HARVIE SWARTZ — Urban Earth (1985) Vinyl LP | FLAC (tracks), lossless

Urban Earth would also be the name of bassist Harvie Swartz's short-lived group of the late '80s, but for this Gramavision release, he used an all-star lineup: altoist David Sanborn, Bob Mintzer on soprano, guitarist Mike Stern, pianist Ben Aranov, drummer Victor Lewis and percussionist Manolo Badrena. The music (five Swartz originals, "'Round Midnight," and Dave Brubeck's "The Duke") is mostly straight-ahead yet has its unpredictable and exploratory moments. In fact, there are plenty of subtle surprises throughout this relaxed yet consistently stimulating session. Scott Yanow
Tracklist :
1. Sweet Walk 6:08
 Harvie Swartz
2. Falling 6:46
 Harvie Swartz
3. Pyramid 5:38
 Harvie Swartz
4. Until Tomorrow 6:24
 Harvie Swartz
5. The Duke 4:25
 Dave Brubeck
6. Mother Ship 6:36
 Harvie Swartz
7. Round Midnight 2:44
Thelonious Monk / Cootie Williams
Credits :
Acoustic Bass – Harvie Swartz
Alto Saxophone – David Sanborn
Drums – Victor Lewis
Guitar – Mike Stern
Percussion – Manolo Badrena
Piano – Ben Aronov
Soprano Saxophone – Bob Mintzer 

THE KRONOS QUARTET · TERRY RILEY : Cadenza On The Night Plain (1988) Three Version | APE + WV + FLAC (image+.tracks+.cue), lossless

The Kronos Quartet has made its name by combining extreme virtuosity with equally extreme ecumenism of taste. The group brings the same seriousness to bear on Bo Diddley songs as on works by Arvo Part and George Crumb, so shock value has always been an integral part of their approach. But the Quartet's virtuosity is what saves that approach from gimmickry; they are almost always convincing in their implicit argument that you ought to take all of the music they perform as seriously as they do. This collection of pieces by minimalist Terry Riley consists of four works, all of which are worth hearing but none of which is especially inspiring. "Sunrise of the Planetary Dream Collector" takes a 14-note motif in the Dorian mode and turns it into a splayed, herky-jerky concatenation of lines that, when taken together, sound like the aural equivalent of tall, uncoordinated kids playing basketball. The piece is not without its charms, but it's not necessarily worth the investment of ten minutes of your life, either. More conventional and attractive are the jazz-based "G Song" and "Mythic Birds Waltz." The title track is a strange, 37-minute program piece thematically devoted to the most woolly-headed of received new age wisdom, from its explicitly India-derived structure to its piously anti-Western section headings. Again, it's not unpleasant, but it isn't compelling, either. Though Kronos plays with its usual incisive flair, the argument for serious listening is not terribly convincing this time out. Rick Anderson
 Terry Riley (b. 1935)
1.    Sunrise Of The Planetary Dream Collector    10:16
2.    G Song 11:03
3.    Mythic Birds Waltz    16:08
4.    Cadenza On The Night Plain (Dedicated To Dr. Margaret Lyon)    37:10
Credits :
 Cello – Joan Jeanrenaud
 Violin – David Harrington, Hank Dutt, John Sherba