V.A. - The Rough Guide To Native American Music (1998) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

After providing Rough Guides for everything from reggae, salsa and flamenco to the music of South Africa, Eastern Europe and Brazil, the World Music Network's excellent Rough Guide series turned its attention to Native American music with this 18-song CD. Assembled in 1998, The Rough Guide to Native American Music isn't meant to be the last word on Native American culture, but it does offer an interesting, exciting variety of music by Native Americans. "Variety" is definitely the key word for this compilation, which ranges from the traditional to the contemporary. Some of the disc's more traditional offerings include R. Carlos Nakai's "Cleft in the Sky," Primeaux & Mike's "Healing Song," Peter Garcia & the Garcia Brothers' "Basket Dance" and the late Ed Lee Natay's "Sacred Mask Dance" (which was recorded in 1951). On other selections, you'll find Native Americans embracing everything from folk-pop (Joanne Shenandoah's "Tekanatsyaslitha" and Sharon Burch's "Sacred Wind") and Mexican ranchero music (Southern Scratch's "Cuatro Vidas Polka") to hardcore rap (Without Rezervation's "Are You Ready for W.O.R.?"). The latter is quite compelling, bringing to mind the searing political commentary of Public Enemy; "Are You Ready for W.O.R.?" finds Oakland rappers Without Rezervation pulling no punches as they rail against the oppression that Native Americans have suffered. Again, this collection isn't meant to be the last word on Native American music (for example, it contains nothing by Kevin Locke, an adventurous flute player from North Dakota). The collection only scratches the surface, and that surface is a very inviting one. by Alex Henderson  
Tracklist:
1 Chester Mahooty – Zuni Sunrise Song 2:25
Written-By – Mahooty
2 Walela – Cherokee Morning Song 4:31
Arranged By – Laura Satterfield, Priscilla Coolidge, Rita Coolidge
3 Sharon Burch – Sacred Wind 5:05
Written-By – Burch
4 Primeaux & Mike – Healing Song 3:23
Written-By – Primeaux/Mike
5 Southern Scratch – Cuatro Vidas Polka 4:09
Written-By – Southern Scratch
6 Judy Trejo – Doazi Tumbi 2:00
Arranged By – Trejo
Written-By – Trad Shoshone
7 The Garcia Brothers – Basket Dance 6:34
Written-By – The Garcia Brothers
8 R. Carlos Nakai – Cleft In The Sky 3:02
Written-By – R Carlos Nakai
9 Robert Tree Cody & Rob Wallace W. Will Clipman – White Buffalo 4:42
Written-By – Rob Wallace (4), Robert Tree Cody, Will Clipman
10 Without Rezervation – Are You Ready For W.O.R.? 3:46
Music By – Chris LaMarr
Words By – Nick Peace
11 Cornel Pewewardy & The Alliance West Singers – Kiowa Hymn 2:16
Written-By – Cornel Pewewardy
12 Joanne Shenandoah – Tekanatsyaslitha 4:00
Arranged By – Joanne Shenandoah, Tom Wasinger
13 Blackstone Singers – Victory Song 2:42
Arranged By – Blackstone Singers
Written-By – Trad Cree
14 Black Lodge Singers – Mickey Mouse 3:46
Written-By – Elgin Scabby Robe, Kenny Scabby Robe
15 R. Carlos Nakai & William Eaton W. Black Lodge Singers – Many Flags 4:50
Written-By – R Carlos Nakai, Robert Doyle, William Eaton
16 Burning Sky – Native Funk 4:12
Written-By – Aaron White, Kelvin Bizahaloni, Michael Bannister
17 Ed Lee Natay – Sacred Mask Dance 3:02
Arranged By – Ed Lee Natay
Written-By – Trad Keres
18 Bill Miller – Wind Spirit 2:53

