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I start the New Year with the addition of a classic Italian Prog album, something always welcome on my site:

Italian Prog band Le Orme were one of the most important representatives of the genre in the early 1970s and recorded several classic albums, which are considered some of the best to come out of this country. The band shared the fate of most of the other Prog bands slowly disappearing from the scene by the end of the 1970s, when the popularity of Prog genre suffered a serious decline. They recorded and performed sporadically over the years, and by the mid 1990s, when Prog was back on the scene, the band formally reformed and recorded their comeback album “Il Fume� in 1996. But it took them another five years to come up with an album, which was a true reflection of their abilities and a formidable companion of their 1970s achievements – “Elementi�. This beauty as a concept album, full of great melodies and excellent instrumental work, in the best tradition of the Italian Prog. With two keyboards players the band is able to create rich layers of sound and many dramatic moments, as appropriate for the genre. The sitar and violin parts are also excellent, adding a new dimension to the music. Lead vocals are excellent as well and the magic of the Italian language suits the music perfectly. It is truly uplifting to see a great band returning to its glory. Most warmly recommended!

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Today’s addition is another Italian Prog album, by another legendary band:

Italian Prog band Banco Del Mutuo Soccorso were one of the pillars of the genre in the early 1970s and recorded several classic albums, which are considered some of the best to come out of this country. In the 1980s, when the popularity of Prog genre suffered a serious decline, the band switched their direction and tried to blend into the Italian Pop scene, producing several Pop oriented albums, which were received very coldly by their devoted fan base, who accused the band of selling out. By mid-1990s the band was firmly back into Prog with new albums and extensive touring activity, to the delight of the fans. This album is probably the most “unusual� event of their entire output and includes two separate sections. The first section is a new suite (in 3 parts), which gives the album its title. Performed by the entire band it brings back the fond memories of the band’s glory days and includes all the elements of classic Italian Prog: great keyboards work and powerful vocals. The second section is a very ambitious attempt to revisit some of the band’s greatest moment in a completely acoustic “unplugged� version. Performed on piano, acoustic guitar and vocals only, this is a truly magical achievement. The virtuoso piano performances by pianist Vittorio Nocenzi (who also composed all the music) and the almost operatic vocals of Francesco Di Giacomo are heartbreaking and captivating from start to finish. This is definitely a triumphant return by one of the Prog’s giants.

Note: The album “Nudo� was originally released as a 2CD set and included the studio album on CD one and live recordings on CD two. This edition includes only the studio album and the live material is available separately as “Live In Tokyo 97�.

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Today’s addition is another album by the legendary Italian Prog band Banco Del Mutuo Soccorso:

By mid-1990s the Italian Prog giants Banco Del Mutuo Soccorso were firmly back into Prog with new albums and extensive touring activity, to the delight of the fans. This album documents some of the band’s live performances in that period. Although credited to being recorded in Japan in 1997, actually only the first 6 tracks were recorded there and the rest of the album comes from earlier performances (1989 & 1995) in Italy. Regardless of the source, the band sounds absolutely brilliant here as it did at its peak in the 1970s. Superb instrumental work on keyboards and lead vocals, which were always their forte, come up here in full glory as if time was completely frozen in the last 20+ years. This is definitely a triumphant return by one of the Prog’s giants.

Note: The album “Nudo� was originally released as a 2CD set and included a studio album on CD one and live recordings on CD two. This edition includes only the live album and the studio material is available separately as “Nudo (Acustico)�.

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Today’s addition is one more album by the legendary Italian Prog band Banco Del Mutuo Soccorso:

By the end of 1990s the Italian Prog giants Banco Del Mutuo Soccorso were back into Prog with full swing. This live album demonstrates just how great the band still is after all these years. The material includes their entire career, going back as far as their debut album and up to their latest (at that time) releases. The 1980s material gets here an up-to-date Prog treatment, so basically this is a win / win situation any way one looks at this. The instrumental work is as brilliant as always, with the keyboards setting the tone and the dramatic vocals sending a chill down your spine. For the many fans of the band this is a must and for people who are not familiar with the band (not that this is possible?) this is a great introduction. The sound quality is also superb. Grab it!

