Music movement spread in England in the 1970s, they came to be in demand for the purity of their voices and blends and their close attention to authenticity in performing style.
While the core group has been four male voices, they have on occasion expanded through temporary additions of other singers, especially on recordings made in the 1980s.
The group was named in honor of English miniaturist Nicholas Hilliard (c. 1537-1619) and perhaps also in oblique reference to conductor Paul Hillier, who has worked frequently with them and did much of their early program planning. In 1990 the core personnel of the Ensemble were David James (countertenor), Rogers Covey-Crump and John Potter (tenors) and Gordon Jones (baritone), a line-up that remained consistent through the decade. They are a co-operative group, planning their programs and deciding on interpretations by consensus.
While the group¹s main repertory is pre-1600 music (which mostly appears on the Hyperion Records label) they also have an association with ECM New Series records, on which they have sung music of avant garde composers such as Arvo Part, Heinz Holliger, Edward Cowie, John Tavener, Gavin Bryars, and John Casken., and collaborated with Norwegian saxophonist Jan Garbarek on a Jazz oriented release called Officium."


( Read more... )

1. Noisy Flowers 6:42
2. Like It Feels 11:16
3. Official Silence 8:54
4. Refined Poverty 9:04
5. Make Hot and Give 7:56
6. The Mockingbird Sin 12:13
7. Dirty in the Right Places 8:10

Henry Threadgill - Sax (Alto)
Mark Taylor - French Horn
Edwin Rodriguez - Tuba
Marcus Rojas - Tuba
Ed Cherry - Guitar
Brandon Ross - Guitar
Ayodele Aubert - Guitar (Classical)
James Emery - Guitar (Soprano), Guitar (Steel)
Myra Melford - Piano
Diedre Murray - Cello
Michelle Kinney - Cello
Dixon Tourre - Cello
Pheeroan akLaff - Drums
Bill Laswell - Producer

AMG:
"This 1995 release represents one of three fine recordings that modern jazz saxophonist/composer Henry Threadgill recorded for Columbia Records, although few actually perceived that he would enjoy a longstanding tenure with a market-driven major label. However, Threadgill continued to pursue his deeply stylized craft, consisting of intricately formulated arrangements solidified by the pumping bottom-end work of tubaists Marcus Rojas and Edwin Rodriguez, while electric guitarist Brandon Ross' often blistering attack provides a rough-hewn edge. Throughout, the listener is treated to climactically based motifs featuring the leader's geometrically constructed lines, drummer Pheeroan Aklaff's powerfully executed polyrhythms, and the ensemble's semi-austere chamber-like strings, keys, and acoustic guitar-based thematic variations. Threadgill also incorporates march-like beats into his rather divergent arsenal, as the band's intensity level could perhaps rival some of the '90's most prolific rock, funk, or fusion bands. Overall, Makin' a Move signifies yet another fascinating glimpse of Threadgill's exclusive artistry."


( Read more... )