Chicago

Born for This Moment captures the true heart of Chicago at their full creative capacity. From the undeniable swing of the lead single, "If This Is Goodbye," to the unbreakable bonds of "For the Love," to the deeply personal storytelling of "Safe Harbours," the patriarchal aspirations of "Make a Man Outta Me," the romantic reveries of "If This Isn't Love," and the sultry flare of "Firecracker," it's quite clear the collective force of nature that is Chicago is indeed alive and well…and flourishing better than ever, right here in the first quarter of the 21st century. Over the entire course of 14 vibrant new songs, Born for This Moment (a.k.a. Chicago XXXVIII) encapsulates the scope and breadth of all the compositional and performance-propelled strengths at the ready in Chicago's seemingly endless arsenal of musical acumen.

The blues scene in Chicago has sadly deteriorated over the last 10 years or so. Most of the old, legendary musicians have died. Only a very few places still feature live music in the black neighbourhoods (the South- and Westside, where Muddy Waters, Howling Wolf, and all the other greats had their home base). Many new blues clubs opened on the (white) Northside, but the music there is mostly aimed at the white tourist market. The same old songs played over and over again, no steady bands, personnel in the. bands always changing, definitely never any rehearsal. One of the few bands that have maintained a high musical standard, is The Big Four Blues Band. They were formed more than ten years ago, have not changed the personnel, became better and better over the years, and without trying to become rock stars they are still playing that old Chicago Blues…

A Chicago Blues legend in concert with a superb band. Available for the first time on CD! This superb album from the legendary Muddy Waters band member was originally released as a vinyl lp in 1985 and this is the very first CD release. The band features Bill Dicey on harmonica. This set was one of Pinetop's first recordings under his own name after a lifetime of playing with some of the greatest names in electric blues. Pinetop Perkins was a bluesman who found fame late in life. Active in the 1950s on the Memphis scene, he left the music for many years. But then came back just when blues legends had a new, wider audience in the late 1960s. A gifted blues piano player and delightful singer he had the full package as bandleader. But he found his fame as piano player with Muddy Waters.

Inspired by a desire to offer my own kids a fresh guide to the orchestra, Philharmonia Fantastique was created to showcase both the artistic and technical wonders of the medium. Like its predecessors Peter & the Wolf and Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra, it colorfully presents the instruments of the orchestra in the medium of a film soundtrack. Philharmonia Fantastique uses both musical genre and electronic sounds for characterization: noir-ish jazz for the woodwinds; bending lyricism in the strings; dark techno for the brass; drum-corps in the percussion; and, for our Sprite protagonist, a simple yet harmonically wandering piano melody.

Chicago guitarist Jimmy Dawkins would have preferred to leave his longtime nickname "Fast Fingers" behind. It was always something of a stylistic misnomer anyway; Dawkins' West Side-styled guitar slashed and surged, but seldom burned with incendiary speed. Dawkins' blues were generally of the brooding, introspective variety - he didn't engage in flashy pyrotechnics or outrageous showmanship.
It took a long time for Dawkins to progress from West Side fixture to nationally known recording artist. He rode a Greyhound bus out of Mississippi in 1955, dressing warmly to ward off the Windy City's infamous chill factor. Only trouble was, he arrived on a sweltering July day! Harpist Billy Boy Arnold offered the newcomer encouragement, and he eventually carved out a niche on the competitive West Side scene (his peers included Magic Sam and Luther Allison).