After taking the jazz world by storm with his exciting debut CD on Blue Note in 1991, Gonzalo Rubalcaba continued to delight his fans throughout the decade with one great recording after another. "Yolanda Anas," "Joan," and "Joao" – each one a tribute to one of his children – are intimate musical portraits that have a childlike simplicity, but also memorable melodies that linger in the mind. A salute to Blue Note president Bruce Lundvall is a complex post-bop blues featuring fierce solos by tenor saxophonist Michael Brecker and bassist Jeff Chambers.

With such an extensive and varied back catalogue, it was fitting that these anthology CD’s would not just be re-mastering or slight remixing exercises but a deeper exploration of the band’s varied trademark sounds. The first of these retrospective anthology CD’s is entitled "The Edge Of Time". The band has always featured both atmospheric and cinematic moments on albums throughout their history and this collection of new versions sets out to explore that element of the band further. Niall Graeme and Ronnie have been involved in film music side projects and have brought added cinematic elements to some tracks, whilst others follow a more atmospheric interpretation. The overall chilled and laid back concept of the album harks back to the days of plugging in the headphones and immersing yourself in a soundscape.

Following the dissolution of his successful dance-pop duo Modern Talking, composer and producer Dieter Bohlen turned his attention to a new solo project which he dubbed Blue System; also assuming vocal chores, he debuted in 1987 with the single "Sorry Little Sarah," soon followed by the full-length Walking on a Rainbow. While early Blue System efforts like 1989's Body Heat, 1990's Obsession, 1991's Seeds of Heaven and 1992's Deja Vu were all produced with the aid of longtime collaborator Luis Rodriguez, beginning with 1994's X-Ten Bohlen took total creative control, heralding a shift away from the Eurodisco of past records to move into techno and house. Forever Blue followed a year later, but after 1996's Body to Body Bohlen officially reunited with former partner Thomas Anders to reform Modern Talking, with the duo issuing Back for Good two years later.

Pianist Uri Caine holds a unique distinction, known the world over as a stellar jazz pianist, but a critics' darling for his genre-blind reworkings of classical music. His takes on the work of Gustav Mahler, Johann Sebastian Bach, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Richard Wagner have become modern classics which straddle several musical worlds, but Caine's is no one-trick pony. When he isn't busy turning classical music history on its head, his restless artistic curiosity has taken him to a variety of other realms. The pianist tipped his hat to Thelonious Monk and Herbie Hancock, with album-length salutes to each, took a stroll down Tin Pan Alley (Winter & Winter, 1999), visited Brazilian music via Rio (Winter & Winter, 2001), explored the possibilities within the solo piano context on Solitaire (Winter & Winter, 2001), and tackled fusion in his own personal way with his Bedrock band.

Candi Staton - Evidence: The Complete Fame Records Masters (2011) {2CD Set, Kent Soul CDKEN2-353 rec 1969-1973}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 844 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 343 Mb
Full Artwork @ 300 dpi (png) -> 95 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 1969-73, 2011 Fame / Kent Soul / Ace Records | CDKEN2 353
Rhythm & Blues / Soul / Southern Soul / Modern Soul / Deep Soul

Candi Staton is the finest female singer ever to grace a Southern Soul recording, her achingly vulnerable vocals perfect for the lyrics of the best country/soul songs. Luckily for us, during her tenure at Rick Hall’s Fame label she got the best songs, mostly from the pen of George Jackson, perhaps the top Southern Soul songwriter of his generation. George spent every waking minute of his day writing songs and probably came up with a few while he dreamt too. As Candi herself said, “That was his thing.”

Canned Heat - Live At Montreux 1973 (2011) {Eagle Records EAGCD450}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 400 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 159 Mb
Full Artwork @ 300 dpi (png) -> 120 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 1973, 2011 Eagle Records | EAGCD450
Rock / Blues Rock / Boogie Rock / Modern Electric Blues

A fine little blues-rock jug band from the 1960s, Canned Heat had already been bitten hard by the rock & roll tragedy bug, losing key member Alan "Blind Owl" Wilson to a fatal drug overdose by the time they'd made their sole appearance at Montreux in 1973. Luckily for history's sake, the great bluesman and multi-instrumentalist Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown was on hand to step in with the band for this appearance, sparking things along nicely, and luckily, too: the set was filmed and recorded, eventually appearing on both DVD and CD, making it, particularly because of Brown's contributions, a valuable and fun archival historical release.

After numerous clues on social media, Cesare Cremonini finally reveals what he has been working on for some time: his first great music collection that brings together a twenty-year-old production. "Cremonini 2C2C - The Best Of" will be released on November 29th and will be a collector's box containing: 6 unreleased tracks, 32 successful remastered singles, a complete disc of 16 interpretations in piano and voice, 15 instrumental tracks made from 1999 to present , 18 rarities including original demo tracks, home recordings and alternate takes never published, thanks to which for the first time it will be possible to reveal the magic of the birth of songs and capture their creative process.