Duke Jordan on piano, Gene Rame on bass, and Lee Abrams on drums. Bud Powell on piano, Pierre Michelot on bass, and Kenny Clarke on drums. CD

An album that maybe marked the close of one chapter of The Kinks, and the start of another – music that still holds on to some of the best elements of their late 60s Village Green era, but which also moves the group into some of the headier territory of their Muswell Hill/RCA years too! Ray Davies has never sounded more earnest – still able to pull off wit when needed, but also more down to earth – and because of the massive title hit, the set was also one that put the group in front of the ears or more folks than had been hearing them in previous years. Titles include, of course, the mega-hit "Lola" – plus "This Time Tomorrow", "Apeman", "Strangers", "The Contenders", "Long Way From Home", "Rats", and "Top Of The Pops". Great package – with alternate tracks that include mono versions of "Lola", "Apeman", "Rats", and "Powerman" – plus an alternate stereo take of "Apeman". CD2 features lots of bonus tracks – thew tunes "Anytime", "Marathon", and "Got To Be Free (edit)" – plus "Moneygoround (alt)", "Top Of The Pops (2020 mix)", "Get Back In Line (live)", "Strangers (2020 stereo)", "Contenders (inst demo)", "Long Way From Home (live 2006)", and "Lola (with Danish orchestra)". CD

An album that maybe marked the close of one chapter of The Kinks, and the start of another – music that still holds on to some of the best elements of their late 60s Village Green era, but which also moves the group into some of the headier territory of their Muswell Hill/RCA years too! Ray Davies has never sounded more earnest – still able to pull off wit when needed, but also more down to earth – and because of the massive title hit, the set was also one that put the group in front of the ears or more folks than had been hearing them in previous years. Titles include, of course, the mega-hit "Lola" – plus "This Time Tomorrow", "Apeman", "Strangers", "The Contenders", "Long Way From Home", "Rats", and "Top Of The Pops". CD

We've loved the music of soul singer Ledisi since her first self-released album back in the 90s – and since that time, she's matured even more as a vocalist – to a point where she can easily take on the music of Nina Simone with all the glory it deserves! This special set features Ledisi singing with accompaniment from the Metropole Orkest and New Orleans Jazz Orchestra – each of whom bring a sense of fullness, but in different ways – as Ledisi stretches out the tunes with the kind of sophistication and richness that Nina might have done – but in a voice that's all her own. The set features guests appearances from Lizz Wright and Alice Smith – but Ledisi hardly needs them at all, as she's very firmly in the lead – on titles that include "Feeling Good", "Wild Is The Wind", "Work Song", "Four Women", "Ne Me Quitte Pas", "My Baby Just Cares For Me", and "I'm Going Back Home". CD

Fantastic work from Ledisi – an artist we've loved for almost 25 years, and who maybe sounds better here than she has in the last decade! There's this back to basics approach that maybe recalls some of her self-released albums at the start – but mixed with the maturity in all the years she's learned as both a songwriter and a singer – the sort of vocalist who should be right up there in the soul music pantheon right next to Aretha Franklin and Chaka Khan! Robert Glasper helped a bit on the record – but as usual, Ledisi is the key driving force behind the set – making her equally skilled in the studio as she is on record. Titles include "WKND", "Without You", "Stone", "Wake Up", "What Kinda Love Is That", "Now Or Never", "Stay Gone", "Anything For You", and "Next Time". CD

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... LP, Vinyl record album

With Shirley Horn on piano! CD

Really beautiful work from Pat Metheny, but a set that showcases his work more as a composer than a performer – two longer tracks that both have a different sound than his regular material! "Four Paths Of Light" is a suite in four parts, performed by acoustic guitarist Jason Vieux with this really wonderful sound – almost a criss-crossing of some of Metheny's musical ideas with an older history of stringed instrumentation. "Road To The Sun" is another four part work, handled by the Los Angeles Guitar Quartet – a group who take a surprisingly gentle approach to the material, with interwoven strings that match some of the complexity of Pat Metheny's own performance! CD features a bonus track – a version of the Arvo Part tune "Fur Alina" – performed by Pat Metheny on a 42 string guitar! CD

