Forty-two years ago, Chet Baker - one of the most tragic figures of jazz who lived on the fast lane and ruined himself with drugs and alcohol - was constantly on the road from one European jazz club to another. Local rhythm groups were not always top notch so it was only logical to pick the very best from several countries for a film-music production in Italy. And it was equally logical that RCA's Italian subsidiary brought the musicians into the studio in January 1962.With one exception, the eight titles on this disc are all so-called standards. The two winds demand total concentration from the rhythm section while maintaining relaxed and laid-back harmonic patterns. And this is something the Italian Tommasi, the Belgian Thomas, the Frenchman Quersin and the Swiss Humair carry off with an air of nonchalance.

Although the band offers a mix of slightly subdued, milder pieces, the opening number 'The Red & The Black' makes it fully clear that we are in for a dizzy roller-coaster ride here. Subsequently the Black side with it's straightforward guitar riffs is mixed together with a complex melody and results in an amazingly colourful sound ("O.D.'d On Life Itself"), it is refreshingly naive, full of feisty complicated rock ("Baby Ice Dog"), and soars to celestial heights in "Wings Wetted Down" with it's polyphonic male voices.

?In 1965, just one year after Paul Butterfield had formed his blues band - named after himself - and launched one of the very best groups among the white Chicago blues community, the band produced this dynamic and visionary album. The group presents a wide range of contrasting numbers, both eastern and western, which reflect the LP's title - something totally new and innovative. In the first few titles, traditional standard numbers come over rather enigmatically while supporting original and rhythmic compactness, but this soon gives over to tactically well-formed instrumentation and lengthy solo interludes. The all-embracing motto 'blues' is taken up by the band in Nat Adderley's 'Work Song' at the very latest, with mind-expanding ways of playing and varying sounds. Catapulted by Mike Bloomfield's artistry on the guitar into the world of rock, all the musicians celebrate these well-known jazz standards and each man contributes his personal skill into forging a perfectly balanced team effort. The title number 'East-West' ultimately demolishes the world of the blues. In the tonal mixture of confidently prepared rock ingredients and borrowings from Indian music (raga rock), we have an amalgamation of rock, blues, jazz and oriental melodies which result in an emotional, unheard-of sound that is well worth the hearing.

Limited 180gm vinyl LP pressing. Jazz is the seventh album by Ry Cooder, produced by Joseph Byrd and Ry Cooder and originally released on the Warner Bros. Records label.

Nimbus West spirit jazz essential: the Creative Arts Ensemble's classic debut One Step Out. One of the most sought after and highly-regarded titles to have appeared on Tom Albach's celebrated Nimbus West imprint, One Step Out is a timeless work of spiritualized jazz. A true gem from the Los Angeles jazz underground, the album was pianist and composer Kaeef Ruzadun Ali's first recording as leader of the Creative Arts Ensemble, the only large ensemble group that emerged directly from Horace Tapscott's legendary Pan Afrikan Peoples Arkestra community jazz group. A Los Angeles native, Kaeef was introduced to the Tapscott circle in the late 1970s. His first experience of the Arkestra's ethos was through PAPA tenorist Michael Session, who took him to the famous 'Great House' at 2412 South Western Ave., LA - a large mansion house which members of the Arkestra had taken over as a space for communal living. Life in the Great House was a continuous stream of music, dance and community events. 'When I walked in there,' recalled Kaeef, 'it was like this whole rush came over me, just from going in the front door - It was like a very, very warm feeling of love. I went and I came out with 'Flashback Of Time', and that was my first arrangement.' Kaeef quickly became a significant contributor of compositions to the Arkestra's songbook - his piece 'New Horizon' would be recorded by Horace Tapscott for the latter's Tapscott Sessions series. But 'Flashback Of Time' would eventually appear on One Step Out, played by the new group he had put together from stalwart Arkestra members. Inspired by both Tapscott's example and by the Art Ensemble of Chicago, Kaeef had wanted to follow their lead by assembling a larger unit. Featuring seasoned Arkestra regulars including reedsman Dadisi Komolafe, drummer Woody 'Sonship' Theus and altoist Gary Bias, with veterans Henry 'The Skipper' Franklin on bass and George Bohannon on trombone, One Step Out is a key document of the Los Angeles radical jazz underground. Featuring the sanctified vocals of Kaeef's sister, B. J. Crowley, the album is a tour de force of spiritually energized independent jazz music.

Limited double 180gm vinyl LPs pressed at 45RPMs. Mobile Fidelity's numbered limited-edition breathes with transparent highs, atmospheric heft, and lifelike tonalities. The sense of realism this edition delivers will leave slack-jawed even the most demanding listeners. Never has it sounded so reach-out-and-touch-it realistic as it does on this analog pressing. All of the hallmark characteristics - ample spaciousness, ideal balances, widescreen dynamics, immersive depth, lush production - are here in spades. This is the hand-down ultimate sounding version of this audiophile favorite ever made. 1985's Brothers in Arms has sold more than nine million copies in U.S. alone and ranks #351 on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time list. One of the world's best-selling records and an era-defining Grammy-winning set that catapulted an acclaimed band to arena status, Dire Straits' Brothers in Arms is the kind of epic spectacular that comes around only once or twice a decade. The album remains idiosyncratic for it's covetable combination of adventurous songwriting, precision-based performances, and reference-caliber fidelity. Mastered from the original master tapes, pressed at RTI, and possessing a richness befitting the album's stellar reputation.

Mobile Fidelity 45RPM 2LP Set of Love Over Gold Touts Unsurpassed Spaciousness, Imaging, and Transparency: Mastered from the Original Tapes, Music Emerges With New Details and Tones. Love Over Gold Includes the Epic 'Telegraph Road' and Aching 'Private Investigations': Heartfelt Narrative Songs Steeped in Patience, Drama, Sadness, and Romance. Love Over Gold is all about contrast, tension, and crafty composition. Dire Straits' fourth album finds the band continuing to evolve by welcoming increasingly bold arrangements and exploring moody variations. Parts edgy and sharp, and part seductive and relaxed, the five lengthy songs on Love Over Gold sprawl out like a long, winding road cutting through a pastoral landscape. The addition of a new rhythm guitarist, Hal Lindes, encourages deeper atmospheric interplay while the presence of engineer Neil Dorfsman - his first appearance in what would be a long string of collaborations with Mark Knopfler - ensures stunning sonic properties that now come to life like never before. Mastered from the original master tapes and pressed at RTI, Mobile Fidelity's 180g 45RPM 2LP version of Love Over Gold teems with superb balances, front-to-back soundstages, and crystalline purity. The dead-quiet surfaces and extra-wide grooves bring forward previously obscured details, extra information, and mastering-studio-quality transients. The distinctive textures of a host of instruments - marimbas, acoustic and electric guitars, vibes, synthesizers - further enhance the ambitiousness of the 1982 album. On this audiophile pressing, everything Knopfler does seemingly turn to gold. Gearheads will hear the unique characteristics afforded by his use of a Mesa Boogie Mark II guitar amplifier (soon again employed on Brothers in Arms) and carefully chosen selection of Schecter Stratocasters, 1937 National steel guitar, and Ovation six- and twelve-string models. Reference-level separation and lifelike imaging place Knopfler and company in your room, while tube-like warmth, spaciousness, and airiness causes the music to breathe anew. This LP will be in your rotation for months. It doesn't take long to realize Love Over Gold is like no other Dire Straits album - and a staunch proclamation of independence from a band that continued to take longer creative strides with each successive project. Fearlessly extending over metaphoric hills, valleys, and plains for nearly 14-and-a-half minutes, the opening 'Telegraph Road' is a guitar hero's dream and exhilarating showcase for Lindes' give-and-take capabilities. In tandem with keyboardist Alan Clark, Lindes provides the ideal foil for not only Knopfler but the long-time rhythm section of bassist John Illsley and drummer Pick Withers. Taking it's time to arrive at destinations, the quintet paints evocative musical and lyrical portraits steeped in patience, drama, and, often times, sadness. Desolate emotions color the sweeping 'Telegraph Road' and barren 'Private Investigations,' which finds Knopfler in the role of a tired private eye contemplating the emptiness and scars of his profession. Vocally, the Dire Straits leader remains in top form throughout, his whiskey-coated rasp conveying romantic ache, ongoing frustration, and what Rolling Stone beautifully deemed 'wracking schizophrenia between the heart and the heartless, the loving and the pain.'

