SCOTT HENDERSON & TRIBAL TECH - Spears (1985) FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

Scott Henderson's perfectly summarized his outlook when, in 1991, he told L.A. Jazz Scene: "Fusion isn't a dirty word to me. I'm proud to call myself a fusion player." Indeed, real jazz-fusion -- spontaneous, risk-taking and improvisatory -- is exactly what the electric guitarist passionately and enthusiastically embraces on Spears, his debut album. Drawing on such influences as Return to Forever, John McLaughlin and Weather Report, the hard-edged guitarist set the uncompromising tone for his career and that of his band Tribal Tech which, in 1985, included Gary Willis on electric bass, Pat Coil on electric keyboards, Michael Brecker-disciple Bob Sheppard on tenor and soprano sax and flute, Steve Houghton on drums and Brad Dutz on mallets & percussion. Often showing a complex and cerebral sense of melody and harmony, this CD (first released on Passport and reissued by Relativity in 1990) underscores the fact that when fusion is played with integrity, it's very much an extension of the jazz tradition. by Alex Henderson
Tracklist:
1 Caribbean 8:13
Scott Henderson
2 Punkin Head 6:10
Scott Henderson
3 Ivy Towers 4:49
Scott Henderson
4 Tribal 2:12
Scott Henderson
5 Spears 7:10
Scott Henderson
6 Island City Shuttle 7:28
Scott Henderson
7 Big Fun 7:58
Scott Henderson
Credits:
Bass – Gary Willis
Drums – Steve Houghton
Executive-Producer, Percussion [Mallets] – Brad Dutz
Keyboards – Pat Coil
Producer, Guitar, Composed By, Arranged By – Scott Henderson
Saxophone, Flute – Bob Sheppard

SCOTT HENDERSON & TRIBAL TECH - Dr. Hee (1987) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

When Scott Henderson recorded his second album with Tribal Tech, Dr. Hee, in 1987, commercial "quiet storm" and "smooth jazz" stations had found quite a niche for themselves by spotlighting bland, uninteresting (but commercially successful) fluff. But that type of muzak held no interest whatsoever for Henderson, who stuck to his guns and continued to triumph by offering gutsy, challenging fusion. Henderson isn't one to shy away from abstraction, and some of the songs on Dr. Hee (most written by either Henderson himself or his long-time partner, bassist Gary Willis) aren't always terribly easy to absorb. Like so much of the bebop, post-bop and free jazz that came before it, this CD (first released on Passport, then reissued by Relativity in 1990) reveals more and more of its richness with repeated listenings. by Alex Henderson
Tracklist:
1 Dr. Hee 6:51
2 Outskirts 5:48
3 Mango Prom 6:46
4 Solem 2:56
5 Salsa Lastra 5:37
6 Twilight In The Northridge 5:18
7 Seek And Find 4:53
8 The Rain 1:46
9 Ominous 5:05
Credits:
Bass, Synthesizer, Producer – Gary Willis
Drums – Steve Houghton
Flute, Saxophone – Bob Sheppard
Keyboards – Brad Dutz, Pat Coil, Will Boulware (tracks: 4, 7)
Percussion [Mallets] – Brad Dutz
Producer, Guitar, Guitar Synthesizer – Scott Henderson

