STANLEY CLARKE | CHICK COREA | JOE HENDERSON | FREDDIE HUBBARD | LENNY WHITE – The Griffith Park Collection 2 In Concert (1983-2008) 2CD | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

The first four tracks on this double live record are extended version of tunes from the group's 1982 studio album. The last two are Thelonius Monk's "I Mean You" and the standard "Here's That Rainy Day." There's some great playing from all involved, especially Joe Henderson and Chick Corea, but the recording quality leaves something to be desired. David R. Adler
Tracklist 1 :
1    Why Wait 18:53
Written-By – Stanley Clarke
2    Guernica 19:35
Written-By – Lenny White
Tracklist 2 :
1    Happy Times 12:30
Written-By – Freddie Hubbard
2    October Ballad 14:36
Written-By – Chick Corea
3    I Mean You 11:51
Written-By – Coleman Hawkins, Thelonious Monk
4    Here's That Rainy Day 12:22
Written-By – Johnny Burke & Jimmy VanHeusen
Credits :
Bass [Upright Bass] – Stanley Clarke
Drums, Producer, Liner Notes – Lenny White
Flugelhorn, Trumpet – Freddie Hubbard
Painting [Cover] – Edward Hopper
Piano – Chick Corea
Tenor Saxophone – Joe Henderson

MATERIAL — One Down (1982) FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

One Down marked a distinct shift in sound for Material, the avant-garde downtown pickup group organized around bassist Bill Laswell and keyboardist Michael Beinhorn. The edgy experimentalism that characterized earlier efforts like Temporary Music and Memory Serves is downplayed here in favor of funk and disco tunes delivered with a minimum of weirdness. Sure, it sounds dated but that doesn't make it less attractive. Laswell is a master of funk bass, and with guests like drummer Yogi Horton, guitarist Nile Rodgers and singers Nona Hendryx and Whitney Houston (just before she became a superstar on her own), he didn't really have much chance to go wrong. Highlights include"Take a Chance" and the strutting "I'm the One"; if you want something a little more challenging, check out Archie Shepp's squalling sax solo on the Houston vehicle "Memories." This is straight-ahead turn-of-the-80s funk at its old-fashioned best from the folks you'd have least suspected of harboring such sympathies. Rick Anderson
Tracklist
 1    Take A Chance 4:33
Backing Vocals [Chœurs] – B.J. Nelson
Backing Vocals [Chœurs], Vocals [Chants] – Nona Hendryx
Drums [Batterie] – J.T. Lewis
Guitar – Nicky Skopelitis
Percussion – Nicky Marrero
Written-By – B. Laswell, M. Beinhorn
2    I'm The One 5:27
Backing Vocals [Chœurs], Vocals [Chants] – R. Bernard Fowler
Bongos – Daniel Ponce
Drums [Batterie] – Tony Thompson
Electric Piano [Yamaha CP-70 B Electronic Grand Piano] – Raymond Jones
Guitar – Nile Rodgers
Written-By – R.B. Fowler, B. Laswell, M. Beinhorn
3    Time Out 4:58
Drums [Batterie] – J.T. Lewis
Guitar – Fred Frith
Snare [Caisse Claire] – Nicky Marrero
Written-By – B. Laswell, M. Beinhorn, T.L. Le
4    Let Me Have It All 5:27
Backing Vocals [Chœurs] – B.J. Nelson, Nona Hendryx
Drums [Batterie] – Yogi Horton
Guitar – Ronnie Drayton
Vocals [Chants] – Noris Night
Written-By – S. Stewart
5    Come Down 4:45
Alto Saxophone, Tenor Saxophone – Olivier Lake
Drums [Batterie] – Tony Thompson
Guitar – Nile Rodgers
Vocals [Chants], Backing Vocals [Chœurs] – R. Bernard Fowler
Written-By – R.B. Fowler, B. Laswell, M. Beinhorn
6    Holding On 4:46
Drums [Batterie] – J.T. Lewis
Guitar – Nicky Skopelitis, Ronnie Drayton
Percussion – Nicky Marrero
Vocals [Chants], Backing Vocals [Chœurs] – B.J. Nelson
Written-By – B. Laswell, B. Eno, M. Beinhorn
7    Memories 4:03
Drums [Batterie] – Yogi Horton
Electric Piano [Yamaha CP-70 B Electronic Grand Piano] – Raymond Jones
Engineer – Robert Musso
Tenor Saxophone – Archie Shepp
Vocals [Vocaux] – Whitney Houston
Written-By – H. Hopper
8    Don't Lose Control 4:21
Bongos – Daniel Ponce
Drums [Batterie] – Tony Thompson
Guitar – Nicky Skopelitis
Voice – Jean Karakos, Nicky Skopelitis, Thi-Linh Le
Written-By – B. Laswell, M. Beinhorn
9    Busting Out 8:04
Bass – Bill Laswell
Drums [Batterie] – Fred Maher
Guitar – Ronnie Drayton
Synthesizer – Michael Beinhorn
Vocals [Chant] – Nona Hendryx
Written-By – B. Laswell, F. Maher, M. Beinhorn

