JOSHUA REDMAN - Trios Live (2014) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

 Trios Live features saxophonist Joshua Redman performing live in concert with his trio on two separate dates. The first concert was recorded in 2009 at New York's Jazz Standard and the second was recorded in 2013 at Washington's Blues Alley. Backing Redman on both of these dates is drummer Gregory Hutchinson; who is then joined by bassist Matt Penman on the Jazz Standard recording, and bassist Reuben Rogers for the Blues Alley performance. As there are no chordal instruments such as piano or guitar in Redman's trio, he is free to explore a wide harmonic color palette and does so here with plenty of exuberance. This is Redman the bluesy, muscular, yet mathematically concise improviser, digging deep into such influences as Sonny Rollins, Dexter Gordon, and Ornette Coleman. Although Redman has never shied away from progressive, extroverted improvisation, as Trios Live comes on the heels of his reflective, lushly produced 2013 orchestral ballads album, Walking Shadows, it has more in common with his adventurous 2007 studio trio album, Back East, as well as his fearless 2009 double-trios experiment, Compass. Along with three originals, on Trios Live we also get Redman's take on such standards as Kurt Weill and Bertolt Brecht's "Moritat (Mack the Knife)," Jay Livingston and Ray Evans' "Never Let Me Go," and Thelonious Monk's "Trinkle, Tinkle." Also included is Redman's frenetic reworking of Led Zeppelin's "The Ocean." Always an engaging improviser, Redman is perhaps at his best in a club setting and Trios Live does nothing to dissuade one of that notion. by Matt Collar 

Tracklist:

1. Moritat (Mack The Knife) 12:02

Bertolt Brecht / Kurt Weill

2. Never Let Me Go 6:38

Ray Evans / Jay Livingston

3 Soul Dance 6:43

Joshua Redman

4 Act Natural 12:25

Joshua Redman

5 Mantra #5 7:37

Joshua Redman

6 Trinkle, Tinkle 5:57

Thelonious Monk

7 The Ocean 6:38

John Bonham / John Paul Jones / Jimmy Page / Robert Plant

Credits:

Bass – Matt Penman (tracks: 1, 5 to 7), 

Reuben Rogers (tracks: 2 to 4)

Drums – Gregory Hutchinson

Tenor-Saxophone – (tracks: 1, 2, 4, 6, 7)

Soprano Saxophone – Joshua Redman (tracks: 3, 5)

MEDESKI, SCOFIELD, MARTIN & WOOD - Juice (2014) FLAC (tracks), lossless

The third studio meeting in nearly 17 years between Medeski, Martin & Wood and guitarist John Scofield has no easy referent to their earlier recordings -- purposely. This quartet sounds like a real band on Juice, which is a mixed blessing. The positive aspect is that this longtime collaboration creates near instinctive communication. This is a much more inside date, though the rhythmic interplay between bassist Chris Wood and drummer Billy Martin is outstanding throughout. There are four covers from the 1960s scattered among the various originals; some work better than others. One is "Sham Time," an Eddie Harris tune. The obvious inspiration, though, is Willie Bobo's version from the 1968 album A New Dimension. This quartet does it justice with spark, crackle, groove, and grease. The driving organ vamp on Scofield's "New London" offers a British rave-up wedded to Brazilian funk and Latin boogaloo. The solos by the guitarist and John Medeski are lyrical, tight, and flow right out of one another. Martin's "Louis the Shoplifter" is populated with killer interlocking salsa grooves between him and Medeski (who evokes Eddie Palmieri's experimetnal side in his playing) amid knotty changes. Wood's bassline develops along the drummer's pumping, double-time snare and syncopated breaks. Scofield's solo roils with serpentine post-bop shards. "Juicy Lucy," a group composition, finds Scofield taking "Louie Louie" as inspiration. Medeski builds on it with excellent montunos, contrasting mid-'60s Latin R&B with early rock & roll. The fingerpopping exchanges between Wood, Martin, and guest conguero Pedrito Martinez are nasty and tight. Wood's "Helium" is the strangest, perhaps most compelling thing here, comprised of angular harmonies, arpeggiated, nearly fusion-esque statements from guitarist and pianist, and a whomping bassline. Martin's forro-esque pulse -- that borders on the martial -- locks it down. The cultural baggage associated with the Doors' "Light My Fire" is too great for even these musicians to transcend, and with a straight rock chart, it feels tossed off. Conversely, the reading of Cream's "Sunshine of Your Love," at nearly 11 minutes, contains an imaginative arrangement that makes the listener almost forget the original. Martin's and Wood's slow, rocksteady reggae groove is downright steamy. Scofield works a spooky blues vamp that unwinds slowly into fragmented solos while Medeski gets swampy on the organ, stating the melody tersely with one hand, and improvising with the other. Finally, engineer Danny Bloom adds a remix with loads of reverb and echo, making it a tripped-out dubwise jam. The guitarist's funky "Stovetop" is an excellent modernist revisioning of post-tropicalia samba jazz with all members finding plenty of room to move inside it, Martinez's congas add fand heat. While Juice is mostly engaging and satisfying, the pervasive "let's just see what happens" approach MSMW took here also has a downside: it delivers a self-contented vibe rather than one of discovery that their previous records revealed in spades. by Thom Jurek 
Tracklist:
1 Sham Time 5:46
Composed By – Eddie Harris
2 North London 6:35
Composed By – John Scofield
3 LouisThe Shoplifter 6:07
Composed By – Billy Martin
4 Juicy Lucy 7:07
Composed By – Billy Martin, Chris Wood, John Medeski, John Scofield
5 I Know You 8:02
Composed By – John Scofield
6 Helium 4:03
Composed By – Chris Wood 
7 Light My Fire 5:36
Composed By – Jim Morrison, John Densmore, Raymond Manzarek, Robby Krieger
8 Sunshine Of Your Love 10:52
Composed By – Eric Clapton, Jack Bruce, Peter Brown
9 Stovetop 5:27

Composed By – John Scofield

10 The Times They Are A-Changin' 3:37
Composed By – Bob Dylan
Credits:
Bass [Basses] – Chris Wood
Drums, Cuica, Talking Drum, Caxixi, Guiro – Billy Martin
Guest [Special Guest], Congas, Guiro – Pedrito Martinez
Guitar – John Scofield
Keyboards – John Medeski

