This rare December 1953 session was unusual for Terry in that his guitar accompanist was not Brownie McGhee, but Alec Seward, who had previously recorded as Guitar Slim in a duo with "Fat Boy" Hayes" (aka Jelly Belly). It's unusual only in the personnel, however. It sounds like typical Sonny Terry, as he works his way through original material, including standards like "John Henry" and other blues tunes like "In the Evening" (the song that would provide much of the basis for Robert Johnson's "Love in Vain"). You'd have to say that it's usually more interesting to hear Terry with his longtime partner McGhee than it is to hear him with Seward, but it's not terribly different. The trademark vocal and harmonica whoops, and hollers are in gear and running throughout the album, sometimes to exhilarating effect, as on the rapid "The Fox Chase (aka "Hound Dog Holler")"…

Since it's billed as "Directions in Music by Miles Davis," it should come as little surprise that Filles de Kilimanjaro is the beginning of a new phase for Miles, the place that he begins to dive headfirst into jazz-rock fusion. It also happens to be the swan song for his second classic quintet, arguably the finest collective of musicians he ever worked with, and what makes this album so fascinating is that it's possible to hear the breaking point - though his quintet all followed him into fusion (three of his supporting players were on In a Silent Way), it's possible to hear them all break with the conventional notions of what constituted even adventurous jazz, turning into something new. According to Miles, the change in "direction" was as much inspired by a desire to return to something earthy and bluesy as it was to find new musical territory, and Filles de Kilimanjaro bears him out…

This marriage of four players with impressive pedigrees proved to be the success story of 1982 when Asia's debut lodged itself at the top of the U.S. album charts for two months. The album spawned a massive number four single in "Heat of the Moment," a follow-up Top 20 hit in the sweeping "Only Time Will Tell," and a handful of other tracks that received heavy radio play despite going against the grain of the new wave styling of the day. Produced by Mike Stone, Asia's strengths were the powerful vocals of John Wetton, the nimble, classically tinged guitar work of Steve Howe, Geoffrey Downes' majestic keyboard playing, and anchoring the band, Carl Palmer's propulsive drumming. The lyrics are overwrought at moments, but there's no denying the epic grandeur of the music, which provided some much-needed muscle to radio at the time, and did so with style.

Banco's first three albums are heralded by prog fans for good reason, they contain some of the finest progressive music out there. This title gets far less attention which is a shame as the usual letdown in quality some bands have after their acclaimed period is not present here. This is a solid RPI title by any definition. This album is in some ways their most accomplished to date, featuring incredible arrangements and wonderful composition. Yes the long epics have been replaced by shorter pieces but they are very engaging. Blending classical and jazz influenced jamming into their usual complex dramatic stew, at first the album can be a bit overwhelming and less accessible. It may not grab you as immediately as the earlier albums, but give it time and it will…

In Blue is a double CD from the great Klaus Schulze. This set has almost 160 minutes of pure "Klaustrophobia." That means that these three long-form compositions are full of sequences, dense atmospheres, and drawn-out synth washes. Schulze invited Manuel Göttsching, his former Ash Ra Tempel partner, to play guitar on one of the compositions, "Return of the Tempel." Each of the compositions has several movements, each relating to blue - the color or the mood. Schulze is in rare form on this set. It has textures and timbres of minimalism. The sequences are gentle and subtle. It had been four years since Schulze had done a regular studio album and this - after a Wahnfried disc, a classical CD, an opera, and a live release - is refreshing. He shows that he is just as adept at ambient as he is at the Berlin school.