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1^st album by US Rock group The Grass Roots, formed around the talented team of songwriters: Steve Barri and P.F. Sloan, who co-wrote some of the most notable songs of the 1960s California Sound, performed by many of the top artists of the era. Although initially the group was in fact just the songwriting duo supported by studio musicians associated with their label Dunhill, owned by legendary producer Lou Adler, later on it developed into a bona fide Rock group, which produced a stream of excellent albums and several chart hits. The material is a superb mixture of influences, from Folk-Rock, Garage Rock, British Invasion and early Psychedelia and in retrospect still sounds excellent today. Most of the music is original, but several covers of great songs of the period are also included. This expanded edition includes all three versions of the hit song, which gave the album its name, as well as other non-album tracks. A great trip down the memory lane!

 

 

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Three early albums by the great Canadian Rock band The Guess Who, which included the talents of guitarist Randy Bachman and singer Burton Cummings, who together wrote all of the band's material. Although mostly remembered for the numerous hit singles the band produced over the years, listening to these complete albums reveals a greatly talented and inspired Rock band, which deservers – in retrospect – respect and appreciation for what they have done. Cummings' superb vocal abilities are definitely worth a re-visit, as is Bachman's guitar work, which was much more subtle than his future Hard Rock work. The material stands the test of time beautifully and is full of little known gems. Definitely worth investigation and a great trip down the memory lane!

 

 

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As the title suggests, this great album commemorates the 10^th anniversary of John Mayall's career as a recording / performing artist; and what a decade it was. A series of brilliant albums, a stream of super-talented musicians which passed through his Bluesbreakers' ranks and the creation of renewed interest as well as tremendous development of the Blues, which Mayall accomplished - all these happened in just one decade. By the early 1970s Mayall left the UK and moved to California, where he lives up to this day. His bands comprised now mostly of US musicians, but for this album Mayall invited his old friend and musical companion, drummer Keef Hartley, to take part in the recording. The other players include guitarist Freddy Robinson, bassist Victor Gaskin and violinist Don Sugarcane Harris as well as two brass players: saxophonist Red Holloway and trumpeter Blue Mitchell, adding the improvisational Jazzy feel that Mayall always preferred. The first of the two CDs is a studio recording with a set of new songs written for the occasion, while the second is a live concert recorded in NY, where the musicians get to stretch out and show their chops, as usual in such situations. Mayall's fans will be surely delighted to get a copy of this one, considering that it was never previously released on CD and unavailable for so many years!

 

 

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This incredible collection traces the early steps of post-WWII British Jazz and its undeniable first King and Master of Ceremonies, saxophonist Ronnie Scott, one of the true legends of Jazz. Recorder between 1946 and 1953, these tracks present Scott as a member of ensembles led by Ted Heath and Jack Parnell and then as a leader of his own quartet, quintet and finally his Orchestra. Strongly influenced by Swing and then mainly Bebop, Scott was an extremely gifted and sensitive player, as well as leader and organizer. In years to come his world-famous Jazz Club would become a Mecca for local and international Jazz musicians, witnessing and staging some of the most memorable Jazz performances ever. The tracks included here, some of which are extremely rare, present not only Scott's playing, but in fact an entire generation of British Jazz players, which based the genre in the scarred post-war Britain. Obviously British Jazz had first to master the skills and secrets of the American origins, before it would evolve into a new independent entity. The music herein shows just how quickly and skillfully they picked up the tricks of the trade. This is an essential listening to any fan of British Jazz and a vital step on the path towards understanding the revolution of Jazz that would occur in British Jazz just a decade later. Wonderful stuff!

 

 

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Legendary guitarist Phil Miller and his In Cahoots ensemble have been active on the Canterbury / Jazz scene since the 1980s, constantly changing lineups but always producing music of the highest quality. A vehicle for presenting Miller’s intricate and highly sophisticated compositions, the ensemble’s recorded legacy through the years – both studio and live – is a great example of European Jazz. This album presents a series of live recordings from the 1980s with a stellar lineup, which includes Miller – guitar and guitar synthesizer, Elton Dean – alto saxophone and saxello, Peter Lemer and Steve Franklin – keyboards, Hugh Hopper and Fred Baker – bass and Pip Pyle – drums. Most of the music, except one tune by Hopper, Dean and Franklin each, was composed by Miller and is as usual exceptional, as are the performances. This is a reissue of the original edition of this album from 1989, which is now a rare collector's item. Highly recommended!

