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Here is a new sensational Israeli album:

 

 

2^nd album by Israeli singer / songwriter Asaf Avidan and his band The Mojos, recently snatched and singed by Sony where this album will be released internationally in a few months from now. It was pretty obvious that one of the Majors will sign Avidan, as he obviously is now one of the most original singers in the entire world – a bold statement, but true nevertheless. His debut album left critics and audiences around the world stunned and sold a staggering number of copies, even though it wasn't quite "easy" music at all. But Avidan's incredible and completely unique voice and his unusual approach to vocal expression simply make him stand out like a beacon of light in the deep of the night. As good as the debut album was this one surpasses it magnificently, mainly due to the strength of the new material – all penned and composed by Avidan – which is much more mature, developed and diverse than the material on the debut album. Add to this the intelligent and perfectly executed musical arrangements, which involve both acoustic and electric instruments, and you get a monster album, which should satisfy any true music lover regardless of his usual music preferences. There is a bit of everything here: Blues, Rock, shades of Alternative and even shades of Prog, all beautifully amalgamated together, creating an enchanting listening experience. But words are not adequate to truly describe this music, simply get a copy and enjoy! Satisfaction guaranteed!

 

Note: This album was released under two different titles – "Poor Boy" and "Lucky Man", with different packaging, but the musical content is identical! Slightly confusing, but a lot of fun!

 

 

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Here are a couple of new Polish Prog releases, always a source of some great music:

 

 

Elsie is an instrumental Prog quartet from Poland and this is their debut recording. The band was originally formed in 1988 originally featured vocals, but disbanded a few years later, only to be revived in 2005 by its two founding members: guitarist Zbigniew Slatala and bassist Eugeniusz Pierzchlewicz. They added keyboardist Jacek Fajfer and drummer Przemyslaw Nader and changed the musical formula to pursue an atmospheric pure instrumental Prog direction. The five compositions present here are a first part of a cycle, based on the four elements (water, air, fire & earth), and as the great cover art hints, the theme here is water. The music, which is melodic and well developed, leaves plenty of space for soloing, but remains concise enough avoiding the trap of becoming tedious and repetitious. These guys have definitely plenty of potential and I'm looking forward to hear more of their music, which they promise is already in the process of being recorded. This is definitely a great opportunity to discover more of the Polish Prog, which seems to be flourishing lately. Warmly recommended!

 

 

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Here are a couple of new Polish Prog releases, always a source of some great music:

 

 

