Paul Williams - Evergreens: The Best of the A&M Years

Bitrate: 320K/s
Year: 2004
Time: 79:32
Size: 182,5 MB
Label: A&M / Hip-O Select
Styles: Pop Rock
Art: Front

Tracks Listing:
 1. We've Only Just Begun - 3:18
 2. Waking Up Alone - 3:38
 3. I Never Had It So Good - 4:28
 4. An Old Fashioned Love Song - 3:09
 5. Let Me Be The One - 2:57
 6. Out In The Country - 3:32
 7. I Won't Last A Day Without You - 5:12
 8. Traveling Boy - 3:35
 9. You And Me Against The World - 3:41
10. That's What Friends Are For - 3:53
11. Rainy Days And Mondays - 3:34
12. If We Could Still Be Friends - 2:58
13. What Would They Say - 2:37
14. Dream Away - 4:09
15. A Little Bit Of Love - 4:17
16. The Family Of Man - 3:22
17. Nice To Be Around - 3:04
18. Loneliness - 3:21
19. Time And Tide - 3:40
20. Ordinary Fool - 4:21
21. Evergreen - 2:58
22. The Hell Of It - 3:37

In the '70s, Paul Williams was one of the most successful songwriters in pop music, writing hits for the Carpenters, Three Dog Night, Helen Reddy, and the Monkees, and winning an Academy Award for "Evergreen," the love theme from the Barbra Streisand blockbuster A Star Is Born. Williams also enjoyed a career as an actor in television and movies, and was a frequent guest on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson, and in the midst of it all, he found the time to record a handful of solo albums in which he interpreted his own songs. Evergreens: The Best of the A&M Years is a 22-track collection that brings together the best moments from the five albums he cut during his tenure with A&M Records -- 1971's Just an Old Fashioned Love Song, 1972's Life Goes On, 1974's Here Comes Inspiration and A Little Bit of Love, and 1975's Ordinary Fool. Evergreens features Williams' performances of many of the hits he penned for others, including "We've Only Just Begun," "Rainy Days and Mondays," "Out in the Country," "You and Me Against the World," "That's What Friends Are For," and "Evergreen," as well as fan favorites such as "Traveling Boy," "Waking Up Alone," and "Nice to Be Around." The album also features "The Hell of It," which Williams wrote and performed for Brian DePalma's cult classic rock & horror film The Phantom of the Paradise. While this sampler leaves out Williams' earliest work (including his recordings with the sunshine pop band the Holy Mackerel), Evergreens is a solid introduction to his best-known and most fruitful period as a recording artist, and the artful production and arrangements on these recordings show off Williams' tunes in a new and impressive light.

Evergreens: The Best of the A&M Years

Nancy Wright - Playdate!

Bitrate: 320K/s
Year: 2016
Time: 55:37
Size: 127,6 MB
Label: VizzTone
Styles: Soul/Blues/R&B
Art: Front

Tracks Listing:
 1. Why You Wanna Do It (With Wee Willie Walker) - 4:35
 2. I Got What It Takes (With Tommy Castro) - 4:27
 3. Yes He Do (With Victor Wainwright) - 3:22
 4. Blues For The Westside (With Joe Louis Walker) - 4:33
 5. Been Waiting That Long (With Frank Bey) - 4:35
 6. Trampled (With Jim Pugh) - 3:43
 7. Satisfied - 3:47
 8. Warranty (With Terrie Odabi) - 4:53
 9. Cherry Wine - 2:52
10. There Is Something On Your Mind (With Elvis Bishop) - 4:30
11. Back Room Rock - 3:48
12. Good Loving Daddy - 4:27
13. Soul Blue (With Chris Cain) - 5:59

Well-established as a top Blues sax sideman for more than 30 years, Nancy Wright is releasing her third album PLAYDATE! in September 2016, on the heels of her successful 2015 all-original Putting Down Roots release (voted top 20 blues album in Downbeat Readers Poll).  For PLAYDATE!, Nancy continues to deliver original material but also delivers fresh renditions of blues/roots/Americana cover material.  Nancy has been blessed to work with award-winning blues/roots artists, and the CD’s ten special guests draw from Nancy’s musical network:  Tommy Castro, Elvin Bishop, Joe Louis Walker, Frank Bey, Wee Willie Walker, Victor Wainright, Mike Schermer, Chris Cain, Terrie Odabi, and Jim Pugh. This show will feature Christoffer Kid Andersen on guitar, with more guests TBA.  Though she’s called the Bay Area home for 30 years, while living in Dayton Ohio, she discovered a mentor in Lonnie Mack, one of the founding fathers of blues-rock guitar, joining him regularly on stage. She also toured with Grammy-award winner John Lee Hooker, performing at Carnegie Hall and the Mississippi Delta Blues Festival, and performed with Stevie Ray Vaughn, Albert King, and Albert Collins.  Wright first appeared on the Bay Area music scene in 1984 with the critically acclaimed New Orleans Rhythm and Blues Band, Hot Links. Following a successful North American tour, Wright and Hot Links were tapped to perform with Swamp Boogie Queen Katie Webster, appearing on her Arhoolie Records release, “You Know That’s Right.” Wright and Webster also performed together at the Chicago Blues Festival and appear together on B.B. King’s album, “Blues Summit,” winner of the 1994 Grammy Award for Best Traditional Blues Album. After relocating to San Francisco, Wright spent the next two decades touring North America, Europe, and Asia with such artists as Lonnie Mack, Elvin Bishop; Commander Cody; New Orleans legends Johnny Adams and Earl King; Joe Louis Walker; Maria Muldaur; and Greg “Fingers” Taylor (accompanied by Debbie Davie and Janiva Magnus, opening for Jimmy Buffet’s top-grossing summer amphitheatre Outpost Tour). Wright recorded with B.B. King, Katie Webster, Elvin Bishop, Joe Louis Walker, Little Charlie and the Nitecats, Mark Hummel and many others in the 80’s and early 90’s, and chose to stop touring in the mid-1990’s. During this period, she also performed with many top blues artists including Robert Cray, Bonnie Raitt, Pinetop Perkins, Hubert Sumlin, Lowell Fulsom, Son Seals, and Ike Turner. “I have been blessed to play with and learn from so many wonderful musicians,” says Wright. In 2013, Wright was awarded the West Coast Blues Hall of Fame Blues Saxophone Player of the Year.  In 2014/2015, she performed with Tommy Castro and the Painkillers on the Legendary Rhythm and Blues Cruise, and toured in Europe, Canada and the US with Frank Bey (who received multiple Blues Music Award nominations in 2014) and Greg Nagy (31st BMA Best New Artist Debut). When not appearing with her own band, she works regularly with many of her special guests and other artists.  Nancy is touring extensively in 2016 – highlights include Legendary Rhythm and Blues Cruise #27, Porretta Soul Festival and Pordenone Blues Festival (Italy), Maspolomas Soul Festival (Grand Canary Island), San Diego Blues Festival, Bayfront Blues Festival (MN), Blue Wing Blues Festival (CA), New Jersey Blues and BBQ Festival, and the San Francisco International Boogie Woogie Festival.

Playdate!

Seti - Bold Travels

Bitrate: 320K/s
Year: 2016
Time: 59:35
Size: 136,8 MB
Label: Mylodon Records
Styles: Progressive Rock
Art: Front

Tracks Listing:
 1. The Hidden Messenger - 8:28
 2. Children - 6:52
 3. Cascade of Changes - 5:07
 4. Divine Decision - 5:59
 5. The Third Gate - 6:24
 6. Them - 4:29
 7. Evolution - 9:45
 8. The Great Conflict - 5:01
 9. Anguish - 7:26

Musicians:
Jaime Scalpello -  vocals;
Paula Vilches - vocals;
Claudio Momberg - keyboards;
Gabriel Hidalgo - guitar;
José Luis Ramos - bass;
Juan Ricardo Weiler - drums.
With:
Damian Wilson - vocals;
Steve Rothery - guitar;
Clive Nolan - keyboards.

The Chilean progressive rock outfit SETI is back, six years after their latest studio effort “Discoveries”, a new album has just been announced and is available for preorder. “Bold Travels” will be released in August, and it features notable contributions by Steve Rothery (Marillion), Clive Nolan(Arena/Pendragon) and Damian Wilson (Threshold/Headspace).

Bold Travels

The Incredible Blues Puppies - In The Doghouse

Bitrate: 320K/s
Year: 2008
Time: 56:11
Size: 130,1 MB
Label: Note Records
Styles: Blues
Art: Front

Tracks Listing:
 1. Tuff Days - 3:27
 2. I Don't Get It - 4:14
 3. Zip Your Lip - 3:35
 4. A Hard Way To Suffer - 3:40
 5. Away From Here - 2:26
 6. Too Bad - 4:09
 7. Chilled Down To The Bone - 4:42
 8. Mean Mistreatin' Mama - 6:04
 9. Shivering In My Shoes - 3:08
10. No Time For You - 4:08
11. In The Doghouse - 2:25
12. Don't Keep Me Waiting - 2:31
13. Hungry Man - 4:05
14. Gerard's Jump - 2:45
15. Got Love If You Want It - 4:45

Musicians:
Alan Glen -Vocals, Harmonica, Guitar (Yardbirds,Little Axe,Nine Below Zero);
John O'Reilly - Vocals , Guitar (Blues Engineers,The Big Town Playboys, Sugar Blue);
Costa Tancredi - Bass (Blues Mix,ZenFM,Blues Engineers);
Bob Haddrell- Keyboards (Billy Swan,Chicago Jimmy Dawkins,Sonny Black);
Dino Coccia - Drums (Larry Garner,James Carr,Tutu Jones).