Blonde on Blonde is the seventh studio album by American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan, released on May 16, 1966, on Columbia Records. Recording sessions began in New York in October 1965 with numerous backing musicians, including members of Dylan's live backing band, the Hawks. Though sessions continued until January 1966, they yielded only one track that made it onto the final album - "One of Us Must Know (Sooner or Later)". At producer Bob Johnston's suggestion, Dylan, keyboardist Al Kooper, and guitarist Robbie Robertson moved to the CBS studios in Nashville, Tennessee. These sessions, augmented by some of Nashville's top session musicians, were more fruitful, and in February and March all the remaining songs for the album were recorded. Blonde on Blonde completed the trilogy of rock albums that Dylan recorded in 1965 and 1966, starting with Bringing It All Back Home and Highway 61 Revisited. Critics often rank Blonde on Blonde as one of the greatest albums of all time. Combining the expertise of Nashville session musicians with a modernist literary sensibility, the album's songs have been described as operating on a grand scale musically, while featuring lyrics one critic called "a unique blend of the visionary and the colloquial". It was one of the first double albums in rock music. The album peaked at No. 9 on the Billboard 200 chart in the U.S., where it eventually went double-platinum, and reached No. 3 in the UK. Blonde on Blonde spawned two singles that were top twenty hits in the U.S. "Rainy Day Women #12 & 35" and "I Want You". Two additional songs, "Just Like a Woman" and "Visions of Johanna", have been named as among Dylan's greatest compositions and were featured in Rolling Stone??'?s 500 Greatest Songs of All Time list.

U.S. only vinyl LP pressing of this 1963 album on the Mobile Fidelity label. The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan is the second studio album by American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan, released on May 27, 1963 by Columbia Records. Whereas his debut album Bob Dylan had contained only two original songs, Freewheelin??'? represented the beginning of Dylan's writing contemporary words to traditional melodies. Eleven of the thirteen songs on the album are Dylan's original compositions. The album opens with "Blowin' in the Wind", which became an anthem of the 1960s, and an international hit for folk trio Peter, Paul & Mary soon after the release of Freewheelin??'?. The album featured several other songs which came to be regarded as amongst Dylan's best compositions and classics of the 1960s folk scene: "Girl from the North Country", "Masters of War", "A Hard Rain's a-Gonna Fall" and "Don't Think Twice, It's All Right". Dylan's lyrics embraced stories taken from the headlines about civil rights and he articulated anxieties about the fear of nuclear warfare. Balancing this political material were love songs, sometimes bitter and accusatory, and material that features surreal humor. Freewheelin??'? showcased Dylan's songwriting talent for the first time, propelling him to national and international fame. The success of the album and Dylan's subsequent recognition led to his being named as "Spokesman of a Generation", a label Dylan repudiated. The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan reached number 22 in the United States (eventually going platinum), and became a number-one hit in the United Kingdom in 1964. In 2003, the album was ranked number 97 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time. In 2002, Freewheelin' was one of the first 50 recordings chosen by the Library of Congress to be added to the National Recording Registry.

Eagles' Desperado Mastered from the Original Analog Master Tapes for Definitive Sound: Pressed at RTI on MoFi SuperVinyl, Mobile Fidelity UD1S 180g 45RPM 2LP Set Features Opulent Box and Foil-Stamped Jackets Western-Themed 1973 Album Pioneered Country Rock and Don Henley-Glenn Frey's Decades-Spanning Songwriting Partnership: Includes 'Tequila Sunrise,' 'Saturday Night,' and the Title TrackDesperado seams to speak to a universally human theme - the notion that at heart we are all drifters, always searching in life for ever-elusive goals such as stability, companionship, belonging, and satisfaction. Marrying cohesive western-themed arrangements to conceptual narrative devices, The Eagles' 1973 album also hits on a tried-and-true American principle: The West, and the freedom, promise, and danger it has represented throughout U.S. history. Ambitious yet accessible, deep but direct, Desperado remains a towering influence on country rock and a crucial piece of The Eagles' development and evolution.Strictly limited to 7,500 numbered copies, pressed on dead-quiet MoFi SuperVinyl at RTI, and mastered from the original analog master tapes, Mobile Fidelity's ultra-hi-fi UltraDisc One-Step 180g 45RPM 2LP collector's edition pays tribute to the record's significance and enhances the experience for generations to come. Playing with reference sonics that elevate an effort forever held dear by audiophiles, it provides a lively, dynamic, transparent, balanced, and intimate view of a release whose contemporary importance continues to grow. The opportunity to zero in on the particulars of The Eagles' golden harmonies, distinct vocal timbres, and interplay between acoustic and electric instruments has never been better.Visually, the premium packaging and gorgeous presentation of the UD1S Desperado pressing befit it's select status. Housed in a deluxe box, it features special foil-stamped jackets and faithful-to-the-original graphics that illuminate the splendor of the recording. No expense has been spared. From every angle, this UD1S reissue exists as a curatorial artifact meant to be preserved, touched, and examined. It is made for discerning listeners that prize sound quality and production, and who desire to fully immerse themselves in the art - and everything involved with the album, from the iconic photos to the meticulous finishes.