TRIBAL TECH - Face First (1993-2015) Fusion Best Collection 1000 / RM / FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

Although it was their sixth album overall, Tribal Tech's 1993 release, Face First, was only the second to feature the still-existing lineup of guitarist Scott Henderson, bassist Gary Willis, keyboardist Scott Kinsey, and drummer Kirk Covington. Previously, Henderson and Willis had juggled lineups and eased further away from traditional jazz toward improvisational fusion through the 1985-1991 albums Spears, Dr. Hee, Nomad, and Tribal Tech. But the quartet of musical leftists gelled on Face First, improving on its promising 1992 debut, Illicit. Henderson's solo on the opening title track -- over a percolating Willis bassline -- shows the guitarist's range of influences from Jeff Beck and Jimi Hendrix to Albert King and Stevie Ray Vaughan. Funk pieces like "Canine" and "Uh...Yeah OK" show glimpses of the group's future, all-improvised CDs; hummingbird-quick drummer Covington's lead vocal on the cover-band farce "Boat Gig" set the stage for Henderson"'s solo blues debut the next year. In between, synth-master Kinsey's jazzy "After Hours" and Henderson's New Orleans-tinged "Revenge Stew" provide thought-provoking rest areas -- necessary because of breathtaking ten-minute thrill rides like the blues, bop, and beyond of "Salt Lick." Willis' Weather Report-like "The Precipice" and "Wounded" ease you to the finish of Face First, the album that made a statement that Henderson, Willis, and company have not yet begun to finish. by Bill Meredith 
Tracklist:
 1     Face First     7:03
    Written-By – Willis
2     Canine     6:20
    Written-By – Willis
3     After Hours     7:21
    Written-By – Kinsey
4     Revenge Stew     6:03
    Written-By – Henderson
5     Salt Lick     9:44
    Written-By – Henderson
6     Uh ... Yeah OK     6:41
    Written-By – Tribal Tech 
7     The Crawling Horror     7:45
    Written-By – Henderson
8     Boiler Room     1:34
    Written-By – Covington
9     Boat Gig     5:57
    Backing Vocals [Background] – Brett Garsed, Cheryl Graul, Dana Sue Collins, Willis, Henderson, Kinsey Vocals – Kirk CovingtonWritten-By – Henderson
10     The Precipice     6:13
    Written-By – Willis
11     Wounded     5:39
    Written-By – Willis
Credits:
    Bass, Producer – Gary Willis
    Drums – Kirk Covington
     Guitar, Producer – Scott Henderson
    Keyboards – Scott Kinsey

BILLY COBHAM - Inner Conflicts (1977-2014) Fusion Best Collection 1000 – 4 / RM / FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

A solid effort that has been dismissed based upon its associations with two Cobham lemons, Simplicity of Expression: Depth of Thought and B.C., all recorded around the same time. This recording finds Cobham continuing to explore the funk genre; however, the overall mood here is quite darker and more introspective, similar to Crosswinds. "Inner Conflicts" is a haunting song that includes Cobham's experimentation with electronic percussion and synthesizer. "Nickles and Dimes" is a page out of Cobham's early work, while "El Barrio" is heavily influenced by African rhythms. Of note, Prince's former sidekick Sheila E. performs here with her father Pete. The closer, "Arroyo," is another of Cobham's memorable compositions that he continues to perform.  by Robert Taylor
Tracklist 
1 Inner Conflicts 10:49
Programmed By [Synthesizer] – Billy Cobham, John Bowen
Synthesizer, Drums, Percussion – Billy Cobham
2 The Muffin Talks Back 9:52
Bass – Alfonso Johnson
Congas, Percussion [Latin Percussion] – Sheila Escovedo
Drums – Billy Cobham
Keyboards – Don Grolnick
Percussion [Latin Percussion] – Jose Najeira
Timbales, Percussion [Latin Percussion] – Pete Escovedo
3 Nickels And Dimes 7:21
Bass – John Williams 
Drums – Billy Cobham
Guitar – John Scofield
Keyboards – Dawilli Gonga
Trombone – Julian Priester
Trumpet – Randy Brecker
Trumpet, Flugelhorn – Jimmy Owens
Woodwind – Ernie Watts, Michael Brecker
Xylophone, Marimba – Ruth Underwood
4 El Barrio 6:30
Bass – Alfonso Johnson
Congas, Percussion [Latin Percussion] – Sheila Escovedo
Drums – Billy Cobham
Guitar – Steve Kahn
Keyboards – Don Grolnick
Percussion [Latin Percussion] – Jose Najeira
Timbales, Percussion [Latin Percussion] – Pete Escovedo
Trombone – Julian Priester
5 Arroyo 4:15
Bass – John Williams 
Drums – Billy Cobham
Guitar – John Scofield
Keyboards – Dawilli Gonga

LENNY WHITE - Venusian Summer (1975-1992) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

