Sina Notti

The Pop-Liisa and Jazz-Liisa broadcast session series presents previously unreleased and forgotten gems from the biggest names of Finnish prog and jazz of the 1970's. Never bootlegged and known up until now only to a few faithful servants (and largely thought to have been lost for ever), these sessions offer a hitherto unrivalled look into the state of Finnish jazz and progressive rock between the years 1972-1977. Imagine if the sessions recorded by John Peel had only recently been discovered, and you get an idea of the cultural weight of what is being brought into the light of day here.
Originally recorded as broadcasts by YLE (the national radio service Yleisradio, "the Finnish BBC"), the thirty-four Liisankatu sessions are a genuine who’s who of Finnish prog and jazz. Interestingly, anyone with even basic knowledge of the era’s biggest bands will recognize familiar names at play within these obscure bands…

Salif Keita - Soro (1987) {Mango–Island Records IMCD 243 842775-2}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 241 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 92 Mb
Full Artwork @ 600 dpi (png) -> 34 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 1987 Mango Records / Island Records | IMCD 243 / 842775-2
Afro-Pop / World Funk / World Fusion / West African

Soro is the album that brought Salif Keita international stardom though he was already well-known in West Africa from his work with The Rail Band and Les Ambassadeurs. Keita's voice is in peak form, soaring and swooping with awe-inspiring power. For these sessions, Keita has gathered an all-star band that is innovative, solid, and turn-on-a-dime tight. The production, state of the art in 1987, sounds just as bright and fresh today. This CD draws its strength from the rich traditions of Malian culture, melded with cutting edge musical technology, and a global outlook. All of the tracks on Soro are crucial, though the bittersweet "Cono" and the intricate and epic title track "Soro" (Afrika) are standouts.

The premise of this Atlantic set is a bit unusual. The Art Farmer Quartet (consisting of flügelhornist Farmer, guitarist Jim Hall, bassist Steve Swallow, and drummer Pete LaRoca), which was together from 1962-1964 (after the demise of the Jazztet), was passing through Stockholm, Sweden at the time of this date and the musicians felt inspired to record a full album of traditional Swedish folk songs. Respect is paid to the often haunting melodies, and Farmer sounds quite at home in this context, sometimes hinting a bit at Chet Baker. Fortunately, not all of the tunes are taken at a ballad pace, and once the themes are fully stated, Farmer and Hall have plenty of harmonically sophisticated solos. The band's cool and restrained style suits the music perfectly, turning it into jazz without losing its essence. Although a brief set (at under 33 minutes), every note counts on this successful outing.

The premise of this Atlantic set is a bit unusual. The Art Farmer Quartet (consisting of flügelhornist Farmer, guitarist Jim Hall, bassist Steve Swallow, and drummer Pete LaRoca), which was together from 1962-1964 (after the demise of the Jazztet), was passing through Stockholm, Sweden at the time of this date and the musicians felt inspired to record a full album of traditional Swedish folk songs. Respect is paid to the often haunting melodies, and Farmer sounds quite at home in this context, sometimes hinting a bit at Chet Baker. Fortunately, not all of the tunes are taken at a ballad pace, and once the themes are fully stated, Farmer and Hall have plenty of harmonically sophisticated solos. The band's cool and restrained style suits the music perfectly, turning it into jazz without losing its essence. Although a brief set (at under 33 minutes), every note counts on this successful outing.