... LP, Vinyl record album

Aydin Esen on keyboards and electronics. CD

A very cool album from the Italian branch of RCA Records – and a set that features a host of artists from other nations who briefly stopped over in Italy, and recorded some of these gems for the label! There's a core energy to the set, which balances contributions from a few key artists, mostly from America – and for jazz fans alone, the set is noteworthy for two tracks that have trumpeter Chet Baker blowing with orchestrations from a young Ennio Morricone – "So Che Ti Perdero" and "Il Mio Domani"! And there's plenty of other great bits too – singer Helen Merrill working with maestro Armando Trovajoli on "Nessuno Al Mondo" and "Estate" – plus Perez Prado on "Guaglione" and "Arrivederci Roma", Antonio Prieto on "Papa" and "Baciami", and even some very cool cuts from young poppers Paul Anka and Neil Sedaka. CD

A very cool album from the Italian branch of RCA Records – and a set that features a host of artists from other nations who briefly stopped over in Italy, and recorded some of these gems for the label! There's a core energy to the set, which balances contributions from a few key artists, mostly from America – and for jazz fans alone, the set is noteworthy for two tracks that have trumpeter Chet Baker blowing with orchestrations from a young Ennio Morricone – "So Che Ti Perdero" and "Il Mio Domani"! And there's plenty of other great bits too – singer Helen Merrill working with maestro Armando Trovajoli on "Nessuno Al Mondo" and "Estate" – plus Perez Prado on "Guaglione" and "Arrivederci Roma", Antonio Prieto on "Papa" and "Baciami", and even some very cool cuts from young poppers Paul Anka and Neil Sedaka. LP, Vinyl record album

Legendary drummer Tullio De Piscopo is all by himself on the cover, and that's how he sounds on the record – just playing solo, but with amazing grooves that hardly make you miss the other instruments at all! Tullio's got a long legacy in both jazz and club music – yet this set may be one of his most unique, and one of the purest demonstrations of his talents as a musician – as he manages to serve up these solo tracks that are all rhythmic and very groovy, with a melodic command of the drum kit that fills in all the other elements you might miss – on tracks that move between classic hip hop break cuts, to Brazilian-inflected groovers, to some other rhythmic masterpieces that were certainly years ahead of their time back in 1974! Titles include "Afro Cubano", "Samba Carnival", "Rocking Special", "Afro Jazz", "7/4 Rock", "Fast Afro Samba", "Drum Fantasy", "Onda Nueva 3/4", "Moderato Swing", and "Dodiciottavi". CD

Legendary drummer Tullio De Piscopo is all by himself on the cover, and that's how he sounds on the record – just playing solo, but with amazing grooves that hardly make you miss the other instruments at all! Tullio's got a long legacy in both jazz and club music – yet this set may be one of his most unique, and one of the purest demonstrations of his talents as a musician – as he manages to serve up these solo tracks that are all rhythmic and very groovy, with a melodic command of the drum kit that fills in all the other elements you might miss – on tracks that move between classic hip hop break cuts, to Brazilian-inflected groovers, to some other rhythmic masterpieces that were certainly years ahead of their time back in 1974! Titles include "Afro Cubano", "Samba Carnival", "Rocking Special", "Afro Jazz", "7/4 Rock", "Fast Afro Samba", "Drum Fantasy", "Onda Nueva 3/4", "Moderato Swing", and "Dodiciottavi". LP, Vinyl record album

A beautiful Steve Lacy album recorded during his fruitful time in Europe during the 70s – and one that's nicely different than some of his other material of the decade! The approach here really fits in with the Cramps Records style of presentation – as Lacy is maybe in a more experimental mode at times, especially on two of the album's tracks that mix together soprano sax solos with work on tape – one track that features construction sounds, another with players trying out different reed instruments! Two more tunes feature some accompaniment on celeste – another unusual mode for Lacy – and two more are solo soprano sax performances. Titles include "Pinochle", "Straws", "Hemline", "The Rise", and "Feline". LP, Vinyl record album

