Simplicity

New for 2019 is this latest ELEGANT SIMPLICITY release "The Ghost of a Smile", featuring a stellar cast of additional musicians. Not a concept album as such - though the songs are thematically linked - and all deal with magic, mystery and the unexplained. It's a very moody album with lots of interesting twist and turns. This is probably our most musically adventurous album, blending progressive rock, hard rock, folk, orchestral and new age into a melting pot of melody.

Afterlife became giants of the downtempo and Ibiza scenes as Steven Miller signed with Hed Kandi and released the album Simplicity in 2000. Miller had already established a name for himself at Ibiza with his Café Del Mar exploits, but Afterlife raised the bar, largely due to the glorious singing voice of partner Rachel Lloyd and guest vocalist Hermione. In October of 2000, Hed Kandi issued this package: a deluxe box containing the original album, a whole slew of remixes, and a few new tunes to boot. For Ibiza this would be perfect for a trip for the beach, but it serves the listener(s) better in the late-night hours where the breeze is right, the wine is chilled, and the lights are low. Sweet sugar vocals and a deep, throbbing bass with pervasive jazzy overtones define the overall sound of the two discs put together. The effect is very smooth, sensual, and funky…

In Poland, the younger generation of jazz musicians such as Leszek Możdżer and Marcin Wasilewski are celebrated like pop stars, and have made themselves well known outside of Poland. 25 year old pianist Paweł Kaczmarczyk is on the right path to follow them - ever since his Live album with the KBD trio was chosen as the “Album of the Year” in the 2005 Polish Public Television Channel2 Awards, he has been considered a major force in polish jazz music. In the same year he won the Melomani jazz society’s major prize, Poland’s so-called “Jazz Oscar”. Since then the readers of Poland’s prestigious Jazz Forum magazine have regularly voted him “most promising” musician in the publication’s yearly poll, and in 2007, the magazine named Audiofeeling, Kaczmarczyk’s first album as leader “Album of the Year”…

Joe Pass - Simplicity (1967) {2011 Japan 24-bit Remaster} [Jazz Masterpiece Best & More 999 Series]
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (image)+CUE+LOG -> 192 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 78 Mb
Full Artwork @ 300 dpi (png) -> 32 Mb | 5% repair rar | 24-bit remaster
© 1967, 2011 World Pacific Records / EMI Music Japan | TOCJ-50234
Jazz / Hard Bop / Guitar

One of our favorite albums by guitarist Joe Pass, rather spare, featuring Joe in a very intimate setting – guitar with little other backing, save for light percussion, and some occasional instrumentation, like vibes or organ. The mood is very gentle, which is perfect for Pass' light touch on the strings – and the selection of tracks makes for a lovely blend of modes that show Joe at his expressive best. Titles include "Luciana", "You & Me", "The Gentle Rain", "Some Time Ago", "Nobody Else But Me", and "Where Was I".

A two-LP set of drummer Billy Cobham's harder to find recordings from the later '70s. Of the two, Magic is far superior and is generally regarded as one of his most interesting recordings in his extensive discography. The addition of Simplicity of Expression: Depth of Thought amounts to nothing more than a throw in. Cobham recorded some embarrassing disco during the late '70s and this is a prime example. This two-fer is too good to pass up, though, and makes the LP highly recommended for fusion collectors.