Reissue with the latest DSD remastering. A warm and soulful set of fusion tracks – issued only in Japan, but recorded by a hip group from the US! Air Pocket features the Fowler Brothers – Walt, Bruce, Ed, and Steve – on trumpet, trombone, bass, and alto, respectively – plus drummer Chester Thompson, guitarist Mike Miller, and pianist Stu Goldberg, who really plays some great moog, clavinet, and electric keys on the set! Tunes are well-written – a bit choppy, but never too jamming, and really just done in this nice blocky way that creates a slightly funky approach, and a good degree of soul. Titles include "Elephant's Graveyard", "Hi Lo Redic", "Colors For Marvin", "Night's Move", and "Becky".
First Word Records is extremely proud to welcome aboard Takuya Kuroda. A highly-respected trumpeter born in Kobe, Japan, Takuya is a forward-thinking musician that has developed a unique hybrid sound, blending soulful jazz, funk, post-bop, fusion and hip hop music.
Improvisational trumpeter and electronics artist Jaimie Branch, a Chicago native, began playing trumpet at the age of nine. Doing double-duty, she has also worked around her home town as a sound engineer for Tim Daisy and Ken Vandermark. A relative newcomer, Branch moved to New York to complete a Master's degree in in Jazz Performance and settled down in the music mecca of Brooklyn. Fly or Die is her solo debut and it is a unique and unconventional introduction.
Céline Bonacina fait partie de ces artistes dont la musique vous touche au coeur et à l’âme. Entourée de musiciens dont le talent indiscutable contribue à rehausser encore plus la magie produite par cet album, Céline Bonacina démontre ici toute la finesse et toutes les subtilités de sa palette musicale. En l’écoutant, on ressent la même vague émotionnelle que celle qui nous fait frissonnner en entendant Chet Baker chanter et jouer. Rares sont les artistes qui vous procurent au travers d’un disque un ressenti aussi fort, et Madame (avec un grand M) Céline Bonacina fait partie de ceux-là. Un disque majeur, par une artiste dont la discrétion et la gentillesse sont proportionnelles au génie musical qui l’habite.
On the Corner is yet another excellent Blue Note U.K. compilation of absolutely killer cuts from Blue Note's prime jazz-funk years in the wake of the soul-jazz explosion of the 1960s and Miles Davis' electric innovations in the late '60s and '70s. Typical of Blue Note in the period, these tracks all came from albums that were, in one sense, birds of a feather. In other words, whatever was "happening," Blue Note recorded it almost exclusively and forced even established artists to fit into that mold. While there were some mixed results, obviously, there is also a wealth of great material to choose from, as this funk-centric compilation makes very clear. One can already judge where the set is headed when it begins with Gene Harris' truly grooving "Losalamitoslatinlovesong." Harris cut three terrific electric jazz-funk sets for the label in the 1970s, only one of which has ever been available on CD. But other selections – such as Eddie Henderson's "Kumquat Kid," Ronnie Foster's "Cheshire Cat," Ronnie Laws' "Always There," and Moacir Santos' "Route" – offer funky fusion delights as well. There are 20 tunes on two discs, each of them jam-packed with gems.