Gary Moore remains one of my all-time favorite lead guitarists. When I first heard his work in the mid-1980s, his style was completely unlike all the other shredders that were dominating metal and hard rock at the time. With Moore it was never a matter of cramming in as many notes and flashy tricks into his solos. He injected them with simple Irish soul. Along with such expressiveness, though, was a commanding presence while he did so. He played with force and clarity, those full Les Paul notes resonating. Add the fact that he wrote and recorded so much great material over the years with Thin Lizzy, Skid Row, Colosseum II, and most significantly as a solo artist, first in rock and then the blues, and you’ve got a singer/songwriter/guitarist who truly deserves the “legend” tag.
To say Etta James was one of the most prolific jazz, soul and blues singers on the planet is a fact, to say her voice will never be matched by another is a fact, to say Etta James:Live At Montreux is the best compilation and showcase of her work is also a fact. It's a great album and has been on repeat in my car for weeks, even the omission of some of my faves couldn't put a damper on the sheer joy this album produces.
The two-DVD set Live at Montreux 2004 actually contains two very different Phil Collins concerts. As the release's title suggests, the main attraction is his Montreux Jazz Festival performance from 2004, during his "First Final Farewell Tour." This show runs two hours and 17 minutes and includes two dozen songs spanning Collins' solo career. While most of the show features Collins front and center on vocals, the opening "Drums, Drums & More Drums" finds him behind the kit for a percussive workout. He kicks off with a solo, soon joined by the show's primary drummer, Chester Thompson. Percussionist Luis Conte also joins in, topping off an exciting instrumental performance.
Features 24 bit remastering and comes with a mini-description. Recorded live at the 1971 Montreux Jazz Festival, the blistering Mongo at Montreux captures Mongo Santamaria in the absolute prime of his career, embracing all facets of his expansive musical vision for a set that is far more than the sum of its parts. Spanning from soulful Latin boogaloo grooves like "Come Candela" to psychedelic jazz renditions of pop hits like the Temptations' "Cloud Nine" to straight-up funk excursions like "Climax," Mongo at Montreux is relentlessly energetic music genetically engineered for dancing – most impressive of all is "Conversation in Drums," a virtual primer in Latin percussion.
Another fun- and hit-filled live set from Ringo, this time with the guitar-filled '92 lineup of the All-Starr Band: Joe Walsh, Timothy B. Schmit, Dave Edmunds, Todd Rundgren, Nils Lofgren, Burton Cummings, Tim Capello, and Zak Starkey…