The most underrated of Tyrannosaurus Rex's four albums, Prophets, Seers & Sages was recorded just six months after their debut and adds little to the landscapes which that set mapped out. There is the same reliance on the jarring juxtaposition of rock rhythms in a folky discipline; the same abundance of obscure, private mythologies; the same skewed look at the latest studio dynamics, fed through the convoluted wringer of the duo's imagination - the already classic pop of the opening "Deboraarobed" is further dignified by its segue into the same performance played backwards, a fairly groundbreaking move at a time when even the Beatles were still burying such experiments deep in the mix. But if the album itself found the duo rooted to the musical spot, still it delivered some of Marc Bolan's most resonant songs…

Tony Mathews was a sideman for Little Richard and Ray Charles, where he finely honed his guitar chops. This album is his solo debut on Alligator Records. It features great songs, soulful vocals and some really smooth jazz-inflected blues guitar. A very strong album from start to finish. Stand out tracks are "White Powder", "Ann Marie" and "Let Me Know When You're Coming".

It was quite fitting that Ken McIntyre had an opportunity to record in a quintet with Eric Dolphy, for his multi-instrumental approach was similar to Dolphy's, although he always had a very different sound. On this CD reissue, McIntyre plays alto on four tunes and flute on two others (his work on bassoon, oboe, and bass clarinet would come slightly later), while Dolphy mostly plays alto but doubles on flute on one number and switches to bass clarinet for "Dianna." With pianist Walter Bishop, Jr., bassist Sam Jones, and drummer Art Taylor offering concise solos and swinging support, McIntyre somehow almost holds his own with Dolphy on a variety of originals and George Gershwin's "They All Laughed." A very interesting date.

Wally started playing some sort of Symphonic Country, which wouldn't be strange "per se" if they were from USA, but these guys were British and their debut album was produced by Rick Wakeman, so it's kind of unusual.
The band was formed in the early 70's by Singer Songwriter Roy Webber, the original lineup that was completed by Pete Cosker (Electric and acoustic guitars), Paul Gerrett (Fender Rhodes, harmonium, grand piano, harpsichord, mellotron, Hammond organ and vocals) Paul Middleton (Steel guitar and bass), Roger Narraway in the drums and Pete Sage playing electric violin, bass and Mandoline.
The band was discovered in 1972 when they reached the finals of a contest organized by the Melody Maker Magazine which was won by another band named Druid…

Apollo: Atmospheres & Soundtracks consists of music written for a documentary film about NASA's Apollo missions, which landed several humans on the moon between 1969 and 1972. The film was originally titled Apollo, and initially consisted of footage from the moon missions without narrations, but due to lukewarm response from test audiences, the film went through several edits, incorporating commentary from the astronauts and ground crew, and was finally released in 1989 as For All Mankind. The original soundtrack for Apollo was released in 1983, however, and subsequently took on a life of its own. Composed and performed by Brian Eno along with his brother Roger and guitarist/producer Daniel Lanois, the album interprets the vastness and weightlessness of space in a variety of different ways…

'Charm' is the debut release from Naya Baaz - a groundbreaking new collaboration between two extraordinary musicians, both of whom have achieved a rare level of mastery in demanding musical traditions from opposite sides of the globe. Recent Guggenheim Fellow, Rez Abbasi moved from Karachi to California as a child and has built up a formidable reputation as a guitarist who combines his love of Jazz (evidenced on his last major release, ‘Django-Shift’) with an international array of influences from South Asia and beyond: Josh Feinberg is one of a handful of Western musicians to excel at the challenging legacy of the Hindustani sitar, specializing in the Maihar Gharana style from North India, and also a jazz bass player who studied with Paul Bley and Dave Holland. ‘Josh earnestly understands jazz harmony and chromaticism as well as Indian musical traditions’ says Rez ‘That’s a very rare combination’. Completing the endlessly flexible line-up are Jennifer Vincent’s bespoke five-string cello, opening up possibilities to add both basslines and melodies, and Satoshi Takeishi’s specially augmented drumset.

On "Songs and Symphoniques: The Music of Moondog," Ghost Train Orchestra teams up with the trailblazing Kronos Quartet to celebrate and reimagine the music of Louis Hardin, aka Moondog, the ground-breaking composer and poet who lived on the streets of New York City in the 50s and 60s, and influenced the minimalists Philip Glass, Steve Reich and Terry Riley. A blind composer who moved from Kansas to New York City and built his own instruments and mythology, Moondog's story and music continue to be an inspiration to many.

The Best Of The MPS Years presents you all the classics and highlights of George Duke’s time at the Black Forest label on one album.

As for the years 1962, 1963 and 1964, Sony also released for 1969 an extremely limited "50th Anniversary Collection" with unpublished recordings of Bob Dylan. The goal is not to lose the copyright on these recordings in Europe.

American top pianist Kenny Werner and Scandinavian star saxophonist Benjamin Koppel have become musical brothers through 15 years of ongoing frequent musical collaboration. Their duo album WALDEN was highly acclaimed, as has their long line of other releases, including COALITION with Lionel Loueke and FREEBOP with David Liebman.

When the world-renowned Canadian pianist came to Villingen in 1961, there was a mood of intense excitement all round. Hans-Georg Brunner-Schwer (HGBS), former owner of the hifi dynasty SABA who died in 2004, had just set up the first version of his studio, equipped with the most advanced recording technology of the time, above the living-room in his villa. This was the bait used by the piano enthusiast to attract the famous pianist to the Black Forest. After a guest performance in Zurich, Peterson climbed into a limousine and embarked on a journey across the mountains. As soon as he arrived, along with bassist Ray Brown and drummer Ed Thigpen, the international star was led to the Steinway grand in the living-room where a number of excited guests were eagerly waiting. "I listened to him play 'til four o'clock in the morning and lost the desire to ever hear the Beatles again!", says Matthias Brunner-Schwer, HGBS' son, still starry-eyed half a century later. The legendary pianist himself was equally delighted when he listened to the recording of the nocturnal living-room performance, never before having heard such a direct and pristine piano sound on tape.

[Ahmed] is the quartet of Pat Thomas (piano), Joel Grip (double bass), Antonin Gerbal (drums) and Seymour Wright (alto saxophone). Together, the group re-arrange and re-imagine in real time the music of composer, bassist and oud player Ahmed Abdul-Malik (1927-1993).