Love Island captures a moment in 1978 when Eumir Deodato was on top of the world. This was his maiden release under Warner Bros. since his departure with MCA, and top notch session players are at the fore once again with warm melodies riding on phat basslines, sumptuous synthesiser waves and the presence of the legendary George Benson soloing in the centre section in the title track.

In addition to his longtime bassist Steve Swallow and drummer Martin Richards, vibraphonist Gary Burton features a couple of young players on this date who he would classify as "whiz kids": pianist Makoto Ozone and the Coltrane-inspired tenorman Tommy Smith. The repertoire (all obscurities) and post-bop solos have more fire than one would normally expect on a Gary Burton record, and there are plenty of colorful moments on this subtle but adventurous set, Burton's final date for ECM after 14 years.

A fantastic journey through the world of water. Dream-like sounds musical tales between relaxed tranquillity and soft melancholy, advising you of the fascinating experience to listen to the silence.

"‘Anyone who begins a program with Beethoven’s Hammerklavier Sonata, ends with Prokofiev’s Toccata, and throws in Ravel’s Gaspard de la Nuit has a prodigious technique. As she demonstrated yesterday afternoon the Turkish pianist Idil Biret must rank as a virtuoso. With unflagging energy, she produced a series of supercharged performances.’– THE TIMES (UK), 1976"

After studying at the Cleveland Institute of Music, and the Hans Eisler Music Academy in Berlin, Mahani Teave was destined for a glittering career on the international concert stage having won the Claudio Arrau International Piano Competition in 1999, and later being selected as a Steinway & Sons artist. However, she returned to her native Easter Island and in 2012 established The Easter Island Music School, receiving the Advancement of Women Award from Scotiabank for her leadership and work on the island promoting music. In 2018, David Fulton the collector of Cremonese instruments was on a cruise liner that stopped at Easter Island.

John Lewis & Sacha Distel - Afternoon In Paris (1956) {2012 Japan Jazz Best Collection 1000 Series WPCR-27164}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 228 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 103 Mb
Full Artwork @ 300 dpi (png) -> 28 Mb | 5% repair rar | 24-bit remaster
© 1956, 2012 Warner Japan / Atlantic / Rhino | WPCR-27164
Jazz / Bop / Cool / Piano / Guitar

Features 24 bit remastering and comes with a mini-description. We would gladly trade every other John Lewis album for a copy of this album – because the album's a treasure all the way through – and a really unique set, with a really unique feel! The session features Lewis' piano in the company of a hip French group that includes Sasha Distel on guitar, Pierre Michelot on bass, and the great Barney Wilen on tenor – all great players who bring out a whole new side of Lewis' genius! Wilen's solos alone are worth the price of the album – deeply soulful, with a resonant tone that's some of his greatest on record – and an easy illustration of why he was one of the few European players of the postwar years to get big notice on this side of the Atlantic.

"I believe that Richard Elliot is one of the most under appreciated artists around! This CD, "The Power of Suggestion", is a fusion of bluesy-funky rhythms (a`la Tower of Power) and smooth jazz with just a hint of tropical breeze thrown in. From the title track, (which makes you move) to [on some CD's] the last track, "Michele" (which, without words, makes your heart ache) and all of the tracks in between (in particular "St. Croix", "Hearts On Fire" w/Phillip Ingram and "Neon Nights") stories are told; some sad, some raucous, some tell of love lost and some of happiness found. All of them are told from the heart, most without words. If you buy only one Richard Elliot CD, make it this one."

Julius Hemphill - Fat Man And The Hard Blues (1991) {Black Saint 120115-2}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 306 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 131 Mb
Full Artwork @ 300 dpi (jpg) -> 15 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 1991 Black Saint | 120115-2
Jazz / Contemporary Jazz / Alto Saxophone

After leaving the World Saxophone Quartet, the innovative altoist/composer Julius Hemphill recorded with an unaccompanied sax sextet. This CD features such great players as Marty Ehrlich, Carl Grubbs, the young James Carter, Andrew White, and baritonist Sam Furnace along with the leader on 14 of Hemphill's compositions. These miniatures (all under seven minutes) are most notable for their fresh melodies, logical arrangements, and spirited ensembles.

The party was beautiful but it is already over. The Michael Schenker Fest lived to give back the place to the legendary MSG after more than ten years of silence: "Immortal" marks the 50th anniversary of the German guitarist's career. In relation to the Fest, Schenker has renewed its line up by inviting Ronnie Romero, Joe Lynn Turner, Ralf Scheepers and Michael Voss to sing. For the music he invited Simon Philipps and Brian Tichy on drums, Barry Sparks on bass and Steve Mann and Derek Sherinian on keyboards…

Chick Webb - Stompin' At The Savoy (2002) {ASV–Living Era CDAJA 5416 rec 1934-39} (featuring Ella Fitzgerald)
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 149 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 155 Mb
Full Artwork @ 300 dpi (jpg) -> 12 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 1934-39, 2002 ASV / Living Era | CD AJA 5416
Jazz / Swing / Big Band

Diminutive fireball Chick Webb led the most explosive swing band of the '30s, and though the group was far too active to enter the studio as much as they deserved, it's easier to sum up their recordings with a single disc. (In fact, the completist Classics series needed only two volumes to sum up Webb's decade behind the drums of his own band.) ASV/Living Era's wrap-up, titled Stompin' at the Savoy, does justice to his legacy with nearly every prime side: "Harlem Congo," "Clap Hands! Here Comes Charlie," "Blue Minor," "Liza (All the Clouds'll Roll Away)," "Sing Me a Swing Song (And Let Me Dance)," and "A-Tisket, a-Tasket" (the latter was a breakout commercial hit for not only Webb but his girl singer, Ella Fitzgerald).

Frank Lacy - Live At Smalls (2013) {SmallsLIVE ‎SL-0038 rec 2012}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 510 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 173 Mb
Full Artwork @ 300 dpi (jpg) -> 14 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 2013 SmallsLIVE | ‎SL-0038
Jazz / Post Bop / Trombone

There has never been a jazz label quite like SmallsLIVE, now up to 40 titles and counting, all exclusively dedicated to documenting one club and scene. In this tiny basement dive at 183 West 10th in Greenwich Village, the culture is new-generation bop, and the players, mostly young, spill their guts. SmallsLIVE recordings stick you smack in the Smalls moment, the sweaty, noisy crowd close around you, the horns blaring in your face, a few feet away.

This excellent live recording served as my introduction to the wonderful Italian-flavoured progressive rock of PFM back in '74. The songs represented are all superlative, and the musicianship is amazing…