Al DI MEOLA & LEONID AGUTIN — Cosmopolitan Life (2005) APE (image+.cue), lossless

On COSMOPOLITAN LIFE Russian guitarist, singer, and rock star Leonid Agutin teams up with six-string virtuoso Al Di Meola for a tour through a collection of songs that spans borders and styles. Elements of jazz, Cuban, gypsy music, African, tango, and mainstream pop are brought together to dazzling effect, and while Agutin’s distinctive voice is one of the album’s most notable qualities, it’s the guitar interplay between the two artists that makes COSMOPOLITAN LIFE a satisfying listen. This disc comes recommended to fans of either artist, as well as those that enjoy crossover jazz and music with an international flavor. Anthony Tognazzini
Tracklist :
1    Cuba Africa    5:36
2    Cosmopolitan Life 4:11
Backing Vocals [Back Vocal] – Beatriz Malnic, Lilian Viana, Pedro Ferreira, Rogerio Moura
3    Nobody    4:47
4    Price To Learn    5:30
5    Tango    3:55
6    Smile    4:23
7    Portofino    3:37
8    If I'll Get A Chance... 4:09
Vocals – Angelica Varum
9    Blue River 4:44
Drum [Drum Track] – Vinnie Colaiuta
Recorded By – Ego Works
10    Shade Of Your World    6:15
Video    Cosmopolitan Life    4:08
Personnel :
Acoustic Guitar [Acoustic Guitars], Electric Guitar [Electric Guitars] – Al Di Meola
Acoustic Guitar [Additional] – Anatoly Kotov
Arranged By – Al Di Meola, Albert Fedoseev, Leonid Agutin
Backing Vocals [Back Vocal] – Albert Fedoseev, Artia Lockett, Aster Wilson, Farah Lopez, Randy Singer Group, Ron Taylor, Angelica Varum
Bass – Anthony Jackson, Julio Hernandez, Sergey Korolev, Oleg Tarkhov
Composed By – Leonid Agutin
Drums – Lee Levine, Vinnie Colaiuta, Arthur Gazarov
Keyboards, Piano, Electric Organ [Hammond] – Albert Fedoseev
Lead Vocals [Leading Vocal], Keyboards [Keyboard], Acoustic Guitar – Leonid Agutin
Lyrics By – Alex Sino
Percussion – Gumbi Ortiz, Richard Bravo, Arthur Gazarov
Saxophone – Ed Calle
Soloist [All Solos], Guitar – Al Di Meola
Trombone – John Kricker
Trumpet – Tony Concepcion

JOHN McLAUGHLIN • CHICK COREA — Five Peace Band Live (2009) 2CD | APE (image+.cue), lossless

Chick Corea and John McLaughlin share one of the great pedigrees in the music of the 20th century: they were both key sidemen on Miles Davis' seminal albums In a Silent Way and Bitches Brew. They have played together since those heady days, as a duo or as sit-in guests. Five Peace Band was Corea's idea of putting together a dream band to play all kinds of jazz, and he approached McLaughlin. Corea chose the other members in saxophonist Kenny Garrett, drummer Vinnie Colaiuta, and bassist Christian McBride. The group toured for nearly a year following Corea's Return to Forever reunion tour, and this double CD was compiled from that jaunt. It's true that on paper supergroups are suspicious offerings. Not so here. This band includes three younger -- yet veteran -- musicians who team wonderfully with the two legends on this set. Of the eight pieces included here, five are originals -- three by McLaughlin and a pair by Corea -- along with Davis' "In a Silent Way/It's About That Time" (with Herbie Hancock guesting), Jackie McLean's "Dr. Jackle," and a reading of the standard "Someday My Prince Will Come" (a duet between pianist and guitarist that elegantly closes disc two). McLaughlin's compositions are fairly recent; they were recorded with his 4th Dimension group on his excellent Floating Point and Industrial Zen albums. As one can imagine, this material is played here the way it was there -- only more so -- as extremely engaging 21st century electric fusion. His other piece, "Señor C.S.," is reimagined from the studio version on Industrial Zen. Here it is played harder and faster yet gives away none of its Latin groove, and instead comes off as a new, much more technically ambitious mutation of samba.