MASTERED FROM THE ORIGINAL ANALOG MASTER TAPES, PRESSED AT RTI ON MOFI SUPERVINYL, AND LIMITED TO 10,000 NUMBERED COPIESWith it's name indicative of the music's boundary-testing diversity and Southwestern inspiration, On the Border finds The Eagles leaving everything on the table and embracing a harder edge that takes the band out of more relaxed territory and establishes it as a group that knows how - and wants - to rock. Glenn Frey, Don Henley, new member Don Felder, and company immediately announce their intent on the defiant album-opening hit 'Already Gone' and never look back, crafting a gem of a record that from start to finish is arguably their most consistent and balanced effort.Limited to 10,000 numbered copies, pressed on dead-quiet MoFi SuperVinyl at RTI, and mastered from the original analog master tapes, Mobile Fidelity's ultra-hi-fi UltraDisc One-Step 180g 45RPM 2LP collector's edition pays tribute to the record's significance and enhances the experience for generations to come. Playing with reference sonics that elevate an effort revered by audiophiles, it provides a lively, dynamic, transparent, and intimate view of a release whose contemporary importance continues to grow. The opportunity to zero in on the particulars of The Eagles' golden harmonies, distinct vocal timbres, and cohesive interplay has never been better.Visually, the premium packaging and gorgeous presentation of the UD1S On the Border pressing befit it's select status. Housed in a deluxe box, it features special foil-stamped jackets and faithful-to-the-original graphics that illuminate the splendor of the recording. No expense has been spared. From every angle, this UD1S reissue exists as a curatorial artifact meant to be preserved, touched, and examined. It is made for discerning listeners that prize sound quality and production, and who desire to fully immerse themselves in the art - and everything involved with the album, from the iconic Navajo cover painting to the meticulous finishes.And with On the Border, there's plenty to take in and soak up. Declared by famed critic Robert Christgau as '[The Eagles'] best album,' the 1974 set claims a rich backstory. Initially recorded amid tumultuous sessions with producer Glyn Johns in London shortly after the release of the group's sophomore Desperado set, On the Border took a new turn after the band elected to scrap most of the prior work, return to it's native California, and team with producer Bill Szymczyk to give the material less of a smooth, polished sheen and more toughness. Szymczyk also afforded The Eagles more input and freedom in the arrangements, and suggested adding another guitarist to play on 'Good Day in Hell.' Felder got the call, and so won over The Eagles with his skills, he quickly became the fifth member of the band.

A Bold Celebration of Romantics, Escapists, and Dreamers: Electric Light Orchestra's Eldorado Marries Rock and Symphonic Elements, Includes the Aptly Titled Hit 'Can't Get It Out of My Head'. Mastered from the Original Analog Master Tapes for Audiophile Quality: Mobile Fidelity 180g Vinyl LP and Hybrid SACD Reissues Play with Previously Unheard Dynamics, Rich Tones, and Bountiful Colors. Melodic, Beatles-Inspired Tour de Force Features Full Orchestra and Choral Section: Arrangements and Lyrics Transport the Listener to Faraway Horizons. Electric Light Orchestra leader Jeff Lynne did more than figuratively reach for the sky on Eldorado. Daring to be bold, and creating imaginative worlds that invite the listener to escape the mundane, the visionary composer-musician achieved a multidisciplinary fantasia and, in the process, a prog-rock landmark. Beautiful yet fun, ambitious yet consistent, the concept album celebrates romantics and escapists. A Technicolor escapade marked by lush melodies, fluid crescendos, and an intoxicating blend of energetic rock and orchestral elements, the album weds rich imagery and sweeping sounds in manners that make the two inseparable. Nearly 50 years later, the work's brilliance can be experienced like never before in cinematic fashion. Mastered from the original analog master tapes and pressed on MoFi SuperVinyl at RTI, Mobile Fidelity's 180g LP and complementary hybrid SACD allow the longtime audiophile staple to resonate with incredible dynamics, tones, and colors. Conjuring the feeling of journeying to different horizons, the record's songs teem with layer upon layer of details, which can now be heard as the producers intended. Distinguished with in-the-moment presence, grand-scale soundstaging, and instrumental balance, MoFi's Eldorado reissues also benefit from superb separation and immersive atmospherics. Like the man says, you won't be able to get it out of your head.

An amazing session of spiritual soul jazz - and one of the rarest albums on Strata East! Shamek Farrah's soulful alto is matched with the free spiritual piano of Sonelius Smith, for a totally memorable session that virtually defines the essence of the Strata-East sound! The music is free, but not too free; lyrical, but never indulgent; and always turning over with a fresh sense of imagination, and a soaring groove that's very much in the classic Strata-East mode!

After the break-up of John Mayall's Bluesbreakers in the summer of 1967, the time seemed ripe for Peter Green, John McVie and Mick Fleetwood to take their leave from raw British rock 'n' roll. The newly established band Fleetwood Mac first turned to black blues, and their art of playing was so similar to that of other groups that the magazine Eye criticised them for their -almost ridiculous mimicryr. However, their choice of performance style took them in the right direction and in 1969, the year in which "The Pious Bird Of Good Omen" appeared, they landed at the top end of the pop charts, even ahead of The Beatles and Stevie Wonder. Of course, in the cover version of Little Willie John's "Need Your Love So Bad", which is treated with a velvety string sound, and other bluesy songs, the American influence still makes itself heard, but not without success! The highly individual sound of the group comes best through in the now legendary numbers such as the weightless, gliding "Albatross" and "Black Magic Woman" with it's Latin and blues elements. Judged the best British blues ever to be played (allmusic. Com), one can now sit back and enjoy this great album.. " Recorded between September 1967 and October 1968 by Mike RossProduction: Mike Vernon. " "The Pious Bird Of Good Omen" - Peter Green (g, voc), Jeremy Spencer (g, p, voc); Danny Kirwan (g); Eddie Boyd (p, voc); Big Walter Horton (hca); John McVie (b); Mick Fleetwood (dr). " standard sleeve

Take It Easy: 1975 Album Includes All-Time Smash Hit 'Slow Ride'. Mastered from the Original Tapes for Explosive Sound. Some songs are so ingrained in our consciousness that they are immediately identifiable upon hearing one or two notes. Featuring one of the most indelible riffs ever played, Foghat's air-guitar anthem 'Slow Ride' is such a tune. The hit single turned the British band into stars and catapulted 1975's Fool for the City up the charts. And what a ride it is. We hear a lot of yearning today about the good-old, glory days of rock and roll, the simple kind that just locked into a good beat, turned out a raunchy groove, and simply kicked you in the butt. The no-pretense type meant for kicking back, letting loose, and surrendering to the melody. Bare-bones music that doesn't need image or looks as a crutch. Well, this is it, friends, classic meat-and-potatoes 70s rock that comes with killer slide-guitar solos, crunchy leads, driving rhythms, and soaring vocals. No need for any further instructions or explanations. The pact between artist and audience is understood. Here, the band trusts that you know what to do and is ready to rock out with anyone in earshot. Sourced from the original master tapes by trusty engineers that were just stunned at the amount of new detail they were able to pull from the tape reels, Mobile Fidelity's remaster of this Foghat gem bring to the surface the band's marble-solid sturdiness and bluesy structures like never before. Bass notes are thicker and richer, the dual guitars bite and snap, and Lonesome Dave Peverett's singing comes across with realistic grit. By comparison, all previous pressings of this album sound flat, uninspired, and boxy-the absolute opposite of the energy Foghat brings to the boogie-infused title track, great cover of the Righteous Brothers' 'My Babe,' and, of course, the everlasting 'Slow Ride,' a staple of the Guitar Hero video game franchise and gentlemen's clubs everywhere.

