Wednesday, November 30, 2011

TJ Rehmi - Mera Therapy

TJ Rehmi (aka Jav Rehmi) is one of UK’s most creative and innovative musicians.
A critically acclaimed but reclusive artist who has often shunned the limelight, Rehmi’s unique style of music has inspired and influenced countless musicians, DJs and discerning fans around the world.
As a guitarist, composer and producer, he has been a pioneering figure who, from the early 1990’s in the UK, experimented with Asian influenced sounds that were later to become part of the international ‘Asian Underground’ movement. His work includes recording and performing as a session guitarist, producing experimental solo albums, performing as a DJ, remixing, collaboration work, co-writing and studio production. During the early 80’s, Rehmi studied and played guitar with local funk, rock and reggae bands before joining Saxophonist Andy Hamilton’s Jazz band as a rhythm guitarist. A few thousand chops later and with guitar in hand, Rehmi explored the burgeoning bhangra scene as a session player and soon was in high demand. Session after session, Rehmi became interested in recording and started producing and arranging for some of UK’s top bhangra bands from the mid ‘80s to the early ‘90s. Touring with these bands also gave Rehmi the opportunity of visiting other countries such as America, Canada, Germany, Holland, Denmark, France and Dubai, providing an ever-growing musical fodder. During the early 90’s, Rehmi went back into education to study Education and Music at Birmingham City University/Birmingham Conservatoire where he had the opportunity to study composition and play guitar with Indo Jazz fusion composer John Mayer. After a short time in the teaching profession, Rehmi went back into music full time and became heavily involved in studio recording. He began to incorporate all of the sounds, rhythms, and styles he heard into his own music and found himself getting more and more into technology. Progressing from tape machines to computers, he eventually built his own studio, the Mood N Bass Lab.- from Rehmi's Facebook profile

Artist: TJ Rehmi
Album: Mera Therapy
Year: 1999
Label: Nation
Runtime: 64:26

Tracks:
1.  Mera Therapy 5:30 
2.  Stepping Stones 5:23 
3.  Dil Mai Durad 4:38 
4.  Levitate 5:05 
5.  Reflection : mishra dub 5 6:41 
6.  Zindagi 5:27 
7.  Interzaar 5:45 
8.  Fear is the Enemy 4:28 
9.  A Path with a heart 5:09 
10.  Nothing Spoken 4:47 
11.  Zindagi : the other version 6:00 
12.  Herbal Therapy 5:29 
All compositions by TJ Rehmi

Personnel:
TJ Rehmi (Acoustic and Electric Guitars, Sitarguitar, Keyboards, Mixing, Programming)
S Man X (Tabla, Dholki)
Pali S Neer (Percussion)
Ustaad Dilbahar (Vocals) - 3
Ashwani (Vocals) - 8
Sona Sam Pal (Shenai)
Hari C Deeh (Flute)
Mustafa A (Sarangi)

Sunday, November 27, 2011

Baden Powell - Minha Historia

Baden Powell is a Brazilian musician with a solid international reputation. A gifted instrumentalist and composer, he bridges the gap between classical artistry and popular warmth and was a key figure in the bossa nova movement. - by Alvaro Neder, AMG

This is a compilation of 14 compositions recorded by Baden Powell between 1966 and 1971. All tracks, except "Berimbau," are entirely instrumental. Most of the songs are Powell's own compositions -- for example, the three brilliant compositions "Apelo," "Deixa," and "Canto de Ossanha." There is also a beautiful version of Luiz Bonfá's famous "Manhã de Carnval" and Sílivio Caldas' classic "Chão de Estrelas." Some tracks have percussion backings, while others are performed solely on guitar. A flute is added on the two tracks written by Pixinguinha: "Lamento" and "Carinhoso." - by Philip Jandovsky, AMG

Artist: Baden Powell
Album: Minha Historia 14
Year: 1994
Label: Verve
Runtime: 52:12

