Through five albums and twelve U.S. R&B charted singles (including the 1977 Grammy-winning global anthem, “Best Of My Love”) released between 1976-1981, The Emotions achieved a level of recognition and success that ensured their place as first tier purveyors of harmonic soul music. The Chicago-based sisters (Wanda, Jeanette and Sheila) developed their distinctive sound as members of the family gospel group, The Hutchinson Sunbeams (with father Joe); after signing with Stax Records’ imprint Volt Records, the trio enjoyed their first Top 10 R&B and Top 40 pop hit with ‘So I Can Love You’ in 1969.

The Deele’s first three Solar albums (released between 1983-1987) – presented as expanded editions on this 3-CD set showcase the kind of funky R&B-and-pop fusion that was at the very heart of the music of the ‘80s, which, some three decades later, is being afforded a new level of appreciation.

Gefion, named for the Norse goddess associated with ploughing, prophecy and premonition, is the ECM leader debut of Danish guitarist Jakob Bro. Bro first recorded for ECM with Paul Motian on Garden of Eden in 2004, followed by Tomasz Stanko’s Dark Eyes album of 2009. The guitarist’s feeling for melody, sound-colour and atmosphere served him well in those contexts, as it does here in the realization of his own free floating ballads and drifting, spacious-yet-focused pieces.

Comprised of instrumental experimental bits and pieces from previous projects, labeled as the "Hybrid Experiments 1994-1996", Sonix represents the existential exosphere of Peter Hammill's fascination with sound, created within a vacuum of time and space…

Why Atlanta blues guitarist and vocalist Curley Weaver is so obscure when cohorts Blind Willie McTell and Buddy Moss are so well-known is one of those why-ask-why deals. Weaver was an outstanding player and convincing singer, and this collection nicely outlines his attributes. McTell and Moss appear here in accompanying roles.

Excellent choice of brazilian standards in an intimate conversation-type recital. The choice of a simple, but masterfully played guitar just adds to the magistral interpretation by Morente who proves her versatility outside flamenco. The sound is airy and spacious as every good recording should be. A treat for audiophiles.

Hal Galper Trio - The Zone: Live at the Yardbird Suite (2019) {Origin Records ‎ORIGIN 82793}
FLAC (tracks) - 16bit/44.1kHz - Digital Download -> 341 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 146 Mb | Cover | 5% repair rar
© 2019 Origin Records ‎| ORIGIN 82793
Jazz / Post Bop / Piano

It’s not often that seasoned jazz musicians find one of their own recordings truly revelatory in hindsight. Yet here’s a striking example. As acclaimed veteran pianist Hal Galper recalls in his CD liner notes, he had no intention of releasing this live 2016 trio session with bassist Jeff Johnson and drummer John Bishop until he heard a playback and found himself wondering, “Who is this pianist?” To Galper, the playback revealed such a heightened level of trio interplay, not fully appreciated during the performance, that he arranged for it to be released on CD and dubbed, aptly enough, The Zone. It’s hard to imagine Galper devotees or, more broadly, jazz piano trio fans faulting the decision.

It should come as no surprise that Land of the Sun, a collection of Mexican ballads written by three of Mexico's most prominent modern composers, is yet another chapter in Charlie Haden's continually unfolding musical biography. Haden was given a folder of songs by the late and legendary Mexican composer José Sabre Marroquín by his daughter as a thank-you for his recording of "Nocturnal." Haden went over the tunes and decided to record some of them; he turned them over to pianist Gonzalo Rubalcaba for arranging, employed a stellar band, and Land of the Sun is the end result. What a result. There are eight compositions by Marroquín and one each by Augustín Lara and Armando Manzanero, in their own right prolific and revered songwriters who have been recorded in this country by Presley, Sinatra, and Bennett, to name a few.

This five disc collection contains some of the most important recordings of Monk’s career; from his very earliest Bluenote sessions to the startling compositions that have become all-time classics. Featuring nine original and now legendary albums in total, the music showcased within perfectly displays the rapid progress of Thelonious Monk’s natural talents as a writer, performer and bandleader, leaving no doubt as to how he came to achieve the revered status he still maintains to this day.

All too often, chamber music collaborations between established, accomplished soloists do not yield favorable results. Merely putting together virtuosic musicians does not mean they will play well together. Such is not the case with this recording of Martha Argerich's 2006 festival in Lugano. This album represents an amazing synthesis of well-known artists, musicians just coming into their own fame, as well as compositions ranging from standard repertoire to rarely heard works. Argerich's decision to include violinist Renaud Capuçon and brother Gautier Capuçon was wise indeed, as their energetic and fiendishly virtuosic playing is nearly enough to carry the CD on its own.