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Through five albums and twelve U.S. R&B charted singles (including the 1977 Grammy-winning global anthem, “Best Of My Love”) released between 1976-1981, The Emotions achieved a level of recognition and success that ensured their place as first tier purveyors of harmonic soul music. The Chicago-based sisters (Wanda, Jeanette and Sheila) developed their distinctive sound as members of the family gospel group, The Hutchinson Sunbeams (with father Joe); after signing with Stax Records’ imprint Volt Records, the trio enjoyed their first Top 10 R&B and Top 40 pop hit with ‘So I Can Love You’ in 1969.

"I had an occasional flash of understanding, but then got selfishly wrapped up again in my own problems and pleasures," is a quote from Anne Frank's diary, the book on which The Beauty That Still Remains is based. These are thoughts we must all take heed of, confronting injustice that does not strike directly at ourselves. This recording represents a deep musical engagement with such universal values as empathy and faith in the good that is in every person. Asylos deals with the contradictions of inclusion and exclusion, and points up the connection between the pilgrims of the past and the asylum seekers of our time. The Norwegian Girls Choir addresses the theme of the inviolability of human dignity. The music by Marcus Paus and Maja S.K. Ratkje frames, in contrasting ways, the power that humanity and hope carry with them even amid the most intense horror, and through testimonies of the past these works tell us how relevant these topics still are.

Hamiet Bluiett - If You Have To Ask (1991) {Tutu CD888128}
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© 1991 Tutu Records | CD 888 128
Jazz / Post Bop / Contemporary Jazz / Avant-Garde Jazz / Baritone Saxophone

The title referes to a celebrated riposte of Louis Armstrong's when asked by a white lady what jazz really was. In the context of that his quotation of the celebrated waltz theme at the beginning of "Black Danube," a tune described by drummer Carvin as "James Brown in 3/4 time," has to be seen as slightly ironic in the context of Bluiett's now thoroughly Africanized approach to jazz performance. The rhythmic base, whether by Carvin or Asante, is in most cases the essence of the piece, over which Bluiett improvises with considerabl freedom.

Their 5th album in as many years Aşk (deeper feeling of love), marks an exuberant return to the 70s Anatolian folk-rock sound that characterised Altın Gün’s first two albums.

Sonny Rollins - Don't Ask (1979) {Milestone OJCCD-915-2 rel 1996}
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© 1979, 1996 Milestone Records / Fantasy / Universal | OJCCD-915-2 / 00025218691529
Jazz / Post Bop / Jazz Funk / Saxophone

Well it's the disco era by the time this album is released and so many people in the jazz and funk world were effected in different ways. Usually it met with mixed results but because Sonny's music was taking on a unique sound that I choose to call funk-bop (there's more on that in my other Sonny Rollins reviews) this wound up being one of his most energized,memorable and creatively satisfying albums of the decade. Not only is Sonny and his band here endlessly abound with creative ideas but also managed to bring the very best out of the musicianship. Miles Davis' drummer Al Foster and guitarist Larry Coryell, himself one of the very earliest architects of jazz fusion in the 60's are the musicians here aside from Sonny who really help a lot in the inspired sound of the music.