mr Skin

This eight CD clamshell boxed set, compiled and annotated by Spirit archivist Mick Skidmore, gathers together the albums ‘Spirit of ‘76’, ‘Son Of Spirit’, ‘Farther Along’, ‘Future Games’ and ‘The Thirteenth Dream’ – all newly remastered from the original master tapes. Additionally the collection features an incredible 102 bonus tracks drawn from previously unreleased live concerts from 1974 and 1975, along with rare demos, including the entire early demo version of ‘Future Games’. It also includes an illustrated booklet with a new essay.

John Pizzarelli, one of the most celebrated performers bringing popular standards to a new generation, pays homage to Frank Sinatra with the release of Dear Mr. Sinatra. Early in his career, Pizzarelli opened for Sinatra on tour. His father, the jazz guitar legend Bucky Pizzarelli, played on many of Sinatra's seminal recordings. Focusing on songs that were specifically written for 'Ol' Blue Eyes' and also featuring The Clayton- Hamilton Jazz Orchestra, Dear Mr. Sinatra is in many ways the most personal of all the Sinatra tributes available. Dear Mr. Sinatra, follows Pizzarelli's highly-acclaimed tributes to Nat King Cole (Dear Mr. Cole and P.S. Mr. Cole), Antonio Carlos Jobim (Bossa Nova) and The Beatles (John Pizzarelli Meets The Beatles).

Director: King Hu
A roving ghost spirit (JOEY WANG) controlled by Ying Yang the Evil paints her face in the guise of a concubine. Her spirit can only be released by a ghostbusting monk who comes to her rescue. [Tai Seng Catalog] Mr Wong invites lonely traveller Yau Fung home, carried away by his lust and not realizing she's a ghost. Mr Wong and his wife (he proposed to take Yau as a concubine) then run for help, which arrives in the form of Taoist monk Cheng To Ling and his assistant (who accosted Mr Wong before as a seller of dog meat noodles). Yau pleads that she is a good ghost, but she needs help to reincarnate, so she sets of with the Taoists to seek help. After directions from The Purple Monk, they find Tai Yuet, who is powerful enough to fight Yau's semi-estranged husband, the Demon King (who has, in the interim, killed lots of the villagers and taken over Mr Wong's body).

John Pizzarelli, one of the most celebrated performers bringing popular standards to a new generation, pays homage to Frank Sinatra with the release of Dear Mr. Sinatra. Early in his career, Pizzarelli opened for Sinatra on tour. His father, the jazz guitar legend Bucky Pizzarelli, played on many of Sinatra's seminal recordings. Focusing on songs that were specifically written for 'Ol' Blue Eyes' and also featuring The Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra, Dear Mr. Sinatra is in many ways the most personal of all the Sinatra tributes available.

Recording of “Under My Skin” began in 2015 under Grammy-winning producer Blue Miller, who draws on his experience with acclaimed acts such as Bob Seger. Six cuts recorded in Nashville with some of Music City’s finest musicians with Blue Miler at the helm, and four in the UK with Stuart McCredie producing. Mick’s raw gravel vocal holds the attention throughout the 10 cuts. The material – written by Mick or co-written with Blue Miller – focuses on Mick’s dreams and past trials and tribulations. The songs are fairly versatile, and he doesn’t stay within the confines of pure blues. It is very much “balls out” on the rockier up-tempo stuff, but offers a good balance with the light and shade of the more laid-back tracks. His guitar work is accomplished, technically top drawer and they are his own licks, he’s not a “Borrower.” It’s a good game of tones too.

Digitally remastered and expanded two CD edition includes 11 bonus tracks and a bonus live CD recorded at the Fillmore West, San Francisco in May 1970 and the Boston Tea Party in October 1970. Released in November 1970, Twelve Dreams of Dr Sardonicus was the fourth by the Spirit line-up of Randy California (guitar, vocals), Ed Cassidy (drums), Jay Ferguson (vocals, percussion), John Locke (keyboards) and Mark Andes (bass) and was produced by David Briggs (best known for his work with Neil Young). Although not the highest charting Sprit album, Twelve Dreams of Dr Sardonicus is now regarded as one of the band's finest works. The album spawned the single 'Animal Zoo' and included excellent material such as 'Nature's Way', 'Mr. Skin', 'Space Child', 'Morning Will Come' and 'Soldier'. Now remastered, the custodian of the Spirit archive has curated this release which has been expanded to include 11 bonus tracks, six previously unreleased, and an additional CD of previously unreleased live recordings from The Fillmore West in San Francisco in May 1970 and The Boston Tea Party in October 1970. This release also features an illustrated booklet with a new essay by Mick Skidmore and is the ultimate tribute to a classic album.

Frank Sinatra, though not a jazz singer, was long respected by jazz musicians for his natural ability to get the best out of a song while developing a trademark approach to singing that had great appeal. While many recorded tributes to Sinatra since his death have been abysmal at best, vocalist and guitarist John Pizzarelli knows a little something about swinging and finding the essence of each song. Backed by the Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra, with whom Pizzarelli toured prior to the making of this CD, along with arrangements by John Clayton, Don Sebesky, Dick Lieb, and Quincy Jones, he sought to focus primarily on songs written with Sinatra in mind, though taking new approaches to each of them.