The INCREDIBLE BLUES PUPPIES have a long and celebrated musical pedigree, having run with some of the best blues hounds around. Their performances have the kind of musical passion that leaves an audience howling for more.
Each album The Incredible Blues Puppies is an event: the first thing we do, after launching the silver cake is to dive into the book to discover the list of titles (what times are aligned compos) but also to see which guests were involved in the project and there, we must acknowledge that the quintet led by Alan Glen was very hard with no less than 12 'Guest Puppies', including Paul Cox, singing, Gypie Mayo on guitar, Art Themen the sax, Pete Whittaker on keyboards, Gordon Smith to the six strings and (unfortunately unable to quote the entire world ...) the monumental Roger Cotton on keyboards. Second album Incredible Blues Puppies in Note Records (after a Puppy Fat ?reviewed here ...), In The Doghouse is a pure blues album on which Alan Glen raises once again, very quietly but very effectively, its mark: the mark of alike. Those who crossed swords with Jeff Beck writing and composed a blues has its roots in the soil most blue of the twelve steps and I can only recommend his opus Crazy Life - Retrospective ?(reviewed here ...) noted 'indispensable' by writing Blues Magazine. Its three compounds that open the album, Tuff Days, I Do not Get It and Zip Your Lip are effective devil and all the titles mentioned here are of equal quality, the tension never does down and arrangements superchiadEs giving the together an incomparable brightness. Be recognized as guests of the class of Nick Payn (on sax), Shakey Vick (with the harmonica) or Alan Vincent on guitar the result could only be good ... or very good, what it is, unquestionably.  Later occasions, the quintet of Puppies you aligns including a superb interpretation of A Hard Way To Suffer (from T-Bone Walker) and a wonderful adaptation of Got Love If You Want It, of Slim Harpo. One of the original album also lies in the fact that the vocals are provided by 6 different singers, including Alan Glen, John O'Reilly and the impressive Paul Cox, which requires you to Tuff Days and especially no Time For You. And as my habit, if I had only one way to remember this opus, I would unhesitatingly recommend Chilled Down To The Bone, a trio signed by the 'Puppies' Coccia / Haddrell / Tancredi and that 'Can be summarized in one word: huge. Like the rest of the album, however.

In The Doghouse

Roberto Restuccia - Exposure

Bitrate: 320K/s
Year: 2016
Time: 32:49
Size: 75,4 MB
Label: SR
Styles: Jazz/Smooth Jazz
Art: Front

Tracks Listing:
 1. Paradise - 4:51
 2. Under Your Spell - 4:39
 3. Pinstripe - 4:37
 4. Zigzag - 4:10
 5. Digital Delicacy - 3:42
 6. In The Groove - 3:06
 7. Exposure - 4:44
 8. Sargent & Duchess - 2:56

UK based guitarist Roberto Restuccia studied at the Academy of Contemporary Music in Guildford. His early influences were guitarists such as Slash and Prince. Later he discovered smooth jazz through the music of George Benson and Ronny Jordan.
The album Exposure (2016) is his musical debut. All tracks are written, produced, recorded and mixed by Roberto himself, who is regularly performing in UK to promote his project.
The album starts with Paradise. A place which is associated with a lot of desire. Roberto's  subdued way of playing is reminiscent of the music of Ronny Jordan but also near to Zachary Breaux.
The melancholy ballad Under Your Spell reveals Roberto's sensible attitude, he can completely express on his wonderful PRS Hollow Body 2 with a distinctive and clear sound. Another way of playing the guitar he shows on Pinstripe. A bit sharper and coming to the foreground with a beautiful dynamic tone.
ZigZag brings a sophisticated interplay between rock and jazz, fanciful in a back and forth with great improvisation and a lots of feeling and wit. Digital Delicacy developes like a magnificent butterfly from a metamorphosis, wherein the melodious approach stands back in favor wider improvisation.
On the bluesy In The Groove Roberto performs a Stratocaster showcasing his versatility in different styles and playing techniques. The gently sound of Exposure opens the view on Roberto's serenely contemplative way of playing and the acoustic aesthetics of guitar melody in sonic concordance to the other instruments.
The final solo guitar piece Sargent & Duchess impresses with romantic phrasings and infectious textures.
Roberto Restuccia shows with Exposure a level of excellence and melodic strength that transcends the chosen smooth jazz genre. To discover such a outstanding talent is the privilege of insiders.

Exposure

Chuck Loeb - Unspoken

Bitrate: 320K/s
Year: 2016
Time: 59:27
Size: 136,2 MB
Label: Shanachie Ent. Corp.
Styles: Jazz/Smooth Jazz
Art: Front

Tracks Listing:
 1. Cotton Club (Feat. Jeff Lorber) - 5:04
 2. Natural Light (Feat. Andy Snitzer) - 6:06
 3. Unspoken (Feat. Brian Culbertson) - 6:11
 4. Happy Hour (Feat. Mitchel Forman) - 6:02
 5. Affinity (Feat. Everette Harp) - 5:17
 6. Treetops (Feat. Jeff Lorber & Eric Marienthal) - 5:06
 7. Si Se Puede (Feat. Till Bronner) - 5:32
 8. Way Up High (Feat. Carmen Cuesta) - 3:03
 9. Cut And Run (Feat. David Mann) - 5:51
10. Voramar (Feat. Eric Marienthal & Pat Bianchi) - 7:24
11. Via Verde (Feat. Christina Loeb) - 3:45

The 13th Century Persian poet Rumi wrote, “There is a voice that doesn’t use words. Listen.” World-class composer and guitarist, Chuck Loeb has crafted an album of songs that has been inspired by things felt but often left upspoken… kind gestures, healing thoughts, prayers, gratitude, appreciation and the like. Currently a member of two Grammy-nominated, Contemporary Jazz power groups, Fourplay and Jazz Funk Soul, instrumental music has been an essential in the multi-talented artist’s life, as a listener and of course as a musician. UNSPOKEN features uplifting, heartfelt new music with extraordinary special guests, including some vocals from his wife, critically-acclaimed Spanish vocalist Carmen Cuesta and band mates Nathan East, Jeff Lorber, Everette Harp as well as Brian Culbertson, and Andy Snitzer. Listen to UNSPOKEN and feel the music.
Master Jazz guitarist/visionary Chuck Loeb again rolls out yet another fine project, Unspoken, that further compliments and hails the chuck-loeb-unspoken-cdintricacies and meticulous nature of well-played J-A-Z-Z. Here’s another perfect example of how the well-polished artist who now boasts 18 album as a leader, counting this one, to his credit can dash between solid straight-ahead styles and melodies to the contemporary smooth stuff and that which carries the emotive and exotic Brazilian touch. Here on Unspoken, we are tantalized by the Jeff Lorber/Loeb connection with “Cotton Club,” a nicely paced steppin’ piece with a lot of the trademark sound of both artists, followed by another high-steppin’ very melodic track called “Natural Light,” featuring saxman Andy Snitzer. The album is chock full of luminaries like bassist extraordinaire Nathan East and keys funkster Brian Culbertson – both of whom appear on the laid-back cool title track, the ever-present and always satisfying horn master David Mann on tenor sax, flute, and horn arrangements on several tracks, Everette Harp on alto sax (check out the smooth, alluring “Affinity”), the always captivating Carmen Cuesta who lends her fine vocals on “Way Up High” a sultry and delightful Brazilian journey, and many others who offer bright spots throughout the album. You’re also in for a special treat as Loeb’s daughter Christina offers her talent on ukulele and joins her mom on vocals on the lovely finale “Via Verde.” As mentioned earlier, this project is a great blend of the sophistication of traditional jazz chops, contemporary flair, and exoticism. Of course, one would expect no less from one who has proven himself over and over to be among the elite in a field that can be as broad as the vision of the artist who looks at it and mulls over just what he or she can bring to it. Loeb has been bringing on every one of his 18 albums a truckload of fresh ideas and brilliance that only color this genre with the brightest of colors. That truck is probably still full of great music yet to be heard. A two-thumbs-up effort.

