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A deranged cacophony straight out of London, England. On their debut, self-titled release, VIOLIN blend elements of Swedish masters TOTALITÄR and HEADCLEANERS with the muscle and swagger of Boston 82 and the panicked power of NYHC in the mid 80s. The end result is a Mind numbingly fast and concise pure hardcore punk that is all together contemporary, edging in at times on the learned idiocy of Toronto’s S.H.I.T. VIOLIN is the brainchild of Lindsay Corstorphine (SAUNA YOUTH, MONOTONY, PRIMITIVE PARTS etc) who has written, mixed and recorded everything on this stellar release, with the exception of the drums, here carried out by the inimitable Jonah Falco of FUCKED UP fame. Pinning Falco’s drumming to Corstorphine's vision has nailed a sound which is at once huge and perfectly audible, whilst remaining brutal and ugly in tone. There are moments of genuine innovation on display as is evident on the track ‘Empty Mind’ which begins with discordant noise, before building from a mid-paced swing into frantic lunacy, and then introducing a harrowing and unexpected synthesiser. The stark black and white artwork, carried out by Daniel David Freeman, provides a perfectly abstract and menacing back drop to this slab of primitive hardcore.

It takes BALTA seven minutes to annihilate Rendszerszintű Agybasz ás (Systematic Brainfucking), the debut EP by these feral Hungarians. Their approach to music is beyond urgent and their delivery equally drastic. BALTA’s sound is vicious, pounding and hectic. With one of the nastiest guitar tones to grace these ears in recent memory, and a drumming style that may collapse at any giving moment. Drawing parallels with PIÑEN, ULSTER, the first TRANQUILIZER Flexi, PLASMID or IMAGEN is fair, giving the total disregard for melody or time the band displays. But it is their anti-authoritarian lyrics and uber punk attitude that sets them on their own path; Searching for a primitive future amongst the concrete ruins.

BLUE NOTE TONE POET EDITION: produziert von Joe Harley, komplett analog von Kevin Gray von
den Originalbändern gemastert, RTI-Pressung (180g), stabiles Tip-on-Gatefold, wattierte Innenhülle
Trompeter Donald Byrd war gerade im zweiten Jahr seiner zwei Jahrzehnte andauernden Blue-NoteKarriere, als er sein Quintett im November 1960 in Manhattans Half Note Café versammelte, um dieses
soulige, swingende und äußerst unterhaltsame Hard-Bop-Live-Set mit Pepper Adams am Baritonsaxophon,
Duke Pearson am Klavier, Laymon Jackson am Bass und Lex Humphries am Schlagzeug aufzunehmen.
Höhepunkte des Programms sind Pearsons Uptempo-Nummer „My Girl Shirl“, Byrds Blues „Soulful Kiddy“
und das Bandthema „Pure D. Funk“.
ScoLoHoFo - die Supergruppe bestehend aus Gitarrist John Scofield, Saxophonist Joe Lovano, Bassist
Dave Holland und Schlagzeuger Al Foster - spielte erstmals 1999 als Band zusammen, aber die Verbindungen der Musiker reichten Jahrzehnte zurück. Scofield, Holland und Foster waren alle Mitglieder der MilesDavis-Gruppen und spielten 1993 zusammen auf Joe Hendersons Miles-Tributalbum „So Near, So Far“ auf.
Aufgenommen im Jahr 2002, ist ScoLoHoFos meisterhaftes Album „Oh!“ ein dynamisches 11-Song-Set,
das vor musikalischer Kameradschaft nur so strotzt und ein breites stilistisches Spektrum abdeckt.

Lush, cosmic tones from the one and only Theo Parrish. Slow-burning funk and rapid Jazz-tinged numbers on this monumental two-tracker. A welcome return to Sound Signature from it's label head! Highly recommended.

Over the last decade-and-a-half, C Joynes has ploughed a singular furrow through solo guitar, with a body of work incorporating English folk-tunes alongside North & West African music, and lifting proto-minimalist and improvised techniques from the European classical and avant-garde traditions.