SCOTT HENDERSON & TRIBAL TECH - Nomad (1990) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Like its predecessors, Henderson's third date as a leader is a fine example of how creative and inspired genuine jazz-rock can be. Tough and aggressive yet full of appealing melodic and harmonic nuances, this CD contains not one iota of the type of lightweight smooth jazz or Muzak for which Henderson has often voiced his contempt. With Nomad, Tribal Tech underwent a few personnel changes, and for the first time, recorded an entire album minus a sax. While electric bassist Gary Willis, drummer Steve Houghton, and percussionist/mallet player Brad Dutz remained, saxman Bob Sheppard was gone, and keyboardist Pat Coil had been replaced by David Goldblatt. Despite these changes, Tribal Tech's sound (which was essentially guided by Henderson and Willis) remained easily recognizable. The '70s breakthroughs of Weather Report, Return to Forever, and John McLaughlin, among others, still had an impact on Tribal Tech, but by 1988, it was even more evident that Henderson was a fine soloist and composer in his own right. by Alex Henderson
Tracklist:
1 Renegade 5:49
Gary Willis
2 Nomad 7:19
Scott Henderson
3 Robot Immigrants 5:06
Brad Dutz / David Goldblatt
4 Tunnel Vision 4:40
Gary Willis
5 Elegy for Shoe 4:07
David Goldblatt
6 Bofat 8:34
Scott Henderson
7 No No No 5:51
Gary Willis
8 Self Defense 5:02
Gary Willis
9 Rituals 5:43
Scott Henderson
Credits:
Bass, Producer – Gary Willis
Drums – Steve Houghton
Guitar, Producer – Scott Henderson
Keyboards – David Goldblatt
Keyboards, Percussion [Mallets] – Brad Dutz
Written-By – Goldblatt (tracks: 3, 5), Willis (tracks: 1, 4, 7, 8), Henderson (tracks: 2, 6, 9)

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

TRIBAL TECH - Reality Check (1995) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Tracklist:
1 Stella by Starlight 2:17
Ned Washington / Victor Young
2 Stella by Infra-Red High Particle Neutron Beam 6:25
Scott Henderson
3 Nite Club 7:47
Gary Willis
4 Speak 5:19
Gary Willis
5 Worlds Waiting 8:08
Scott Henderson
6 Susie's Dingsbums 7:42
Scott Henderson
7 Jakarta 4:54
Scott Henderson
8 Hole in the Head 12:09
Gary Willis
9 Foreign Affairs 5:00
Scott Kinsey
10 Premonition 6:36
Gary Willis
11 Reality Check 3:01
Kirk Covington / Scott Henderson / Scott Kinsey / Tribal Tech / Gary Willis
Credits:
Bass – Gary Willis
Drums – Kirk Covington
Electric Guitar – Scott Henderson
Keyboards – Scott Kinsey

BILLY COBHAM - Spectrum (1973-2007) RM / FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Drummer Billy Cobham was fresh from his success with the Mahavishnu Orchestra when he recorded his debut album, which is still his best. Most of the selections showcase Cobham in a quartet with keyboardist Jan Hammer, guitarist Tommy Bolin, and electric bassist Lee Sklar. Two other numbers include Joe Farrell on flute and soprano and trumpeter Jimmy Owens with guitarist John Tropea, Hammer, bassist Ron Carter, and Ray Barretto on congas. The generally high-quality compositions (which include "Red Baron") make this fusion set a standout, a strong mixture of rock-ish rhythms and jazz improvising. by Scott Yanow
Tracklist:
1 Quadrant 4 4:20
2 Searching For The Right Door 1:24
Soloist [Uncredited], Drums [Uncredited] – Billy Cobham
3 Spectrum 5:09
Acoustic Bass – Ron Carter
Congas – Ray Barretto
Electric Piano, Synthesizer [Moog] – Jan Hammer
Flugelhorn – Jimmy Owens
Flute, Soprano Saxophone – Joe Farrell
4 Anxiety 1:41
Soloist [Uncredited], Drums [Uncredited] – Billy Cobham
5 Taurian Matador 3:03
6 Stratus 9:50
7 To The Women In My Life 0:51
Soloist [Uncredited], Piano [Uncredited] – Jan Hammer
8 Le Lis 3:20
Acoustic Bass – Ron Carter
Alto Saxophone – Joe Farrell
Congas – Ray Barretto
Electric Piano, Synthesizer [Moog] – Jan Hammer
Flugelhorn, Trumpet – Jimmy Owens
Guitar – John Tropea
9 Snoopy's Search 1:02
Soloist [Uncredited], Synthesizer [Uncredited] – Jan Hammer
10 Red Baron 6:37
Credits:
Electric Bass [Fender Bass] – Leland Sklar
Electric Piano, Piano [Acoustic], Synthesizer [Moog] – Jan Hammer
Guitar – Tommy Bolin
Percussion, Producer, Written-By – Billy Cobham