Tracks:
1.  Lamento (Pixiguinha/Vinicius Morales) 3:24
2.  Canto de Ossanha (Vinicius de Moraes/Baden Powell) 6:49
3.  Deixa (Vinicius de Moraes/Baden Powell) 3:52
4.  Carinhoso (Pixinguinha /João de Barro) 3:37
5.  Euridice (Vinicius de Moraes) 4:10
6.  Apelo (Vinicius de Moraes/Baden Powell) 4:11
7.  Chao de Estrelas (Silvio Caldas /Orestes Barbosa) 3:19
8.  Deve Ser Amor (Vinicius de Moraes/Baden Powell) 2:26
9.  Berimbau (Vinicius de Moraes/Baden Powell) 3:24
10.  Garota de Ipanema (Tom Jobim /Vinicius de Moraes) 3:01
11.  Tempo Feliz (Vinicius de Moraes/Baden Powell) 4:19
12.  O Astronauta (Vinicius de Moraes/Baden Powell) 2:25
13.  Manha de Carnaval (Luiz Bonfá /Antonio Maria) 2:59
14.  Samba Triste (Baden Powell /Billy Blanco) 4:09

Personnel:
Baden Powell - guitar
others unknown

Wednesday, November 23, 2011

John Coltrane - Ballads

Throughout John Coltrane's discography there are a handful of decisive and controversial albums that split his listening camp into factions. Generally, these occur in his later-period works such as Om and Ascension, which push into some pretty heady blowing. As a contrast, Ballads is often criticized as too easy and as too much of a compromise between Coltrane and Impulse! (the two had just entered into the first year of label representation). Seen as an answer to critics who found his work complicated with too many notes and too thin a concept, Ballads has even been accused of being a record that Coltrane didn't want to make. These conspiracy theories (and there are more) really just get in the way of enjoying a perfectly fine album of Coltrane doing what he always did -- exploring new avenues and modes in an inexhaustible search for personal and artistic enlightenment. With Ballads he looks into the warmer side of things, a path he would take with both Johnny Hartman (on John Coltrane and Johnny Hartman) and with Duke Ellington (on Duke Ellington and John Coltrane). Here he lays out for McCoy Tyner mostly, and the results positively shimmer at times. He's not aggressive, and he's not outwardly. Instead he's introspective and at times even predictable, but that is precisely Ballads' draw. - by Sam Samuelson, AMG

A musician's viruosity on his/her instrument of choice may be measured in many ways -- chiefly, I suppose, in the ability to make that instrument pour forth the notes that are in the musician's mind, slow or fast, loudly or softly, as the music being performed requires. Many musicians have been blessed with the ability to take this up a notch -- they miraculously transmit what they are feeling in their soul as they perform into the notes and phrases that the audience hears. John Coltrane was nothing short of a genius by the time he recorded these pieces -- joined by some of the finest musicians who ever played with him. Coltrane had learned the artistry of silence and restraint, coupling it with his sheer instrumental ability, bringing his music to a level rarely equalled before or since. This recording was begun in December of 1961 and finished in November 0f 1962 -- 40 years have passed, and it is still one of the premier jazz recordings ever made. The tunes on this recording are standards -- they were already classic examples of songwriting when Coltrane recorded them. His own compositions were without question groundbreaking, moving expressions of a man with deep feelings of spirituality and an unquenchable urge for exploration -- but when John Coltrane took these standards into his heart and played them out through his saxophone, they became his. This grouping was to become known as his quintisential quartet: McCoy Tyner (piano), Jimmy Garrison (bass) and Elvin Jones (drums) [Reggie Workman is heard on bass on track 7 only]. These four men had a playing empathy that most others only dream of. Every recording they made together shows stunning, unbelievable interplay -- and such respect for each other. After 40 years of listening to music of all types and genres, I can't think of any group more suited to playing together. I've been listening to this recording a lot lately, having been reminded of its lasting greatness by Karrin Allyson's vocal tribute recording of the same tracks (a fine recording also -- check it out). I was discussing the two albums one day at Waterloo Records with a friend who has worked there for many years -- he remarked that 'this is the album I sell to people who tell me they don't like jazz'. Far from being any sort of put-down of Coltrane -- for I know how much my friend admires his work -- it speaks to the universality of his appeal, his ability to touch literally ANYONE with an ear with the genius he possessed. - by Larry Looney, Amazon.com

Artist: John Coltrane Quartet
Album: Ballads
Year: 1962
Label: Impulse! (1987)
Runtime: 32:16


