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Following the collapse of Kaveret, the iconic Israeli Rock group of the mid-1970s, two key members of the group, vocalist / guitarist and principal songwriter Danny Sanderson and vocalist Gidi Gov, established in 1978 a new group called Gazoz, which in many respects was a continuation of the musical direction inspired by Kaveret. The group lasted for just 18 months, but managed to record two classic albums ("Gazoz" and "Second Incarnation"), both in 1979. The group also included the splendid female vocalist Mazi Cohen and a brass section, which expanded the original Kaveret sound considerably and was quite innovative on the local scene. Sanderson was at the time at his creative peak and managed to write 24 splendid songs, with his usual great sense of melody and a good dash of zany humor. Almost all of these songs were immediate "hits" and were played continuously by the local media; many of them are still played today and remain not only evergreens, but also an important part of the Israeli Rock legacy. This expanded edition adds a second CD of bonus material, which includes some live recordings and the rest of the original tunes recorded by the group, but not included on the original compilation. With the bonus CD this album includes now the entire recorded legacy of the group. Classic stuff and what great fun!

 

 

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Moroccan-born singer / songwriter / percussionist Shlomo Bar, the founder and leader of Natural Gathering, is an iconic figure on the multi-faced Israeli music scene. Since the late 1970s Bar and his ensemble consistently propagate an ambitious version of Middle-Eastern, folklore based but modernistic musical universe, completely unique and wonderfully rich both in traditional and contemporary musical ideas of amalgamation and transcendence of physical, psychological and cultural border lines. Initially scored, ridiculed and rejected by the Israeli Ashkenazi music establishment, which was completely Western-oriented and hold little (if any) esteem towards the treasures of Sephardic tradition, Bar persisted and refused to compromise his artistic vision. Three decades later, Natural Gathering and its music stands out as one of Israel's most significant contributions to World culture, but remain somewhat estranged on the local scene. Each new album by this ensemble is a true feast to the ears and this one is no different. Recorded over a period of two years in Bar's home studio, the album is deeply moving and presents a spectacular vista of sounds and colors. The lyrics include a wide variety of sources, from modern Israeli poetry (Lea Goldberg, Natan Alterman) to rabbinical texts. This time Bar uses also several songs, which were not written by him but are now part of the Pantheon of Israeli songwriting, in addition to his own compositions. The current version of the group features all-acoustic instrumentation (except for bass guitar), including guitar, woodwinds, violin and Middle-Eastern / Indian instruments like santoor and percussion instruments like tabla. Bar's vocals lost some of its dramatic effect of anger and frustration, but are beautifully refined and expressive. This is a great album, any way one may wish to look at it (read: listen to it) and I can only recommend it wholeheartedly, hoping that more people will discover this treasure!

 

 

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This excellent box set includes five studio albums, recorded between 1974 and 1981 and released on the Epic label, by the great American bassist Stanley Clarke: "Stanley Clarke", "Journey To Love", "School Days", "Modern Man" and "Clarke / Duke Project". Back is one of the greatest Jazz / Fusion / Funk bass players of all times and his performances in the diverse sub-genres of Jazz-Rock Fusion are always ingenious and brilliant. Although often criticized and misunderstood, his technique is star quality as is his unique feel for his music. 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. Highly recommended!

 

 

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Pianist / composer / arranger / bandleader Gil Evans was surely one of the most forward-thinking and open-minded Jazz Masters, who were able to overcome the typical American Jazz snobbery and keep their ears wide-open to anything of interest that was happening outside of the genre's stifling ramparts. His revolutionary work with Miles Davis, one of the first examples of cross-genre music making and amalgamation of World Music elements into Jazz earned him his initial glory and recognition, but Evans remained a pioneer for the rest of his life. He was also the first Jazz personality to recognize and publically acknowledge his admiration of the talents of Jimi Hendrix, not only as an exceptional guitarist but also as a great composer. Evans approached Hendrix with a cooperation proposal, which Jimi accepted wholeheartedly, but alas Jimi's untimely death turned all plans into unfulfilled dreams. However, in spite of the disappointment, Evans decided to pay tribute to the genius of Hendrix by recording this exceptional album of arrangements of music composed by Hendrix, performed by his orchestra. This stunning example of Jazz-Rock Fusion is completely different from most other efforts pursued at the time worldwide and demonstrates a perfect marriage between Jazz and Rock in the orchestral realm. The orchestra, which included mostly young and up-coming Jazz virtuosi, features such illustrious players as guitarists John Abercrombie and Ryo Kawasaki, trumpeters Lew Soloff and Marvin Peterson, saxophonists David Sanborn and George Adams, drummers Bruce Ditmas and Tony Williams and many more. Hearing the music of Hendrix in this fantastic setting is an exceptional musical expedition, especially for people who are familiar with the original recordings by Hendrix. Evans finds new hidden facets in this music, which only a great musician can discover, and shares them with the listener, taking him on a journey of discovery. This expanded edition presents all the material on the original LP in unabridged form and adds alternative takes as bonuses. Exceptional stuff and a must for any true music lover!