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Today’s addition is a live recording by the legendary Dutch Prog band Focus:

Composer, flutists, keyboards player and bandleader Thijs van Leer revived the legendary Dutch band Focus in 2002 with three younger musicians: Jan Dumée – guitar, Bobby Jacobs – bass and Bert Smaak – drums. The quartet recorded a new studio album (“Focus 8”) and later embarked on an extensive American tour, which covered both the North and South continent. This album is a selection of live recording captured at various locations of the South American leg of the tour. The material includes all the fabulous classic material originating from the 1970s albums and can be viewed as a “best of” review of what the original group had to offer. After all Focus managed to create some of the most memorable Prog melodies, and they are all included here (“Syliva”, “Eruption”, “Hocus Pocus”, etc.), performed with freshness and vigor. The sound quality is also surprisingly good and all together this is an excellent tribute to the glory days of this great Prog group. This is a must to all the fans of the group and an excellent introduction to the group illustrious output for those who were too young to enjoy it at the time.

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Today’s addition is an album by the excellent Mexican Prog band Iconoclasta:

3^rd album by Mexican Prog band Iconoclasta led by composer, guitarist and keyboards player Ricardo Moreno. In addition to the leader the band also includes a second guitar player and a second keyboards player, which enables them to produce a dense and rich sound. Thy also use several guest musicians to further expand the instrumental and vocal possibilities. The music is mostly complex Symphonic Prog, sometimes crossing over to Fusion in the instrumental improvised passages. Compositions are long and complex, well developed and based on classic musical forms. The vocal parts are dramatic and often close to operatic. All together this is fascinating and rewarding music, well worth investigating. This edition includes, in addition to the original LP, the EP recorded shortly before the album entitled “Suite Mexicana”, as well as additional bonus tracks. Recommended!

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Today’s addition is another album by the excellent Mexican Prog band Iconoclasta:

6^th album by Mexican Prog band Iconoclasta and their first release recorded live. Led by composer and keyboards player Ricardo Moreno the group went through some personnel changes in the late 1980s, as well as moving away from the Symphonic Prog, that dominated their early output, towards instrumental Prog / Fusion. The double lead guitar front and powerful keyboards by the leader, supported by an excellent rhythm section, create some really hot Fusion moments, which would delight any fan of the genre. The instrumental skills of all the players are quite amazing and the power, energy and interplay on this live recording are truly inspired. Most warmly recommended to Prog / Fusion fans.

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Today’s addition is another Prog album from Mexico:

Mexican composer / multi-instrumentalist José Luis Fernández Ledesma was a founding member of the legendary Prog group Nirgal Vallis, which was active in the late 1980s. Since that group disbanded in 1990, he was most prolific as a composer and recorded many of his works, this one being his 14^th solo project. Although the music includes mostly new compositions, two of the Nirgal Vallis compositions are re-visited and expanded, revealing their full glory. The music is a dense and complex Symphonic Prog, based on Classical forms and incorporating traditional Mexican folklore. Ledesma plays a plethora of instruments, including various guitars and keyboards, as well as many exotic instruments from all over the world. The vocal parts, which are almost operatic in scope, are performed beautifully by Margarita Botello. Many guest musicians participate, providing the composer with an orchestral cast and creating impressive sound vistas. This is majestic music, which requires repetitive listening to be fully appreciated. There is so much going on at each given moment that it takes time to digest all of it, but the overall effect is truly impressive. Most warmly recommended to serious listeners who are ready to make an effort in order to enjoy their music.

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Today’s addition is yet another Prog album from Mexico:

1^st album by a new Mexican Prog band Cronico, which consists of four male instrumentalists and a female vocalist, something that is always welcome in Prog. The album includes four instrumental and six vocal tracks, which present two quite distinctive sides of the band. Emerson, Lake & Palmer pyrotechnics mostly influence the instrumental stuff, whereas the vocal tracks are closer to contemporary Prog efforts. Four of the vocal tracks have English lyrics, which is a mistake in my opinion, as the singer sounds much better in her native tongue, but obviously the group is looking for fans beyond the borders of their country. All together a most impressive debut, with plenty of splendid moments, great solos and some really excellent music. The sound quality and production are both excellent. I look forward to hear their next album.