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

MILES DAVIS - In a Silent Way (1969-2000) RM / FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

Listening to Miles Davis' originally released version of In a Silent Way in light of the complete sessions released by Sony in 2001 (Columbia Legacy 65362) reveals just how strategic and dramatic a studio construction it was. If one listens to Joe Zawinul's original version of "In a Silent Way," it comes across as almost a folk song with a very pronounced melody. The version Miles Davis and Teo Macero assembled from the recording session in July of 1968 is anything but. There is no melody, not even a melodic frame. There are only vamps and solos, grooves layered on top of other grooves spiraling toward space but ending in silence. But even these don't begin until almost ten minutes into the piece. It's Miles and McLaughlin, sparely breathing and wending their way through a series of seemingly disconnected phrases until the groove monster kicks in. The solos are extended, digging deep into the heart of the ethereal groove, which was dark, smoky, and ashen. McLaughlin and Hancock are particularly brilliant, but Corea's solo on the Fender Rhodes is one of his most articulate and spiraling on the instrument ever. The A-side of the album, "Shhh/Peaceful," is even more so. With Tony Williams shimmering away on the cymbals in double time, Miles comes out slippery and slowly, playing over the top of the vamp, playing ostinato and moving off into more mysterious territory a moment at a time. With Zawinul's organ in the background offering the occasional swell of darkness and dimension, Miles could continue indefinitely. But McLaughlin is hovering, easing in, moving up against the organ and the trills by Hancock and Corea; Wayne Shorter hesitantly winds in and out of the mix on his soprano, filling space until it's his turn to solo. But John McLaughlin, playing solos and fills throughout (the piece is like one long dreamy solo for the guitarist), is what gives it its open quality, like a piece of music with no borders as he turns in and through the commingling keyboards as Holland paces everything along. When the first round of solos ends, Zawinul and McLaughlin and Williams usher it back in with painterly decoration and illumination from Corea and Hancock. Miles picks up on another riff created by Corea and slips in to bring back the ostinato "theme" of the work. He plays glissando right near the very end, which is the only place where the band swells and the tune moves above a whisper before Zawinul's organ fades it into silence. This disc holds up, and perhaps is even stronger because of the issue of the complete sessions. It is, along with Jack Johnson and Bitches Brew, a signature Miles Davis session from the electric era. by Thom Jurek 
Tracklist:
1 Shhh / Peaceful 18:21
Written-By – M. Davis
2 In A Silent Way - It's About That Time 19:53
Written-By – J. Zawinul, M. Davis
Credits:
Bass – Dave Holland
Drums – Tony Williams
Electric Piano – Chick Corea, Herbie Hancock
Guitar – John McLaughlin
Organ, Electric Piano – Josef Zawinul
Tenor Saxophone – Wayne Shorter
Trumpet – Miles Davis

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 - You're Under Arrest (1985) FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