 

 

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Bassist / pianist / composer / bandleader Charles Mingus was an exceptional, iconoclastic figure on the American Jazz landscape. Afraid of nothing and of no one, Mingus was not only a genius musician, but also a great story teller, always saying whatever he truly meant, however outrageous, immoral or shocking. His straightforwardness earned him many enemies among the American Jazz "establishment", often influencing his career in a negative way. This album is a great example of the above; recorded in 1957 and directly influenced by an alcohol / sex craze experienced in the Mexican "Wild South" border town of Tijuana, in an attempt to forget, what Mingus calls "a very blue period in my life", the sensuous and revolutionarily outrageous music was released only 5 years later, waiting for some people to take the stick out of their behind and allow this genius work to be heard. Although Mingus often referred to this album as the "best record he ever made", recognition of the fact that Mingus was light-years ahead of many of his contemporaries was slow to float up. Of course the music of Mingus is beyond description… Jazz, obviously, but so much more… and always brilliant. The music here is obviously influenced, however subtly, by the Mexican Mariachis heard often during that wild night in Tijuana, but it is all Mingus; his usual suite-like approach of composing music not as a collection of unrelated individual pieces but as a continuum, all coming together and following that wonderful crazy logic of his, which the listener only finds out about when the music is over. A Master of melody, Mingus actually never lets the listener enjoy it for more that a brief moment, jumping all over, around, aside, back at it, and out of it again. Of course he also knew how to pick up his band members, often running the show with an iron fist, but honestly, how the ensemble could function any other way, considering how devilishly complex the music they performed was. And yes, they were all brilliant players: trombonist Jimmy Knepper, saxophonist Curtis Porter, trumpeter Clarence Shaw, pianist Bill Triglia and drummer Danny Richmond (Mingus' lifetime musical buddy, who joined his band just a few weeks before the recording). This wonderful edition adds a previously unreleased track, recorded at the same sessions as the album, which features a superb example of Mingus' writing, narrated here by Lonnie Elder on top of the ensemble playing – a typical Jazz and Poetry setting fondly reminding the Beat days. A second CD full of alternate takes is also added. Need I say essential? Yes I do!

 

 

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Although usually considered as one of the forefathers of Be Bop and modern Jazz in general, American pianist / composer Thelonious Monk was in fact living in his own universe, often appearing as completely alien and separate to the one we all live in. Spiritually Monk was closer to other American musical "outsiders" like Fran Zappa, than to his Jazz contemporaries. He did operate in the general realm of Jazz, or even Be Bop, but his complete disregard of "correctness", be it in following the "appropriate" chord changes or rhythmic patterns, sets him aside from most of the other protagonists. Monk played what he wanted to play, whatever sounded "right" to him, breaking all the rules, creating new chords and new rhythms. Often his music was so difficult to follow by other musicians, that some of his best work was delivered in the piano solo format. There were no restrictions when he sat at the piano alone, no other musicians to listen to and nobody to please, but himself. And it was pure genius! During the six years stint with Columbia Records between 1962 and 1968 Monk recorded a series of exceptional and revolutionary albums for the label, but only one of these was a solo piano album called "Solo Monk". However, he did record solo piano pieces during the sessions for the other albums, which are all collected here, together with the "Solo Monk" album, to present the genius at work, completely "naked" and at his best. This wonderful album also adds 14 previously unreleased Monk recordings, a true treasure chest for true Monk lovers. Monk's treatment of his own compositions, as well as some Jazz standards he plays here, is an overwhelming richness of musical ideas, often excruciatingly difficult to follow at their full depth, but deeply rewarding to the dedicated followers of his work. Essential musical experience!

