Blues with a Feeling is a two-CD, 40-track compilation which makes the perfect audio bookend to The Essential Little Walter (or the single disc The Best of Little Walter for those on a budget) by systematically combing the Chess vaults and rounding up the best stuff. No bottom-of-the-barrel scrapings here; this compilation effectively renders all '70s Euro vinyl bootlegs null and void, both from a sound and selection standpoint. While not as exhaustive as the European nine-CD retrospective (in and out of print as of this writing), there are still things on this compilation that are left off the box set on Charly. The rarities (including the low down "Tonight with a Fool," possibly the rarest Walter Checker single of all and one whose title never shows up in the lyrics) are all noteworthy by their inclusion. But the alternate takes are the real mother lode here…

Contagious [EP] (2003). One of the most interesting items from the “Contagion” tour merchandising is this EP, entitled “Contagious”, a reasonably necessary complement to the LP. This CD includes four brand new songs, and a remix of “Witch Hunt”. In short, a brief but interesting release, a must for any Arena and Nolan collector. And don't forget another great artwork job by David Wyatt.
Contagium [EP] (2003). “Contagium” is the second and last EP to follow British progressive rock band Arena’s early 2003 studio album “Contagion”. Just like “Contagious”, the second EP that was released mid 2003, this mini album contains tracks that complete the conceptual story and musical journey of the full album, supplemented by a special remix.

This delightful CD has the first 24 titles ever led by violinist Stuff Smith, virtually all of Smith's prewar recordings and the complete output of the violinist's Onyx Club Boys (other than four songs from 1940). With trumpeter Jonah Jones and occasional drummer Cozy Cole the stars of the supporting cast, this was one of the top swing combos of the era. Smith's hard-swinging violin, his enthusiastic vocals, and his interplay with Jones made this a particularly hot unit. In addition to the hit "I'se A-Muggin'," highlights of the disc include "I Hope Gabriel Likes My Music," "After You've Gone," "You'se a Viper," "Old Joe's Hittin' the Jug," "Twilight in Turkey," and the classic "Here Comes the Man With the Jive."

Tangerine Dream scored director Michael Mann's film debut, Thief (released as "Violent Streets" outside of the U.S. market), adding their patented pulses, blips and whooshes to the film's highly stylized visual scenes. While TD's electronic music is a natural fit for soundtracks, it doesn't bring out the best in the band; for the most part, this soundtrack contains swatches of a larger canvas, building up a small head of steam in the span of four or five minutes but not raising the musical discussion above the level of mere mechanical chitchat. Most of the songs follow a set pattern, with Chris Franke slurring his sequencers under a thin fog of synthesizers, topped by a piercing and pithy melody. An engaging melody on "Beach Theme" makes it one of the album's better tracks, while "Trap Feeling" has a delicacy that compares favorably to Brian Eno's Music for Films…

Ainigma from Garmisch-Partenkirchen in Upper Bavaria played a quite rough and wild kind of progressive rock dominated by Willi Klüter's keyboards. Their only LP, "Diluvium" from 1973, deals with the Flood and is a collectors' item now.
"Prejudice" starts with dreamlike introspective organ atmospheres then rapidly catch the essence of a jam session, with abundant improvised Hammond organs, heavy guitars. "All things are fading" is a moody, depressive but furiously rocking with damaged riffs and sad guitar solos. "Diluvium" is a standard heavy rock epic with melancholic guitar breaks, touching melodies, dynamic, captivating organ melodies…

During his lifetime, pianist and composer Hasaan Ibn Ali (1931-1980) was a jazz enigma. The Philly musician practiced with John Coltrane during the early '50s and is credited as the primary influence on the saxophonist's "sheets of sound" harmonic approach first articulated on Giant Steps - a sound that exploded across his Impulse! work. Metaphysics: The Lost Atlantic Album is a genuine jazz holy grail, one of only two albums to feature the pianist's compositions and unique playing style. The first, The Max Roach Trio Featuring the Legendary Hasaan, was credited to Roach because it was the only way to get Atlantic's Nesuhi Ertegun to sign the pianist. Pleased, the label commissioned an album from Ibn Ali. Using bassist Art Davis, drummer Kalil Madi, and saxophonist Odean Pope, Ibn Ali completed the session…

This Nashville band featuring Mindy Dalton, Judi Griffith, Lana Napier, Pame Stephens, and Jean Williams has long been an enigma. There was even a rumour that they were a fictional band, and the material had been recorded quite recently by various American indie luminaries! This despite the original 1969 Athena Records album undoubtedly existing, and fetching astronomical figures
In fact, The Feminine Complex were an all-girl garage band, a rarity in Nashville, to be sure. They were even heavily featured on various TV shows including the nationally-syndicated "Showcase '68" and the local "Nashville Now". The Feminine Complex made one of the few genuine girls-in-the-garage albums…

Exclusive to readers of the Observer newspaper in the United Kingdom and available with that newspaper and from certain outlets for the day of issue. 8 tracks selected by Moby + exclusive Moby interview.

