Higher Octave Music

2CD's of relaxing New Age, Smooth Jazz, Downtempo music.

B-Tribe or the "The Barcelona Tribe of Soulsters" is a musical project of the German-born musician and producer, Claus "The Brave" Zundel, also known for his Sacred Spirit project. Driven by the use of Classical Spanish guitar, and other elements of flamenco music, mixed with trance-like, ambient tunes. All the albums were recorded in Zundels's own studio on Ibiza, Spain. Spanish musician Paco Fernandez plays guitars and the cello parts are performed by Frankfort Radio Orchestra member Eric Plummetaz…

Almost overnight, the success of Ottmar Liebert's groundbreaking 1990 debut Nouveau Flamenco catapulted Higher Octave Music into one of the industry's top indie labels and introduced the instrumental world to a fresh, exotic sound unlike any other…

Though he has shown a mastery and affinity for both electric and acoustic axes, Tommy Emmanuel's Higher Octave debut, Midnight Drive, finds him focusing almost exclusively on warm yet frequently aggressive acoustic melodies, complemented here and there by the raw, plugged-in energy of Robben Ford and Larry Carlton. The overall mix is the kind that smooth jazz lovers find easy to swallow, but offers more bite and adventure than most like-minded releases in the genre. Smooth jazz radio may find an easy mark with a laid-back take of Sting's "Fields of Gold," but Emmanuel's other tracks dig deeper, showing off a stylistic chameleon drawing from the many phases of his career. His soft pop side comes out on power ballads "No More Goodbyes" and "Stay Close to Me," the latter reminding us why guest saxman Warren Hill's biggest hit to date was called "The Passion Theme." Emmanuel's more aggressive blues-rock side (honed no doubt by a few years in the progressive mid-'80s ensemble Dragon) emerges with Carlton's help on "Can't Get Enough." The striking contrast between the pastoral, folksy roads of "Drivetime" and the disc's best track, "Villa de Martin" best reflects the gamut of Emmanuel's approaches.

Inner Journeys: Myth & Legends (2003). With its lush melodies, tribal rhythms and chants and soaring flute driven energy, Cusco has cornered the market on mystical world music since becoming one of Higher Octave Music's mainstays over 15 years ago. They could have sold those two million units based on the engaging, spirit-energizing music alone, but no doubt dedicated listeners have been prompted to brush up on Inca and Aztec civilizations, which fueled this brainchild of German born group leader Michael Holm. This sweeping and provocative new disc blends a multitude of world cultures while delving into the adventure, magic, and mystery of ancient myths and legends…