Includes the songs "Chattanooga Choo Choo", "Elmer's Tune", "Star Dust", "Stairway To The Stars", "The Woodpecker Song", "Juke Box Saturday Night", "Over The Rainbow", "A String Of Pearls", "When You Wish Upon A Star", "Imagination", "Beat Me Daddy, Eight To The Bar", "Tuxedo Junction", "Serenade In Blue", "Danny Boy","A Nightingale Sang In Berkeley Square", "Blue Rain", "Along The Santa Fe Trail","Give A Little Whistle", "The Boogie Wooglie Piggy", "Moonlight Cocktail", "In The Mood", "(I've Got A Gal In) Kalamazoo", "My Blue Heaven", "Little Brown Jug", "Don't Sit Under The Apple Tree (With Anyone Else But Me)", "The Story Of A Starry Night", "At Last", "Blueberry Hill", "Ding Dong! The Witch Is Dead!", "American Patrol", "Bugle Call Rag", "Fools Rush In (Where Angels Fear To Tread)", "The Nearness Of You", "Blue Orchids", "Pennsylvania 6-5000", "Song Of The Volga Boatmen", "Moon Love", "I'll Never Smile Again", "Rhapsody In Blue", and "Moonlight Serenade". CD

Landmark British metal from Motorhead– inarguably one of the greatest albums ever in the genre! If there's a flaw to Ace Of Spades, it's that Lemmy & Co.'s signature song – the title track, of course – is so damned amazing, you want to drop the needle on it 10 times in a row before going on to the rest of the record. If only more rock & roll albums had this "problem". Other tracks include "The Chase Is Better Than The Catch", "Love Me Like A Reptile", "Shoot You In The Back", "Fast And Loose", "Fire, Fire", "Jailbait", "Bite The Bullet", "The Hammer", "Dance", "Live To Win" and more. LP, Vinyl record album

A smoking set from Phineas Newborn – recorded in 3 different modes for the record – solo, trio, and quartet! The quartet and trio sides feature some nice guitar from his brother Calvin Newborn – whose bluesier tones really help give the record a deeper feel than usual for Phineas, and help expand out the sound a lot. The trio material is drumless, which makes for a cool combination of piano, bass, and guitar – and even the solo tracks have a nice feel too – a bit more introspective, sprinkled throughout the record to balance out the sound nicely. Titles include "Overtime", "Come To Baby Do", "Land's End", "She", "Tin Tin Deo", and "Clarisse". CD

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Ray Parker steps out here with the other woman – with a groove that's somewhat different than his earlier sound with Raydio! There's a slightly sharper edge than before – almost a rockish influence in some of the instrumentation, which is a key factor in helping Parker's crossover in the 80s – one that had undeniable impact on the sound of other mainstream soul. At times, it's almost as if there's a slight hint of new wave inspiration in the rhythms and instrumentation – used very sparingly, but quite different than earlier Raydio funk and soul. Parker's vocals are more pronounced than before too – almost with a bite on the upbeat numbers – but warmly soulful on the mellower cuts, which we still like best. Titles include "Stay The Night", The Other Woman", "Street Love", "Let's Get Off", "Stop, Look Before You Leave", and "Let Me Go". CD

A great selection of work from his RCA recordings! CD

Lou Reed at his mid 70s live peak! Volumes have already been and will continue to be written about Lou's output in the 70s, and rightly so. This set is particularly amazing in that it follows the artful highpoint/financial failure that is Berlin – so Lou is doing the rock & roll star thing here, kinda given the people what they want in a way. What's so amazing here is that it doesn't feel like a cash-in, it's crazy good and geniunely passionate stuff! The blazing guitars don't hurt, nor does the fact the the set is heavy with Velvets-era faves. Includes "Intro/Sweet Jane", "Heroin", "White Light/White Heat", "Lady Day" and "Rock N' Roll". CD

Marcus Roberts on solo piano. CD

Tracks include "Cherokee", "Slippin' & Slidin", "I Remember You", "Tint Of Blue", and "King Porter Stomp". CD

Tracks include "Mood Indigo", "I Got It Bad", "Prelude To A Kiss", "Solitude", and "Black and Tan Fantasy". CD

