Porn Up From No.99, February 2014

Today marks the 70th birthday of one of the greatest drummers of this, or any generation; the remarkable Billy Cobham. From his earliest recordings with Horace Silver, Miles Davis and Milt Jackson, to his scintillating and seminal work with John McLaughlin's Mahavishnu Orchestra, keyboardist George Duke, and his own groups, like Culture Mix, Asere and the Spectrum 40; Cobham has thrilled audiences around the world by bringing his incomparable talents as a composer, drummer, and producer to the forefront of jazz, rock, fusion and world music. His latest effort is the eagerly awaited "Tales from the Skeleton Coast", part 3 of a series dedicated to his Panamanian parents.

Kevin Ayers - Yes We Have No Mananas (1976) {2014 Remaster Japanese Mini LP SHM-CD Edition WPCR-15529}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 473 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 171 Mb
Full Artwork @ 600 dpi (png) -> 362 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 1976, 2014 Parlophone / Warner Music Japan | WPCR-15529
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.

With No 2, Sammal releases the follow-up to their critically acclaimed eponymous debut on February 14th through Svart Records. The present-day flagship of Finnish progressive rock sails back in time again to the authentic tones and warm soundscapes of the 1970s on their forthcoming EP, titled No 2. The band doesn’t show off with unnecessarily technical playing or super-hard song structures, but focuses on forging upbeat atmospheres with strong melodies and fresh vintage sounds. Sammal relies on live playing in the studio, which brings the listener closer to the band: the production breathes so care-free that you can almost touch the notes floating in the air.

Coming off his Grammy-nominated 2013 album, The World According to Andy Bey, vocalist/pianist Andy Bey delivers the equally compelling 2014 release Pages from an Imaginary Life. As with its predecessor, Pages finds the jazz iconoclast returning to his roots with a set of American Popular Song standards done in a ruminative, stripped-down style. This is Bey, alone at the piano, delving deeply into the harmony, melody, and lyrics of each song. But don't let the spare setting fool you. Bey is a master of interpretation. In his seventies at the time of recording, and having performed over the years in a variety of settings from leading his own swinging vocal trio, to working with hard bop pioneer Horace Silver, to exploring the avant-garde with Archie Shepp, Bey has aged into a jazz oracle who doesn't so much perform songs as conjure them from somewhere in the mystical ether of his psyche.

Urbie Green - Urbie: East Coast Jazz Series No.6 (1955) {2014 Japanese Bethlehem Album Collection 1000}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 121 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 81 Mb
Full Artwork @ 600 dpi (png) -> 220 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 1955, 2014 Solid Records / Bethlehem | CDSOL-6128 | LP BCP-14
Jazz / Bop / Trombone

One of the strongest albums ever cut by trombonist Urbie Green – a player who had a heck of a lot of talent, but who unfortunately could sometimes end up in some schmaltzy settings. Fortunately, this isn't one of them – as the group includes players like Jimmy Lyon on piano, Oscar Pettiford on bass, Osie Johnson on drums, and Ike Horowitz on tenor – actually a nom-du-date for Al Cohn! The arrangements are tight, but never too much so – and there's a good degree of spirit in both the playing, and the compositions – some of which are by arranger Marion Evans. Titles include "Sneaky Pete", "Sassafras", "Melody In Bb", "How About You", and "Mutation".

Alma Afrobeat Ensemble was founded in Chicago in 2003 by guitarist Aaron Feder. In 2006 Aaron moved to Barcelona in search of a different sound for the AAbE. He quickly found a group of international members, from all continents of the globe. In a short time the band was reformed and headlined the Fiestizaje music and arts festival in 2008. The band then set about recording their first studio album, Toubab Soul which was released in 2010. Shortly afterwards, they released the remix album, Toubab Resouled, and opened the world music festival Cruilla de Cultures with Konono No 1.

Spanish project Kant Freud Kafka is the creative vehicle of composer and musician Javi Herrera, who operates out of Barcelona. "No Tengas Miedo" is the debut album by this venture, and was self released in 2014. What we are dealing with here is an album that moves rather freely between multiple genres as a matter of fact, and where the compositions might as well have been written as classical music suites expanded to become progressive rock as they might be progressive rock excursions expanded into the realms of classical music…