“Inquietum Est Cor”, the title of the debut album by Polish Prog ensemble Amaryllis, consists of the first three words from the famous Confessions of St Augustine, which mean “Hearts Are Restless”, a text dealing with the relationship between God and man, which is widely discussed by Christian scholars and clerics. But the religious implications go way beyond the title of the album, with the entire content of the lyrics being in Latin and originating from religious sources like the Old and New Testament and other scriptures. The listener is obviously perplexed by the question if this a concept album and if so if it is a Christian Prog album? I honestly don’t know the answer to both these questions, as I neither know the musicians personally nor do I known their aims, but regardless of what their intentions were an intelligent listener faces the problem of deciphering the meaning of the project by himself. Undoubtedly an atmosphere of religious / philosophical contemplation is omnipresent throughout. Considering the fact that the Latin language is far from being commonly and universally used, as it was centuries ago, I assume most listeners will skip the task of translating the Latin text into their own Lingua franca, plunging directly into the music. However, Amaryllis are not the first Prog band to use Latin lyrics (see Deus Ex Machina and others), which apparently not only doesn’t scare off any potential listeners but adds a tinge of mystique and exoticness. Amaryllis are a sextet, fronted by a female vocalist Ewa Domagala (apparently something quite common place in Polish Prog, which happens more often that anyplace else on the scene and becomes a characteristic of the local scene?), with multi-instrumentalist Henryk Kasperczak, guitarists Marek Domagala (who also composed almost all of the music presented here) and Lukasz Kulczak, bassist Szymon Guzowski and drummer Kacper Stachowiak. Keyboardist Bartlomiej Stankowiak is a special guest on the album. The music is certainly stunningly different from almost everything an average Prog fan might have come across so far. Stylistically it moves all over the Prog plane, beautifully amalgamating strikingly diverse moods and influences, from Folk-Prog, medieval music, ethnic motifs both Polish and Middle Eastern, sacral music and Prog-Metal. The album comprises of ten main compositions, but each of these is preceded by a short intro track, an ambient / sound effects collage, hence the album lists a total of twenty tracks. Ewa Domagala’s voice and vocal ability is outstanding and she moves elegantly up and down the scale, always precisely on the right notes, effortlessly like a butterfly. Her voice, when dubbed, sounds like a church choir and during the quiet passages she is a true nightingale. Henryk Kasperczak ornaments the music using a set of unusual string and wind instruments, expanding the musical vistas into distant lands and cultures. The guitars are often dominant and even harsh, with distortion and heavy overtones, but then again crystal-clear melodic solos appear suddenly soothing the atmosphere and easing the tension. The rhythm section supports the music excellently, taking charge of the music’s sudden dynamic changes. The guest keyboardist fills the gaps, excelling especially on acoustic piano. Technically all the instrumentalists display a high level of proficiency and professionalism. Overall the music is charged with tension and full of drama, keeping the listener on his toes at all times. It constantly moves between the serene and peaceful and the wild and aggressive, portraying perhaps the struggles of the soul involved with one’s beliefs (religious or others). All things considered, this is one of the boldest and most impressive debut albums I’ve encountered in a long time. It is different, not because it was purposely made as such, but because it is intrinsically different in every respect from most of what is being recorded by other contemporary Prog acts, which often repeat clichés ad nauseam. It’d seem appropriate to quote some Latin at this point, so aequam memento rebus in arduis servare mentem, since this group is certainly destined to go places. Hopefully they will remember this when they recorded their, already eagerly anticipated, next album. Not to be missed!

 

 

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Here is a new series of box sets with some great music for a great price:

 

 

This great box set includes five original albums released on the Epic label and recorded between 1969 and 1974 by the great British Prog group Argent, created by Rod Argent after the demise of the Zombies, one of the most important and talented representatives of British scene: "Argent", "Ring Of Hands", "All Together Now", "In Deep" and "Nexus". The albums are remastered and packaged in album replicas (mini-sleeves), housed in a cardboard box, and with the price tag of a double album this is a tremendous bargain as well. Essential!

 

 

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Here is a new series of box sets with some great music for a great price:

 

 

This great box set includes five original albums released on the RCA label and recorded between 1966 and 1969 by the great American Rock group Jefferson Airplane, one of the most important representatives of the emerging Rock revolution in the USA: "Takes Off", "Surrealistic Pillow", "After Bathing At Baxters", "Crown Of Creation" and "Bless Its Pointed Little Head". The albums are remastered and packaged in album replicas (mini-sleeves), housed in a cardboard box, and with the price tag of a double album this is a tremendous bargain as well. Essential!

 

 

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Here is a new series of box sets with some great music for a great price:

 

 

This great box set includes five original albums released on the Grunt label and recorded between 1974 and 1979 by the great American Rock group Jefferson Starship, born of the ashes of the legendary Jefferson Airplane, one of the most important representatives of the genre in the USA: "Dragon Fly", "Red Octopus", "Spitfire", "Earth" and "Freedom At Point Zero". The albums are remastered and packaged in album replicas (mini-sleeves), housed in a cardboard box, and with the price tag of a double album this is a tremendous bargain as well. Essential!

 

 

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Here is a new series of box sets with some great music for a great price:

 

 

This great box set includes five original albums released on the Epic label and recorded between 1974 and 1977 by the great American Prog group Kansas, one of the most important early representatives of the genre in the USA: "Kansas", "Song For America", "Point Of Know Return", "Leftoverture" and "Masque`". The albums are remastered and packaged in album replicas (mini-sleeves), housed in a cardboard box, and with the price tag of a double album this is a tremendous bargain as well. Essential!

