Lanomali Totem

James Grigsby founded Rotary Totem in 1984 as a production company for his creative projects,including albums with the musical ensembles Motor Totemist Guild, and U Totem. After completing the 2006 album "Songs for Adults", Grigsby took a hiatus from music and concentrated on writing stories and screenplays. This period was capped by the publication of his novella "Vexations", in 2016 - illuminating the events surrounding Erik Satie’s love affair with artist Suzanne Valadon in fin de siècle Paris.
James Grigsby returns to music in 2022 with his first solo album, "Illusions", a set of thirteen compositions inspired by classic magicians and their signature stage illusions and parlor tricks…

Don Grusin has truly immersed his musical skills in the growing popularity of world music, music indigenous to people of different cultures throughout the world. On Native Land, Grusin has crafted a sound of music that drifts from one corner of the world to the other. He is supported by such outstanding instrumentalists as Alex Acuna, drums and percussion; Abraham Laboriel, bass; Ricardo Silveira, guitar; and Judd Miller, with a variety of exotic instruments such as the pennywhistle, fletchorn, oboe, Astorian, tuben, and taegum.

Speedy West & Jimmy Bryant - Flamin' Guitars (1997) {4CD Set Bear Family BCD 15956 rec 1949-62}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 823 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 566 Mb
Full Artwork @ 600 dpi (jpg) -> 201 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 1949-62, 1997 Bear Family Records | BCD 15956
Country / Jazz / Americana / Western Swing

Perhaps the most difficult thing in writing about a box set like this is how to convey in words – few or many – the magic, wonder, and intimidating musicianship that is contained on these recordings. Over four CDs, the seeds, roots, branches, and trees of a musical partnership were formed and lived out on the public stage, and remain all but unknown to those who were not country music fans during the era. While one Speedy West & Jimmy Bryant compilation has appeared on Razor & Tie, as a single disc it only begins to offer the legend of this pair of musical innovators.

Carried by its almost impossibly infectious eponymous opening track, The Sidewinder helped foreshadow the sounds of boogaloo and soul-jazz with its healthy R&B influence and Latin tinge. While the rest of the album retreats to a more conventional hard bop sound, Morgan's compositions are forward-thinking and universally solid. Only 25 at the time of its release, Morgan was accomplished (and perhaps cocky) enough to speak of mentoring the great Joe Henderson, who at 26 was just beginning to play dates with Blue Note after getting out of the military. Henderson makes a major contribution to the album, especially on "Totem Pole," where his solos showed off his singular style, threatening to upstage Morgan, who is also fairly impressive here. Barry Harris, Bob Cranshaw, and Billy Higgins are all in good form throughout the album as well, and the group works together seamlessly to create an album that crackles with energy while maintaining a stylish flow.

All America City is presented as the music from the soundtrack of the motion picture Yu Gakusei, a screenplay written by James Grigsby, the man behind Motor Totemist Guild. The story seems to involve Internet communication and beautiful Asian women, both themes also found in the Grigsby novella serving as a canvas for U Totem's album Strange Attractors (U Totem was another Grigsby project). The Motor Totemist Guild line-up is very different than on the previous album, City of Mirrors. Billed as the Guild are Grigsby (computer, samplers, composition), Rod Poole (acoustic guitar), Bridget Convey (piano), Hannes Giger (contrabass), and David Kerman (drums). Old-time Totemist friends Lynn Johnston and Sanjay Kumar are found in the list of "unwitting accomplices."

Carried by its almost impossibly infectious eponymous opening track, The Sidewinder helped foreshadow the sounds of boogaloo and soul-jazz with its healthy R&B influence and Latin tinge. While the rest of the album retreats to a more conventional hard bop sound, Morgan's compositions are forward-thinking and universally solid. Only 25 at the time of its release, Morgan was accomplished (and perhaps cocky) enough to speak of mentoring the great Joe Henderson, who at 26 was just beginning to play dates with Blue Note after getting out of the military. Henderson makes a major contribution to the album, especially on "Totem Pole," where his solos showed off his singular style, threatening to upstage Morgan, who is also fairly impressive here. Barry Harris, Bob Cranshaw, and Billy Higgins are all in good form throughout the album as well, and the group works together seamlessly to create an album that crackles with energy while maintaining a stylish flow.

Trumpet legend Dr. Eddie Henderson celebrates the 50th anniversary of his debut album with a stunning new recording, WITNESS TO HISTORY, reflecting on his musical evolution with pianist George Cables, saxophonist Donald Harrison, bassist Gerald Cannon and drummers Lenny White and Mike Clark.

Trumpet legend Dr. Eddie Henderson celebrates the 50th anniversary of his debut album with a stunning new recording, WITNESS TO HISTORY, reflecting on his musical evolution with pianist George Cables, saxophonist Donald Harrison, bassist Gerald Cannon and drummers Lenny White and Mike Clark.