THE ZAWINUL SYNDICATE — The Immigrants (1988) FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

Although Zawinul tried touring alone in the immediate wake of the breakup of Weather Report, he soon returned to a group format, first with Weather Update in 1986 and a couple of years later with the raffishly named Zawinul Syndicate. The multi-national Syndicate basically expands the Weather Report format into a sextet, with a rock guitar (Scott Henderson) replacing the sax, an extra percussionist on board to join WR's Alex Acuna, and more vocal support then ever -- and if a Wayne Shorter-like melody line was needed, Zawinul would play it himself on his new Korg Pepe wind synthesizer. If anything, The Immigrants burrows even further into the world-music bloodstream than WR ever did, with vocals in Spanish and wordless syllables on top of Zawinul's one-chord Third World grooves. There is also a heavier pop emphasis (again nothing new for Zawinul), including a recomposition of "Mercy Mercy Mercy" called "No Mercy for Me," now an assertive paean to self-reliance that is soulfully sung by the Perri sisters. Some of the tunes and grooves fall short of Zawinul's irresistible best, but "King Hip" swaggers at a high level and "From Venice to Vienna" -- another of Zawinul's nostalgic memoirs of Europe -- lingers hauntingly at the album's close. Richard S. Ginell   Tracklist & Credits :

TERRY RILEY : A Rainbow In Curved Air (1969) FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

After several graph compositions and early pattern pieces with jazz ensembles in the late '50s and early '60s (see "Concert for Two Pianists and Tape Recorders" and "Ear Piece" in La Monte Young's book An Anthology), Riley invented a whole new music which has since gone under many names (minimal music -- a category often applied to sustained pieces as well -- pattern music, phase music, etc.) which is set forth in its purest form in the famous "In C" (1964) (for saxophone and ensemble, CBS MK 7178). "Rainbow in Curved Air" demonstrates the straightforward pattern technique but also has Riley improvising with the patterns, making gorgeous timbre changes on the synthesizers and organs, and presenting contrasting sections that has become the basic structuring of his works ("Candenza on the Night Plain" and other pieces). Scored for large orchestra with extra percussion and electronics, some of this work's seven movements are: "Star Night," "Blue Lotus," "The Earth Below," and "Island of the Rhumba King." "Blue" Gene Tyranny
Tracklist :
1    A Rainbow In Curved Air    18:40
2    Poppy Nogood And The Phantom Band    21:40
Credits :
Composed By, Electric Organ, Electric Harpsichord, Keyboards [Rocksichord], Goblet Drum [Dumbec], Tambourine, Soprano Saxophone – Terry Riley

SAINT-SAËNS : Cello Concerto No.1, Piano Concerto no. 2, Violin Concerto No. 3 (1990) FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

 

MILES DAVIS - Aura (1989) APE (image+.cue), lossless

Miles' last recording for the Columbia label before heading for the financial allure of Warner Bros. in the mid-'80s was not released until 1989. This critic's guess is because largely they had no idea what to do with it. Unlike anything else in his catalog, Aura is a ten-part suite composed by Danish flügelhornist Palle Mikkelborg as a tribute. Influenced deeply by serialism and the inspiration of Gil Evans, Mikkelborg composed a theme from ten notes based on the letters of Davis' first and last names. The notes yielded a chord, which led him through the work. Employing a full orchestra and the guitar talents of former Davis collaborator John McLaughlin and famed European bassist Niels-Henning Ørsted Pederson, Aura's sections are named for the color spectrum, with the addition of white and "electric red." The music is an amalgam of classical impressionism, European new music, jazz, rock, electronic, and other genres. As a tribute and separate orchestral work, it's quite moving and beautiful, full of moody interludes and evocations of nuance, color, texture, and dynamic. With Davis added, soloing in his trademark muted, rounded warmth, the music becomes almost breathtaking. The Gil Evans influence is everywhere apparent in the way strings segue into keyboards and float there until the trumpet or wind section comes for them and brings them home. It's easy to be cynical about a work like this, and call it a pastiche of Miles clichés. Far harder is it to place the entirety of Davis' career in one place and hear it expressed with so much warmth and elegance, because that career was so mercurial. Mikkelborg gave Miles a fine parting gift when he left Columbia, and listeners are so very fortunate for his generosity.  by Thom Jurek 
Tracklist:
1 Intro 4:25
2 White 6:02
Soloist, Guitar – John McLaughlin
3 Yellow 6:45
4 Orange 8:34
Soloist, Guitar – John McLaughlin
5 Red 9:56
6 Green 4:20
Soloist, Acoustic Bass – Niels Henning Oersted Pedersen
Soloist, Fretless Bass – Bo Stief
7 Blue 6:33
8 Electric Red 4:16
9 Indigo 5:58
Soloist, Acoustic Bass – Niels Henning Oersted Pedersen
Soloist, Piano [Acoustic] – Thomas Clausen
10 Violet 9:01
Soloist, Guitar – John McLaughlin
Credits:
Bass – Niels Henning Oersted Pedersen
Bass Trombone – Axel Windfeld, Ole Kurt Jensen
Cor Anglais, Oboe – Niels Eje
Drums – Lennart Gruvstedt
Electric Bass [Fender Bass], Fretless Bass – Bo Stief
Electronic Drums – Vince Wilburn
Flugelhorn [Additional], Trumpet [Additional] – Palle Mikkelborg
Guitar – Bjarne Roupé, John McLaughlin
Harp – Lillian Thornquist
Keyboards – Kenneth Knudsen, Ole Koch-Hansen, Thomas Clausen
Percussion – Ethan Weisgaard, Marilyn Mazur
Piano – Thomas Clausen
Saxophone, Woodwind – Bent Jaedig, Flemming Madsen, Jesper Thilo, Per Carsten, Uffe Karskov
Trombone – Jens Engel, Ture Larsen, Vincent Nilsson
Trumpet – Miles Davis (tracks: 1 to 8, 10)
Trumpet, Flugelhorn – Benny Rosenfeld, Idrees Sulieman, Jens Winther, Palle Bolvig, Perry Knudsen
Vocals – Eva Thaysen