The blues is perhaps one of the most private things from which a human being can suffer. However, to play the blues, and thus to express a man's innermost feelings and state of mind, is probably the most important task of black music. With Buddy Guy and Junior Wells, we have two disciples from the world of the blues who express their highly personal blues with profound instrumental proficiency. The enormously talented, self-taught guitarist Buddy Guy was ranked 23rd in Rolling Stones magazine's list "100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time", and several times he was awarded one of the coveted Grammy awards. Junior Wells entered Muddy Waters' 'academy' at the tender age of 18 and played the blues harp with enormous passion and virtuosity. In this recording, the musicians condense their rock playing over a bone-dry bass line to create a mantra-like funky style ('A Man Of Many Words'), passing on with fleet-footed steps to a slender chirping sound on the mandolin with a 12-bar blues construction and creating an earthy groove ('T-Bone Shuffle'). Then the duo works perseveringly on an unrelenting chord ('A Poor Man's Plea'), only to return to two numbers that pulsate forcefully with a snappy and jagged offbeat ('This Old Fool'). The handpicked band, among them being co-producer Eric Clapton who is eternalized on the rhythm and bottleneck guitar, and the voodoo rocker Dr. John who occasionally contributes his magic on the keyboard, make this album a truly collectible sound experience. This Speakers Corner LP was remastered using pure analogue components only, from the master tapes through to the cutting head. More information under www. Pure-analogue. #com. All royalties and mechanical rights have been paid. Production: Ahmet Ertegun, Eric Clapton, Michael Cuscuna, Tom Dowd

Saxophonist Wendell Harrison has lived by a standard philosophy for his 50-plus-year career: One must have complete self-autonomy. Both his music and business dealings reflect this. Besides being a legend on the Detroit jazz scene and mentoring up-and-coming musicians through his non-profit organization Rebirth Inc., he co-founded the Tribe Records label in the 1970s, which produced a magazine and many classic albums.Harrison is continuing Tribe's legacy-this time around with a group of rising jazz musicians from the Motor City such as drummer Louis M. Jones III, trumpeter Trunino Lowe, and guitarist Jacob Schwantz-on his new recording Get Up Off Your Knees.There's a lot to digest here because the original compositions encompass R&B, soul, spoken word, and "world" music, all seen through the lens of jazz. Harrison tends to weave elements of African music into many of his compositions. On "Siera" and "Samoulén Khalé Yi," both written by vocalist and bassist Pathe Jassi, he pays tribute to Guinea-Bissau and Senegalese culture. "Educators" also has African nuances in it's hardcore drumming and Harrison's sublime blowing on bass clarinet and clarinet.Any discriminating jazz listener will be consumed by Get Up Off Your Knees, but it seems Harrison's primary purpose for making this album is to encourage the current generation to put education first and build social awareness. On the title track, vocalist Miche Braden pushes the self-determination angle, which is again highlighted on "Revolution," a reimagined take on Gil Scott-Heron's "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised" delivered with an adherence to contemporary events by the poet Rev. Mbiyu Chui. By Veronica Johnson from Jazz Times.

Linda Hill recorded this LP for Nimbus West in 1981 with fellow Arkestra members, including flautist Adele Sebastian. And it's Sebastian's vocal duet with Hill on the spiritual jazz epic "Leland's Song" that opens this stunning LP. Hill's ensemble also included the serious horn player Sabir Matteen, as well as bassist Roberto Miranda and drummer Everett Brown Jr., who would all go on to record LPs for Nimbus. The Arkestra first started rehearsing at pianist Linda Hill's house in the early '60s. "In a few months, we'd built up from seven or eight to about 18 cats, musicians started living there," Tapscott wrote in his autobiography. "People got involved with the Arkestra like it was their life's work." Hill took the role seriously, earning her the name of "the Ark's matriarch" by Tapscott.

The Best-Selling Album of All Time Celebrates It's 40th Anniversary: Michael Jackson's Thriller Receives Definitive Treatment on Mobile Fidelity's UltraDisc One-Step 180g 33RPM LP SetMastered from the Original Analog Master Tapes and Housed in a Deluxe Slipcase: Experience the Transformative Songs, Soulful Vocals, Sleek Rhythms, and Vibrant Production as If Hearing It All for the First TimePutting into perspective the incalculable impact and pioneering significance of the best-selling album of all time has never been easy. Though Michael Jackson's Thriller lays claim to mind-boggling statistics - for starters, it netted a record-breaking eight Grammy Awards and sold upwards of 70 million copies globally - that serve as reminders of how pervasive and indispensable it remains to music snobs and casual listeners alike, it's essence always traces back to the greatness, power, and scope of the songs. Now, as it celebrates it's 40th anniversary, the blockbuster that reconceptualized music via a genre- and color-blind blend of fleet pop, funk, disco, soul, and rock sent up with cinematic panache and dynamic energy; united audiences; made strides towards achieving racial equality; and taught the world how to dance sounds even more invigorating than it did during the advent of the Walkman.Mastered from the original analog master tapes, pressed at RTI, housed in a slipcase, and strictly limited to 40,000 numbered copies, Mobile Fidelity's UltraDisc One-Step 180g 33RPM LP set does for Thriller what Jackson's unforgettable appearance on the 'Motown 25' TV special in 1983 did for his career: It makes the music personal, human, desirable, relatable, imaginative - the definition of cool. This extraordinary reissue does so by presenting the songs in lifelike fashion, zeroing in on the fundamentals with laser focus, and magnifying the brilliance of the production, arrangements, and vocals in ways that let everyone experience Thriller as if hearing the album for the first time. 'It's close to midnight...'

'Janis Joplin wouldn't be denied on Pearl. The powerhouse vocalist had kicked her addictions, teamed with a crack band, and partnered with a producer who knew how to best showcase her voice on record. She came to the sessions with an armload of astonishing songs, and a burst of creative energy that mirrored her rejuvenated emotional state and undeniable spirit. You can hear it on every note of the 1971 record.

While Joplin's electrifying vocal prowess is universally lauded, her mix of compassion, confidence, and charm play as large a role. And on Pearl, she burrows into deeper stylistic veins, teasing out sides of her persona and craft she'd never previously displayed. Her signature desperation, sadness, and vulnerability remain, yet Joplin also reveals a sense of humor and beatnik innocence.

Strictly limited to 7,500 numbered copies, pressed on MoFi SuperVinyl at RTI, and released in celebration of the album's 50th anniversary, Mobile Fidelity's UltraDisc One-Step 180g 45RPM 2LP box set takes Joplin and Co.'s stupendous performance to newly transcendent levels. Boasting a fidelity that further magnifies the singer's passion and Paul A. Rothchild's clear production, it benefits from increased spaciousness, dynamics, and openness-and a practically nonexistent noise floor. Joplin's strong, penetrating singing has never sounded so vibrant or made more intense connections. Warm, organic, and free of artificial ceilings, this collectible UD1S set let's you step into Sunset Sound Recorders with the musicians. Get it while you can.