 

 

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Here is a new series of box sets with some great music for a great price:

 

 

This great box set includes five original albums released on the Arista label and recorded between 1975 and 1981 by the great Jazz-Funk group The Brecker Brothers, led by trumpeter Randy Brecker and saxophonist Michael Brecker, which single-handedly defined the Jazz-Funk sub-genre and played brilliantly: "The Brecker Brothers", "Don`t Stop The Music", "Heavy Metal Be-Bop", "Detente" and "Straphangin`". The albums are remastered and packaged in album replicas (mini-sleeves), housed in a cardboard box, and with the price tag of a double album this is a tremendous bargain as well. Essential!

 

 

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Here are some new additions, all quite exciting:

 

 

1^st album by legendary guitarist Leslie West, one of the most distinctive Rock guitar voices, recorded shortly before West formed the group Mountain, which initially included the players present here: bassist Felix Pappalardi and drummer N.D. Smart II with occasional guest appearances by organist N. Landsberg. Based on the format of Rock power-trios like Cream (which Pappalardi produced) and Jimi Hendrix Experience, this recording sets the footsteps of Power Rock, to be followed by the landmark recordings by Mountain. West's unique throaty voice and incredible guitar virtuosity, strongly based in the Blues tradition, sets him apart from most of his contemporaries and this little known gem is a great piece of Rock history. Not to be missed!

 

 

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Here are some new additions, all quite exciting:

 

 

4^th album by Finnish composer / bassist Pekka Pohjola, one of the greatest Scandinavian musicians of all time, recorded with a brilliant group of musicians and featuring some of his best early music, which combines Rock, Prog and Jazz. The album contains six extended compositions, which serve as a vehicle for the musicians to improvise and express their individual statements. The depth of the compositions and the incredible performances make this into the most perfect album Pohjola created in the first phase of his magnificent career, associated with Prog, whereas his second phase would be dedicated to both contemporary Classical Music and Jazz. Pohjola's untimely death in 2008 was a tremendous loss to the world of music. This relatively little known Prog masterpiece is very hard to find, so grab it if you get a chance. Brilliant stuff!

 

 

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Here is a series of new additions on the wonderful reissue label Esoteric Records:

 

 

2^nd album by the legendary Canterbury group Hatfield And The North, probably the most iconic and unsurpassed masters of the genre. Comprising of keyboardist Dave Stewart, guitarist Phil Miller, bassist / vocalist Richard Sinclair and drummer Pip Pyle, with guests like Jimmy Hastings, Mont Campbell, Lindsay Cooper and Tim Hodgkinson, they recorded what is considered to be the ultimate Canterbury masterpiece. The album represents everything that the genre stands for: brilliant melodies, strange harmonies, superb musicianship, quirk rhythmic patterns and a good dash of British humor. It is difficult to pinpoint why this album and its predecessor turned out to be the genre's icons, but the fact that they are the first thing that come to mind when Canterbury is mentioned speaks for itself. Whatever the reasons, this is an absolute classic album, which lost nothing of its intrinsic beauty and musical perfection over time. Absolutely essential!

 

 

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Here is a series of new additions on the wonderful reissue label Esoteric Records:

 

 

1^st album by the legendary Canterbury group Hatfield And The North, probably the most iconic and unsurpassed masters of the genre. Comprising of keyboardist Dave Stewart, guitarist Phil Miller, bassist / vocalist Richard Sinclair and drummer Pip Pyle, with guests like reedman Geoff Leigh (Henry Cow), vocalist Robert Wyatt and others, they recorded what is considered to be the ultimate Canterbury masterpiece. The album represents everything that the genre stands for: brilliant melodies, strange harmonies, superb musicianship, quirk rhythmic patterns and a good dash of British humor. It is difficult to pinpoint why this album and its follow up turned out to be the genre's icons, but the fact that they are the first thing that come to mind when Canterbury is mentioned speaks for itself. Whatever the reasons, this is an absolute classic album, which lost nothing of its intrinsic beauty and musical perfection over time. Absolutely essential!

