Arresting and highly original ECM solo debut for New York-based singer Judith Berkson, in a programme that features her own idiosyncratic songs and instrumentals, plus jazz standards (Cole Porter’s “All Of You”, George & Ira Gershwin’s “They Can’t Take That Away From Me”), “Der Leiermann” from Schuberts “Winterreise”, Jewish cantorial music, and Yiddish folk song. (Source: ecmrecords.com)

Known for the passionate assault he commits upon his guitar when he plays, this disc is him playing acoustically by himself in a live setting, and he is every bit as alive and dynamic here as with a full band. Listen to his subtle playing and impeccable timing on "U Told Me," or the quiet control of "It Don't Mean a Doggone Thing……

Jethro Tull - This Was (1968) {Japan Mini LP Edition 2001}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC+CUE+LOG -> 281 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 105 Mb
Full Artwork @ 300 dpi (jpg) -> 23 Mb
© 2001 Toshiba-EMI / Chrysalis | TOCP-65879
Rock / Prog Rock / Art Rock

Jethro Tull's first album, THIS WAS, recorded and released in 1968, shows a band that is a far cry from their better-known incarnation as a prog rock outfit in the late 1970s. Instead, Tull come across here as a solid and talented blues band with elements of jazz, folk, and psychedelia thrown in. The band's sound was heavily influenced by guitarist, singer, and songwriter Mick Abrahams, whose bluesy singing and leads distinguish this disc in Tull's discography. Frontman Ian Anderson also shines with tunes like "Some Day the Sun Won't Shine for You" and the excellent cover of Rashaan Roland Kirk's "Serenade to a Cuckoo."