Despite the fact that the band was one of the more influential outfits of the late '60s and early '70s, a few key departures caused them to recede from the charts before a few of their peers. Even the return of vocalist David Clayton-Thomas couldn't help the fortunes of their last two '70s albums, and they were released in 1976. Brand New Day is their first and only effort for soon defunct ABC. Brand New Day is produced by Roy Halee and group member Bobby Colomby. The two had been co-producers for 1971's classic Blood Sweat and Tears 4, but, by 1977, the musical landscape had changed, so this is closer to R&B and polished pop, rather than the amalgam of styles that the group was famous for. "Dreaming As One" is a duet between Clayton-Thomas and Chaka Khan and despite the interesting chemistry, the song is barely there…

Here's a very reasonable compromise between the pricey Mosaic box and EMI's incomplete single-disc treatment of Milburn's Aladdin legacy: a three-disc, 66-song package that's heavy on boogies and blues and slightly deficient in the ballad department (to that end, his smash "Bewildered" was left off). Everything that is aboard is top-drawer, though - the booze odes, many a party rocker, and a plethora of the double-entendre blues that Milburn reveled in during his early years.

Successful instrumental session from the electric violinist who was a dominant figure at Blue Note in the late '70s. Pointer could at times churn out a surprisingly riveting solo, but he spent more time plugging into rigidly arranged, heavily produced and orchestrated structures and supporting background vocalists.

Formed in Helsinki in 1968, the band featured the talents of British Keyboard player and vocalist Jim Pembroke, Jukka Gustavson (keyboards, vocals), Pekka Pohjola (bass, violin, keyboards) and Ronnie Osterberg (drums). The end result was Wigwam's first real stab at pure progressive rock. On "Fairyport", Wigwam mix jazz, rock, pop all in one exploratory album with a nice wide range of themes and moods. Generally the songs are pretty organ drenched with lots of rhythmic syncopation. With "Fairyport" the threesome of Gustavson, Pembroke and Pohjola was completed. Jukka Gustavson wrote the most progressive pieces, with Jim Pembroke wrote the lighter and shorter songs and Pekka Pohjola's focus on the instrumental aspects.

After eight years Blank & Jones surprise with this club-driven Electronica-Album. Piet and Jaspa describe the sound as Adult Electronica, which nails it completely. They totally waive vocals and re-invent themselves one more time. If you join the journey, the songs, which rarely run under seven minutes, unfold their whole beauty and force. It s almost like an audio drama without words, just the energy of music running free. The tracks have this signature mix of euphoria and melancholy like only Blank & Jones can create.