BRANFORD MARSALIS - Scenes In The City [1984] FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Branford Marsalis's debut as a leader is ambitious yet consistently successful. On "Scenes of the City," his narrative is in the same spirit of some of Charles Mingus's recordings of the 1950s. Otherwise the music is in the modern mainstream vein with Marsalis (on tenor and soprano) hinting strongly at Wayne Shorter and John Coltrane, along with a touch of Sonny Rollins. The backup crew includes such notable young lions as pianist Mulgrew Miller and Kenny Kirkland, bassist Charnett Moffett, and drummers Jeff "Tain" Watts and Marvin "Smitty" Smith in addition to bassist Ron Carter. It's an impressive start to a notable career. by Scott Yanow
Tracklist  
1 No Backstage Pass 6:48
Bass – Ron Carter
Drums – Marvin Smith
Tenor Saxophone – Branford Marsalis
Written-By – B. Marsalis
2 Scenes In The City 5:50
Bass – Ray Drummond
Drums – Marvin Smith
Narrator – Wendell Pierce
Piano – Mulgrew Miller
Tenor Saxophone – Branford Marsalis
Trombone – Robin Eubanks
Trumpet – John Longo
Voice [In Rooming House] – Branford Marsalis, Jeffrey Watts
Voice [Radio Announcer In Rooming House] – Ed Williams 
Written-By – C. Mingus
3 Solstice 8:58
Bass – Ron Carter
Drums – Marvin Smith 
Piano – Mulgrew Miller
Tenor Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone – Branford Marsalis
Written-By – B. Marsalis
4 Waiting For Tain 6:51
Bass – Charnett Moffett
Drums – Jeffrey Watts
Piano – Kenny Kirkland
Soprano Saxophone – Branford Marsalis
Written-By – B. Marsalis
5 No Sidestepping 7:00
Bass – Ron Carter
Drums – Marvin Smith
Piano – Mulgrew Miller
Tenor Saxophone – Branford Marsalis
Written-By – M. Miller
6 Parable 5:36
Bass – Phil Bowler
Drums – Jeffrey Watts
Piano – Kenny Kirkland
Soprano Saxophone – Branford Marsalis
Written-By – K. Kirkland

BRANFORD MARSALIS - Scenes In The City 

[1984] CBS / Sony / FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

O Púbis da Rosa

JEAN-PIERRE RAMPAL & LILY LASKINE – Sakura : Japanese Melodies For Flute And Harp [1978]

