Urban

It's ironic that on Ramsey Lewis' Urban Knights II (GRP), the one holdover from the first Knights project is only featured half the time. Needless to say, that's the more riveting, jazzier half of this Maurice White-produced exercise in easy funk and potent, machine generated urban grooves. Lewis' slowly simmering, coolly rhythmic piano jaunts add flair to middle of the road silky pieces like "The Promise," but are best enjoyed on the two playful solo interludes which create an organic contrast to the slicker fare they complement. The pianist also adds an avant-garde edge to the heavily soundscaped "Brazilian Rain."

Soweto-based new indie voice, Urban Village, shares their first album "Udondolo"(Walking Stick).

As you would expect from the album cover and title, this newly recorded album from Spanish progressive rock band Urban Trapeze is inspired by the iconic Tarkus album released by Emerson Lake and Palmer (ELP) in 1971. However, this album is not a rehash of ELP material. Instead, the band remarkably takes the Tarkus story further and skillfully incorporates various diverse progressive rock influences.