Unspoken

Obscured By Clouds - Bleed

Bitrate: 320K/s
Year: 1998
Time: 42:22
Size: 101,8 MB
Label: Rainforest Records
Styles: Progressive Rock
Art: Front

Tracks Listing:
 1. Bleed - 6:20
 2. Fearless - 3:04
 3. Pigs On The Wing - 2:37
 4. Cirrus Minor - 3:57
 5. Breathe - 3:15
 6. Julia Dream - 3:54
 7. Crystal Ship - 2:23
 8. Cymbaline - 3:34
 9. That's The Way - 4:40
10. Bleed (long version) - 8:32

Musicians:
William Weikart - vocals, guitar;
Ray Woods - mellotron, keyboards;
Roger Freibel - percussion.

When I received a new bunch of review promos, this was one that immediately drew my attention. Obscured by Clouds is the title of one of the lesser known Pink Floyd albums, and behold, the 10 track album featured 6 Floyd covers !
The band plays in an acoustic line-up with William Weikart on vocals and acoustic guitar, Ray Woods on Mellotron & Keyboards and Roger Feibel on percussion (bongos and such). As can be imagined from this line-up, the band focusses on the more pastoral and acoustic compositions by Pink Floyd. Besides the songs on this album, the band has more lesser known Floyd compositions in their reportoire, as well as songs by The Beatles, King Crimson, Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath and a handful of original compositions.
The whole Bleed album was performed and recorded live in the studio in one day.
The first Floyd cover is Fearless. Don't expect a cover as good as Fish' version of from this track. Nevertheless it's quite enjoyable.
Pigs on the Wing is a bit more powerful and slightly faster than the original from the Animals album. The band plays both parts of the original in this interesting version.
Cirrus Minor (from Pink Floyd's soundtrack to More) is a song of which the original already bored the hell out of me (not counting the organ solo at the end). This cover version isn't much better and the low voice of William Weikart is enough to send even the biggest coffee addict to sleep immediately. An improvement compared to the original is the use of atmospheric keyboards in the first half, although they are a bit too high in the mix.
The acoustic version of Breathe (from Dark Side of the Moon) is spoiled by the loud keyboards. It might have been a very interesting track as a vocal/guitar-only version. The reprise which is normally played after Time is added to this version as well.
Julia Dream is an early Floyd single. This version again features more organ than the original. A reasonable rendition.
Crystal Ship is a cover of the original by The Doors. Although I like The Doors, I never considered this one of their better songs, so I can't really be bothered by it.
The highly neglected Floyd classic Cymbaline (from More as well) that was played in amazing live versions in the early 70s gets a fine treatment, although William's low vocals don't come near Gilmour's and his 'tah-doo-doo-dah's sound more laughable than enjoyable.
I don't know where the song That's The Way comes from, but it doesn't seem to be an original composition. Anyway, it fits in quite well with the rest of the material.
Bleed is a mediocre acoustic track written by William Weikart. For some reason the band has included a short and long version on the album, the latter of which doesn't fade out after 6 minutes. I personnally consider that unnecessary duplication. Nevertheless, since the other tracks on the album aren't real improvements compared to their originals, this one might be one of the best or most interesting tracks on the CD.
The end of the long version seems to be the only part of the CD where the band 'gets it on' and puts some energy in their music. I do wonder what that annoying sound in the song behind the guitar & organ is. Was this noise, which reminds me of a skipping CD, done intentionally ?
William Weikart is far from the worlds greatest singer and sometimes (like in Breathe) goes fully out-of-tune. As you can imagine, this kind of spoils the enjoyment of acoustic renditions of the songs. The fact that you can for some reason (a slight echo effect perhaps) hear the vocals twice doesn't make it any better. If you like Nick Cave, you might find his vocals endurable though. Besides that, the singer has either misunderstood some of the original lyrics for some of the songs or has taken intentionally changed them.
The booklet is a folded piece that has blanc pages on the inside.
An album with acoustic ditties might seem interesting but with the painful vocals and the sleep-inducing choice of material does not make this a real recommended purchase, unless you are a Floyd completist.
Since the release of this album the band has changed drummers and added a guitarist and bass player to their line-up, which will probably make their sound a bit more energetic than the approach on this CD.

Bleed

Eveline - Waking Up Before Dawn

Bitrate: 320K/s
Year: 2008
Time: 39:37
Size: 91,9 MB
Label: SR
Styles: Progressive rock/Crossover Prog
Art: Full

Tracks Listing:
 1. Dead Railway Stomp - 4:18
 2. The Cowboy Winter Prayer - 3:51
 3. The Head and The River - 4:00
 4. The Big M. Is Tryin' To Take Us Down - 3:14
 5. Why Want U - 5:17
 6. Dreams of Winter - 4:57
 7. s/t - 5:04
 8. Bt90 - 5:09
 9. Apples From The Electric Tree - 3:43

With the majestic 'Happy Birthday, Eveline!' album (Shyrec Italy - 2005) re-released on Sopot Germany (Oct 2007) Eveline have gone through something of a re-awakening with the release of their first 'new' album in 3 years. The praise heaped on 'Happy Birthday' by the Italian and German press inspired the Bolognese band to seek an audience for their 'English' music in it's own back yard and what an inspired decision by Sonic Vista to support what is truly one of the most remarkable releases so far this year. Evoking the 70's Canterbury sound (there was always an element of indie jazz to Hatfield and The North, National Health, Matching Mole and Caravan not to mention Robert Wyatt and Soft Machine). There is still that continental flavour to some of the tracks, 'Why want u' and 's/t' 2 good examples. An eclectic collection of subtle and intricate songs held together by a vocal sound reminiscent of Bernardo Lanzetti (PFM) and Peter Gabriel. Eveline have a 'style/image/aura' which conjures up freeform thinking, experimentation and intelligence. It's a complex blend of post rock, jazz rock, indie and electronica which has the effect of one of those nice deep dreams interrupted by fits of lucidity which tend to serve as a re-assuring confirmation that there are still pleasures ahead.

Waking Up Before Dawn

Melancholy Circus - My Love

Bitrate: 320K/s
Year: 2016
Time: 42:31
Size: 97,4 MB
Label: Oakendoor
Styles: Rock/70's Rock
Art: Front

Tracks Listing:
 1. Lynn the Archer - 3:45
 2. Misshapen Room - 3:34
 3. Wooden Ship - 5:13
 4. Elf in the Kitchen - 4:10
 5. Return to Ennis - 5:28
 6. Abandoned Architecture - 6:21
 7. Looking for the Jester (Searching for the Queen) - 5:04
 8. Muskegon County Airport - 5:52
 9. Petit Chien - 3:01

My Love is lyrically thought-provoking and musically dynamic in the same vein as the most creative and diverse rock bands of the 1970s, imbued with a timeless personal quality for listeners desiring a total album experience.
Progressive rock with thought-provoking lyrics and Celtic musical nuances.
Melancholy Circus takes the boiled-down essence of influences from a life lived and examined, from music, literature, history, and cinema and creates plains of dissimilar existence and deep caves of thought that touch upon the dark irony of life.
Unafraid to reveal, view, and display the beauty in all things, Melancholy Circus creates visuals and soundscapes of desire, love, life, hope, and lament. Every song is different and every song is tied together. The name Melancholy Circus is the juxtaposition of dissimilarities, and isn't that what life truly is when you stop looking on the bright side of things and start looking at both sides of things.

My Love

Edensong - Years in the Garden of Years

Bitrate: 320K/s
Year: 2016
Time: 71:02
Size: 164,1 MB
Label: The Laser's Edge
Styles: Progressive Rock/Eclectic Prog
Art: Front

Tracks Listing:
 1. Cold City - 7:34
 2. End Times In Retrospect - 5:35
 3. In The Longest Of Days - 5:01
 4. The Hollowed - 9:32
 5. Down The Hours - 6:07
 6. Chronos - 9:37
 7. Generations - 3:42
 8. The Atman Apocalypse - 9:28
 9. Regenerations - 8:05
10. Yawn Of A Blink - 6:18

Musicians:
James Byron Schoen - Guitars and vocals;
Stefan Paolini - Keyboards, BG vocals;
TD Towers - Bass, BG vocals;
Barry Seroff - Flute;
Tony Waldman - Drums, percussion, BG vocals.

Capturing over seventy minutes of new music, EDENSONG’s Years In The Garden Of Years is even more ambitious than its predecessor, and will be sure to appeal to fans of both progressive rock and classic metal. The concept album features an extended song cycle on themes of time, each song a different scale and perspective. Given its subject matter, it therefore seems fitting that this project took the band over five years in the studio to complete. The melodies are more memorable, the riffs more powerful, the flute playing more inventive and propulsive. The songs prominently feature immersive new textures, from lush keyboard and orchestral arrangements to esoteric percussion from around the world, such as hang drum and Balinese gamelan. Years In The Garden Of Years is a concept album where EDENSONG further explores the intricately composed eclectic orchestral rock style of their debut, and infuses it with the energy and sheer power of the music of their roots in Echoes Of Eden. Whereas The Fruit Fallen was the creative voice of singer/guitarist James Byron Schoen, Years In The Garden Of Years was composed more collaboratively by the full band, and the diverse musical contributions and influences can be heard across the record, from metal to symphonic, atonal to melodic, acoustic to electronic, meticulously structured to fully improvised.

