Pieces of Eight is the eighth studio album by Styx, released on September 1, 1978. Like the band's previous album, The Grand Illusion (1977), it managed to achieve triple platinum certification, thanks to the hit singles "Blue Collar Man (Long Nights)" and "Renegade". The band members produced and recorded the album (like their previous three efforts) at Paragon Studios in Chicago with recording engineer Barry Mraz and mixing engineer Rob Kingsland. "I'm O.K." was recorded at Paragon and St. James Cathedral. This would be the last album to be produced at Paragon Studios. The album's cover was done by Hipgnosis. Some consider the album to be Styx' second concept album (1973's The Serpent Is Rising arguably being the first) as well as the last Styx album with significant progressive rock leanings.

A companion to the same label's masterful reissue of John Cale's Paris 1919, The Frozen Borderline remasters the two albums that Nico recorded (with Cale in attendance) for Elektra and Reprise in 1968 and 1970, adding a heap of bonus tracks and the kind of deluxe packaging that fans – accustomed to the cheapness of other Nico repackagings – have previously only dreamed about. Spread across two discs, one per original LP, the two albums sound spectacular. Neither was exactly a production tour de force, their instrumentation dominated, of course, by harmonium, and the handful of flourishes that Cale layered on.

Features 24 bit remastering and comes with a mini-description. Following the hip strategy of the time, Eddie Harris flew to London to mix it up with some of Britain's most in-demand rockers – including guitarists Jeff Beck and Albert Lee, pianist Stevie Winwood and drummer Alan White – on this LP. Truthfully, though, most of the results aren't too different from what Harris had been recording at home at the time, with only a hint of a rock edge. If anything, the workmanlike Brits are too much on their best behavior – Beck plays with restraint and taste while Lee is jazzier and a bit flashier – making Harris seem like a wild man by comparison.

The French Black & Blue label was savvy enough to spirit Brooks into a studio when he was touring the continent in 1975 as part of Chicago Blues Festival '75. As befits the jam-session ambience of the date (pianist Willie Mabon, harpist Mack Simmons, and two-thirds of the Aces are on hand), hoary standards predominate: "Crosscut Saw," "Things I Used to Do," "Mama Talk to Your Daughter," and the ubiquitous title track (which remains a signature song). The omnipresent "The Train and the Horse" returns as well.

Pekka Pohjola (1952-2008) is without doubt one of the greatest bassist/multi-instrumentalist in Europe. He knows how to handle several other instruments too… violin, piano, organ, keyboards, synthesizers, and trumpet as well. His style could be described with words as progressive rock filled with invention & Scandinavian folky/jazzy delights. In 1970 Pekka joined Wigwam, a Finnish group around the English singer and pianist Jim Pembroke, staying four glorious years. In 1977, he formed The Group and in 1979, he toured with Mike Oldfield, who is an admirer of this bass-player. In 1980, The Group changed its name to Pekka Pohjola Group, but along the way the word "Group" is dropped, so the band played on as Pekka Pohjola…

Lone Star Legend is the 1997 CD by jazz musician David "Fathead" Newman. The disc is a 2-in-1 release featuring 1980's Resurgence! and 1982's Still Hard Times, both in their entirety. This was released by Joel Dorn's label, 32 Jazz.

One of bassist Ron Carter's better albums as a leader, this CTI LP features a very compact quartet comprised of tenor saxophonist Joe Henderson, pianist Roland Hanna (keyboardist Richard Tee sits in on one number), drummer Billy Cobham and Carter. All of the music (even the ballad "Will You Still Be Mine?") has a blues feeling although several are not really blues. However, the quality of the solos is high, and this date lives up to one's expectations.

Horton was tragically underrecorded as a bandleader; this album certainly attests to his talents in that regard, whether romping through a joyous "Everybody's Fishin'" or elegantly exmaining the tonal possibilities of the Duke Ellington chestnut "Don't Get Around Much Anymore." John Nicholas provides sympathetic backing on both guitar and piano, and Kaz Kazanoff is the stellar saxman.