HINDEMITH : Complete String Quartets (Amar Quartet) 3CD (2017) FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

From the bracing dynamism of the earlier quartets to the technical sophistication of the later works, Paul Hindemith’s seven String Quartets include some of his supreme chamber music masterpieces and form one of the 20th century’s greatest quartet cycles. The award-winning Amar Quartet is named after Hindemith’s own eminent ensemble of the 1920s, and their acclaimed performances explore and express every aspect of the composer’s passion and intellectual rigour in this genre. ClassicsToday.com considers these recordings ‘outstanding… an endless source of pleasure… there is little doubt that this will become the reference edition in this music.’ naxos
 Paul Hindemith (1895-1963)
CD1    String Quartet No. 2 In F Minor, Op. 10 (1918)    (33:13)
    String Quartet No. 3 In C Major, Op. 16 (1920)    (31:26)
CD2    String Quartet No. 5, Op. 32 (1923)    (30:17)
    String Quartet No. 6 In E Flat (1943)    (24:34)
    String Quartet No. 7 In E Flat (1945)    (16:22)
CD3    String Quartet No. 1, Op. 2 (1914-15)    (41:25)
    String Quartet No. 4, Op. 22 (1921)    (25:58)
    Ensemble – Amar Quartet
    Viola – Hannes Bärtschi
    Cello – Péter Somodari
    Violin – Anna Brunner, Igor Keller

