Forbidden Saxophone

Russ Freeman & The Rippingtons - Brave New World (1996) {Peak Records–GRP Records GRSD-9835}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 387 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 125 Mb
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© 1996 Peak Records / GRP Records | GRSD-9835
Jazz / Contemporary Jazz / Smooth Jazz

On their eighth outing, Russ Freeman and the Rippingtons turn in a typically eclectic outing, the lively, melodic Freeman tunes serving as staging areas for his electric and acoustic guitar excursions. The Whispers put in cameo appearances on background vocals on a couple of tracks, including covers of "Caravan of Love" and "Ain't No Stoppin' Us Now," and Freeman gives an updated arrangement to "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" while elaborating upon Eric Clapton's original lead work on the Beatles classic. The album's booklet contains trendy references to cyberspace and web sites, but it's nothing to worry about; the Rippingtons were always a fairly techy band, anyway.

John Zorn - The Dreamers (2008) {Tzadik}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC+CUE+LOG -> 334 Mb| MP3 @320 -> 126 Mb
Full Artwork @ 300 dpi (png) -> 27 Mb
© 2008 Tzadik | TZ 7366
Jazz / Post Bop / Modern Composition

The Dreamers, by John Zorn and his septet, is for all practical purposes a sequel of sorts to 2001's The Gift, which was – and perhaps remains – Zorn's most "accessible" record. That said, there some key differences in the approach to this new set. Most of the band from the former record are back: guitarist Marc Ribot is here, as are keyboardist Jamie Saft, drummer Joey Baron, bassist Trevor Dunn (who was one of three bassists on The Gift), and percussionist Cyro Baptista. Zorn does play some alto saxophone as well, but his performance is not prevalent as an instrumentalist. Dave Douglas' trumpet is absent, and has been replaced by the vibes work of Kenny Wollesen.

A Musical History is the second box set to anthologize Canadian-American rock group The Band. Released by Capitol Records on September 27, 2005 it features 111 tracks spread over five Compact Discs and one DVD. Roughly spanning the group's journey from 1961 to 1977, from their days behind Ronnie Hawkins and Bob Dylan through the departure of Robbie Robertson and the first disbanding of the group. The set includes highlights from each of the group's first seven studio albums and both major live recordings and nearly forty rare or previously-unreleased performances…

For roughly half a decade, from 1968 through 1975, the Band was one of the most popular and influential rock groups in the world, their music embraced by critics (and, to a somewhat lesser degree, the public) as seriously as the music of the Beatles and the Rolling Stones. Their albums were analyzed and reviewed as intensely as any records by their one-time employer and sometime mentor Bob Dylan. Although the Band retired from touring after The Last Waltz and disbanded several years later, their legacy thrived for decades, perpetuated by the bandmates' respective solo careers as well as the enduring strength of the Band's catalog…