One of the better entries to emerge from a genre that was quickly growing tired. Return to Forever drummer Lenny White, while not as powerful or talented as counterparts Billy Cobham or Alphonse Mouzon, had an excellent feel for funk and an amazing sense of taste. "Chicken-Fried Steak" contains enough odd-time beats and fills to satisfy any drum fanatic, but White proves to be more than just a technician. "The Venusian Summer Suite" and "Mating Drive" are both moody pieces that were obviously influenced by the music of Tangerine Dream. But the primary reason this session succeeds is "Prince of the Sea." It is a strong composition that features Al di Meola and Larry Coryell. This was their only recorded performance together in the '70s and fans are still seeking this recording out to see "who won". This is a must-have fusion recording. by Robert Taylor
Tracklist:
1 Chicken-Fried Steak 4:36
Bass – Doug Rauch
Drums, Clavinet [Wandering Clavinet] – Lenny White
Organ – Jimmy Smith
Rhythm Guitar – Raymond Gomez
Rhythm Guitar, Lead Guitar – Doug Rodrigues
Written-By – Doug Rauch, Doug Rodrigues
2 Away Go Troubles Down The Drain 3:33
Bass – Doug Rauch
Drums – Lenny White
Electric Piano, Clavinet – Onaje Allan Gumbs
Organ – Weldon Irvine
Rhythm Guitar, Lead Guitar – Doug Rodrigues
Synthesizer [Minimoog], Organ – David Sancious
Written-By, Arranged By – Doug Rauch, Doug Rodrigues, Lenny White
The Venusian Summer Suite (10:15)
Orchestrated By – Tom Harrel
Written-By, Arranged By – Lenny White
3a Part 1. Sirenes
Arranged By [Brooklyn Syntharmonic Orchestra & Inner-mission Choir Orchestra Realizations By] – Patrick Gleeson
Synthesizer [Eu Synthesizer, ARP 2600] – Peter Robinson
Synthesizer [Eu Synthesizer, Minimoog, ARP 2500/2600, Oberheim, Digital Sequencer] – Patrick Gleeson
Synthesizer [Minimoog, Eu Synthesizer, ARP 2600], Piano – Lenny White
Synthesizer [Minimoog] – Tom Harrel
3b Part 2. Venusian Summer
Bass – Doug Rauch
Clavinet, Synthesizer [Minimoog] – Peter Robinson
Drums, Bass [Snap Bass] – Lenny White
Electric Piano, Piano – Onaje Allan Gumbs
Flute – Hubert Laws
Synthesizer [Eu Synthesizer, ARP 2600, Minimoog] – Patrick Gleeson
Synthesizer [Minimoog] – David Sancious
4 Prelude To Rainbow Delta 1:13
Gong [Backwards Gong] – Dennis MacKay
Synthesizer [Eu Synthesizer], Arranged By [Orchestra Realizations] – Patrick Gleeson
Timpani [Tympani], Snare [Snare Drum], Rototoms, Wood Block, Gong [Triangle Gong], Marimba, Cymbal [Suspended Cymbal] – Lenny White
Written-By – Patrick Gleeson
5 Mating Drive 7:44
Bass – Doug Rauch
Drums – Lenny White
Electric Piano, Mellotron – Onaje Allan Gumbs
Lead Guitar – Raymond Gomez
Organ – Khalid Yasin, Larry Young
Rhythm Guitar – Doug Rodrigues
Written-By, Arranged By – Lenny White
6 Prince Of The Sea 11:39
Bass – Doug Rauch
Drums, Gong – Lenny White
Electric Guitar – Al DiMeola, Larry Coryell
Flugelhorn – Tom Harrel
Piano [Acoustic Piano], Electric Piano, Organ – Onaje Allan Gumbs
Written-By, Arranged By – Lenny White

LENNY WHITE - The Adventures of Astral Pirates (1978-2002) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

One of Lenny White's finest, most essential albums, The Adventures of Astral Pirates is a jazz-fusion masterpiece with a futuristic science-fiction theme. Star Wars was number one at the box office when, in 1977, White produced this disc with Al Kooper, and perhaps Elektra was hoping to cash in on the film's popularity. If you open the record's foldout cover, you can read White's tale of sci-fi battles that take place in the fifth millennium A.D. But you don't have to be a sci-fi fan to appreciate the mostly instrumental songs on this imaginative, risk-taking album, which finds White blending a jazz/rock/funk foundation with elements of everything from Middle Eastern music to Asian music. This set isn't the least bit predictable, and it could easily be described as "the sound of surprise" -- critic Whitney Balliett's term for jazz -- even though no one will mistake it for straight-ahead bop any time soon. by Alex Henderson
Tracklist:
1  Prelude: Theme For Astral Pirates  1:13
    Written-By – White
2  Chapter One: Pursuit  3:08
    Written-By – Blake, Blackman, White, Moroch
3  Chapter Two: Mandarin Warlords  5:07
    Written-By – Blackman, White
4  Chapter Three: The Great Pyramid  2:29
    Written-By – Blackman, White
5  Chapter Four: Universal Love  3:27
    Written-By – Blackman, White
6  Chapter Five: Remembering  0:36
    Written-By – White
7  Chapter Six: Revelation (Astral Pirates)  3:26
    Written-By – White
8  Chapter Seven: Stew, Cabbage And Galactic Beans  3:56
    Written-By – Blake
9  Chapter Eight: Heavy Metal Monster  4:39
    Written-By – Moroch
10  Chapter Nine: Assault  3:36
    Written-By – White
11  Chapter Ten: Climax: Theme For Astral Pirates  7:40
    Written-By – White
Credits:
    Arranged By – Alex Blake, Don Blackman, Lenny White, Nick Moroch
    Arranged By [All String Arrangements] – Don Blackman
    Bass [Basses] – Alex Blake
    Concept By [Album & Story Concept By] – Don Mizell, Lenny White
    Drums, Electronic Drums [Syndrums], Synthesizer, Percussion [All Percussion] – Lenny White
    Lead Guitar [Lead Guitars] – Nick Moroch
      Organ, Piano [Acoustic Piano], Electric Piano, Synthesizer, Vocals [All Vocals] – Don "Captain Keyboards" Blackman
    Programmed By [All Synthesizer Programming] – Patrick Gleeson
    Rhythm Guitar – Jeff Sigman

LENNY WHITE - Streamline (1978-2002) APE (image+.cue), lossless

Lenny White's 1977 recording The Adventures of Astral Pirates was an incredibly tough act to follow -- so tough, in fact, that anything less than a five-star gem was likely to seem a bit disappointing. Streamline, the 1978 LP that came right after The Adventures of Astral Pirates, isn't a five-star gem, but it isn't bad either. Although not in a class with The Adventures of Astral Pirates or 1975's Venusian Summer, let alone White's work with Return to Forever, Streamline is a generally decent, if mildly uneven, collection of instrumental jazz fusion and R&B vocal numbers. While this album (which White produced with Earth, Wind & Fire keyboardist Larry Dunn) isn't as R&B-oriented as White's Twennynine projects would be, the drummer is obviously going after R&B audiences on "Time" (a somewhat Earth, Wind & Fire-ish funk item) and an interesting cover of the Beatles' "Lady Madonna" (which features soul goddess Chaka Khan). But there is also plenty of fusion, and instrumentals like "Night Games," "Struttin'," and the Brazilian-influenced "Pooh Bear" are enjoyable even though they fall short of the brilliance of the material on The Adventures of Astral Pirates and Venusian Summer. While Streamline isn't among White's essential albums, it's a likable set. by Alex Henderson 
Tracklist:
1     Struttin'    4:45
    Synthesizer [Mini Moog] – Larry Dunn
2     Lady Madonna     3:54
    Lead Vocals, Backing Vocals – Chaka Khan
3     12 Bars From Mars     3:10
4     Earthlings     4:48
5     Spazmo Strikes Again     0:25
6     Time     2:58
7     Pooh Bear     5:02
8     Lockie's Inspiration     0:41
9     I'll See You Soon     6:30
    Bass – Marcus Miller
10     Night Games     3:58
11     Cosmic Indigo     0:50
    Bass – Marcus Miller
Credits:
Bass [Basses] – Marcus Miller
Drums, Percussion – Lenny White
Guitar – Jamie Glaser, Nick Moroch
Keyboards – Denzil "Broadway" Miller
Keyboards, Vocals – Donald "Captain Keyboards" Blackman
Programmed By [All Synthesizers] – Larry Dunn
Chaka Khan – lead vocals (track 2)