Tracks:
1.  Say It (Over and Over Again) (Frank Loesser/Jimmy McHugh) 4:19
2.  You Don't Know What Love Is (Gene DePaul/Don Raye) 5:15
3.  Too Young to Get Steady (Harold Adamson/Jimmy McHugh) 4:23
4.  All or Nothing at All (Arthur Altman/Jack Lawrence) 3:38
5.  I Wish I Knew (Mack Gordon/Harry Warren) 4:54
6.  What's New (Johnny Burke/Bob Haggart) 3:47
7.  It's Easy to Remember (Lorenz Hart/Richard Rodgers) 2:49
8.  Nancy (with the Laughing Face) (Phil Silvers/Jimmy Van Heusen) 3:11

Personnel:
John Coltrane (Tenor Saxophone)
McCoy Tyner (Piano)
Jimmy Garrison (Double Bass)
Elvin Jones (Drums)

Thursday, November 17, 2011

Keith Jarrett Trio - Standards Live

Keith Jarrett's Standards Trio spread their wings during live performance in as astute and dignified a manner as any group since the similarly sized Bill Evans ensembles of three decades prior. Bassist Gary Peacock and drummer Jack DeJohnette easily match the Evans bandmates Scott LaFaro and Paul Motian in terms of their telepathy, rhythmic savvy, harmonic ideas and supportive idealism. They propel Jarrett's advanced viewpoint in making well-known American popular songs all his own. While the incessant vocal whining of the leader in accord with his playing is an issue, the way he sensitively interprets a familiar song is not. The trio warms slowly as Jarrett's introduces "Stella by Starlight" with delicate precision, also keeping a cool head on Alec Wilder's "The Wrong Blues" with tempo in check. "Falling in Love with Love" hits third gear running, as Jarrett's fleet, lithe and flowing lines dismiss reckless abandon, and settles into a groove. A slight Latin hue on "Too Young to Go Steady" from the adept DeJohnette turns this composition to pure gold, while Jarrett does not hesitate getting right to the melody of "The Way You Look Tonight" because he knows and loves it all too well. DeJohnette is not only completely supportive, but undeniably is reinventing the jazz swing rhythm through this whole concert. A nice choice for a closer, Nat Adderley's soulful and spiritual "The Old Country" is tactfully portrayed, and because it is included on a record of standards, can be happily declared as official jazz orthodoxy. The trio is fairly concise, even for concert guidelines (nothing over 11 minutes), so the indulgence factor is virtually non-existent, and listenability is very high even for those who are challenged. Such stellar collective musicianship and their teamwork deems this recording worthy of any most recommended list. - by Michael G. Nastos, AMG

Artisz: Keith Jarrett Trio
Album: Standars Live
Year: 1985
Label: ECM (1986)
Runtime: 54:30

Tracks:
1.  Stella By Starlight (Ned Washington/Victor Young)  11:16
2.  The Wrong Blues (Alec Wilder/William Engvick) 8:05
3.  Falling In Love With Love (Richard Rodgers/Lorenz Hart) 8:46
4.  Too Young To Go Steady (Harold Adamson/Jimmy McHugh) 10:12
5.  The Way You Look Tonight (Dorothy Fields/Jerome Kern) 9:33
6.  The Old Country (Curtis Lewis/Nat Adderley) 6:35

Personnel:
Keith Jarrett (Piano)
Gary Peacock (Double Bass)
Jack DeJohnette (Drums)

Tuesday, November 15, 2011

Takis Barberis - Naiva

'Naiva' is Takis Barberis' fourth personal album and charters him as one of the most earnest and aspiring new composers in Greece. This very album is an affirmation of Barberis' vested belief in the universality of sounds that are embedded in traditional and contemporary music. "the most profound of my desires", Barberis says, "is to turn into sounds and music all those personal and cultural experiences that have been following me. Yet as desires might get trapped to the names we give to categories of styles, music genres or the austerity of music idioms, what really counts is the truth that sounds contain, the space we open up for those sounds to exist, to freely move across boundaries and utter every single time something new and meaningful". Naiva is a made up word. It ascribes to a name of a girl, (Greek or Indian by the very same token). It is a play on the open meaning of Naive and Nativus that might mean simple or even artless innocent as well as unsophisticated ungraceful, perhaps, or unassuming for that matter. Barberis' affirmation also helps explain the difficulty to term the music of Naiva as jazz, ethnic fusion or all of the above. More than such a categorisation Naiva is a play on the clarity of sounds and the flowing of melodies. Already in his last album EPISODES (LYRA 0177) Barberis had demonstrated his unique ability to combine as diverse sounds as those of the renowned Indian percussionist Trilok Gurtu, with those of the folk master of the clarinet Petros Lucas Halkias creating an entire landscape of music atmospheres and tints. In Naiva, Barberis further articulates such a music language with more eloquence and an even greater fluidity. In all such fluidity of meaning, the only constant point of departure is Takis wandering anew to the infinite universe of interwoven sounds of the world. The sounds and resonance of Naiva make up a universal music language free of any need forgeographical specificity. -from www.cromozone.de/barberis/