Miles Davis's final Columbia recording (other than Aura which was released several years later) includes his straightforward ballad interpretations of Cyndy Lauper's "Time After Time" and the Michael Jackson-associated "Human Nature," two songs he would play in most of his concerts for the remainder of his life. Other tunes (including "You're Under Arrest," "One Phone Call" and "Ms. Morrisine") were quickly discarded. In addition to Davis (who had regained his earlier chops) tenor-saxophonist Bob Berg, guitarist John Scofield and guest John McLaughlin get in a few decent solos on this competent but not overly memorable effort. by Scott Yanow
Tracklist:
1 One Phone Call / Street Scenes 4:36
Performer [Handcuffs] – James Prindiville
Voice [French Policeman] – Sting
Voice [Police Voices, Davis Voices] – Miles Davis
Voice [Polish] – Marek Olko
Voice [Spanish] – Steve Thornton
2 Human Nature 4:30
3 Intro: MD 1 / Something's On Your Mind / MD 2 7:18
4 Ms. Morrisine 4:56
5 Katia Prelude 0:42
Synthesizer [Obxa] – Miles Davis
6 Katia 7:39
Synthesizer [Obxa] – Miles Davis
7 Time After Time 3:39
8 You're Under Arrest 6:13
Organ, Clavinet – Robert Irving III
9 Medley: Jean Pierre / You're Under Arrest / Then There Were None 3:27
Celesta – Robert Irving III
Credits:
Bass – Darryl Jones
Drums – Al Foster (tracks: 1, 7 to 9), Vincent Wilburn, Jr. (tracks: 2 to 6)
Guitar – John McLaughlin (tracks: 4 to 6), John Scofield (tracks: 1 to 3, 7, 9)
Illustration – Miles Davis
Percussion – Steve Thornton
Producer – Miles Davis
Soprano Saxophone – Bob Berg (tracks: 1, 8, 9)
Synthesizer – Robert Irving III
Trumpet – Miles Davis

MILES DAVIS - Amandla (1989) WV (image+.cue), lossless

A particularly strong set by late-period Miles Davis, this LP is highlighted by a surprisingly straight-ahead performance titled "Mr. Pastorius." In addition to Davis and his new altoist Kenny Garrett, various guests (including Marcus Miller, guitarist Jean-Paul Bourelly, Joey DeFrancesco on keyboards, Rick Margitza on tenor, pianist Joe Sample, and bassist Foley) get their chances to play next to the great legend who is in top form. An excellent effort, it was really his last studio recording with his regular band. by Scott Yanow
Tracklist:
1 Catembe 5:35
Percussion – Don Alias, Mino Cinelu
2 Cobra 5:15
Guitar – Michael Landau
Keyboards – Joey De Francesco
Keyboards, Synthesizer [Synclavier], Producer, Arranged By, Written-By – George Duke
Recorded By – Eric Zobler
3 Big Time 5:40
Drums – Ricky Wellman
Guitar – Foley, Jean-Paul Bourelly
Percussion – Don Alias
4 Hannibal 5:49
Drums – Omar Hakim
Guitar – Foley
Percussion – Paulinho Da Costa
5 Jo-Jo 4:51
Guitar – Jean-Paul Bourelly
Percussion – Paulinho Da Costa
Tenor Saxophone – Rick Margitza
6 Amandla 5:20
Drums – Omar Hakim
Percussion – Bashiri Johnson, Don Alias
Piano – Joe Sample
7 Jilli 5:05
Drum Programming, Guitar, Keyboards, Co-producer, Arranged By, Written-By – John Bigham
Drums – Ricky Wellman
Guitar – Billy "Spaceman" Patterson, Foley
8 Mr. Pastorius 5:41
Drums – Al Foster
Programmed By [Synthesizer] – Jason Miles 
Credits:
Arranged By – Marcus Miller (tracks: 1, 3 to 8)
Bass, Keyboards, Drums, Guitar, Bass Clarinet, Soprano Saxophone – Marcus Miller
Executive-Producer – Miles Davis
Soprano Saxophone, Alto Saxophone – Kenny Garrett (tracks: 1 to 7)
Trumpet – Miles Davis
Written-By – Marcus Miller (tracks: 1, 3 to 6, 8)

COLLEGIUM MUSICUM - Collegium Musicum (1970-2007) RM / FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

This band was active from 1971 until 1981 with six releases plus one live album. Their style is similar to Emerson Lake & Palmer, Rick Wakeman, and The Nice. There are clear Classical influences. The bands music consisted of Ludovít Nosko (vocals, guitars), Marián Varga (keyboards), Karel Witz (guitars), Fedor Freso (bass) and Dusan Hájek (drums).

