This generously programmed CD was derived from two different early-'60s albums by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir that happen to fit together by virtue of the common period shared by the repertory. Their approach to the music is somewhat different from that of the Roger Wagner Chorale, who generally take a more robust, full-bodied, and direct approach to this repertory. Under Richard Condie's direction, by contrast, the Mormon Tabernacle Choir generally go for subtle, highly restrained dynamics, even on full-blooded numbers like "Tramp, Tramp, Tramp," "The Battle Cry of Freedom," "He's Gone Away" (which is doubly fascinating to hear in a more authentic form than the version popularized by the Serendipity Singers around same period), and "The Battle Hymn of the Republic"…
Over the course of time, Heavy Sugar has been the title of a song, the name of a radio station, an independent movie and the primary ingredient for a rapturous recipe. How fitting it is that this latter description also epitomizes the ingredients that go to make up Heavy Sugar: The Pure Essence of New Orleans R&B. Just think, if the celebrity chefs of New Orleans were to whip up Heavy Sugar until the peaks start to form, then the hostesses on Bourbon Street would go that little bit further and add any flavour necessary to achieve a creamy finish.
Producer John Simon did a pair of albums of his own during the 1970s, starting with John Simon's Album (1970), which was two years in the making and featuring many of the musicians with whom he'd been working over that period, including Cyrus Faryar, Garth Hudson, Richard Manuel, Rick Danko, Delaney Bramlett, Leon Russell, Jim Gordon, Carl Radle, Jim Price, and Rita Coolidge, Bobby Whitlock, and Jean Millington. Perhaps not surprisingly, John Simon's Album mostly resembles the first two Band albums, with a clear, sharp, brittle sound rooted in a multitude of popular music strains…
The Radio Legacy is a compilation of the seven part Anthology of the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, the four box sets devoted to the orchestra s chief conductors Willem Mengelberg, Eduard van Beinum, Bernard Haitink and Riccardo Chailly, and also featuring more recent recordings with Mariss Jansons.
In less than 24 months, Taj Mahal (guitars/vocals/banjo/harmonica) had issued the equivalent of four respective long-players. The electric Giant Step was released alongside the acoustic and decidedly rural De Ole Folks at Home. The nine cuts on Giant Step feature support from the instrumental trio of Jesse Ed Davis (guitar/keyboards), Gary Gilmore (bass), and Chuck Blackwell (drums). They back Taj Mahal on a wide selection of covers ranging from Carole King and Gerry Goffin's "Take a Giant Step" to the upbeat and soulful reading of the Huddie Ledbetter blues staple "Keep Your Hands Off Her." The arrangements are unique and offer the artist's distinctive approach. Nowhere is this more evident than the practically jovial midtempo "Good Morning Little Schoolgirl" or the freewheeling abandon brought to the 18-wheeler anthem "Six Days on the Road"…
Keyboardist-arranger-composer PeteLevin’s 9th solo release, Mobius, was recorded live in the studio in two days, capturing the“no boundaries” spirit of Gil Evans. The music explores textural grooves ranging from straight-ahead bop to funk, world-beat, and the experimental. The disc features 10 tracks including 8 originals, “I Mean You” by Thelonious Monk & Coleman Hawkins and “There Comes A Time” by Tony Williams. Anchored by Tony Levin (Peter Gabriel’s original bassist) and Lenny White (Chick Corea’s original drummer) the high-energy band and the compositions have the spontaneity and dynamics of a live performance. In a diverse music career spanning several decades, Levin has performed and recorded with numerous jazz and pop artists, including Paul Simon, Annie Lennox, David Sanborn, Jaco Pastorius, Robbie Robertson and John Scofield.