Ambra is a collaboration between two composer/producer brothers, Giorgio and Martin Koppehele (or Cope to use their English-speaking alias). Their musical style is drawn from many diverse influences and classical training, but in a nutshell could best be described as intelligent electronica with depth and complexity, meets world music. This CD combines the best tracks of previous releases. In addition, there are three previously unpublished pieces.
Originally appearing on LP from the Bam Caruso label in the 1980s, and then on CD on the Past & Present imprint in 2003, these first ten volumes (boxed) in the Rubble Collection were conceived and collected by Phil Smee. For fans of the Nuggets series, both the two American volumes and the British Nuggets, you won't find a lot of overlap. The Nuggets comps were and are for people who want what was at least the stuff of legend, if not readily available. The collection here digs deep and are, for the most part, flawless in what they present. This set, and its companion volumes 11-20 (a separate box), are very different creatures. For starters, they dig a lot deeper into the hopelessly obscure 45s and tapes of Brit psychedelia, freakbeat, Mod, and pop.
The second box in as many years of a truckload of obscure British psychedelia. Here are ten more CDs' worth of serious rarities by some bands that barely scratched the surface of the British freakbeat scene during rock's golden era, and a few who went on to other things. In all, there are 128 cuts here, all compiled and annotated by Phil Smee – of Perfumed Garden fame (also issued by Past And Present). While some of these acts, such as the Poets, the Human Instinct, Outer Limits, and Denny Laine left marks on the scene, as did mod bands such as les Fleur De Lys and the Buzz; many others came from the swamp and returned with only these few minutes of glory for all of their efforts.
Johnny Cash released more than half a dozen gospel albums during his career, beginning with 1959's Hymns by Johnny Cash, and he scattered gospel tunes throughout his other works as well. A deeply religious man, he sang his songs of praise with as much, or perhaps more, conviction as he did his secular material – even the most skeptical non-believer would have to appreciate the honesty and soul of Cash's gospel recordings. Cash: Ultimate Gospel collects 24 of his best, most drawn from his Columbia catalog with a pair ("I Was There When It Happened" and "Belshazzar") emanating from Cash's early Sun Records period, and two ("Oh Come, Angel Band" and "Children Go Where I Send Thee") originally on the Cachet label.
Everybody knows "Strangers in the Night", one of the greatest hits of the 20th century. Yet, hardly anybody knows that the German composer Bert Kaempfert wrote the song. One can find his name credited next to a great number of world-famous titles. Kaempfert made music history and created a distinctive style with titles like "Spanish Eyes", "Danke Schoen", "A Swingin’ Safari" or the aforementioned "Strangers in the Night", that facilitated Frank Sinatra’s furious return to the top of the charts in 1966.
Subtitled "Celebrating Bert Kaempfert" vibes player Christopher Dell offers a contemporary sideways take on the work of the late composer, arranger and bandleader. Dell has imaginatively re-arranged Kaempfert’s tunes placing them in a thoroughly contemporary setting…