Nick of The Woods

The Complete Motown Singles has been a dream project of Motown and soul fanatics for many years, ever since the first decade of Stax/Volt singles was compiled in an impressive nine-disc box set in 1991. Prior to that, no soul label had its output as thoroughly documented as that set – there had been the Atlantic R&B box, which collected highlights, but it never attempted to capture the label's entire run – and while The Complete Stax-Volt Singles 1959-1968 missed a B-side or two, it was an exceptional piece of music history, and pretty damn entertaining to boot.

Phil Woods - Warm Woods (1957) {2014 Japan Jazz Collection 1000 Columbia-RCA Series SICP 4213}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 312 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 111 Mb
Full Artwork @ 600 dpi (png) -> 189 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 1957, 2014 Epic / Sony Music Japan | SICP 4213 | DSD Remaster
Jazz / Bop / Hard Bop / Saxophone

This long-out-of-print CD has finally been reissued and it's a must-have for Phil Woods fans, or for anyone interested in an excellent example of post-Parker be-bop saxophone. The sound quality is excellent, the rhythm section is very competent and Phil is at the top of his game on a nice mix of standards and originals. It's easy to see why he has been the benchmark for jazz alto for decades. His swing and inventiveness are nicely showcased as he eases his way through the list of tunes. If one were to buy one or two CD's that best show Phil Woods' ability to create meaningful jazz, this one would have to be high on the list for consideration. Don't miss it!

The Complete Motown Singles has been a dream project of Motown and soul fanatics for many years, ever since the first decade of Stax/Volt singles was compiled in an impressive nine-disc box set in 1991. The Complete Motown Singles might have seemed like a logical move to soul collectors and fanatics, but it remained in the realm of fantasy for many years because, as enticing as that set was, it was difficult to create.

Phil Woods, Gene Quill, Jackie McLean, John Jenkins, Hal McKusick - Bird Feathers (1957) {2013 Japan Prestige New Jazz Chronicle SHM-CD HR Cutting Series UCCO-5354}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 182 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 106 Mb
Full Artwork @ 600 dpi (png) -> 332 Mb | 5% repair rar | DSD / HR Cutting Remaster
© 1957, 2013 Prestige New Jazz / Concord / Universal Japan | UCCO-5354 | Mono | NJLP 8204
Jazz / Bop / Cool / Hard Bop / Saxophone

Reissue features the latest DSD / HR Cutting remastering and the high-fidelity SHM-CD format (compatible with standard CD player). Comes with a description. Features the original LP designs. A really great title for this classic late 50s set – as the record showcases a host of young alto players who've all come up in the generation of Charlie Parker – but who are each bringing their own sense of style to the instrument! There's hardly any "bird feathers" here – as the Charlie Parker modes are never used slavishly, but instead as a way to sprout wings and really take off in new direction – a difference that really comes through wonderfully on the tracks that feature two different altoists playing together.

The Pogues - 30 Years (2013) {8CD Box Set Rhino 8256464780}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 2.81 Gb | MP3 @320 -> 911 Mb
Full Artwork @ 300 dpi (jpg) -> 97 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 1984-95, 2013 Rhino | 8256464780
Rock / Folk Rock / Celtic Rock / Folk Punk / Alternative / Celtic Punk

This set collects the seven studio albums from 1984′s Red Roses For Me to Pogue Mahone from 1996 and adds a previously unreleased live album The Pogues with Joe Strummer Live In London (recorded in December 1991). There have been Pogues reissues before of course, notably in 2004 when the albums were re-released on CD with bonus tracks. Rhino also issued an Original Album Series collection in 2009 that brought together the five Shane MacGowan albums in the usual card slipcase packaging. So while in some ways 30 Years treads familiar ground, there is still much to recommend it. First off the band were involved in the project, and were keen to have their say. The decision to revert back to ‘just’ the albums and lose the 2004 bonus tracks was theirs, for instance. Another example of the band’s input was the cover design of the box. The literary types amongst you might notice that the typesetting and design is ‘inspired by’ an edition of James Joyce’s landmark work Ulysses.