Daniel Castro

DreamWeaver marks George Duke's return to recording after a three-year silence, and his first since the death of his wife Corine in 2012. While he is always diverse, this set is uncommonly so. The opener, a slippery, atmospheric title intro, flows directly into the Latin-tinged "Stones of Orion," a jazz tune with Duke on piano, Rhodes, and synths, Stanley Clarke on upright bass, and a four-piece horn section. It's shimmering groove-oriented jazz that reflects the time that Duke spent with Cannonball Adderley. "Trippin'" is a funky, jazzed-up R&B tune where he offers his autobiography; it features some fine muted trumpet work by Michael Patches Stewart. "Missing You" is a jazz ballad tribute to Corine, with the finest vocal Duke has laid down in a decade. But there's funk here, too, in the fat stomper "Ashtray."

It's hard to call The Globe Sessions a stumble, but its stripped-down, straightforwardness paled in comparison to the dark pop-culture kaleidoscope of Sheryl Crow's eponymous second album. That's why C'mon, C'mon, Crow's long-delayed fourth album, is such a delight – it's the sunny flip side of that masterpiece, a skillful synthesis of classic rock and modern sensibilities that's pretty irresistible. Crow has turned into the professional she always acted she was – she not only crafts songs impeccably, she knows how to record them, filling the record with interesting sonic details, whether it's the Steve Miller-styled "woo hoo"s on "Steve McQueen" or subtle Mellotrons on "Over You."

Blondel - Owre Kynge Went Forth - Henry V and the Battle of Agincourt (2016) {Digital Download Bandcamp 16-44.1}
FLAC (tracks) - 16bit/44kHz - Official Digital Download (bandcamp.com) -> 338 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 161 Mb
Full Artwork (jpg+pdf) -> 36 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 2016 Blondel
Classical / Early Music / Medieval / 14th Century / 15th Century / Folk / Bagpipes

This programme features music which was nearly all composed (or at least written down) in the lifetime of Henry V of England (1387-1422). It divides into broad sections depicting various important stages in his life from his wild youth to his marriage to Catherine de Valois and the treaty following the battle of Agincourt. The texts are taken from three sources: Holinshed’s Chronicles, Shakespeare’s 'Henry V' and 'The Archer’s Story' by Esmond Knight, who played Fluellen in Laurence Olivier’s film of play. The spoken texts narrate the story of the battle, its build-up and aftermath from different points of view.