CD Rip Scans

One of the rarest albums by Frank Rosolino - and a surprisingly great vocal set as well! The tunes are short, but Frank manages to both sing and turn in his usual trombone solo work here - and while the latter is great, we especially love the former! Frank's vocals have a raspy, playful quality that's a bit like Jack Sheldon's singing - and as with some of the later Sheldon albums, this one's a great illustration of the under-recorded side of some of the talents of players on the LA scene - their "entertainer" personas that were often used when working the bandstand in a live environment. And if you're suspicious about the vocals, don't be - because Frank is really great here, and manages to transform the tunes heavily - taking old standards and playfully inflecting them with new life and a rough edge - a bit similar to work by Bob Dorough or Johnny Watson (for his Chess session) on similar material…

An unusual little record - a set that's a bit "fake" in its pedigree, but which still comes across with some wonderfully vivid results! Fred Kaz is a Chicago pianist, but he works here on a set of original compositions based on his readings on Near Eastern cultures - dubbed by Fred as "Turkish experiments" in the liner notes - and a compelling blend of Eastern modes and modern jazz piano - maybe not as all-out as later experiments of the type on MPS/Saba, but still pretty darn great! The group's a trio - with Victor Sproles on bass and Roger Wanderscheid on drums.

A magnificent set from the team of Art Farmer and Jim Hall - one of those rare pairings in jazz that somehow comes off sounding even way better than the sum of its parts - and that's saying a lot, given that the parts here are already pretty darn great! Farmer's flugelhorn and Hall's guitar create these wonderful shapes in sound - softly coming together with a vibe that's very modern, yet also soulful - gently swinging while still experimenting - with a combination that's completely wonderful! Think of Bob Brookmeyer and Clark Terry, or Bill Evans and Jim Hall - and you'll be somewhere in the territory of these magically unique sounds - augmented with some gentle rhythm work by Steve Swallow on bass and Walter Perkins on drums.

Stunning early work from trumpeter Ted Curson - a record that's got as much soul and rock-solid power as you'd guess from the image on the cover! Ted's working here in the company of his frequent partner from the early days - tenorist Bill Barron - and together, they come up with a riveting sound that rivals the genius of early 60s work from Charles Mingus or Booker Ervin - with a similar blend of sharp edges, tight rhythms, and in the pocket soul! The rest of the group features Georges Arvanitas on piano - making a rare American appearance - plus Herb Bushler on bass and Dick Berk on drums.

Barnstorm, Joe Walsh's first solo album after leaving the James Gang, garnered him fame not only as a guitarist but also as a songwriter. While it's true that Walsh established himself as a late-'60s/early-'70s guitar hero on the Gang's more boogie-oriented rock numbers, it's Walsh's love of lushly textured production and spacy, open-ended songs featuring both acoustic and electric guitars that is showcased here on this wildly adventurous and forgotten, unqualified masterpiece. Recorded at the Caribou Ranch in Nederland, Colorado, Barnstorm reflects the big sky and wide-open spaces.

Esoteric Antenna are pleased to announce the release of the new, previously unreleased 2006 live CD and DVD by the legendary Canadian Progressive Rock band FM. The band began life in 1976 with Cameron Hawkins (synthesisers, bass, vocals) and Nash the Slash (Jeff Plewman) (electric violin, mandolin, vocals) coming together as a duo, making an appearance on national TV in Canada in the Summer of 1976. By March 1977 FM became a trio with the addition of Martin Dellar on drums. A series of albums followed, which saw the band enjoy a loyal following outside their homeland in the USA and Europe. Disbanding in 1994 Progressive Rock fans were delighted when FM reformed in 2006 to perform at the annual North East Art Rock Festival (Nearfest) at the Zoellner Arts Center in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania…

The heavy, psychedelic acid rock of Iron Butterfly may seem dated to some today, but the group was one of the first hard rock bands to receive extensive radio airplay, and their best-known song, the 17-minute epic "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida," established that more extended compositions were viable entries in the radio marketplace, paving the way for progressive AOR…

On their studio first outing in three years, Germany's seemingly eternal Scorpions keep the sound a perfect balance between nu metal guitar crunch and '80s heavy metal melodies. Humanity Hour, Vol. 1 is a worthy if not utterly successful musical follow-up to 2004's Unbreakable – a record that saw the band coming back to its strengths after a long bout of wandering about in the creative desert. Humanity Hour, Vol. 1 is a collaboration between the band and co-producers James Michael and Desmond Child…