A totally wonderful early project from trumpeter Enrico Rava – very different than just about anything we've ever heard from him, as the record's bubbling over with joy and life, and seems to encompass a globe's worth of influences! Rava's trumpet gets plenty of showcase in the set, amidst instrumentation that changes up wonderfully throughout the course of the album – an ever-shifting array of electric and acoustic instruments, with plenty of added percussion at the bottom, and nice use of bandoneon on a few tracks too! Yet that's only the tip of the iceberg – as the record has so much going on, it's a bit hard to put in words – yet all of it makes wonderful sense, too – on titles that include "CT's Dance", "Lingua Franca", "Giromondo", "El Samba Graciela", "Pupa O Crisalide", and "Tsakwe". CD

A totally wonderful early project from trumpeter Enrico Rava – very different than just about anything we've ever heard from him, as the record's bubbling over with joy and life, and seems to encompass a globe's worth of influences! Rava's trumpet gets plenty of showcase in the set, amidst instrumentation that changes up wonderfully throughout the course of the album – an ever-shifting array of electric and acoustic instruments, with plenty of added percussion at the bottom, and nice use of bandoneon on a few tracks too! Yet that's only the tip of the iceberg – as the record has so much going on, it's a bit hard to put in words – yet all of it makes wonderful sense, too – on titles that include "CT's Dance", "Lingua Franca", "Giromondo", "El Samba Graciela", "Pupa O Crisalide", and "Tsakwe". LP, Vinyl record album

A hell of a record from the Italian scene of the 70s – a heavy set of electric jazz with a soaring, righteous sort of vibe – served up by a quintet who somehow manage to work as if they've got the spirit of a much larger ensemble! We don't know any of the players at all from other records, but they come together wonderfully here – a lineup that includes trumpet and trombone from Gaetano Delfini, saxes and flute from Giancarlo Maurino, Fender Rhodes and piano from Corrado Nofri, bass from Peppe Caporello, and drums from Giampaolo Ascolese – all players who draw a lot more from the spiritual jazz underground of the time than some of the more prog-based acts on the Italian scene. Most tracks are nice and long, with a really soaring sort of vibe – and titles include "Peperoncino", "Rising", "Cabral Anno 1", and the shorter ballad "Una Ballata Per Yanez". CD

A hell of a record from the Italian scene of the 70s – a heavy set of electric jazz with a soaring, righteous sort of vibe – served up by a quintet who somehow manage to work as if they've got the spirit of a much larger ensemble! We don't know any of the players at all from other records, but they come together wonderfully here – a lineup that includes trumpet and trombone from Gaetano Delfini, saxes and flute from Giancarlo Maurino, Fender Rhodes and piano from Corrado Nofri, bass from Peppe Caporello, and drums from Giampaolo Ascolese – all players who draw a lot more from the spiritual jazz underground of the time than some of the more prog-based acts on the Italian scene. Most tracks are nice and long, with a really soaring sort of vibe – and titles include "Peperoncino", "Rising", "Cabral Anno 1", and the shorter ballad "Una Ballata Per Yanez". LP, Vinyl record album

A mystical trip through the south seas – courtesy of Italian soundtrack composer Piero Umiliani, working here in a rare sound library setting! The tracks are moody and ethereal – with lots of spare percussion, and some dreamy island-type touches – like floating voices, isolated strings, and even a bit of moog, used to create some nice 70s exotica! There's one or two tracks that get harder-hitting, taking the percussion over the top with some snapping grooves – but most are in a 70s update of older exotica styles, including some of those that Piero might have used on some of his 60s soundtracks! Titles include "Tamburi Di Guerra", "Esorcismi", "Plenilunio", "Erbe Magiche", "Benvenuti All'Isola", "Canoe", "Sotto Le Palme", and "Pellegrinaggio Al Totem". CD

A great set of keyboard work from the legendary Piero Umiliani – and one that's definitely heavy on the Fender Rhodes promised in the title! Piero first started out with a more jazz-based sound in the 60s, and that definitely returns here – but updated nicely with a sweet set of 70s electric keys – used here in ways that move between funky jazz, gentler bossa numbers, and a whole range of other styles that fit very nicely on the groovier side of the sound library spectrum! As with most of Umiliani's music during the decade, this album wasn't commercially released at all – just done as a sound library session under the name of Rovi – but pure Piero all the way through, on titles that include "Medium Cool", "Honey Moon", "Jolly", "Pianofender Blues", "Proposal", "Good Job", "Dark Blues", and "Atmosphere". LP, Vinyl record album

