Raga Guitar

Multi-instrumentalist Sandy Bull’s debut, Fantasias for Guitar and Banjo, was for all intents and purposes the beginning of the “world music” movement. And if that seems like a bold claim, keep in mind that while many classical composers had borrowed folk motifs throughout the centuries, the mélange of folk, jazz, blues, classical, gospel, and even rock ‘n’ roll that this record offered—back in 1963!—was simply unprecedented. It all comes together on the album’s first track, a 21 minute and 51 second stylistic odyssey appropriately entitled “Blend.” Backed by jazz drummer Billy Higgins, Bull improvises in a fashion akin to jazz, but his guitar style displays elements of folk, and the droning quality and raga-like climax echo aspects of Middle Eastern and Indian music.

'Om Suite Ohm' is the first CD from Harry to feature his 'Bollywood style' electric slide techniques. Harry is joined by a fantastic group of musicians playing on Indian, African and western instruments. Produced by Harry Manx, Hans Christian (Daniel Lanois, Robbie Robertson) and Wynn Gogo,l recording began in Wisconsin in 2011. From there Harry went to Victoria, Australia to record then back to Vancouver Island Canada to finish the record. Guest musicians include Australian Didjeridoo player Ganga Giri (Peter Gabriel); African inspired musician Yeshe on co-writes, N'goni and vocals and Hans Christian on co-writes, bass, strings, percussion, nickelharp, sarangim cello and sitara. Harry sings and plays electric and acoustic slide, national steel, Mohan Veena, banjo and guitar. There are two covers on the record, the traditional "Reuben's Train" and the John Coltrane penned "Love Supreme" with additional lyrics by Harry. 'Om Suite Ohm' is Harry's 9th solo record.

Quintessence was the great underground band of the 1970s. Formed in March 1969, they were quickly signed to Island Records and later that year released their debut album, In Blissful Company. Between 1969-71, Quintessence, a counterculture phenomenon, made three albums for Island Records. Now, recently sourced from Island's multi-track tapes and digitised at Abbey Road Studios, this packed 2CD set reveals a wealth of stunning, hitherto unheard recordings in pristine studio sound.

'Om Suite Ohm' is the first CD from Harry to feature his 'Bollywood style' electric slide techniques. Harry is joined by a fantastic group of musicians playing on Indian, African and western instruments. Produced by Harry Manx, Hans Christian (Daniel Lanois, Robbie Robertson) and Wynn Gogo,l recording began in Wisconsin in 2011. From there Harry went to Victoria, Australia to record then back to Vancouver Island Canada to finish the record. Guest musicians include Australian Didjeridoo player Ganga Giri (Peter Gabriel); African inspired musician Yeshe on co-writes, N'goni and vocals and Hans Christian on co-writes, bass, strings, percussion, nickelharp, sarangim cello and sitara. Harry sings and plays electric and acoustic slide, national steel, Mohan Veena, banjo and guitar. There are two covers on the record, the traditional "Reuben's Train" and the John Coltrane penned "Love Supreme" with additional lyrics by Harry. 'Om Suite Ohm' is Harry's 9th solo record.

Not bad at all. Not exactly brilliant either, but this recorded free-form "freak-out" from 1967 (originally released on New York City's Audio Fidelity label) is not only not terrible, but surprisingly pretty OK for stretches, especially considering the typical quality of these types of had-to-be-there period curios that purport to blow your mind with an aural approximation of an acid trip. This one actually manages to be something approaching far out, man, even at its most half-baked. Whether How to Blow Your Mind and Have a Freakout Party was, in fact, created as a "head" LP by practicing heads (a certain David Dalton is listed as the Unfolding's presiding mastermind - no word in the liner notes if this is the same Dalton who was a pioneering rock scribe and founding editor of Rolling Stone), or as an exploitation of same by a faceless assemblage of session musicians is really anyone's guess…

Quintessence was the great underground band of the 1970s. Formed in March 1969, they were quickly signed to Island Records and later that year released their debut album, In Blissful Company. Between 1969-71, Quintessence, a counterculture phenomenon, made three albums for Island Records. Now, recently sourced from Island's multi-track tapes and digitised at Abbey Road Studios, this packed 2CD set reveals a wealth of stunning, hitherto unheard recordings in pristine studio sound.

Hungarian born guitarist and composer Gabor Szabo recorded eight records for Impulse between 1966 and 1968. Some of those albums, such as Jazz Raga and Spellbinder are masterpieces, while others, like Simpatico (with Gary McFarland) and Light My Fire (with Bob Thiele) are embarrassing exercises in self-indulgence. The pair of recordings issued on this Impulse two-fer were always meant to be together, though they were released separately; they are closer to the former category than the latter. The Sorcerer and More Sorcery contain live performances of two of Szabo's greatest quintets in concert settings: Jimmy Stewart on guitar, Lajos "Louis" Kabok on bass, either Marty Morell or Bill Goodwin on drums, and Hal Gordon on percussion…

After a few years of outdoing the Rolling Stones at their own game, Messrs. May and Co., clearly affected by their love of swinging London nightlife and all that went with it, injected their primal R&B roots with added spice (as Mike Stax, "numero uno Los Pretty Things fan," points out in his excellent liner notes). "Can't Stand the Pain" (from the 1965 Get The Picture album) has "a remarkably effective mood with a sense of a dreamy disembodiment that foreshadows what was yet to come with the arrival of psychedelia." By April 1966, B-side "LSD," yet another controversial shot in the Pretty Things' canon, helped pioneer the "freakbeat" sound, whilst the media's attacks on the Pretties slack, druggy values were foremost to the changing times - in fact, the record was a play on words about the English economy and not a celebration of the merits of LSD usage…

After a few years of outdoing the Rolling Stones at their own game, Messrs. May and Co., clearly affected by their love of swinging London nightlife and all that went with it, injected their primal R&B roots with added spice (as Mike Stax, "numero uno Los Pretty Things fan," points out in his excellent liner notes). "Can't Stand the Pain" (from the 1965 Get The Picture album) has "a remarkably effective mood …