Never-heard music from the mighty Keith Jarrett – performances recorded in the mid 80s, and featuring Jarrett working in a mix of jazz and classical styles that's pretty darn great! The first piece is Samuel Barber's "Piano Concerto Op 38", performed with the Rundfunk Sinfonieorchester, conducted by Dennis Russell Davies – but Jarrett's performance brings an edge and sense of air that recalls some of his own compositions for larger groups from the 70s, especially with Davie at the helm.
Canned Heat is best known for the hits “Going Up The Country” and “On The Road Again,” but this was mainly a blues rock band, and they put out an album with John Lee Hooker titled Hooker ‘N’ Heat in early 1971. The album was all John Lee Hooker material, and was the last studio album to feature Alan Wilson, who died of a drug overdose in late 1970 (a member of the 27 Club). In the spring of 1971, Canned Heat performed with John Lee Hooker at Carnegie Hall. Part of the show was recorded, and now you can hear it with the release of Carnegie Hall 1971. This CD features liner notes by Dave Thompson, with portions of an interview with drummer Fito de a Parra.
Blue Dogs (2015). Named after The Muffins' 1978 debut album - one of the essential Canterbury-related releases - Manna/Mirage is the newest project by founding member Dave Newhouse (one of the band's two woodwind players). Not surprisingly, fellow Muffins Billy Swann and Paul Sears are also on board, as well as Newhouse’s son George, guitarist Mark Stanley (of Chainsaw Jazz and Thee Maximalists), and newest recruit, Steve Pastena, on French horn. The ensemble's debut, released in the autumn of 2015, bears the title of Blue Dogs - a title inspired by a painting by artist and RIO/Canterbury fan Gonzalo Fuentes Riquelme (aka Guerrilla Graphics), which graces the CD cover. The album was mixed and produced by none other than Mike Potter of Orion Studios - probably the most important venue for progressive music in the US, and the setting of The Muffins' most recent performance to date, in May 2015…