Yes, yes, it's a bizarre choice of instruments. But despite what one
reviewer said, these works are sweetly written and very pleasant.
Albrechtsberger is obscure as a composer, but well remembered as an
influential theorist. He also served as a music teacher to Beethoven
when he grew frustrated with Haydn, who had not the time to correct his
work. These works are in the galant or rococo style, somewhere between
baroque and classical (but closer to classical). These works must be
understood in the context of the galant period. At that time, folk
instruments had become very fashionable, and some composers became
interested in them, such as Leopold Mozart, who wrote for the alp horn,
hurdy-gurdy, bagpipes, and so on. The mandora, a type of lute, has a
good sound, and the jew's harp is surprisingly melodious considering the
fact that the fundamental pitch does not vary. All in all, this is very
pleasant music, and even the non-musical will be entertained by the
sheer quirkiness of it.
(by R. Folk)
Really, it has to be heard to be believed. Recordings of the Jew's Harp
Concerto have been amusing music students at parties for years. It is
one those oddities that one will find it hard to resist adding to one's
collection.
I recommend this with many caveats. There is a good reason why
Albrechtsberger is a virtual unknown (if not for the Jew's Harp
Concerto, he would be completely off the musical radar), and the novelty
of these pieces is really the only thing that can recommend this
recording. However, you probably already had guessed that.
(by chefdevergue)
Johann Georg Albrechtsberger: February 3, 1736 - March 7, 1809
Personnel: Fritz Mayr (jews harp) Dieter Kirsch (mandora) + Munich Chamber Orchestra conducted by Hans Stadlmair
Tracklist:
Concerto for Jews Harp, Mandora & Orchestra in E major: 01. Tempo moderato (Albrechtsberger) 6.38 02. Adagio (Albrechtsberger) 7.17. 03. Finale - Tempo de menuetto (Albrechtsberger) 6.34
Concerto for Jews Harp,Mandora & Orchestra in F major: 04. Allegro moderato (Albrechtsberger) 4.40 05. Andante (Albrechtsberger) 6.38 06. Menuetto. Moderato (Albrechtsberger) 3.58 07. Finale - Allegro molto (Albrechtsberger) 3.08 ARMU 0057
One has to give high marks to guitarist and composer Frank Gambale. While an unabashed jazz-rock fusioneer, Gambale has always made music that was as interested in lyricism and inventive harmonic interplay as complex riffs and arpeggios.
Gambale
is a composer of the first order and, as he has gotten older, his
writing style has become increasingly engaging melodically; his sense of
harmonic architecture is full of shapes and colors and is weighted by
use of the imagination that indulges flights of whimsy. He also
understands on a cellular level the importance of ensemble
communication. Accompanied by Billy Cobham on drums and either Ric Fierabracci or Steve Billman on bass, Gambale
offers listeners 12 new cuts that range from a near singing quality
("Foreign Country," "Bittersweet," "Table for One") to a harder-edged
jazz full of knotty yet emotionally charged and conscious improvisation
("May the Fourths Be With You," "Smug," "Complex Emotions").
Certainly
this is a guitar player's record, but it is one that has its roots in
aesthetic beauty rather than in mechanics.
Personnel: Steve Billman (bass) Billy Cobham (drums, percussion) Ric Fierabracci (bass) Frank Gambale (guitar)
Tracklist: 01. Foreign Country (Gambale) 6.56 02. Cachination (Gambale) 5.52 03. Bittersweet (Gambale) 8.17 04. Table For One (Gambale) 6.42 05. Nouveau Vignettes: Debut Solo (Gambale) 1.25 06. Nouveau Vignettes: Melodique (Gambale) 1.10 07. Nouveau Vignettes: Two Minutes B.C. (Gambale) 1.57 08. Ka´anapali (Gambale) 6.37 09. May The Fourths Be With You (Gambale) 7.03 10. Monkey Wrench (Gambale) 5.51 11. Smug (Gambale) 6.25 12. Complex Emotions (Gambale) 10.20
Upon the release of their first album in the late '70s, Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers
were shoehorned into the punk/new wave movement by some observers who
picked up on the tough, vibrant energy of the group's blend of Byrds riffs and Stonesy
swagger. In a way, the categorization made sense. Compared to the heavy
metal and art rock that dominated mid-'70s guitar rock, the Heartbreakers' bracing return to roots was nearly as unexpected as the crashing chords of the Clash.