A totally wonderful set of sound library work from the legendary Piero Umiliani, working here under the name of Zalla – a set that mixes his great ear for electronic elements with some warm acoustic instrumentation too – a blend of percussion, baritone flute, and even a bit of marimba – the last of which is employed to resonate with balafon styles from Africa! The approach is great – kind of an extension of the soundtrack styles that Umiliani did in the 60s, with a 70s-styled take on exotica – maybe a bit like the famous EMI Studio 2 albums from Mandingo. There's some great jazz players in the lineup too – including flute work from Gino Marianacci, whose tone is tremendous – and titles include "Savana", "Green Dawn", "Sortilege", "Echoes", "Folk Tune", "Drums Suspense", "Africa To-Day", and "Rhythmical Stress". CD

A totally wonderful set of sound library work from the legendary Piero Umiliani, working here under the name of Zalla – a set that mixes his great ear for electronic elements with some warm acoustic instrumentation too – a blend of percussion, baritone flute, and even a bit of marimba – the last of which is employed to resonate with balafon styles from Africa! The approach is great – kind of an extension of the soundtrack styles that Umiliani did in the 60s, with a 70s-styled take on exotica – maybe a bit like the famous EMI Studio 2 albums from Mandingo. There's some great jazz players in the lineup too – including flute work from Gino Marianacci, whose tone is tremendous – and titles include "Savana", "Green Dawn", "Sortilege", "Echoes", "Folk Tune", "Drums Suspense", "Africa To-Day", and "Rhythmical Stress". LP, Vinyl record album

A really cool album from the legendary run of records on the Italian Cramps label of the 70s – a set of spare keyboard work from Horacio Vaggione, and one that falls somewhere in between American minimalism and some of the John Carpenter keyboard horror soundtracks of the time! Vaggione's keyboards are very cyclical and move in repeating lines – a bit like Terry Riley at times, but with more of an edge too – especially when things are more electronic than electric. There's a bit more of that at the start of the record, then things take off a bit more at the end – almost throwing in some proggy organ lines, but still with a very minimalist feel overall! Titles include "La Maquina De Cantar" and "Ending" – each taking up a side of the record. LP, Vinyl record album

A haunting performance of two different soundpieces by composer Alvin Lucier – recorded at the Electronic Music Center at Wesleyan University in the 70's, with assistance by Nicholas Collins and Ron Kuivila! "The Duke Of York" features a recitation by Lucier – slowly building up with some great electronics, into a level that's almost completely abstract at the end. "Bird & Person Dyning" is much more dramatic at the start – with weird electronic birdcalls from Lucier, which are then further abstracted as the work goes on. Both tracks are great – and a prime example of the composer at his best. LP, Vinyl record album

A fantastic record that's very much part of the strong legacy of sonic exploration we love in the legendary Cramps record label – served up in a space that goes way beyond music, and is still as groundbreaking now as it was when issued back in the 70s! Costin Mierenau is partly working here in a collision of two sorts of sonic spaces – natural, organic sounds that have a sense of calm and constancy – mixed with more random, urban sounds – of the sorts you might hear in the background of a city, as machines operate, vehicles move, and conversations take place. Almost all of the sources of the record are beyond the range of easy identification – which makes the juxtaposition of the sonic experiment even more powerful – as if city and country have been stripped down to their core! LP, Vinyl record album

A second sound library trip to Africa by Italian sound library maestro Piero Umiliani – and one that's even groovier than the first! The music here follows a similar pattern – mixing elements of 70s sound library rhythms with some older exotic modes – a blend of electric and acoustic instrumentation that's really wonderful, and which feels a lot like some of the sexier 70s Italian soundtracks that were set in more exotic locales! There's plenty of percussion on the record, used in all these wonderful ways, and combined with flute, tenor sax, and other musical elements – served up on tunes that include "Oasi", "Tribalismo", "Flauto Africano", "Ultimo Stregone", "Riscossa", "Nel Villagiio", "Nuove Realta", and "Piffero Africano". CD

A great set of keyboard work from the legendary Piero Umiliani – and one that's definitely heavy on the Fender Rhodes promised in the title! Piero first started out with a more jazz-based sound in the 60s, and that definitely returns here – but updated nicely with a sweet set of 70s electric keys – used here in ways that move between funky jazz, gentler bossa numbers, and a whole range of other styles that fit very nicely on the groovier side of the sound library spectrum! As with most of Umiliani's music during the decade, this album wasn't commercially released at all – just done as a sound library session under the name of Rovi – but pure Piero all the way through, on titles that include "Medium Cool", "Honey Moon", "Jolly", "Pianofender Blues", "Proposal", "Good Job", "Dark Blues", and "Atmosphere". CD