A landmark album from Sonny Rollins – one that marked his comeback in the early 60s, after a brief period of retirement, and which also initiated a string of incredible recordings with guitarist Jim Hall. Given Hall's gentleness and spare modernity on the guitar, a fan of Rollins' hard-blowing late 50s sessions might not expect the album to work – but instead, it sets up his playing in a whole new mode that brings out a leaner, more confident, more sophisticated solo mode that shows that his time woodshedding in retirement was well spent. Rollins playing is impeccable, with a maturity not heard in his late 50's work, and the whole album is a beautiful study in measured, thoughtful soloing. Tracks include "John S.", "The Bridge", and "God Bless the Child". CD

Featuring George Coleman on tenor, Kenny Garrett on alto and Dave Valentin on flute. CD

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A great addition to the Nina Simone catalog – material recorded at the Montreux Jazz Festival on a number of different dates – all very different performances that really show the legendary singer at the top of her game! The setting shifts here from date to date – the package features shows from 1968, 1976, 1981, 1987, and 1990 – with early material that features a full group with Henry Young on guitar and Sam Waymon on organ, plus later sets that feature a trio, a duo with harmonica player Claude Nobs, a solo piano/vocal date, and a final set with guitar, vibes, and keyboards. As with other live performances, Nina is completely stunning – able to completely transform tunes with that legendary vocal style, and augmenting her words with all the right touches on piano. Titles include "Just In Time", "African Mailman", "Me Me Quitte Pas", "Liberian Calypso", "Stars", "Don't Smoke In Bed", "Little Girl Blue (parts 1 & 2)", "Backlash Blues", "See Line Woman", "I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel To Be Free", "Four Women", "No Woman No Cry", "Montreux Blues", and "My Baby Just Cares For Me". 2CD set features 29 tracks in all – including the full 14 song performances recorded at Casino Kursaal in 1968! CD

2 very rare slices of work from Martial Solal's postwar years – one 10" and one 7" EP session, both recorded in Paris in 1956, each with a different twist! The first half of the set features "Martial Solal & Les Kentonians" – a group that's not exactly all members of Stan Kenton's group, but plays in a very similar mode! Players include Solal on piano, Curtis Counce on bass, Mel Lewis on drums, Carl Fontana on trombone, and Don Rendell on tenor sax – plus a bit of trumpet from Vinnie Tano – and the tunes have a well-composed, chamber jazz sort of mode – a bit more like some of the small group mid 50s work on RCA by members of larger orchestras of the time, than any of Stan's original sides for Capitol. Oddly, the second half of the album's actually by a larger group – "Martial Solal & Son Grand Orchestre" – an ensemble with 5 trumpets, 4 trombones, and 5 saxes – all directed through short, tight original tracks that are heavy on the head arrangements, and played with a lot of dynamic modern energy. CD features 11 tracks in all – with titles that include "Blues Martial", "Steeplechase", "Jive At Five", "Why Not", "Au 4eme Top", "Midi 1/4", and "Derniere Minute". CD

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Frankie, Frankie – OW! Take a broken-down synth, some crazy vocals, and a rich sense of imagination – and you've got one of the seminal groups of the New York scene of the early punk years. Suicide were a key bridge between earlier prog underground sounds and the art-rock punk styles that were coming out of New York in the late 70s – and one that was in a space that was completely their own – and still is, after all the decades since the release of this record! With this one landmark album, the band completely dismantled the cold German prog synth of groups like Kraftwerk, La Dusseldorf, and Tangerine Dream – and created a wild sound of spare anguish that brought a whole new dimension to punk rock. The album has got to be one of the top 50 "must have" rock records of all time – and titles include the cuts "Ghost Rider", "Rocket USA", "Johnny", "Frankie Teardrop", "Che", and "Cheree". LP, Vinyl record album

Lots of work from the late 20's and early 30's, plus a little from the post-war years – 31 tracks in total. CD