It should be noted that the rhythm section here is nothing less than startling. McBride is equally at home on an electric bass, and his sense of fire, funkiness, and dynamic range is in every note. Colaiuta is simply one of the most talented and exciting drummers out there, and creates an art form of dressing his timekeeping in impeccable and imaginative ways. Corea's tunes are closer to something resembling mainstream jazz -- though the gorgeous and lengthy (it clocks in at over 27 minutes) "Hymn to Andromeda" moves gradually and beautifully to the outside, with beautiful playing by Garrett and McLaughlin, who can still handle non-fusion material with invention, restraint, and taste. Disc two begins with an odd, idiosyncratic reading of McLean's "Dr. Jackle" as an attempt to stretch hard bop toward something (via Corea's arrangement) -- but what it is, isn't quite clear. The version of "In a Silent Way/It's About That Time" with Hancock is the album's high point. He plays an electric piano and creates the necessary incantatory vibe in the ethereal, soft, speculative beginning for Corea to simply caress into being. McLaughlin just floats about as an accompanist to the keys, and when he does play single lines, they become hesitant, soft, direction-pointing exercises toward what is to come. When the tune splits and becomes more aggressive in the latter half, the band gels and he finds himself in the maelstrom as the two keyboardists vie for dominance and the rhythm section creates a sense of pulse and excitement. His solo is brief and to the point yet full of knots and turns -- his trading lines with Garrett is especially tantalizing. Five Peace Band re-creates an extremely ambitious and beautifully executed gig, where all players were firing on all cylinders.
-> This comment is posted on Allmusic by Thom Jurek, follower of our blog 'O Púbis da Rosa' <-
Tracklist 1 :
1. Raju (John McLaughlin) – 12:29
2. The Disguise (Chick Corea) – 13:32
3. New Blues, Old Bruise (John McLaughlin) – 14:06
4. Hymn to Andromeda (Chick Corea) – 27:45
Tracklist 2 :
1. Dr. Jackle (Jackie McLean) – 22:53
2. Senor C.S. (John McLaughlin) – 20:15
3. In a Silent Way / It's About That Time (Miles Davis, Joe Zawinul) – 20:06
4. Someday My Prince Will Come (Frank Churchill, Larry Morey) – 7:42
Personnel :
Chick Corea - Acoustic Piano, Electric Piano, Synthesizer
Kenny Garrett - Alto Saxophone
John McLaughlin - Electric Guitar
Christian McBride - Acoustic Bass, Electric Bass
Vinnie Colaiuta - Drums, Percussion

MIKE STERN - Voices (2001) FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

Most of Mike Stern's albums have been 100 percent instrumental; as a rule, he doesn't use vocalists because his guitar does all of the "singing." But Voices is an exception -- a highly engaging and memorable exception. This surprising and totally unexpected effort finds a 48-year-old Stern using wordless vocals in a manner that brings to mind fellow fusion guitarists Pat Metheny and Al DiMeola. Think of Metheny on Letter From Home and Still Life (Talking), or DiMeola on Orange and Blue, and one will know the type of approach that Stern is going for this time. While the wordless vocals that Stern uses on Voices add a lot to the album, his guitar is still the focal point. This isn't the type of project in which the leader brings in an acclaimed jazz singer like Dianne Reeves or Kitty Margolis and features her prominently on standards -- that isn't what he was going for. Ultimately, the vocalists who Stern employs (who include Arto Tuncboyaciyan and Elizabeth Kantomanou) are there to serve and compliment his guitar. If Voices were a cake, the vocalists would be the icing; the album still would have been meaningful even without them, but there's no doubt that they add a lot to it. Voices, which contains some of Stern's most lyrical and melodic playing, is full of world music influences. African and Spanish elements are incorporated, and Brazilian music is an especially strong influence. Going back to the Metheny and DiMeola comparisons, this album's world music influences will inevitably inspire comparisons to similar albums by those fellow fusion guitarists. But Stern is always his own man and his guitar playing never fails to sound distinctive -- Voices is most definitely a Mike Stern session. It's also one of the finest albums in his catalog. by Alex Henderson
1    One World 6:23
Drums – Vinnie Colaiuta
Guitar – Mike Stern
Keyboards – Jim Beard
Percussion – Arto Tuncboyaciyan
Vocals – Elizabeth Kontomanou
Vocals, Bass, Kalimba – Richard Bona
2    The River 6:26
Drums – Vinnie Colaiuta
Guitar – Mike Stern
Keyboards – Jim Beard
Percussion – Arto Tuncboyaciyan
Vocals, Bass – Richard Bona
3    Slow Change 7:13
Bass – Lincoln Goines
Drums – Dennis Chambers
Guitar – Mike Stern
Keyboards – Jim Beard
Percussion – Arto Tuncboyaciyan
Saxophone – Bob Franceschini
4    Wishing Well 6:10
Acoustic Bass – Chris Minh Doky
Acoustic Guitar [12-string ] – Jon Herington
Guitar – Mike Stern
Vocals – Elizabeth Kontomanou, Philip Hamilton
5    Still There 7:30
Bass – Lincoln Goines
Drums – Dennis Chambers
Guitar [Nylon String] – Mike Stern
Keyboards – Jim Beard
Saxophone – Bob Franceschini
6    Spirit 6:35
Bass – Lincoln Goines
Drums – Vinnie Colaiuta
Guitar – Mike Stern
Keyboards – Jim Beard
Percussion – Arto Tuncboyaciyan
Rhythm Guitar – Jon Herington
Saxophone – Bob Franceschini
Vocals – Elizabeth Kontomanou, Philip Hamilton
7    What Might Have Been 5:32
Acoustic Bass – Chris Minh Doky
Drums – Vinnie Colaiuta
Guitar – Mike Stern
Keyboards – Jim Beard
Vocals – Elizabeth Kontomanou
8    Leni´s Smile 5:31
Bass – Richard Bona
Guitar – Mike Stern
Keyboards – Jim Beard
Percussion – Arto Tuncboyaciyan
Vocals – Elizabeth Kontomanou, Philip Hamilton
9    Way Out East 7:04
Bass – Richard Bona
Drums – Vinnie Colaiuta
Guitar – Mike Stern
Keyboards – Jim Beard
Saxophone – Michael Brecker
Vocals, Percussion – Arto Tuncboyaciyan

