Πέμπτη 28 Ιουνίου 2012

Steve Cropper - With a little help from my friends [1971]



An obscure bit of late 60s Stax! Steve Cropper's working away from the MG's here, in a mode that's slightly similar, but which has his guitar upfront in the mix on a batch of Memphis-style instrumentals – kind of his own take on the groove he was laying down with Booker T, but with a lot less organ in the mix! There's no mad funk on the album, but the whole thing's pretty darn nice – and is proof that Cropper was the key element in more than just a bit of the Stax sound at the time – a really strong artist who could more than stand on his own. 



                                                               Enjoy!

Δευτέρα 25 Ιουνίου 2012

Ganimian and His Oriental Music - Come With Me To The Casbah [1959]



The five members of Ganimian And His Orientals were all Armenian-Americans, led by Charles "Chick" Ganimian, who would later become perhaps the most successful American-born oud player. The band's repertoire included Turkish, Armenian, Arabic and some Greek dances and songs.It’s an amazing LP with superb Middle-Eastern belly-dance vibe, not dry or academic but as real as a hazy party night of spicy food and liquor at the local kebab parlour !




                                                                                Enjoy!

Σάββατο 23 Ιουνίου 2012

Eric Burdon & War - The Black-Man's Burdon [1970]



Eric Burdon's second and final album with War, Black-Man's Burdon was a double set that could have benefited from quite a bit of judicious editing. Composed mostly of sprawling psychedelic funk jams, it does find War mapping out much of the jazz/Latin/soul grooves that, cut down to much more economical song structures, would shortly bring them success on their own. Highlights include the soulful vamps "Pretty Colors" and "They Can't Take Away Our Music" and the 13-minute "Paint It Black" medley that reflects the height of their eccentricity.
Fantastic album!


                                                                    Enjoy!   Lp1  &  Lp2

Τετάρτη 20 Ιουνίου 2012

Call of the valley [1967]



Call of the Valley is a 1967 Hindustani classical music album by Hariprasad Chaurasia, Brij Bhushan Kabra, and Shivkumar Sharma. It was recorded for the label EMI.
The instrumental album follows a day in the life of an Indian shepherd from Kashmir. It is one of the most successful Indian albums and one that became popular with an international audience. It was very important in introducing Indian music to Western ears and internationally the best selling Indian music record. George Harrison, David Crosby, Paul McCartney, Bob Dylan and Roger McGuinn are fans of the album.
The atmospheric music is traditional, but the innovative use of guitar and flute make the sound more acceptable for Western audiences. Kabra plays slide guitar, Sharma santoor and Chaurasia bansuri. The artists became well known musicians and the instruments they used became acceptable in traditional Indian music. Today Call of the Valley is considered a classic and a milestone in world music. Allmusic advises: "If the newcomer buys only one Indian classical recording, it should be "Call of the Valley"."
The remastered edition has three bonus tracks.



                                                                                Enjoy!

Τρίτη 19 Ιουνίου 2012

Theodosii Spassov - Welkya [1994]



This legend has inspired Theodosii Spassov to write his highly impressive piece Welkya. The mythical, the invisible, the impossible, the unexpected turns into a sound reality. And it seems this is exactly that makes Theodosii Spassov unique. Even in the pronouncedly folk pieces his jokes and musical witticisms surprise and amaze with their rich imagination and "jumps" from one genre to another. The artist feels pleasure to "juggle" with them, to "play" with his kaval. And thus everyone is involved in this game, both the musicians and the listeners!



                                   Imagine this with crazy drummer Yankulov!


                                 Enjoy!


Δευτέρα 18 Ιουνίου 2012

Morphine Mambo Jazz Club [2000]



This compilation of "thrilling sexy '60s Spectre Jazz Noir Club" library music from De Wolfe recording studios is one of the best ever produced and long out of print (the short-lived Plastic Records out of Italy only released a few comps and this may have been the best of the lot). With track titles like "Mobster Scene," "Anaesthesia," "Dr. Witch-wot," and "Armed Escort" how could you not love it? Great sound quality, too. A true collector's item.



                                                                             Enjoy!

Σάββατο 16 Ιουνίου 2012

Cedric Im Brooks - Im Flash Forward [1977]




Superb collection of roots instrumentals augmented and enhanced by 
Cedric 'Im' Brooks soulful sax overdubs. The sleeve notes say it all:
"It is roots music solid, steady with cool tenor styling, nostalgic dance hall 
echoes of a time past yet full of present day appreciations."



                                                            Enjoy!



Παρασκευή 15 Ιουνίου 2012

Bollywood brass band - Rahmania (2002)



   The Bollywood Brass Band plays Indian film music - this is intelligent, lively, powerful and innovative music, easily accessible also for the European ear. 
The BBB combines the talents of 11, mainly English rooted, musicians, eight of them playing brass instruments (saxophones, trumpets, trombones, tuba, sousaphone, flugelhorn), added by three percussionists. In live this band is a unique experience, full of energy and passion. This second album of the band presents this live feeling rather well, also this CD is full of energy, talent and happiness. The music focusses on the works of the Indian film music composer A.R. Rahman, and his style combines diverse music styles, such as World Music, Jazz, Brass Band, Film music, and much more. The BBB interpretations of his works make exciting and varied listening.
Additionally to their usual music that they play in live, the band have added four tracks that act more as 20 minutes of bonus tracks. For those numbers, they asked famous UK remixers and Club DJs (Transglobal Underground; Kamel Nitrate; Groove Road) to create remixes of four tracks from the CD.
  If you like Brass based folk and world music, you should give the Bollywood Brass Band a try. This is a magnificent and impressive album.




                                                                             
                                                                                Enjoy!