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Today’s addition is a great album from Cuba, a country with such a wonderful music tradition:

1^st album by the Cuban group Sintesis. Although the country is well known for its wonderful contributions in music (Jazz, Jazz-Rock, Afro-Cuban Music), there is little evidence about Prog activity in Cuba, hence this is a most welcome opportunity to get to know the scene. The album is an absolutely delightful mixture of Folk, Prog and Fusion, completely unique and fascinating. Both the vocal and instrumental performances are great, with delicate vocal harmonies and beautifully melodic instrumental parts. I had a hard time classifying this album and finally decided on Jazz-World Fusion, but fans of Folk-Prog will find this right up their allay as well. The group will change their musical direction several times on their next releases. This CD reissue of the LP includes as bonus tracks two pieces from the band’s second album “Aqui Estamos”. Great stuff!

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Today’s addition is another very interesting album from Mexico:

Only album by Mexican band 0.720 Aleacion, an acoustic quintet playing a very unique Fusion of Mexican folklore and Jazz. Using violin, flute, guitar, bass and drums, as well as a plethora of ethnic instruments, they create a magic amalgam, which works wonderfully. The album includes 17 short tracks, all quite different from one another, with quirky rhythms and strange melodies, intertwined with jazzy improvisations. The overall effect is strange and surprising, often sounding avant-gardish one moment and folksy the next. Definitely worth investigating for fans of unusual music. This CD reissue of the original album includes music recorded as soundtrack to a video production.

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Today’s addition is a great Fusion album from Mexico:

1^st album by Mexican power Fusion trio El Templo Del Dinero, which is definitely one of the most original and striking Fusion albums recorded in this country. Using the usual guitar-bass-drums instrumentation the group manages to create some intense and very imaginative music here. The guitarist (Victor Mendez R.) is a true virtuoso on his instrument and the rhythm section provides him with a superbly crafted support with pulsating and powerful bass and intelligent drums pyrotechnics. The music is absolutely great, with no dull moments whatsoever. Fusion fans will drool over this beauty!

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Today’s addition is a great album by a new Mexican Prog band:

1^st album by Mexican Prog band El Retorno De Los Brujos, which is a superb concept album, based on the turbulent Mexican history and the establishment of the modern Mexican State. The band is an instrumental trio with Jaime Garcia Mares – guitars and keyboards, José Alejandro Ortiz Galarza – bass and José Gabriel Martinez Guzmán – drums and percussion. They play a hard-edged modern Prog, with great skill and imagination, full of exceptional melodies and complex musical structures. Stylistically the are close to the Prog being created by contemporary Chilean bands like Tryo or Scandinavian bands like Anekdoten and even like some modern RIO bands. Considering this is their debut, I have really high hopes for this band. A must for all adventurous Prog fans!

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Today’s addition is a fantastic album by a new Mexican band, which is completely beyond any genre definition:

1^st album by Mexican band Muros De Agua, which is one of the most wonderfully bizarre and stunning bands, I’ve come across in a long time. They are an instrumental trio with Raúl César Romero – keyboards, Alfredo Landa – bass and Victor Baldovinos Moreno – drums and on this album they are joined by two guest musicians: Ricardo Ramos – vibraphone and Jorge Cristians – saxophones. The music they perform is one of the hardest to describe I’ve ever come across – an absolutely weird mixture of avant-garde Jazz, Rock and electronics. As insane as it all might sound, the music makes perfect sense (to me) and is surely some of the most interesting, intriguing and exhilarating stuff I’ve come across in a long time. The music certainly can be considered as continuing the legacy of the legendary Mexican experimental band Decibel, but they have updated the approach and added many new aspects. Every listener of adventurous contemporary music should be able to find here something to his liking, as there is RIO, Free Jazz, Avant Rock and even electronic music in abundance here. This is a masterpiece, but not for everybody of course. Let the weak-hearted beware!