Diane Reeves – vocals (track 4), background vocals

MILES DAVIS - Jack Johnson (Original Soundtrack Recording) (1971-1990) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

 None of Miles Davis' recordings has been more shrouded in mystery than Jack Johnson, yet none has better fulfilled Davis' promise that he could form the "greatest rock band you ever heard." Containing only two tracks, the album was assembled out of no less than four recording sessions between February 18, 1970 and June 4, 1970, and was patched together by producer Teo Macero. Most of the outtake material ended up on Directions, Big Fun, and elsewhere. The first misconception is the lineup: the credits on the recording are incomplete. For the opener, "Right Off," the band is Davis, John McLaughlin, Billy Cobham, Herbie Hancock, Michael Henderson, and Steve Grossman (no piano player!), which reflects the liner notes. This was from the musicians' point of view, in a single take, recorded as McLaughlin began riffing in the studio while waiting for Davis; it was picked up on by Henderson and Cobham, Hancock was ushered in to jump on a Hammond organ (he was passing through the building), and Davis rushed in at 2:19 and proceeded to play one of the longest, funkiest, knottiest, and most complex solos of his career. Seldom has he cut loose like that and played in the high register with such a full sound. In the meantime, the interplay between Cobham, McLaughlin, and Henderson is out of the box, McLaughlin playing long, angular chords centering around E. This was funky, dirty rock & roll jazz. The groove gets nastier and nastier as the track carries on and never quits, though there are insertions by Macero of two Davis takes on Sly Stone tunes and an ambient textured section before the band comes back with the groove, fires it up again, and carries it out. On "Yesternow," the case is far more complex. There are two lineups, the one mentioned above, and one that begins at about 12:55. The second lineup was Davis, McLaughlin, Jack DeJohnette, Chick Corea, Bennie Maupin, Dave Holland, and Sonny Sharrock. The first 12 minutes of the tune revolve around a single bass riff lifted from James Brown's "Say It Loud, I'm Black and I'm Proud." The material that eases the first half of the tune into the second is taken from "Shhh/Peaceful," from In a Silent Way, overdubbed with the same trumpet solo that is in the ambient section of "Right Off." It gets more complex as the original lineup is dubbed back in with a section from Davis' tune "Willie Nelson," another part of the ambient section of "Right Off," and an orchestral bit of "The Man Nobody Saw" at 23:52, before the voice of Jack Johnson (by actor Brock Peters) takes the piece out. The highly textured, nearly pastoral ambience at the end of the album is a fitting coda to the chilling, overall high-energy rockist stance of the album. Jack Johnson is the purest electric jazz record ever made because of the feeling of spontaneity and freedom it evokes in the listener, for the stellar and inspiring solos by McLaughlin and Davis that blur all edges between the two musics, and for the tireless perfection of the studio assemblage by Miles and producer Macero. by Thom Jurek 

Tracklist:

1. Right Off - 26:54

2. Yesternow - 25:36

Personnel:

Trumpet – Miles Davis

Bass [Fender] – Michael Henderson

Drums – Billy Cobham

Guitar – John McLaughlin

Keyboards – Herbie Hancock

Liner Notes – Miles Davis

Saxophone – Steve Grossman

Voice [Jack Johnson's Voice] – Brock Peters

MILES DAVIS - On the Corner (1972-2000) RM / FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

Could there be any more confrontational sound in Miles Davis' vast catalog than the distorted guitars and tinny double-timing drums reacting to a two-note bass riff funking it up on the first track from On the Corner? Before the trumpet even enters the story has been broken off in the middle -- deep street music melding with a secret language exchanged by the band and those who can actually hear it as music. Here are killer groove riffs that barely hold on as bleating trumpet and soprano sax lines (courtesy of Dave Liebman on track one) interact with John McLaughlin's distortion-box frenzy. Michael Henderson's bass keeps the basic so basic it hypnotizes; keyboards slowly enter the picture, a pair of them handled by Herbie Hancock and Chick Corea, as well as Ivory Williams' synthesizer. Finally, Colin Walcott jumps in with an electric sitar and there are no less than five drummers -- three kits (Al Foster, Billy Hart, and Jack DeJohnette), a tabla player, and Mtume. It's a four-tune suite, On the Corner is, but the separations hardly matter, just the shifts in groove that alter the time/space continuum. After 20 minutes, the set feels over and a form of Miles' strange lyricism returns in "Black Satin." Though a tabla kicks the tune off, there's a recognizable eight-note melody that runs throughout. Carlos Garnett and Bennie Maupin replace Liebman, Dave Creamer replaces McLaughlin, and the groove rides a bit easier -- except for those hand bells shimmering in the background off the beat just enough to make the squares crazy. The respite is short-lived, however. Davis and band move the music way over to the funk side of the street -- though the street funkers thought these cats were too weird with their stranded time signatures and modal fugues that begin and end nowhere and live for the way the riff breaks down into emptiness. "One and One" begins the new tale, so jazz breaks down and gets polished off and resurrected as a far blacker, deeper-than-blue character in the form of "Helen Butte/Mr. Freedom X," where guitars and horns careen off Henderson's cracking bass and Foster's skittering hi-hats. It may sound weird even today, but On the Corner is the most street record ever recorded by a jazz musician. And it still kicks. by Thom Jurek  
Tracklist:
1 On The Corner / New York Girl / Thinkin' Of One Thing And Doin' Another / Vote For Miles 19:56
Guitar – John McLaughlin
Soprano Saxophone – David Liebman
2 Black Satin 5:15
Sitar [Electric] – Khalil Balakrishna
3 One And One 6:09
Bass Clarinet – Bennie Maupin
Soprano Saxophone – Carlos Garnett
4 Helen Butte / Mr. Freedom X 23:18
Tenor Saxophone – Carlos Garnett
Credits:
Bass – Michael Henderson
Drums – Al Foster, Billy Hart, Jack DeJohnette
Electric Piano [Fender Rhodes] – Chick Corea, Herbie Hancock
Guitar – David Creamer (tracks: 2 to 4)
Organ – Harold "Ivory" Williams
Sitar [Electric] – Collin Walcott (tracks: 1, 3, 4)
Synthesizer – Harold "Ivory" Williams, Herbie Hancock
Tabla – Badal Roy
Trumpet, Composed By – Miles Davis