 

 

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1^st album by brilliant Polish ensemble Breakout formed and led by guitarist / vocalist / composer Tadeusz Nalepa. Breakout was formed in 1968 after Nalepa decided to change the name of his previous group Blackout and reformed it under the new name. The group was fronted by vocalist Mira Kubasinska, one of the first great female performers of the Polish Rock scene, and also included bassist Michal Muzolf and drummer Józef Hajdasz. The fifth member of Breakout was the great Polish saxophonist / flautist Wlodzimierz Nahorny, the first Polish Jazz musician, who combined the Jazz and Rock genres and of course was an early pioneer of Jazz-Rock Fusion. Nalepa's musical background was deeply rooted in Blues, and much of the group's material was in fact Blues-Rock based, but the presence of Nahorny and the contemporary Prog and Psychedelic influences turned Breakout into one of the most formidable East European groups ever, with a broad range of cross-genre musical activities. Breakout had an immense influence on the Polish, as well as the entire East European music scene, serving as a beacon to generations of musicians living behind the Iron Curtain. In their native country Breakout was often criticized by the Socialist regime for idealizing Western culture and their music was banned from the media during the peak of the "dark age" repressions in the late 1960, which eventually only increased the following the group enjoyed among the young generation. Nalepa, who composed all of the group's music, worked closely with lyricist / poet Bogdan Loebl, who supplied the band with highly intelligent and often controversial lyrics, way above the usual level of Rock lyrics used in Rock at the time. This album is a timeless classic and any connoisseur of East European Rock / Prog will find it phenomenal. Brilliant stuff!

 

 

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2^nd album by brilliant Polish ensemble Breakout formed and led by guitarist / vocalist / composer Tadeusz Nalepa. Breakout was formed in 1968 after Nalepa decided to change the name of his previous group Blackout and reformed it under the new name. The group was fronted by vocalist Mira Kubasinska, one of the first great female performers of the Polish Rock scene, and also included bassist / pianist Józef Skrzek (future member of Niemen's groups and later SBB) and drummer Józef Hajdasz. The fifth member of Breakout was the great Polish saxophonist / flautist Wlodzimierz Nahorny, the first Polish Jazz musician, who combined the Jazz and Rock genres and of course was an early pioneer of Jazz-Rock Fusion. Nalepa's musical background was deeply rooted in Blues, and much of the group's material was in fact Blues-Rock based, but the presence of Nahorny and the contemporary Prog and Psychedelic influences turned Breakout into one of the most formidable East European groups ever, with a broad range of cross-genre musical activities. Breakout had an immense influence on the Polish, as well as the entire East European music scene, serving as a beacon to generations of musicians living behind the Iron Curtain. In their native country Breakout was often criticized by the Socialist regime for idealizing Western culture and their music was banned from the media during the peak of the "dark age" repressions in the late 1960, which eventually only increased the following the group enjoyed among the young generation. Nalepa, who composed all of the group's music, worked closely with lyricist / poet Bogdan Loebl, who supplied the band with highly intelligent and often controversial lyrics, way above the usual level of Rock lyrics used in Rock at the time. This album is a timeless classic and any connoisseur of East European Rock / Prog will find it phenomenal. Brilliant stuff!

 

 

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4^th album by brilliant Polish ensemble Breakout formed and led by guitarist / vocalist / composer Tadeusz Nalepa. Breakout was formed in 1968 after Nalepa decided to change the name of his previous group Blackout and reformed it under the new name. The group was fronted by vocalist Mira Kubasinska, one of the first great female performers of the Polish Rock scene, and also included harmonica player Tadeusz Trzcinski, bassist Jerzy Goleniewski and drummer Jan Mazurek. The sixth member of Breakout was the great Polish saxophonist / flautist Wlodzimierz Nahorny, the first Polish Jazz musician, who combined the Jazz and Rock genres and of course was an early pioneer of Jazz-Rock Fusion. Nalepa's musical background was deeply rooted in Blues, and much of the group's material was in fact Blues-Rock based, but the presence of Nahorny and the contemporary Prog and Psychedelic influences turned Breakout into one of the most formidable East European groups ever, with a broad range of cross-genre musical activities. Breakout had an immense influence on the Polish, as well as the entire East European music scene, serving as a beacon to generations of musicians living behind the Iron Curtain. In their native country Breakout was often criticized by the Socialist regime for idealizing Western culture and their music was banned from the media during the peak of the "dark age" repressions in the late 1960, which eventually only increased the following the group enjoyed among the young generation. Nalepa, who composed all of the group's music, worked closely with lyricist / poet Bogdan Loebl, who supplied the band with highly intelligent and often controversial lyrics, way above the usual level of Rock lyrics used in Rock at the time. This album was intended as Mira's debut solo album, but in time it was accepted by fans and Rock historians as the group's fourth album. Sadly, it was the last Breakout album, which featured Mira's vocals and Nahorny's Jazzy ornamentation. In retrospect this is a timeless classic and any connoisseur of East European Rock / Prog will find it phenomenal. Brilliant stuff!

