This is a decent set that could have been a great one. Flutist Herbie Mann had a reunion in 1992 with many of his former sidemen (tenorman David "Fathead" Newman, guitarist Cornell Dupree and keyboardist Richard Tee) along with his contemporary pianistvocalist Les McCann and they play a wide ranging program of music (highlighted by "Moanin'," "Papa Was a Rolling Stone," "Sunny," "Mercy, Mercy, Mercy" and "Amazing Grace"). But somehow once one gets beyond the nostalgia, the performances seem workmanlike and surprisingly uninspired, unlike Herbie Mann's live concerts with this group during the period.

Opalescence while not one of Herbie Mann's best albums is still a fun, enjoyable album to listen to. A little different I think from what you are use to hearing from Mann "Opalescence" has some great cool Latin jazz sounds to it that makes it a perfect album to curl up and relax to after a hectic day or if you are planning on having a quiet romantic dinner. Herbie as usual gives an outstanding performance throughout this disc. He knows how to get into what ever song or style of music he is playing and give it heart an soul. He truly was a master at the flute and this is one more album of many he released through the years that displays that talent.

Sir John Eliot Gardiner leads the Orchestre Révolutionnaire et Romantique in performances of Schubert's Symphony No. 5 in B-flat Major D.485 and Brahms's Serenade No. 2 in A Major, Op. 16 recorded live in concert at The Concertgebouw, Amsterdam. In Serenade No.2 a 20-year-old Brahms chooses to omit violins, creating an unusually dark sound, while the lively style of Schuberts Symphony No.5 seems to reflect the composers youthful exuberance.

"The Height Of The Reeds" started as a commissioned work to the city of Hull, Great Britain´s cultural capital 2017. Composed by Arve Henriksen, Eivind Aarset and Jan Bang, the work celebrates the longstanding seafaring relationship between Hull and Scandinavia. It was originally the musical companion to a sound walk that took place in April, May and June 2017. Those who took part could listen to the music on headphones while crossing the Humber Bridge. Initially intended for April only, the arrangement proved so popular it ended up with selling out three months, a total of 15.000 tickets. This beautifully evocative music can now be experienced through this release, where only minor adjustments have been done to justify the transition from sound walk to album. It´s an exquisite addition to the trio´s rich individual discographies, and sits perfectly well with Arve´s popular contributions with Jan Bang on "Chiaroscuro" (2004) and "Places Of Worship" (2013).

After a series of mystery teasers, Aphex Twin has formally announced the new Collapse EP, out September 14 from Warp Records.

The Persuasions - Frankly A cappella: The Persuasions Sing Zappa (2000) {EarthBeat!-Rhino R279832} (Zappa-related)
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (image)+CUE+LOG -> 246 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 104 Mb
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© 2000 EarthBeat! Records / Rhino Records | R279832
A cappella / Soul / Doo-Wop / R&B

Frank Zappa gave the vocal group the Persuasions their first chance by signing them to his record label, Straight, in 1969. In 2000, the six-piece a cappella formation recorded a heartfelt tribute to the composer by recording doo wop renditions of a cross section of his songs. Some choices were inevitable, like "The Meek Shall Inherit Nothing," which the group had already performed on the project Zappa's Universe, and the already doo woppy "Any Way the Wind Blows" and "Love of My Life." But by adding obscure numbers like "Electric Aunt Jemima" and "Harder Than Your Husband," the Persuasions clearly intended to surprise the fans – and it works.

Various Artists - Famous Organ Music from Europe (2013) {10CD Box Set Ars Musici 233793}
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© 2013 Ars Musici | 233793
Classical / Organ

The 10-CD set ‘Famous Organ Music from Europe’ presents organ music from six centuries played on famous organs in Germany, Austria, Poland, Italy, Spain, Belgium, Holland, and Transylvania. The instruments on which the pieces are played are among the greatest in existence and were built by names such as Silbermann, Schnitger, Hillebrand, and Grenzing. The organ works featured in this collection are by celebrated organ composers like J.S. Bach, Buxtehude and Sweelink as well as lesser-known masters. The music is performed by renowned organists including Harald Vogel, Michael Radulescu, Lorenzo Ghielmi, Jozef Sluys, Christoph Bossert, Horst Gehann, Oskar Gottlieb Blarr, Jean Ferrard, Xavier Deprez, and Andreas Liebig.

Pianist John Lewis, vibraphonist Milt Jackson, bassist Ray Brown and drummer Kenny Clarke first came together as the rhythm section of the 1946 Dizzy Gillespie & His Orchestra and they had occasional features that gave the overworked brass players a well-deserved rest. They next came together in 1951, recording as the Milt Jackson Quartet. In 1952, with Percy Heath taking Brown's place, the Modern Jazz Quartet (MJQ) became a permanent group. Other than Connie Kay succeeding Clarke in 1955, the band's personnel was set. In the early days Jackson and Lewis both were equally responsible for the group's musical direction but the pianist eventually took over as musical director…

Sometimes it seems that actual human feeling, conveyed through passionate musicianship and songwriting, is all but absent in popular music nowadays. Mike Keneally is thrilled to prove otherwise with his eighth album, Dancing. Mike has invited Beer For Dolphins, his masterful eight-piece band, into the studio to lay down nearly 80 minutes of the most gleefully adventurous, yet heartfelt, Keneally music ever. This album is truly a feast for the ears…

Steyoyoke’s Family Affair series returns to mark its 8th edition to date. The second half of this double release features remixes by Steyoyoke core producers Nick Devon, Simon Sizer and Arude.
Nick Devon introduces his usual well-defined pace to JOBE’s ‘Dystopia’, but diversifies in percussion elements. Great evolution as well.
Simon Sizer comes in remixing ‘Indra’ from family chief Soul Button delivering a sinister soundscape full of echoing sharp elements, making the ambience apparent and notably dark…

Greatest Ever Classical Gold is a wide-ranging collection of classical favorites, drawn from the best-loved concertos, orchestral music, chamber works, and keyboard pieces. The selections come from the Baroque, Classical, Romantic, and Modern eras, and the greatest composers in history are represented, among them Bach, Vivaldi, Handel, Mozart, Beethoven, Chopin, Debussy, and many others. Newcomers to classical music will likely recognize most of the pieces immediately, and the few that are unfamiliar to them are instantly accessible and highly memorable.

Yusef Lateef & Adam Rudolph - The World At Peace (1995) {Meta Digital Download, Bandcamp 16-44.1 rel 2018}
FLAC (tracks) - 16bit/44kHz - Official Digital Download (bandcamp.com) -> 614 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 245 Mb | Cover | 5% repair rar
© 1995, 2018 YAL Records / Meta Records | META 753
Jazz / Progressive Jazz / World Music / Neo-Classical / Creative Music

An epic work that straddles the fields of jazz tone poetry and world music references, The World at Peace is encouraging proof that ambitious, non-commercial jazz projects still exist-and must exist. Recorded live at the Jazz Bakery in Los Angeles in June 1995, the project is the brainchild of 77-year-old saxophonist Yusef Lateef and percussionist Adam Rudolph, both of whom have experimented in the fertile ground common to jazz and non-western traditions. That duality is laid out early, between the adjacent pieces “Coltrane Remembered” and “Africa 35.” A dozen musicians filter in and out of the mix, there is a loose, rambling Mingus-y air to the occasion, and improvisation is an operative norm. It’s jazz, yet, as a package, it’s something else again, something from a dreamy netherworld where specifics are fuzzy and feelings count for a lot.