Years in the Garden of Years

Ingranaggi Della Valle - Warm Spaced Blue

Bitrate: 320K/s
Year: 2016
Time: 44:36
Size: 103,1 MB
Label: Black Widow Records
Styles: Progressive Rock/RPI
Art: Front

Tracks Listing:
 1. Call For Cthulhu: Orison -  9:24
 2. Inntal - 10:34
 3. Call For Cthulhu: Through The Stars -  3:13
 4. Lada Niva -  8:49
 5. Ayida Wedo -  5:51
 6. Call For Cthulhu: Promise -  6:44

Musicians:
Davide Savarese - vocals, glockenspiel and dry Rhodes MkV on "Ayida Wedo"
Mattia Liberati - Hammond B3, Mellotron M400, Mellotron M4000, Fender Rodhes Mk V, MiniMoog, MiniMoog Voyager, piano and backing vocals
Flavio Gonnellini - Еlectric guitars and backing vocals
Alessandro Di Sciullo - Еlectric and acoustic guitars, Moog Minitaur, Mellotron M400, Mellotron M4000, Roland TR 808 and TR 909, Akai MPC Touch, Korg Kaoss Pad KP 3, electronics, backing vocals.
Marco Gennarini - Violins and backing vocals
Antonio Coronato - Electric bass
Shanti Colucci - Drums and percussions
With:
Fabio Pignatelli - Electric bass and bass effects (1)
Florian Lechter - Narrator's voice (2)
Paolo Lucini - Traverse flute solo (6)
Stefano Vicarelli - Modular synthesis (5)

The darker tone of the album is a reflection of our moods and feelings going through a particular time in our lives.
While “In Hoc Signo” was a tribute to '70s Italian Progressive Music and highlighted every single instrument expressiveness to communicate feelings, in this album the band endorsed a new way of composing.
Every song shapes up with intros, crescendos and diminuendos in dynamic and revolves around main themes combined to every specific moment of the composition.
While maintaining a jazz approach into writing harmonies musicians acquired a big structured rock sound which lead them to introduce English as the singing language. In some way Italian seemed too melodic for the music they were writing.

Warm Spaced Blue

Kathryn Hettel - Cookin' in the Kitchen with Dinah: A Tribute to Dinah Washington

Bitrate: 320K/s
Year: 2016
Time: 63:12
Size: 145,2 MB
Label: Critical Sun Recordings
Styles: Blues/Jazzy Blues
Art: Front

Tracks Listing:
 1. Good Daddy Blues - 4:22
 2. Showtime - 3:20
 3. Fat Daddy - 3:22
 4. You Don't Know What Love Is - 4:22
 5. I Don't Hurt Anymore - 3:22
 6. Blow Top Blues - 3:26
 7. Birth of the Blues - 3:50
 8. Since I Fell For You - 3:24
 9. Baby Get Lost - 2:56
10. Bad Luck - 3:09
11. Gamblers Blues - 3:14
12. I'll Never Be Free - 4:10
13. Soulville - 2:51
14. Salty Papa Blues - 3:06
15. Stormy Weather - 5:49
16. Bad Case of the Blues - 4:44
17. This Bitter Earth - 3:38

A collection of songs made famous by Dinah Washington recreated with inventive style and in loving tribute, featuring the amazing vocals of power house lady of the blues Kathryn Hettel and special guests.
Kathryn Hettel : In The Kitchen With Dinah. A Tribute to Dinah Washington.
Cookin' In The Kitchen with Dinah: A Tribute To Dinah Washington. The third album by Northwest vocalist Kathryn Hettel is a collection of her favorite songs from the iconic Dinah Washington. Spanning genres of Jazz, Blues, Pop and Soul. The album pays loving tribute to "The Queen,' as well as expands on the sounds from her repertoire. The album was a three year project in which Hettel and her co-producers, Engineer Steve Feasely and Drummer Rick J Bowen, saw to fruition an idea hatched a decade previous. Kathryn has been singing Dinah's songs for years always striving to emulate the sass and style of Dinah. In 2014 a skilled rhythm section of Darrius Willrich on Piano & Keyboards, Patrick McDanel Bass, Rick J Bowen on Drums, and guitarist Kevin Andrew Sutton laid down the basic tracks. Arranger Charles Hiestand created charts inspired by the original recordings and a horn section and real strings were brought in and new elements such as vibes, Harmonnica, Hammond B3 and pedal steel expand the sound of the time tested songs. Old friend and fellow lady of the blues Mary McPage joined Kathryn for a saucy duet and the album closer 'This Bitter Earth,' finds our star revealing as much as any artist would dare. Cooking In the Kitchen is truly a labor of love that Kathryn Hettel and her team are thrilled to share. *Kitchen Crew = Darrius Willrich – Piano & Keyboards, Patrick McDanel – Bass, Rick J Bowen – Drums, Kevin Andrew Sutton- Guitars. Washington Horns= Brian Kent –Tenor sax, Naomi Siegel –Trombone, Jacob Zimmerman-Alto sax, Kevin Sieley –trumpet. Tony Degrasso-Trumpet. Charts and Horn Arrangements by Dr. Charles Hiestand Recorded and mixed by Steve Feasley at Contact Create, Snohomish and Love Studios, Seattle Mastered by Ed Brooks at RFI, Seattle Produced by Steve Feasley and Rick J Bowen Executive Producer Kathryn Hettel

Kathryn Hettel

Sheila Cooper - Phoenix Rising

Bitrate: 320K/s
Year: 2012
Time: 56:22
Size: 129,3 MB
Label: Panorama Records
Styles: Jazz
Art: Front

Tracks Listing:
 1. Man Overboard - 4:44
 2. Learnin' the Blues - 5:00
 3. Phoenix Rising - 5:00
 4. Devil May Care - 4:12
 5. Kiss and Tell - 3:12
 6. The Home Inside My Heart - 5:19
 7. Ridin' High - 3:09
 8. Blues in the Night - 6:25
 9. Just Be Livin' in It - 2:58
10. If I Had You - 4:44
11. Don't Look Down - 4:13
12. Embraceable You - 3:31
13. Man Overboard (Radio Edit) - 3:48

Subtly dramatic singer AND lyrically swinging alto saxophonist in one, emotionally direct with a compelling range of vulnerability and power. Sheila   Cooper  is a subtly dramatic jazz singer AND hard-swinging saxophonist, "moving from vocals to horn with dazzling dexterity", (The Vienna Review) emotional directness and a deeply compelling range of vulnerability and power.
"She not only plays alto saxophone, but also has an equally wonderful command of her voice. Purely sung melodies are followed by effortless saxophone improvisations. It is obvious that she lives in the moment with each instrument... very emotional, so pure, so unabashedly direct!" Jazz Dimensions, Germany " Cooper  has developed her own self-assured sound as both a vocalist and altoist - her refreshingly simple, unfussy delivery befits her Konitz-esque sax tone while her unpretentious singing draws on her narrative abilities over excessive reliance on technique. RECOMMENDED." Timeout London, UK On “ Phoenix   Rising ”, her fourth CD as a leader,  Sheila   Cooper  brings her songwriting skills to the fore, with six inspired new compositions that match her emotional breadth as a performer, from humorous (“Man Overboard”, “Just Be Livin’ In It”), to romantic (“Kiss and Tell”) to searching (“ Phoenix   Rising ”, “The Home Inside My Heart”).  Sheila  is backed by master New York musicians Gary Versace on piano, organ and accordian, Ed Howard on acoustic bass, and Billy Drummond on drums, with guest appearances by guitarist John Hart and Vienna-based Brazilian percussionist Luis Ribeiro,  Sheila  and her band create grooving, soulful and impassioned moods on these originals and the her signature witty reworkings of standards that complete the set.
“Tales of Love and Longing”, a set of duets with Austrian piano master, the late Fritz Pauer, was released to international critical acclaim on the UK jazz label Candid Records in spring 2008. Her third album as vocalist, saxophonist and co-arranger contains 10 stunning ballads with themes ranging from loss and longing to hope and promise.  "...what an inspired and creative pairing ... Tales of Love and Longing is a recording of incredible warmth and intimacy…enormous depth of feeling…achingly beautiful reading…a tour de force." Jazzwise Magazine, UK   Cooper’s  debut album “Since You Were Mine” was released in 2000 (Panorama Records) and contained a mix of familiar and seldom-heard songs featuring Renee Rosnes, Billy Drummond and Scott Colley. It was quickly described as “the best jazz vocal debut in many years" (Doug Moody, "Moody's Mood" KMFB-FM, California, USA). Her second album “While the World is in Slumber” featuring John Hart, Marcello Pellitteri and Chris Berger also showcased  Sheila’s  trademark quirky yet elegant arranging skills. In contrast to the debut album, it included two original compositions (one vocal, one instrumental).
Born and raised in Canada,  Sheila  headed for jazz mecca New York City to jumpstart her career, landing performance opportunities as varied as the Broadway stage, movie soundtracks, jazz festivals, nightclubs and concert halls throughout the world. She has recorded and/or performed as a leader with Renee Rosnes, Jorge Rossy, Fritz Pauer, Kenny Drew Jr, Gary Versace, Scott Colley, Ed Howard, Marcello Pelleteri, Billy Drummond and Lewis Nash. As a sideperson she has worked with Kenny Wheeler, David Liebman, Randy Brecker, Clark Terry, Nils Wogram, Andy Middleton and Nancy Wilson. In addition to co-producing her own CDs, she has several credits as album co-producer, including CDs with David Holland, Ralph Towner, and Kenny Wheeler.
Based in Vienna, Austria since 2006,  Sheila  frequently guest stars with premiere jazz musicians across Europe -- most recently in Belarus, Spain, Italy, Slovakia, Greece, Croatia, UK, Germany, and Austria. Her latest project is a chord-less quintet called "Infinite Skies" with saxophonist-composer-arranger Andy Middleton.
When asked whether she prefers playing her saxophone or singing,  Sheila  replies, “I love the one I’m with: the saxophone with its groove, energy and big sound offers the possibility to discover something new with each solo, and singing, on the other hand, enables me to tell completely personal stories and live them out in 5 or 6 minutes.” As music journalist/author Will Friedwald says in the album’s liner notes: “it takes an uncommon talent to master both muses.”