MILES DAVIS - In Concert : Live at Philharmonic Hall (1973-1997) 2CD / RM / FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Of the myriad double-live sets Miles Davis recorded in the early '70s, In Concert: Live at Philharmonic Hall is the only one documenting his On the Corner street-funk period, which is immediately obvious from the cover art. Actually, in terms of repertoire, the material from Get Up With It, Big Fun, and A Tribute to Jack Johnson each takes up a greater percentage of space, but the hard-driving rhythms and plentiful effects make it clear which of Davis' fusion aesthetics applied. In Concert begins to move Davis' live work even farther away from jazz tradition, as he largely forgoes concepts of soloing or space. Instead, Davis presides over a pulsating mound of rhythm, expanding his percussion section and using traditional lead instruments more to create texture -- including his own horn, which he feeds through a wah-wah pedal and other amplification effects. Drummer Al Foster, tabla player Badal Roy, and percussionist Mtume are the centers of the recording, and electric sitar player Khalil Balakrishna adds an exotic dimension to the already tripped-out sonic stew. And "stew" isn't too far off -- the individual voices and elements in the music tend to get mixed and muddled together, which may be frustrating for some jazz fans not used to listening for the thick layers of texture in the soundscapes or the furious energy in the grooves. There are few melodies to latch onto, save for a theme from On the Corner that Davis frequently uses during the first disc to signal transitions. But melody isn't the point of this music; it's about power, rhythm, and the sum energy of the collective, and of Davis' electric jazz-rock albums, In Concert does one of the most mind-bending jobs of living up to those ideals. by Steve Huey  
Tracklist 1:

1 Rated X 12:16

2 Honky Tonk 9:18

3 Theme From Jack Johnson 10:12

4 Black Satin / The Theme 14:15

Tracklist 2:

1 Ife 27:54

2 Right Off / The Theme 10:31

Credits:

Bass – Michael Henderson

Drums – Al Foster

Electric Piano, Synthesizer – Cedric Lawson

Guitar – Reggie Lucas

Percussion – James Mtume

Sitar [Electric] – Khalil Balakrishna

Soprano Saxophone, Tenor Saxophone – Carlos Garnett

Tabla – Badal Roy

Trumpet, Composed By – Miles Davis

MILES DAVIS - Get Up with It (1974-1996) 2CD / RM / FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

When Get Up with It was released in 1974, critics -- let alone fans -- had a tough time with it. The package was a -- by then customary -- double LP, with sessions ranging from 1970-1974 and a large host of musicians who had indeed played on late-'60s and early-'70s recordings, including but not limited to Al Foster, Airto, John McLaughlin, Reggie Lucas, Pete Cosey, Mtume, David Liebman, Billy Cobham, Michael Henderson, Herbie Hancock, Keith Jarrett, Sonny Fortune, Steve Grossman, and others. The music felt, as was customary then, woven together from other sources by Miles and producer Teo Macero. However, these eight selections point in the direction of Miles saying goodbye, as he did for six years after this disc. This was a summation of all that jazz had been to Davis in the '70s and he was leaving it in yet another place altogether; check the opening track, "He Loved Him Madly," with its gorgeous shimmering organ vamp (not even credited to Miles) and its elaborate, decidedly slow, ambient unfolding -- yet with pronounced Ellingtonian lyricism -- over 33 minutes. Given three guitar players, flute, trumpet, bass, drums, and percussion, its restraint is remarkable. When Miles engages the organ formally as he does on the funky groove that moves through "Maiysha," with a shimmering grace that colors the proceedings impressionistically through Lucas, Cosey and guitarist Dominique Gaumont, it's positively shattering. This is Miles as he hadn't been heard since In a Silent Way, and definitely points the way to records like Tutu, The Man with the Horn, and even Decoy when he re-emerged.
That's not to say the harder edges are absent: far from it. There's the off-world Latin funk of "Calypso Frelimo" from 1973, with John Stubblefield, Liebman, Cosey, and Lucas turning the rhythm section inside out as Miles sticks sharp knives of angular riffs and bleats into the middle of the mix, almost like a guitarist. Davis also moves the groove here with an organ and an electric piano to cover all the textural shapes. There's even a rather straight -- for Miles -- blues jam in "Red China Blues" from 1972, featuring Wally Chambers on harmonica and Cornell Dupree on guitar with a full brass arrangement. The set closes with another 1972 session, the endearing "Billy Preston," another of Davis' polyrhythmic funk exercises where the drummers and percussionists -- Al Foster, Badal Roy, and Mtume -- are up front with the trumpet, sax (Carlos Garrett), and keyboards (Cedric Lawson), while the strings -- Lucas, Henderson, and electric sitarist Khalil Balakrishna -- are shimmering, cooking, and painting the groove in the back. Billy Preston, the organist who the tune is named after, is nowhere present and neither is his instrument. It choogles along, shifting rhythms and meters while Miles tries like hell to slip another kind of groove through the band's armor, but it doesn't happen. The track fades, and then there is silence, a deafening silence that would not be filled until Miles' return six years later. This may be the most "commercial" sounding of all of Miles' electric records from the '70s, but it still sounds out there, alien, and futuristic in all the best ways, and Get Up with It is perhaps just coming into its own here in the 21st century. by Thom Jurek  
Tracklist 1:
1 He Loved Him Madly 32:21
Flute – David Liebman
Guitar – Dominique Gaumont
2 Maiysha 14:57
Flute – Sonny Fortune
Guitar – Dominique Gaumont
1-3 Honky Tonk 5:58
Drums – William Cobham
Guitar – John McLaughlin
Keyboards – Herbie Hancock, Keith Jarrett
Percussion – Airto Moreira
Saxophone – Steve Grossman
1-4 Rated X 6:53
Keyboards – Cedric Lawson
Percussion – Badal Roy
Sitar – Khalil Balakrishna
Tracklist 2:
1 Calypso Frelimo 32:13
Flute – David Liebman
Saxophone – John Stubblefield
2 Red China Blues 4:12
Arranged By [Brass] – Wade Marcus
Drums – Bernard Purdie
Guitar – Cornell Dupree
Harmonica – Wally Chambers
Producer, Arranged By [Rhythm] – Billy Jackson
3 Mtume 15:13
Saxophone, Flute – Sonny Fortune
4 Billy Preston 12:36
Organ – Cedric Lawson
Piano – Miles Davis
Saxophone – Carlos Garnett
Sitar – Khalil Balakrishna
Tabla – Badal Roy
Credits:
Drums – Al Foster (tracks: 1-1, 1-2, 1-4 to 2-4)
Electric Bass – Michael Henderson
Guitar – Pete Cosey (tracks: 1-1, 1-2, 2-1, 2-3), Reggie Lucas (tracks: 1-1, 1-2, 1-4, 2-1, 2-4)
Percussion – James Mtume (tracks: 1-1, 1-2, 1-4 to 2-4)
Trumpet, Organ, Written-By – Miles Davis

