Jeff Victor

Too edgy and artsy for smooth jazz, too rockin' and bluesy for bebop, young Harlem-based electric guitarist Jeff Ray finds a niche playing likeable, melodic, sometimes brooding, often grooving post-millennium fusion. The album title refers in part to the ten-block distance from Ray's apartment to St. Nick's Pub, one of Harlem's best-known jazz nightspots from where the Ohio native may just conquer the jazz world. He's not afraid to stretch out and jam (most tunes run over seven minutes) and he modulates between subdued tones and distorted rock energy frequently.

Making Music features two of the most creative musicians in contemporary music. Victor and Carter have known each other since childhood, however Victor's Yin-Yang album (Compass Records) was the first project that they had ever done together. Hudson Music filmed two days of these incredible sessions. You will get an inside look as two great songs, Zynergy and Resolution are introduced, developed and recorded. It's a fascinating process to watch when players of this caliber are involved.

Anyone who knows anything about Victor Wooten knows that he's one of those rare souls: he gains a rep for playing the bass. Soul Circus, however, isn't just an extravaganza for bass players. Wooten, as it turns out, is also a heck of a writer and, as the listener will learn on the first track, a fine singer. The unusual first track, "Victa," is a funky, soulful hymn in praise of – who else – Wooten himself, while "Bass Tribute" offers accolades to those who've come before him.

To most listeners, Jeff Berlin is utterly unknown as a musician and composer; to progressive rock enthusiasts, however, Berlin is a god, ranked alongside Jaco Pastorious and Victor Wooten as one of the most exciting virtuoso bassists ever. Crossroads compiles his first two albums, Pump It! and Champion, into a single-disc "greatest hits" of sorts, although neither album had much impact beyond jazz-rock circles.

As the virtuoso bass man for Bela Fleck, Victor Wooten has become a hero to four- (and five-) stringers everywhere. On his own, he creates a sound that largely rejects the rootsier side of Fleck's sound, embracing instead the funk and jazz-fusion flavors that have already been flowing through him for many years. Wooten's been making solo albums since the mid-'90s, but PALMYSTERY is one of his most wide-ranging efforts yet, incorporating soul/R&B, gospel, bluesy guitar licks (courtesy of Keb' Mo'), and of course the death-defying thumb acrobatics for which the world-class bassist is best known.

Nirvana - Nevermind
FLAC, EAC, LOG & CUE | Lossless Artwork | Size: 480 MB + Recovery Info
Label/Cat#: MCA Victor MVCG-67 | Country/Year: Japan 1991 / original japanese release
Genre: Grunge | Hoster: Filepost/Uploaded/Filefactory

In retrospect, Nevermind may seem a little too unassuming for its mythic status – it's simply a great modern punk record – but even though it may no longer seem life-changing, it is certainly life-affirming, which may just be better.

The legendary keyboardist started making his unique brand of old-school soul meets modern funk back when old-school was still in session, and the title of his third Narada Jazz disc is a throwback to that era, when the 45 RPM was king. Rather than overwhelm this time with hardcore commercial funk grooves and calculated radio hooks, Jeff Lorber is more into cool vibes and soulful atmospheres. Melodies have always been his gift, so those just come naturally, as on the laid-back, chillout opening track, which features a lush, loose acoustic piano lead. There are less horns than usual, but Ron King (trumpet) and Gary Meek (sax) are given free reign to create snazzy textures on "Everybody Knows That" and the nifty, acoustic soul-jazz flavored title track.