When Janis Joplin died in October 1970 at the early age of 27, thus involuntarily confirming the beatnik adage -live fast, love hard, die youngr, it was only a matter of time before she was crowned the "Queen of Rock". Of greater importance than this posthumous entry into rock 'n' roll's hall of fame is the recognition during her lifetime of her explosive vocal style, which - so Vogue - -turned the whole history of singing upside down. Janis Joplin's discography is just as short and changeable as her life. After two LP releases with the standard 'cast' of rock musicians in the band Big Brother And The Holding Company, with whose excellent musical support she obtained her first recording contract with Columbia Records in 1968, the company provided her with a group augmented with organ and winds. Their intention was to broaden her vocal expression with blues and funk elements, which, however, her most loyal fans regarded as betrayal of the ideals of rock music. Rock fans in the Old World were less critical, especially since Joplin and her Kozmic Blues Band went on a two-month tour of Europe. For those Woodstock fans whose ears are still ringing with the band's full, meaty wind sound and Janis's bluesy soul singing, this album is an absolute must.." Recording: June - August 1969 by Sy Mitchell, Jerry Hochman, and Alex KazanegrasProduction: Gabriel Mekler." "I Got Dem Ol' Kozmic Blues Again Mama!" - Janis Joplin (voc); Cornelius "Snooky" Flowers, Terry Clements (sax); Luis Gasca (tr); Richard Kermode, Gabriel Mekler (org); Sam Andrew (g); Brad Campbell (b); Maury Baker, Lonnie Castille (dr), a.o.." standard sleeve

Yusuf Lateef was a leading representative of world music, long before world music was known as such in the jazz, pop and rock community. He integrated all kinds of oriental instruments in his jazz music, such as the koto, bamboo flute and tambura and also - as in this case - in his blues compositions. His saxophone playing is also flawless too and full of wonderful textures, hard and impulsive at one moment, cool and exotic at the next. On this album Lateef explores, in a painterly way, the border areas of the blues, in all their various guises and addresses both eastern and western cultures. "Juba Juba" begins with a drumbeat on a slave ship, the tempo builds up slowly and agonizingly, and is only penetrated by Lateef's plaintive flute and background voices singing »freedom, freedom, freedom«. After such a gloomy beginning the classical blues number "Like It Is" comes over like a breath of fresh air, with it's superb string quartet as the foundation. The R&B contributions on the other tracks testify to Lateef's skilled excursions into the realm of the blues, while the truly adventurous tracks such as "Back Home" and the mystic, Chinese odyssey "Moon Cup" weave a magical net of sheer pleasure. "The Blue Yusef Lateef" is in every possible way absolutely breathtaking. It is a milestone as a jazz album. As a blues album it is quite unique. But as a musical work of art it is a glorious and genial masterpiece.

Herbie Mann ?- Herbie Mann At The Village Gate Herbie Mann at the Village Gate is a 1961 live album by jazz flutist Herbie Mann which was his third album for Atlantic Records, the main label for much of his career. The album was recorded at legendary club The Village Gate. Herbie Mann - flutes, Hagood Hardy - vibraharp, Ahmed Abdul-Malik - bass, Ray Mantilla - conga and percussion, Chief Bey - African drum and percussion, Rudy Collins - drums, Ben Tucker - additional bass.

Recording with a sextet at the New York jazz club Sweet Basil in August 1977, McBee's band included Chico Freeman on reeds, Dennis Moorman on piano, Joe Gardner on trumpet, Steve McCall on drums, and Famoudou Don Moye on percussion. Two complete albums of music were released by Enja Records from this engagement, the ground breaking recordings Music From the Source [1978] and Compassion [1979]."Few groups today sound as fresh, generate as high an emotional charge, or leave as lasting an impression as McBee's sextet," Chris Albertson wrote upon the release of these recordings. "It is as if each member were a unique piece of a puzzle, carefully placed to complete precisely the breath taking picture intended. The music is adventurous enough to satisfy any aural daredevil who has not completely lost his or her sense of beauty, yet all the basic jazz values have been preserved with due reverence." - Chris Albertson

It's easy to imagine that both the Jazz and the Rhythm'n Blues fans have eagerly awaited this Atlantic LP. The Ertegun brothers, highly praised producers for the early LP phase of these styles, were the catalysts of his creativity for Ray Charles, the 'King of Soul' as he was later called. In his band was already on the first live record, recorded in Newport 1958, the head of the hot wind group just David 'Fathead' Newman. The eight tracks on the LP with the early, green stereo label all originate from the repertoire of the Ray Charles Band, but gain through the long improvisations without vocals of sharpness and jazz feeling. Luckily, commercial pressure is missing. So Ray Charles can concentrate on the piano game and offers outstanding solos. Also, the blues is not too short: 'Fathead' played in minor. The writer of the liner-notes can only agree, if he defines for himself "Hard Times" as the highlight of the LP. However, the other titles are by no means less good. Therefore, one must express an urgent buy recommendation for this re-release from the early Atlantic-LP-time.

Son of Schmilsson Endures as a Work of Defiant Genius, Ego-Grounding Facetiousness, and Raucous Fun: Madcap Harry Nilsson Record Bridges Humor and Seriousness, Includes 'You're Breakin' My Heart' and 'Remember (Christmas)'. Mastered from the Original Analog Master Tapes for Premium Sound: Numbered-Edition Mobile Fidelity 180g 45RPM Vinyl 2LP Set Presents the Music with Full-Range Dynamics and Astute Clarity. 1972 Album Features Contributions from George Harrison, Ringo Starr, Peter Frampton, Lowell George, Nicky Hopkins, Bobby Keys, and More. 'I sang my balls off for you baby.' Harry Nilsson's bold proclamation on the opening cut of Son of Schmilsson immediately makes it evident the singer had no intention to repeat the approach of his commercial breakout, the preceding Nilsson Schmilsson-and harbored no desire to hold back on any front or advance any traditional notion of a career. The madcap album goes all out, delivering a wild ride infused with horror-movie effects, crass jokes, then-shocking profanity, snoring, and even a belch-strangeness that belies the fact it went gold and landed a Top 40 single in the form of 'Spaceman.' Hindsight further shows the gonzo work endures as a stroke of defiant genius, ego-grounding facetiousness, and raucous fun-all the way down to the iconic artwork depicting Nilsson as a vampire. Encompassing rock, torch, country, pop, blues, and old-world European-styled sing-a-longs, the music serves a singer-songwriter whose multifaceted aims, daring versatility, inimitable personality, and unique vision reach epic proportions on the 1972 set. Mastered from the original analog master tapes, Mobile Fidelity's numbered-edition 180g 45RPM vinyl 2LP set of Son of Schmilsson play with full range dynamics and astute clarity. Working with producer Richard Perry and at London's Trident Studios for the second time-and collaborating with guests such as George Harrison, Ringo Starr, and Peter Frampton as well as choirs and orchestras-the singer captures a natural sound marked by lively tonalities, generous air, and stellar presence. All these aspects come to the fore with unprecedented degrees on these first-ever audiophile reissues of Nilsson's most controversial (and self-sabotaging) turn. The versatile array of instruments have room to breathe, while notes emerge with palpable immediacy and fade with realistic decay. And Nilsson's elastic voice projects with you-are-there resolution and transparency. Make no mistake: You'll hear exactly why this unique album continues to spark debate and remains a fan favorite.

