John Rambo Italian 2008

In this album, composed from 1992 to 2007, John Lakveet offers us a gathering of fresh pieces, whose style ranges between Space Sequencer Music and Ambient. Some Techno traits are also perceived, as well as some Contemporary Instrumental Music touches. Most noteworthy are the romantic melodies, the ethereal, dreamy atmospheres, and the powerful rhythms. The magnetism of the music can be appreciated above all in "In Sublimi". In this composition, Lakveet has the strength of a painter from the Renaissance.

It is all played with customary flare and elegance by the London Mozart players. They display an obvious relish for these works, and clearly enjoy the opportunities Marsh presents to strut their stuff individually… The pulse of his conducting is fluid but disciplined, and he pays close attention to matters of texture that can achieve rare importance at time in these almost chamber-like symphonies This definately rates a strong recommendation.

After the release of Mardi Gras in 1975, Dr. John (aka Mac Rebennack) left Atlantic Records. In late 1977, he signed with A&M's Horizon imprint – a label whose purpose was to showcase the jazz side of its parent company. City Lights is the better of two recordings he cut there. Produced by Tommy LiPuma and Hugh McCracken, City Lights was recorded at New York's Hit Factory Studios with a band of studio aces: drummer Steve Gadd, guitarists Cornell Dupree and John Tropea, bassist Will Lee, and Richard Tee as an additional keyboardist; Arthur Jenkins added percussive effects. The five-piece horn section included both David Sanborn and Ronnie Cuber. What's really startling, however, is the material. For most of the 1970s, Rebennack had been playing well-known tunes by other Crescent City luminaries and pop songwriters, contributing precious little of his material to his albums. On City Lights he wrote or co-wrote everything on the set. His songwriting partner for part of this date was none other than Doc Pomus. The best of both men is captured on the opener, "Dance the Night Away with You," a strolling New Orleans R&B number.

The Dowland Project, established by ECM's Manfred Eicher, would not please musical purists; in this installment, Romaria, it brings together an assortment of old and new instruments, including violin, viola, soprano saxophone, bass clarinet, tenor and bass recorders, Baroque guitar, and vihuela, performing music spanning nearly a millennium, most of it written before most of these instruments had been developed. The producer and performers may have deliberately chosen to ignore the principle of authentic performance practice, duplicating as closely as possible the sound of the music at the time it was created, but they are principled in the aesthetic decisions they have made.