 

 

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Here is a series of new additions on the wonderful reissue label Esoteric Records:

 

 

1^st album by the legendary Graham Bond Organization and Colosseum saxophonist Dick Heckstall-Smith recorded with a stellar cast of the most talented UK Jazz and Jazz-Rock musicians, shortly after Colosseum Mk. I was disbanded. The stellar cast includes vocalists Paul Williams and Chris Farlowe, guitarists Caleb Quaye and Chris Spedding, bassist Mark Clarke, drummers Bob Tait and Jon Hiseman, keyboardists Dave Greenslade, Gordon Beck and Graham Bond. Heckstall-Smith composed all the wonderful music recorded here. Sadly almost forgotten, this is a superb piece of music, with fabulous tunes and some most creative playing with plenty of breathtaking solos. This expanded edition includes 3 live tracks and a couple of studio tracks from the unreleased follow-up project with the band Manchild. What a joy to see this long time unavailable album to be back in circulation, especially in view of Dick's death in 2004. A must!

 

 

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Here is a series of new additions on the wonderful reissue label Esoteric Records:

 

 

Only album by the great band Soft Heap, a short-lived Canterbury super-group where members of Soft Machine (Hugh Hopper – bass and Elton Dean – sax) met with pianist Alan Gowen (Gilgamesh, National Health) and drummer Pip Pyle (Gong, Hatfield And The North). They managed to record just this one (eponymous) studio album and disbanded shortly afterwards, with each musician pursuing their own path. The band had all the qualities that make the Canterbury scene so special; superb musicianship, great compositions and a free spirit atmosphere with a dash of typical British humor. For specialists – the band's name (second word) is an acronym of the band members' first names. Considering the fact that Gowen, Dean, Pyle and Hopper are no longer with us (they passed away in 1981, 2006, 2006 and 2009 respectively) this is a tremendously important document of an era, which unfortunately is long time gone. A must for any Canterbury fan!

 

 

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2^nd album by the wonderful Canterbury scene iconic ensemble Gilgamesh, founded by keyboardist Alan Gowen in 1972. Over the years the ensemble operated under a revolving door policy with lineup changes as frequent as gigging opportunities and the musicians changing places between groups like Hatfield And The North, National Health, Soft Heap and other lesser known outfits. The list of ex-Gilgamesh members reads like a crème de la crème of the Canterbury Jazz / Rock scene. By 1975 the group managed to record their debut album for the Virgin's esoteric imprint Caroline, only to splinter again soon after. Three years later Gowen re-assembled a new lineup of Gilgamesh and recorded this album, which unfortunately was to be their last, with Gowen dying of leukemia in 1981 at the age of just 33. The players on this album are Gowen on keyboards, original Gilgamesh member guitarist Phil Lee, bassist Hugh Hopper and veteran Jazz drummer Trevor Tomkins. The music, written almost entirely by Gowen, is typical Canterbury mix of Jazz and some Rock influences, with extended improvisations and brilliant performances from start to finish. Gowen's brilliant compositions remain unmatched and unchallenged in their harmonic beauty and sophistication. This is classic Canterbury stuff and it retains its vitality and importance with no signs of getting outdated. A must to any Canterbury or British Jazz-Rock enthusiast!