V.A. - The Rough Guide To The Music Of Canada (2003) Mp3

Another in World Music Network's exhaustive Rough Guide to Music series, the Rough Guide to the Music of Canada is an excellent compilation of artists obscured by pop culture, like French-Canadian acts Florent Vollent and fiddler Emile Benoit, as well as those who skirt the edges (Bruce Cockburn, Natalie MacMaster), and covers ground old (Stan Rogers) and new (Matapat). From the French-Celtic styling associated with the Bretons and Acadians of Cape Breton, Newfoundland to the more western contemporary folk traditions and the influence of rock, the number of styles here are diverse but flow nicely into each other ,making for an interesting and enjoyable compilation of the diversity of Canadian music. by Gregory McIntosh
Tracklist:
1 Florent Vollant – Tshishe Manitu 5:51
Vocals – Zachary Richard
2 Hart-Rouge – J'ai Fait Un Reve 3:12
3 Bruce Cockburn – Creation Dream 4:01
4 Natalie MacMaster – Real Béatrice (Béatrice (Oggi Nevica) / Sean Sa Cheo) 3:34
5 Matapat – Matapat 2:53
6 Mary Jane Lamond – Domhnall Mac 'Lc Lain 3:32
7 La Bottine Souriante – Reel Du Forgeron (The Blacksmith's Reel) 3:48
8 Zubot & Dawson – Ed's Wake 4:51
9 Bill Hilly Band – Bulkley Valley Home 2:57
10 Crystal Plamondon – Ca Va Brasser 2:48
11 Anita Best – Kelligrew's Soiree 3:36
12 Silk Road Music – La Bastringue / Green Mountain Petronella 1:57
13 Kanehi:Io – Field Song 2:15
14 Wendell Ferguson – Rocks And Trees 3:19
15 Rheostatics – Seven 4:04
16 Cordes En Folie – Le Papillon (Bourree Du Papillon / Sans Crier Gare)    3:36
17 Longbottom – The Ballard Of Gordy Ross 3:13
18 Stan Rogers – Northwest Passage 4:47
19 Emile Benoit – Vive La Rose 3:20
20 Wade Hemsworth – The Blackfly Song 2:57
21 Tudjaat – Throat Singing 0:42

NILSON MATTA & HENDRIK MEURKENS - Encontros (Meetings) 2000 / Mp3

This delightful CD is the long-postponed project of two popular interpreters and composers of Brazilian music: bassist Nilson Matta and Hendrick Meurkens on vibes, marimba, and chromatic harmonica, making wistful, soulful sounds that blend naturally into this harmonic landscape. The other players include the splendid Italian jazz pianist Dado Moroni on two tracks and four superb Brazilian musicians based in New York: guitarist Romero Lubambo, drummer Duduka Da Fonsesca, vocalist Maucha Adnet, and pianist Helio Alvez, known for his clean, swinging lines. Two Jobim standards are nicely done: the languid "Amor em Paz," with lovely soloing by Lubambo, and the triumphant "Chega de Saudade" (aka "No More Blues"), where the mix doesn't capture Adnet's satiny, live voice, but can't hide her impeccable time. The closer is a free-form romp on Hermeto Pascoal's "O Ovo," where Da Fonsesca finally gets to stretch out and shine. The rest are tuneful originals by the co-leaders, such as Meurken's evocative travel pieces -- "Summer in San Francisco" and "Prague in March" -- and Matta's beautiful bossa tributes to his mother, "Rosa," and wife, "This Is for Luisa." There's also Meurken's jolly, jazzy version of the traditional chorinho and Matta's churning salute to Baden Powell, which highlights his strong, warm bass work and contains a surprise: a Bach prelude that swings hard. Fine work all around and an excellent, varied sampler of Brazilian jazz. by Judith Schlesinger  

DEAD CAN DANCE - Spleen and Ideal (1985-2008) SACD / FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