 

 

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Legendary guitarist Phil Miller and his In Cahoots ensemble have been active on the Canterbury / Jazz scene since the 1980s, constantly changing lineups but always producing music of the highest quality. A vehicle for presenting Miller’s intricate and highly sophisticated compositions, the ensemble’s recorded legacy through the years – both studio and live – is a great example of European Jazz. This album presents a series of studio recordings from the 1980s with a stellar lineup, which includes Miller – guitar and guitar synthesizer, Elton Dean – alto saxophone and saxello, Steve Franklin – keyboards, Fred Baker – bass and Pip Pyle – drums on four of the eight tracks and the other tracks are collaborations with Canterbury heroes Dave Stewart – keyboards, Richard Sinclair – vocals, Barbara Gaskin – vocals and John Mitchell – keyboards and percussion. Most of the music was composed or co-composed by Miller and is as usual exceptional, as are the performances. This is a reissue of the original edition of this album from 1988, which is now a rare collector's item. Highly recommended!

 

 

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2^nd solo album by keyboardist Dave Greenslade, known to Prog fans as a member of the legendary Colosseum and leader of his group Greenslade, originally released as a double LP accompanied by a stunningly produced science fiction book written and illustrated by Patrick Woodroffe, somewhat resembling the art of Roger Dean. This ambitious project remains to this day a great example of cooperation between music and graphic arts. The music written and performed by Greenslade on a plethora of keyboards (with some drum parts played by Phil Collins and John Lingwood) marks his departure from the jazzy improvisational style he used previously into more classical / ambient direction, which disappointed many of his fans at the time of this album's release. However, in retrospect, one must judge this music as part of the entire concept, which was highly innovative at the time. The album / book package definitely retains much of its artistic merit. The lavish CD reissue includes the complete music and a copy of the original book packaged together in a box-set. Definitely worth investigating, if you can get it.

 

 

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Japanese percussionist / composer Stomu Yamash`ta settled in England in 1972, after studying music in his native country and later in the USA. He worked mainly as a composer for theatre music, but his signing as a recording artist for the Island label brought his work to the attention of a wider audience. This album was his 1^st release for the label, recorded partly in the studio and partly live with a large Jazz oriented ensemble called Come To The Edge, featuring bassist Andy Powell, keyboardist / saxophonist Robin Thompson, drummer Morris Pert and others. The music is a wonderful fusion of Western and Far Eastern elements as well as many cross genre excursions, from atmospheric ambient to high spirited Jazz-Rock Fusion. Two tracks from this album were later included as part of the soundtrack of the movie "The Man Who Fell to Earth", starring David Bowie, which made this album a sought after collector's item.

 

 

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Japanese percussionist / composer Stomu Yamash`ta settled in England in 1972, after studying music in his native country and later in the USA. He worked mainly as a composer for theatre music, but his signing as a recording artist for the Island label brought his work to the attention of a wider audience. This album was his 2^nd release for the label, recorded with a Jazz oriented ensemble called Red Buddha Theatre, featuring bassist Alyn Ross, saxophonist Robin Thompson, drummer Morris Pert, guitarist Gary Boyle and others. The music is a wonderful fusion of Western and Far Eastern elements as well as many cross genre excursions, from atmospheric ambient to high spirited Jazz-Rock Fusion. One track from this album were later included as part of the soundtrack of the movie "The Man Who Fell to Earth", starring David Bowie, which made this album a sought after collector's item.

 

 

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Japanese percussionist / composer Stomu Yamash`ta settled in England in 1972, after studying music in his native country and later in the USA. He worked mainly as a composer for theatre music, but his signing as a recording artist for the Island label brought his work to the attention of a wider audience. This album was his 4<sup>th</sup> release for the label, recorded with a Jazz oriented ensemble called East Wind, his wife Hisako Yamash`ta on violin, guitarist Gary Boyle (Isotope), keyboardist Brian Gascoigne, bassist Hugh Hopper (Soft Machine) and drummer Nigel Morris. The music is a wonderful fusion of Western and Far Eastern elements as well as many cross genre excursions, from atmospheric ambient to high spirited Jazz-Rock Fusion. The music was used as a soundtrack of the film of the same name.