 

 

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5^th album by brilliant Polish ensemble Breakout formed and led by guitarist / vocalist / composer Tadeusz Nalepa. Breakout was formed in 1968 after Nalepa decided to change the name of his previous group Blackout and reformed it under the new name. The group also included harmonica player Tadeusz Trzcinski, bassist Jerzy Goleniewski and drummer Józef Hajdasz. Nalepa's musical background was deeply rooted in Blues, and much of the group's material was in fact Blues-Rock based, but Prog and Psychedelic influences turned Breakout into one of the most formidable East European groups ever, with a broad range of cross-genre musical activities. Breakout had an immense influence on the Polish, as well as the entire East European music scene, serving as a beacon to generations of musicians living behind the Iron Curtain. In their native country Breakout was often criticized by the Socialist regime for idealizing Western culture and their music was banned from the media during the peak of the "dark age" repressions in the late 1960, which eventually only increased the following the group enjoyed among the young generation. Nalepa, who composed all of the group's music, worked closely with lyricist / poet Bogdan Loebl, who supplied the band with highly intelligent and often controversial lyrics, way above the usual level of Rock lyrics used in Rock at the time. This album, taking them back to the basic quartet lineup, was their most successful release in their native country. In retrospect this is a timeless classic and any connoisseur of East European Rock / Prog will find it phenomenal. Brilliant stuff!

 

 

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Flautist / composer Bob Downes is one of the most creative and innovative figures on the British Jazz scene, with a wide scope of cross-genre contributions from contemporary Classical Music via Jazz and Jazz-Rock to Free Jazz and Improvised Music. Downes was an integral part of the late 1960s / early 1970s revolution, that emerged in British and European Jazz, emancipating it from years of American influence and domination, and participated in numerous seminal recordings made during that period. His many activities were usually executed under the loosely defined umbrella name of Open Music, which varied from a trio to a large ensemble and as the name suggests was completely free from any stylistic or genre restrictions. After recording several albums for mainstream record labels in his early days, Downes created his own record label, called Openian Records, on which he releases his projects, being one of the first musicians to do so. By the early 1980s Downes moved to Germany, where he lives and continues his work today. This incredible album presents Downes as a composer of "serious" contemporary music, with the entire first side of the original vinyl album dedicated to a suite intended for a ballet performance, called "Dream Journey". In fact this album was intended to be entitled "Dream Journey", but the title never appeared on the album's artwork and therefore it is referred to as "Open Music" (which was of course the ensemble's name). The rest of the music consists of shorter pieces, the final of which is entitled "Electric City" – a name of another album Downes was working on at the same time. The list of participating musicians is awe inspiring, with some of the most illustrious musicians on the scene at the time, like trumpeter Henry Lowther, saxophonist John Warren, guitarist Chris Spedding, bassist Harry Miller, drummer John Stevens and many others. The music, although difficult at times, is breathtaking and captivating. The virtuosic performances are ample expressions of the underlying musical currents and once immersed in the magic sound, the listener is completely absorbed and mesmerized. They don't make music like this any more, that's for sure. Brilliant stuff!

 

 

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Flautist / composer Bob Downes is one of the most creative and innovative figures on the British Jazz scene, with a wide scope of cross-genre contributions from contemporary Classical Music via Jazz and Jazz-Rock to Free Jazz and Improvised Music. Downes was an integral part of the late 1960s / early 1970s revolution, that emerged in British and European Jazz, emancipating it from years of American influence and domination, and participated in numerous seminal recordings made during that period. His many activities were usually executed under the loosely defined umbrella name of Open Music, which varied from a trio to a large ensemble and as the name suggests was completely free from any stylistic or genre restrictions. After recording several albums for mainstream record labels in his early days, Downes created his own record label, called Openian Records, on which he releases his projects, being one of the first musicians to do so. By the early 1980s Downes moved to Germany, where he lives and continues his work today. This incredible album presents Downes as a composer of Jazz-Rock oriented shorter pieces, packed with energy and intricate arrangements. The list of participating musicians is awe inspiring, with some of the most illustrious musicians on the scene at the time, like trumpeters Kenny Wheeler, Ian Carr and Harry Beckett, guitarist Chris Spedding and Ray Russell, bassist Harry Miller and many others. The music is brilliant, breathtaking and captivating. The virtuosic performances are ample expressions of the underlying musical currents and once immersed in the magic sound, the listener is completely absorbed and mesmerized. They don't make music like this any more, that's for sure. Brilliant stuff!

