"joined up Thinking"

A year or so ago my wife and I were standing on Juliet’s balcony in Verona, a romantic spot. Below us there assembled a mixed choir which started to sing one of the most famous madrigals of the 16th century, Il bianco e dolce cigno by Jacques Arcadelt. Apparently all Italians know this music, almost from memory, as do I, so I joined in, much to the delight of all those in the little courtyard below. There is more to Arcadelt than this or any of his over one hundred other published madrigals. His church music helped to lay the foundations for Palestrina and his contemporaries yet has been sadly neglected.

Among the most sampled groups of the '60s and '70s by a slew of top rap and hip-hop artists of the '90s and beyond, the legendary New Orleans band and Grammy Lifetime Achievement awardees The Meters created an instantly recognizable sound through almost a decade of recording, initially for the Josie label and then for Reprise and Warner Brothers. Group members guitarist Leo Nocentelli, bassist George Porter Jr., drummer Joseph 'Zigaboo' Modeliste and keyboardist/singer Art Neville formed the core of the band, later augmented by Art's younger brother, percussionist/singer Cyril who joined The Meters in 1975. This wonderful 116-track, 6-CD SoulMusic Records' box set showcases The Meters' entire recorded output for Josie Records (1968-1971), Reprise and Warner Brothers (1972-77). In addition to their eight full albums, this luxurious package (with a 40-page booklet) includes non-album singles, bonus material, single edits and a rare 1977 disco mix of 'Disco Is The Thing Today', available for the first time on CD.

Various Artists - Milk Of The Tree: An Anthology Of Female Vocal Folk & Singer-Songwriters 1966-73 (2017) {3CD Set}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 1.21 Gb | MP3 @320 -> 523 Mb
Artwork @ 300 dpi (jpg) -> 24 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 1966-73, 2017 Grapefruit Records / Cherry Red Record | CRSEGBOX039
Folk Rock / Pregressive Folk / Psychedelia / Pop Fok / Electric Folk / Singer- Songwriters

Notwithstanding one or two isolated exceptions, it wasn’t until the mid-Sixties that independent female voices really began to be heard within the music industry. The feminist movement naturally coincided with the first signs of genuine musical emancipation. In North America, Joan Baez and Buffy Sainte-Marie emerged through the folk clubs, coffee-houses and college campuses to inspire a generation of wannabe female singers and musicians with their strong, independent mentality and social compassion, while the British scene’s combination of folk song revival and the Beatles-led pop explosion saw record company deals for a new generation of pop-folkies including Marianne Faithfull, Dana Gillespie and Vashti Bunyan.

George Russell Sextet - Things New, Unissued Concerts 1960 & 1964 (2007) {Rare Live RLR 88630} (ft. Don Ellis)
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 191 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 143 Mb
Full Artwork @ 600 dpi (png) -> 166 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 1960, 1964, 2007 RLR Records / Rare Live Rec. | RLR 88630
Jazz / Post Bop / Experimental Small Band

Tracks from three recently discovered 1960s concerts, by the celebrated arranger, pianist & experimental theorist, George Russell, released here for the very first time - and from the same period as his famous Ezz-Thetics album (1961) with Eric Dolphy. The first, in Lennox Massachusetts, includes Al Kiger, Dave Baker, Chuck Israels & Dave Young; the 2nd, from the 1964 Newport Jazz Festival features Don Ellis, John Gilmore, Steve Swallow, Pete La Roca & Sheila Jordan. The third, a single track, is from a 1964 European date, with Thad Jones, Joe Farrell, Al Heath & Garnett Brown. Included are new versions of the Russell classics: Stratusphunk and The Outer View.