The First The One

The disc contains two original lp recordings, the first, The Eleventh Hour", was recorded in August, 1962, and the second "Sandy's Gone", in September, 1963. Both were/are on Verve. The Eleventh Hour finds Mr. Hodges with strings turning in twelve lush and rich tracks which may well be appropriate listening at the eleventh hour. Jazz musicians with strings? Well it worked with Ben Webster, Charlie Parker (both on Verve by the way) and with Art Pepper on the Winter Moon sessions. Now the named were all master musicians who seem perfectly at home in this rather unusual setting. Hodges is no exception and provides us with some truly beautiful music. Mr. Ellington would surely have approved. The second recording is…

The Planets, composed between 1914 and 1916, is a suite of seven movements. Holst's starting point for the music was the astrological character of each planet, though his interest in astrology went no deeper than its musical suggestiveness…

With a career spanning more than three decades, composer and multi-instrumentalist Arjen Lucassen has firmly established himself worldwide as driving force in progressive rock. While best known for his rock opera project Ayreon, the multi-talented Dutchman also regularly embarks on musical side projects such as Ambeon, Guilt Machine and Star One. Arjen’s side projects all explore different aspects of his musical personality, with each new release being a creative reaction to the style of its predecessor. Star One is no exception.
The first Star One album, Space Metal (2002) was Arjen’s reaction to his previous project, the relatively soft Ambeon. After releasing the first few Ayreon albums, Arjen had noticed that many others were following in his footsteps and releasing their own rock operas…

Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers - At the Cafe Bohemia Vol.2 (1955) {Blue Note Japan, CP32-5243, Early Press}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 397 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 157 Mb
Full Artwork @ 600 dpi (png) -> 193 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 1955, 1986 Blue Note / Toshiba EMI Japan | CP32-5243 | Mono
Jazz / Bop / Hard Bop / Drums

Volume deux of the 1955 Cafe Bohemia sessions from Art Blakey's second edition Jazz Messengers is better than the first. The music is more energetic, cohesive, and pushes the hard bop farther. Where the first volume featured compositions of newly recruited trumpeter Kenny Dorham, it is tenor saxophonist Hank Mobley asserting himself on the bandstand with his set pieces that formed the foundation of the first studio edition of the quintet that included Donald Byrd. Here, Mobley does not defer to Dorham, pushing his sound forward without compromising his vision.

Volume deux of the 1955 Cafe Bohemia sessions from Art Blakey's second edition Jazz Messengers is better than the first. The music is more energetic, cohesive, and pushes the hard bop farther. Where the first volume featured compositions of newly recruited trumpeter Kenny Dorham, it is tenor saxophonist Hank Mobley asserting himself on the bandstand with his set pieces that formed the foundation of the first studio edition of the quintet that included Donald Byrd. Here, Mobley does not defer to Dorham, pushing his sound forward without compromising his vision. "Sportin' Crowd" is definitely an ear opener, a straight-ahead, hard bop gem based on the changes of the Sonny Rollins' classic "Tenor Madness"…

Among the first things one notices about the Promise Ring's big breakthrough album on Anti-Records are the beautifully crisp, metallic photos of plants in a greenhouse shot by photographer Chris Strong. Strong is an amazing photographer who has worked with Owen, American Football, and Hey Mercedes, among others, and whose full, glossy work on Wood/Water delivers the message that the tone on this album is going to be different than previous Promise Ring works…