In the summer of 1999, Steps Ahead founder/vibraphonist Mike Mainieri joined Eliane Elias, Bob Berg, Marc Johnson and Peter Erskine for a reunion tour of Europe. They recorded several of those shows but Mainieri didn’t listen to the tapes for two years. He eventually did, and the result is the two-CD set Holding Together (N.Y.C.). The musicians perform the tunes with great sensitivity to one another, both as an ensemble and in solo spotlights. “Uncle Bob” just swings along, while Mainieri’s gliding vibes impart an almost magical quality to a lovely version of Ellington’s “In a Sentimental Mood,” and “The Time Is Now” is a 22-minute-plus opus that gives everyone a chance to shine. There are too many high points on this solid set to mention, but it should be noted that Berg’s playing is vigorous and inventive throughout and provides a poignant reminder of the profound loss the jazz world suffered when he was killed in a car accident.
Placebo announce their first ever live album, Collapse Into Never: Placebo Live In Europe 2023.
Sari Schorr announces her new live album, Live in Europe, on Manhaton Records. “If ever any artist needs to be seen live, it has to be Sari Schorr, described as a force of nature, well, here you are the lady live and on fire recorded during a European Tour. If there’s a better live set than this over the next year I would be amazed.” RawRamp. “A jaw-dropping voice and a live show that erupts like a volcano! The future of blues rock is in good hands. Sari is a gift to all of us from the Blues Gods!” Blues in Britain.
Stunning duo comprised of two of the most important musicians of the Japanese underground/avant-garde, Otomo Yoshihide in a duo with the great Japanese drummer, Hiroshi Yamazaki – who has Kaoru Abe among his extensive list of past collaborators, and was also a member of Masayuki Takayanagi’s pioneering New Directions group. This album is dedicated to Masayuki Takayanagi.
Tina Live in Europe is the first live album by Tina Turner, released on Capitol Records in 1988. The album is compiled of live performances made between 1985 and 1987, the majority of which are from Turner's Break Every Rule World Tour but also from the 1985 Private Dancer Tour, as well as the 1986 Tina Turner: Break Every Rule HBO special recorded in London at the Camden Palace (now Koko), masquerading as Le Club Zero in Paris, also released on video. The double album reached #8 in the UK Albums Chart. In 1989 the album won a Grammy Award for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance. The double CD version of Tina Live in Europe includes four bonus songs not featured on the original double vinyl album.
Recorded in France back in 1977, this ten-song set finds Otis backed by strong trio support throughout in a delightfully engaged performance. Though several live albums exist on him, seldom has his declamatory vocals and stinging left-handed upside down guitar style been so well documented. Rush puts forth solo after solo, each with its own unique set of twists and turns, making this a veritable textbook of what he does best. Inspired listening and highly recommended.
The first volume Legacy’s Miles Davis bootleg series offered audio and video evidence of his second great quintet playing the Newport Jazz Festival in Europe in 1967. Acclaim from critics and fans was universal. This second entry, Live in Europe 1969: Bootleg Series, Vol. 2, showcases almost an entirely different band – only saxophonist Wayne Shorter remains. Bassist Dave Holland, drummer Jack DeJohnette, and pianist Chick Corea made up Davis' road band, and other individuals participated in sessions for Filles de Kilimanjaro and In a Silent Way. These fire-breathing performances offer a band at fever pitch hearing and playing what they knew even then was a new chapter in jazz history.
'Live in Europe' crowns what was a momentous year for pianist Fred Hersch. Capturing his trio - with longtime associates, bassist John Hébert and drummer Eric McPherson - in peak form, the new album signals a high level mark for an ensemble that has been garnering critical and popular praise for nearly a decade.