Steve Weber

French saxophonist Matthieu Bordenave’s first leader date for ECM introduces a new project with German pianist Florian Weber and Swiss bassist Patrice Moret. On La traversée - The Crossing - Bordenave explores musical ground between contemporary composition and jazz, subtly influenced by the innovations of the Jimmy Giuffre 3 with Paul Bley and Steve Swallow, who “opened new territory that remains relevant for improvisers today.” The recording of La traversée, he explains, was guided by an approach to trio playing, “in which melodic lines interweave and blossom in the nuances of tones, as each musician follows his intuition.” Bordenave leads the way with his highly distinctive saxophone sound, recently characterized by Down Beat as “light yet textured and authoritative”, establishing that this is music in which space will play an important role. La traversée was recorded at Studios La Buissonne in Pernes-les-Fontaines in the South of France last autumn, and produced by Manfred Eicher.

Gary Burton’s Passengers has it all: its frontman’s incomparable mallets, Dan Gottlieb keeping the beat, the unmistakable bass of Eberhard Weber paired with the equally unique stylings of Steve Swallow, the fluid fingers of guitarist Pat Metheny (who would soon go on to front his own super group with Weber and Gottlieb), and the all-important bow of ECM’s attentive production. Not enough to whet your appetite? All the more reason to buy it.

The Eberhard Weber volume in the ECM :Rarum series is another one of those revelatory spotlights on a player and composer whose entire identity has been shaped by his association with the label. The revelation is that Weber's bass playing and rainbow sense of harmonic interplay has in turn been perhaps more integral to shaping the sound and identity of the label. This collection of ten tracks showcases Weber's contributions as the leader of his fine, longstanding band Colours, his solo projects, and his contributions to the recordings of Gary Burton, Pat Metheny (who could forget his elegant, expressionistic bass playing on Watercolors, Metheny's sophomore ECM effort?), Ralph Towner, and Jan Garbarek.

The Holy Modal Rounders - Bird Song - Live 1971 (2004) {Water ‎water130}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 197 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 110 Mb
Full Artwork @ 300 dpi (png) -> 112 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 1971, 2004 Holy Modal Rounders / Runt LLC. / Water | water130
Psychedelic Folk / Folk Rock / Anti Folk / Country Rock / Acid Folk

Calling the Holy Modal Rounders 'legendary' is an understatment. Peter Stampel, Steve Weber and company were the original 'acid folk rock' band. This 1971 previously unreleased live radio broadcast, captures these wild and wacky visionaries at their peak - including their 2 biggest 'hits' - If You Want to be a Bird (featured in the Easy Rider movie & soundtrack) and Boobs A Lot (not politically correct, but still very funny). There's also a song by former Rounder and legendary playwright Sam Shepard and a Johnny Otis tune thrown in for good measure as well. This expanded seven piece version of The Rounders cover rock, latin, swing and everything in between during this nearly hour long show - all through a good time, beatnik haze.

The Holy Modal Rounders - Good Taste is Timeless (1971) {Sundazed SC 6208 rel 2003}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 211 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 87 Mb
Full Artwork @ 300 dpi (jpg) -> 28 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 1971, 2003 Metromedia Records / Sundazed Music | SC 6208
Psychedelic Folk / Folk Rock / Anti Folk / Country Rock / Acid Folk

FIRST TIME ON COMPACT DISC. After being held for ransom by merciless record collectors for decades, the Holy Modal Rounders rarest album Good Taste Is Timeless can now breathe the sweet air of freedom! Rounders founders Peter Stampfel and Steve Weber the godfathers of anti-folk fire every cap pistol in their satchel for this clat-tering, jugband-on-acid classic, cut in Nashville in 1971 with guest artists Tracy Nelson (Mother Earth), D.J. Fontana, and pedal steel legend Pete Drake. Featuring the definitive version of Rounders gonzo ditty "Boobs A Lot," Good Taste Is Timeless now sports fascinating new liner notes by Stampfel, and remains the pinnacle of the Holy Modal Rounders art.

The Holy Modal Rounders - The Holy Modal Rounders 1 & 2 (1999) {Fantasy FCD-24711-2 rec 1963-1964}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 374 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 161 Mb
Full Artwork @ 600 dpi (jpg) -> 37 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 1963-64, 1999 Prestige / Fantasy | FCD-24711-2
Psychedelic Folk / Folk Rock / Anti Folk / Country Folk / Freak Folk / Acid Folk

One of the most distinctive folk/bluegrass units of the 1960s was the Holy Modal Rounders, whose Fantasy recordings combined Appalachian bluegrass and country traditions with the Greenwich Village/East Coast folk of the period. Although singer/acoustic guitarist Steve Weber and singer/fiddler/banjo player Peter Stampfel – collectively, the Holy Modal Rounders – had a strong appreciation of Appalachian music, they fit right in on the East Coast coffeehouse circuit of the 1960s.