Their albums contain long tracks all composed by Varga. The compositions are solid and have Classical inspirations. An example is "Hommage a J.S. Bach" or "Concerto in D" and other tracks, the guitar have much space supported by superb keyboards (Hammond organ, mini Moog, piano). I support people who think this is one of the best east Europe bands of ever. Collegium Musicum official website

Tracklist  

1 Hommage À J. S. Bach 7:16
Composed By [Uncredited] – Dušan Hájek, Fedor Frešo, Marián Varga
2 Ulica Plná Plášťov Do Dažďa 6:43
Composed By [Uncredited] – Dušan Hájek, Marián Varga
3 If You Want To Fall 13:24
Composed By [Uncredited] – Marián Varga, Peter Saller
4 Strange Theme 13:40
Composed By [Uncredited] – Marián Varga, Peter Saller
5 Concerto In D 12:35

Composed By [Uncredited] – Joseph Haydn

Conductor [Diriguje] [Uncredited] – Vladimír Popelka
Credits
Bass Guitar, Vocals [Zpěv] – Fedor Frešo
Drums [Bicí Nástroje] – Dušan Hájek
Guitar – Pavel Váně (tracks: 1, 2), Rastislav Vacho (tracks: 3, 4, 5)
Organ, Harpsichord [Cembalo] – Marián Varga

MANDOKI SOULMATES - Living in the Gap + Hungarian Pictures (2019) 2CD / FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

Born in Budapest, the drummer and bandleader of German descent László (Leslie) Mandoki belonged to the 1970s' student opposition in communist Hungary. Far beyond the system-conform mainstream, his Jazz-Rock formation "JAM" symbolized the longing for a free world. In 1975, he was forced to leave the country because of governmental repression. Accompanied by his two closest friends, László Bencker and Gábor Csupó, their flight was followed by a long odyssey. On his quest for freedom, he found more than that: a new home - in Germany.

In the "Golden West", after having been taught the hard way by the free market music industry, Leslie became established as a musician. After working as a singing drummer in various theatres, cafés with dancing and jazz festivals, he soon made a name for himself as a studio musician. As front man and lead singer of the band "Dschingis Khan", he then, almost unintentionally, won public recognition with no.1 hits in many countries and innumerable awards, gold - and platinum records. While being far away from his own artistic and musical visions, his years with Dschingis Khan have served Leslie as a kind of apprenticeship. His studio work and his first successes as a songwriter as well as dealings with various useful divisions of the commercial music industry finally enabled him to gain artistic freedom. In this time he made the acquaintance of many influential "men of action" of the music scene, who became friends over the years, such as Monty Lüftner, the founder of the BMG (Bertelsmann Music Group).

With his old school friend and so-called "muse twin", top arranger László Bencker, he founded the Park Studios in Munich, where he began to put his musical visions into practice with a small team under the name "Red-Rock Production". It was their perfectionism and hard work which brought Leslie and Laszlo their first gold and platinum records as well as various other awards as producers; at the time they worked on productions of such different artists as Engelbert, Placido Domingo, M.S.S.O. or Leslie's companion at the time, Ami Stewart, an American disco-singer with two international no.1 hits.

At the opening festivities of the Olympic Games in Seoul, Leslie sang alongside a number of world stars; the Mandoki/ Bencker- song became a no.1 hit in Asia.

Many years of common experience have turned Leslie Mandoki and Laszlo Bencker into a well-attuned team; as graduate musicians they are open for different styles and genres, true to their motto: "Music is a matter of taste; recording is a matter of dedication and professionalism." In the course of the years, many artists coming from the most diverse musical backgrounds have put their trust into Leslie and Laszlo, for example Milva, Karel Gott, Howard Carpendale, but also Kenny Loggins, Sigue Sigue Sputnik, Jermaine Jackson, Pia Zadora, and many others.

