DZYAN – Mandala (2010) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Better late than never, I suppose, but this live-in-the-studio novelty was too long overdue, released almost forty years after it was recorded. Dzyan never achieved anything more than cult stardom, at best. But to fans this belated addition to their slim discography will provide a fascinating slice of audio anthropology: the missing link between the band's jazzy 1972 debut and the blossoming Krautrock of their "Time Machine" and "Electric Silence" albums (the latter title currently the Number Ten rated Krautrock album on this site).

The prevailing style was still the Canterbury Fusion of that first LP, with Gerd Ehrmann's frenetic saxophone the primary instrument on most tracks, and percussionist Jochen Leuschner providing the bluesy lead vocals. But the ace up their collective sleeve was new guitarist Eddy Marron, recently enlisted but already making an impact, even in a relative supporting role.

Under his galvanizing influence the music was beginning to show a harder edge, in tracks like "Steel's Electric": an obvious signpost toward the MAHAVISHNU intensity of the "Time Machine" sessions. Listening to Marron's absolutely torrid solo at the end of "Dragonsong" (a holdover song from the first album) it's easy to imagine the jaws of his bandmates falling to the studio floor in flabbergasted awe, as the guitarist shredded his fretboard into ragged tatters.

In this track and elsewhere you can hear the later, psychedelicized Dzyan trying to break free of its Jazz Rock shell, especially when Marron begins strumming his beloved Turkish saz, in the song of the same name. The more exploratory instrumental jams show their age best, and the band itself no doubt felt the same. After this rehearsal 'concert' the way ahead must have seemed clear: ditch the singer and the sax, and continue as a trio (but with a more sympathetic drummer).

The title track is an odd droning entr'acte from bassist Reinhard Karwatky (recording date unknown), and the incomplete "Celestial City" is the only selection actually performed on stage. It was included here as a bonus track, but really the entire album is a welcome bonus, 38-years late but worth the wait. progarchives.con
Tracklist :
1.    Resurrection 9:49
Written-By – Karwatky
2.    Dragonsong 11:33
Written-By – Leuschner, Karwatky
3.    Mandala - Transmigration 2:08
Producer [Produced By], Recorded By, Mixed By – Reinhard Karwatky
Written-By – Karwatky
4.    Steel's Electric 6:30
Written-By – Marron
5.    Daddy Groove 8:43
Written-By – Leuschner, Karwatky
6.    Saz 8:08
Written-By – Marron, Leuschner, Karwatky
7.    Celestial City 4:23
Producer [Produced By] – Reinhard Karwatky
Written-By – Karwatky
Credits :
Cover [Cover Painting], Painting [Cover Painting] – Helmut Wenske
Drums, Percussion, Timpani – Lothar Scharf
Electric Bass, Contrabass, Percussion, Arranged By [Arrangements By], Technician [Sonus FX Designed By] – Reinhard Karwatky
Electric Guitar, Baglama [Saz] – Eddy Marron
Tenor Saxophone – Gerd "Bock" Ehrmann
Vocals, Congas, Percussion – Jochen Leuschner