Phoenix Rising

Eric Alexander - Second Impression

Bitrate: 320K/s
Year: 2016
Time: 54:49
Size: 125,8 MB
Label: HighNote
Styles: Jazz
Art: Front

Tracks Listing:
 1. Second Impression - 6:20
 2. So Many Stars - 5:43
 3. Blues for Mo - 5:17
 4. Jennie's Dance - 5:54
 5. Secret Love - 7:31
 6. T-Bone Steak - 6:06
 7. Frenzy - 6:00
 8. Everything Happens to Me - 6:34
 9. Full House - 5:21

Eric Alexander started piano lessons at the age of six. He took up the clarinet at nine and switched to alto sax three years later. The tenor sax became his obsession at Indiana University Bloomington (1986-87). After transferring to William Paterson College in New Jersey he studied with Harold Mabern, Joe Lovano, Rufus Reid, and others. “The people I listened to in college are still the cats who are influencing me today,” Eric says. “The legacy left by Bird and all the bebop pioneers, that language and that feel—that's the bread and butter of everything I do." George Coleman is a big influence because of his very hip harmonic approach. And I'm still listening all the time to Coltrane because I feel that—even in the wildest moments of his mid- to late-60s solos—I can find these little kernels of melodic information and employ them in my own playing.”
In 1991 Eric competed against Joshua Redman and Chris Potter in the Thelonious Monk International Jazz Saxophone Competition. Placing second, this launched him into the whirlwind life of a professional jazz musician. He played with organ trios on Chicago’s South Side, made his recording debut with Charles Earland (Muse Records, 1991), and cut his first album as a leader, “Straight Up” (Delmark, 1991). More recordings followed for numerous labels, including Milestone. In 1997 he put out “Man with a Horn.” The following year saw the release of “Solid!”—a collaborative quartet session with George Mraz, John Hicks, and Idris Muhammad—as well as the first recording by his sextet One for All.  Eric has appeared on record as a leader, sideman, producer, and composer. By now, he has lost count of how many albums feature his playing; he guesses 60 or 70. He has earned praise from critics and, even more important, established his own voice within the bebop tradition. In 2004, Eric signed an exclusive contract with HighNote Records, an independent jazz label based in New York City. There he has amassed a considerable discography of critically acclaimed recordings. Most recent among them is “Don't Follow the Crowd,” and “Friendly Fire” with Vincent Herring. Eric continues to tour the world and play to capacity audiences. Making his home in New York City, he performs regularly in clubs around the city and appears frequently at Smoke on the Upper West Side.

Second Impression

The Scruffs - Conquest

Bitrate: 320K/s
Year: 2009
Time: 44:18
Size: 102,4 MB
Label: Scruffsville
Styles: Rock/Power Pop
Art: Front

Tracks Listing:
 1. Conquer Me - 3:06
 2. Curse Of The Mau Mau - 3:32
 3. iPod Girl - 2:28
 4. The Radio Song - 3:25
 5. Demon Mine - 3:19
 6. One More You - 1:57
 7. Treasure Girls - 2:29
 8. Days Of Silver And Gold - 3:51
 9. All The Pharaohs - 3:35
10. Savage Teen - 5:17
11. Bad Memories - 4:52
12. Land Of Trance - 6:23

When I first saw the cover of The Scruffs’ new album, Conquest, I thought they were another thrash band thanks to the diminished ruins on the cover and golden skulls on the back. Turns out The Scruffs are a long-time power pop band that has been churning out catchy tunes since 1975. Their new album, Conquest, does have their signature English pop style and appealing vocal harmonies that the Scruffs are known for, but there are a number of songs that stray away from power pop and sound more like Pink Floyd like on the song “Land Of Trance.” There are really nice string arrangements on the song “Bad Memories,” but the song is way too long and ends up being corny. “Ipod Girl” is the catchiest song on the album due to the jingly guitar riffs and lead singer Stephen Burns’ echoed vocals. The lyrics on “Conquer Me” are hilarious with “sexy” phrases like “take me all the way” and “make me a better man.” The rest of the songs have your average hopeless romantic lyrics, but there are more ohs and ahs than actual lyrics. The Scruffs still have that Raspberries-meets-Big Star sound, but it’s nice to see them they’re trying something new on this album. Though power pop is supposed to be cheesy, The Scruffs are on the border of being too tacky on this album. The multi-layered vocals are overbearing at some points and it ends up sounding like the music they play at naptime at daycares.

Conquest

Dave Stryker - Eight Track II

Bitrate: 320K/s
Year: 2016
Time: 65:42
Size: 151,2 MB
Label: Strikezone Records
Styles: Jazz
Art: Front

Tracks Listing:
 1. Harvest for the World - 6:01
 2. What's Going On - 6:11
 3. Trouble Man - 7:28
 4. Midnight Cowboy - 5:27
 5. When Doves Cry - 5:46
 6. Send One Your Love - 5:02
 7. I Can’t Get Next to You - 6:30
 8. Time of the Season - 7:14
 9. Signed Sealed - 4:52
10. One Hundred Ways - 6:03
11. Sunshine of Your Love - 5:04

Musicians:
Dave Stryker - guitar;
Steve Nelson - vibraphone;
Jared Gold - organ;
McClenty Hunter - drums.

Eight Track II, Dave Stryker's twenty-seventh album as a leader, could be subtitled "Stryker Strikes Again," as it is a pleasing sequel to 2014's well-received Eight Track, on which the guitarist's working trio and guest vibraphonist Stefon Harris revisited pop songs from the '70s and rearranged them in a hip new groove. Eight Track II offers more of the same with the trio (Stryker, organist Jared Gold, drummer McClenty Hunter) allied this time with the similarly proficient vibraphonist Steve Nelson, a longtime member of bassist Dave Holland's quintet and big band.
Without undervaluing the originals, it's safe to say that these well-known songs by the likes of Marvin Gaye, the Isley Brothers, Prince, Stevie Wonder, the Temptations, the Zombies, Cream, James Ingram and John Barry have never sounded better than here in the caring and capable hands of Stryker and Co. In fact, they nestle so comfortably into a jazz framework that one could almost suppose they had been written with that in mind. This is especially true of the last four tracks: The Zombies' "Time of the Season," Wonder's "Signed, Sealed, Delivered I'm Yours," Ingram's "One Hundred Ways" and the back-beat finale, Cream's "Sunshine of Your Love." "Season" has an understated Basie-like vibe, "I'm Yours" a Jazz Crusaders feel, "One Hundred Ways" the sort of gentle touch that Johnny Mandel might lend to a ballad.
McClenty's stalwart timekeeping is a hallmark of the shuffling opener, the Isley Brothers' "Harvest for the World," which leads to Gaye's gossamer "What's Going On" and assertive "Trouble Man." Nelson's mellow vibraphone underscores Barry's enticing theme from the film Midnight Cowboy, which precedes Prince's "When Doves Cry," Wonder's "Send One Your Love" and the Temptations' "I Can't Get Next to You." "Doves" is another well-grooved swinger whose contours show that Prince clearly had jazz awareness coursing through his veins. Stryker's group handles it with care, as it does every number on this admirable session. The leader's six-string guitar glides and caresses, while Nelson's burnished vibes and Gold's virile B3 furnish splendid counterpoint. An encore that's worth applauding.

Eight Track  II

Freehand - Thinking Out Loud...