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A key slice of work from the too-short career of the legendary Hank Williams – recordings he did for a regular radio show sponsored by Mother's Best Flour in Nashville during the year 1951 – a time when Hank was riding high with his talents, before leaving our planet all too soon! The work here is a nice change from some of Williams' studio records, and his other live performances – as there's a relaxed, easygoing quality that really gets at the kind of charms that set Hank apart from the rest – and which must have been wonderful coming into a home over a broadcast show like this! Because the show was regular, Hank didn't just perform his hits, but also handled a wider range of material – which makes the Mother's Best recordings so important to his catalog – as together, the tracks offer up almost as much as he recorded for MGM on record. This first volume features 49 tracks from the program – with titles that include "Nobody's Lonesome For Me", "Where The Old Red River Flows", "Cool Water", "Lonely Tombs", "I Saw The Light", "Seaman's Blues", "They'll Never Take", "Dear Brother", "Something's Got Hold Of Me", "When God Dips His Love In My Heart", "Calling You", "Move It On Over", "Alabama Waltz", and "Lord Build Me A Cabin". CD

A key slice of work from the too-short career of the legendary Hank Williams – recordings he did for a regular radio show sponsored by Mother's Best Flour in Nashville during the year 1951 – a time when Hank was riding high with his talents, before leaving our planet all too soon! The work here is a nice change from some of Williams' studio records, and his other live performances – as there's a relaxed, easygoing quality that really gets at the kind of charms that set Hank apart from the rest – and which must have been wonderful coming into a home over a broadcast show like this! Because the show was regular, Hank didn't just perform his hits, but also handled a wider range of material – which makes the Mother's Best recordings so important to his catalog – as together, the tracks offer up almost as much as he recorded for MGM on record. This second volume features 52 tracks from the show – titles that include "Dear Brother", "I'll Have A New Life", "Deck Of Cards", "Tennessee Border", "Where The Soul Of Man Never Dies", "Farther Along", "Just When I Needed You", "Why Should We Try Anymore", "Drifting Too Far From The Shore", "I'll Fly Away", "Cold Cold Heart", "Long Gone Lonesome Blues", "My Sweet Love Ain't Around", "Moanin The Blues", and "Wait For The Light To Shine". CD

A key slice of work from the too-short career of the legendary Hank Williams – recordings he did for a regular radio show sponsored by Mother's Best Flour in Nashville during the year 1951 – a time when Hank was riding high with his talents, before leaving our planet all too soon! The work here is a nice change from some of Williams' studio records, and his other live performances – as there's a relaxed, easygoing quality that really gets at the kind of charms that set Hank apart from the rest – and which must have been wonderful coming into a home over a broadcast show like this! Because the show was regular, Hank didn't just perform his hits, but also handled a wider range of material – which makes the Mother's Best recordings so important to his catalog – as together, the tracks offer up almost as much as he recorded for MGM on record. This third volume features 43 tracks from the show – including "Dust On The Bible", "I Dreamed About Mama Last Night", "Have I Told You Lately That I Love You", "I'm Gonna Sing", "Hey Good Lookin", "Just Waitin", "Crazy Heart", "Lonesome Whistle", "Cherokee Boogie", "That Beautiful Home", and even Hank doing an advertisement for Mother's Best! CD

Includes tracks by Van McCoy, El General, Los Del Rio, King Africa, the Village People, Carrapicho, and Chubby Checker. CD

Music from Evelyn King, Angela Bofill, the Tavares, Gary Bartz, Tamiko Jones, the Main Ingrediant, the New Birth, the Delfonics, Phyllis Hyman, Vicki Sue Robinson, Grey & Hanks, and more. CD

A wonderful tribute to Brazilian showman Monsueto – recorded after his death in 1973, and featuring a variety of other Brazilian singers performing his works! Some of the tracks appear to be of older vintage, and there's a nice cross between 60s bigger band samba and 70s lighter rhythms on the set. Titles include "Levou Fermento" by Linda Batista, "Mora Na Filosofia" by Maria Bethania, "A Fonte Secou" by Maurilo, "A Corneta No Samba" by Zaccarias E Seu Conjunto, "Ai Meu Calo" by Jorge Veiga, "O Gemido Da Saudade" by Linda Batista, "Fogo Na Marmita" by Marlene, and "Despejo Da Saudade" by Angela Maria. CD

Nice 31 track compilation with hits from Neil Sedaka, Lee Dorsey, Paul Anka, Floyd Cramer, Sylvie Vartan, Bobby Bare, Skeeter Davis, Ray Peterson, Duane Eddy, Rita Pavone, Al Hirt, the Astronauts, and more. CD

