The Caravan September 2019

Presented on TWO DVD's is footage from the 2019 edition of Italy's Veruno Prog Festival. Participating bands included Iron Butterfly, Caravan, Arena, Il Balletto di Bronzo, Lazuli, Alan Simon's Excalibur, Acqua Fragile and others.

Formed in Buffalo, New York, in 1989, Mercury Rev quickly grew to become leading figures in left field alternative rock. Earlier albums veered towards experimental, off-kilter psychedelia but by the end of the decade, the band had developed their own brand of serene, piano-based Americana with the acclaimed, best-selling LP Deserter’s Songs (1998). ALL IS DREAM, the sequel to Deserter’s Songs, was originally released on V2 in 2001 in August (Europe) and September (North America) and boasted a more expansive, cinematic production than its predecessor (again courtesy of ex-member Dave Fridmann, by this time arguably the most in-demand producer in alternative US rock). The record was warmly received by critics and fans alike, enjoying higher chart positions than its predecessor (No. 11 UK, No. 17 US, Top 40 in Australia and in various European countries, etc.).

Art Tatum (1909-1956) is one of the most important jazz pianists of all time, a role model even for Generation Y players like Christian Sands, born in 1989. Along with Earl Hines, Tatum was the style-setting pianist and a link between the early pioneers of jazz, such as Jelly Roll Morton, Fats Waller and James P. Johnson, and the bebop greats of modern jazz, all of whom were inspired by Tatum's modern sense of harmony. Charlie Parker is said to have worked as a dish washer in a club for weeks only to get closer to and more familiar with Tatum's playing…

Wes Montgomery - Movin': The Complete Verve Recordings 1964-1968 (2019) {5CD Set, Verve Reissues, Digital Issue}
FLAC (tracks) - 16bit/44.1kHz - Digital Download -> 2.41 Gb | MP3 @320 -> 1.00 Gb | Cover | 5% repair rar
© 1964-68, 2019 Verve Reissues / UMG
Jazz / Hard Bop / Soul Jazz / Guitar

All eight of the albums Wes Montgomery issued on Verve in the mid-'60s (including the two he did with organist Jimmy Smith) are on this limited-edition, five-CD box set. With the addition of 20 bonus tracks (none previously unreleased, some of them alternate takes or overdubbed versions), it's the definitive compilation of his work for the label. By its very size, of course, its appeal might be limited to completists and serious collectors.

Mexico City Blondes is Allie Thompson and Greg Doscher. The two met in Santa Barbara, California and after bonding over mutual influences, decided to collaborate on a record. \n\nAllie was raised on American folk and grew up playing other peoples\' music on her piano. Adulthood brought a desire to learn guitar and also a fascination with synthetic sounds and dreamy, trip-hop vocals that she was eager to incorporate into her own compositions. Learning to play guitar led her to begin writing her own songs.\n\nGreg Doscher was previously a guitarist in Tripdavon with which he recorded and co-produced 3 albums touring in Asia, Europe and North America with their debut album reaching number 12 on the UK charts. On break from this project, he had been eager to work with a broader range of sounds and Allie’s unique voice proved to be an effective counterpoint to the blend of electronic and organic sounds in his productions.\n\nTheir first single, Fade, was released in the summer of 2014. As a totally unknown act with no label and no marketing push it managed through sheer word of mouth to reach number 1 on Hype Machine’s most popular chart twice over the course of the next few months and became one of the biggest indie breakout hits of the year.