 

 

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Japanese percussionist / composer Stomu Yamash`ta settled in England in 1972, after studying music in his native country and later in the USA. He worked mainly as a composer for theatre music, but his signing as a recording artist for the Island label brought his work to the attention of a wider audience. This album was his 5<sup>th</sup> release for the label, recorded with a Jazz oriented ensemble featuring his wife Hisako Yamash`ta on violin, guitarists Gary Boyle (Isotope) and Tsuneo Matsumoto, keyboardist Brian Gascoigne, bassist Daito Fujita and drummer Hozumi Tanaka. Also featured were two vocalists: Maxine Nightingale and Murray Head. The music is a wonderful fusion of Western and Far Eastern elements as well as many cross genre excursions, from atmospheric ambient to high spirited Jazz-Rock Fusion. One track from this album were later included as part of the soundtrack of the movie "The Man Who Fell to Earth", starring David Bowie, which made this album a sought after collector's item.

 

 

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3^rd album by the British (Northern Ireland) Prog group Fruupp founded by guitarist / songwriter / vocalist Vincent McCusker with Stephen Huston on keyboards, oboe and vocals, Peter Farrelly on bass and Martin Foye on drums. The band was a typical Prog outfit and often played alongside other Prog bands of the time, such as Genesis. Their music, mostly melodic and well structured, combined elements of Rock with Folk and Classical influences and was consistently excellent, as was their playing and singing. This release is a typical concept album of the era, based on a short story written by Paul Charles (included in this edition's booklet in its entirety), which gave the album its title. In retrospect they deserved more attention that they managed to achieve, as their recorded legacy – four great albums – ranks among the best of the genre. Definitely worth having and an integral part of any serious Prog collection.

 

 

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Only album by the short-lived British Prog band Fire, led by guitarist Dave Lambert, who also wrote all the music as well as played keyboards and sang, with bassist Dick Dufall and drummer Bob Voice. A typical concept album, based on a fairytale, this release is a wonderful example of early Prog, with elements of Psychedelia, Folk and Rock. For many years the album was a rare collectors' item and this new edition of this gem should delight many Prog fans, who waited to add it to their collection. Lambert would of course later join the legendary Strawbs, a band of which he is still a member today. Warmly recommended!

 

 

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8^th album by British Prog legends Camel, which marks a transition period in the band's history, which followed a five years of personnel stability and incredibly productive output, as documented by their albums released during that period. Prior to the recording of this album's predecessor – "Rain Dances" – founding member / bassist Doug Ferguson left the band, leaving the remaining three founding members: keyboardist Peter Bardens, guitarist Andy Latimer and drummer Andy Ward in need for replacement. They soon found the incredibly gifted bass player Richard Sinclair (Caravan, Hatfield And The North) and also added saxophonist / flautist Mel Collins (King Crimson) as a permanent member of the band, making it a quintet for the first time, and this lineup recorded "Rain Dances". However, during the recording of "Breathless", Peter Bardens announced, that he'll be leaving the group, which was a serious blow, considering his enormous input to the group's creative process. The quintet lineup managed to record the album, with Bardens leaving immediately after. As to the music included on the album; at the time of its release it was considered both by the band's fans and critics as disappointing and way too "commercial" in comparison to the band's earlier efforts. In retrospect, although different indeed, it still preserves an incredibly high musical standard and integrity, both on the compositional and performance level, and suggests that it was rather the fans, who disliked change, then the band, which propagated change, which caused the fracture. There is no doubt that this album belongs to the proud heritage of music left to us by one of the best British Prog bands in the genre's history. Recommended!

 

 

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9^th album by British Prog legends Camel, which marks a transition period in the band's history, which followed a five years of personnel stability and incredibly productive output, as documented by their albums released during that period. Following the departure of founding member / keyboardist Peter Bardens soon after recording this album's predecessor – "Breathless" – the remaining two founding members: guitarist Andy Latimer and drummer Andy Ward recruited three new members to complete the new lineup: bass player Colin Bass (Steve Hillage), keyboardist Jan Schelhaas (Caravan) and American keyboardist Kit Watkins (Happy The Man). The new quintet lineup recorded this album, with a guest appearance by Phil Collins (Genesis) on one track. As to the music included on the album; although more consistent and ambitious than it's predecessor, at the time of its release it was considered both by the band's fans and critics as disappointing and way too "commercial" in comparison to the band's earlier efforts. In retrospect, although different indeed, it still preserves an incredibly high musical standard and integrity, both on the compositional and performance level, and suggests that it was rather the fans, who disliked change, then the band, which propagated change, which caused the fracture. There is no doubt that this album belongs to the proud heritage of music left to us by one of the best British Prog bands in the genre's history. Recommended!