Includes 75 tracks on 4 CDs, plus a nice 35 page booklet with a long essay by scholar Dan Morgenstern. CD

A great collection of work from the mid 60s RCA albums by Eddie Lockjaw Davis – some really special material that somehow has Davis blowing with even more of an edge than on his records for Prestige! LP, Vinyl record album

Recorded between 1940 and 1946 in RCA studios, NYC, Hollywood, and Chicago. CD

Volume 3 of a definitive collection of early Ellington tracks recorded between 1928 and 1934. CD

Really beautiful work from Pat Metheny, but a set that showcases his work more as a composer than a performer – two longer tracks that both have a different sound than his regular material! "Four Paths Of Light" is a suite in four parts, performed by acoustic guitarist Jason Vieux with this really wonderful sound – almost a criss-crossing of some of Metheny's musical ideas with an older history of stringed instrumentation. "Road To The Sun" is another four part work, handled by the Los Angeles Guitar Quartet – a group who take a surprisingly gentle approach to the material, with interwoven strings that match some of the complexity of Pat Metheny's own performance! LP, Vinyl record album

Featuring Mulligan on baritone sax, Bob Brookmeyer on trombone, Red Mitchell on bass, and Frank Isola on drums. Tracks include "Bernie's Tune", "Nearness Of You", "My Funny Valentine", "Gold Rush", "Soft Shoe", and "Walkin Shoes". CD

Featuring Mulligan on baritone sax, Bob Brookmeyer on trombone, Red Mitchell on bass, and Frank Isola on drums. Tracks include "Lady Is A Tramp", "Five Brothers", "Limelight", "Laura", "Love Me Or Leave Me", "Makin Whoopee", and "Bark For Barksdale". CD

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A key 50s session from bassist Oscar Pettiford – one that really displays his best talents for unusual phrasings and arrangements! The group on the album's a great one – with Tal Farlow on guitar, Al Cohn on tenor, and Kai Winding on trombone – and the use of these three instruments together is often done in a way that creates interesting juxtapositions and counterpoint – freshly modern at some moments, almost in line with the work of Gil Melle, but at other times gliding together with a strangely full sound, despite the size of the group – sort of reminding us of Gerry Mulligan. Henri Renaud plays piano on the set, and titles include "Burt's Pad", "Marcel The Furrier", "E-Lag", and "Rhumblues". CD

Hilton Ruiz on piano, Jimmy Rowser on bass, Reuben Rodriguez on electric bass, Steve Berrios on drums, timbales, guiro & claves, Daniel Ponce on congas & bongos & Don Cherry on trumpet. CD

Nice soundtrack to the now-legendary film by Bruce Weber that tracked Chet Baker during some of the last days of his life. The set's got a nice mix of vocal and instrumental tracks, with Chet in fine enough form at the time of the recording. Titles include "You're My Thrill", "Moon & Sand", "Zingaro", "My One & Only Love", and "Almost Blue". CD

With Mark Knopfler, Van Morrison, Mick Jagger, and Tom Jones! CD

A late 90s effort from this west coast singer, on the cusp of the NuSoul movement, and with a nice nod in that direction, betraying her jazzy pedigree. With some great production courtesy Dred Scott, who had released a nice hip hop LP a few years earlier, that was largely slept on, this Lp has a sound that definitely touches of some of the finer moments of 70s sophisticated soul, a breath of fresh air when it came out and still sounding great today. Titles include "Swimming", "In The Sun", "Love Is All Around", "Heaven", "Hey Brother", "Trippin", "I'll Be There", "Love Me", "Seein Is Believin", and "Reality". CD

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A solid overview of RCA material from Evelyn Champagne King – from the disco era hits, catchy club soul, and synth soaked 80s grooves! Evelyn's sound is usually upbeat and catchy, but she's does her thing and more measured and and smoothed out soul numbers, and bass & synth grooves in the early 80s. Very nice stuff all around! Titles include "Shame", "I Don't Know If It's Right", "Music Box", "I'm In Love", ", "Betcha She Don't Love You", "Action", "Get Loose", "High Horse", "Your Personal Touch" and more. 16 tracks in all. CD

