Fuelled by Coco Montoya's searing but economical string-slashing, drummer Joe Yuele, and bassist Rick Cortes, John Mayall has managed to keep a stable core of Bluesbreakers together in recent years. Mayall rarely does the same album twice, and Wake Up Call finds him returning to a basic, physical sound after 1990's more progressive/highly produced A Sense of Place. The harp whiz has rarely flirted with the pop charts over the decades, a track record that will likely handicap the title track - a potential hit featuring guest vocalist Mavis Staples and some take-charge riffing from former mate Mick Taylor. For pure guitar joy though, Montoya turns the trick all on his own with barnburners "Loaded Dice" and "Nature's Disappearing".
Peter Thorup, a well-known Danish blues-rock musician, gained an international reputation because of his cooperation with blues icon Alexis Korner in New Church, CCS and Snape in the early '70s. After he dispended his first band The Beefeaters in 1969, Thorup was helped by some old friends from famous Danish groups Young Flowers, Burning Red Ivanhoe, The Beefeaters, and Rainbow Band to record Wake Up Your Mind in February and March 1970. Thirteen titles were recorded of which 7 found its way in 1970 on the Philips-released album Wake Up Your Mind. The music was not restricted to just blues-rock and consequently this release had a much wider appeal, as the rest of Peter Thorup's efforts. The album reflects the musicians' good reputation and it is rather a band project than a solo effort. Fantastic guitar playing by Peter Thorup and Peer Frost (Young Flowers), gorgeous vocals by P.T. and Ole Fick (Burning Red Ivanhoe), excellent organ work by Morten Kjaerumgard and impressive flute and sax playing by Bent Hesselmann (Maxwells, Rainbow Band/Midnight Sun) define this real killer. A must-have.
Trumpeter David Weiss incorporates a heavy-duty guitar assault into this exhilarating program designed with a diverse track-list, comprised of originals by jazz luminaries Wayne Shorter, Joe Henderson, John McLaughlin and Tony Williams among others. The trumpeter's Point of Departure ensemble generates a neo-jazz fusion panorama, coupled with an emphatic integration of progressive jazz amid references to bop and a few excursions into the outside realm. Besides the triad of outstanding guitarists, Weiss yields a big payout from all-star saxophonists Myron Walden and J.D. Allen also appearing on select tracks.
Electro-Industrial act Front Line Assembly has always pushed the boundaries of the genre it helped define. This is still true On Wake Up The Coma. A fearless leading force, Front Line Assembly provides surprising new elements, such as a cover of Falco's Amadeus (feat. Jimmy Urine), & contributions from Robert Gorl (DAF), Nick Holmes (Paradise Lost), & Chris Connelly (Revolting Cocks, Cocksure).
Wake Up the Nation is the tenth studio album from Paul Weller and was released on 19 April 2010. It was nominated for the 2010 Mercury Music Prize. The albums was dedicated to “absent friends – John Weller, Pat Foxton and Robert Kirby”. It is the first of Weller’s albums since 1982 to feature contributions from Bruce Foxton, formerly of The Jam. Weller told Mojo magazine: “We’d both lost loved ones and without getting too spiritual that was the spur of it. I spoke to him this time last year when his wife Pat was ill and that broke the ice, then I invited him down to Black Barn (studio). There was no big plan, it was easy, a laugh, and nice to see him and work together again. We just slipped back into it.” The album has been remixed for the 10th anniversary.