Sola Translatio is a collaborative work between the italian ambient sound master Alio Die (best known for his previous collaborations with ambient & experimental artists like Robert Rich & Vidna Obmana), and younger Italian newcomer Opium(Matteo Zini). The music moves on abstract drones, minimal rhythms, and "found sounds," rather than being spooky or boring, spreads a calming layer of gentle sound over the listener. It has a nocturnal but serene quality, and feels like the soundtrack for long quiet hours in an elegant Oriental country retreat. It evokes a place one would like to return to, rather than a nightmare from which one struggles to wake. Its a tapestry of mesmerizing low-rumbling melodies/frequencies for a deep listening, where the sounds of nature are always present.

Gripping choral singing, but weighty and deliberate with an expressive palette better suited to Handel's later, more grandiose choral works than his earliest. The soloist are pleasuring pure and clean in tone.

Imagine a cross between Fantasy, T2, Spring and Rare Bird. Lashings of mellotron, quality harmony vocals, biting guitar work and well written and recorded songs.
Dancer were formed from remnants of Isle of Wight folk rockers Shide & Acorn and future famed film director the late Anthony Minghella. Minghella had previously appeared as keyboardist in a small jazz group known as Earthlight. The musicians were discovered by Wilf Pine, former manager of Black Sabbath and future reputed ranking member of the Gotti mafia syndicate in the United States. Pine secured the group studio time at Olympia in the Barnes suburb of London in 1972, where they recorded seven tracks over a month's period under the direction of Groundhogs guitarist Tony McPhee…

Electronic music of former Double Fantasy guitar/keyboard member Charly McLion. McLion has been active in music since the 60's, inspired by artists such as Pink Floyd, Amon Duul II, and Caravan, he's played everything from blues and rock and to folk and film soundtrack music. The back cover of The Nature of the Universe calls the album's music "interstellar, but not overdrive" and this is an apt description. Much of this album is reminiscent of the mellower, instrumental parts of latter day Pink Floyd. Even McLion's guitar has a Gilmour-esque ring to it; its sustained notes are smooth, melodic, and flowing…

The Maggini Quartet, even more responsive than on their previous discs of British music, give revelatory performances of works that too often have been underestimated, regarded as mere diversions from the composer’s regular path. The Magginis find a rare clarity and warmth in both quartets. The First was written soon after Vaughan William’s studies with Ravel in Paris, with obvious echoes not just of Ravel but of the Debussy Quartet. The Second Quartet dates from 1942 to 1943, written in the crucial gap between the lyrical Symphony No. 5 and the abrasive No. 6. Most revelatory of all is the Maggini performance of the Phantasy Quintet of 1912, a masterpiece long neglected, weighty and compressed.

If you want a good idea of why Luca Marenzio (1553-99) was considered madrigalist during the late-16th century, the music and performances on this fine recording will provide a good starting place. The richly colorful vocal writing–and equally colorful texts!–are ideally illustrated by the tightly focused intonation, reedy timbre, and knowing inflections of the Concerto Italiano’s seven singers. Sampling from Marenzio’s five- and six-part madrigals, the ensemble avoids any temptation to over-state the music’s case with exaggerated accents or heavy-handed phrasing and dynamics (a common fault of less-competent groups). Instead, they trust the composer’s keen sense of text-setting and allow expressive effects to arise naturally from the score.

Georgia son Johnnie Marshall has transitioned from gospel choir member (as a child) to gospel drummer to blues guitarist and singer. He received his blues schoolin' at Dave's CC, a Tallahassee juke joint where he occasionally got the chance to sit in with touring legends. Johnny Rawls took Marshall under his wing in the late '90s, and here he plays rhythm guitar and contributes vocals to four songs on this disc of 13 originals. Additional special guests include Eddie Kirkland, Sonny Rhodes, Slam Allen, and George Boone. It's a solid though not particularly innovative set of horn-dotted, soulful blues.

Winners of both the 1999 and 2000 W.C. Handy Blues Band of the Year awards, Rod Piazza & The Mighty Flyers have been giving blues fans the real deal for more than two decades. While most of their contemporaries are attempting to liven up or modernize the blues with their recordings, Piazza and company do their best to retain the sweat of the roadhouse on record. The Mighty Flyers mine the terrain mapped out by Muddy Waters and Little Walter in the heyday of electric Chicago blues. Old school, to be sure, and completely refreshing for it, Beyond the Source proves that there is still life left in a form all but left for dead by the excesses of Eric Clapton and his ilk. Employing the services of the legendary Jim Dickinson for the production chores on a couple of tracks doesn't hurt, either; there is a funkiness to this recording rarely found on a contemporary blues release. Beyond the Source is surely a godsend for any fan of the classic Chicago blues sound.

Mick Jagger had struggled with launching his solo career for over 15 years when he unleashed Goddess in the Doorway. Although he was one of the most famous men on earth, he couldn't separate himself from the Stones no matter how hard he tried, and he tried so hard that many of his struggles appeared desperate…

Ce chemin va á Paris so get your shaker and put on your smoking jacket because now you can fill in the gaps to your Eddy Louiss collection with Récit Proche. The French keyboardist and organist delivers a grand musical adventure filled with contentment and bien de l'inspiration from his amis, Jean-Marie Ecay on guitar, Paco Sery on batterie (drums), Julio Rakotonanahary on basse (bass), Daniel Huck on alto saxophone, and Xavier Cobo on tenor saxophone and flute. The nine compositions are all instrumentals and allow you to envelop your musical tastes in the ambiance of a gay Parisian night. Be prepared to feel exceptionally comfortable with the melodies from "Pour Toi," "Incertitudes," and "Marilyn & Bronsky." The title track, "Récit Proche," is a revelation for those unfamiliar with Eddy Louiss' excellent piano stylings and provides many new avenues to the beautiful musical ideas on this CD…