Artist: Takis Barberis
Album: Naiva
Year: 1998
Label: Lyra
Runtime: 72:51

Tracks:
1.  Naiva 7:24 
2.  Ceremony 5:45 
3.  Papa's Radio 6:27 
4.  Unfolding the Map 5:19 
5.  Polytropon 5:37 
6.  Hopes 5:13 
7.  Indiom 5:26 
8.  In His Dreams 5:42 
9.  Marwa 4:44 
10.  Aura 7:04 
11.  Photopolis 4:55 
12.  Phantasmagoria 4:30 
13.  Peace, Please 4:37 
All compositions - by Takis Barberis

Personnel:
Takis Barberis (Guitars, Synthesizer and Percussion programming, )
Manos Saridakis (Piano and Keyboards) - 1,4,8,10
Yiorgos Georgiadis (Bass Guitar) - 1,3,4,6-11
George Polyhronakos (Drums, Shaker and Cymbals)
Girish Chandra Srivastava (Tabla) - 1,6
Takis Patrelis (Tenor Saxophone) - 2
George Kontrafouris (Piano) - 2,6
Petros Loucas Chalkias (Clarinet) - 3
Shankar Lal (Tabla) - 3,5,7,9,12
Reshma Srivastava Pizanis (Sitar) - 5,7,9
Asha Srivastava (Tanpura) - 5
Takis Farazis (Accordion) - 8,13

Saturday, November 12, 2011

Knud Jörgensen - Jazz Trio

Knud Jorgensen, one of Sweden's best swing pianists, here together with Sture Aringkerberg - bass and Johan Dielemans - drums. Knud offers his own, personal and dynamic interpretations of numerous classics of swing: Satin Doll, Too Late Now, You Look Good To Me, Teach Me Tonight, My Heart Stood Still, etc. ""The fact is, the piano playing is so abundantly varied that the recording is quite one that you won't be able to turn off. Elegantly weightless loops of melody mingle with raunchy harmonies in a high-voltage crackling"" - Musik & Ljudteknik

Knud Jørgensen was born in Copenhagen in 1928 and died in 1992 in Stockholm. He decided to stay in Sweden while on tour with a Danish band in the mid-fifties, and remained for the rest of his life. For many years he was one of the most personal, versatile and talented jazz pianists in Sweden, both as a rhythmic prompter and as an explorer of the secrets and possibilities of the chords. He had a special feeling for Duke Ellington, as well as a special sensitivity and ability to capture the essence of Ellington harmonies, sound and rhythmic accent. Knud played with a remarkable skill in holding the threads of the music together with his piano. If anything could be added to a part he just put it in, unerringly, at the right moment and with the right phrase, sound and beat. This was true whether he accompanied guest soloists such as Toots Thielemans, Ben Webster, Harry "Sweets" Edison and others, or recorded with Svend Asmussen, Arne Domnérus, Bosse Broberg, Nisse Sandström and Lars Erstrand. More often, however, one could hear him with his own small groups and from the late seventies usually in a duo with his musical spiritual brother, the bass player Bengt Hanson. - from touchemusic.com 

Artist: Knud Jörgensen Trio
Album: Knud Jörgensen Jazz Trio
Year: 1984
Label: Opus 3 (1995)
Runtime: 39:49

Tracks:
1.  Satin Doll (Duke Ellington/Billy Strayhorn) 7:11
2.  Softly, As In A Morning Sunrise (Sigmund Romberg)  4:05
3.  Too Late Now (Burton Lane/Alan Jay Lerner) 6:08
4.  You Look Good to Me (Seymour Lefco/Wells Jr.) 6:05
5.  It Might As Well Be Spring (Richard Rodgers) 7:08
6.  My Hearts Stood Still (Richard Rodgers) 5:14
7.  Teach Me Tonight (Gene DePaul) 3:58