MILES DAVIS - Dark Magus (1977-1997) 2CD / RM / FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Dark Magus is a live recording of a very specific 1974 Carnegie Hall date that included most, but not all, of the members who recorded the classics Agharta and Pangaea. While drummer Al Foster, bassist Michael Henderson, percussionist James Mtume, and guitarists Pete Cosey and Reggie Lucas were all present, the key element of Sonny Fortune was not yet in the band. Saxophonists David Liebman and Azar Lawrence were doubling in the saxophone chairs, while Dominique Gaumont, with his Jimi Hendrix-styled effects and riffs, was the band's third guitarist. The deep voodoo funk that gelled on the aforementioned recordings hadn't yet come together on this night at Carnegie, near the end of a tour. Featuring four titles, all of them Swahili names for the numbers one through four, Dark Magus is a jam record. By this point, Miles was no longer really rehearsing his bands; they showed up and caught a whiff of what he wanted and went with it. Rhythms, colors, keys -- all of them would shift and change at Davis' whim. There were no melodies outside of a three-note vamp on "Wili" and a few riff-oriented melodics on "Tatu" -- the rest is all deep rhythm-based funk and dark groove. Greasy, mysterious, and full of menacing energy, Dark Magus shows a band at the end of its rope, desperate to change because the story has torn itself out of the book, but not knowing where to go and turning in on itself instead. These dynamics have the feel of unresolved, boiling tension. Gaumont's effects-laden guitar playing overshadows the real guitarists in the band: Cosey and his partner, the rhythmically inventive Lucas. Gaumont doesn't fit naturally, so he tries to dazzle his way in -- check the way Miles cuts his solos off so abruptly while letting the others dovetail and segue. Ultimately, Dark Magus is an over-the-top ride into the fragmented mind of Miles and his 1974 band; its rhythm section is the most compelling of any jazz-rock band in history, but the front lines, while captivating, are too loose and uneven to sustain the listener for the entire ride. by Thom Jurek  
Tracklist 1:
1 Moja (Part 1) 12:28
2 Moja (Part 2) 12:40
3 Wili (Part 1) 14:20
4 Wili (Part 2) 10:44
Tracklist 2:
1 Tatu (Part 1) 18:47
2 Tatu (Part 2) ("Calypso Frelimo") 6:29
3 Nne (Part 1) ("Ife") 15:19
4 Nne (Part 2) 10:11
Credits:
Drums – Al Foster
Electric Bass – Michael Henderson
Guitar – Dominique Gaumont, Pete Cosey, Reggie Lucas
Percussion – Mtume
Tenor Saxophone – Azar Lawrence
Tenor Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone, Flute – Dave Liebman
Trumpet, Organ, Written-By – Miles Davis

MILES DAVIS - doo-bop (1992) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

If On the Corner suggested hip-hop beats as far back as two decades ago, then consider Doo-Bop as offspring. Miles' teaming with producer Easy Mo Bee is a natural -- more in league with England's acid jazz scene than anything in the trumpeter's recent canon. Those who've howled over the post-Bitches Brew work will find no solace here; instead, chalk this up as one of Miles' most entertaining efforts. by Steve Aldrich
Tracklist:
1 Mystery 3:55
Mixed By – D'Anthony Johnson
2 The Doo-Bop Song 5:00
Featuring – A.B. Money, Easy Mo Bee, J.R.
Mixed By – D'Anthony Johnson
3 Chocolate Chip 4:38
Mixed By – D'Anthony Johnson
4 High Speed Chase 4:41
Mixed By – Eric Lynch
5 Blow 5:06
Featuring – Easy Mo Bee
Mixed By – Matthew "Boomer" Lamonica
6 Sonya 5:31
Mixed By – Eric Lynch
7 Fantasy 4:35
Featuring – Easy Mo Bee
Mixed By – Roy Hendrickson
8 Duke Booty 4:55
Mixed By – D'Anthony Johnson
B5 Mystery (Reprise)
Mixed By – D'Anthony Johnson
Credits:
Producer – Easy Mo Bee
Written-By – Donald Hepburn (tracks: 3), Easy Mo Bee, Larry Mizell (tracks: 4), Miles Davis

ROY AYERS - Coffy (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) (1973-2001) RM / APE (image+.cue), lossless