His new release, ‘Poor Boy On The Wire’, is his first full album dedicated wholly to the electric guitar. Through a typically wide-ranging set, Joynes exploits the instrument’s potential by placing intricate parlour music alongside overdriven garage blues throw-downs, wiry electric folk and the brittle ringing tones of free improvisation. However, these explorations of the tones and timbres of close-mic’d guitars and amplification retain an overall coherence and unity through the deliberate use of a limited palette of budget instruments and vintage equipment.

With ‘Poor Boy On The Wire’, Joynes has released 9 albums to date, including ‘The Borametz Tree’ (2019), recorded with long-term fellow travellers Dead Rat Orchestra, and ‘The Wild Wild Berry’, a collaboration with singer Stephanie Hladowski (MOJO Top 5 Folk Albums 2012, fROOTS Editors Choice Album Of The Year 2012). He has played extensively across the UK, Europe and the USA, sharing bills with performers including: Shirley Collins, Martin Carthy, A Hawk And A Hacksaw, Marc Ribot, Alasdair Roberts, Richard Dawson, Jack Rose, Josephine Foster, Sir Richard Bishop, Six Organs Of Admittance and 75 Dollar Bill.

“As much Conlon Nancarrow and Ali Farka Toure as Blind Lemon Jefferson, the compositional mind at work here can take apparently disparate threads of modernism and ethnic tradition and treat them as though they were all archaic blues styles learnt from dusty 78s.”
BRUCE RUSSELL, THE WIRE

“An inheritor to Davy Graham; a lone operator prone to unexpected collaborations, with a repertoire that crosses continents and timezones with consummate ease, and dashed off with a phenomenal, yet lightly applied technique.”
ROB YOUNG, THE WIRE

“His epigrammatic re-castings and re-readings of widely-travelled folk melodies and rhythms from a variety of traditions suggest shared memories that might be intensely universal while seeming strangely out of reach.”
KEVIN MACNEIL BROWN, DUSTED MAGAZINE

Pharoah Sanders' "Shukuru" is noteworthy as being the album that reunited Sanders with vocalist Leon Thomas, who sang on some of Sanders' most endearing and powerful compositions-- among them the legendary "The Creator Has a Masterplan".

Thomas only joins the band on two tracks-- "Mas in Brooklyn (Highlife)" and "Sun Song". The former gets a full calypso reading complete with steel drum sounds and chanted vocals traded between Sanders and Thomas. It's a lot of fun, but by and large, throwaway. The latter is one of the true gems on the album-- a pretty ballad that serves as both a launching point for Sanders' best balladry and Thomas' vocal, with the latter soaring in his upper register wordlessly between verses intoned in his trademark baritone. It's by and large simply stunning.

The rest of the record has got its issues however, and by and large this comes in the part of Henderson's synthesizer-- while his piano tone is virtually indistinguishable from an acoustic piano, several tracks receive irritating synth vocals or strings (it's really hard to tell which, it's fairly indistinct and obnoxious), mangling otherwise fine performances of traditional tenor feature "Body and Soul", Sanders-penned "Jitu" (although admittedly the leader manages such a powerful solo it gets past it) and an absolutely breathtaking reading of "Too Young to Go Steady". At least opener "Shukuru" and closing funereal piece "For Big George" are spared this as the use of synths of them are far more tasteful (although one questions Sanders' choice to intone his wife's name over the former's smokey lines, but that's another story). by Vine Voice

Glasgow's First Lady of Jazz Carol Kidd, whose string of successful Linn recordings in the 1980's have made her a staple of international audiophile artists, returns with an all-new collection of delectable jazz and pop standards delivered in her inimitably smooth and heartfelt style.

Kidd has always been an artist celebrated for her cool, controlled phrasing and easy-going balladry, and her lovely new recording, BOTH SIDES NOW, is replete with her trademark inflection and warmth spread over classic songs by everyone from Rodgers & Hammerstein, Billy Joel, Joni Mitchell, and Richard Thompson. A songwriter of note, Kidd herself contributes two new tracks co-authored with Chris Anthony.