Since January 2007 the Stockhausen-Verlag is releasing Text-CDs of a new series: lectures which Stockhausen has given since 1952. The edition is limited to 300 copies per release. He wrote and spoke these lectures in German. Most of them are supplemented with musical examples.

Guitarist Jim Hall is the sort of musician who displays such technical expertise, imaginative conception, and elegance of line and phrase that almost any recording of his is worth hearing. Still, Concierto ranks among the best albums of his superb catalog. For starters, the personnel here is a jazz lover's dream come true. Paul Desmond (saxophone), Chet Baker (trumpet), Roland Hanna (piano), Ron Carter (bass), and Steve Gadd (drums) are on board, creating – along with Hall – one of the highest profile lineups ever put to tape. Yet Concierto is not about star power and showboating. As subtle, nuanced, and considered as any of Hall's output, the ensemble playing here demonstrates great group sensitivity and interplay, giving precedence to mood and atmosphere over powerhouse soloing. Conductor and arranger Don Sebesky evinces a chamber ambience from the sextet on "You'd Be So Nice to Come Home To," the smoky "The Answer Is Yes," and the Hall centerpiece "Concierto de Aranjuez".

The story of Campo di Marte (named after an area of Florence) is a familiar one in the annals of Italian progressive rock. Like many of their fellow countrymen they released one album and due to a lack of interest and record company promotion split up. In fact the band had already called it a day before the album was released. Nevertheless it remains an important release and well worth seeking out for anyone with more than a passing interest in the genre.
The band was formed in Florence in 1971 by ex-Senso Unico guitarist Enrico Rosa who also composed all the material…

No Smoke Without Fire is the ninth studio album by rock band Wishbone Ash. It is the first album since 1972's Argus to be produced by Derek Lawrence. It is also the heaviest Wishbone Ash album in years, featuring rockers like the hit single "You See Red" and the multi-part progressive rock epic "The Way of the World." Many fans considered this to be a true return to form after their flirting with an "American" sound on their previous trio of albums.

Seven Tears finds Golden Earring continuing to develop its distinctive blend of hard rock and prog elements, but the end result is not as consistent as 1970's Golden Earring. The big problem this time out is that the group's adventurous genre-hopping tendencies don't always result in strong songs: "Silver Ships" is a soft, science fiction-influenced song that generates a potent atmosphere but lacks the strong arrangement and sense of dynamics that would allow it to take flight, and "You're Better Off Free" loses sight of its catchy tune with a lengthy midsection guitar jam that derails an otherwise interesting song. Despite these problems, Seven Tears shows a band willing to take big risks to transform its combination of elements into a totally unique style.

Esoteric Recordings are pleased to announce a newly remastered edition of the classic self-titled debut album by the legendary Dutch Progressive Jazz Rock group Solution. Solution formed in Groningen, Holland in 1968. Featuring a line-up of Tom Barlage (saxophone/flute), Willem Ennes (keyboards), Peter Van De Sande (bass guitar, vocals) and Hans Waterman (drums), the band recorded their debut album for Dutch EMI label Catfish in May 1971. A fine work, Solution’s music was a Progressive Rock and Jazz fusion that took influences from contemporaries such as Soft Machine, but was uniquely their own…

American Woman is the sixth studio album by Canadian rock band The Guess Who, and the last to feature lead guitarist Randy Bachman until a reformation effort in 1983. The album peaked at #9 on the Billboard Pop Albums chart. It stayed on the charts for over a year and was their most successful release. In addition to the title cut (the group's most successful song), this album also includes the number one American and Canadian single "No Sugar Tonight/New Mother Nature," as well as a remake of "No Time," a song the group previously recorded for Canned Wheat. The newer version was released as a single and is the one most familiar to listeners. The album's musical styles consists of psychedelic rock and hard rock. American Woman was re-mastered and released on CD by Buddha Records in 2000 and included a bonus track, "Got to Find Another Way".