John Grant

This return to sparer songwriting makes a stark contrast to the rich synthpop of Norwegian Sundfør’s last album, Ten Love Songs. This adventurous artist is far from the winsome charms of her folky 2007 debut, though; now, among the soft fingerpicking of Mantra, or the petal-fall piano and heavenly chorale of Undercover, there’s moody sax, meditative spoken samples and – as in The Sound of War or Mountaineers, a gothically glittering duet with John Grant – throbbing, unnerving electronic textures. As the album’s title suggests, Sundfør wishes to pour oil on the choppy waters of a weary world, and the warm clarity of her voice offers beautiful moments of respite.

Recorded with musicians together live in The Eskal studio to 24 track 2 inch tape, mixed to stereo ¼ inch tape then mastered from tape to vinyl, the album is a fully analogue approach for Tiersen. “Limiting our ability to digitally manipulate, overdub or make changes after deciding a creative path gave an energy and beautiful tension to the recording process which I’d found was being lost with the limitless possibilities of digital recording. Not translating sounds into 1 and 0 keeps music in the real world.” The result is a vital album that fizzes with the excitement and energy found at a live concert, but packed into a studio album. Featuring collaborations with John Grant, Gruff Rhys from Super Furry Animals, Stephen O’Malley from Sunn O))), and Blonde Redhead, the album was recorded with touring collaborators Emilie Tiersen, Ólavur Jákupsson and Jens L Thomsen at The Eskal, the new analogue studio complex Tiersen recently built on his home island of Ushant in Brittany.

Orphan Project is an american band formed around 2001 by Shane Lankford. First album released in 2003 named "Orphan Found" is Shane Lankford's first atemp to write and compose music with autobiographic content because he was an orphan himself trying to search his identity and his origins and this album is a personal one for him. Musically the major influences are Kansas, Spock's Beard, Yes, Peter Gabriel, Dream Theater, Whiteheart and quality music in general.
Shane asked good friends, guitarist Chris Maggitti, drummer Nathan Grant, violinist Cindy King, and bassist Jason Chaillou to play in the studio on the CD and John gathered bassist Colin McGough, celloist Ben Hardesty. Together with the incredible leadership of John Grant and Tony Correlli they recorded "Orphan Found" during April-June '03.

Fifteen tracks pushing rock and pop’s ambition envelope, tipping a cap to our cover stars. Songs by Sparks, Todd Rundgren, Rufus Wainwright, XTC, John Grant, Os Mutantes, The Flaming Lips and more.

By the time John Patton recorded Along Came John, his debut as a leader, he had already become a familiar name around the Blue Note studios. He, guitarist Grant Green, and drummer Ben Dixon had become the label's regular soul-jazz rhythm section, playing on sessions by Lou Donaldson, Don Wilkerson, and Harold Vick, among others. They had developed an intuitive, empathetic interplay that elevated many of their sessions to near-greatness, at least in the realm of soul-jazz. That's one of the reasons why Along Came John is so successful - the three know each other so well that their grooves are totally natural, which makes them quite appealing. These original compositions may not all be memorable, but the band's interaction, improvisation, and solos are…

Nonesuch releases the first recording of John Adams’ 2017 opera, Girls of the Golden West, on April 26, 2024. Longtime Adams collaborator Peter Sellars created the opera’s libretto, drawing from original sources, and also directs this performance. The composer leads the LA Phil in this live recording from Disney Hall. Girls of the Golden West also features the Los Angeles Master Chorale, conducted by Grant Gershon, and a cast led by Julia Bullock, Davóne Tines, Paul Appleby, Hye Jung Lee, Elliot Madore, Daniela Mack, and Ryan McKinny.

The John Lurie National Orchestra - The Invention of Animals (2014) {Amulet Records Digital Download 16-44.1}
FLAC (tracks) - 16bit/44kHz - Official Digital Download (qobuz.com) -> 222 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 86 Mb | Cover | 5% repair rar
© 2014 Amulet Records | AMT 037
Jazz / Modern Creative / Modern Jazz / Score

This archival compilation is a much-needed addendum to John Lurie's recorded legacy. Since being struck with a chronic case of Lyme disease in 2000, the saxophonist and composer has focused more on painting than music. The John Lurie National Orchestra was an early-'90s trio with percussionists G. Calvin Weston and Billy Martin. This group recorded fairly little in the studio, issuing only one album, 1993's Men with Sticks. The title track from that recording is featured and showcases just how fluid and communicative they could be in virtually any circumstance. It's one of the true highlights here, with Lurie's hypnotic alto exploring the subtleties of a melodic idea atop a circular rhythm orgy by Weston and Martin.

Big John Patton's Soul Connection originally appeared on drummer Alvin Queen's Nilva label in 1983 - just before the organist's "rediscovery" by John Zorn in the 1990s. It is the lost gem in his catalog and showcases him in one of the most provocative quintets in his career; it feels quite directly like an extension of Patton's late Blue Note period on titles like Memphis to New York Spirit and Accent on the Blues. Patton is accompanied here by the great soul-jazz guitarist Melvin Sparks; tenor saxman Grant Reed; trombonist, composer, and arranger Grachan Moncur III; and Queen - who produced the set - on drums. Musically, the material reflects the diverse range and demeanor of this band. Reed is the least well-known member, but his jazz and funk associations run deep…