 

 

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Here is a series of new additions on the wonderful reissue label Esoteric Records:

 

 

Composer / arranger / bandleader Neil Ardley was one of the brightest stars on the firmament of the magnificent British Jazz, which flourished in the 1960s and 1970s. His compositions were often performed by his peers and his magnificent recordings as a leader were musical milestones, cherished and admired to this very day. Sadly, his recorded legacy is rather limited and parts of it remain unreleased on CD, which is a true crime. Therefore any reissue of his music is a true feast and celebration. This album represent's Ardley's late period as active musician, shortly before he left the music scene almost for good, dedicating the later part of his life to writing books. It is also a clear symbol of Ardley's transition as a composer, moving gradually from traditional Jazz forms to quite revolutionary contemporary Classical / Electronic / Ambient music, which although still contained strong Jazz elements (mainly improvised sections), was nevertheless a completely new compositional entity. As most of his ambitious compositions, the music is presented in a form of an extended suite, which makes a coherent whole and being divided into separate sections to emphasize the internal flow of the music. Ardley recruited a group of eleven musicians to record the album and as usual turned to his life-long friend and collaborator, trumpeter Ian Carr to become the main protagonist. The list of the participants reads like a dream come true of the British Jazz scene and includes reed players Tony Coe and Barbara Thompson, drummer Trevor Tomkins, keyboardist Geoff Castle and vocalists Pepi Lemer and Norma Winstone. Lesser known but no less talented contributors include bassist Bill Kristian and drummer Richard Burgess. Guitarist John Martyn is the surprising guest, who closes the list of participating musicians, and although primarily associated with Folk, delivers some heartbreaking guitar solos on this album. People familiar with these names will of course recognize the fact that most of these musicians were associated at one time or another with Ian Carr as members of his Nucleus ensemble. In retrospect this album remains a major milestone of British music and a firm reminder of Ardley's genius. Ardley, who died in 2004 (aged 66) will forever be a landmark figure and hopefully the younger generation will discover his magnificent music thank to reissues, like this one. An absolute must!

 

 

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Here is a series of new additions on the wonderful reissue label Esoteric Records:

 

 

1^st album by the excellent British Prog band CMU (Contemporary Music Unit), founded by drummer Roger Odell and fronted by his wife Larraine Odell, a superb vocalist. The sextet also included bassist Ed Lee, guitarist Ian Hamlett, keyboardist Terry Mortimer and drummer James Gordon. They played a highly ambitious blend of Rock / Folk / Jazz, with sophisticated compositions and complex arrangements, and although mostly completely unheard of, were one of the most intriguing bands at the time. Strongly rooted in Jazz, the band members were all excellent instrumentalists and the female lead vocals set them apart from most of their contemporaries. They were sometimes compared to the band Affinity, which was also fronted by a wonderful female singer Linda Hoyle and had a similar Jazz background. Unfortunately this original lineup of the group fell apart shortly after this album was released, to reformed later on and record one more album. This little known gem is a must to any serious Prog and early British Jazz-Rock enthusiast.

 

 

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4^th album by the excellent Keef Hartley Band, one of Britain's greatest Blues / Rock / Jazz ensembles ever, founded by drummer Keef Hartley following his stint with John Mayall's Bluesbreakers. By the time this album was recorded, the band consisted of core members: guitarist Miller Anderson, keyboardist Mick Weaver, bassist Gary Thain and Hartley on drums. They were joined by a brass section, which included Dave Caswell, Lyle Jenkins and Johnny Almond. Drummer Jon Hiseman (Colosseum) joined in for some drums duels with the leader. The band delivers its usual mix of Blues, Rock and Jazzy arrangements, with the music being composed mainly by Anderson. In retrospect this music lost nothing of its originality and spontaneity over time and is a real pleasure to be listened to almost 40 years later. People familiar with Hartley's other recordings will definitely want to have this one in their collection.

 

 

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Here is a series of new additions on the wonderful reissue label Esoteric Records:

 

 

2^nd album by this legendary UK Prog trio Egg, which featured the talents of keyboardist Dave Stewart, bassist Mont Campbell and drummer Clive Brooks and was associated with the Canterbury scene. The trio produced music of startling originality and energy, drawing on influences ranging from Rock to Jazz to Psychedelia to Classical. The album follows the path of its predecessor with the entire second side of the original LP again dedicated to a long suite in four parts. The music is even more complex and often uses odd rhythmic patterns. The group split up several months after the release of the album, only to be re-united almost 3 years later to record one more album. Originally released on the Decca imprint Deram and unavailable for many years this album was a most sought after collectors' item.