With this amazing album, Dead Can Dance fully took the plunge into the heady mix of musical traditions that would come to define its sound and style for the remainder of its career. The straightforward goth affectations are exchanged for a sonic palette and range of imagination. Calling it "haunting" and "atmospheric" barely scratches even the initial surface of the album's power. The common identification of the duo with a consciously medieval European sound starts here -- quite understandable, when one considers the mystic titles of songs, references to Latin, choirs, and other touches that make the album sound like it was recorded in an immense cathedral. Opening number "De Profundis" sets this mood so thoroughly, with bells and drones and more supporting another bravura performance from Gerrard, while the immediately following "Ascension" builds on this initial effort with further style and grace. It's limiting to think of either album or band strictly in terms of simple revivalism of old music. While the elements being drawn on are certainly of an older range, the results owe as much to the technologies of arrangement and production and a consciously cinematic feeling as much as they do antique pasts. Similarly, the feeling is not simply European but worldwide, with Gerrard's glossolalia intentionally reaching beyond easy understanding. Perry's vocal efforts are no less compelling, his own high point occurring with the vast-sounding "Enigma of the Absolute," as a steady, massive drum pound echoes behind a similarly treated guitar/harpsichord combination, tinged with a striking string arrangement. The overall feeling is of an ancient religious service suddenly brought to life in a truly modern way, with stunning results. by Ned Raggett  

DEAD CAN DANCE - The Serpent's Egg (1988-2008) SACD / FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

Perry and Gerrard continued to experiment and improve with The Serpent's Egg, as much a leap forward as Spleen and Ideal was some years previously. As with that album, The Serpent's Egg was heralded by an astounding first track, "The Host of Seraphim." Its use in films some years later was no surprise in the slightest -- one can imagine the potential range of epic images the song could call up -- but on its own it's so jaw-droppingly good that almost the only reaction is sheer awe. Beginning with a soft organ drone and buried, echoed percussion, Gerrard then takes flight with a seemingly wordless invocation of power and worship -- her vocal control and multi-octave range, especially towards the end, has to be heard to be believed. Nothing else achieves such heights, but everything gets pretty darn close, a deserved testament to the band's conceptual reach and abilities. Slow plainsong chants such as "Orbis De Ignis" mix with the harpischord and overlaid vocals of "The Writing on My Father's Hand" and the slow build and sweep of "In the Kingdom of the Blind the One-Eyed Are Kings." Two of Perry's finest vocal moments occur here. The first, "Severance," is a slow, organ/keyboard led number that showcases his rich, warm vocals exquisitely -- it's no wonder that Bauhaus chose to cover it some years later on its reunion tour. "Ullyses," the album's closing track, makes for a fine ending as much as "The Host of Seraphim" did an opening, Perry's delivery almost like a reading from a holy book, the arrangement of strings and percussion rhythmic, addictive and lovely. by Ned Raggett 

DEAD CAN DANCE - Aion (1990-2008) SACD / FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

Their reputation growing by leaps and bounds, including a huge underground following in the U.S. -- they were able to tour there even without one domestic release available, while at one point Dead Can Dance was the biggest selling band in 4AD's history -- Perry and Gerrard once again did the business with Aion. Its cover taken from Bosch, Aion's medievalism was worn more openly than ever before, with songs adapted from centuries-old material. The beautiful, entrancing "Saltarello," with lead performance by what sounds like an old wind instrument, comes from an Italian dance of the 14th century, while the mysterious moods of "The Song of the Sibyl" derive from 16th-century Catalonia. The group's command of not merely recording possibilities -- witness the exquisite layering of vocals on the opening "The Arrival and the Reunion" -- but of musical traditions, instruments, and more from around the world was arguably never stronger. Gerrard's vocals in particular have an even stronger, richer feeling than before, not merely able to command with its power but softly calm and seduce. Perry, meanwhile, is no less compelling, his ever-strong, wonderful voice perfectly suited to his choice of material. The standout track is "Fortune Presents Gifts Not According to the Book" with lyrics from a Spanish poet. The musical combination of softly plucked guitar and buried organ drone is striking enough, swathed in reverb, but when Perry steps in with his vocals, matched by more sparkling keyboards, the result is yet another high point for a band laden with them. Guest performers once again assist throughout, including Perry's brother Robert on haunting, quite non-clichéd bagpipes for "As the Bell Rings the Maypole Spins" and singer David Navarro Sust, returning again to contribute some fine backing work. by Ned Raggett  

DEAD CAN DANCE - Into the Labyrinth (1993-2008) SACD / FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