In their studio work and the resulting music production, Leslie and Laszlo finally found a way to realize their original artistic vision. Leslie never let go of his passion for his artistic roots, the jazz-rock of the 1970s and intellectual pop music. Consequently, alongside his various productions, he created the Man Doki project featuring Ian Anderson (Jethro Tull), Jack Bruce (Cream), David Clayton-Thomas (Blood, Sweat & Tears), Bobby Kimball (Toto), multiple Grammy-winners Michael and Randy Brecker, Pino Palladino (Elton John, Billy Joel, Phil Collins), Nik Kershaw, Steve Khan, Al Di Meola, Bill Evans (Miles Davis Band), Larry Coryell, Anthony Jackson (Steely Dan, Paul Simon, Bee Gees, Chick Corea) and Victor Bailey (Madonna, Weather Report, Mary J. Blige). These old and close friends of Leslie's were joined by Chaka Khan, Steve Lukather (Toto), Guru (Jazzmataz) and Joshua Kadison to work on the album "People In Room N° 8" which was introduced to the public in Thomas Gottschalk's
Parallel to the TV broadcast the CD "50 Jahre Rock" was released and immediately reached the top of the charts, where it remained for several weeks.
In the year 2005, the "50 Years Of Rock" line up participated in the Bambi-awarded ZDF (Second German Television) fundraising gala for the victims of the Tsunami. Leslie Mandoki was also in charge of one of the telephone lines for donations during the charity show, which entered the Guinness Book of Records as the TV show with the highest amount of received donations ever. The final song of the Charity Gala was also performed by the Man Doki Soulmates featuring Jon Lord, Greg Lake, Paul Carrack, Ian Anderson, Bobby Kimball and greatly successful young shooting-star Katie Melua. progarchives
Tracklist:
Living In The Gap
1 Living In The Gap 7:06
2 Young Rebels 4:25
3 Turn The Wind 5:17
4 Where We Belong 5:05
5 Let The Music Show You The Way 4:12
6 Too Much Pride 6:54
7 Old Rebels 4:43
8 Welcome To Real Life 7:45
9 Hottest Queen Of Cool 3:46
10 Wake Up 4:25
11 Mother Europe 3:40
12 I'm Not Your Enemy 8:47
Hungarian Pictures
1 Sessions In The Village 6:50
2 Utopia For Realists 2:09
3 Transylvanian Dances 19:02
4 You'll Find Me In Your Mirror 2:35
5 Return To Budapest 4:36
6 Barbaro 4:32
7 The Torch 5:51
Credits:
6-String Bass – Steve Bailey
Accordion – Fausto Beccalossi
Alto Saxophone – Max Merseny
Bass, Vocals – Richard Bona
Drums – Simon Phillips
Grand Piano – Béla Szakcsi Lakatos
Guitar – Al Di Meola, Mike Stern
Piano, Organ – Cory Henry, Gyula Papp
Soprano Saxophone, Tenor Saxophone – Ada Brecker
Tenor Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone – Bill Evans
Tenor Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone, Alto Saxophone, Clarinet – John Helliwell
Trumpet – Till Brönner
Trumpet, Flugelhorn – Randy Brecker
Violin – Edvin Marton
Vocals – Bobby Kimball, Chris Thompson, Jesse Siebenberg, Julia Mandoki, Nick Van Eede, Peter Maffay
Vocals, Bass – Jack Bruce
Vocals, Drums, Percussion, Udu – Leslie Mandoki
Vocals, Flute – Ian Anderson
Vocals, Piano, Organ – Tony Carey

SPLASH - Ut Pa Vischan! (1972-2019) RM / FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

Swedish jazz and rock band, combining Zappa influences, prog, soul and Nordic folk.
Tracklist:
1 Jag Minns Min Gröna Dal 5:19
2 Jag Drömmer Om En Annan Värld 6:16
3 Stormen 4:34
4 Ut På Vischan 3:58
5 Frihet 3:01
6 Spelmannen Och Forskarlen 6:51
7 Vår Dröm 3:47
8 Smutsig Jord 4:59
Credits:
Bass, Vocals – Kaj Söderström
Drums – Jan-Erik Westin
Guitar, Vocals – Christer Jansson
Organ, Piano – Gösta Rundqvist
Saxophone, Bassoon, Clarinet – Christer Holm
Saxophone, Flute – Håkan Lewin
Trombone – Lennart Löfgren
Trumpet – Leif Halldén