 

 

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1^st album by this legendary UK Prog trio Egg, which featured the talents of keyboardist Dave Stewart, bassist Mont Campbell and drummer Clive Brooks and was associated with the Canterbury scene. The trio produced music of startling originality and energy, drawing on influences ranging from Rock to Jazz to Psychedelia to Classical. At the time the band was heavily influenced by the work done by Keith Emerson and Nice, who pioneered the adaptation of Classical Music into Rock. The album follows this path with the entire second side of the original LP dedicated to a semi-classical piece based on Classical quotations. A part of the suite was banned from release for contractual reasons and appears on this reissue for the first time. Originally released on the esoteric Decca imprint Nova and unavailable for many years this album was a most sought after collectors' item.

 

 

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Here is a series of new additions on the wonderful reissue label Wounded Bird:

 

 

Only studio album recorded by this wonderful pair of British musicians keyboardist / vocalist Tony Ashton (Ashton, Gardner & Dyke) and keyboardist / composer Jon Lord (Deep Purple), which was a predecessor of the Paice, Ashton & Lord group, which recorded the legendary "Malice In Wonderland" a couple of years later. The pair is joined by a large group of musicians, the list reading like a who's who of the British Rock scene at the time, including Peter Frampton and Ron Wood. The music is quite interesting, presenting a "wall of sound" effect with jazzy brass arrangements behind the rocky foreground. Some great guitar and keyboards parts spice the album up, but overall it flows wonderfully and shows a lot of the typical British humor. Musically the project shifts between Prog and Rock, but the brass arrangements and the jazzy undercurrent make it quite unique. It is great to have this little gem back in circulation!

 

 

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4^th and last album by the original incarnation of great British Prog band Greenslade, founded by ex-Colosseum members keyboardist / composer Dave Greenslade and bassist Tony Reeves with keyboardist / singer Dave Lawson and drummer Andrew McCulloch. By the time this album was recorded Reeves left the band to be replaced by bassist Martin Briley. The album continues the path set by its predecessors, with beautiful melodies and incredibly complex keyboard parts, which were the band's primary forte. Greenslade returns as the main composer for the band (he is credited with most the composing credits) and becomes the focal point of the band again, even performing solo on couple of tracks. The album presents a somewhat wider musical scope with the use of choir and background vocals on some tracks and a more rocky approach on others, but all in all the album is a great piece of music with many remarkable compositions and virtuosic performances, worthy on an inclusion in any serious Prog collection. Highly recommended!

 

 

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3^rd album by the great British Prog band Greenslade, created by ex-Colosseum members keyboardist / composer Dave Greenslade and bassist Tony Reeves with keyboardist / singer Dave Lawson and drummer Andrew McCulloch. The album continues the path set by its two predecessors, with beautiful melodies and incredibly complex keyboard parts, which were the band's primary forte. The album does mark some changes, mainly the fact that the music is not entirely composed by Greenslade (as on the first two albums), with about half of it being composed by Lawson and also features one Reeves composition and a Jack Bruce classic. The album also features a guest appearance by another ex-Colosseum member guitarist Clem Clempson and a few other musicians. Altogether the album is a great piece of music with many remarkable compositions and virtuosic performances, worthy on an inclusion in any serious Prog collection. Highly recommended!

 

 

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9^th album (8^th on Atlantic) by American guitarist / composer Mike Stern, who has been one of the most prominent figures in the Jazz and Fusion fields for the last three decades. His virtuoso performances and excellent writing are a source of musical joy and his consistently superb standards serve as a model, followed by generations of young guitarist around the world. On this album Stern continues the path established by its predecessors, presenting a set of his excellent compositions and three standards performed by a superb group of musicians, which includes saxophonists Michael Brecker and David Sanborn, keyboardist Gil Goldstein, bassist John Patitucci, drummer Jack DeJohnette and percussionist Don Alias. As usual, the compositions move between atmospheric ballads to up-tempo energetic excursions, performed with finesse and passion. This is classic Fusion and Stern's guitar playing is simply overwhelmingly excellent, with great flow, emotion and technical virtuosity. A must for any Fusion enthusiast!

