2014 Official Release, only available as an Import. The final concert was recorded in Dortmund, Germany on December 21, 1986. Available in very limited quantities. Features the last performance of Jaco Pastorius. Japanese original release. This live album, recorded in Dortmund, Germany, Dec 12, 1986, is Jaco's memorable last performance in his life. Jaco at the time was vibrant, good in health, and played well. The recording plan as The Holy Ghost, power trio with a gutarist and a drummer, was in progress with MCA Records at the same time. Jaco stated "Although I have played in many form of bands like Wheather Report, Word of Mough Big band, sextet, I am now having fun with trio. I expect I can create new sound with lots more space."
Upon its release, the 1973 LP Brain Salad Surgery had been hailed as Emerson, Lake & Palmer's masterpiece. A long tour ensued that left the trio flushed and begging for time off. Before disbanding for three years, they assembled a three-LP live set (something of a badge of achievement at the time, earned by Yes in 1973 with Yessongs and, somewhat more dubiously, Leon Russell with Leon Live)…
Michael Kocáb, one of the legends of Czech rock music, played with Australian guitarist Glenn Proudfoot in one reincarnation of Czech rock band Prazský výber. Now, they combined forces with other great musicians - Virgil Donati, one of the best drummers of our time and Billy Sheehan on bass…
Poulenc’s 'Stabat Mater', which he described as a ‘requiem without despair’, was written in 1950 following the death of Christian Bérard who designed the sets for Cocteau’s films and plays and was a leading figure of 1940s Paris. This masterly work, dedicated to the Virgin of Rocamadour, gives pride of place to the chorus and clearly shows its line of descent from the French grands motets. On completing it, Poulenc wrote to Pierre Bernac: "It’s good, because it’s completely authentic".
Following the success of their latest album we are proud to release this double CD compilation of "Christmas Eve" and "The Christmas Album" plus a bonus track, and Christmas messages from Bill and Jill. Shakatak have enjoyed a level of success and career longevity rarely paralleled in contemporary music but then Shakatak is a particularly unusual group. Because of the nature of their music their fan base is one that is far reaching while always retaining an “underground” element. This paradox sees the band, who are known primarily for their musicality, enjoying both high “cult” status and instant recognition as a household name due to their numerous hit recordings.
The Power Station is the debut album by the supergroup The Power Station, released in 1985 on Capitol Records. The album peaked at no. 6 on the US Billboard 200 and no. 12 on the UK Albums Chart. All three singles released from the album were Top 40 hits in the United States. An anniversary edition was released 21 February 2005, featuring 7 bonus tracks, as well as a 35-minute DVD. The Power Station was a supergroup formed by Robert Palmer, Tony Thompson (of Chic) and Andy and John Taylor from Duran Duran. They came together in 1984 to record a one-off album, as a respite from the relentless global touring and promotion of Duran Duran. The original plan for this one-album project was for the three musicians (Taylor, Taylor and Thompson) to provide musical continuity to an album full of material, with a different singer performing on each track.
Excellent Monk concert from his well-documented 1961 European Tour. The sound is very good and Monk is in very good form. The bonus tracks were recorded for TV in Bussum; April 1961. There is a low quality video copy of part of this that circulates among collectors, but it is nice to have it in a much more complete audio format as presented here. Huge thanks to the Dutch Archives for releasing this vintage Monk!
The Ensemble Pygmalion directed by Raphaël Pichon commences its collaboration with Harmonia Mundi with this new recording of J.S. Bach’s lost music to the Köthener Trauermusik (Cöthen funeral music), BWV 244a. Founded in 2006 at the European Bach Festival, Ensemble Pygmalion is a combination of choir and orchestra - all young performers with experience of authentic instruments and period-informed performance. Its repertoire concentrates primarily on Johann Sebastian Bach and Jean-Philippe Rameau.