Bitrate: 320K/s
Year: 1989
Time: 65:28
Size: 150,6 MB
Label: Progressive Rock/JRF
Styles: InEar Visions Music
Art: Full

Tracks Listing:
 1. Kinetic eggs -  7:10
 2. Camels dance -  6:22
 3. 3 chords of something -  4:45
 4. Mastodon -  5:18
 5. Thinking out loud -  5:08
 6. Another way to survive -  6:05
 7. RH factor -  8:27
 8. Mirkwood -  5:48
 9. Eagle's wing -  6:15
10. Spacehounds ... earthshine - 10:04

Musicians:
Jeff Lindsey - Drums, Percussion, Drum Programming, Vocals
Robert Howerton - Guitar, Vocals
Todd Barbee - Tenor Saxophone (tracks: 6, 7)
Brian Preston - Vocals, Bass, Keyboards [Bass] (3)
David Bollinger - Vocals, Guitar, Keyboards (4)

Rock oriented ecletic band with very intricate music. Freewilling improvisation along the tracks sometimes with some jazzy passages. Difficult music to diggest at the first listening, but it grows on you. Recommended for fans of ecletic and improvised music.
Freehand is almost a forgotten american prog band that release a single album in fall of 1989 (not 1997 as is here). Recorded during 1988, summer, this album has some traces of King Crimson (Discipline era) and here and there some jazz hints aswell. Anyway the musicianship is strong delivering some very fine moments like : Mastodon (one of the pieces with voice), are some instrumental here aswell, title track- Thinking out loud is another example of good prog music of the late '80's.

Thinking Out Loud...

Mark Saffan and The Keepers - Mark Saffan and The Keepers

Bitrate: 320K/s
Year: 1981
Time: 39:57
Size: 91,6 MB
Label: Planet
Styles: Rock/Pop-Rock/AOR
Art: Front

Tracks Listing:
 1. Skeletons Dancing - 4:02
 2. Get Out Tonite - 3:21
 3. Relax Boy - 3:17
 4. Hour Of The Gun - 3:53
 5. Your Boy Is Back - 3:40
 6. My Little Red Book - 3:19
 7. Sold On You - 4:14
 8. Rock N` Roll Alien - 3:46
 9. All I Want Is You - 3:30
10. Tell Her no - 2:42
11. It Happen In The Night - 4:13

Mark Safan, a visual artist and a musician, was born in Los Angeles, California, and received formal art training at various universities and institutes from Santa Barbara to Vancouver in the late sixties and early seventies.
Mark released “I’m On My Way” in 1976 courtesy of Warner Brothers Records.  He made a guest appearance on T-Bone Burnett’s 1982 release, “Trap Door,” also on Warner Brothers. In 1981, he released “Mark Saffan and the Keepers” on Planet Records. He then contributed “Win In The End” on the “Teen Wolf” soundtrack released by Metronome in 1985, and “I’m On My Way” on the “Dream” soundtrack released by Universal in 2005.
Mark Safan, a quasi-renaissance hombre, has served two demanding muses in his unpredictable career. He presently exhibits his celestial abstract paintings in New York-where he currently lives-and Berlin, where he has found a receptive audience for his romantic painterly vision. Musically, he has worked with such luminaries as Harry Nilsson, T-Bone Burnett and Richard Perry, the latter producing his debut record "Mark Safan and The Keepers" which included songs co-written by band member and drummer Harry Stinson. Jim Tract was the associate producer. He has also written hit songs for Captain & Tennille and Andrew Gold, as well as, Bonnie Hayes and Nick Gilder.
Mark is currently working with Nashville impresario Jim Tract of Adroit Records where a much anticipated solo recording is in the works.

Mark Safan and The Keepers

Pete Pritchard - Beat the Blues

Bitrate: 320K/s
Year: 2010
Time: 57:23
Size: 132,1 MB
Label: Hanzon records
Styles: Rock'n'Roll
Art: Front

Tracks Listing:
 1. Choo choo Mama -  2:46
 2. Rock'n'Roll Ruby -  3:40
 3. Ruby baby -  4:24
 4. Southern Fried pickin' -  3:39
 5. Bearcat -  5:51
 6. Beat the Blues -  2:37
 7. Beer, Bourbon and wine -  5:28
 8. It must be right -  2:34
 9. Way down in the hole -  6:13
10. Reconsider baby -  5:44
11. 200lbs of hard time -  2:33
12. Ruby baby (Extended version) - 11:48

Twelve Great tracks recorded in the UK and Nashville, USA featuring Pete Pritchard on Vocals and Bass with world renowned musicians including Scotty Moore, Alvin Lee, Billy Swan and Boots Randolph.
Bass player Pete Pritchard's career credits reads like a who s who of rock n roll. It includes Eric Clapton, Ten years after guitar virtuoso Alvin Lee, Billy Swan, and Chuck Berry. However, Pete is perhaps best known for touring and recording with Elvis Presley's Legendary original musicians. For the last eighteen years Pete has been the bass player behind the greatest rock n roll guitar player of all time......Scotty Moore. The Presley connection continues with Pete working alongside the Jordanaires, DJ Fontana, James Burton, Glen D Hardin and Boots Randolph.
Pete is proud to announce the release of his new album "Beat the Blues". Twelve great tracks recorded in the UK and Nashville, USA, featuring Pete on Vocals and Bass with world renowned musicians including Scotty Moore, Alvin Lee, Billy Swan and Boots Randolph.
For an in depth biography please visit: www.petepritchard.co.uk

Beat the Blues

Shurman - Waiting For The Sunset

Bitrate: 256K/s
Year: 2008
Time: 40:49
Size: 75,0 MB
Label: Self Released
Styles: Rock
Art: Front

Tracks Listing:
 1. Best You Ever Had - 3:16
 2. Small Town Tragedy - 4:29
 3. Here's To Rock And Roll - 5:00
 4. She's The One - 3:04
 5. Country Ain't Country - 3:57:
 6. I'm Not Crazy - 3:47
 7. Lonesome La Blues - 4:29
 8. Big Things - 3:28
 9. Didn't I - 2:42
10. Wonder Where You Are - 3:56
11. 3 Chords - 2:37

Los Angeles-to-Austin band Shurman rock with more of a twang, thanks to lead singer Aaron Beavers' Texas roots and drummer Damon Allen's Georgia upbringing. The two met when Beavers' family moved from Texas to Allen's hometown outside of Atlanta. They were both 13 when they first entertained the idea of starting a band, but college separated the two when Beavers headed to Hawaii and Allen moved to L.A. They didn't lose contact. Beavers sent Allen every single one of the 100 songs he had written while in Hawaii. Allen was convinced that L.A. was the place for the two to form the band they had always talked about, and soon Beavers made the move. They formed the original Shurman and released two EPs -- 2000's Songs to Tell Your Friends About and 2001's Superfecta -- and toured like crazy, averaging 200 shows a year. They had created quite a buzz among the alternative country community and won over some high-profile friends. Some of these friends -- Lucinda Williams' guitarist Doug Pettibone, Dashboard Confessional member John Lefler, and Mavericks' co-founder Ben Peeler -- helped record the unsigned bands debut, Jubilee. The Vanguard label picked the record up and released it in April of 2005. Guitarist Jason Moore and bassist Keith Hanna were soon added to the band and the new Shurman hit the road once again to support the record. ~ David Jeffrie

Waiting For The Sunset

Wildwood - Leave The Light On

Bitrate: 320K/s
Year: 2015
Time: 39:37
Size: 92,4 MB
Label: Self Released
Styles: Country
Art: Front

Tracks Listing
 1. Selfish - 3:38
 2. Whiskey - 3:33
 3. Mexico - 4:56
 4. Sorry Don't Mean a Thing - 4:08
 5. James Dean - 3:31
 6. Patron - 3:31
 7. Seven Easy Ways - 3:49
 8. Freedom Feeling - 3:37
 9. Weekend Rock 'n' Roll Star - 4:53
10. Cruel Watery World - 3:58

Leave The Light on is the debut album from Kentucky based WildWood.

Leave The Light On

Major Stars - Mirror/Messenger

Bitrate: 320K/s
Year: 2007
Time: 38:25
Size: 88,3 MB
Label: Drag City
Styles: Rock/Psychedelic Rock
Art: Front

Tracks Listing:
 1. No More - 2:19
 2. Half Centered Half Sane - 2:47
 3. Portable Freak Factory - 3:15
 4. My People - 8:53
 5. East to West - 5:19
 6. Can't End Today - 3:04
 7. Hercules - 3:01
 8. Mirror/Messenger - 9:45