 

 

HAVE FUN!

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Italian Prog Giants PFM (Premiata Forneria Marconi) was among the very few non-UK European Prog groups to actively pursue international exposure outside of their native country. An incidental meeting between the band and Greg Lake led to the signing of PFM to the Manticore label owned by Emerson, Lake & Palmer, which started to issue English language version of the band's albums in UK (and US), in parallel to the release of the Italian language versions released in Italy. As a result, several of PFM albums exist in two different versions (and with different titles), creating quite a confusion among record collectors. This album is the first of these "twofold" releases and the band's 1^st album released in UK. It is almost identical to the band's 2^nd album "Per Un Amico", re-recorded with English lyrics written by Pete Sinfield, who also produced the album. PFM consisted of keyboardist Flavio Premoli, guitarist Franco Mussida, violinist / flautist Mauro Pagani, bassist Giorgio Piazza and drummer Franz Di Gioccio. Among them they possessed incredible instrumental powers, compositional ability and vocal delivery and harmony, which was almost unparallel with any other Prog group at the time. Long and complex instrumental passages, performed mostly on keyboards, quiet contemplative moments of gentle flute and deeply melodic and harmonic compositions and arrangements turned their albums into Prog heaven. This expanded edition solves the sound quality issues of the earlier releases and adds a massive amount of bonus material. Essential music for body and soul!

 

 

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Italian Prog Giants PFM (Premiata Forneria Marconi) was among the very few non-UK European Prog groups to actively pursue international exposure outside of their native country. An incidental meeting between the band and Greg Lake led to the signing of PFM to the Manticore label owned by Emerson, Lake & Palmer, which started to release the band's albums in UK (and US) and promoted the band worldwide. This was the 5^th and last album the band released on the label, which folded soon after. PFM consisted of vocalist Bernardo Lanzetti, keyboardist Flavio Premoli, guitarist Franco Mussida, violinist Gregory Bloch, bassist Patrick Djivas and drummer Franz Di Gioccio. Among them they possessed incredible instrumental powers, compositional ability and vocal delivery and harmony, which was almost unparallel with any other Prog group at the time. Long and complex instrumental passages, performed mostly on keyboards, quiet contemplative moments and deeply melodic and harmonic compositions and arrangements turned their albums into Prog heaven. This expanded edition adds a rare live track as a bonus. Essential music for body and soul!

 

 

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Italian Prog Giants PFM (Premiata Forneria Marconi) was among the very few non-UK European Prog groups to actively pursue international exposure outside of their native country. An incidental meeting between the band and Greg Lake led to the signing of PFM to the Manticore label owned by Emerson, Lake & Palmer, which started to release the band's albums in UK (and US) and promoted the band worldwide. This was the 4^th album the band released on the label. PFM consisted of vocalist Bernardo Lanzetti, keyboardist Flavio Premoli, guitarist Franco Mussida, violinist / flautist Mauro Pagani, bassist Patrick Djivas and drummer Franz Di Gioccio. Among them they possessed incredible instrumental powers, compositional ability and vocal delivery and harmony, which was almost unparallel with any other Prog group at the time. Long and complex instrumental passages, performed mostly on keyboards, quiet contemplative moments and deeply melodic and harmonic compositions and arrangements turned their albums into Prog heaven. This expanded edition adds a whole CD of previously unreleased live material as a bonus. Essential music for body and soul!

 

 

HAVE FUN!