Impex's exclusive 180-gram 33 rpm LP, mastered by the superlative Kevin Gray at Cohearent Audio, features brilliantly detailed mid-tones, effortlessly stable bottom end, and crisp overtones. RTI's peerless pressing brings it all together for your listening pleasure.

Carol Kidd is an international award winning singer. She has been named 'Best Vocalist' at the British Jazz Awards on four occasions and was appointed MBE for Services to Jazz. In 2006, Carol was a winner of the prestigious Nordoff-Robbins Tartan Clef Music Award and in 2017 she received a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Scottish Jazz Awards. Renowned for her impeccable phrasing and delivery along with an unforgettable ability to breathe fresh life into any jazz standard, Carol has cut a distinctive path through the Great American Songbook throughout her career with orchestral and trio backing, as well as performing as a unique and intimate duo with guitarist Nigel Clark.

A long line of admirers has included Tony Bennett, Vic Damone and Frank Sinatra, who invited her to open for him at a stadium concert where he remarked that, "Carol Kidd is the best kept secret of British jazz." After a sensational performance at the Tribute to Johnny Mercer show at the Royal Concert Hall in Glasgow, Sir Michael Parkinson observed from the stage that "If there is a better jazz singer out there I have yet to hear them!" Luminaries who have performed alongside Carol as her guests include George Shearing, Georgie Fame, Annie Ross, Benny Carter, Joe Temperley, Bobby Watson and Martin Taylor.

Following a battle with cancer, Carol returned to the stage triumphant in the summer of 2013 to give a powerful, emotional performance at the Glasgow Jazz Festival. In the wake of this homecoming, it is impossible to deny that Kidd is one of the most remarkable artists and performers of our time.

Los York's became the epitome of Peruvian garage sound and the kings of the multi-group concerts which teenagers flocked to on Saturday and Sunday mornings in Lima's main movie theaters. It took them a year to turn their ideas into songs for their first LP that was successfully released at Christmas in 1967. It features a beat-influenced go-go twang guitar garage psych tone throughout, including a bunch of covers like Alan y sus Bates' 'Pronto Un Doctor' or The Box Tops' 'The Letter', and amazing originals like 'No Puedo Amar' with an intense garage beat. First time official reissue. - DESCRIPTION: The group was in tune with the youth from popular districts who were gradually turning morning concerts into dynamic gigs as the fashion for solo rock-ballads waned and garage sounds by bands like Los Shain's, Los Derbys, Los Juniors, Los Flyers and, of course, Los York's took over. Their supportive fans would follow them to every gig. After releasing their three first singles on MAG, featuring covers of popular hits, it took them a year to turn their ideas into songs for their first LP that was successfully released at Christmas in 1967. The band was backed by Melcohita on vibraphone and Mario Allison on percussion.

Hat eigentlich schon irgendwer darüber nachgedacht, ob es nach all den Jahren deutschsprachigen Pop-Zusammengehörigkeitsgefühls mal Zeit wird, weiter als von Fußball-WM zu Fußball-WM zu denken und mit dem irren Gedanken aufzuräumen, dass schon alles gut wird, wenn wir uns bloß Alle immer ständig sagen, dass wir das schon hinkriegen?!

Vielleicht war’s Zeit für Jupiter Jones, die Brücke zwischen dem Punk aus den alten Tagen von vor mittlerweile zwanzig Jahren und dem Pop aus den neueren Alben zu schlagen, um eine Melange aus beidem zu schaffen, die sich nicht daran stört, ob irgendwelche Genre-Dogmen eingehalten werden und die sich nicht scheut, auch unkomfortable Themen in komfortablere Töne und Wörter zu packen? Weil Pop eben nicht da aufhört, wo Normativität ihre Grenzen findet.

Sei’s in Songs wie „Überall waren Schatten“, „Bleibt zusammen“, „Wenn’s nicht wehtut“ oder „Melatonin“, die all die Gründe aufleben lassen, wegen denen die Band im Jahre 2002 überhaupt gegründet wurde: Nämlich der Frage nach dem Warum-zum-Teufel-nochmal?

