LP Heart

Gabor Szabo - Spellbinder (1966) {2007 Impulse! Japan Mini LP 24bit remaster UCCI-9100}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 217 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 87 Mb
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© 1966, 2007 Impulse! / Universal Japan | UCCI-9100 | 24/96 remaster | Mini LP
Jazz / Post Bop / Guitar

Released just six months after Gypsy '66, Gabor Szabo's second album as a leader (after leaving a sublime Chico Hamilton band that also included Charles Lloyd) remains one of his finest moments in the studio. Szabo utilized the tales of bassist Ron Carter and his old boss Hamilton on drums, as well as a pair of fine Latin percussionists – Willie Bobo and Victor Pantoja. The groove quotient was very high on Spellbinder, maybe even higher than on later albums such as Jazz Raga or Sorcerer. This set is all Szabo, drifting, wafting, and soaring above all that rhythm; the track selection provides ample space for Szabo's highly individualized Eastern modal style to shine. The set opens with the title track, a snaky guitar masterpiece with plenty of droning strings and pinched chords that are followed by open string flourishes.

It is easier to define Dionne Warwick by what she isn't rather than what she is. Although she grew up singing in church, she is not a gospel singer. Ella Fitzgerald and Sarah Vaughan are clear influences, but she is not a jazz singer. R&B is also part of her background, but she is not really a soul singer, either, at least not in the sense that Aretha Franklin is…

Modern Talking was a German duo consisting of singer Thomas Anders and arranger, songwriter and producer Dieter Bohlen, with the participation of Luis Rodríguez in the production. They have been referred to as Germany's most successful pop duo, and have had a number of hit singles, reaching the top five in many countries. Some of their most popular and widely known singles are "You're My Heart, You're My Soul", "You Can Win If You Want", "Cheri, Cheri Lady", "Brother Louie", "Atlantis Is Calling (S.O.S. for Love)" and "Geronimo's Cadillac".

Essential: a masterpiece of country-rock music
Neil Young’s 30+ career albums are as varied as any other artist, spanning psychedelic folk to folk-rock to hard rock to pre-grunge.

Although Blondie made several first-rate albums, most of their best songs were released as singles, which makes The Best of Blondie an essential collection. The Best of Blondie glosses over their punk roots – very little from the first album, apart from the vicious "Rip Her to Shreds" and the seductive "In the Flesh" – but the band's pop hits are among the finest of their era and encapsulate all of the virtues of new wave. Apart from genuine chart hits like "Heart of Glass," "One Way or Another," "Dreaming," "Call Me," "Atomic," "The Tide Is High," and "Rapture," Best of Blondie picks up several of the group's best album tracks, like "(I'm Always Touched by Your) Presence, Dear" and "Hanging on the Telephone." The Best of Blondie isn't all you need to know, but it is an excellent introduction to one of the best new wave bands.

Kevin Ayers - That's What You Get Babe (1980) {2014 Remaster Japan Mini LP SHM-CD Edition WPCR-15531}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 406 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 161 Mb
Full Artwork @ 600 dpi (png) -> 443 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 1980, 2014 Parlophone / Warner Music Japan | WPCR-15531
Rock / Art Rock / Canterbury Scene

Cardboard sleeve reissue from Kevin Ayers features remastering in 2014 and the high-fidelity SHM-CD format (compatible with standard CD players). The cover faithfully replicates the original UK LP artwork. Includes an obi featuring design of original Japanese limited edition's LP (subject to change). Comes with a description and lyrics. Part of eight-album Kevin Ayers cardboard sleeve reissue series features the albums, "Joy Of A Toy +5," "Shooting At The Moon +6," "Whatevershebrings Wesing +10," "Bananamour +7," "Odd Ditties +3," "Yes We Have No Mananas. So Get Your Mananas Today +9," "Rainbow Takeaway +7," and "That's What You Get Babe +4." Bonus tracks.

The Barry Harris Trio - Magnificent! (1969) {Prestige Japan Mini LP VICJ-41566 rel 2006}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 219 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 94 Mb
Full Artwork @ 300 dpi (jpg) -> 40 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 1969, 2006 Prestige / Victor Entertainment Japan | VICJ-41566 | 20-bit remaster
Jazz / Bop / Piano

From the opening tour de force reading of Coleman Hawkins' "Bean and the Boys" to the closing performance of Charlie Parker's "Dexterity," Magnificent brilliantly illustrates Barry Harris' unique rapport with the bop piano tradition. Absolutely unlike the enervating, curatorial approach of the neo-con movement, Harris deals with the tradition as a continuum, perpetually rejuvenating and extending it. Along with the opening and closing tracks, the classics on this 1969 date include a caressing exploration of "These Foolish Things" and a dazzling treatment of "Ah-Leu-Cha."

Bill Evans - Jazzhouse (1969) {2012 Japan SHM-CD Mini LP 24-96 Remaster UCCO-90135}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 209 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 93 Mb
Full Artwork @ 600 dpi (png) -> 163 Mb | 5% repair rar | 24-96 remaster
© 1969, 2012 Milestone / Fantasy / Concord / Universal Japan | UCCO-90135
Jazz / Post Bop / Modal Music / Piano

Cardboard sleeve (mini LP) reissue from Bill Evans featuring the high-fidelity SHM-CD format (compatible with standard CD players) and the latest 24bit/96kHz digital remastering. Part of a 5-album Bill Evans SHM-CD cardboard sleeve reissue series featuring albums "I Will Say Goodbye," "Alone (Again)," "Intuition," "Re: Person I Knew," and "Jazzhouse." This set is one of two albums (both reissued on CD) recorded by the Bill Evans Trio (with bassist Eddie Gomez and drummer Marty Morell) at Copenhagen's Montmartre on one night in 1969 but not released initially until the late '80s. Evans sounds relaxed and swinging playing his usual repertoire. All of the songs (mostly standards) have been recorded by Evans at other times but the pianist's many fans certainly will not mind hearing these "alternate" versions of such tunes as "How Deep Is the Ocean," "How My Heart Sings," "Sleepin' Bee" and a light-hearted "California Here I Come."