MIKE STERN - These Times (2004) FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

Combine the innovative guitar energy of legendary fusion master Mike Stern with old friends (bassist Richard Bona, drummer Vinnie Colaiuta) and new (saxman Kenny Garrett), and anything is bound to happen. But fans expecting raucous swinging and jamming the whole time may be surprised at the subtle lyricism and exotic explorations that define these times for their hero. Yes, his electric is crackling on the hypnotic opener, "Chatter," but it's in the crazy, exotic context of a Middle Eastern vibe inspired by Pakistani great Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan (look out, Eddie Vedder!). Jim Beard's jumpy piano, Colaiuta's wild, New Orleans groove, and Garrett's swirling lines provide great support. Once Stern and company have the listener's attention, they can become seductive with more intimate affairs like the Joe Zawinul-influenced "Silver Lining," which features an exotic falsetto vocal by Bona, a former Zawinul Syndicate member who also propels the tune with his increasingly muscular basslines. Bona adds the same touch in a gentler way to the lush romance of "I Know You," featuring a soft-spoken harmony line by guest star banjo great Béla Fleck. This sequence of tunes sets the tone of the rest of the disc, which mixes more Khan-flavored gems (the colorful singalong "Mirage," featuring vocals by Elisabeth Kontomanou), soft ballads, and a sexy midtempo funk number that (gasp!) might translate to the smooth jazz format. Another highlight is the punchy bebop number "Remember," dedicated to Stern's longtime collaborator the late Bob Berg. Perhaps the only drawback is having Garrett on hand but only featuring him on three numbers. by Jonathan Widran
Tracklist:
1    Chatter    6:10
Mike Stern
2    Silver Lining    6:34
Mike Stern
3    I Know You    5:06
Mike Stern
4    Mirage    6:44
Mike Stern
5    If Only    5:31
Mike Stern
6    Street Rhyme    6:36
Mike Stern
7    Avenue B    6:13
Mike Stern
8    Remember (For Bob Berg)    6:02
Mike Stern
9    These Times    8:12
Mike Stern
10    What You Believe    6:45
Mike Stern
11    Last One Down    5:30
Mike Stern
Credits:
Lyrics By – Richard Bona (tracks: 5)
Musician – Arto Tuncboyaciyan, Bob Franceschini, Bob Malach, Béla Fleck, Dennis Chambers, Don Alias, Elisabeth Kontomanou, Jim Beard, Jon Herington, Kenny Garrett, Richard Bona, Victor Wooten, Vinnie Colaiuta, Will Lee
Producer – Jim Beard 