Major Stars is a critically acclaimed American psychedelic rock band from greater Boston, Massachusetts.
Playing in a modern psych-rock band is, in many ways, like being a guitar-toting Live Action role-player-- reliving 1969 not as it was, but as we feel it should have been. The genre can be a playground of vintage instrument-wielding longhairs clad in period frock-- if you're at a Mammatus or Acid Mothers Temple show you might even see a wizard cloak or two.
Boston's Major Stars, however, have a pretty unique voice for a psych-rock band, but it's kind of hard to hear it on their latest album, Mirror/Messenger. On 2005's 4 Major Stars guitarists Wayne Rodgers and Kate Biggar labored under the pretense of verse and chorus only for as long as it took somebody to drop a lead foot on the wah-wah pedal and send the band choogling off into shred-oblivion. But Mirror/Messenger revels in fuzzy freak-outs-- it's pleasantly free of retro-stoner affectations and heavy on punk-inspired edge.
Mirror/Messenger therefore finds Major Stars at their most accessible-- there are verses, choruses, and only a few songs that stray over the four-minute mark. The record's best moments, like the laid back "East to West", are loud and heavy, but sound familiar to anybody who's listened to Dinosaur Jr. Rodgers has wisely ceded vocal duties to Sandra Barrett and, while her classic rock tenor is more than a little reminiscent of Heart's Ann Wilson, it's a step forward from Rogers, whose dull growl recalled a despondent Dave Grohl. Meanwhile Rogers is left free to join fellow guitarists Kate Biggar and Tom Leonard (who handed bass duties off to Dave Dougan) in kicking up a larger and wilder noise-- so much noise in fact, that it's hard to fit anything else comfortably on the record.
The three-guitar approach allows everything on Mirror/Messenger to sound thrillingly heavy. The album's title track and closer fits a guitar into every spare inch of space-- there's always somebody with a spare limb to jimmy the wah-wah pedal up and down, bend notes, and pummel strings into dust. As a result the rhythm section winds up buried. On "Portable Freak Factory" Casey Keenan's drums crumble into a dull racket as soon as the song's chugging core riff vanishes. Meanwhile, the only way to shoehorn in Barrett's vocals is to dial them way up into the mix, making her sound awkwardly and disproportionately present. On "No More" she comes across like an afterthought-- unnaturally Frankensteined over the top of an otherwise tight instrumental jam.
Plenty of good psych records have sounded bad in the past; indeed many of them even made a virtue out of sounding bad. Nobody bought a Mainliner record for clarity (although, nobody really bought them in the first place). But Mirror/Messenger deserves better than that. For the first time in Major Stars' career they've produced a set of structurally tight compositions that stand out stylistically among their peers-- songs that deserve to be heard with some sort of clarity. But as it is, Mirror/Messenger doesn't cut through the din.

Mirror/Messenger

Flora Martinez - Flora

Bitrate: 320K/s
Year: 2016
Time: 35:47
Size: 83,2 MB
Label: Music Brokers
Styles: Jazz/Vocals
Art: Front

Tracks Listing:
 1. Happy - 3:27
 2. The Captain Of Her Heart - 4:08
 3. Make You Feel My Love - 4:04
 4. The Scientist - 4:26
 5. Los Aretes De La Luna - 3:20
 6. Let's Stay Together - 3:36
 7. Safe And Sound - 3:28
 8. De Musica Ligera - 3:12
 9. True Colors - 3:10
10. Gimme Shelter - 2:51

Born in Montreal and raised by a Canadian mother and a Colombian father, Flora Martinez made her professional debut in 1994 on a Colombian television show called Mambo. She spent the next several years appearing on a host of Spanish-language TV programs, including Maria Bonita, La Otra mitad del sol, and Divorciada. In 1999, Flora broke through into the world of features with a pivotal role in the thriller Soplo de vida. This movie, which played at film festivals around the world, finally brought Flora to the attention of viewers far outside of her homeland.
The very next year, Flora made her North American debut in Proof of Life and found herself acting opposite Hollywood heavyweights like Russell Crowe, Meg Ryan and David Morse. 2002 was even busier for Flora, as the up-and-coming actress appeared in two films: the romantic comedy I’m with Lucy (alongside Monica Potter, Gael Garcia Bernal and David Boreanaz) and the Campbell Scott/Hope Davis indie drama The Secret Lives of Dentists.
Following those appearances, Flora returned her attention to films in her native language. She won critical and audience acclaim for her starring roles in 2005’s Rosario Tijeras and 2007’s Tuya siempre, which established her as one of the most promising South American actresses since Penelope Cruz.

 Flora

Phil Bee's Freedom - Memphis Moon

Bitrate: 320K/s
Year: 2016
Time: 59:28
Size: 137,4 MB
Label: Continental Records Services (CRS)
Styles: Blues
Art: Front

Tracks Listing:
 1. Memphis Moon - 4:56
 2. Down Don't Bother Me - 6:05
 3. Sunday Morning - 4:52
 4. Too Much Ain't Enough - 4:13
 5. Down The Line - 3:37
 6. I Gotta Fly - 4:32
 7. One Last Kiss - 7:50
 8. Hold On - 4:34
 9. Ain't That Loving You Baby - 5:08
10. Once In This Lifetime - 4:29
11. Got To Get Better In A Little While - 6:13
12. One Last Kiss (Acoustic) - 2:53

Musicians:
Phil Bee - Lead vocals
John F. Klaver - Lead Guitar,Vocals
Berland Rours - Lead Guitar
Pascal Lanslots - Keyboards
Carlo van Belleghem,Will Hermens - Bass
Arie Verhaar - Drums
Nicole Verouden,Maartje Keijzer - Backgr Vocals

Phil Bee's Freedom started out as an experiment. It worked so well that the recordings that were made at the very first gig were later released as the band's official debut CD. The eclectic material the band pulls it inspiration from, has lead to an interesting styl that combines, blues, bluesrock, soul, R&B and whatever else you can think of. 2016 was a vey successful year for the band. Numerous awards (both by the band and by individual musicians) were won at the Dutch Blues Foundation Awards ceremony, and the band entered the IBC in Memphis, to end runners up on the semi-finals, Only losing to the actual winners of the whole event. The whole Memphis adventure (which included some great live gigs) inspired Phil to write the title track of the album. Also Berland Rours and Pascal Lanslots contributed to the originals on the album. Together with some cleverly selected covers they result in an exhilarating album filled with soul drenched yet hard rocking R&B.

Memphis Moon

Thornetta Davis - Honest Woman

Bitrate: 320K/s
Year: 2016
Time: 59:31
Size: 139,7 MB
Label: Sweet Mama Music
Styles: Blues/Soul/R&B
Art: Front

Tracks Listing:
 1. When My Sister Sings The Blues - 1:23
 2. I Gotta Sang The Blues - 5:08
 3. That Don't Appease Me - 4:22
 4. Set Me Free - 3:31
 5. Am I Just A Shadow - 5:34
 6. I Need A Whole Lotta Lovin' (To Satisfy Me) - 3:54
 7. I'd Rather Be Alone - 6:06
 8. I Believe (Everything Gonna Be Alright) - 5:41
 9. Sister Friend Indeed - 3:41
10. Get Up And Dance Away Your Blues - 4:20
11. Can We Do It Again - 7:11
12. Honest Woman - 4:41
13. Feels Like Religion - 3:49

Winner of more than 25 Detroit Music Awards including Best Blues/R&B Vocalist.
Playing the music of Aretha Franklin, Ray Charles, Janis Joplin, Gladys Knight and more Detroit native voice is strong, commanding, melodic and smooth. She tells her stories with an incredible delivery and leaves her audiences wanting more. Backed by her great band of Detroit musicians, Davis has opened for legendary blues and R&B greats such as Ray Charles, Gladys Knight, Smokey Robinson, Etta James, Buddy Guy, Koko Taylor and countless others.
Her history is extensive and her performances are memorable…like the time she opened for Bonnie Raitt at Michigan’s Ann Arbor Blues & Jazz festival in 1992. Bonnie asked Thornetta to join her and Katie Webster (queen of the swamp boogie) for an encore song which received a standing ovation.
It’s clear that she has earned the title of “Detroit’s Funky Rockin’ Blues Diva.”

Honest Woman

Deb Ryder - Grit Grease & Tears

Bitrate: 320K/s
Year: 2016
Time: 51:53
Size: 119,5 MB
Label: Bejeb Music
Styles: Modern Electric Blues
Art: Front

Tracks Listing:
 1. Ain't Gonna Be Easy - 3:47
 2. Get A Little Steam Up - 4:39
 3. Blink of an Eye - 3:53
 4. Grit Grease & Tears - 4:40
 5. Sweet Mary Anne - 4:43
 6. Lord Knows I Do - 4:45
 7. Panic Mode - 3:27
 8. Just Her Nature - 5:42
 9. New Mechanic (Patrick's Blues) - 5:34
10. Rivers Forgiveness - 3:27
11. Prisoner of War - 3:17
12. Right Side of the Grass - 3:53

Vocalist Deb Ryder matches her unquestionable blues-mama bona fides with some of the smartest lyric sets dropped in the genre this year.  The Chicago-born Ms. R smolders and scorches her way around sassy, savvy workouts such as the leadoff “Ain’t Gonna Be Easy”, “Panic Mode” and, along with Sugaray Rayford, one of the hottest r&b duets one’s likely to come across these days, “Get A Little Steam Up”.  Ms. Ryder keeps more good company with sidemen such as guitarist Albert Lee and keyboardists Mike Finnigan and Jim Pugh.