An excellent batch of modern instrumental readings of some of Jobim's greatest compositions – put together with the usual respect and care of the Lumiar label, and featuring a huge number of great Brazilian jazz players, like Joao Donato, Nelson Ayres, Sivuca, Roberto Menescal, Hermeto Pascoal, Egberto Gismonti, Antonio Adolfo, Nico Assumpcao, Osmar Milito, and Jobim himself! The arrangements are haunting, and some tracks have wonderful instrumentation (trumpet/piano, cello quartet, etc) that really opens up these great tracks. Titles include "Surfboard", "Tema Para Ana", "Tema Jazz", "O Homem", "Stoneflower", "Radames Y Pele", and "Dialogo". 2 CDs, with lots of niceness! Note that a number of these tracks (if not all of them) are on the 5 volume Jobim series that we carry, also on Lumiar. CD

The fantastic debut of this Italian prog powerhouse – the kind of record that instantly has the scene going up with the best sounds and styles offered up by the UK supergroups of the time! All the best elements are firmly in place here – sharp time changes, impeccable musicianship, and a sense of soaring majesty that really seeks to lift the whole record out of the more familiar mainstream modes of the time! The group serve up lots of great lines on flute, mellotron, and organ – and the guitar, bass, and drums are pretty wonderful too – achieving a nice balance between instrumental strengths and vocal moments on titles that include "Realta", "Immagini Sfocate", "Dialogo", "Verso La Locanda", "Un Villaggio Un Illusione", and "Il Cieco". LP, Vinyl record album

Some of the freshest music you'll ever hope to hear – two late 70s classics from Brazilian composer/multi-instrumentalist Hermeto Pascoal! First up is Cerebro Magnetico – breathlessly beautiful work from the legendary Pascoal – one of his greatest albums ever, and one of the best to showcase the fluidly jazzy sound of his style! The arrangements here are complex, but they're still also a bit more focused than on some of his experimental albums – and strong reed work leads many of the tunes, and gives them a boldly sort of soulful feel – as earthier percussion and more playful instrumentation provide all of the inventive Pascoal touches! The whole thing's extremely evocative – with a sound deep in emotion and feeling – and titles include "Vou Esperar", "Auriana", "Banda Encarnacao", "Voz E Vento", "Danca Da Selva Na Cidade Grande", and "Dialogo". On Ao Vivo Em Montreux, Hermeto and group take the Montreux Jazz Festival by storm – and deliver one of the strongest performances the event must have seen in a long time! In keeping with the spirit of the event, the work here is strongly jazzy – done in a flurry of complicated reed passages with earthier percussion on the bottom, and some warm keyboards enforcing a strong sense of soul – very much in the style of Pascoal's work with Elis Regina at the festival on her Elektra record, but much more strongly in an inventive Hermeto mode here! The sound quality is excellent, and titles include "Pintando O Sete", "Forro Em Santo Andre", "Remelexo", the lovely "Fatima", "Terra Verde", "Quebrando Tudo", "Voltando Ao Palco", "Forro Brasil", and "Montreux". CD

One of the greatest albums ever from pianist Duke Pearson – recorded at a time when the musician was taking a bigger role at the Blue Note label, and started exploring some great musical territory in the process! The tracks here were all recorded in the late 60s – but not issued by the label until decades later, when they were pulled together in this fantastic double-length set – a record that comes as a real revelation. The work's quite different than Pearson's big band recordings, or his earlier soul jazz ones – and is a brilliant mix of Brazilian styles, electric instrumentation, complicated arrangements, and some of the more head-oriented jazz that was cropping up on Blue Note at the time – particularly some of the United States Of The Mind albums by Horace Silver! Silver's musical partner Andy Bey sings on the album's title cut – and other musicians include Frank Foster on tenor, Bobby Hutcherson on vibes, Wally Richardson on guitar, Jerry Dodgion on flute, Ralph Towner on acoustic guitar, and a young Airto on percussion. Titles include the fantastic "I Don't Care Who Knows It", a great version of "Canto De Ossanha", and the tracks "Bloos", "I Don't Know", "Captain Bacardi", "Rosemary's Baby", "Dialogo", "Upa Neguinho", and "Xibaba". CD