An album that maybe marked the close of one chapter of The Kinks, and the start of another – music that still holds on to some of the best elements of their late 60s Village Green era, but which also moves the group into some of the headier territory of their Muswell Hill/RCA years too! Ray Davies has never sounded more earnest – still able to pull off wit when needed, but also more down to earth – and because of the massive title hit, the set was also one that put the group in front of the ears or more folks than had been hearing them in previous years. Titles include, of course, the mega-hit "Lola" – plus "This Time Tomorrow", "Apeman", "Strangers", "The Contenders", "Long Way From Home", "Rats", and "Top Of The Pops". LP, Vinyl record album

Includes the songs "Watch What Happens", "You Must Believe In Spring", "Friday Fugue", "Once Upon A Summertime", "J & B", "The Saddest Thing Of All", and "Splittons". CD

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A classic set of early jazz recordings by Nina Simone – one of her first albums ever, but already with an approach that's quite different from other singers of the time! Nina's singing a fair bit of standards here, but she brings a deeply personal approach to the material – inflecting the tunes with gospel-inspired soul, and showing some very slight folksy touches – of the sort that would come in more heavily on later records, but which is already shining pretty strongly here! Nina accompanies herself on some mighty soulful piano – with bass from Jimmy Bond and drums from Al Heath – on titles that include "Plain Gold Ring", "Good Bait", "He Needs Me", "Don't Smoke In Bed", and "I Loves You Porgy". LP, Vinyl record album

Rare work from Muddy Waters – a set of tracks all recorded overseas, at the famous Montreux Jazz Festival – but during that strong 70s moment when Muddy had really focused his sound, and was reaching out to cross global boundaries and touch a whole new generation with his sound! The Montreux vibe is always one that's very faithful to the artist – audiences at that festival aren't the sort to be given watered-down, commercial pap – and that's definitely the vibe here, as the material resonates with any of Waters' best 70s live material for other labels, with a really great sound, even from the stage. The set features performances from Muddy Waters appearances in 1972, 1974, and 1977 – and titles include "Same Thing", "Howlin Wolf", "Still A Fool", "Trouble No More", "Rock Me Baby", "Long Distance Call", "Mannish Boy", "Nobody Knows Chicago Like I Do", "County Jail", "I'm Ready", "Electric Man", and "Can't Get No Grindin". LP, Vinyl record album

Music from Chico Science & Nacao Zumbi, Lenine, Suba, Virginia Rodrigues, Pedro Luis E A Parede, Vitto, Arnaldo Antunes, Mestre Ambrosio, Arto Lindsay, Marcos Suzano, Otto, Daude, Tom Ze, Vinicius Cantuaria, Chico Cesar, Fernanda Abreu, and Karnak. CD

New material from Mike Cambell of Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers. 7-inch, Vinyl record

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The Allman Brothers at their best – and a key 70s set that may well have the group working at their peak! All their best southern roots are firmly tied together here – not just the country-touched approach to rock that was the group's calling card, but also their ties to some of the Georgia soul scene as well – an element that really surfaces in some of the album's piano lines and rhythms, which really help underscore the depth of the tunes – and give the group a solid footing that's stronger than some of their more cliched contemporaries. These tunes hold up wonderfully over the years – and have a visionary approach that almost sparkles even more strongly here in the 21st Century than when we first started digging their sounds on radio back in the 70s. Titles include "Southbound", "Jessica", "Pony Boy", "Wasted Words", "Ramblin Man", "Come & Go Blues", and "Jelly Jelly". CD

There's a bit of a poised, mature look to Aloe Blacc on the cover – and that may well be a good way of summing up the set – as the singer seems ready to elevate into the stratosphere of contemporary soul artists, with strong, confident songs that have a very uplifting vibe throughout! Production is maybe a bit tighter than before, but never too slick – just supportive of Aloe's raspily-phrased vocals, which still have all the crackle and charm of before. Titles include "Glory Days", "Family", "All Love Everything", "My Way", "Wherever You Go", "I Do", "Corner", and "Harvard". CD

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Tracks include "Evidence", "We See", "Off Minor", "Hackensack", and "Smoke Gets In Your Eyes". CD