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Today’s addition is another Mexican Prog album, which shows how diversified the scene over there really is:

1st album by Mexican Prog band Torca, an instrumental trio led by Rodrigo Cantu G. – keyboards, Alan Guerra – bass and Aldo Guerra – drums. The group presents a modern version of Prog keyboards trio based on the Emerson, Lake & Palmer tradition, using a wide array of synthesizers and solid rhythm section. The performances are excellent, as is the music, all written by the leader. There is not much need to add more to this – keyboards fans will drool over this one for sure. The only drawback is that the album is quite short (just over half an hour long) and could be considered an EP rather than a full album. On the other hand this is an individually numbered limited edition, so it’s definitely worth the price of a full album. Definitely worth checking out.

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Today’s addition is the last in the long series of the wonderful Mexican albums added lately:

Mexican keyboards player / composer Alejandro Lomelin was a member of the legendary Mexican Prog band Caja De Pandora. This solo keyboards project shows his abilities as a player and composer, and although only partly Prog (could be also categorized as ambient electronic music) is still quite interesting. Obviously these home recordings are very personal and introspective, much more relaxed and even meditative at times. If you’re looking for some keyboards pyrotechnics, this is not for you, but people who enjoy ambient stuff should love this.

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Today’s addition is a new edition of a classic Prog album:

2^nd album by King Crimson and one of the most eagerly awaited follow ups in the history of Prog. Honestly how does one follow up a masterpiece such as the debut “In The Court Of The Crimson King”, which was almost instantly elevated to the status of a genre-defining masterpiece. Adding to the challenge ahead the band at the time of the recording seemed to be in a shaky state, following the exhausting touring schedule and dramatic personnel changes: Ian McDonald, who’s mellotron and flute parts were one of the most prominent features of the debut album, left the band in the midst of their US tour. Michael Giles and Greg Lake announced their departure soon after, and although they took part in the recording sessions for this album they were practically out. All this turmoil seemed to have little influence on Robert Fripp, who used his resilience and what was to become his legendary survival instinct, to reorganize the band and move on. Mel Collins joined the band to take over the flute and saxophones department. Michael’s brother bassist Peter Giles joined to provide the full force of the Giles & Giles rhythm section, which was second to none on the scene. Fripp also turned to his friends from the burgeoning (at the time) London avant-garde Rock and Jazz scene and enlisted the wonderful pianist Keith Tippet, who adds many brilliant piano trinkets on the album. Singer Gordon Haskell joined in on one song to provide his contribution. Fripp, in addition to composing all of the music (to the lyrics penned by Peter Sinfield) and playing the guitar parts, also took over the mellotron chair, maintaining the instrument’s supremacy in the overall band’s sound. Against all odds, this album is as strong, if not stronger then its predecessor. The compositions are better developed and the playing, enforced by the presence of the new members, is richer and better organized. Amazing stuff and absolutely essential. This new edition expands the original 30^th Anniversary Edition from 1999 by adding two bonus tracks – the two sides of the King Crimson single released to promote the album. This is the first time any additional material is added to the original studio albums by the band.

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Today’s addition is another archival release from the King Crimson vaults:

A natural companion to the previously released King Crimson archival release “Epitaph (Volumes One & Two)”, this beauty includes further documentation of the recorded legacy of the original lineup of the band (Robert Fripp, Ian McDonald, Greg Lake and Michael Giles), recorded in 1969 before and after the debut album was released. Although the source of the music comes from various bootleg recordings and Fripp’s cassettes, rendering somewhat inferior sound quality, the importance and the power of this music overshadows all sonic obstacles. As with Jazz, this highly improvised music provides new aspects with every performance, making it absolutely unique and unrepeatable. This is a good enough reason to own this album, even if one already owns other live versions of these tunes (I don’t even dare to think of someone not owing the studio album). Over two hours of original King Crimson on stage is a dream come true to every fan of the band and something that reveals new insights about the band, the scene, the formative years of Prog and the inception of modern music in general. Do yourself a favor a go for it!

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I managed to find some more of the now deleted Sanctuary / Castle / Essential items – just by pure luck I found a box of these beauties at one of my suppliers. This is not to be missed!