Personnel:
Knud Jörgensen (Piano)
Johan Dielemans (Drums)
Sture Akerberg (Double Bass)

Wednesday, November 9, 2011

Steve Tibbetts - The Fall of Us All

One of Tibbett's hardest-edged releases, this album is more charged and somewhat darker than his previous releases. As with most of his work, the focus is on multi-tracked electric and acoustic guitar, with lots of varied percussion (those familiar with Tibbett's work may think him more a frustrated percussionist than a guitarist). Yet, though this builds upon previous albums, The Fall of Us All requires more of the listener and is very much a full body of work rather than a collection of songs. Travel to Nepal is a marked influence on the textures of the tracks, and would point the way to Tibbett's future projects with musicians from other lands. - by Rob Caldwell, AMG

Steve Tibbetts is a difficult artist to categorize. While the German-based ECM was (at one time) the home of jazz guitarists Pat Metheny, John Abercrombie and Ralph Towner, Tibbetts' music seems more a product of Jimi Hendrix and Frank Zappa than Jim Hall or Wes Montgomery. Throw into the mix the wordless vocals on some tracks and the use of tabla and synthesizer, and Tibbetts and the other musicians on this CD produce some powerful music--not to mention amazing guitar pyrotechnics from Tibbetts himself. Also worth seeking out are his self-titled debut and the follow-up "YR" on the Frammis label. I have these both on vinyl--I'm not aware that they were ever released on CD--and the guitar playing is nothing short of stunning. "The Fall of Us All" was Tibbetts final release on ECM before signing with Hannibal/Rykodisk. While his earlier ECM releases are good, they don't have the edge this does. On these eleven instrumentals, Tibbetts performs on both acoustic and electric guitars with an amazing technique that will leave you mesmerized. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED - by Steve Vrana, Amazon.com

Artist: Steve Tibbetts
Album: The Fall of Us All
Year: 1994
Label: ECM
Runtime: 69:51

Tracks:
1.  Dzogchen Punks (Steve Tibbetts) 7:49
2.  Full Moon Dogs (Steve Tibbetts) 9:13
3.  Nyemma (Steve Tibbetts) 4:50
4.  Formless (Steve Tibbetts) 2:43
5.  Roam and Spy (Steve Tibbetts/Mike Olson) 4:15
6.  Hellbound Train (Steve Tibbetts) 7:16
7.  All for Nothing (Steve Tibbetts) 7:15
8.  Fade Away (Steve Tibbetts) 6:41
9.  Drinking Lesson (Steve Tibbetts) 3:44
10.  Burnt Offering (Steve Tibbetts/Marc Anderson) 7:27
11.  Travel Alone (Steve Tibbetts) 8:33

Personnel:
Steve Tibbetts (Guitar, Percussion, Discs)
Marc Anderson (Congas, Steel Drums, Percussion)
Marcus Wise (Tabla)
Jim Anton (Bass)
Eric Anderson (Bass)
Claudia Schmidt (Voice)
Rhea Valentine (Voice)
Mike Olson (Synthesizer)

Sunday, November 6, 2011

Grencso Collective - Seven Songs to the Last Mohicans

Istvan Grencso (soprano and alto saxophone, flute and other wind instruments) was born in Nyiregyhaza, Hungary, in 1956. After his early Masina Jazz Group (1979) he played in Budapest with various formations of Mihaly Dresch and Gyorgy Szabados. In 1985 he formed Grencso Kollektiva, which is still his main activity, based on a regular rotation of musicians. His music is always strongly attached to the culture and traditions of Eastern-Middle-Europe, from these inspirations he developed his own style. In Hungary he is generally considered one of the strongest personalities of the "local school", that stream of Hungarian jazz and improvised music, which instead of imitating the Western mainstream, is dedicated to the creation of local values.- from myspace.com/grencsokollektiv

Artist: Grencsó Kollektíva
Album: Seven Songs to the Last Mohicans
Year: 2000
Label: Bahia
Total time: 46:02