Tracklist 
1 Haru No Umi 7:25
Written-By – Michio Miyagi
2 Chugoku Chiho No Komori Uta 2:03
Written-By – Kosaku Yamada
3 Aka Tombo 3:08
Written-By – Kosaku Yamada
4 Chin-Chin Chidori 3:11
Written-By – Hidemaro Konoe
5 Nambu Ushi Oi Uta 4:57
Written-By – Traditional
6 Defune 5:41
Written-By – Haseo Sugiyama
7 Kono Michi 3:43
Written-By – Kosaku Yamada
8 Hanayome Ningyo 1:52
Written-By – Haseo Sugiyama
9 Kojo No Tsuki 3:38
Written-By – Rentaro Taki
10 Jogashima No Ame 5:21
Written-By – Tadashi Yanada
11 Hana 3:39
Written-By – Rentaro Taki
12 Sakura 7:06
Written-By – Traditional
Credits
Artwork [Uncredited, "The Great Wave Off Kanagawa"] – Katsushika Hokusai
Flute – Jean-Pierre Rampal
Harp – Lily Laskine
Transcription By, Arranged By – Akio Yashiro

JEAN-PIERRE RAMPAL & LILY  LASKINE 

 Sakura : Japanese Melodies For Flute And Harp

 [1978] CBS Masterworks /  CBR 320K / scans

O Púbis da Rosa

JEAN-PIERRE RAMPAL / LILY LASKINE - SAKURA [Japanese Melodies for Flute and Harp] LP / 1969

Tracklist  
A1 Haru No Umi 7:22
Written-By – Michio Miyagi
A2 Chugoku Chiho No Komori Uta 2:01
Written-By – Kosaku Yamada
A3 Aka Tombo 3:07
Written-By – Kosaku Yamada
A4 Chin-Chin Chidori 3:09
Written-By – Hidemaro Konoe
A5 Nambu Ushi Oi Uta 4:55
Written-By – Traditional
A6 Defune 5:38
Written-By – Haseo Sugiyama
B1 Kono Michi 3:40
Written-By – Kosaku Yamada
B2 Hanayome Ningyo 1:51
Written-By – Haseo Sugiyama
B3 Kojo No Tsuki 3:38
Written-By – Rentaro Taki
B4 Jogashima No Ame 5:19
Written-By – Tadashi Yanada
B5 Hana 3:38
Written-By – Rentaro Taki
B6 Sakura Sakura 7:02
Written-By – Traditional
Credits
Flute – Jean-Pierre Rampal
Harp – Lily Laskine
Artwork [Uncredited; "The Great Wave Off Kanagawa"] – Katsushika Hokusai

JEAN-PIERRE RAMPAL / LILY LASKINE 

SAKURA [Japanese Melodies for Flute and Harp] 1969

CBS 1978 / LP / CBR320 / scan

O Púbis da Rosa

THE DAVE BRUBECK QUARTET - Time Out (1959-1983) RM / FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

Dave Brubeck's defining masterpiece, Time Out is one of the most rhythmically innovative albums in jazz history, the first to consciously explore time signatures outside of the standard 4/4 beat or 3/4 waltz time. It was a risky move -- Brubeck's record company wasn't keen on releasing such an arty project, and many critics initially roasted him for tampering with jazz's rhythmic foundation. But for once, public taste was more advanced than that of the critics. Buoyed by a hit single in altoist Paul Desmond's ubiquitous "Take Five," Time Out became an unexpectedly huge success, and still ranks as one of the most popular jazz albums ever. That's a testament to Brubeck and Desmond's abilities as composers, because Time Out is full of challenges both subtle and overt -- it's just that they're not jarring. Brubeck's classic "Blue Rondo à la Turk" blends jazz with classical form and Turkish folk rhythms, while "Take Five," despite its overexposure, really is a masterpiece; listen to how well Desmond's solo phrasing fits the 5/4 meter, and how much Joe Morello's drum solo bends time without getting lost. The other selections are richly melodic as well, and even when the meters are even, the group sets up shifting polyrhythmic counterpoints that nod to African and Eastern musics. Some have come to disdain Time Out as its become increasingly synonymous with upscale coffeehouse ambience, but as someone once said of Shakespeare, it's really very good in spite of the people who like it. It doesn't just sound sophisticated -- it really is sophisticated music, which lends itself to cerebral appreciation, yet never stops swinging. Countless other musicians built on its pioneering experiments, yet it's amazingly accessible for all its advanced thinking, a rare feat in any art form. This belongs in even the most rudimentary jazz collection.

Tracklist:

1. Blue Rondo a la Turk

2. Strange Meadow Lark

3. Take Five

4. Three to Get Ready

5. Kathy's Waltz

6. Everybody's Jumpin'

7. Pick Up Sticks

Credits

Dave Brubeck (piano)

Paul Desmond (sax alto)

Eugene Wright (bass)

Joe Morello (drums)