ANDY SUMMERS - Earth + Sky (2004) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

After two albums exploring the boundaries of jazz via the music of Thelonious Monk (Green Chimneys) and Charles Mingus (Peggy's Blue Skylight), ex-Police guitarist Andy Summers returns to original compositions with a new band that moves forward through a swarm of genres on Earth + Sky. Employing two keyboard players, John Novello and John Beasley, as well as drummer Vinnie Colaiuta, saxophonist Katisse Buckingham, and bassist Abraham Laboriel, Summers creates a body of work that looks through jazz, rock, and folk forms and is technology based while also using organic rhythms and atmospherics. While some might see this as retrenchment, Summers, unlike so many of the superchopper guitarists out there, is a melodist whose lyricism is inescapable in virtually everything he plays. Hence the effect of these tunes is chimeric, whether they begin with gorgeous, simple harmonic lines that are reminiscent of nursery rhymes (such as "Now I'm Free"), feature complex hypnotic guitar lines that are fully charged both modally and rhythmically (as in the title track), or are atmospheric pieces that could be serial selections in a film noir soundtrack (such as "I Choose You"). Summers has utilized his jazz chops to stunning effect here, in that he allows his guitar to be an architectural focal point of an ensemble rather than as the centerpiece of the music itself. Hence, whether he is engaging the trappings of fusion or acoustic balladry ("Roseville"), he weaves something complex, soulful, and memorable from the elements. Earth + Sky is another solid effort from a guitarist who is forever reinventing himself.
(This comment is posted on Allmusic by Thom Jurek, follower of our blog 'O Púbis da Rosa')
Tracklist:
1 Above the World 5:21
Andy Summers
2 Now I'm Free 5:26
Andy Summers
3 The Diva Station 5:44
Andy Summers
4 Return 4:30
Andy Summers
5 Earth & Sky 5:36
Andy Summers
6 Parallels 4:53
Andy Summers
7 Circus 5:44
Andy Summers
8 Roseville 4:59
Andy Summers
9 Red Stiletto 4:18
Andy Summers
10 I Choose You 4:31
Andy Summers
Credits:
Bass – Abraham Laboriel
Drums – Vinnie Colaiuta
Guitar, Songwriter – Andy Summers
Keyboards – John Beasley, John Novello
Saxophone – Katisse Buckingham 

BILL EVANS - Touch (1999) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Mixing laid-back melodies with go-for-broke jams with some of the greatest names in modern instrumental music, saxophonist Bill Evans lives in the middle ground between smooth jazz and what could easily be termed of as contemporary jazz fusion. On his Zebra Records debut, Touch, the distinction is based on each song's sense of adventure. "In Your Heart," for instance, is the kind of right in the pocket, sweet little slice of passion that radio drools over, made unique (as Evans does on all tunes) by switching off from the high tones of the soprano with the darker shades of tenor to better discuss the emotional complexities of love. Likewise there's the cool, urban-flavored "Remember," which features subtle vocal chanting floating off in the distance. But then there's the edgier side of Evans intertwining his soprano with Lew Soloff's staccato trumpet energy on the brisk blues of "Dixie Hop," and kicking up all sorts of dust on the last two tunes, "Back to the Walls" and the ten-minute "Country Mile." "Back to the Walls" blends both of Evans's axes with Soloff's trumpet, an African vocal chant, the insistent wah-wah guitar of Adam Rogers, and a jamming Memphis soul-inspired horn section featuring Soloff and trombonist Conrad Herving as the Voodoo Horns. by Jonathan Widran 

Tracklist:
1     Wild Ride     3:41
2     In Your Heart     4:46
3     Remembering     4:30
4     Dixie Hop     4:54
5     Girl By The Sea     5:20
6     Nashville Cowboys     4:01
7     Touch     5:00
8     Little Hands     4:44
9     Skippin'     4:46
10     BackTo The Walls     5:30
11     Country Mile     10:32
Credits:
Acoustic Bass – Chris Minh Doky
Acoustic Bass, Electric Bass – Tim Lefebvre
Bass – Mark Egan, Victor Bailey
Drum Programming – Michael Colina, Zach Danziger
Drums – Lionel Cordew, Vinnie Colaiuta
Grand Piano – Jim Beard
Grand Piano, Keyboards [Additional] – Henry Hey
Guitar – Adam Rogers, Chuck Loeb, Dean Brown, Lee Ritenour
Percussion – Manolo Badrena
Producer, Written-By, Arranged By – Bill Evans
Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone, Tenor Saxophone, Keyboards – Bill Evans
Trombone – Conrad Herwig
Trumpet – Lew Soloff, Wallace Roney
Vocals – Lani Groves, Philip Hamilton