Massive re-stocking from Universal (Virgin, etc.), EMI and Cuneiform. Please check your waiting lists!

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I’m really happy to be able to add three new Israeli Jazz albums this month, a clear proof that the local scene is alive and kicking. Today’s addition is a beautiful new piano trio album:

1^st album by Israeli Jazz pianist / composer Ari Erev. The title is most appropriate, as Ari has been playing and composing for quite a while and it’s about time for us to enjoy the fruits of his labor. The album presents him in a piano trio setting (my favorite Jazz format) with Israeli veterans Yorai Oron on bass and Gideon Pasahov on drums. Of the thirteen tunes played six are original compositions, five are standards (two of them not surprisingly by Bill Evans) and the remaining two are his interpretations of Israeli evergreens by Shalom Hanoch and Nurit Hirsh. It’s pretty obvious, from the very first few chords on this album, that Ari is deeply inspired by the piano work of Bill Evans, with Evans’ spirit hovering over his shoulder at all times. The choice of material, the delicate touch, the intrinsic melancholy are all signatures of the great Master. Of course Ari manages carefully to avoid the trap of becoming an Evans impersonator, and his own personal approach is strong enough to indicate his own input. Overall this is a splendid album, quiet and introversive, full of beauty and romance. Considering the fact that this is a first of its kind recording in Israeli Jazz, I can only congratulate him for this wonderful gift to our country’s cultural legacy and Jazz achievements. Most warmly recommended!

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I managed to find some more of the now deleted Sanctuary / Castle / Essential items – just by pure luck I found a box of these beauties at one of my suppliers. This is not to be missed!

Massive re-stocking from Universal (Virgin, etc.), EMI and Cuneiform. Please check your waiting lists!

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Today’s addition is another new Israeli Jazz album:

1^st album by Israeli saxophonist / composer Yuval Cohen, who with his two siblings Avishai Cohen (trumpet) and Anat Cohen (clarinet and saxophone) co-leads the Jazz group 3Cohens (The “other” Avishai Cohen, who is a famous bass player, is their cousin BTW). Yuval is a very gifted and accomplished musician, with an impressive musical education and experience, but the “real” story behind this album is the tragedy he experienced, when he became paralyzed as a result of an illness. After years of surgery, excruciating pain and suffering, he finally recovered, after having to re-learn how use his body and how to make music – an incredible triumph of mind and willpower over the human body. Yuval writes in the liner notes: “I would like to dedicate this album to the heroes of life, those people with disabilities who wake up each morning to discover afresh the powers hidden in their bodies and spirits which enable them to get through the day”. Now to the music – Yuval composed nine of the ten tracks on this album and performs them with his quartet, where he plays the soprano saxophone and which includes Gilad Hexelman on guitar, Omer Avital on bass and Daniel Friedman on drums. Avishai on trumpet and Anat on clarinet guest on a few tracks. The music flows beautifully and is high spirited and very well performed. Yuval’s compositions are consistently excellent and the overall result should satisfy every lover of contemporary mainstream Jazz. Another proud addition to the growing Israeli Jazz legacy.

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Today’s addition is a third new Israeli Jazz album this month:

3^rd album by Israeli vocalist / pianist / composer Vered Dekel, who returned to Israel after spending many years in New York, where she studied, performed and recorded her first two albums. Vered is surely one of Israel’s most gifted female Jazz vocalists, with an unorthodox approach to music and a very unique singing technique. Although deeply rooted in the Jazz tradition, she incorporates twists and turns typical of other genres, especially Rhythm and Blues and even some World Music influences. A great sense of humor (and some cynicism) is evident in her lyrics (in English), but that does not affect the generally happy and spirited atmosphere of this live recording, which was captured at the Tel-Aviv Jazz Club “Shablul”. Guitarist Yair Laron, bassist Gil Zohar and drummer Nir Brener accompany her here and a couple of young singers supply backing vocals and harmonies to make things even livelier. Vered composed all but one of the tunes, one of which was co-composed by her NY singing partner Miles Griffith (with whom she recorded her wonderful first album “Expanded Interpretations”). This is great stuff for people who like vocal Jazz and another great document of the Israeli Jazz scene.

