WOODY HERMAN The Complete Columbia Recordings Of Woody Herman And His Orchestra & Woodchoppers (Extremely rare & limited 2004 US 141-track Mosaic audiophile 7-CD box set, including many alternate and unissued takes, entirely comprehensive of Woody's fabulous output for Columbia. Housed in a beautifully presented textured outer black box with front pasted picture cover, complete with four credit/tracklisting picture booklets plus an informative 32-page LP sized booklet, featuring stunning black & white session photographs and extensive liner notes. Woody Herman’s bands had it all in the years documented here: hit vocal tunes, top-rated national radio show, star instrumental soloists, new instrumental sounds hailed by jazz critics and fans alike, adventurous arrangements, female singers with sex appeal and a level of musicianship marking them as among the best large ensembles in jazz history.
Gradually rising to the forefront of the current heavy psychedelic/stoner scene, Baltimore-based act, The Flying Eyes have just dropped their second full length. More expansive and heavier than the debut, Lowlands sinks the listener deeper into the band's universe. Offering a wide range of sounds derived from several late '60s and early '70s influences, the record can be found at a crossroad between the acid induced psychedelic blues reminiscent of The Doors, Jefferson Airplane and Cream, along with some Southern rock and, inevitably, traditional Black Sabbath doom riffs. Nevertheless, the chemistry between the band members, resulting in such catchy music and the will to experiment with the sound rather than recycling it, is what sets this above the multitude of average records.