 

 

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Here is a series of new additions on the wonderful reissue label Wounded Bird:

 

 

8^th album (7^th on Atlantic) by American guitarist / composer Mike Stern, who has been one of the most prominent figures in the Jazz and Fusion fields for the last three decades. His virtuoso performances and excellent writing are a source of musical joy and his consistently superb standards serve as a model, followed by generations of young guitarist around the world. On this album Stern continues the path established by its predecessors, presenting a set of his excellent compositions performed by a superb group of musicians, which includes saxophonist Bob Malach, keyboardist Jim Beard, bassist Jeff Andrews, drummer Dave Weckl and guest musicians. As usual, the compositions move between atmospheric ballads to up-tempo energetic excursions, performed with finesse and passion. This is classic Fusion and Stern's guitar playing is simply overwhelmingly excellent, with great flow, emotion and technical virtuosity. A must for any Fusion enthusiast!

 

 

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Here is a series of new additions on the wonderful reissue label Wounded Bird:

 

 

7^th album (6^th on Atlantic) by American guitarist / composer Mike Stern, who has been one of the most prominent figures in the Jazz and Fusion fields for the last three decades. His virtuoso performances and excellent writing are a source of musical joy and his consistently superb standards serve as a model, followed by generations of young guitarist around the world. On this album Stern continues the path established by its predecessors, presenting a set of his excellent compositions performed by a superb group of musicians, which includes saxophonists Michael Brecker and Bob Malach, keyboardist Jim Beard, bassist Will Lee and drummer Dennis Chambers and Ben Perowsky. As usual, the compositions move between atmospheric ballads to up-tempo energetic excursions, performed with finesse and passion. This is classic Fusion and Stern's guitar playing is simply overwhelmingly excellent, with great flow, emotion and technical virtuosity. A must for any Fusion enthusiast!

 

 

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Here is a series of new additions on the wonderful reissue label Wounded Bird:

 

 

6^th album (5^th on Atlantic) by American guitarist / composer Mike Stern, who has been one of the most prominent figures in the Jazz and Fusion fields for the last three decades. His virtuoso performances and excellent writing are a source of musical joy and his consistently superb standards serve as a model, followed by generations of young guitarist around the world. On this album Stern tackles (for the first time) Jazz compositions by other composers (Chick Corea, Miles Davis, John Coltrane and others), adding three compositions of his own. Accompanied by a superb group of musicians, which includes trumpeter Randy Brecker, bassist Jay Anderson and drummer Al Foster, this session clearly shows Stern's deep ties with Jazz and profound understanding of the Jazz tradition. This is classic Fusion and Stern's guitar playing is simply overwhelmingly excellent, with great flow, emotion and technical virtuosity. A must for any Fusion enthusiast!

 

 

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Here is a series of new additions on the wonderful reissue label Wounded Bird:

 

 

5^th album (4^th on Atlantic) by American guitarist / composer Mike Stern, who has been one of the most prominent figures in the Jazz and Fusion fields for the last three decades. His virtuoso performances and excellent writing are a source of musical joy and his consistently superb standards serve as a model, followed by generations of young guitarist around the world. On this album Stern continues the path established by its predecessors, presenting a set of his excellent compositions performed by a superb group of musicians, which includes saxophonist Bob Berg, keyboardist Jim Beard, bassist Anthony Jackson, drummer Dennis Chambers and guest musicians. As usual, the compositions move between atmospheric ballads to up-tempo energetic excursions, performed with finesse and passion. This is classic Fusion and Stern's guitar playing is simply overwhelmingly excellent, with great flow, emotion and technical virtuosity. A must for any Fusion enthusiast!