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Today’s addition is a new album by Jazz legend Herbie Hancock, who pays tribute to Rock legend Joni Mitchell:

Jazz legend Herbie Hancock finally repays the debt the Jazz world owes to Rock legend Joni Mitchell. Joni’s 1979 album “Mingus” stands out to this very day as one of the greatest tributes ever made to Jazz by a non-Jazz musician and I always wondered when is someone going to settle the score. Well better late than never and better still if the musician to do so is someone of Hancock’s statue and sensibility. For me Joni’s music always had subtle jazzy undertones, even if she didn’t use Jazz musicians as her backing band (like on “Mingus” and a few other albums), and therefore this project sounds completely natural and perfectly matched. Hancock assembled a superb quintet for the job, with Wayne Shorter (soprano and tenor saxophone), Dave Holland (bass), Vinnie Colaiuta (drums) and Lionel Loueke (guitar). The ten tracks, combined and arranged to constitute a continuos suite-like experience, include eight Joni’s songs and two Jazz standards. Several vocalists were invited to interpret the vocal parts on six of the tracks and these include Norah Jones, Tina Turner, Corinne Bailey Rae, Luciana Souza, Joni Mitchell herself and Leonard Cohen, who recites rather than sings. The overall effect is absolutely beautiful and deeply moving. The musicians are all Masters of their trade and they are amongst the most sensitive accompanist, as well as first rate soloists. Hats off Mr. Hancock and thanks for this wonderful gift of music and thank you Joni for bestowing your great talent on all of us – you truly deserve this tribute. Essential!

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Today’s addition is a new album by a re-united Prog band of three decades ago – Cathedral:

Almost three decades ago the US Prog band Cathedral disappeared from the scene after releasing just one seminal album of classic Symphonic Prog and now they are back together and here is their new album. Prog fans were expecting this to be similar to their previous effort, but surprisingly this is quite different - after all it’s been a while and so many things changed in the meantime. Although still very much Prog, this one is not a typical Symphonic Prog, but rather a dark, hazy and heavy at times suite-like piece of music, somehow resembling the Scandinavian vein of Prog. The instrumentation moves between quiet acoustic pieces and overwhelming multi-instrumental ones, drenched with mellotron and even using saxophone overdubs. This album will suffer seriously from comparisons to its predecessor (which is understandable, but unfair) but when judged by its own merits is quite an ambitious piece of work – not for everyone of course. Good to have them back.

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It’s time to add a few new DVD items. Today’s addition is a great documentary about the legendary UK Blues musician John Mayall:

This wonderful DVD includes two documentaries of the legendary UK musician, bandleader and champion of the Blues – John Mayall. The first is a BBC production, which spans the 40 years of Mayall’s career, examining his role as the pivotal figure, which shaped the British musical scene since the mid-1960s and was crucial as a precursor of Blues, Blues-Rock, Rock and even Jazz-Rock. Over the years Mayall’s band included the creme de la creme of British players, who later became the heroes and spawned countless famous bands. The list is just too long to be included here, but every music lover surely knows them all. The documentary includes tons of rare historic footage and interviews with ex-Bluesbreakers, including Eric Clapton and many others, and was filmed to celebrate Mayall’s 70^th Birthday concert. This is an illuminating experience and a must for all serious music fans, which are interested in the history of the UK scene and the roots of the music we all listen to now. The second documentary is a black & white film shot in 1969 around the time Mayall recorded his revolutionary “The Turning Point” album. This rare and authentic document sheds light on the new drum-less Jazz oriented quartet Mayall formed to record that album, which was diametrically different from his previous, electric guitar oriented bands. It is a fascinating piece of musical history and a must for Mayall’s fans. 84 minutes.