Oder in Songs wie „Vielleicht“, „Ja sicher“, „Oh! Philia“ oder „Der wichtigste Finger einer Faust“, die ganz bewusst Tanzbarkeit mit dem Gefühl verbinden, sich unbedingt mal für mehrere Stunden hinzulegen und die Wand anzustarren?

Oder eben in Songs wie „Atmen“, „Der Nagel“, „Mein Viel und dein Vielleicht“ und „So hat noch jedes Ende angefangen“, die im weitesten, wie im nähesten Sinne Liebeslieder sind. Lieder für und gegen die Liebe, Lieder mit und ohne.

„Die Sonne ist ein Zwergstern“ ist nicht das Corona-Album von Jupiter Jones. Auch, wenn das Revival der Band ziemlich zeitgleich mit dem Virus kam und die Songs dementsprechend ausnahmslos in dieser Zeit geschrieben wurden. Es ist das Album, das einen Blick auf die Welt wirft, einen Blick auf das Innere und einen Blick auf die Verbindung von beidem. Es ist das Album, dem mehr als jedem Album der Band zuvor egal ist, wo die Grenzen verschwimmen. Es ist entschlossen, laut und leise zugleich und es ist alles, nur kein Kompromiss.

Ganz sicher ist es das Ergebnis aus der Erkenntnis, dass wir alles wieder zusammen machen und schaffen können, sobald wir gecheckt haben, dass wir erst mal wir selbst sind. Und dass sich all das lohnt.

Hat eigentlich schon irgendwer darüber nachgedacht, ob es nach all den Jahren deutschsprachigen Pop-Zusammengehörigkeitsgefühls mal Zeit wird, weiter als von Fußball-WM zu Fußball-WM zu denken und mit dem irren Gedanken aufzuräumen, dass schon alles gut wird, wenn wir uns bloß Alle immer ständig sagen, dass wir das schon hinkriegen?!

Vielleicht war’s Zeit für Jupiter Jones, die Brücke zwischen dem Punk aus den alten Tagen von vor mittlerweile zwanzig Jahren und dem Pop aus den neueren Alben zu schlagen, um eine Melange aus beidem zu schaffen, die sich nicht daran stört, ob irgendwelche Genre-Dogmen eingehalten werden und die sich nicht scheut, auch unkomfortable Themen in komfortablere Töne und Wörter zu packen? Weil Pop eben nicht da aufhört, wo Normativität ihre Grenzen findet.

Sei’s in Songs wie „Überall waren Schatten“, „Bleibt zusammen“, „Wenn’s nicht wehtut“ oder „Melatonin“, die all die Gründe aufleben lassen, wegen denen die Band im Jahre 2002 überhaupt gegründet wurde: Nämlich der Frage nach dem Warum-zum-Teufel-nochmal?

Oder in Songs wie „Vielleicht“, „Ja sicher“, „Oh! Philia“ oder „Der wichtigste Finger einer Faust“, die ganz bewusst Tanzbarkeit mit dem Gefühl verbinden, sich unbedingt mal für mehrere Stunden hinzulegen und die Wand anzustarren?

Oder eben in Songs wie „Atmen“, „Der Nagel“, „Mein Viel und dein Vielleicht“ und „So hat noch jedes Ende angefangen“, die im weitesten, wie im nähesten Sinne Liebeslieder sind. Lieder für und gegen die Liebe, Lieder mit und ohne.

„Die Sonne ist ein Zwergstern“ ist nicht das Corona-Album von Jupiter Jones. Auch, wenn das Revival der Band ziemlich zeitgleich mit dem Virus kam und die Songs dementsprechend ausnahmslos in dieser Zeit geschrieben wurden. Es ist das Album, das einen Blick auf die Welt wirft, einen Blick auf das Innere und einen Blick auf die Verbindung von beidem. Es ist das Album, dem mehr als jedem Album der Band zuvor egal ist, wo die Grenzen verschwimmen. Es ist entschlossen, laut und leise zugleich und es ist alles, nur kein Kompromiss.

Ganz sicher ist es das Ergebnis aus der Erkenntnis, dass wir alles wieder zusammen machen und schaffen können, sobald wir gecheckt haben, dass wir erst mal wir selbst sind. Und dass sich all das lohnt.

