Somewhere 莫文蔚

The much-loved and much-missed songstress Phyllis Hyman’s debut album for Arista Records, 1979’s SOMEWHERE IN MY LIFETIME was an amalgam of six tracks from Sing A Song, her second LP for Buddah Records and four new tracks she recorded after Buddah became defunct and was bought by Arista.
With production by T. Life, her then-husband Larry Alexander and renowned songwriter Skip Scarborough and Arista labelmate Barry Manilow (responsible with Ron Dante for the title track), SOMEWHERE IN MY LIFETIME featured major players such as Onaje Allen Gumbs, Herbie Hancock, Bob Babbitt, Azar Lawrence, Monty Alexander and Will Lee. The album reached No. 15 on the U.S. R&B charts and spawned two charted singles, the title cut which became Phyllis’ first Top 20 R&B hit and a cover of pop rock group Exile’s ‘Kiss You All Over,’ a dance music/club hit.

The “Somewhere” in which the ‘Standards’ trio find themselves is Lucerne, Switzerland with a performance both exploratory and in-the-tradition. The Neue Zürcher Zeitung headlined its review of the show “kontrollierte Ekstase” – controlled ecstasy – an apt metaphor for a set that begins in improvisational “Deep Space” modulates into Miles Davis’ “Solar”, soars through the standards “Stars Fell On Alabama” and “Between The Devil And The Deep Blue Sea” and climaxes with an extended romp through West Side Story, as Bernstein’s “Somewhere” and “Tonight” are bridged by the freely associative Jarrett original “Everywhere”.

The Bailes Brothers - Standing Somewhere In The Shadows: The Legendary King Sessions 1953, Plus (2012) {Bear Family BCD17133AH}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 203 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 134 Mb
Full Artwork @ 300 dpi (jpg) -> 97 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 1953, 2012 King / Gusto / Bear Family Records | BCD 17133 AH
Country / Old-time Music / Gospel / Classic Hillbilly / Bluegrass

The Bailes Brothers' recording career stretched over quite a few years and several labels after they made their first discs in 1945, and included two separate stints for King. The first, a brief one consisting of a couple dozen recordings done in Nashville in the last half of 1946, are thoroughly documented on Bear Family's companion CD to this collection, Remember Me: The Legendary King Sessions 1946. By the time they came back to King in 1953, the act was fading a bit, not having recorded since 1947 (Johnnie Bailes did a stint in prison in the intervening years). For their 1953 King sessions, the ever-changing Bailes Brothers lineup featured just two brothers, guitarist/lead singer Walter and mandolinist/tenor vocalist Johnnie, backed by Lambert Arend on steel guitar and Big Tiny Smith on bass.

While still a member of the Charles Lloyd Quartet, Keith Jarrett did some occasional moonlighting with a trio, anchored by two future members of Jarrett's classic quartet, Charlie Haden (bass) and Paul Motian (drums). On this CD, Jarrett turns in a very eclectic set at Shelly's Manne-Hole in Hollywood, careening through a variety of idioms where his emerging individuality comes through in flashes. He covers Bob Dylan's "My Back Pages" – which actually came out as a single on the Vortex label – in an attractive, semi-funky style reminiscent of Vince Guaraldi. "Pretty Ballad" delivers a strong reflective dose of Bill Evans, while "Moving Soon" is chaotic free jazz. By the time we reach "New Rag," we begin to hear the distinctive Jarrett idiom of the later trios, but then, "Old Rag" is knockabout stride without the stride. As an example of early, unfocused Jarrett, this is fascinating material.

While most bluesy hard rock acts of the '70s and '80s hailed from the United States, there were several exceptions to the rule. Canadian singer/guitarist/keyboardist Pat Travers with his hard, edgy tone, rough and rowdy vocals, and barroom boogie aesthetic is a stellar example. Arriving during the reign of hard blues-rock guitar slingers such as Johnny Winter, George Thorogood, and Robin Trower, his eight-album run for Polydor from the self-titled 1976 debut through 1984's Hot Shot, netted seven Top 200 chart placements (all but one in the upper half) and two Top 40 singles, including the party anthem classic "Boom Boom (Out Go the Lights)."

A 2018 Kscope label 2CD/Blu-Ray edition of Porcupine Tree’s Arriving Somewhere. Taken from the Deadwing tour in 2005 and featuring superb live performances from the band - Steven Wilson, Gavin Harrison, Richard Barbieri and Colin Edwin with John Wesley.

Somewhere Between Heaven and Earth is a heart-rendered requiem for Bullens' young daughter who died of cancer in 1996, though it's largely about hope for the living. The singer/songwriter, who debuted in 1979 with Desire Wire, recorded this tribute with the help of a few friends. Bonnie Raitt and Beth Nielsen Chapman sing along on the soulful anthem "Gotta Believe in Something," and Bryan Adams guests on the title track; Lucinda Williams, Benmont Tench, and Rodney Crowell also contribute. Bullens' voice and guitar simply chime with hope throughout the album. She has never sounded better.