The Best Of King Curtis 1952-1961 - Saxophone titan King Curtis gets the stellar showcase he deserves on Dave Penny’s latest career-defining set for Fantastic Voyage, continuing the roll which has seen the label raise the benchmark for knowledgeable, expertly-annotated compilations. Over three discs and nearly 100 tracks, Wail Man Wail! traverses the unmistakable tones of the late Curtis Ousley after he arrived from Texas in New York City in 1952, winning amateur night at Harlem’s Apollo before embarking on a recording career which took him to several seminal independent labels and bands with the likes of Lester Young and Lionel Hampton. He settled in New York for 17 years, declaring himself King Curtis and quickly making a name for roaring instrumentals and enhancing countless sessions.
Maar liefst 14 cd's met daarop verzameld het mooiste uit 20 jaar Top 2000. De cd's zijn gerangschikt naar de periode van waaruit de nummers komen: de 50, de 60,'s, de 70's, de 80. de 90's, de 00's en de 10's. Daarnaast is er nog een dubbelcd met daarop Long Versions van een aantal classic Top 2000 nummers.
The Hutchinson sisters' first charting album since 1969, 1976's Flowers found the Emotions out of the Volt enclave and under the wing of Earth, Wind & Fire's Maurice White. Revamping their classic girl group soul sounds to incorporate the more eclectic nuances of White's production, the resultant brassed-up disco proved to be on target and their Kalimba debut cruised straight into the Top Five in August. With fellow Earth, Wind & Fire members Verdine and Fred White adding their unmistakable chops to the sound, the Emotions ultimately emerged with an absolutely stunning brew that kept their powerful vocal harmonies well spotlighted, while adding more than a little funk to the sound.
Released in 1979, “Feel the Night” belongs to a string of albums that definitely established Lee Ritenour as one of the world’s best and most sought after guitar players. All but one track are original jazz/fusion instrumentals written by Ritenour and Don Grusin and perfectly played by the guitar superstar with strong support from the usual suspects. Among the cast of session aces are keyboardists like David Foster, Joe Sample and Dave Grusin with Steve Gadd and Abe Laboriel driving the pulsing rhythm section.