Killer work from the same sessions that gave the world Cannonball Adderley's classic Black Messiah album – live material from an extended stretch as the Troubadour club in LA – featuring a very righteous, freewheeling version of Cannonball's group! The lineup features some wonderful work on Fender Rhodes from George Duke – who brings a more soulful, spiritual current to the proceedings than Joe Zawinul did in earlier years – a really commanding presence that hints at his brewing solo fame, and which is a very welcome addition to the core lineup, which also includes Cannon on soprano and alto, and brother Nat on cornet!
After years of silence, Patti Smith returned to music with a series of concerts in late 1995. It had been years since she had performed live – for most of the '80s and '90s, she concentrated on domestic life. Following the death of her husband, Fred "Sonic" Smith, in early 1995, Smith began playing music in public again and those concerts eventually led to the triumphant comeback Gone Again. Her husband wasn't the only loved one Smith lost between 1988's Dream of Life and 1996's Gone Again – her brother and her close friend Robert Mapplethorpe both died.
Tom Waits released Real Gone in October 2004. Waits' only album to date to feature absolutely no piano on any of its tracks, Waits beatboxed on the opening track, Top of the Hill , and most of the album's songs begin with Waits' vocal percussion" improvisations. A more rock-oriented effort, with less blues influence than his previous releases, Harp Magazine chose it as the finest release of the year. The Real Gone Tour played sold out locations in North America and Europe in October and November 2004, and on 21st November performed at Amsterdam s Koninklijk Theater Carré, where Tom and band put on a quite mesmerising show which included several numbers from the new album alongside a fine selection of choice cuts from previous records. Recorded for live FM Radio Broadcast, this entire show is now available for the first time on this dynamic 2CD Set.
Barclay James Harvest had streamlined their sound considerably after leaving the Harvest label, culminating (so many felt) in the mellifluous music of Gone to Earth. Their pretensions to progressive rock all but abandoned, BJH here invites comparison to contemporaries like Supertramp, REO Speedwagon, and Fleetwood Mac (some of whom were similarly tagged with the prog rock label early on)…
This was the first album that tenor saxophonist Jimmy Forrest made after his R&B phase ended. Particularly notable is that the set served as the recording debut of guitarist Grant Green; completing the band are pianist Harold Mabern, bassist Gene Ramey and drummer Elvin Jones. The top-notch group performs two ballads, "Caravan" and three basic Forrest originals, including the title cut. The music is essentially melodic and blues-based hard bop that looks toward soul-jazz. Everyone sounds in fine form.
Released on Mute on Friday July 28th 2017, the seven track extended single also features remixes of "World Be Gone", "Oh What A World" and "Just A Little Love" alongside the b-side "I Need You Now".
Established in London, England in 1985, enduring alternative dance duo Erasure combine the talents of emotive, broad-ranged vocalist Andy Bell and synth idol Vince Clarke, previously a founding member of Depeche Mode and Yazoo. Like those bands, Erasure is a synth-based group, but with stronger, more house-oriented dance inclinations, as well as a sharp, accessible sense of pop songcraft.