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Today’s addition is a another DVD by the legendary UK musician John Mayall, which brigs us his 70^th Birthday Concert:

This superb DVD documents the special 70^th Birthday concert organized as a tribute to one of UK greatest and most important musicians - bandleader and champion of the Blues – John Mayall. Mayall was a pivotal figure, which shaped the British musical scene since the mid-1960s and was crucial as a precursor of Blues, Blues-Rock, Rock and even Jazz-Rock. Over the years Mayall’s band included the creme de la creme of British players, who later became the heroes and spawned countless famous bands. The list is just too long to be included here, but every music lover surely knows them all. The most sensational event of the concert was the one-time reunion of the Bluesbreakers lineup, which included Eric Clapton and recorded one of the most influential Blues albums of all times. Another guitar hero – Mick Taylor – also joins Mayall on the stage, and the list of legends goes on and on. These are well over two hours of some of the best Blues music one can imagine and I can’t even think of a Blues fan anywhere in the world not having this in their collection. Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound and DTS, 137 minutes.

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DVD

Today’s addition is a monster DVD by the legendary Fusion band Weather Report:

Every piece of music by the legendary Fusion pioneers Weather Report is worth it’s weight in gold, and considering this one is a well filmed and well recorded brilliant performance at the Swiss Montreux Jazz Festival, this is truly a priceless addition to the band’s legacy. WR appeared twice at Montreux, this being the first of the two. The lineup is probably the strongest one of the band’s mid-life period, and includes Joe Zawinul, Wayne Shorter, Jaco Pastorius, Alex Acuña and Manolo Badrena – the same band that was to record “Heavy Weather” a few months later. Everything that made WR great is evident here – the individual soloing, the incredible interplay and telepathic connection between the players, the great tunes and the total devotion to their music. It must have been pretty hot on the July night, as everybody sweats intensely, and the music is nothing but brilliant. I was lucky to see WR quite a few times, and this DVD is a great evidence of how incredible this band was live, even at times when their studio efforts suffered. This is an absolute must to all WR fans and all Fusion-heads out there. Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound and DTS, 84 minutes.

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Today’s addition is a new edition of the classic Led Zeppelin film:

There would have be nothing easier for Led Zeppelin than to release the film that documents their 1973 Madison Square Garden performance as a straight-forward documentary, the same way as other concert / festival footage was released. The band decided to take this a step further and augmented the concert footage with fantasy sequences, behind-the-stage scenes and at-home glimpses of all four heroes, creating what might be considered as one of the first major scale video-clips. Regardless of the fact if this additional material is great cinematography (a debate that belongs elsewhere), the overall effect works very well and most importantly depicts the era where Rock musicians were almighty Superheroes. But of course the film also includes a brilliant performance and some of the best Rock music ever recorded. Jimmy Page, Robert Plant, John Paul Jones and John Bonham playing together were a Force of Nature, way beyond any other Rock band that walked the earth at the time. Phenomenal instrumental skills, telepathic interplay, dramatic vocals and a wall of sound effect of immense intensity were but a few of their virtues. The film captures all of that and more in superb visual and audio quality and the miracle is preserved for eternity. The new (2007) edition adds a whole extra DVD, which includes lots of never previously seen material, but most importantly some of the original concert footage that was edited out from the film edition. Absolutely Essential! Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound and DTS, 137 minutes.

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BOX SET

Today’s addition is a wonderful new box set that collectors will kill for:

This lavishly and lovingly produced box set collects all existing (audio & video) BBC recordings by Folk-Rock heroin Sandy Denny, who was not only one of the most distinctive voices of the Golden Age but also a superb songwriter. This collection spans from 1966 to 1973 and covers her solo career, which was before and after her being a member of Strawbs, Fairport Convention and Fotheringay. Most of the material included here presents Sandy as “naked” as a singer can appear – just her hair-raising vocals and acoustic guitar or piano (only a few tracks include other backing musicians), which of course is for the best as she never really needed anything more. Her angelic and deeply penetrating voice and her theatrical ability to express the lyrics are so powerful that the experience is almost unparalleled. Most of the songs are her own (music & lyrics) and just a few are her arrangements of traditional folk material. The DVD includes the only footage in existence of Sandy performing. The set also includes beautiful photographs and excerpts of Sandy’s diaries. Sandy’s tragically premature death in 1978 put an end to her exquisite input to the world of music and she is sadly missed. I don’t think anything more needs to be said here – this is absolutely brilliant stuff, beyond essential for anybody who truly loves music and a must in any decent music collection.