A blaxploitation masterpiece on par with Curtis Mayfield's Superfly and Isaac Hayes' Shaft, Roy Ayers' soundtrack for the 1973 Pam Grier vehicle Coffy remains one of the most intriguing and evocative film scores of its era or any other. Ayers' signature vibes create atmospheres and textures quite distinct from your average blaxploitation effort, embracing both heavy, tripped-out funk ("Brawling Broads") and vividly nuanced soul-jazz ("Aragon"). The vocal numbers are no less impressive, in particular the rapturous opening cut, "Coffy Is the Color." Richly  by Jason Ankeny

Tracklist:

1 Coffy Is The Color 2:58

Vocals – Dee Dee Bridgewater, Roy Ayers, Wayne Garfield

2 Pricilla's Theme 3:53

3 King George 2:55

Vocals – Roy Ayers

4 Aragon 2:52

5 Coffy Sauna 2:13

6 King's Last Ride 1:05

7 Coffy Baby 2:23

Vocals – Dee Dee Bridgewater

8 Brawling Broads 2:40

9 Escape 2:14

10 Shining Symbol 3:49

Vocals – Wayne Garfield

11 Exotic Dance 3:14

12 Making Love 2:45

13 Vittroni's Theme - King Is Dead 1:58

14 End Of Sugarman 1:04

Credits:

Bass [Electric], Bass – Richard Davis  

Congas, Bongos, Percussion – William King  

Drums – Dennis Davis

Guitar – Billy Nichols, Bob Rose

Orchestrated By, Electric Piano, Organ, Harpsichord, Piano – Harry Whitaker

Producer, Composed By, Arranged By – Roy Ayers

Strings – Emanuel Vardi, Harry Lookofsky, Irving Spice, Peter Dimitriades

Trombone – Garnett Brown, Wayne Andre

Trumpet, Flugelhorn – Cecil Bridgewater, Jon Faddis

RAMSEY LEWIS - Sun Goddess (1974-1999) RM / FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Pianist Ramsey Lewis first came to fame as the purveyor of swinging soul-jazz in the mid-'60s, but like a lot of musicians he underwent some major changes by the end of that decade. Sun Goddess (1974), Lewis' biggest success of the decade, is miles away from the finger-snapping supper club sounds of "The In Crowd." By this time, Lewis had transformed himself into a jazz fusion funkateer, riffing on electric piano and synthesizer amid arrangements that meld jazz with funk, R&B, and yes, even touches of progressive rock. Sun Goddess is also something of a stealth Earth, Wind & Fire album, as it features most of the key players from that band, and bears echoes of EW&F's jazzier, more atmospheric side. by Rovi Staff

Tracklist:

1 Sun Goddess 8:29

Bass, Vocals – Verdine White

Congas, Vocals – Philip Bailey

Electric Piano [Fender Rhodes], Synthesizer [Arp Ensemble] – Charles Stepney

Guitar – Johnny Graham

Tenor Saxophone – Don Myrick

Timbales, Drums, Vocals – Maurice White

2 Living For The City 5:20

Bass [Upright Bass], Bass [Fender Bass] – Cleveland Eaton

Drums, Tambura, Congas, Percussion – Maurice Jennings

3 Love Song 5:53

Bass [Upright Bass], Bass [Fender Bass] – Cleveland Eaton

Drums, Tambura, Congas, Percussion – Maurice Jennings

Guitar – Byron Gregory

4 Jungle Strut 4:40

Bass [Upright Bass], Bass [Fender Bass] – Cleveland Eaton

Congas, Drums, Sounds [Weeah], Vocals – Derf Rehlew Raheem

Drums, Tambura, Congas, Percussion – Maurice Jennings

Guitar – Byron Gregory

Synthesizer [Freeman String Symphonizer] – Ramsey Lewis

5 Hot Dawgit 3:00

Bass, Vocals – Verdine White

Congas, Vocals – Philip Bailey

Electric Piano [Fender Rhodes], Synthesizer [Arp Ensemble] – Charles Stepney

Guitar – Johnny Graham

Timbales, Drums, Vocals – Maurice White

6 Tambura 2:53

Bass [Upright Bass], Bass [Fender Bass] – Cleveland Eaton

Drums, Tambura, Congas, Percussion – Maurice Jennings

Guitar – Byron Gregory

7 Gemini Rising 5:50

Bass [Upright Bass], Bass [Fender Bass] – Cleveland Eaton

Drums, Tambura, Congas, Percussion – Maurice Jennings

MÁRCIO MONTARROYOS & STONE ALIANCE - Márcio Montarroyos & Stone Alliance (1977) Mp3

Márcio Montarroyos is an excellent Brazilian musician with an extensive resumé as a session man for Brazilian and international top musicians. Some of his later releases fell in a somewhat abusive commercial line, but this one preserves his musicality and adventurousness. A Brazilian fusion jazz album, originally recorded in 1977, it benefits from the international excellence of such musicians as Steve Grossman, Gene Perla, Don Alias, and the Brazilians Hermeto Pascoal, David Sion, and Dom Bira, among others. Mixing the American standard "A Child Is Born" (Thad Jones) with those musicians' originals, the album keeps a cohesive quality and creative improvisations provided by the amazing range of expression of each of its individual components. by Alvaro Neder

Tracklist:

1 Hey Bicho, Vamos Nessa 4:48

Congas [Uncredited], Cowbell [Uncredited] – Don Bira

Written-By – Steve Grossman

2 Rua Da Boa Hora 4:48

Percussion [Uncredited] – David Sion  

Written-By – Marcio Montarroyos

3 A Child Is Born 4:34

Written-By – Thad Jones

4 On The Foot Peg 5:51

Written-By – Marcio Montarroyos

5 Menina Ilza 6:39

Written-By, Piano [Uncredited], Flute [Uncredited] – Hermeto Pascoal

6 Risa 5:23

Written-By – Don Alias

7 Libra Rising 3:22

Written-By – Steve Grossman

8 The Greeting 4:10

Written-By – Don Alias, Erasto Vasconcelos

Credits:

Bass, Electric Piano, Synthesizer [Strings, Moog], Keyboards, Piano – Gene Perla

Congas, Drums, Guitar, Voice, Percussion – Don Alias

Percussion, Surdo, Voice, Cowbell [Bell], Cowbell – Erasto De Holanda Vasconcelos

Soprano Saxophone, Tenor Saxophone, Piano – Steve Grossman

Trumpet, Flugelhorn, Piano, Percussion, Synthesizer [Moog], Voice, Mellophone – Marcio Montarroyos