CORNELL DUPREE — Teasin' (1974-2014) RM | Fusion Best Collection 1000 Series | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Though he had been a key session player for Atlantic since the late 1960s, guitarist Cornell Dupree was finally given the opportunity to record his own date for the label in 1974. Teasin' was co-produced by Mark Meyerson and Michael Cuscuna. Dupree's band for the date was made up of ace session players including drummer Bernard "Pretty" Purdie, bassist Chuck Rainey, percussionist Ralph MacDonald, his fellow Stuff co-founder Richard Tee on keyboards, and saxophonist David "Fathead" Newman. Other horn players on various tracks include Joe Farrell, Ernie Royal, Jon Faddis, Joe Newman, Ernie Royal, Seldon Powell, and Garnett Brown. Given Dupree's pedigree, there's an unmistakable Southern Texas vibe on the set, although it was recorded in New York. It's most notable in the appropriately named "Blue Nocturne," the gospel-flavored "What Would I Do Without You," the rocking "Feel All Right," and the T-Bone Walker-influenced "Okie Dokie Stomp" (Walker was one of Dupree's biggest influences). But the guitar player's jazz-funk side gets plenty of play, too, evidenced the grooving title cut, "How Long Will It Last," and even the Caribbean-tinged "Jamaican Lady." The arrangements on these latter tunes recall the CTI sound quite a bit but are, as a whole, punchier and somewhat more dynamic. This is a feel-good date to be sure, but it features stellar musicianship, good charts, and excellent soloing from Dupree and Newman
-> This comment is posted on Allmusic by Thom Jurek, follower of our blog 'O Púbis da Rosa' <-
Tracklist
1    Teasin' 3:54
Written-By – Curtis Ousley, Delaney Bramlett
2    Blue Nocturne 5:15
Written-By – Curtis Ousley
3    Jamaican Lady 3:52
Written-By – Chuck Rainey, Cornell Dupree
4    Feel All Right 3:18
Piano – Paul Griffin
Written-By – Curtis Ousley
5    How Long Will It Last 3:21
Written-By – Eric Gayle
6    What Would I Do Without You? 5:47
Piano – George Stubbs
Written-By – Ray Charles
7    Okie Dokie Stomp 2:47
Written-By – Plummer Davis
8    Plain Ol' Blues 8:12
Written-By – Cornell Dupree
Credits
Arranged By [Horns] – Chuck Rainey (tracks: 1 to 3), Richard Tee (tracks: 4 to 8)
Baritone Saxophone – Seldon Powell (tracks: 4 to 8), Trevor Koehler (tracks: 1 to 3)
Bass – Chuck Rainey
Drums – Bernard Purdie
Guitar, Sitar – Cornell Dupree
Keyboards – Richard Tee (tracks: 1 to 3, 5, 7, 8)
Percussion – Ralph MacDonald
Saxophone [All Solos] – David Newman
Tenor Saxophone – David Newman (tracks: 1 to 3), Joe Farrell (tracks: 4 to 8), Seldon Powell (tracks: 1 to 3)
Trombone – Garnett Brown
Trumpet – Ernie Royal (tracks: 4 to 8), Joe Newman, Jon Faddis (tracks: 1 to 3)

URS LEIMGRUBER — Statement Of An Antirider (1989) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

The mighty-lunged Urs Leimgruber steps out from his various ensembles on this date to play completely solo with his trio of saxophones -- tenor, soprano, and bass -- and the flute. Like Anthony Braxton and Roscoe Mitchell nearly 20 years before him, Leimgruber is after something that does not automatically come with being a "jazz" musician: the exploration in specific environments of the world of sound as it can be encountered by his chosen instruments. European improvisers can come across as too erudite and arrogant to American fans of jazz. That's too bad, because when it comes to extending the reach of particular instruments, methodology, and what free improvisation might mean if made a dominant concern of jazz at this time in history, the Europeans have much to contribute, and a big part of that contribution is made by Leimgruber. These solos are works of revolt, resistance, and great tenderness. Leimgruber embodies Che Guevara's statement that every revolutionary is motivated by great love. His love is the love of sound. With his perfected circular breathing technique -- used by other players such as John Coltrane, Rahsaan Roland Kirk, and Steve Lacy, among others -- that goes back to the time of the Buddha or even before as a meditation technique, Leimgruber plays meditations (note the pieces "Raga I" & "Raga II") on the nature of vibration, timbre, and color. These 65 minutes are fascinating not only for their academic value, but for their emotional power. Leimgruber is a player who forgoes his more theoretical aspects on paper by going for the throat with his horn -- even when that emotion is controlled as dictated by the texture of sound itself. And while it's true this record has nothing whatsoever to do with jazz, it has everything to do with music, and therefore every free jazz fan should take due note not only of it, but its creator.
-> This comment is posted on Allmusic by Thom Jurek, follower of our blog 'O Púbis da Rosa' <-
Tracklist :
1        Raga I    21:19
2        Leonor    17:34
3        Statement Of An Antirider    12:28
4        Raga II    9:50
5        Sefonito    3:36
Credits
Soprano Saxophone, Tenor Saxophone, Bass Saxophone, Flute, Composed By – Urs Leimgruber