As time progressed, it became clear that the band didn't break from
tradition like their punk contemporaries. Instead, they celebrated it,
culling the best parts of the British Invasion, American garage rock,
and Dylanesque singer/songwriters to create a distinctively American hybrid that recalled the past without being indebted to it.
The Heartbreakers were a tight, muscular, and versatile backing band that provided the proper support for Petty's songs, which cataloged a series of middle-class losers and dreamers. While his slurred, nasal voice may have recalled Dylan and Roger McGuinn, Petty's songwriting was lean and direct, recalling the simple, unadorned style of Neil Young.
This is one their earliest radio-shows and this is the chance to hear young Tom Petty at the start of his career ... enjoy it !
Recorded live at the Record Plant Recording Studios, San Francisco, April 23, 1977
Personnel: Rain Blair (bass) Mike Campbell (guitar) Stan Lynch (drums) Tom Petty (guitar, vocals) Benmont Tench (keyboards)
Tracklist: 01. Surrender (Petty) 2.58 02. Band Intros/American Girl (Petty) 4.45 03, Fooled Again (I Don't Like it) (Petty) 6.24 04. I Need To Know (Petty) 2.44 05. Strangered In The Night (Petty) 4.23 06. Dog On The Run (Campbell) 10.25 07. Route 66(Troup)4.11
This is an excellent early live recording from this group, done around the time of its second album, Embryo's Rache,
and with all tracks taken from that record.
Its a fascinating
juxtaposition between the psychedelic jazz-rock of early embryonic Embryo and the embrace of ethnic music from around the world that characterized subsequent Embryo
projects. It starts off with some tribal drumming, and moves onward
into complex rhythms and lots of sax and flute solos and even a violin
here and there.
Because of Embryo's ever-changing roster, the lineup includes only three of seven musicians from Embryo's Rache, recorded in the same year as Bremen 1971,
and with no keyboards, the dynamics of the live versions of the pieces
are quite different. The first three cuts, each about ten minutes in
length, segue seamlessly together without a pause, while the politically
charged "Spain Yes" is now expanded to nearly half an hour.
With some
odd vocal chanting on "Time" and lots of high-energy jazz-funk grooves
throughout, Embryo's performance is quite inspiring. (by Rolf Semprebon)
Personnel: Christian Burchard (drums) Hansi Fischer (flute) Ralph Fischer (bass) Edgar Hofmann (saxophone, violin) Al Jones (guitar)
Tracklist: 01. Try To Be (Burchard) 10.34 02. Time (Burchard) 10.09 03. Tausenfüssler (H.Fischer) 9.20 04. Spain Yes, Franco Finished (Burchard) 26.26
Delaney & Bonnie's
brand of soul-rock was firmly in place by the time of this 1969 album,
the only one they recorded for Stax. Their following albums would gain
greater exposure, but there's not much difference between this record
and those subsequent efforts, except perhaps that this is more
soul-oriented and less rock-oriented. That's not too surprising
considering that members of Booker T. & the MG's are playing on most of the cuts, though a few were done in Hollywood with Leon Russell on keyboards and Carl Radle on bass. The material was a mixture of original songs and compositions from top Stax writers such as Steve Cropper, Isaac Hayes, and David Porter,