Simultaneously elevated and bypassed by the artistically prolific year in which it was released, the Young Rascals' Groovin' remains the high-water mark of a collective Rolling Stone boldly proclaimed 'the blackest white group of all' in 1970. Home to three Top 10 singles and a diverse array of pop music in step with the era's exploratory creativity, the set belongs alongside the Beatles' Sgt. Peppers' Lonely Hearts Club Band, Love's Forever Changes, Jefferson Airplane's Surrealistic Pillow, and 1967's other pioneering recordings. Look no further than 'A Girl Like You,' commandeered by confident singing and skated along by peppy jazz-rock architecture marked by exuberant horns, lilting piano lines, and splashing rhythms. Or 'How Can I Be Sure,' on which Eddie Brigati takes the vocal lead over a waltzing pattern that conveys hopefulness, rumination, and the rollercoaster ups/downs that accompany the initial stages of a relationship.Mastered from the original monaural master tapes, Mobile Fidelity's 180g 45RPM mono 2LP set (limited to 5,000 numbered copies) captures the deep-seated personality and effortless melodies that seemingly occupy every passage. Reflecting the playfulness of the cover art, the members demonstrate a cohesiveness, chemistry, and charm made apparent via the newly uncovered detail, airiness, and tonalities. The painstakingly produced restoration also includes 'A Beautiful Morning,' a million-selling hit that reached the third spot on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1968 and debuted as the first release under the band's then-newly truncated Rascals name. Blue-eyed soul and innocuous optimism have rarely sounded more contagious than on this audiophile-grade reissue.

It seems that every major jazz artist has a one-off sort of record in their discography, be it with strings, voices, spoken word, or - as in this case - a foray into the funkier side of jazz. Charlie Rouse (going here as Charles Rouse) gets his chance on Two Is One, a funky soul-jazz excursion on Strata-East, the artist-run label where creativity and pushing boundaries were at the forefront. Playing mostly with a group of session musicians, Rouse put together an album that may stray a bit from his hard bop roots but is nonetheless an enjoyable and at times inventive record. The style of music played here - sophisticated soul jazz with some post-bop and spiritual jazz thrown in for good measure - is very much a product of it's time. 1974 saw a whole slew of artists stretching the boundaries of what jazz music could be, combining elements from the past two decades into electric jazz adventures. The piano-less group that Rouse put together is a funky one, with lots of rhythmic playing behind either the searching solos of Rouse on the tenor or some inventive electric guitar work from either George Davis or Paul Metzke who appear together on all but a couple of tracks. Cal Scott gets plenty of time to shine throughout on what sounds like an electrified cello, an unusual instrument for modern jazz to be sure, but one that manages to fit in just fine here.The first side of the album is all slow-burning soul-jazz, highlighted by the opening track 'Bitchin' where Rouse shows off that he is more than capable of setting down soulful lines over a funky backbeat. The second side is where the group gets a whole lot more inventive, particularly on the title track where they mix some post-bop madness with the soul-jazz sound. 'Two Is One' features different tempos throughout: in the 'first section' the bass plays in 9/8 time, the drums in 6/8 time and the cello and tenor are in 3/4 time. For the 'second section,' the rhythm section switches to 7/8 time while the cello and tenor move to 4/4 time. Stanley Clarke is on bass here and his deep and twisty electric bass line is placed prominently upfront.'Two Is One' is certainly the highlight of the album from a pure jazz standpoint, and it lives up to it's title, which according to Gene Lewis' liner notes is taken from a Thelonious Monk phrase meaning two people so in tune with one another that they become one. The album finishes off with 'In His Presence Searching,' a spiritually informed jazz number that is reminiscent of the work being done during this period by the likes of Pharoah Sanders and Gary Bartz, (while not being quite as out there as their best work). The tune is all rhythmic glory, with Rouse and Scott playing introspective and penetrating solos throughout. It's a nice album closer, and a good reminder that while Two Is One may be best known for it's funkier excursions, Rouse had a few tricks up his sleeve, and the album, when taken as a whole, is a complete statement from a legendary jazz musician.

Mal Waldron's first tribute to Billie Holiday, titled Left Alone, was recorded in 1959, mere months before the singer's death. He returned to salute the legendary vocalist on several occasions since then, with this recording likely being his final tribute, recorded less than a year before his own death. Waldron, who worked with Holiday during her last years, is intimately familiar with her takes of the six standards heard on this disc, along with her own 'Lady Sings the Blues.' Archie Shepp's often gritty tenor sax is reminiscent of the texture of Holiday's voice, yet he perfectly complements Waldron's lush piano. They also pack a punch with their stark performance of 'Left Alone' (Shepp's occasional reed squeaks seem deliberate, as if to imitate breaks in her voice). Waldron also recites Holiday's lyrics set to his composition at the conclusion of the LP. Shepp switches to soprano sax for an emotional take of 'Everything Happens to Me' and 'I Only Have Eyes for You,' with the latter song sounding as if the unheard singer is being ignored by her love interest. Shepp's 'Blues for 52nd Street' is both sassy and swinging. This instrumental salute to Billie Holiday is one of the best albums ever to honour her memory.

The liner notes pioneering writer Ralph J. Gleason penned for the back cover of Simon and Garfunkel's Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme ring as true now as they did upon the record's original release in 1966. He mused: 'Today's popular music is in good shape indeed-at least the portion of it represented by this album. It has strength and it has beauty, it has lyricism, meaning, and, above all, that quality of broad appeal which still retains form. And it's music speaks for more than the moment. The songs in this albumare songs for all time.' Indeed, they are, and they can now be experienced in the highest fidelity they've ever enjoyed. Reflecting the perfectionist-minded nature of Bob Johnston's meticulous production and the group's painstaking arrangements, Mobile Fidelity's reissues bring to light textures, nuances, details, and microdynamics obscured on prior editions. Harmonies crest and seemingly float on clouds. Acoustic passages blossom with lifelike structure. The intent of deliberate euphonic variations is made clear.Such punctiliousness is exactly what the duo pursued during their four months in the studio, considered then by record-company executives to be borderline excessive. But as these editions attest like never before, there's no arguing with the results of a benchmark Rolling Stone named the 202nd Greatest Album of All Time.

Musicians certainly don't have it easy with record companies. First of all they must struggle to even get a contract. Then, when their debut release has proved a success, they are bandied around from one arranger to another in all the recording studios imaginable. But having been 'treated' with such sounds as a snappy combo, meaty bigband, and smoochy string orchestra, there at last comes an opportunity for some artists to be themselves again. This album wholly concentrates on Nina Simone and demonstrates that she does not need help from anyone else in order to bring her strikingly expressive voice into the limelight. Accompanying her in her songs about loneliness, identity crises, and desires is her faithful friend, the piano, which she masters equally as well as her voice. The piano parts are far more than just casual accompaniments. Varying from number to number, they range from a classical, bluesy sound, to late-Romantic fervour, right up to avantgarde aggression. And yet all these pieces have something in common: filled with bizarre beauty, they portray a complex personality with all it's ups and downs..

180 gram LP pressing. Speakers Corner. 2006.