In an age where most contemporary bluesmen strive to mimic the past and pattern their music after the greats, Keb' Mo' is content to be himself. Original, charismatic, and immensely gifted, the guitarist/vocalist (born Kevin Moore) brings country blues in the late 20th century on his stunning self-titled Epic debut, which quickly climbed the charts and turned the former backing instrumentalist into a household name. Replete with gritty textures, close-up vocals, and resplendent acoustics, Mobile Fidelity's scintillating version of this 1994 set finally possesses the fidelity that brings Mo's Delta strains out of the backwoods and onto a lively back porch.

Half-speed mastered from the original tapes, this numbered edition 180g LP represents the very first time that Mo's watershed album has been given a much-needed sonic facelift. Gone are the hazes that obscured his singing, artificial ceilings that blunted the highs, and digital fog that interfered with the multitude of illuminating tones, details, and notes. What's revealed is startling intimacy and soothing emotion, Mo's gorgeous vocal timbres and inflections given equal space with his guitar, harmonica, and pace. Finally, a great-sounding contemporary blues record that doesn't resort to derivative recycling and bland revivalism.

The son of Southern parents, Mo' channels his heritage via a batch of superb folksy songs that relax, refresh, and regale. While he's since traveled in a more commercialized pop-oriented direction, Mo's initial salvo is nothing but raw, pure blues played with unbridled passion, tremendous conviction, and what is best deemed the essence of heart and soul. Keb' Mo' engages with a compelling mix of tradition and modernity, the headliner refraining from any attempt at assuming an artificial personality and instead basing his reputation on quality songs. As such, Mo's material resonates with deep, mellow vibes and extraordinary National steel guitar work, which complements his fluid, acoustic finger-picking and soulful strumming.

Mo' occasionally teams with an ensemble. But this record is mostly all about the basics: guitar, voice, and harmonica. Tunes such as "Victims of Comfort" and "Angelina" testify on behalf of his phenomenal country-blues songwriting; his covers of Robert Johnson's "Come On In My Kitchen" and "Kindhearted Woman Blues" speak to his reverence for the past. Shuffles, ballads, dance songs – Mo nails them all.

Keb' Mo' remains one of the finest blues albums made in the post-Stevie Ray Vaughan era. Don't miss this American gem that so many have since tried to copy.

The story of Del cuarto rojo (From The Red Room) began in March 2020, when the Peruvian composer and percussionist Manongo Mujica received a call notifying him that the visual artist Rafael Hastings, his friend of almost half a century, had passed away. Since then, and in the midst of the pandemic, Manongo Mujica began a personal journey searching for sounds, which has resulted in a new set of pieces that evoke the memory of a friendship. Del cuarto rojo (From The Red Room), subtitled Homenaje sonoro escuchando la pintura de Rafael Hastings (Sound Tribute Listening To Rafael Hastings' Paintings), is Manongo Mujica's new album, and it has also motivated the preparation of a new show by the dancer and choreographer Yvonne von Mollendorff, wife of Hastings. The history of this friendship dates back to 1974, when a young Manongo returned to Lima, after ten years living in London, while young Rafael Hastings and Yvonne von Mollendorff settled in Peru after a long period in Europe. Since then, the collaborations between these artists have been continuous, always marked by an experimental impetus. The attitude of listening to images and painting sounds was more than a metaphor and became a code that identified them and a way of working, where the crossing of disciplines set the tone, both in video works and in unusual visual / conceptual scores, works of dance and experimental music, in the context of a creative effervescence that renewed the arts and music in Lima in the 70s. Del cuarto rojo is an album that integrates many of the musical resources developed by Mujica. It is an amalgam that well sums up his own language: from the creation of environments with extended techniques and objects, to experiments in jazz fusion; from the use of field recordings and sound montages to compositions with string arrangements: everything around the hypnotic pulse of percussion and drums, which oscillate between moments of subtlety and explosive improvisation. The album features the participation of outstanding musicians such as Pauchi Sasaki (violin), José Quezada (cello), Terje Evensen (electronic effects), Jean Pierre Magnet (Saxophone), Cristobal, Daniel and Gabriel Mujica (sons of Manongo Mujica, on percussion, string and wind arrangements). It is published in vinyl LP and includes a full color 12-page booklet with a sample of Rafael Hastings' visual art, which also illustrates the album cover.

