Blindspot S01e06 (2015)

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…

Anders Jormin’s new Swedish-Japanese project returns the highly distinctive voice of Lena Willemark to ECM – it’s her first appearance on the label in more than a decade - and introduces koto player Karin Nakagawa. In this trio music the Japanese classical tradition and the stark, archaic sounds of the koto, allied to Jormin’s powerful and subtle bass playing, form a unique context for Lena’s sung poems, delivered in her native Älvdals-dialect. Traditions and non-idiomatic improvising are cross-referenced and new paths opened up in these compositions.

It's interesting to note that Hot Chip's string of great albums - beginning with Made in the Dark - coincided with their exploration of the joys of long-term relationships. Celebrating monogamy while avoiding monotony applies to how they make music, as well: on the surface, Why Make Sense? is another album of wry, kinetic electro-pop from a group that has mastered the style, but it also builds on Hot Chip's roots - and dance music's origins - in ways that sound fresh. The band reunited with In Our Heads producer Mark Ralph, and they expand on that album's joyousness, this time imbuing it with elements of R&B, hip-hop, and, especially, disco. "Huarache Lights" feels like the album's mission statement, from its slow and steady groove and un-ironic talkbox to its sample of First Choice's "Let No Man Put Asunder," a sizzling disco testament to commitment that was also sampled by the prime movers of house and techno's early days…

Caro Emerald is a Dutch jazz singer who emerged in 2009 with the smash hit single "Back It Up" and made her chart-topping album debut in 2010 with Deleted Scenes from the Cutting Room Floor. Born Caroline van der Leeuw on April 26, 1981 in Amsterdam, Netherlands, she studied music at the conservatory, specializing in jazz and subsequently working as a vocal coach. Her breakthrough success came in 2009 with the single "Back It Up," written and produced by David Schreurs and Jan van Wieringen of Grandmono Records, along with songwriter Vincent de Giorgio. "Back It Up" began as a summertime hit but ended up spending 21 weeks on the Dutch charts, from July to December. Its popularity was enhanced by a couple different remixes, one by Kraak & Smaak and another featuring Madcon.

Charlie Parker - Charlie Parker With Strings (2015) {2CD Set Verve Deluxe Edition B0022596-02 rec 1947-1952}
XLD rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 706 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 336 Mb
Full Artwork @ 600 dpi (jpg) -> 226 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 1947-52, 2015 Verve / UMG | B0022596-02
Jazz / BeBop / Bop / Saxophone

Recorded between 1947 and 1952, the Charlie Parker With Strings albums showcased the legendary bebop saxophonist performing standards and ballads backed by a small classical string ensemble and jazz rhythm section. Although somewhat controversial when first released, the strings sessions are largely considered landmarks for orchestral jazz productions and rank among the best albums in Parker's discography.