Tracks:
1.  First Song, Part One 3:20 
2.  First Song, Part Two 3:29 
3.  Second Song, Part One 3:18 
4.  Second Song, Part Two 3:54 
5.  Third Song 7:43 
6.  Fourth Song 5:50 
7.  Fifth Song 3:46 
8.  Sixth Song, Part One 4:13 
9.  Sixth Song, Part Two 5:16 
10.  Seventh Song, Part One 2:28 
11.  Seventh Song, Part Two 2:36 
All compositions - by Istvan Grencso and Collective

Personnel:
Istvan Grencso (Tenor and Soprano Saxophone, Accordion, Whistle)
Robert Benko (Double Bass, Violoncello)
Gyorgy Jeszenszky (Drums)
Gabi Kenderesi (Vocals)
Csaba Hajnóczy (Guitar)
Csaba Gyulai (Vocals)
Andras Koncz (Vocals)
Zoltan Mizsei (Vocals)
DJ Mango (Loops)
DJ Shuriken (Loops)

Thursday, November 3, 2011

Sergio Mendes - The Great Arrival - The Beat of Brazil

The hype-laden title undoubtedly refers to Sergio Mendes' move to America two years before this album's release, settling in Los Angeles, where this record was made. Clearly he was out to make it big in the U.S.A., for this album tries to move a bit away from Brazil by spotlighting Mendes' jazz and pop piano against the elaborate charts of Clare Fischer, Bob Florence and Dick Hazard. There are contributions from the best-known Brazilians (Edu Lobo, Jobim of course) as well as up-to-the-minute pop tunes "Monday, Monday" and "Don't Go Breaking My Heart" and American songbook material like "Here's That Rainy Day" and "Girl Talk," all served up in airplay-sized packages mostly under three minutes in length. Inevitably, then, Mendes' piano doesn't get much room to breathe, but the charts are quite interesting; Florence's are the most big-band-oriented, Fischer's are the most harmonically challenging, and Hazard's lush offerings are the signposts of Mendes' future with Brasil '66. Though an encouraging step forward, Mendes' first big strike was still several months away. - by Richard S. Ginell, AMG

Early bossa jazz from Sergio Mendes – recorded with his famous Bossa Rio combo, in the years before he moved to America! The album's a classic in Brazilian jazz – a tight album of bossa-inflected jazz tunes played with razor-sharp precision, handled with a style that went on to influence countless other Brazilian groups at the time. Mendes is in the lead on piano, and other players include Edison Machado on drums, Raul De Souza on trombone, and Hector Costita on tenor sax. The whole thing's great – a masterpiece of both jazz and bossa – and it's filled with classic tunes arranged by Jobim, Moacir Santos, and Sergio himself. Titles include "Nana", "Primitivo", "Desafinado", "Ela E Carioca", "Amor Em Paz", "Noa Noa", and "Neurotico". - from dustygroove.com

Artist: Sergio Mendes
Album: The Great Arrival - The Beat of Brazil
Year: 1966-67
Label: Atlantic/Warner Jazz (2000)
Runtime: 62:30

Tracks:
1.  The Great Arrival (Cheganca) (Edu Lobo/Oduvalso Viana Filho/Norman Gimbel) 2:19
2.  Monday, Monday (John E. Phillips) 2:32
3.  Carnaval (Clare Fischer) 2:40
4.  Cancao Do Amanhecer (Edu Lobo/Vinicius de Moraes/Norman Gimbel) 2:48
5.  Here's That Rainy Day (Johnny Burke/Jimmy Van Heusen) 2:22
6.  Boranda (Edu Lobo) 2:41
7.  Nana (Moacir Santos/Mario Telles) 2:35
8.  Bonita (Antonio Carlos Jobim/Ray Gilbert) 3:24
9.  Morning (Clare Fischer) 2:38
10.  Don't Go Breaking My Heart (Burt Bacharach/Hal David) 2:34
11.  Tristeza De Amar (Maximiliano Sanchez) 3:18
12.  Girl Talk (Neal Hefti/Bobby Troup) 2:26
13.  Nana (Moacir Santos/Mario Telles) 2:24
14.  Amor Em Paz (Once I Loved) (Antonio Carlos Jobim/Norman Gimbel) 2:56
15.  Garota de Ipanema (The Girl From Ipanema) (Antonio Carlos Jobim/Norman Gimbel) 3:16
16.  Coisa No. (Moacir Santos) 2 2:47
17.  Primitivo (Sergio Mendes) 3:58
18.  Ela E Carioca (She's A Carioca) (Antonio Carlos Jobim/Vinicius de Moraes/Ray Gilbert) 2:27
19.  Corcovado (Antonio Carlos Jobim) 4:09
20.  Noa Noa (Sergio Mendes) 2:21
21.  Desafinado (Antonio Carlos Jobim/Newton Mendonca) 3:21
22.  Neurótico (Meirelles) 2:21