Needwant Records arrive with the latest in their ever-evolving roster showcasing the sounds of underground city life, proudly presenting label newcomer NATE08's kaleidoscopic debut LP, 'Furaha'.

London-based label Needwant Records have been tirelessly advancing dance music's esoteric fringes for well over a decade, with their immaculately curated catalogue routinely moving dancers and garnering respect and plays from the industry's most revered tastemakers. Here, the newest recruit to the label's glittering line-up, Mumbai-based musician, producer, and DJ, NATE08 brings forth his breathtaking inaugural album.

Equally adept as a producer, session bass player, and genre-spanning selector, Nathan Thomas has become an irrepressible force in India’s blossoming underground music scene. The Mumbai-based musician’s solo project, NATE08, treads the groove-oriented territories of funk, r&b, and house – with his elegantly spun productions firmly rooted in dance music's glorious heritage while imbued with a future-facing production gloss.

Title track 'Furaha' blissfully sets the tone for what's to follow, with dextrous Latin guitar gliding over intricate percussive waves as heavenly chords fill the sun-kissed panorama. Upping the energy just a touch, Azamaan Hoyvoy's honeyed vocal enlivens the summer haze of 'Trigger Fool', arriving over evocative chords and laser tight four/four rhythms to create a stunning slice of low-slung future house deepness.

The funk-flecked bump of 'Bunker' sees Nathan's bass mastery arrive in full force, with spirited slaps propelling misty chords and sublime guitar licks across a loose-limbed beat. Continuing the horizontal sensations, the captivating chord progressions of 'Hold Up' soar over thick, rolling bass notes and shimmering synth swells.

Lead single 'Sunrise Sundown' is a stunning example of NATE08's organically spun deep house prowess, with Jitwam's soul-drenched vocals cascading over succulent chords and dancing synth melodies as smokey beats and pulsating bass cement the heads-down groove. Next, hypnotic fusion guitar refrains soar over lively percussion and gentle pads for a life-affirming Balearic voyage, maintaining the carefree spirit while enlivening the senses as the arrangement heads for the horizon.

The 'Let's Go To Ibar' interlude makes way for the mesmerising deep house flex of 'Want You', where Megan Murray's yearning vocal provides the seductive hook as acidic bass notes bounce over glistening chords and propulsive beats. A prime example of NATE08's futurist intentions arrives in the form of r&b-meets-house hybrid 'Feel It', with Lojal's striking performance flitting between searing soul and street-ready swagger powers over an intoxicating, organ-infused bed.

The forward-thinking two-step rhythm of 'Cold Muse' sees broken drums drive emotion-heavy chords and bewitching guitar licks over sensual bass, before closing track 'Primrose' sees the album home with a fitting flourish. Here, Naisha's heartfelt vocals sail across an ocean of glassy chords and staccato synths, with kinetically charged congas enlivening the groove as the magnetic bass adds body to the celestial instrumentation.

Louie Vega is launching a trio of Double Pack 12” releases that includes special unreleased versions of select titles from the Expansions In The NYC album project. Each package also features unique customized art by celebrated artist Andrew Thiele who also created the art for the album package as well. Joy Universal and Igobolo (Feelin’ Love) spotlight the profoundly soulful and musical energy that emerges when Louie collaborates with two of the stars of the House Music community namely Josh Milan and Joe Claussell.

AN EXCLUSIVE NEW LABEL DEDICATED TO JAZZ, HARD BOP, R&B AND SOUL MASTERPIECE IN STRICTLY LIMITED CLEAR VINYL EDITION.