Even though New York’s Village Voice named Sendecki "one of the world’s top five jazz pianists" he first had to endure a long struggle with himself and the music scene before he became what he is today.
His pianistic dreamland shines in many colours: in one moment the listener may think of Grieg, Schumann or even Liszt, then again of John McLaughlin or Bill Evans, but in the next moment realise that it is always, utterly, Sendecki. What is particularly captivating about Sendecki’s solo recording is his boundless abandon to the moment, to the music slumbering within him. Here, the freedom of the individual is given a harmonic and authentic form.
Schloss Elmau is not only a magnificent building in the heart of the idyllic Alpine setting of Upper Bavaria, but also a stronghold of first class music…

The path of Italian RPI group Metamorfosi has been an interesting one. Starting, like many of the future defining Italian prog acts, with a humble little debut that mixed Sixties pop, gospel and folk elements (1972's "…E Fu il Sesto Giorno"), a year later they would deliver what would become one of the legendary Italian progressive works with "Inferno", also one of the greatest keyboard-dominated albums in all of the genre, based around one part of the epic "Divina Commedia" (Divine Comedy) poem, a source that would continue as inspiration for continued Metamorfosi works over the decades. Despite a third album being written soon after the seminal 1973 work, the band split and it would remain unrecorded, at least until a version of the group reformed in the Nineties…

Born in Aberdeen, Mississippi, Chester Burnett, better known by his stage name Howlin' Wolf, helped modernize the country blues with his powerful vocal style and harmonica work and his ability to connect with an audience no matter what stage he prowled. His classic sides for Chess Records, several of which are collected here, including "Smokestack Lightnin'," "Sitting on Top of the World," "How Many More Years," and "Back Door Man," were instrumental in helping shape the classic sound of Chicago blues, which in turn helped shape everything that came after it.

The candles are lit, the food is ready, the company is good and the wine is flowing. What else do you need? The right sounds to create the right mood - and here they are. Simply Dinner Jazz features over four hours of the best laid-back jazz ranging from hip and swinging recordings by jazz legends of the past six decades through to cool and classy interpretations of standards and jazz classics by contemporary jazz artists.
Lester Young, Charlie Parker, Stan Getz, Sarah Vaughan, Miles Davis, Charles Mingus, Hank Mobley, Art Pepper, Dizzy Gillespie, Count Basie, Cannonball Adderley and many more.

The little shrub "Damiana" is found in Mexico and South America. There it is very popular not only for it's yellow-orange blossoms and its beguiling fragrance: First of all "Damiana" is the plant of love. "Damiana" also inspired composer Gleisberg to the concept behind his album: This is the musical expression of his pantheistic philosophy of life, his universal love to people, animals and plants. Gleisberg's love of nature is also reflected in the classically trained musicians sensitive and multi-faceted compostions. In his music symphonic strucures, orchestral soundscapes, romantic moods and tender folky touches blend into a harmonic unity. With "Damiana" Gleisberg once more offers an album for connoisseurs of electronic instrumental music.

Esoteric Recordings is pleased to announce the release of a new clamshell boxed set featuring all four of Curved Air’s classic albums recorded between 1970 and 1973. “The Albums” features newly remastered versions of “Air Conditioning”, “Second Album”, “Phantasmagoria” and “Air Cut”, along with bonus tracks ‘It Happened Today’ (single version), ‘What Happens When You Blow Yourself Up’ and ‘Sarah’s Concern’, all originally issued as singles.
Originally issued on the Warner Bros. label in November 1970, “Air Conditioning” showcased the highly innovative talents of Sonja Kristina (vocals), ex-Royal College of Music student Darryl Way (violin), former Royal Academy of Music student Francis Monkman (electric guitar, piano, mellotron, VCS3 synthesiser), Rob Martin (bass) and Florian Pilkington-Miksa (drums)…

Here's Louis from his first flush of success at the Famous Door in New York City. Backed by his New Orleans gang, Prima's distinctive style was already emerging on material like "How'm I Doin'," "Plain Old Me," "Sweet Sue," "Lazy River," "Dinah," and the original version of "Sing Sing Sing." Although the backing is strictly New Orleans (and thus a long way stylistically from his later Capitol sides with Sam Butera & the Witnesses), most of the tunes boast the highly inventive clarinet work of Pee Wee Russell, and Prima's horn is well to the fore on these sides. One for hardcore Prima fans.