Δευτέρα 11 Ιουνίου 2012

Suns of Arqa - Brief History of S.O.A. [1998]


A Brief History of SOA is a retrospective compilation album, featuring tracks from all the releases prior to signing a major deal with EMI records. It serves as a brilliant introduction to SUNS OF ARQA, or simply a good way to plug those holes in your SOA collection. This album reflects very well the diversity of SUNS OF ARQA’S music, and emphasises that their commitment to style and spirituality has been there from the start.
Unpredictable to the end A Brief History’ begins with two tracks, which have been changing people’s musical perspectives around the globe, a superb blend of Indian melodies, dub reggae bass line and sheer dance power. Featuring N.MAGRIEL, mastering India’s most exotic bowed instrument the Sarangi ‘voice of a hundred colours’, with its 35 sympathetic strings. On drums sees the return of their original sticksman CHRIS JOYCE, back after many years in purgatory with Simply Red. With impressive dub mixes from the likes of YOUTH and ADRIAN SHERWOOD make this essential listening.
Introducing many of the artists who have recorded with the SUNS’ over their epic musical career, including the mighty powerful vocals of PRINCE FAR-I, from a long deleted 12”single, and the closing song from his last live show. SANYOGITA KUMARI’s ethereal vocals on the YAM YAM mix of Govinda’s Dream. The ancient dhrupad lyrics from Indian classical artist REBA BHADURI and the awesome heavy dub bass from leading light WADADA. This is a ‘must have’ CD for any collection.



                                
                                                                         
                                                                            Enjoy!






Σάββατο 9 Ιουνίου 2012

Hadouk Trio - Shamanimal [1999]





Shamanimal a delightful mix of musical styles from all around the world, by the Hadouk Trio: Didier Malherbe on wind instruments, Loy Ehrlich on stringed ones, and Steve Shehan on Percussives. This adventurous trio of multi-instrumentalists reveals nine utterly different styles, instrumentation, sounds, rhythms, melodies in the exquisite tracks of this CD. Didier played on many different wind instruments (soprano sax, flute, alto clarinet, ocarina, bamboo flute, and his latest discovery, Doudouk and Pekou ), very much a continuation of his seminal contribution to Gong's "Shamal" album, "Bambooji". Bloomdido's mastery of all these instruments is fascinating : a true magician of sounds and melodies. Ethnic jazz, packed with high class melodies and brilliant playing throughout. A joy to experience ! 



                                                                Enjoy!

Πέμπτη 7 Ιουνίου 2012

Baildsa - U.S.B. [2011]



The band made in 2007 in Thessaloniki,Greece.As the city  is a passage between the neighbour cultures ,they manage to combine a mix of many different influences as balkan,ska,rock and more  in a well favoured blend.The first (self-released) album came out at 2011.Their sound is lively with clever multi-language lyrics.They cover four traditional songs in an imaginable way ,that let us know they have explored the roots of balkan music ,but they are capable enough to transform it in something new.The title of the album truly represents the feeling of the music.Excellent debut!



                                                                                 Enjoy!

Τρίτη 5 Ιουνίου 2012

La Panika - Afan Toufan [2008]



A Gypsy-horns brass band resolutly inspired of the Gypsy Tarafs from Eastern Europe. This band of eight musiciens is composed of a horn section (saxophone, trumpet, horn, tubas, helicon), a percussionist, a banjo and an accordion.




                                                   Enjoy!

Κυριακή 3 Ιουνίου 2012

Alkis Zopoglou & Kontrabando - Elephant [2007]



Kontrabando is a group of musicians experimenting with the colours of music and expressing themselves through the use of various instruments both from eastern and western music fields. Formed in 1999, and based in Kavala, Greece, “K” is the musical vehicle of master kanun player and composer Alkis Zopoglou. A wide range of musical instruments have been introduced to the band (oud, lyre, double bass, keyboards, clarinet a.o.), serving the musical needs of the personal compositions.
This CD is entitled “Elephant” and is consisted of 8 new instrumental compositions by Zopoglou and a dynamic cover version of the renowned greek popular song “Garsona” . Recordings took place in various studios throughout Greece from March to July 2007. The album was produced by Elephant Music Ltd. (being the newly found label’s first production) and is distributed throughout Greece by Music Post.
“Elephant” features the appearance of 18 musicians overall. Amongst them some of Greece’s most accomplished instrumentalists like Vangelis Karipis (percussion), Haig Yazdjian (oud), Dimitris Yiannopoulos (sax), Alexandros Ktistakis (drums), Pantelis Stoikos (trumpet), Vassilis Tzortzinis (lute) and many others. 

                        
                                
                             

                                                                          Enjoy!

Παρασκευή 1 Ιουνίου 2012

Mode Plagal - ΙΙ [1998] + III [2001]


The second album of Mode Plagal moves gracefully across genres such as jazz, ethnic funk or trance and makes music sound the way Simonides, the ancient Greek writer described it, "just like pouring wine". Mode Plagal is the band's name but also "their manner". And in Mode Plagal II they prove what that means. 






The Mode Plagal formed in 1990 and managed to create a unique musical idiom with references primarily to traditional Greek music and lyrics and sounds in Byzantine, Balkan, African, funky, groovy, rock, blues rhythms and many other factors are music as influences. The new discs have a new element in comparison with the previous two, the songs are more than the orchestral pieces as more emphasis on the wealth of folk poetry. The Mode Plagal adapts songs from Central Greece, Epirus, Thrace, Macedonia, Patmos. In their new album together with the Giota Vei, Savina Yannatou, Helen Tsaligopoulou and Theodosia Tsatsos, each with its unique interpretation, add their own stamp to the sound of Mode Plagal.



                                Enjoy!  Mode Plagal II + Mode Plagal III