Grit Grease & Tears

Jack Rowell, Jr. - Sleeping With The Blues

Bitrate: 320K/s
Year: 2012
Time: 38:50
Size: 88,9 MB
Label: Self Relesed
Styles: Blues/Memphis Blues
Art: Front

Tracks Listing:
 1. Missing My Baby - 4:15
 2. I've Got A Feeling - 4:56
 3. Never Had It This Bad - 3:09
 4. Sleeping With The Blues - 4:15
 5. Oh Oh Oh - 4:04
 6. Stand Accused - 3:49
 7. Broken Man - 4:40
 8. Player - 3:58
 9. Mississippi Man - 5:40

A new record is in the works for release later in 2013. The songs are going to be more traditional Blues songs. Most have been written already. The recording is planned at the Boo Mitchell Recording Studio (old Willie Mitchell studio) here in Memphis. Some of the musicians recording there include Al Green & John Mayer. Boz Scaggs recently recorded his new ‘Memphis’ CD there. Memphis
I asked Jack what he likes about Memphis. He replied “True Memphis musicians are born with a natural, special feel for music. It’s different than anywhere else in the world. They can travel worldwide and they’re accepted so well because of their natural ability to feel the music. It can’t be taught, you’re born with it. I’m very thankful I was born and raised here where all the earthy soul & blues music has come from. Being a part of it is just awesome.”
Jack also thanks the Memphis Blues Society for all of the help and support provided to him.

Sleeping With The Blues

Geoff Achison & The Souldiggers - Recorded Live at Guitars Across The Bay

Bitrate: 320K/s
Year: 2010
Time: 53:45
Size: 123,2 MB
Label: Jupiter 2 Records
Styles: Electric Blues
Art: Front

Tracks Listing:
 1. Crazy Horse - 7:07
 2. Rule the World - 7:31
 3. Stepping Stones - 9:18
 4. One Ticket, One Ride - 4:36
 5. Magic Belt - 7:22
 6. Souldigger - 7:41
 7. Never Give It Up - 6:36
 8. Reach for the Sky - 3:30

Geoff Achison first found fame in Australia as lead guitarist with veteran bluesman 'Dutch' Tilders. He formed his own band in 1995 and began travelling internationally. He has since toured the USA, UK & Australia many times hiring the best musicians available to form his 'Souldiggers' band wherever he goes. Along the way he has won several awards including the 'Albert King Award' in Memphis and Australia's 'Chain' blues award for Best Band. In 2011 Geoff made Truefire's "100+ Gifted Guitarists You Should Know" list and was named 'Official Patron' of the Melbourne Blues Appreciation Society. He lives in Melbourne, Australia where his all star line-up features the combined talents of Mal Logan on keys, Roger McLachlan on bass and Gerry Pantazis on drums.

Recorded Live at Guitars Across The Bay

Geoff Achison & The Souldiggers - Gettin' Evil

Bitrate: 320K/s
Year: 1999
Time: 50:16
Size: 115,8 MB
Label: Jupiter 2 Records
Styles: Electric Blues
Art: Front

Tracks Listing:
 1. Comin' Ta Getcha - 3:29
 2. Be Careful What You Wish For - 3:36
 3. Tell Me Something I Don't Know - 3:35
 4. Gettin' Evil - 4:10
 5. Jungle - 5:16
 6. Adam and Eve - 4:11
 7. Help Yourself - 5:12
 8. Hotel Room - 3:34
 9. Natch'l Fact - 3:29
10. Don't Play Guitar Boy - 3:14
11. Take What You Can Get - 3:58
12. Overtime - 3:46
13. End of the Line - 2:39

Musicians:
Geoff Achison - guitar/vocals;
Alex Shakeri - keyboards/harmonica;
Timmer Blakeley - bass;
Don Schultz - drums.

Australia has produced several talented blues guitar players. Those that have come to be known by the regulars here at Electric Blues include Dave Hole, Rob Tognoni, Mal Eastick and Gwyn Ashton. I'd also like to add Geoff Achison to that list. Geoff is a fine guitarist, singer and songwriter. Geoff's band, the Souldiggers, provide solid backing for the wide variety of styles Geoff leads them through on this disc.
"Gettin' Evil" is a primarily Blues-Rock oriented CD that is composed nearly exclusively of originals (one cover tune) and features a respectable amount of guitar. Geoff's playing style is not overly aggressive, but has more than enough bite to satisfy those of us that require substantial guitar with our blues. This is not power blues, but more along the lines of a slick, tasty blend of electric blues and blues-rock. Both vocally and instrumentally, Geoff's sound is crisp and original. Of course there are always the subtle hints to a bluesman's predicessors, but Geoff's sound is largely his own.
The CD opens with two of the sets strongest songs, leading off with "Comin'ta Getcha", an upbeat Blues-Rock tune that allows Geoff to give the listener an early listen to his playing style. Next up is "Be Careful What You Wish For", a medium paced blues song that is one of my favorites of the set. From there Geoff explores subtle various of Blues-Rock by mixing in a little soul, a little jazz, a little rock, a little pop, and a little who knows what else. Many of his songs are a little hard for me to classify, one such song being the heavily rhythmic dominated title cut "Gettin' Evil".
One of the more pleasant surprises for me was the acoustic song "Don't Play Guitar Boy". I'm not normally a big fan of acoustic tunes, and often deduct points if they are not extremely well done. However, this one did not result in any penalties. It is a very enjoyable acoustic romp with interesting lyrics. It is in fact, another of my favorites from the disc. There is only one other acoustic song, Geoff's cover of "End of the Line". It didn't hold my interest quite as well as "Don't Play Guitar Boy", but it's not bad either.
As a Blues-Rock CD, I would classify it slightly on the lighter side of the scale. "Gettin' Evil" is not a no-holds-barred barn burner. Nor is it a totally laid-back, mellow affair. As I mentioned earlier, it's a little hard to classify but overall it's closer to Blues-Rock than anything else. Geoff's playing is excellent throughout, and his vocals are considerably above average. Most blues guitar fans will find enough quality work here to consider this a worthy blues guitar oriented CD. Quality songwriting and a strong backing backing band round things out nicely.

Gettin' Evil

The Werks - Dig It

Bitrate: 320K/s
Year: 2007
Time: 77:30
Size: 179,9 MB
Label: Self Relesed
Styles: Rock/Jam Band
Art: Front

Tracks Listing:
 1. Party Ends - 10:19
 2. Pork Swords -  4:56
 3. Party Ends -  4:46
 4. G-Funk -  6:09
 5. Sweet Watering Hole -  2:58
 6. Dig It - 18:46
 7. Fall - 11:00
 8. Island Mon - 10:41
 9. Guido -  7:50

The Werks is an American rock band originating from Dayton, Ohio and noted for its musical improvisation and exploration of music across multiple genres. Founded in 2005 by Dave Bartoletti (keys), Rob Chafin (drummer), Chris Houser (guitar) and Chuck Love (bass), the band is best known for its quick rise into the jam band music scene and appearances at major festivals and events across the US and abroad. In early June 2011, the band rose to prominence when it hit the number 2 top searched artists on the leading online Jam Magazine, jambase.com, behind the band Phish and again in early 2012 when they hit number 1.Current members of the band are as follows; Rob Chafin- Drums, Vocals, Samples / Jake Goldberg- Bass, Vocals / Chris Houser- Guitar, Vocals / Dan Shaw- Keyboards, Vocals.
In 2005 the foursome met while attending a local music contest in Dayton, Ohio. After agreeing to commit to a band project, they named the group after their first meal together; ordering a dish with "The Works" from a local restaurant. The naming convention would be changed to "The Werks" soon after. The band officially formed in 2007 and Dave Bartoletti would leave the band one year later; he was replaced by keyboardist, Norman Dimitrouleas who previously performed in another Dayton band, The Maji.In the summer of 2011, bassist Dino Dimitrouleas, also from the Maji, replaced founding member Chuck Love and percussionist, Aaron Armstrong, from Toledo, Ohio, would join with the band from May through November of that same year. Dan Shaw, of Columbus, Ohio, replaced Norman Dimitrouleas, now deceased,in 2014 as the band's keyboardist. Jake Goldberg then replaced Dino Dimitrouleas in 2016 on bass.
The band incorporates rock, vintage psychedelic, funk music, and jamtronica into their own musical form, called "psychedelic dance rock".It bridges a gap by incorporating high energy music and high production values with themes that embrace "exploratory jams", a more accepted "shift occurring in the musical world", according to some critics.
Like The Werks, Dayton, Ohio, is known for its revolutionary inventiveness.[9] The community has always been a hot spot for funk artists such as Zapp, The Ohio Players and alternative rock artists such as The Breeders and Guided By Voices. The Werks have been inspired by this rich history and technique, creating a solid foundation of music by weaving these influences into the fabric of their musical voice.
The Werks have played many notable festivals, including appearances at Wakarusa Music & Camping Festival, Summer Camp Music Festival, Electric Forest, All Good Music Festival, Camp Bisco, including their own festival, The Werk Out Music and Arts Festival, held annually each August in Central Ohio/
The Werks have adopted the policy of allowing fans to tape, trade, and distribute their live shows.[3] Werkers (fans) have been taping and trading shows since their inception, which has helped them to gain their national following.

Dig It