though generally the songs weren't as grittily powerful or memorably
hook-laden at the best stuff to come out of Stax in the late '60s. The
cover of "Piece of My Heart" was bound to pass relatively unnoticed in
the wake of Janis Joplin's wrenching hit cover of the song (with Big Brother & the Holding Company),
and "Hard to Say Goodbye" seems like an attempt to push their sound in a
slightly poppier direction, though not at all a bad one. (The 2006 CD
reissue resequenced the tracks and added six bonus songs, as well as
historical liner notes. The reason for resequencing the order is
uncertain, but the six additional cuts are welcome, as their sound and
quality fit in fine with the rest of the record. If there's any
difference between the bonus material and the songs that found a place
on the initial release, it's that there's a greater emphasis on original
compositions. Of those, "Get Ourselves Together" and "All We Really
Want to Do" are both well up to the standards of the tracks that had
been included on the LP. They also pointed a little more in a rock
direction, and slightly away from the faithful adherence to the Stax
sound that characterized the sessions.) (by Ritchie Unterberger)
Personnel: Joe Arnold (saxophone) Bonnie Bramlett (vocals) Delaney Bramlett (guitar, vocals) Ben Cauley (trumpet) Steve Cropper (guitar) John Davis (trumpet) Donald Dunn (bass) Phil Forrest (background vocals) Isaac Hayes (keyboards) Al Jackson, Jr. (drums) Wayne Jackson (trumpet) Booker T. Jones (keyboards) Jim Karstein (percussion) Ed Logan (saxophone) Andrew Love (saxophone) Jay Pruitt (trumpet) Carl Radle (bass) Leon Russell (keyboards) Dick Steff (trumpet)
Tracklist: 01. It's Been a Long Time Coming (B.Bramlett/D.Bramlett) 2.22 02. A Right Now Love (Banks/B.Bramlett 2.23 03. We Can Love (Cropper/Floyd 2.25 04. My Baby Specializes (Hayes/Porter) 3.18 05. Everybody Loves A Winner (Jones) 4.49 06. Things Get Better (Cropper/Floyd) 2.27 07. Just Plain Beautiful (Cropper/Crutcher) 2.12 08. Hard To Say Goodbye (B.Bramlett/Radle) 2.33 09. Pour Your Love On Me (B.Bramlett/D.Bramlett/Radle) 2:45 10. Piece of My Heart (Berns/Ragovoy) 4.38 + 11. A Right Now Love (Banks/B.Bramlett) 2.21 12. I've Just Been Feeling Bad (Cropper/Floyd) 2.52 13. Dirty Old Man (D.Bramlett/Davis) 2.38 14. Get Ourselves Together (B.Bramlett/D.Bramlett/Radle) 2.28 15. Pour Your Love On Me (B.Bramlett/D.Bramlett/Radle) 2.46 16. Hard To Say Goodbye (B.Bramlett/Radle) 2.35
Vee Jay's 1964 album John Lee Hooker on Campus is titled to sound like a
live recording but it isn't. As part of the Collectables Vee Jay
reissue campaign, these 12 tracks originally tried to capitalize on Hooker's
emergence on the coffeehouse/college tours he was involved in at the
time.
This is an electric album that contains excellent material from Hooker,
even though the occasional background singers get in the way,
attempting to modernize his gritty blues with a smoother soul sound. (by Al Campbell)
Electric blues from John Lee Hooker released in the mid 60s on Vee Jay –
all Hooker originals that are riveting and soul shaking as you could
hope for.