PROCOL HARUM – Novum (2017) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Fifty years after "Whiter Shade of Pale" introduced the concept of progressive rock, Procol Harum roll on, even with singer and pianist Gary Brooker as the only remaining original member. Novum is their first new studio album in 14 years. Their last, 2003's The Well's on Fire, marked the end of the decades-long writing partnership between Brooker and lyricist Keith Reid. Organist Matthew Fisher and drummer Mark Brzezicki left shortly thereafter. Brooker still had guitarist Geoff Whitehorn and bassist Matt Pegg. They recruited organist Josh Phillips and drummer Greg Dunn. This version has been together for a decade.
Novum is a worthy 50th anniversary offering (though it's not, as Brooker claims, Procol's finest). This is the sound of a working band, not a tired reunion project. Brooker enlisted lyricist Pete Brown -- known for his work with Cream and Graham Bond -- and in an unusual move, brought the entire band into the songwriting process. What's on offer here is the most rocking sound Procol Harum have delivered since Broken Barricades. There is only one overtly "classical" moment here, and it’s a send up -- there's a direct quote from Pachelbel's Canon as a brief intro to the wonderful "Sunday Morning.” Some truly perverse lyric moments are expertly crafted into well-composed songs (would we expect anything less?). Opener “I Told on You” is a forceful prog rocker about professional jealousy, bitterness, and retribution. Its bridge and chorus are classic Brooker (think Home and Grand Hotel). “Last Chance Motel” is a strange and ironic take on the murder ballad that recalls the musical structure of early Elton John and Bernie Taupin tunes. It’s among the many vehicles here for Brooker’s voice, which remains as resonant and expressive as ever -- there’s the hint of graininess in it, but his power remains undiminished by time. There are also some atypical, straight-on political swipes at hyper-capitalism, too, as on the bluesy “Soldier” and the meld of mean rock and Baroque pop in “Businessman.” “Don’t Get Caught” commences as a ballad with Brooker’s trademark nearly sepulchral singing, but becomes an anthem offering sage advice for guilt-free living atop blazing guitars and swelling strings. One might hear traces of Queen's extended sense of vocal harmony in the rowdy chorus of the loopy "Neighbor," but Brian May himself would admit that Queen snagged it from Procol Harum in the first place. "Can't Say That" is an angry number and it rocks hard: Brooker's signature piano style runs up hard against Whitehorn's electric blues guitar vamps (think the Doors' "Roadhouse Blues") with a killer Pegg bassline. "The Only One" offers Brooker at his most confessional and melancholy, as he builds himself up and lets himself glide down the poignant lyric. Novum is far better than anyone had any right to expect: It's energetic, hungry, and swaggering. That said, it retains the trademark class and musical sophistication that makes Procol Harum iconic. 
-> This comment is posted on Allmusic by Thom Jurek, follower of our blog 'O Púbis da Rosa' <-
Tracklist :
1.    I Told On You    5:32
2.    Last Chance Motel    4:48
3.    Image Of The Beast    4:56
4.    Soldier    5:28
5.    Don't Get Caught    5:12
6.    Neighbour    2:46
7.    Sunday Morning    5:28
8.    Businessman    4:44
9.    Can't Say That    7:13
10.    The Only One    6:10
11.    Somewhen    3:47
Credits :
Bass – Matt Pegg
Drums – Geoff Dunn
Electric Organ [Hammond], Other [Montage] – Josh Phillips
Guitar – Geoff Whitehorn
Illustration, Artwork – Julia Brown 
Lyrics By – Pete Brown (tracks: 1 to 3, 5 to 10)
Vocals, Piano – Gary Brooker

KAYHAN KALHOR · ERDAL ERZINCAN — Kula Kulluk Yakişir Mı (2013) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

It has been nearly a decade since Kayhan Kalhor and Erdal Erzincan recorded The Wind for ECM. During that long interval, the pair have played together so often, they appear to have perfected a musical language that walks not only between various musical traditions but through them simultaneously, coming through the other side with something timeless. Kalhor is an Iranian master of the kamancheh (spike fiddle). He has a relentlessly mercurial musical mind. It's been displayed not only in his work as a solo artist, with the duo Ghazal, and the ensemble Dastan, but also in Yo-Yo Ma's Silk Road Ensemble. Erzincan is regarded as the greatest living practitioner of the Anatolian baglama tradition (it is also called a saz, a long-necked lute type of instrument), and like his partner here, possesses a wildly adventurous spirit, not only in moving from Turkish folk and Western classical traditions with seamless ease, but also as an improviser. Kula Kulluk Yakisir Mi was recorded live in 2011. Its title is taken from the folk song by the late prolific Turkish folk musician Muhlis Akarsu. It translates loosely as "How unseemly it is to follow anyone slavishly." Other than this duo's glorious version of that song and a thematic reprise of "The Wind," everything here is either built upon -- but never stays chained to -- traditional folk songs or consists of outright improvisations that come from nothing, engage both Persian and Turkish folk traditions, and emerge as a deeply emotional music that is unclassifiable. While everything here feels like it is of a piece -- the performance never seems to stop -- it doesn't necessarily sound like it. There are poignant silences within these arrangements, where the individual or paired instruments resonate as if to underscore meaning, either directly intended by a piece or intuited from it -- check the two-minute mark of the traditional "Alli Turnam," where the theme trails off, is followed by a naturally echoing space, and then turns back on itself to speak of the troublesome historical present even as it addresses a more innocent past. None of the five improvisations here reaches four minutes. The degree of intuitive interplay is so high, it is almost impossible not to regard these as formal works. They are informed by the traditional songs that precede them and foreshadow those that follow, as they shift and transform songs into sounds that are both beguilingly strange and ancient -- familiar in the body's cellular memory and in the heart's present moment. The final nine minutes, entitled "Intertwining Melodies," weave four traditional songs and become an extended improvisation upon them all, even as they are united in one flowing river of sound, history, and mystery. Kula Kulluk Yakisir Mi is outstanding for its depth and truly masterful execution, but more than this, it is revelatory in the way it connects players to one another inside the music, and listeners to both musicians and sound, as it evokes emotions that are far beyond the reach of words. 
-> This comment is posted on Allmusic by Thom Jurek, follower of our blog 'O Púbis da Rosa' <-
Tracklist :
1.    Improvisation I    5:24
2.    Allı Turnam 5:42
 -Traditional
3.    Improvisation II    3:23
4.    Deli Derviş 4:10
 -Traditional
5.    Daldalan Barı 6:18
 -Traditional
6.    Improvisation III    2:59
7.    Kula Kulluk Yakışır Mı 8:57
Composed By – Muhlis Akarsu
8.    Improvisation IV    3:44
9.    Improvisation V    2:14
10.    The Wind 7:31
Composed By – Erdal Erzincan, Kayhan Kalhor
11.    Intertwining Melodies    9:13
11.1    Sivas Halayı
 -Traditional
11.2    Mevlam Birçok Dert Vermiş
 -Traditional
11.3    Erik Dalı Gevrektir
 -Traditional
11.4    Gol Nishan
 -Traditional
Credits :
Arranged By – Erdal Erzincan, Kayhan Kalhor
Baglama – Erdal Erzincan
Kemenche [Kamancheh] – Kayhan Kalhor