ALLAN HOLDSWORTH – Secrets (1989) FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

A true masterpiece, Secrets is the massive culmination of Allan Holdsworth's years-long legato technique and SynthAxe development. Conceptually inspired by but significantly different from the electric guitar, the SynthAxe is not a guitar-controlled synthesizer; it's a completely unique instrument of its own, making the guitarist's gripping performances all the more impressive. Holdsworth actually plays both instruments at a world-class level, setting an almost unreachable technical standard for aspiring rock, jazz, and fusion players. In addition to Secrets' technical accomplishments, Holdsworth contributes some of the most inspired songwriting of his career. The instrumental choruses are subtle and fluid, and the vocal lines on "Secrets" (performed by Rowanne Mark) and "Endomorph" (Craig Copeland) surpass earlier Holdsworth-penned efforts with their touching lyrics and melodies. Simply put, this 1989 Enigma release is a triumph, the final contribution to the artist's seminal '80s collection that includes Metal Fatigue and Atavachron. Fans of progressive music (no matter the genre) are recommended to search out the furtive Secrets, and unearth the sadly hidden knowledge of a musician's sublime transcendence of form, through passion and genius. Vincent Jeffries 
 Tracklist:
1    City Nights    2:33
2    Secrets 4:21
Vocals – Rowanne Mark
3    54 Duncan Terrace (Dedicated To Pat Smythe) 4:33
Piano – Alan Pasqua
4    Joshua 5:54
Keyboards – Steve Hunt 
5    Spokes    3:29
6    Maid Marion 7:16
Keyboards – Steve Hunt 
7    Peril Premonition 4:43
Bass – Bob Wackerman
Drums, Keyboards – Chad Wackerman
Other [Hammer] – Jeffrey Ocheltree
Voice – Clair Holdsworth
8    Endomorph (Dedicated To My Parents) 4:19
Vocals – Craig Copeland
Credits:
Bass – Jimmy Johnson (tracks: 1 to 6)
Drums – Vinnie Colaiuta (tracks: 1 to 6)
Guitar, Mixed By – Allan Holdsworth
Lyrics By – Rowanne Mark (tracks: 2, 8)
Music By – Allan Holdsworth (tracks: 2, 3, 5, 8), Chad Wackerman (tracks: 7), Gary Husband (tracks: 1), Steve Hunt (tracks: 4, 6)
Producer – Allan Holdsworth

JOHN PATITUCCI - John Patitucci [1988] FLAC

Stepping out from the shadows of Chick Corea's Elektric and Akoustic bands, Patitucci made a pleasing solo debut here largely on the strength of his brilliant up-front soloing on electric and acoustic basses. Adept at the popular funk slapping manner on electric bass, darting fluidly and jaggedly up high on the Smith/Jackson five-string bass, Patitucci always executes with the moves and body English of a bass player even when his instrument is up in the guitar range. Patitucci's compositions are pretty good, too, thoughtful and not too reliant upon jazz-rock cliches. He gets a lot of expert help from a variety of hot sidemen, including the astonishing Chick himself (who also produced the package), Chick's drummer Dave Weckl, other drummers like Peter Erskine and Vinnie Colaiuta, and the heated tenor sax of Michael Brecker. Without a doubt, this first opus enhanced Patitucci's developing reputation at the time.
Tracklist
1. Growing 4:35
2. Wind Sprint 6:10
3. Searching, Finding 5:05
4. Baja Bajo 5:46
5. Change Of Season 3:53
6. Our Family 3:01
7. Peace And Quiet Time 4:59
8. Crestline 5:13
9. Zaragoza 3:57
10. Then & Now 5:38
11. Killeen 5:15
12. The View 5:39

Credits
Bass – John Patitucci
Drums – Peter Erskine, Vinnie Colaiuta
Piano – Chick Corea
Producer – Chick Corea
Saxophone – Michael Brecker
Synthesizer – David Witham, John Beasley

O Púbis da Rosa