The Stuff Dreams Are Made of

As phenomenally popular as Earth, Wind & Fire was from the mid-'70s to the early '80s, it's easy to forget that the band was hardly an overnight success. With Head to the Sky – EWF's fourth album overall, second with Philip Bailey, and second for Columbia – Maurice White's very spiritual and ambitious brand of soul and funk was starting to pay off commercially. The Latin-influenced "Evil" became the soulsters' biggest hit up to that point, and material ranging from the hauntingly pretty title song (which boasts one of Bailey's finest performances ever) to the jazz fusion gem "Zanzibar" is just as rewarding. The lineup White unveiled with Last Days and Time was working out beautifully; Bailey was clearly proving to be a major asset. Also worth noting is the presence of singer Jessica Cleaves, who left after this album and, several years later, resurfaced in George Clinton's eccentric female group the Brides of Funkenstein.

As the name suggests, psychedelic/progressive outfit Karmic Juggernaut is an overwhelming force of sound. Formed as a quartet in 2004, the Asbury Park-based group has amassed a reputation for their eclectic style, musicianship, unique stage performances, and innovative solar-powered recordings using the Sun Lab Studio.

As the name suggests, psychedelic/progressive outfit Karmic Juggernaut is an overwhelming force of sound. Formed initially as a quartet in 2004, the Asbury Park-based group has amassed a reputation for their eclectic style, musicianship, unique stage performances, inventive songwriting, and innovative solar-powered recordings using the Sun Lab Studio. Karmic Juggernaut has been performing since 2005 with guitarists James McCaffrey and Randy Preston, and drummer Kevin Grossman. Bassist Cody McCorry joined in 2012, and vocalist Daimon Santa Maria and keyboardist Jake Hughes in 2017. They have released one full-length album and three previous EP’s, and have shared the stage with many major acts in the music community including Umphrey’s McGree, Bernie Worrell, moe., Keller Williams, Marco Benevento, and many others.

If your ideal vocal recording places the performer next to your seat and your ideal vocal performance has the performer singing directly into your ear, this disc by mezzo-soprano Magdalena Kozená will be just about ideal. No matter what the repertoire – and Kozená performs everything from Bach to Gounod to Shostakovich – and no matter what the context – and Kozená takes on everything from song to opera to oratorio – Kozená is right next to the listener, singing straight into his/her ear. Given her exceedingly warm tone, her extremely rich delivery, and her extraordinarily sibilant pronunciation, Kozená's intimate delivery may be too much for those with heart conditions or those all too easily affected by singers. But for those made of sterner stuff, Kozená's performances here will be the stuff dreams are made of.

If your ideal vocal recording places the performer next to your seat and your ideal vocal performance has the performer singing directly into your ear, this disc by mezzo-soprano Magdalena Kozená will be just about ideal. No matter what the repertoire and Kozená performs everything from Bach to Gounod to Shostakovich and no matter what the context and Kozená takes on everything from song to opera to oratorio Kozená is right next to the listener, singing straight into his/her ear.