The fifth recording for Ted Sirota's Rebel Souls continues on the path of celebrating freedom fighters the drummer/leader is inspired by and admires. This version of the band retains saxophonist Geof Bradfield and welcomes new members Greg Ward on alto sax (from Broken Things), guitarist Dave Miller (taking over for Jeff Parker), and bassist Jake Vinsel (in for Noel Kupersmith). The multi-cultural jazz concept of Sirota remains, using African-based ideas merged within a progressive jazz and modern creative framework, while also paying tribute to two late pop music icons – Bob Marley and Joe Strummer. Sirota's drumming itself is self-assured and melodic, working off precepts from jazz greats like Art Blakey and Max Roach, while also taking into account a communal tribal village concept that makes the Rebel Souls a tight-knit unit.
A limited edition of the Camaron de la Isla 'Integral' box-set. It represents a veritable journey through his life and singing. It includes 21 original albums. The first 17 of them were made in recording studios by Camaron from 1969 to 1992 while he was alive. The third LP of Camaron and Paco was released in 1971, and featured a cover similar to the previous ones. Perez de Leon positions them in a polychromatic sea landscape (which looks like plastic from afar), dressed in formal suit and tie (among his peers Camaron was the first to introduce the suit and tie). Antonio Sanchez and Paco de Lucia appear as authors in the credits -the latter for his guitar variations.
One of the most persistent questions that musicians ask themselves while practicing a piece is the inevitable query of how the composer himself might have performed his music. There are many written reports on how the old masters such as Bach, Mozart, and Beethoven may have played or improvised; and there are lines of teacher/pupil relationships which can trace their lineage back to the pianistic greats such as Liszt, but still we have to imagine the sound since we cannot actually hear it.