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2^nd and 3^rd albums by the brilliant British Folk-Rock band Dando Shaft. Soon after they recorded their debut album "An Evening With Dando Shaft:, the group expanded to a sextet with the inclusion of female vocalist Polly Bolton, which brought them closer sound-wise to other Folk-Rock ensembles like Pentangle, Fairport Convention and Steeleye Span. Stylistically they were closest to Pentangle, as their music was much influenced by Jazz and included a lot of instrumental improvisation, but they differed from most other British bands of the genre by performing all original material, rather than relaying on traditional folklore. The core of the group consisted of guitarists Kevin Dempsey and Dave Cooper, multi-instrumentalist Martin Jenkins (who excelled on the mandoline), bassist Roger Bullen and percussionist Ted Kay – an all acoustic ensemble with beautiful sound and superb instrumental qualities. The first of the two albums included here is especially magical, and often considered as one of the genre's finest recordings. The second album is slightly more adventurous and Prog oriented, and therefore less favored by the folkies, but in retrospect it stands the tides of time beautifully. Collectors should note that the first album included here was originally released on the short-lived Prog offshoot of RCA, called Neon Records. Unfortunately the band fell apart after recording the second album included here, only to ne reunited for one more album five years later. Another live recording was done in the late 1980s. But the first three Dando Shaft albums are definitely a prime example of the British Folk-Rock, which remain almost unsurpassed to this very day. A must!

 

 

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Composer / arranger / bandleader / bassist Graham Collier is one of the Godfathers of modern British Jazz, and his contribution to the genre as a musician, educator and writer are monumental. Although initially schooled in the US (Collier was the first student from the UK to be awarded a scholarship at the Berklee School of Music in Boston in the 1960s), he was in fact one of the pioneers of the European Jazz, accepting the American Jazz tradition as a basis for further development and exploration based on the European cultural heritage. His innovative approach as a composer and arranger were immensely influential not only on the local British scene, but also throughout the entire Europe, especially his usage of irregular meters and time signatures. Over the years Collier composed and recorded a colossal body of work, which includes some of the greatest music of the 20^th Century. This album, which is a third installment and a companion to the two previous BGO reissues of his early recordings, includes the first three recordings by Collier released on his own record label Mosaic Records, one of the first independently owned Jazz labels in Britain. He composed all the music presented here and plays bass (something he was to abandon in the future) and the lineups of the three ensembles include some of the greatest players on the British scene at the time: Henry Lowther, Harry Beckett (trumpet), Derek Wadsworth (trombone), Art Themen (saxophone), Ed Speight (guitar), Geoff Castle, Roger Dean (piano) and John Webb (drums). Many of these players were to become future leaders of course, as Collier’s ensembles served as an excellent breeding ground for young players, similar to what happened on the Blues scene with John Mayall’s ensembles. Collier of often called the Charles Mingus of European Jazz, and the parallels are obvious. The music is of course absolutely stunning, from start to finish, and brilliantly performed. Every moment on this album is just right, brilliant and timeless, which makes it not only a perfect document of the era, but also a piece of music that retains its intrinsic values forever. Absolutely essential!

 

 

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Only album by British Prog group Arc, which is a typical early Prog effort full of excellent ideas and interesting playing, which didn't met with a particular interest at the time of its release and was discovered years later by connoisseurs of the genre, becoming a rare collectors' item. The band was formed by guitarist John Turnbull and keyboardist Mick Gallagher and included also bassist Tom Duffy and drummer David Montgomery. The album includes several extended tracks featuring heavy guitar and keyboards work with the rest of the material being less complex, but still quite interesting. In retrospect this is one more lost gem of the period, which deserves a renewed listening opportunity, especially by people who like to dig deeply into the history of early Prog. Recommended!

 

 

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Only album by British Jazz-Rock octet Walrus, which was one of the first full-blown British Jazz-Rock ensembles modeled after the American counterparts like Blood, Sweat & Tears and Chicago. Although not as sophisticated as If, the other British ensemble following the same path, Walrus was nevertheless quite excellent as well and it is a great pity they didn't manage to record more albums. Formed by bassist Steve Hawthorn, who also wrote the bulk of their material, the band was fronted by vocalist Noel Greenaway and included guitarist John Scates, keyboardist Barry Parfitt and drummer Nick Gabb (or Roger Harrison) as well as a brass section with trumpeter Don Richards (who was also in charge of the brass arrangements), and two saxophonists Roy Voce and Bill Hoad. The music is all original except one track, which is a great cover of a Traffic song, and is all very interesting. In retrospect this is a true gem, which should have done much better than it did at the time and it's a great pleasure to have it back in circulation. Considering the fact that Brass-Rock was relatively rare, this album is a must to every fan of early Jazz-Rock Fusion!