TRAPEZE — Hot Wire (1974) RM | Collector's Edition Remastered & Reloaded Series | Three Version | APE + FLAC (image+.tracks+.cue), lossless

Trapeze started with a string of three terrific albums, and despite losing Glenn Hughes to Deep Purple, they deliver yet again on their fourth effort. Mel Galley did a terrific job on vocals as well as his usual stellar work on guitar. This reminds me in a way of Ozzy Osbourne leaving Sabbath. We got a great Ozzy record (and a Glenn record with Purple), but the band also responded with a great record with Ronnie James Dio (and Trapeze here). Can one complain? This is a great 70's rock record and if it isn't in your collection, go find it. Fielding Fowler
Tracklist :
1.    Back Street Love    5:01
Guitar [1st Solo] – Rob Kendrick
Guitar [2nd Solo] – Mel Galley
2.    Take It On Down The Road    4:45
Backing Vocals – Kenny Cole, Misty Browning
Congas – John Ogden
Guitar [Solos] – Mel Galley
Organ – Terry Rowley
Saxophone [Sax Section] – Chris Mercer
3.    Midnight Flyer    6:01
Congas – John Ogden
Synthesizer – Terry Rowley
4.    Wake Up, Shake Up    3:55
Guitar [Solo] – Mel Galley
5.    Turn It On    5:11
Backing Vocals – Kenny Cole, Misty Browning
Guitar [Solo] – Mel Galley
Synthesizer – Terry Rowley
6.    Steal A Mile    4:52
Backing Vocals – Kenny Cole, Misty Browning, Terry Rowley
Saxophone [Sax Solo] – Chris Mercer
Slide Guitar – Mel Galley
Synthesizer – Terry Rowley
7.    Goin' Home    5:14
Guitar [ Solo - Left] – Mel Galley
Guitar [ Solo - Right] – Rob Kendrick
Synthesizer – Terry Rowley
8.    Feel It Inside    8:42
Backing Vocals – Kenny Cole, Misty Browning
Congas – John Ogden
Electric Piano – Terry Rowley
Guitar [Solos], Slide Guitar – Mel Galley
Tambourine – Dave Holland (2)

ANN RICHARDS — I'm Shooting High (1958) Vynil, LP | FLAC (tracks), lossless

Ann Richards, only in her early twenties at the time, had already sung with Charlie Barnet and would always be closely associated with Stan Kenton (whom she married and later divorced). Her life was short, but she did record a few albums as a leader, including this one, her debut. Backed by an unidentified big band conducted by Brian Farnon and arranged by Warren Barker, Richards displays an appealing voice and a swinging style. She was best at this point on upbeat material, so the highlights include "I'm Shooting High," "Poor Little Rich Girl" and "Will You Still Be Mine." Scott Yanow
Tracklist : 
1.   I'm Shooting High 1:33
Written-By – Jimmy McHugh, Ted Koehler
2.   Moanin' Low 5:51
Written-By – Howard Dietz, Ralph Rainger
3. Nightingale 2:39
Written-By – Wise, Rosner, Cougat
4.   Blues In My Heart 3:33
Written-By – King Carter, Irving Mills
5.   I've Got To Pass Your House To Get To My House 2:46
Written-By – Lew Brown
6.   Deep Night 2:39
Written-By – Charlie Henderson, Rudy Vallee
7.   Poor Little Rich Girl 2:20
Written-By – Noel Coward
8.   Should I 3:02
Written-By – Arthur Freed, Nacio Herb Brown
9.   I'm In The Market For You 2:05
Written-By – James F. Hanley, Joseph McCarthy
10. Absence Makes The Heart Grow Fonder (For Somebody Else) 2:26
Written-By – Warren, Young, Lewis
11.   Lullaby Of Broadway 3:02
Written-By – Al Dubin, Harry Warren 
12.   Will You Still Be Mine? 2:05
Written-By – Matt Dennis, Tom Adair
Credits :
Arranged By, Orchestrated By – Warren Barker
Conductor – Brian Farnon
Vocals – Ann Richards