Personnel:
Sergio Mendes (Piano)
Joao Palma (Drums) - 1-12
Clare Fischer (Arranger, Conductor) - 3,6,9,12
Bob Florence (Arranger, Conductor) - 1,2,7,10
Dick Hazard (Arranger, Conductor) - 4,5,8,11
Sebastiao Neto (Double Bass) - 13-22
Edison Machado (Drums) - 13-22
Edson Maciel (Slide Trombone) - 13-22
Raulzinho (Valve Trombone) - 13-22
Hector Bisignani (Tenor Saxophone) - 13-22
Aurino Ferreira (Tenor Saxophone) - 13,17
Antonio Carlos Jobim (Arranger) - 13-22
Others unknown

Tuesday, November 1, 2011

Misery Loves Company - Magia ke Miseria

Magic and Misery – Magic and Mystery; the enchanting transmutation of human pain and suffering into joyous celebration through the cabala of sound. And Misery Loves Company.
Misery's style is eclectic; the band is comprised of musicians from the USA, Greece, India, and Germany. The music is rooted in Greece, Asia and the Americas. Loosely termed ethno, or world music, such a commingling of cultures and styles often results in a musical hodgepodge that ends in a diluted formula, a conglomeration of parts that are only pale imitations of the originals. But Misery's music has a cross-cultural depth of authenticity and conviction which stems from a core of players who have known and worked with each other over a period of years...
The seed of the idea of forming Misery Loves Company was planted in Munich at the Greek night club, the Lyra. Sakis was playing in the club when Geoff first walked in some ten years ago. Sakis remembers the moment of their meeting. "We had just finished playing a particularly difficult piece, and this guy came up after the set and asked me what the rhythm was. I was surprised that someone was interested. It was a really complex piece, something in 5/8, 6/8, 7/8, 9/8, and 11/8 time, and it took me some time to explain it." says Sakis with a chuckle. Over the proceeding months and years Geoff and Sakis became friends and musical compatriots. Sakis began teaching Geoff Greek compositions, and Goodman in turn taught Sakis some of his music. They played together in various musical combinations. The relationship between Western and Mid-Eastern music traditions in conjunction with Greek musical forms is too complex to delve into in this short space. Suffice it to say that Western music tradition is grounded in the Greek modes, and that the some 3000 years of Greek culture has straddled the European and Asian continents. The influence of the East on Greek culture has been significant. Many of the great Greek city states were in Asia Minor and on the shores of what is now Turkey. Ancient battles with the Persian empire, and Alexander the Great's military expeditions through Persia, Afghanistan, and into India made Greece the centrum where East and West truly met. That Misery's cross-breeding of Western, Greek, and Eastern music is planted in Greek soil makes eminent good sense. They say that misery loves company. Whether you're down or up, melancholy or joyful, the music of this Misery is company well worth keeping. - from the CD cover

Artist: Misery Loves Company
Album:  Magia ke Miseria (Athens Meets New York)
Year: 1997
Label: Enja (1998)
Runtime: 55:41

Tracks:
1.  Road Movie (Geoff Goodman) 7:07
2.  Kamamotou (Draqatis) 4:22
3.  About a Boat (Geoff Goodman) 3:40
4.  Magiadi (Traditional) 6:14
5.  Dry George (Traditional) 4:52
6.  Barbagianakakis (Traditional) 6:08
7.  Cleo's Companion (Geoff Goodman) 5:49
8.  Misirlou (Nikos Roumbanis) 7:01
9.  Tsifiteteli (Sakis Stratopoulos) 4:46
10.  Prosefhi (Haris Alexion) 5:24

Personnel:
Geoff Goodman (Mandocello, Guitar)
Chris Hirson (Saxophone)
Sylvia Kapernaros (Vocals)
Sakis Stratopoulos (Bouzuki)
Alex Haas (Bass)
Shankar Lal (Tablas)
Tobias Ott (Tablas, Ghatam)

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