SPLASH - Splash (1974-2019) RM / FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

Tracklist:
1 Karottorokokrockokrokorock (Elephant Nilson) 21:02
2 Tiokronorspolkan 6:53
3 Sambahmadu 13:47
Credits:
Bass, Vocals – Kaj Söderström
Design [Cover] – Ardy Strüwer
Drums – Henrik Hildén
Flute [Flutes], Saxophone [Saxophones] – Torbjörn Carlsson
Guitar, Violin, Vocals – Christer Jansson
Maracas – Sven-Åke Eriksson (tracks: 3)
Percussion – Ahmadu Jarr (tracks: 3)
Piano, Organ, Synthesizer [Mini-Moog], Violin, Vocals – Thomas Jutterström
Producer [Produced By] – Splash
Saxophone, Clarinet, Bassoon – Christer Holm
Trombone, Flugelhorn – Lennart Löfgren
Trumpet, Flugelhorn – Leif Halldén
Vocals [Presley-Vocal] – Gunnar (tracks: 1)
Voice [Announcing In Kolgujev] – Jan-Erik Westin (tracks: 1)

THE MAHAVISHNU ORCHESTRA - The Inner Mounting Flame (1971-1998) RM / FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

The Inner Mounting Flame is Mahavishnu Orchestra's debut studio album originally released in 1971 by Columbia Records. The jazz-rock group performed tracks composed by leader John McLaughlin.

This is the album that made John McLaughlin a semi-household name, a furious, high-energy, yet rigorously conceived meeting of virtuosos that, for all intents and purposes, defined the fusion of jazz and rock a year after Miles Davis' Bitches Brew breakthrough. It also inadvertently led to the derogatory connotation of the word fusion, for it paved the way for an army of imitators, many of whose excesses and commercial panderings devalued the entire movement. Though much was made of the influence of jazz-influenced improvisation in the Mahavishnu band, it is the rock element that predominates, stemming directly from the electronic innovations of Jimi Hendrix. The improvisations, particularly McLaughlin's post-Hendrix machine-gun assaults on double-necked electric guitar and Jerry Goodman's flights on electric violin, owe more to the freakouts that had been circulating in progressive rock circles than to jazz, based as they often are on ostinatos on one chord. These still sound genuinely thrilling today on CD, as McLaughlin and Goodman battle Jan Hammer's keyboards, Rick Laird's bass, and especially Billy Cobham's hard-charging drums, whose jazz-trained technique pushed the envelope for all rock drummers. What doesn't date so well are the composed medium- and high-velocity unison passages that are played in such tight lockstep that they can't breathe. There is also time out for quieter, reflective numbers that are drenched in studied spirituality ("A Lotus on Irish Streams") or irony ("You Know You Know"); McLaughlin was to do better in that department with less-driven colleagues elsewhere in his career. Aimed with absolute precision at young rock fans, this record was wildly popular in its day, and it may have been the cause of more blown-out home amplifiers than any other record this side of Deep Purple.

Tracklist:

1. Meeting of the Spirits (Remastered)

2. Dawn (Remastered)

3. The Noonward Race (Remastered)

4. A Lotus on Irish Streams (Remastered)

5. Vital Transformation (Remastered)

6. The Dance of Maya (Remastered)

7. You Know, You Know (Remastered)

8. Awakening (Remastered)

9. The Noonward Race (Live) (Remastered)

Personnel:

John McLaughlin - guitar

Rick Laird - bass

Billy Cobham - drums, percussion

Jan Hammer - keyboards, organ

Jerry Goodman - violin

Producers: Mahavishnu Orchestra