General opinion has it that Sonny Stitt always stood in Charlie Parker's shadow. That, however, is unjustifiable. The legendary jazz critic Nat Hentoff wrote, for example: 'Sonny has been one of the wholly involved players, well known and admired for his soul and the earthiness of his message only by musicians who feel and play like he does and by that part of the jazz audience that is most moved by naked, open emotion. He has made his mark with them as an honest yea-sayer who can't help but play what he knows and feels.' The present recording is proof of this - a session which shouldn't really have worked out so well. Sonny Stitt's alto saxophone presides over a seven-man-strong brass group, and although the prospect of a Sonny Stitt big band does not sound too promising initially, this rendezvous is really enjoyable, thanks in part to Stitt's superb solos. At this time he was on the top of his form and he plays freely over the basis provided by the brass section consisting of Blue Mitchell, Jimmy Cleveland and Willie Ruff. The arrangements by Tadd Dameron and Jimmy Mundy are closely-knit yet offer enough room for swing and a generous pinch of soul. Special highlights are contributed by the unknown, female organist Perri Lee -, little groovy additions that are really successful and infuse the arrangements with a slender sound and sparkle. Although 'Sonny Stitt & The Top Brass' may not stand in the limelight like 'Boss Tenors' or 'Salt And Pepper', it is certainly on a par with these from an artistic point of view.

The best of pianist Horace Tapscott's recordings for the tiny Nimbus label is this 1981 LP which features him in a sextet with trumpeter Reggie Bullen, altoist Gary Bias, tenor saxophonist Sabir Matteen, bassist Roberto Miranda and drummer Everett Brown, Jr. The group stretches out on a couple of Tapscott's originals plus a 19-and-a-half-minute version of Linda Hill's 'Dem Folks.' Although the music could be called avant-garde, it's use of rhythms and repetition keep the results from being forbidding and the performances have a momentum of their own. A great group recording from pianist Horace Tapscott - recorded in LA in the early 80s, but done with all the righteousness and spirituality of his earlier albums! Tracks are long and exploratory, but also relatively lyrical too - stretching out with a style that's never too 'outside', and which has Horace and the group really soaring to the heavens on the best moments!

Through his dedication to the Los Angeles grassroots projects that gave so much stability and focus to many younger musicians, artists and the community, Horace Tapscott became a neighbourhood hero at a time when the world wanted his presence. He stayed in Los Angeles and focused instead on building a community, rarely giving interviews and instead focusing on passing on the message from his mentors. He shaped a unique sound with his arkestra and community minded musicians. It was a close-knit family that emanated a sound that was deep and unique, flowing with a creative spirit that definitely comes through on this album.In 1961 he founded the Pan-African Peoples Arkestra, which aimed to preserve, develop and publicise African-American music through the ever-growing family that emanated within many of the deprived areas of Los Angeles. Through his subsequent collaboration with Bruce Albach, a producer and founder of Nimbus West Records, they sought to document the importance of this music alongside many artists who were energetically linked to the ethos and understanding which came from the collective dialogue.Here the composer leads four extensive arrangements through his 16 piece orchestra, featuring many of the Nimbus West artists including Adele Sebastian, Jesse Sharps and Linda Hill. The music weaves the sound of afro-futuristic music through changing tempos and a relentless dynamic expressive sound that is complex and beguiling with a deep spiritual sound throughout all four tracks.The ceremonial 'Peyete Song no. III' is a great swirling evocative piece from the large collective, with amazing solos from especially Horace Tapscott who seems to find a sound from the piano that is from another dimension. The arrangement airs an important message of a people and their rituals.Horace Tapscott gives Cal Massey's composition 'Nakatini Suite' a splendid futuristic big band interpretation. The composition had been earlier illuminated by both Lee Morgan on his 'Lee-Way' album and John Coltrane on his 'Believer' album titled 'Nakatini Serenade'. Through the more expansive soundscape, the interpretation allows for some great interplay between saxophonist Jesse Sharps and drummer Everett Brown Jr. With the whole orchestra led by Horace Tapscott capturing the essence of Cal Massey's message.Vocalist Adele Sebastian opens up the free probing arrangement 'Quagmire Manor at 5am' composition with a similar delivery as with her 'Day Dream' from the classic 'Desert Fairy Princess' album before the music takes off onto the mothership adding a sense of what time and space within the manner was about amongst many great musicians and artists. Their journey and moments encapsulated within the music.There are certain albums you hear something new every time you revisit the music and this is one of those albums. An important part of Afro-American history; the politics and art which surrounded the album. If you get a chance check out the film 'Horace Tapscott, Musical Griot', by filmmaker Barbara McCullough, or buy the book 'Songs Of The Unsung': The Musical & Social Journey of Horace Tapscott'.

Horace Tapscott's Pan-Afrikan Peoples Arkestra (P.A.P.A.) was one of the most transformative, forward-thinking and straight-up heavy big bands to have played jazz in the 1960s and 1970s. If P.A.P.A. doesn't have the interstellar rep of that other famous Arkestra, and if the name Tapscott doesn't ring bells like Monk or Tyner, there's a reason why: in an industry dominated by record labels, a band that doesn't record doesn't count. And the Pan-Afrikan Peoples Arkestra didn't record for nearly twenty years. But recording success was never their concern - they weren't about that. First formed as the Underground Musicians Association in the early 1960s, Tapscott always wanted his group to be a community project.From their base in Watts, UGMA got down at the grassroots. The group was renamed the Pan-Afrikan Peoples Arkestra in 1971, and soon after they established a monthly residency at the Immanuel United Church of Christ which ran for over a decade, while still playing all over LA and beyond. But they never released a note of music. It was the intervention of fan Tom Albach that finally got them on wax. Determined that their work should be documented, Albach founded Nimbus Records specifically to release the music of Tapscott, the Arkestra, and the individuals that comprised it. The first recording sessions in early 1978 yielded enough material for two albums, and the first release was Flight 17. The album commences with the magnificent title track. It is effectively in three parts. It begins with unaccompanied pianos. Then the ensemble embark on a dense, circular and mechanical movement, a platform for horns and pianos to swoop and dive. We return to Earth with a beautiful solitary flute. The second track, the piano-centric, 'Breeze' is different to 'Flight 17' in intensity and also brevity but it is quietly as daring as the title track. It concludes with a moving lush wash from the full Arkestra, which sound almost like strings only more substantial. These first two tracks take full advantage of the texture of the unusual mix of the various instruments. Next though, it's a significant change with 'Horacio', which is an exuberant Latin infused jingle. It's unlike anything else on the album. I like to think it was named after the conductor's Cuban alter-ego! 'Clarisse' gracefully switches between slow blues and bop and is bookended with a grand vaguely East Asian theme. The busy bass line introduces 'Maui'. As with the previous track, it moves between a number of contrasting melody lines and rhythms but there's still space for a tuneful sax solo.This is a must-have album. I think the first two tracks on their own make this release essential.