With a regular American deal in place for the first time ever, thanks to 4AD's linkup with the WEA conglomerate, Dead Can Dance made a splash on commercial alternative radio with "The Ubiquitous Mr. Lovegrove," the first single from Into the Labyrinth. Raga drones, a strange clattering beat, a haunting wind instrument, orchestral shading, and Perry's ever-grand voice make it one of the more unlikely things to be heard on the airwaves in a while. It all begins with yet another jaw-dropper from Gerrard, "Yulunga (Spirit Dance)," with keyboards and her octave-defying voice at such a deep, rich level that it sweeps all before it. Wordless as always but never without emotional heft, the song slowly slides into a slow but heavy percussion piece that sounds a bit like "Bird" from A Passage in Time, but with greater impact and memorability. As the album slowly unwinds over an hour's length, the two again create a series of often astounding numbers that sound like they should be millennia old, mixing and matching styles to create new fusions. Perhaps even more impressive is that everything was performed solely by Perry and Gerrard -- no outside guests here, and yet everything is as detailed, lush, and multifaceted as many of their past albums. New classics from the band appear almost track for track: Gerrard's a cappella work on "The Wind That Shakes the Barley," the gentle beauty of "Ariadne," the rhythmic drive and chants of the title song. The conclusion is a slightly surprising but quite successful cover -- "How Fortunate the Man With None," an adaptation of a classic Bertolt Brecht tune about the turn of fortune's wheel. Given a restrained arrangement and Perry's singing, it brings Labyrinth to a satisfying end. by Ned Raggett  

OSAMU - Sweet Chaos [1978]

 Osamu is a master craftsman in the studio, creating a style of instrumental pop fusion that is both accessible and interesting. The title is not at all reflective of the music but suggests a philosophical paradox that is akin to the Orient. More accurately, this music is really quite orderly and a bit understated; a blend of the lighter side of jazz fusion and classical Japanese music with a good dose of American pop for good measure. There are many inspiring delicate moments, especially on the ballads, where Osamu's Oriental roots are prominent. The instrumental version of The Beatles' "I Feel Fine" is laid back and cleverly orchestrated, while the one vocal cut, "East Enough Blues," is reminiscent of Laurie Anderson, and is one of the more interesting pieces on the album. As usual, Osamu's prowess as sound master extraordinaire makes for another effort with sound quality capable of being a "stereo tester". If Shadowfax or Hiroshima trip your trigger then Sweet Chaos will be a welcome addition to your collection. by AllMusic
Tracklist  
1 Faceless Joker 3:56
Soloist [Keyboard Solo], Performer [Pad] – Freddie Ravel
2 Castaway 3:56
Piano [Acoustic] – Victor Feldman
Soloist [Synthesizer Solo] – Freddie Ravel
3 I Feel Fine 3:24
Composed By – Lennon/McCartney
4 Along The Beam 4:56
5 Living Colours 6:32
Piano – David Benoit
Strings – Suzie Katayama Sextette
6 Shadow Warrior 5:16
7 Sweet Chaos 3:56
Piano – Freddie Ravel
8 East Enough Blues 3:45
Backing Vocals – Freddie Ravel
Composed By – Anjani Thomas, Freddie Ravel
Lead Vocals – Anjani Thomas
9 River Rogue 4:56
Credits
Arranged By [String Arrangements] – Joe Curiale (tracks: 2, 5), Osamu (tracks: 3, 4)
Arranged By, Keyboards – Joe Curiale
Arranged By, Synthesizer, Guitar, Percussion, Electric Guitar, Backing Vocals, Koto, Flute [Nokhan], Sampler, Synthesizer [Bass], Programmed By – Osamu
Bass – Eric Ajaye
Electric Guitar – Masayuki Suzuki
Keyboards, Electric Piano [Fender Rhodes] – Joe Sample
Percussion – Geoffrey Hales (tracks: 2, 6)
Percussion, Taiko, Bells [Bonsho], Percussion [Narimono], Kakegoe – Hiromitsu Nishikawa
Producer – Osamu Kitajima
Shakuhachi, Synthesizer [Wx-7 Wind Controller] – Masakazu Yoshizawa
Written-By – Osamu (tracks: 1, 2, 4 to 9)

OSAMU - Sweet Chaos 

[1978] Mesa / 1989 Pony Canyon

CBR320 / scan

O Púbis da Rosa