 

 

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CD

 

Here is a series of new additions on the wonderful reissue label Wounded Bird:

 

 

4^th album (3^rd on Atlantic) by American guitarist / composer Mike Stern, who has been one of the most prominent figures in the Jazz and Fusion fields for the last three decades. His virtuoso performances and excellent writing are a source of musical joy and his consistently superb standards serve as a model, followed by generations of young guitarist around the world. On this album Stern continues the path established by its predecessors, presenting a set of his excellent compositions performed by a superb group of musicians, which includes saxophonist Bob Berg, keyboardist Jim Beard, bassist Jeff Andrews, drummer Peter Erskine and guest musicians (including Michael Brecker and Dennis Chambers). As usual, the compositions move between atmospheric ballads to up-tempo energetic excursions, performed with finesse and passion. This is classic Fusion and Stern's guitar playing is simply overwhelmingly excellent, with great flow, emotion and technical virtuosity. A must for any Fusion enthusiast!

 

 

JAZZIS WEB SHOP

 

Normal activity.

 

HAVE FUN!

CD

 

Here is a series of new additions on the wonderful reissue label Wounded Bird:

 

 

3^rd album (2^nd on Atlantic) by American guitarist / composer Mike Stern, who has been one of the most prominent figures in the Jazz and Fusion fields for the last three decades. His virtuoso performances and excellent writing are a source of musical joy and his consistently superb standards serve as a model, followed by generations of young guitarist around the world. On this album Stern continues the path established by its predecessor, presenting a set of his excellent compositions performed by a superb group of musicians, which includes saxophonist Bob Berg, keyboardist Kim Beard, bassist Jeff Andrews, drummer Peter Erskine and guest musicians (including Michael Brecker). As usual, the compositions move between atmospheric ballads to up-tempo energetic excursions, performed with finesse and passion. This is classic Fusion and Stern's guitar playing is simply overwhelmingly excellent, with great flow, emotion and technical virtuosity. A must for any Fusion enthusiast!

 

 

JAZZIS WEB SHOP

 

Normal activity.

 

HAVE FUN!

CD

 

Here is a series of new additions on the wonderful reissue label Wounded Bird:

 

 

American guitarist / composer Mike Stern has been one of the most prominent figures in the Jazz and Fusion fields for the last three decades. His virtuoso performances and excellent writing are a source of musical joy and his consistently superb standards serve as a model, followed by generations of young guitarist around the world. Stern first came to the attention of the music lovers in the mid 1970s as the lead guitarist for the then current lineup of Blood, Sweat & Tears. Later on he joined drummer Billy Cobham and played on several of his exceptional Fusion albums, finally to be featured in the Miles Davis comeback ensemble in 1981. After two years with Miles, Stern let to join Jaco Pastorius and again participate in some revolutionary Fusion recordings, only to rejoin Miles in 1995 for another year. That year marked Stern's first release as a leader, with his album "Neesh" scoring enthusiastic reviews, but gaining little public attention as it was released on a small obscure label. In 1986 Stern signed with Atlantic, subsequently releasing 10 excellent albums on the label until he left in 2001. This album is the Mike Stern's 1^st release on Atlantic, which remains to this day as one of the greatest classic Fusion albums of all times. With the help of keyboardist Mitch Forman, saxophonist Bob Berg, bassist Mark Egan, drummer Dave Weckl and several guest musicians (including Jaco Pastorius), Stern lies down a model for modern Fusion, with great melodies, superb guitar lead lines and rhythmic versatility. Constantly moving between atmospheric ballads and soaring neck-breaking races, there is not one dull moment on this album and it lost absolutely nothing of its initial impact. This is an absolute must for every Fusion enthusiast as well as guitar freak on earth. A must!

 

 

JAZZIS WEB SHOP

 

Normal activity.

 

HAVE FUN!