Limited Clear Vinyl edition, 500 copies! “Bossa Nova Soul Samba” came as Ike Quebec’s best contribution to the fruitful marriage between Jazz and Brazilian music. Recorded in 1962 and released on Blue Note in the same year. this was Quebec’s final recording before his death in January 1963. A beautiful studio session dominated by Quebec’s tenor sax warm tone and the light and gentle groove provided by Kenny Burrell - guitar, Wendell Marshall - bass, Willie Bobo - drums and Garvin Masseaux - chekere.

AN EXCLUSIVE NEW LABEL DEDICATED TO JAZZ, HARD BOP, R&B AND SOUL MASTERPIECE IN STRICTLY LIMITED CLEAR VINYL EDITION.

Limited Clear Vinyl edition, 500 copies! “Bossa Nova Soul Samba” came as Ike Quebec’s best contribution to the fruitful marriage between Jazz and Brazilian music. Recorded in 1962 and released on Blue Note in the same year. this was Quebec’s final recording before his death in January 1963. A beautiful studio session dominated by Quebec’s tenor sax warm tone and the light and gentle groove provided by Kenny Burrell - guitar, Wendell Marshall - bass, Willie Bobo - drums and Garvin Masseaux - chekere.

AN EXCLUSIVE NEW LABEL DEDICATED TO JAZZ, HARD BOP, R&B AND SOUL MASTERPIECE IN STRICTLY LIMITED CLEAR VINYL EDITION.

Limited Clear Vinyl edition, 500 copies! “Bossa Nova Soul Samba” came as Ike Quebec’s best contribution to the fruitful marriage between Jazz and Brazilian music. Recorded in 1962 and released on Blue Note in the same year. this was Quebec’s final recording before his death in January 1963. A beautiful studio session dominated by Quebec’s tenor sax warm tone and the light and gentle groove provided by Kenny Burrell - guitar, Wendell Marshall - bass, Willie Bobo - drums and Garvin Masseaux - chekere.

James Taylor's best-selling record since 1970's hallmark Sweet Baby James, the triple-platinum JT takes its permanent place as one of the singer's most enduring albums — an affair that gorges on country, blues, and rock styles as well as incisive songwriting. As the pre-eminent singer-songwriter's Columbia debut, it catapulted Taylor back into the limelight and re-established his place as the era's leading-edge folk-rock troubadour.

Sourced from the original analog master tapes and pressed at RTI, Mobile Fidelity's numbered-edition 180g LP possesses a warmth, immediacy, and intimacy absent from other pressings. The singer's comforting voice, breath control, and enchanting guitar lines sound as if they pour right out of the studio control room. Similarly, the splendid array of backing instrumentation is balanced, vivid, and dynamic. Taylor should always sound this realistic, warm, and lively.

More than any other of his records, JT features all sides of Taylor's lyrical persona. Optimistic, content material fills half of the 1977 set while Taylor reveals a darker, moodier identity on a number of songs that keep the 12-track set alternating between shade and light, shadow and sun. He turns romantic and blissful on the touching ballad "There We Are," praises the power of love on "Your Smiling Face," and enchants with the graceful "Secret O'Life."

In addition to channeling domestic bliss, Taylor expresses surprise and cynicism on "Honey Don't Leave L.A.," delves into despair on "Another Grey Morning," and invites sardonic tones on "Bartender's Blues." The result is a complete picture of an extraordinary songwriter and an accurate sketch of the mixed emotions many of us feel when it comes to romance. Taylor's ability to capture deep-seated feelings and set them to lyrical and musical poetry explains why we relate to him on such a meta-level. It's also why his music, including JT, remains timeless.

Taylor doesn't do it all alone. JT benefits from an all-star support cast. Carly Simon and Linda Ronstadt supply background vocals, saxophone great David Sanborn plays the horn, Russ Kunkel mans the percussion, and arranger David Campbell oversees the strings and woodwinds. It's no wonder why many fans consider this gorgeous collection of Laurel Canyon pop-rock Taylor's finest.

Whether you've never heard this record or know it inside and out, this reissue will open your ears to previously hidden details ranging from pedal-steel guitar accents to honky-tonk tonalities. Taylor's funky rhythms, too, gain in stature, as does his command of pace and tempo.