NGUYÊN LÊ QUARTET — Walking on the Tiger's Tail (2005) FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

 "It is, without exaggeration, one of the best jazz albums of the last ten years" (RHEIN-NECKAR-ZEITUNG) CD of the Month, April 2005 AUDIO ACT

Guitarist Nguyên Le explores a wide span of modern styles throughout Walking on the Tiger's Tail. Some of the up-tempo pieces are essentially fusion while other selections look towards the folk-jazz of Oregon (helped out by the many horns of Paul McCandless), world music and post-bop jazz. The bassless quartet finds each of the musicians assuming the role of the bass at one time or another, and so effectively that one rarely notices its absence. Le's passionate guitar solos, the mixture of stylists and styles, and the inventive originals (which include some impressionistic ballads) make the music completely unclassifiable as anything but stimulating 21st century creative jazz. Scott Yanow
Tracklist :
1 Wingless Flight 4:38
Nguyên Lê
2 Yielding Water 6:02
Nguyên Lê
3 Totsu! 7:55
Nguyên Lê
4 Snow on a Flower 5:34
Nguyên Lê
5 Jorai 5:05
Nguyên Lê
6 Butterfly Dream 5:52
Nguyên Lê
7 Walking on the Tiger's Tail 8:21
Nguyên Lê
8 Bee 5:25
Nguyên Lê
9 Evening Glory 4:59
Nguyên Lê
10 Zamora 6:39
Nguyên Lê
11 Eventail 5:07
Nguyên Lê
Credits
Drums, Percussion – Jamey Haddad
Producer – Nguyên Lê
Electric Guitar, Guitar [Electroacoustic], Electronics, Composed By, Liner Notes – Nguyên Lê
Oboe, Soprano Saxophone, Sopranino Saxophone, Oboe, English Horn, Bass Clarinet – Paul McCandless
Piano – Art Lande

ART LANDE / JAN GARBAREK - Red Lanta (1974) FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

One of the earliest recordings to embody what would come to be known as the ECM sound, Red Lanta is a series of piano/reed duets that have a Scandinavian starkness offset, somewhat unfortunately, by a soft sentimentality that verges on kitsch. At the time, Garbarek was vacillating between the strident and thrilling explorations of his Triptykon and Witchi-Tai-To and his increased involvement with the fuzzier work of Keith Jarrett, and this collaboration moved him decidedly toward the latter. Art Lande composed all the pieces here and brings a Jarrett-esque sense of pastel prettiness and pastoral, folk-influenced serenity. Sometimes this works in isolation, the melody being simple and attractive enough to stand on its own; when offered back to back, a cloying quality sets in and an aural palate cleanser becomes a necessity. Still, this general approach proved extremely popular in the ensuing years, and devotees of ECM's later years will want to hear one of its points of germination. But the fire and passion of Garbarek's early work on albums such as Afric Pepperbird has been all but extinguished by this time. by Brian Olewnick
Tracklist:
1    Quintennaissance 5:35
Art Lande
2    Velvet 5:17
Art Lande
3    Waltz for A 3:43
Art Lande
4    Awakening Midweek 10:59
Art Lande
5    Verdulac 7:07
Art Lande
6    Miss Fortune 5:06
Art Lande
7    Open Return/Cancion Del Momento 4:44
Art Lande
8    Meanwhile 4:19
Art Lande
9    Cherifen Dream of Renata 2:07
Art Lande
Credits:
Flute [Flutes], Soprano Saxophone, Bass Saxophone – Jan Garbarek
Piano, Composed by – Art Lande

 

PAUL McCANDLESS - Shapeshifter (2004) Mp3

ART LANDE - Skylight (1981) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless