Shorter is in great form on Joy Ryder. His sound and approach on soprano are unmistakeable and instantly recognizable. He allows himself much more space to blow than he did on the undersung and misunderstood classic Phantom Navigator, and he takes full advantage of it. That’s probably why most jazz critics vastly prefer Joy Ryder to Phantom Navigator.It is brilliant.

...Marshall’s (b. 1942) Evensongs represent a return to home ground. Based on two protestant hymns of his childhood, Now the Day Is Over and Abide with Me, the piece mixes taped elements—including a chorus of music boxes--with a live string quartet. Once part of a ubiquitous American soundtrack, the melodies in Marshall’s six variations shift in and out of focus like half-recalled memories. Both songs are Victorian era meditations on evening. Now the Day was written as a children’s hymn; Abide, whose author knew himself to be ill, is a frequent funeral piece. Between these two aspects—the rosy end of day and the gloomy end of life—Marshall’s music stakes out a tremulous middle ground. There, in the shimmering twilight, with echoes of his own child’s voice on the tape, innocence and experience blur.

A fine effort by a true master. As a well established sessionist Abe Laboriel is a legend in his own right. His versatility is evident by the spectrum of artists he has worked with, however a solo album has been a long time coming. "Dear Friends" is a fabulous showcase of that talent asserting itself in the arena of intelligent jazz. Though lacking in the kind of bass-driven melodies heard in albums by other bass greats like John Pattiticci and Victor Wooten, this album is very well thought out in it's use of the bass as an instrument that undergirds each compositions.

Frank Zappa - You Are What You Is (1981) {2012 UMe Remaster}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 504 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 179 Mb
Full Artwork @ 300 dpi (jpg) -> 13 Mb
© 2012 UMe / ZFT | ZR 3864
Rock / Experimental Rock

Mastered by Doug Sax with Robert Hadley and Sangwook "Sunny" Nam at The Mastering Lab, Inc., 2012. Sounds great and no longer crossfades "Dumb All Over" and "Heavenly Bank Account"; this is now exactly like the LP, and sounds great in the process. You Are What You Is was another of Frank Zappa's periodic post-Over-Nite Sensation efforts that concentrated on tight songwriting supported by satirical lyrics. Originally a two-record set featuring 20 songs, You Are What You Is skewered a variety of targets, from teenagers, punk rock, disco, and country music to the media, yuppies, the beauty-and-fitness industry, upper-class vice, religious hypocrisy, suicide, and the military draft – all the trappings of Reagan-era America.

Nicola Matteis - Ayrs for the Violin
Helene Schmitt - Eric Bellocq - Jorge-Andreas Boettcher
EAC+LOG+CUE | FLAC: 395 MB | Full Artwork | 5% Recovery Info
Label/Cat#: Alpha # 144 | Country/Year: France 2009
Genre: Classical | Style: Baroque

…Schmitt’s sound, though slightly acidulous, should never offend even the most ardent champion of modern instruments. She plays with a verve and dash that makes the ayrs ingratiating, even on first hearing. (…) Strongly recommended.

W.A. Mozart - Mitsuko Uchida - Das Erste KV 1
EAC+LOG+CUE | FLAC: 7 MB | Full Artwork | 5% Recovery Info
Label/Cat#: Philips # 446 875-2 | Country/Year: Europe 1995
Genre: Classical | Style: Viennese School

This piece of music was probably Mozart's first ever composition. It is an extremely short piece, consisting of just 10 measures, and was notated by the composer's father, Leopold, as Wolfgang was only five years old when he composed it…

Marusha - Raveland
EAC+LOG+CUE | FLAC: 296 MB | Full Artwork | 5% Recovery Info
Label/Cat#: Low Spirit Recordings # 523 349-2 | Country/Year: Germany 1994
Genre: Electronic | Style: Rave, Happy Hardcore

Marusha is a German Techno, Happy hardcore, Breakbeat and Eurodance artist/DJ, who was on the hit lists in the mid '90s.