 

 

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3^rd album by the divine Annie Haslam, one of the most distinctive voices of British Prog, mostly known as the lead singer of the legendary band Renaissance. Haslam maintains a solo career since the original Renaissance disbanded. Based in the US, she often performs with the former band members and participated in several reunion projects. This album was her most ambitious effort to capture wider audiences, but unfortunately the initial impact it made was cut short by her illness, which kept her silent for a few years following the album's release. The album includes many guest artists of fame, such as Justin Hayward (Moody Blues), Mel Collins (King Crimson) and many others and presents her five-octave voice in the full splendor. Lavishly produced by Larry Fast, the orchestral instrumentation is however all synthesized, which is the only drawback. The material is all new and written especially for this album except for one classic Mike Oldfield song. Considering the fact that this album was unavailable for so long should make the numerous fans of Annie Haslam truly happy!

 

 

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This rare album by British maverick Arthur Brown with ex-Frank Zappa / Mothers Of Invention and Captain Beefheart / Magic Band drummer Jimmy Carl Black, documents the period when Brown spent a few years in the US (mostly Austin, Texas) in the early 1980s. After meeting Black in Austin the two decided to record an album with local Austin musicians, which was dedicated to early Rhythm And Blues material, re-vamped for the occasion. Superbly executed by all the musicians involved, with Brown's vocal abilities at their full glory, the album is a true lost and forgotten gem, which surely deserves to be re-discovered. It shows not only the deep roots of Rock but also the versatility and resourcefulness of Brown as a musician. Originally released on LP in 1988 (eight years after it was recorded) and out of circulation for many years, this is the album's first CD release, making it available (and affordable) to a much wider circle of Brown's fans.

 

 

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This criminally overlooked album by British maverick Arthur Brown marks his return to active musical life following the stroke he suffered, while on stage, in 1994. Older and more relaxed, Brown got together a superb acoustic band to accompany him on this album, which featured such distinguished players as drummer Malcolm Mortimore (Gentle Giant), guitarist Rik Patten, bassist / cellist Stan Adler and several others. The set of twelve new songs written by Brown are all brilliant both musically and lyrically and his vocal delivery, especially against the acoustic background, is breathtaking. Brown's voice seems to be completely untouched by time and his almost operatic range and intelligent dynamics is second to none. Since the original release of this album (on the Voiceprint label) is now out of print, this is a great opportunity to get to know this marvelous album – don't miss it as it is as good as his legendary debut recording, quite different of course, but equally brilliant. Wholeheartedly recommended!

 

 

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Captain Beefheart (born Don Vliet and later adopted the name Van Vliet) was one of America’s most enigmatic and groundbreaking Rock personalities. His ability to mix Jazz, Blues, contemporary Classical and Rock made him a unique figure and a true innovator. He met and befriended Frank Zappa and the two cooperated in many ways (making movies, music and business together). Vliet was active on and off the music scene for about 20 years (between the late 1960’s and late 1980’s), with long periods of inactivity in between. His back-up group, called The Magic Band, changed personnel frequently, but always included top-notch players based in different musical genres like Blues, Jazz or Rock. He left a sizable legacy of superb music, which can now be appreciated with a much better perspective than at the time of its release. This, his debut album, is a wonderful mixture of Blues, Psychedelia and Garage Rock, but Vliet’s unique voice and songwriting make them fascinating enough to last for posterity and become classics. Over time this album became an all-time relic of the era and whole volumes were written about it, so there's no need really to add much more here – simply grab it if you don't have it already, as your record collection will never be complete without it!

 

 

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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 second of these "twofold" releases and the band's 2^nd album released in UK. It is almost identical to the band's 3^rd album "L`Isola Di Niente", 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 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 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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3^rd and last album by the brilliant British Prog band Flash, formed by founding member of Yes, guitarist Peter Banks, after he left the band following the recording of their first two albums. The band also included lead singer Colin Carter, bassist Ray Bennett and drummer Mike Hough. In many respects Flash was what Yes should have become, at least in my opinion. Banks didn't like the change of direction Yes were following, which although brought them fame and fortune, was for many of the early fans of the band (myself included) a huge disappointment. The pomposity and pretentiousness that Yes displayed in the years to follow was often pretty sickening and Banks was able somehow to predict that. Therefore the forming of Flash was a great joy at the time, as it truly followed in the footsteps of the two first Yes albums ("Yes" and "Time And A Word"), which to this day are my favorite albums by the band. What makes Flash such a great band? Well, it certainly had all the right ingredients, both in its personnel, as far as musicianship is concerned and musical approach, following the development of the Prog movement in the right direction. Great melodies, brilliant performances, a balance of influences ranging from Jazz to Pop, all incorporated just at the perfect measure. This album has no weak moments, no unnecessary fillings, in short no bullshit whatsoever. Everything is just perfect as far as Prog is concerned. Over the years I enjoyed listening to this album countless times, never ever being disappointed and in time it actually grew stronger on me, surely in view of the realization, that they don't make them any more. Essential music for body and soul!