MÁRCIO MONTARROYOS - Magic Moment (1982) Mp3

Tracklist:

1 - Patamar (Márcio Montarroyos)  

2 - Magic moment (Márcio Montarroyos)  

3 - Sabor da tarde (Márcio Montarroyos)  

4 - In what direction are you headed? (H.Mabern)  

5 - Pedra bonita (Márcio Montarroyos)  

6 - Makenna beach (Márcio Montarroyos)

Arranged by Marcio Montarroyos

Credits:

Marcio Montarroyos - flugelhorn (1,2,3,4,5), keyboards (1), trumpet (4), electric trumpet (6)

Lincoln Olivetti - piano (1,2,3,4), oberheim (3), keyboards (5,6)

Victor Biglione - guitar (1,2,3,4,5)

Jamil Joanes - bass (1,2,3,4,5,6)

Ivan Conti - drums (1,2,4,5,6)

Ariovaldo Contesini - percussion (1,2,4,5)

Ricardo Silveira - guitar (2,3,4,5)

Picole - drums (3)

Marcos Resende - keyboards (6)

Jorge Robison - guitar (6)

Chacal - congas (6)

HERBIE HANCOCK - Crossings (1972-2014) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

With the frenzied knocking of what sounds like a clock shop gone berserk, Crossings takes the Herbie Hancock Sextet even further into the electric avant-garde, creating its own idiom. Now, however, the sextet has become a septet with the addition of Dr. Patrick Gleeson on Moog synthesizer, whose electronic decorations, pitchless and not, give the band an even spacier edge. Again, there are only three tracks -- the centerpiece being Hancock's multi-faceted, open-structured suite in five parts called "Sleeping Giant." Nearly 25 minutes long yet amazingly cohesive, "Sleeping Giant" gathers a lot of its strength from a series of funky grooves -- the most potent of which explodes at the tail-end of Part Two -- and Hancock's on-edge Fender Rhodes electric piano solos anticipate his funk adventures later in the '70s. Bennie Maupin's "Quasar" pushes the session into extraterrestrial territory, dominated by Gleeson's wild Moog effects and trumpeter Eddie Henderson's patented fluttering air trumpet. Even stranger is Maupin's "Water Torture," which saunters along freely with splashes of color from Hancock's spooky Mellotron and fuzz-wah-pedaled Fender Rhodes piano, Gleeson's electronics, and a quintet of voices. Still a challenging sonic experience, this music (which can be heard on Warners' Mwandishi two-CD set) has yet to find its audience, though the electronica-minded youth ought to find it dazzling. by Richard S. Ginell  

Tracklist:

1. Sleeping Giant (24:48)

2. Quasar (7:25)

3. Water Torture (13:54)

Total Time 46:21

Credits:

Herbie Hancock - Piano, Electric Piano, Mellotron, Percussion

Eddie Henderson - Trumpet, Flugelhorn, Percussion

Billy Hart - Drums, Percussion

Julian Priester - Bass, Tenor and Alto Trombone, Percussion

Buster Williams - Electric Bass, Bass, Percussion

Bennie Maupin - Soprano Saxophone, Alto Flute, Bass Clarinet, Piccolo, Percussion

Patrick Gleeson - Moog Synthesizer

Victor Pontoja - Congas

Voices - Candy Love, Sandra Stevens, Della Horne, Victoria Domagalski, Scott Breach

HERBIE HANCOCK - Sextant (1973-1998) APE (image+.cue), lossless

When Herbie Hancock left Warner Bros. in 1971 after releasing three musically sound but critically and commercially underappreciated albums -- The Crossing, Mwandishi, and Fat Albert's Groove -- he was struggling. At odds with a jazz establishment that longed for his return to his Blue Note sound and a fierce consciousness struggle with free music and the full-on embrace of electricity since his tenure with Miles Davis, Hancock was clearly looking for a voice. Before diving into the commercial waters that would become Headhunters in 1973, Hancock and his tough group (including Billy Hart, Julian Priester, Dr. Eddie Henderson, Bennie Maupin, and Buster Williams) cut this gem for their new label, Columbia. Like its Warner predecessors, the album features a kind of post-modal, free impressionism while gracing the edges of funk. The three long tracks are exploratory investigations into the nature of how mode and interval can be boiled down into a minimal stew and then extrapolated upon for soloing and "riffing." In fact, in many cases, the interval becomes the riff, as is evidenced by "Rain Dance." The piece that revealed the true funk direction, however, was "Hidden Shadows," with its choppy basslines and heavy percussion -- aided by the inclusion of Dr. Patrick Gleeson and Buck Clarke. Dave Rubinson's production brought Hancock's piano more into line with the rhythm section, allowing for a unified front in the more abstract sections of these tunes. The true masterpiece on the album, though, is "Hornets," an eclectic, electric ride through both the dark modal ambience of Miles' In a Silent Way and post-Coltrane harmonic aesthetics. The groove is in place, but it gets turned inside out by Priester and Maupin on more than one occasion and Hancock just bleats with the synth in sections. Over 19 minutes in length, it can be brutally intense, but is more often than not stunningly beautiful. It provides a glimpse into the music that became Headhunters, but doesn't fully explain it, making this disc, like its Warner predecessors, true and welcome mysteries in Hancock's long career. by Thom Jurek
Tracklist:
1 Rain Dance 9:16
2 Hidden Shadows 10:11
3 Hornets 19:35
Credits:
Bass Trombone, Tenor Trombone, Trombone [Alto Trombone], Cowbell – Pepo
Composed By – Herbie Hancock
Congas, Bongos – Buck Clarke
Drums – Jabali
Effects [Random Resonator] – Fundi
Electric Bass [Fender Electric With Wah-wah And Fuzz], Acoustic Bass – Mchezaji
Electric Piano [Fender Rhodes], Clavinet [Hohner D-6 With Fender Fuzz-wah And Echoplex], Mellotron, Piano [Steinway], Handclaps – Mwandishi
Soprano Saxophone, Bass Clarinet, Piccolo Flute, Afoxé [Afuche], Kazoo [Hum-a-zoo] – Mwile
Synthesizer [Arp 2600] – Dr. Patrick Gleeson
Trumpet, Flugelhorn – Mganga