Although it's titled John Lee Hooker On Campus, it's more a
reflecting of the time than a literal description of what you'll hear
here – the folk and blues revival was in full swing and holding college
audiences rapt, but it's not a concert recording, but Hooker in
excellent 60s form.(by dusty groove)
Personnel: John Lee Hooker (guitar, vocals) + a bunch of unknown studio musicians Tracklist: 01. I´m Leaving (Hooker) 2.12 02. Love Is A Burning Thing (Hooker) 2.39 03. Birmingham Blues (Hooker) 2.54 04. I Want To Shout (Hooker) 2.25 05. Don´t Look Back (Hooker/Robinson/White) 2.56 06. I Want To Hug You (Hooker/Ling) 2.29 07. Poor Me (Hooker) 2.41 08. I Want To Ramble (Hooker) 3.11 09. Half A Stranger (Sykes) 4.24 10. My Grinding Mill (Hooker) 3.11 11. Bottle Up And Go (Hooker) 2.25 12. One Way Tichet (Hooker) 3.27
Usually, the first comeback album is a pretext for a comeback tour; the second comeback album is the real test. And Van Der Graaf Generator passed that test, although fans may argue about that for years. Vintage VDGG this is not (and if you're still hoping for that, well, it won't happen). And, of course, Trisector sounds closer to a Peter Hammill solo album than any VDGG LP from the '70s. After all, drummer Guy Evans has released very few albums (let alone under his own name) during the interim, and organist Hugh Banton has released only one, while Hammill chugged out three dozens or so. Consequently, yes, Hammill's songwriting dominates and follows the style of songwriting found on his 2000s albums. And the presence of sax player David Jackson (who left after the Present tour) would have changed very little of that. In this incarnation of the band, Banton's organ is the dominating instrument, either in complex intricate patterns or in soft accompaniment mode. Present,
the group's first comeback album, was a slim offering: six songs for a
total duration of 35 minutes, and only two of these songs found their
way into the live set list. Trisector
is more generous (nine songs over 53 minutes) and offers higher highs
and lower lows. "The Hurlyburly" is a strange inclusion and definitely a
questionable choice for an opener. The 21st century surf music feel of
this instrumental might have worked as comic relief toward the middle
mark of the album, or even as a coda. Placed at the forefront, it
indisposes. The half-point has been given instead to "Drop Dead," an
unremarkable rocker that would have felt weak even on one of Hammill's rock albums. Those two low points aside, Trisector
stands as a strong achievement. "Interference Patterns" and "All That
Before" have the complexity and rawness you'd expect from this
one-of-a-kind prog rock band. "Lifetime" and "Only in a Whisper" are
definitely softer than anything VDGG
used to do in the '70s, but they are artistically successful songs. The
latter, a delicate two-chord affair, provides a slow-boiling showcase
for Hammill's poignant voice and Evans'
subtle drumming. The 12-minute "Over the Hill" is almost as epic as the
group's music used to be; it will easily become a live favorite. And
"(We Are) Not Here" brings the album to a strong though unusual close,
with its driving and repetitive motif and its stacked vocals. The songs
on Trisector
have a tendency to run a bit too long (the ending of "The Final Reel"
and "Only in a Whisper," the middle section in "All That Before"), but
the songwriting is strong, the attitude is sincere, and the group
manages to present a convincing and viable version of Van Der Graaf Generator
for the 21st century. The fact that most of the album's songs have been
included in the group's 2008 live set shows how much more committed the
musicians are to this material, compared to the
"let's-give-this-thing-a-try" approach found on Present. (by François Couture)
Personnel: Hugh Banton (organ, bass) Guy Evans (drums, percussion) Peter Hammill (guitar, piano, vocals)
Tracklist: 01. The Hurlyburly (Banton/Evans/Hammill) 4,38 02. Interference Patterns (Banton/Evans/Hammill) 3.52 03. The Final Reel (Banton/Evans/Hammill) 5.49 04. Lifetime (Hammill) 4.47 05. Drop Dead (Banton/Evans/Hammill) 4.52 06. Only In A Whisper (Banton/Evans/Hammill) 6.44 07. All That Before (Banton/Evans/Hammill) 6.29 08. Over The Hill (Banton/Evans/Hammill) 12.29 09. (We Are) Not Here (Banton/Evans/Hammill) 4.04
Carole of Harvest, like Emtidi, Gurnemanz, Ougenweide and Hoelderlin, showed that a psychedelic prog folk scene did exist in
Germany in the 70s, but their sole effort came along when the other bands had shifted or disappeared, and therefore the genre
was of less interest by then. In fact, one might even ask what the point was. Most of the ideas presented here were long
past their expiry date both in their native land and elsewhere, often sounding more like early than late 70s. The
instrumentation is sparse and samey, featuring mostly heavily strummed electric or amplified acoustic guitars, with the keys
secondary.
