Immortal 2004

Loose jam feel offers Sumlin plenty of space. This 1975 set was his first as leader. Quiet and extremely unassuming off the bandstand, Hubert Sumlin played a style of guitar incendiary enough to stand tall beside the immortal Howlin' Wolf. The Wolf was Sumlin's imposing mentor for more than two decades, and it proved a mutually beneficial relationship; Sumlin's twisting, darting, unpredictable lead guitar constantly energized the Wolf's 1960s Chess sides, even when the songs themselves (check out "Do the Do" or "Mama's Baby" for conclusive proof) were less than stellar. Sumlin started out twanging the proverbial broom wire nailed to the wall before he got his mitts on a real guitar. He grew up near West Memphis, Arkansas, briefly hooking up with another Young Lion with a rosy future, harpist James Cotton, before receiving a summons from the mighty Wolf to join him in Chicago in 1954. Sumlin learned his craft nightly on the bandstand behind Wolf, his confidence growing as he graduated from rhythm guitar duties to lead. By the dawn of the '60s, Sumlin's slashing axe was a prominent component on the great majority of Wolf's waxings, including "Wang Dang Doodle," "Shake for Me," "Hidden Charms" (boasting perhaps Sumlin's greatest recorded solo), "Three Hundred Pounds of Joy," and "Killing Floor." Although they had a somewhat tempestuous relationship, Sumlin remained loyal to Wolf until the big man's 1976 death.

This collection encapsulates Judas Priest's debut (ROCKA ROLLA) and a majority of their classic sophomore album (SAD WINGS OF DESTINY) for Gull Records, along with an early version of "Diamonds and Rust," and mixes them all up in the running order. Seeing as it's missing "Epitaph," "Island of Domination" and the immortal "Ripper" from SAD WINGS, this CD does not allow one to get the band's first two albums in one package. However, the ROCKA ROLLA tracks have been remixed (some fans argue that they are better) and the title track re-edited, and those changes along with the track arrangement and fantasy-inspired cover art make this package worthwhile for obsessive collectors, even though the gatefold vinyl edition was actually more visually striking…

MONO are a band driven by intangible conflicts. Their albums have found inspiration in the inescapable coexistence of love and loss, faith and hopelessness, light and darkness. Fittingly, their new album, Requiem For Hell, incorporates all of those conflicts into the one universal inevitability in life: Birth, and death.

"Solace" is the music of timeless Love, it is the song of immortal Heart… These healing harmonies of Michael Hoppe.. Showcasing 12 of award-winning composer and pianist Michael Hoppé's reflective, healing compositions, Solace takes his work to another level by adding full symphonic accompaniment from the Prague Symphony Orchestra. Includes a special bonus, a Hoppé composition performed by the legendary Vangelis.. "Solace" was nominated for the 2004 Grammy Award for Best New Age Album…

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