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BOX SET

Today’s addition is another wonderful new box set that collectors will kill for:

British Folk-Rock band Pentangle was the finest representative of the Folk-Rock genre and their unique blend of Folk, Rock and Jazz enriched the music world immensely. With the combined talents of singer Jacqui McShee, guitarists John Renbourn and Bert Jansch, bassist Danny Thompson and drummer Terry Cox they were unbeatable and reached beyond anything the audiences were familiar with. The amazing vocal harmonies and the dazzling guitar duos, backed by the best rhythm section on the British Isles were a blast. The band went through two distinct “life cycles”, the first of which is documented on this lavish and beautiful box set. The music includes some studio tracks released on the band’s albums, but over 70 % of the tracks are previously unreleased and include singles, outtakes, soundtracks and a plethora of live recordings. The first 2 CDs cover studio material and the other two include live material (concert, radio and TV) and soundtracks. I can’t even imagine any Folk-Rock / Pentangle fan not having this beauty in their collection.

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ALBUM

It’s time to start adding those wonderful British reissues on the splendid Vocalion label. Today’s addition is one of my all time favorite albums, which I’ve cherished for almost 40 years now:

British composer / arranger / pianist John Cameron is mostly known to the world for his pioneering work as a composer of film scores and arranger of countless albums, but in the late 1960s he was also an active Jazz player and his quartet played many gigs at the time and also managed to record this album, which remains to this very day as one of my all time favorites. Unfortunately this is almost the solitary session, which allows us to hear John’s exquisite piano work, and therefore it has also an immense historic importance. The quartet also included three absolutely marvelous players: saxophonists and flautist Harold McNair (one of the greatest talents of the British Jazz scene who passed away at a tragically young age), extraordinary bassist Danny Thompson and drummer Tony Carr, who was a central figure on the British scene for many years. This album is special for many reasons, but I’ll mention just a few: first the absolutely brilliant compositions by John, with ingenious melodic lines and unusual time signatures – so typical of the British Jazz around that period; second the divine playing by Harold, whose flute work was second to none; third the level of musicianship displayed by all the players, which is absolutely stunning. Combined, all these factors contribute to making this album so special. Hearing it on CD for the first time, with the magnificent remastering by Michael Dutton, was a great experience and I’m delighted that this gem is available again to be enjoyed by the new generation of music lovers. Beyond essential!

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ALBUM

Today’s addition is another release on the Vocalion label, which revives the British Jazz and Jazz-Rock scene of the late 1960s / early 1970s – the most glorious and creative period in the country’s cultural development.

Guitarist / composer Amancio D`Silva was born in Goa, India and arrived in London in 1967, where he was immediately absorbed by the burgeoning local Jazz scene. Similarly to many other musicians, who arrived in the ex-Empire’s Capital from the colonial countries (but mostly from India), D`Silva was already “armed” with a vast musical tradition of his native county. The liberal cultural atmosphere of the London scene and the openness to other cultural influences where a major factor in creating a cultural amalgam between the Western Jazz tradition and the Eastern musical treasures. Several players practiced the new Jazz-World Fusion direction, like the John Mayer / Joe Harriott ensemble with the revolutionary “Indo-Jazz Fusions“ recordings. Although D`Silva participated in a wide variety of sessions, his unique guitar voice always included a subtle Eastern undertone. However, on his solo recording projects, where his own compositions were mainly featured, this influence was much more apparent. He recorded five brilliant solo albums, of which this was the last. For some strange reason the last album was never released at the time and this is the first time this great music can be heard, which of course is a reason to celebrate, as anything recorded by this brilliant musician is an important heritage and a document of the era. The musicians participating in this recording come from the ranks of legendary British Jazz scene: Don Rendell – saxophone, Stan Tracey – piano and Alan Branscombe – flute, vibes and electric piano. A sitar and two tabla players add the Indian flavor to the music, which flows beautifully like a river of sound in an enchanted garden. Absolute must!

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