Where Carole of Harvest departs from all of the above in a favourable sense is the superb vocals of Beate Krause, who is
reminiscent of the singers in the aforementioned groups but also of Jacquie MacShee and Annie Haslam. It is expressive and
is in perfect sync with the accompaniment, no more so than in the finale of the original LP, "Try a LIttle Bit", 10 minutes
of prog folk bliss with more bite than Pentangle or Renaissance could ever hope to muster. Ms Krause's wordless acompaniment
that follows the main part of the song is masterfully expressive and harmonious, and the synthesizers, and perhaps mellotron
at the finale, provide just the right augmentation to the basic sound. While drums are present on this track, they are kept
low and are not needed, so potent is the basic groove. That is the general trend in the album.
The other major highlight is the longest song, the 16 minute anti war reflection called "Put on Your Nightcap" that opens the
album with tentative guitar reflections, unrushed and pregnant with promise, accompanied by the sounds of the wind. The
structure and manner of buildup is very progressive, with time given to express the lyrical themes and some impressive
synthesizer and lead guitar work, mostly played at a slow pace reflecting the ponderous nature of the theme. A second part
is slightly more upbeat with more emphasis on the rhythm, and some prominent bass work.
The other three original songs from the LP are all shorter and decent but not quite to 5 star level, being like more concise
but less interesting versions of the two monsters. The bonus material is live, shows a more straightforward rocking side of
the band, and sounds quite out of place given the strength and style of the other material.
While the harvest reaped is superficially similar to the usual autumn fare, the album manages to carve a feast for the prog
fan with an interest in electric folk, as well as an indelible niche among the many German one-offs in existence. Highly
recommended.(by kenethlevine)
Personnel: Robert Högn (drums) Beate Krause (vocals) Jürgen Kolb (keyboards) Axel Schmierer (guitar) Heinz Reinschlüssel (bass)
Tracklist: 01. Put On Your Nightcap (Schmierer) 16.02 02. You And Me (Schmierer) 2.31 03. Somewhere At The End Of The Rainbow (Schmierer) 6.26 04. Treary Eyes (Schmierer) 4.17 05. Try A Little Bit (Schmierer) 9.59 06. River (Schmierer) 2.36 07. Sweet Heroin (Schmierer) 7.04 08. Brickstone (Schmierer) 1.14
The joyful trend towards all-star tours in smooth jazz began in the
mid-'90s with Guitars & Saxes and became the standard on summer
festival circuits well into the 2000s. One of the most exciting and
popular of these has been the Sax Pack,
a clever turn of phrase that brings to mind great showmanship and
supreme cool -- qualities that popular and soulful genre saxmen Jeff Kashiwa, Kim Waters, and Steve Cole have in spades. All of them have enjoyed lengthy solo careers but were inspired when Kashiwa
presented the idea of a trio tour around 2003 after seeing a PBS
documentary on The Rat Pack. The concept was an instant success, and has
resulted in lengthy annual tours ever since, but no doubt record
company red tape held up the process of committing the energy of their
three horns to commercially released tracks. Shanachie, Waters'
longtime label, won the rights, and this "debut" album -- while not
fully capturing the blistering energy and improvisations this trio
projects on-stage -- is full of outrageous, melodic, mostly
