The Bob Szajner Triad I Anticipation Apprehension 2

The second volume of The Very Best of MTV Unplugged digs a little deeper into the long-running show's archives and manages to pull out a healthy number of unreleased tracks along the way. The Unplugged series always seemed to be a stab at depth for a station that was focused on surface and image above all, and it worked, both for MTV and the artists who appeared on the show. The best moments here are the ones that take the biggest chances, offering different arrangements of songs.

Phillip Johnston's Big Trouble - Flood at the Ant Farm (1996) {Black Saint 120182-2}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 330 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 148 Mb
Full Artwork @ 300 dpi (jpg) -> 33 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 1996 Black Saint | 120182-2
Jazz / Progressive Jazz / Avant-Garde Jazz / Modern Creative / Post Bop / Saxophone

The second CD by Philip Johnston's Big Trouble is jazz mixing great musicianship with a touch of madness. He treats Steve Lacy's "Hemline" as if it were penned by Raymond Scott (whose music was adapted for classic Looney Tunes cartoons) and "Bone" sounds like a wild improvisation on a childhood chant. Pianist Joe Ruddick's "Heaven, Hell, or Hoboken" has a nifty calypso beat with an intense cacophony of reeds and brass. Johnston is also a gifted composer; his "Pontius Pilate Polka" blends folk dances with swinging Dixieland interludes. "Mr. Crocodile" is a light samba with a touch of reggae. Highly recommended for fans of the great melting pot of jazz.

As a film, The Last Waltz was a triumph – one of the first (and still one of the few) rock concert documentaries that was directed by a filmmaker who understood both the look and the sound of rock & roll, and executed with enough technical craft to capture all the nooks and crannies of a great live show…

Art Pepper - The Discovery Sessions (1952) {Savoy Jazz 92846-2 rel 1999}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 340 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 172 Mb
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© 1952, 1999 Atlantic / Savoy Jazz | 92846-2
Jazz / Cool / West Coast Jazz / Saxophone

Most of Art Pepper's first three studio dates as a leader are represented in this compilation, though a few previously issued alternate takes are omitted. The first date finds the alto saxophonist in fine form, leading a quartet consisting of pianist Hampton Hawes, bassist Joe Mondragon, and drummer Larry Bunker. Pepper primarily sticks to originals, though he offers a warm rendition of the standard "These Foolish Things" as well. Pepper sounds a little more adventurous on the second date, accompanied by pianist Russ Freeman, bassist Bob Whitlock, and drummer Bobby White.

Various Artists - The Hillbillies: They Tried To Rock, Vol. 2 (2014) {Bear Family BCD17406AH rec 1953-1958}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 286 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 162 Mb
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© 1953-58, 2014 Bear Family Records | BCD 17406 AH
Hillbillies / Rock & Roll / Country / Country Boogie / Rockabilly

The second volume of Bear Family's riotous 2014 series The Hillbillies: They Tried to Rock is every bit as good as its companion, possibly because it has many of the same players as the first disc. Marty Robbins, Patsy Cline, George Jones, Johnny Horton, Webb Pierce, and Marvin Rainwater didn't cut just one jumping rock & roll single, they cut several and the best of these appear on this 31-track delight. Although there are a few exceptions here, nearly everything on this collection dates from 1956 through 1958, when it was still possible that rock & roll was just another dance fad and not a cultural revolution.