 

 

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1^st album by the excellent UK Prog group Morgan, founded and led by keyboardist Morgan Fisher, which also included guitarist Tim Staffell, bassist Bob Sapsed and drummer Morris Bacon. Fisher was influenced by many contemporary classical composers and not afraid to try the many electronic keyboards that just appeared on the scene, which of course is reflected on this album. Great compositions and beautiful performances dominate this sadly little known gem. By some strange coincidence the band recorded this album in Italy, where it was released by the local branch of RCA Records. Although a second album was recorded, it was shelved by the label and released only years later. The band disbanded shortly after the album was released. In retrospect the album is quite impressive and years ahead of its time, with brilliant keyboards work and complex compositions. The extended suite, which gave the album its title, is an expanded multi-part musical journey, which occupied the entire B-side of the original LP. Definitely worth investigating and hopefully will be re-discovered by the Prog fan of today.

 

 

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The fantastic US Jazz-Rock ensemble Dreams, which unfortunately recorded only two albums, both included here, was one of the best examples of the American branch of Brass-Rock, a relatively short-lived sub genre of Jazz-Rock, which also included such superb ensembles like Blood, Sweat & Tears, Chicago, Chase and a few others. Dreams originated in NY and had a somewhat flexible lineup of associated musicians, but the importance of these two albums is mainly due to the fact that they provided a debut recording opportunity to some of the genre's most iconic figures: brothers -Michael Brecker (saxophone) and Randy Brecker (trumpet) - and drummer Billy Cobham. Other Dreams members were already established figures on the scene, like bassist Doug Lubahn (Doors), guitarist John Abercrombie and keyboardist Don Grolnick. Other group members were keyboardist / guitarist Jeff Kent, trombonist Barry Rogers, vocalist Edward Vernon, bassist Will Lee and guitarist / trumpeter Bob Mann. Musically the group mixed genres freely, with Jazz, Funk, Rock and Soul adopted at will and beautifully arranged to create some of the most memorable sounds of the period. The music is just perfect; although spontaneous and improvised, every note is just exactly where it belongs, every drum beat precisely on time, every phrase brilliantly placed, every tempo change and every instrumental solo and above all the overall interplay are just what a music fun needs – pure genius. It is hard to believe that a bunch of young musician was capable of producing such magnificent music, but then on the other hand considering that Dreams seeded Mahavishnu Orchestra, Brecker Brothers and many other heroes of the Jazz and Fusion scene, perhaps one should not wonder. I own both these albums since the day they were released and have listened to them repeatedly over the years, always enjoying myself immensely and it was me who suggested to BGO to reissue them – I'm glad they did! Now many more potential listeners have the opportunity to hear them as well – enjoy as this is essential stuff!

 

 

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This is a debut recording by Israeli guitarist / composer Koby Hayon with his trio featuring veteran bassist Kermit Driscoll and drummer Jerome Morris. Hayon composed nine of the eleven tunes performed here and the two remaining compositions originate from such diverse sources as Israeli / Yemenite folk tune and the Beatles. Most Israeli Jazz players, many of which live in the US, as does Hayon, incorporate Middle Eastern influences in their music, and the same applies here. Although in most cases these influences are pretty subtle, hidden between the contemporary Jazz idioms, they can be discovered by an attentive listener with ease, and sometimes they become pretty obvious. Hayon's technique is excellent throughout, regardless if he plays a straight-forward Jazz or crosses over to Fusion pyrotechnics. Although the influence of his teachers and mentors, like John Abercrombie and Pat Metheny is also evident, Hayon contributes enough originality and personal input to make his statements sound unique and distinctive well beyond plagiarism. The most impressive aspect of this recording is the interplay between the musicians and the performance of these three musicians as team. Driscoll's bass is beautifully supportive and complementary and Morris' drumming delicately ornaments the music rather than trying to force the rhythmic patterns on top. Personally I enjoyed more the delicate, slow and contemplative compositions here, rather than the more expressive Fusion oriented pieces, but one has to admit that Hayon's performances are beautifully executed in all cases. The recording quality is also excellent, with every single note perfectly audible and the overall sound ambience just right for this kind of music. This is definitely a most impressive debut and I hope to hear more from Hayon in the not too distant future. Warmly recommended!

 

 

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