Mr. Lucky

The Latin side for Vince Guaraldi means a brush with both the Brazilian and Caribbean strains of Latin jazz, garnished now and then by an outboard string quartet and graced by four of his own delightful tunes. On Brazilian numbers like "Corcovado" and Brazilian-treated tunes like "Mr. Lucky" and Guaraldi's lovely "Star Song," Vince has drummer Jerry Granelli deploy his distinctive brushes-and-rim-shots bossa nova beat. Jack Weeks supplies bittersweet string arrangements as he tries to grant Guaraldi's wish for a "Villa-Lobos sound," which he does, more or less. Other tunes, like Guaraldi's own happy-go-lucky "Treat Street," "Whirlpool," and Nat Adderley's "Work Song," are treated to gentle cha-cha rhythms…

If the recognition of one's peers is the true measure of success, then few men are as successful as composer, arranger, and conductor Henry Mancini. In a career that spanned 40 years, writing for film and television, Mancini won four Oscars and twenty Grammys, the all-time record for a pop artist.

All 20 of the Lucky Millinder Orchestra's valuable 1941-1942 recordings are on this recommended CD. Millinder himself was not a musician and his only vocal here is mostly shouting on "Ride, Red, Ride," but he was an effective bandleader and frontman. Other than a couple of World War II propaganda songs, the music on these sessions emphasizes swing, and several notable artists are featured. Sister Rosetta Tharpe (who also played excellent guitar) has six rollicking showcases, and among the soloists are clarinetist Buster Bailey, tenorman Stafford Simon, pianist Bill Doggett, and (on the final four songs) altoist Tab Smith and the rapidly emerging trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie. On "Little John Special," Dizzy quotes directly from the as-yet-unwritten "Salt Peanuts." Other highlights include "Rock Daniel," "Apollo Jump," "Rock Me," "That's All," and "Mason Flyer."

A new, live album and concert film of Mr.Big's "The BIG Finish" farewell tour, where the band played their million-selling "Lean Into It" album in its entirety plus additional Mr.Big classics. Filmed in 4K at the Budokan, Japan on the 26th July, 2023. This historic performance will be available on multiple high-quality formats- 180g Black Vinyl 3LP, 180g Mint Colour Vinyl 3LP, Hybrid Stereo Multi-Channel 2x SACD's, 2x MQA-CD's, 2x MQA-CD's + Blu-Ray, 4K Ultra HD Bluray (featuring Behind The Scenes and Interview footage) and 2x Cassette. These formats all come with a booklet/insert that includes previously unreleased photos from their Budokan performance and a special free gift. This release is a must-have memento for Mr.Big fans as a fond reminder of "The BIG Finish" tour.