high-grooving fun. A little short at nine cuts, they seem to be playing
it a bit close to the vest until the final three originals, when they
cut loose on the bubbling, retro-soul tune "A Little Bit Closer," the
urgently soulful, free-spirited jam patterned after their longtime idol
"Maceo," and the moody, blues-drenched closer "Goin' Home," which gives
them all ample stretching time as the others back them with sensuous
horn section subtlety. The disc kicks off with the playful, instantly
infectious first single "Fallin' for You," which all three wrote but
totally captures the vibe of many of Kashiwa's
previous hits. They load the front end of the track list with in the
pocket, perfectly catchy original tunes that only hint at what they're
capable of, but part of smooth jazz's success is being cool and polished
so they get away with it. Live, their covers of "The World Is a Ghetto"
and "Tequila" are major party tunes, while here the festivities are a
bit more candlelit (but again, well played and supremely slick and cool)
and less raucous; Jeff Golub's
guitar contribution on "Tequila" adds some great crunch to the mix. The
mixed bag here epitomizes the dichotomy between radio-ready pop
instrumentals the smooth jazz format jumps on, and the festive jams that
happen when great musicians play live. The good news that even the
songs that leave us wanting more sizzle are still enjoyable to tap along
to. (by Jonathan Widran)
Personnel: Ranedy Bowland (guitar) Wayne Bruce (guitar) Steve Cole (saxophone) Chris Davis (keyboards) Jeff Golub (guitar) Gerey Johnson (guitar) Jeff Kashiwa (saxophone) David Andrew Mann (drums, synthesizer) Mike Ricchiuti (keyboards) Bernd Scvhoenhart (guitar) Kim Waters (saxophone)
Tracklist: 01. Fallin´ For You (Cole/Kashiwa/Waters) 4.33 02. The Sax Pack (Cole/Kashiwa/Waters) 3.37 03. All I Really Want (Cole/Kashiwa/Waters) 4.26 04. The World Is A Ghetto (Allen/Brown/Dickerson/Jordan/Levitin/Miller/Scott) 5.28 05. Tequilla (Rio) 6.17 06. You Are My Staqrship (Henderson) 4.47 07. A Little Bit Closer (Cole/Kashiwa/Waters) 4.40 08. Maceao (Cole/Kashiwa/Waters) 5.59 09. Goin´ Home (Cole/Kashiwa/Waters) 5.33 ARMU 0049
Even though this album is less phenomenal than the previous Kin Ping Meh 3,"Virtues &
Sins" still represents what so called good hard rock music at the time.
The melody line
at "Good Time Gracie" (3:31) is a good one to enjoy. My favorite track "Your're a Liar"
(7:25) represents a simple composition with good riffs and arrangement. This is the kind of
track that I kept playing on air with the radio sattion that we had at that time.
The
following "Night-Time Glider" (5:41) has powerful structure and excellent nuance. The
album title track combines good melody and music harmony. It's hard not to have this
album if you already have the Kin Ping Meh 3.
It's a good follow-up of previous album and considering this as rare album, you should have
it in your collection. (by Gatot)
Personnel: Uli Gross (guitar) Geff Harrison (vocals) Gerhard Mrozeck (guitar) Fritz Schmitt (keyboards) Kalle Weber (drums, percussion) Alan Joe Wroe (bass) + Jean-Jacques Kravetz(organ on 06.)
Tracklist: 01. Good Time Gracie (Mrozeck/Harrison/Wroe) 3.31 02. Your're A Liar (Mrozeck/Harrison/Wroe) 7.25 03. Night-Time Glider (Mrozeck/Harrison/Wroe) 5.41 04. When Summer's Gone (Mrozeck/Harrison/Wroe) 5.39 05. Whisky Flyer (Mrozeck/Harrison/Wroe) 5.46 06. Rich Kid Blues (Reid) 6.55 07. Living Your Lies (Mrozeck/Harrison/Wroe) 5.41 08. Virtue And Sins (Mrozeck/Schmitt/Weber/Harrison/Wroe) 4.27
