domingo, 30 de novembro de 2008

TOTAL ECLIPSE (1974)

This is Billy Cobham's third solo recording under his own name and is a fine follow-up to Crosswinds. The mini-suite "Solarization" not only showcases the band's technical abilities, but also Cobham's strong compositional skills. It also features a schizophrenic piano solo ("Second Phase") from the underrated pianist Milcho Leviev, who sounds like a mutation of Cecil Taylor and Bill Evans. The funky "Moon Germs," on which John Abercrombie is pushed to inspiring new heights, became a Cobham classic. "The Moon Ain't Made of Green Cheese" is a beautiful flugelhorn solo by Randy Brecker backed by Cobham's debut on piano. The band stretches out on the lengthy "Sea of Tranquility," while "Last Frontier" is a gratuitous drum solo. This recording is highly recommended as Cobham still sounds inspired. - Allmusic

GET IT HERE AND KICK SOME DRUMS.

Peace. Out.

quinta-feira, 27 de novembro de 2008

WOLFMAN SANCHEZ'S SAIGON '72 MIXTAPE



You ain't got the nerves to handle this mixtape: mixing the best since james brown, herbie hancock, billy cobham, edwin starr, funkadelic and much more.

IF YOU FEEL LIKE DANCING: DO IT.

GET IT HERE.

Peace. Out.

segunda-feira, 24 de novembro de 2008

STANDARDS (2001)


Revered for their ineffably clean, precise playing, Tortoise couldn't help but mess with the formula slightly on their fourth album, Standards. And from the beginning of the first track it sounds like a major overhaul, with heavily over-miced drums and distorted guitars framing a pummeling groove from bassist Doug McCombs. On the second track "Eros," the phlegmatic synthesizer lines and clipped drums are more reminiscent of experimental electronica outfit Mouse on Mars than any fellow post-rock luminaries. When the band finally hits its stride, though, midway through the third track, "Benway," it's with a quintessential Tortoise groove, driven by repetitive bass figures and a vibraphone melody (plus a hilarious nod to prog-rock at the end, with several seconds of stop-start playing). Standards does return the group to the green fields of their last record, but only occasionally; John McEntire and company appear too restless to consider making the same album twice. Ironically, despite the range of sounds, Tortoise is still doing what they've been doing for nearly a decade: playing some of the most empathic, group-minded rock of their era, then indulging in much recomposition courtesy of the mixing desk and various effects. "Monica" is one of the least Tortoise-sounding tracks the group has ever recorded; it sounds like an early-'80s pop/R&B track (complete with talkbox guitar) filtered through the lens of British IDM, but then mutates into an intriguing stereo-separation drum workout. Overall, Standards has a few detours for fans conscious of any band's "progression," but plenty of interesting songs and great musicianship for less vested listeners. Though it doesn't develop the evocative or impressionistic side of Tortoise (as heard on TNT), the band is certainly as inventive as ever. - Allmusic

GET IT HERE!

Peace. Out.

domingo, 23 de novembro de 2008

Azymuth - The Best of Azymuth


One of the greatest bossanova funk jazz trio ever made. Azymuth is an electrified trio from Brazil that calls its music samba doido, which means "crazy samba." The actual sounds, though, are not so crazy: an intelligent, high-voltage blend of Brazilian rhythms, jazz, and funk with occasional acoustic episodes that gained a sizable following in the 1980s. This guys really blow my mind, it was very hard to pick one his records, so i decided to make a selection of their stuff. Enjoy !

get it here

))<>(( .

quarta-feira, 12 de novembro de 2008

Four Tet - Rounds (2003)


For his solo projects, Fridge's Kieran Hebden is a lo-fi experimentalist who, had he been recording 15 years ago, would've been cranking out songs on a four-track recorder instead of a laptop. As demonstrated on his third record, Rounds, he's one of the few musicians capturing all the promise inherent in computer science -- being able to summon, manipulate, and mix any sound imaginable. The record offers something to nearly every audience that could approach it, with a bit of a groove for electronic fans, an obtuse sense of music-making for experimentalists, and a dreamy melodicism sure to endear it to indie-pop fans. The opener, "Hands," is especially breathtaking; it begins with a few seconds of drum samples, surgically inserted and ill-timed, but opens into a warm, melodic production with a simple frame-kit beat outlining Hebden's guitar-and-keyboard atmospherics. "My Angel Rocks Back and Forth" features a music-box melody playing against softly shaded backmasked guitar and a subdued, grating percussion line reminiscent of an iron lung. The nine-minute "Unspoken" alternates guitar and piano playing the same beatific melody, over another simple beat and tambourine claps. Though Rounds is experimental by nature, Kieran Hebden's gift for melody and emotional shading allows his records to be enjoyed by an audience wider than merely experimental listeners. one of my favorites.

get it here.

))<>((

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Ben Allison



A special 3 in 1 post!

Ben Allison´s combo features: Cowboy Justice (2006); Riding The Nuclear Tiger (2001) and Third Eye (1999)
An adventurous yet accessible sound with a flair for the unexpected.
Enjoy!

sexta-feira, 7 de novembro de 2008

A LIVINGROOM HUSH (2002)


A Livingroom Hush is the debut by Norwegian jazz/electronics outfit Jaga Jazzist, released in the United Sates on Ninjatune a year later. A Livingroom Hush is simply one of the most enigmatic outings to ever come out of either genre (and how many times can you say that?). Realized after the group had been together for nine years and led by the stunningly original compositions of Lars Horntveth (who began composing for the group when he was 14 in 1994), A Livingroom Hush is so deeply ingrained in its ensemble textures and striated harmonics that Jaga Jazzist almost never sounds like a big band. - Allmusic

KICK ASS HERE.

Peace. Out.

quarta-feira, 5 de novembro de 2008

terça-feira, 4 de novembro de 2008

Nina Simone - Little Girl Blue (1957)


Of all the major singers of the late 20th century, Nina Simone was one of the hardest to classify. She recorded extensively in the soul, jazz, and pop idioms, often over the course of the same album; she was also comfortable with blues, gospel, and Broadway. It's perhaps most accurate to label her as a "soul" singer in terms of emotion, rather than form. Like, say, Aretha Franklin, or Dusty Springfield, Simone was an eclectic who brought soulful qualities to whatever material she interpreted.

get it here.

))<>((

segunda-feira, 3 de novembro de 2008

LEFT OF COOL (1998)

Good luck understanding Fleck´s ethnic caldron. Featuring Béla Fleck ( banjo ), Victor Wooten ( bass ), Roy "Future Man" Wooten ( synthaxe drumitar ) and Jeff Coffin ( saxophone ), Left of Cool draws equally on bluegrass, fusion jazz and world music.

part 1
part 2

Enjoy!

domingo, 2 de novembro de 2008

TOURIST (2000)




Classic nü-jazz album, probably a landmark on the house and jazz combination, Ludovic Navarre's "Tourist" combines the best from both areas with some great grooves. Expect some great beats and you might even feel like dancing at some point. DO IT.

Get it here!

Peace. Out.