 

 

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3^rd album by the Finnish Prog Masters Wigwam (originally released as a double LP), marking the arrival of the group at a point of maturity after the initial period of searching for their unique voice, as reflected on their first two releases. This album is often considered as one of the finest examples of Finnish Prog and together with its follow up "Being" it presents Wigwam as one of Prog's all time highest achievements. The band's core: vocalist Jim Pembroke (a British expatriate living in Finland), keyboardist Jukka Gustavson, who was the band's principal composer, bassist Pekka Pohjola and drummer Ronnie Osterberg are joined by several guest musicians, mainly guitarist Jukka Tolonen, who often cooperated with the band, and woodwind / brass players, including Jazz saxophonists Eero Koivistoinen and Pekka Poyry, expanding the overall sound of the basic quartet. The compositions are all outstanding, moody and full of unexpected turns and twists. Superb instrumental sections allow all musicians to express their talents, often moving into lengthy Jazzy improvisations. Pembroke's English vocals were a great asset for the group and contributed to their immense popularity outside of Finland. Almost four decades after this material was recorded, it still sounds fresh and exciting, ready to be discovered by new generations of music lovers. Absolutely essential!

 

 

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4^th album by the Finnish Prog Masters Wigwam marking the arrival of the group at a point of maturity after the initial period of searching for their unique voice, as reflected on their first two releases. This album is often considered as one of the finest examples of Finnish Prog and together with its predecessor "Fairyport" it presents Wigwam as one of Prog's all time highest achievements. Unfortunately it was also the last studio recording by the original lineup of Wigwam, with the second lineup changing considerably the band's musical direction. The band's core: vocalist Jim Pembroke (a British expatriate living in Finland), keyboardist Jukka Gustavson, who was the band's principal composer, bassist Pekka Pohjola and drummer Ronnie Osterberg are joined by several guest musicians, mostly woodwind / brass players, including Jazz saxophonists Juhani Aaltonen and Pekka Poyry, expanding the overall sound of the basic quartet. The compositions are all outstanding, moody and full of unexpected turns and twists. Superb instrumental sections allow all musicians to express their talents, often moving into lengthy Jazzy improvisations. Pembroke's English vocals were a great asset for the group and contributed to their immense popularity outside of Finland. Almost four decades after this material was recorded, it still sounds fresh and exciting, ready to be discovered by new generations of music lovers. Absolutely essential!

 

 

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5^th album by the Finnish Prog Masters Wigwam (originally released as a double LP), marking the end of the original lineup of the band and recorded during their farewell concert tour. The band's core: vocalist Jim Pembroke (a British expatriate living in Finland), keyboardist Jukka Gustavson, who was the band's principal composer, bassist Pekka Pohjola and drummer Ronnie Osterberg is expanded to a quintet with guitarist Pekka Rechardt joining the group. Soon after these recordings were made Gustavson and Pohjola left the band and it reformed a year later with new musicians replacing them. This album is a superb showcase of Wigwam's live performances, being the band's first live recording, as well as showing their musical influences, as the band performs several covers of material written by such diverse musicians as the Beatles and the Band, in addition to their own compositions. Several of the tracks are expanded into long instrumental jams, emphasizing the improvisational skills by the band members. With strong Jazzy feel, this album gracefully moves between Prog and Fusion, to the obvious delight of the band's many fans. In retrospect this album is a great document of the time, capturing the spirit as well as the sound of the most productive period in music history. Essential for all Wigwam fans, but most Prog and Fusion connoisseurs should have a field day with this beauty!

 

 

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2^nd album by the short-lived Anglo-American super-group West, Bruce & Laing consisting of guitarist Leslie West and drummer Corky Laing from the American band Mountain and British bassist / vocalist / songwriter extraordinaire Jack Bruce, of Cream fame. The group came together after both the first incarnation of Mountain and the Jack Bruce Band fell apart and was almost a "natural" choice of participants, considering the many parallels between Mountain and Cream, both stylistically and personally via Mountain member and Cream producer Felix Pappalardi. This studio recording is a great document of the level of energy involved in the group's performances and the virtuosity of its members. Bruce's bass playing is simply spectacular, as are his vocals and he is especially strong on his own excellent compositions co-created (as usual) with poet Pete Brown. People, who like Cream and Mountain recordings, will enjoy this stuff immensely and the younger people can hear what Rock was all about, when it was truly rocking.

 

 

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