Electric blues guitarist Melvin Taylor had been sporadically recording solo albums for 20 years when Dirty Pool arrived - and was somehow just beginning to find fame. Already a hit in Europe, it had taken a steady run of performing in Chicago's famed blues clubs to slowly earn Taylor a well-deserved reputation as an equal talent among the giants before him, such as Otis Rush, Albert King and Stevie Ray Vaughan. While early records like Melvin Taylor Plays the Blues For You show off an equally amazing jazz side, Taylor traded away his Wes Montgomery-inspired runs for more Luther Allison/Jimi Hendrix attacks with the formation of the trio Melvin Taylor and the Slack Band in the mid-'90s. The title song of the second album by that outfit, "Dirty Pool," is actually more the balls-to-the-wall, no-compromise, hard-rockin' electric Texas blues of Vaughan and Johnny Winter than the sweet Chicago soul of Buddy Guy. Indeed, three tracks on this 1997 release, including "Dirty Pool," were SRV tunes. Other standards, like "Kansas City" and "Floodin' in California" also have more of a Lone Star State approach to them. But the Jackson, Miss.-born Taylor's guitar is cleaner than his forebears and technically, he even surpasses them, yet the anger and sorrow of the blues is readily evident in his playing. This rare combination of qualities really comes out in a slow blues tune like his solo in "Dirty Pool," which after repeated listens, still makes my head shake in disbelief when I hear it. "Too Sorry" is a good example of how well Taylor fares when he treads in Jimi Hendrix territory, whereas his rhythm work is the best I've heard from a lead guitarist since Vaughan; listen to "I Ain't Superstitious," "Born Under A Bad Sign" and the funky "Telephone Song" for your proof. It also helps that Taylor's drummer James Knowles is well in synch with him, while Ethan Farmer completely owns the low end of the sound. Farmer's peppering bass lines and "Floodin' in California" are the textbook way electric blues bass should be. Overall, a tight little band. Taylor's vocals certainly won't draw any comparisons to the Wide-Brimmed-Hatted One but he holds his own just fine until it's cuttin' time. This is right at the top of my list of best blues guitar playing on record over the last couple of decades. If you decide to give this one a listen, prepare to be blown away.

Where have you gone, Charles Tolliver? There was such promise in the concept of Music Inc., and in Strata East, but evidently, the music world's attention was elsewhere and this tremendous live set was probably heard by only a few hundred sets of ears. On the back of the record sleeve, Tolliver undersigned his mission statement: 'Music Inc. Was created out of the desire to assemble men able to see the necessity for the survival of a heritage and an Art in the hopes that the sacrifices and high level of communication between them will eventually reach every soul.' And he isn't kidding. You won't find a much higher level of communication than he, Cecil McBee, Stanley Cowell, and Jimmy Hopps engaged in on May 1, 1970, at Slugs' in New York City. This was much more than an attempt to merely 'preserve acoustic jazz' as in the stilted Marsalis vein. This was an attempt to preserve a measure of authenticity while maintaining the notion of forward-thinking, present-tense improvised music. They deserved a greater response than the lukewarm, sparse applause they received that night, and continue to deserve a far more cognizant audience for their efforts.Tolliver ('Drought'), McBee ('Felicite'), and Cowell ('Orientale') each contribute a track to the set; though very much distinct, each is equally strong. 'Drought' is the kind of dark-hued, well-honed burner that Tolliver routinely produced in his fertile years. 'Felicite' is a more contemplative affair, a deeply felt and empathically performed piece; the unit here is in particularly sublime form, merging considerable skill with a staggering depth of emotion. 'Orientale' falls somewhere in between the pace of the two, with Cowell's Eastern scales establishing an austere, industrious tone throughout it's seventeen-and-a-half-minute length.Through it's duration, the music on Live at Slugs' is often riveting and incessantly compelling. Hopps is a lesser-known entity to me, but the other three players featured here are some of the all-time underrated presences in the jazz pantheon, and they play nothing short of masterfully. Always a presence on his recordings, Tolliver demonstrates the tremendous range, flair, and command as a trumpeter and leader. Had he not come along at a time when pure jazz was falling out of favor, I have to believe his name (along with Woody Shaw's) would be every bit as prolific as Freddie Hubbard's or Lee Morgan's; the same holds for the always brilliant and expressive McBee on bass.

Turner, who appeared on stage with Goodman, Ellington, Tatum and - in later years - with Gillespie and Eldridge, offers his listeners many facets of the blues. The opening number, "Switchin' In The Kitchen", is a fairly fast boogie-woogie where the vocal swings freely with sharp blasts in the background. Other swinging numbers, in which jazz champions such as Coleman Hawkins and Ernie Royal perform solos, include several ballad-like evergreens ("Pennies From Heaven"), which Turner and his band elaborate to become an imposing aria ("Until The Real Thing Comes Along").

MASTERED FROM THE ORIGINAL MASTER TAPES AND LIMITED TO 10,000 NUMBERED COPIESMuddy Waters' Folk Singer remains rightly revered as the greatest-sounding blues album ever released-and, to date, one of the only bonafide audiophile records in the genre. Originally issued in 1964 by Chess Records, the all-acoustic work has made the rounds as a demonstration disc and benefitted from myriad reissues, all of which sought to improve upon Willie Dixon and Ralph Bass' legendary, subtlety-abundant production while bringing the musicians into your room. More than five decades after Waters, Buddy Guy, and company initially gathered in a Chicago studio in September 1963, those feats (and more) are finally accomplished in definitive, unsurpassed fashion courtesy of Mobile Fidelity.Limited to 10,000 numbered copies, pressed on dead-quiet MoFi SuperVinyl at RTI, and mastered from the original master tapes, Mobile Fidelity's ultra-hi-fi UltraDisc One-Step 180g 45RPM 2LP collector's edition pays tribute to the album's merit and enhances the intimate program for generations to come. Playing with reference-setting sonics that more than justify it's existence in a field filled with prior audiophile reissues of Folk Singer, this spectacular collector's version provides a clear, transparent, ultra-dynamic, and up-close view of a set that inspired Rolling Stone to deem it the 282nd Greatest Album of All Time and proclaim it 'a pioneering 'unplugged' set beloved by blues and folk fans alike.'The premium packaging and beautiful presentation of the UD1S Folk Singer pressing befit it's extremely select status. Housed in a deluxe box, it features special foil-stamped jackets and faithful-to-the-original graphics that illuminate the splendor of the recording. No expense has been spared. Aurally and visually, this UD1S reissue exists as a curatorial artifact meant to be preserved, touched, and examined. It is made for discerning listeners that prize sound quality and production, and who desire to fully immerse themselves in the art-and everything involved with the album, from the iconic photos to the gorgeous finishes.Such potency reveals itself explicitly on a vinyl set afforded uncanny reproduction of Waters' tobacco-stained singing, booming reach, robust acoustic guitar, and instrumental accompanists-a Hall of Fame group that comprises a very young Guy, stand-up bassist Dixon, and drummer Francis Clay. Accurately portraying the scale of a human voice remains one of the most difficult tasks to accomplish on a recording. And yet the timbre, richness, and realism of Waters' singing here convey the authority of it's inner cavity and considerable depth, allowing notes to individually register all the while pairing with succeeding rhythmic passages in seamless fashion. The presence, feel, and contributions of Waters' esteemed colleagues register, too, with the lifelike nature rivaled only by sitting in a small venue. Indeed, few albums of any style resonate with the reference levels of spaciousness, openness, and 'room as an instrument' qualities to the extent of Folk Singer.