Here is another winning combination of two best-selling easy listening albums from music conductor Enoch Light, who produced a long string of hit stereo percussion albums in the 1960s. Stereo 35 MM Volume 2 was a Top Ten album in 1962 and with the coupling of "Far Away Places" Volume 2, are both on CD for the first time and re-mastered in glorious stereo.
Stereo sound innovator and early godfather of the lounge music revolution, Enoch Light's Persuasive Percussion albums set the tone for an entire era of sophisticated partying, and also employed recording techniques that were groundbreaking in their time and would still sound fresh decades later. Following the success of those albums came volume upon volume of the Provocative Percussion spin-off series, and Provocative Percussion Vols. 3 & 4 collects 24 loungy instrumental tracks somewhere between the big-band sound and the increasingly groovy living stereo sound that Light pioneered, including takes on standard hits like "The Look of Love" and "On the Street Where You Live."
Music journalism defines him as a "Legend". It may be a word overused but there isn't truly a more appropriate way to describe keyboardist/composer Joe Zawinul. Austrian born, Joe Zawinul emigrated to the US in 1959 where he played with Maynard Ferguson and the great Dinah Washington before joining alto saxophonist great Cannonball Adderley in 1961 for nine years. Zawinul then moved on to a brief but fateful encounter and collaboration with Miles Davis, just at the time Miles was moving into the electric arena. In 1970, Zawinul and saxophonist Wayne Shorter put together what was to become the most important jazz group of the 70s and beyond, Weather Report.
Bandmembers came and went, including Miroslav Vitous, Alphonso Johnson, Jaco Pastorius, Victor Bailey, Peter Erskine and Omar Hakim…
Avid Jazz continues with its Four Classic album series with a re-mastered 2CD release by Dave Pike, complete with original artwork and liner notes. “It’s Time For Dave Pike”; “Pike’s Peak”; “Bossa Nova Carnival” and “Limbo Carnival”.
Perhaps not the first name that springs to mind when we think of jazz vibes players, nonetheless our latest (unsung) jazz hero, Dave Pike had an amazing career starting with his debut performance in 1958 with the Paul Bley Quartet. Our first two releases find Dave in a more traditional vibes mode, but take a look at the pianist on Pike’s Peak and it will indicate how well he was thought of back then, none other than the legendary Bill Evans joins Dave at his “steamtable” for a fine set of almost “jamming session” intensity…