jazzis kirjoitti noin 19 vuotta sitten (15 kommenttia)

I start the new year with the addition of 2 remarkable albums:

PYLE, PIP / BASH ~ BELLE ILLUSION

Debut album (recorded live) by a new quartet led by the legendary Canterbury drummer Pip Pyle (Hatfield and the North, National Health, Gong, In Cahoots, Soft Heap). This is modern jazz-rock at its best and Pip proves again why he is considered one of the best European drummers. The live recording enables the musicians to stretch out and display their abilities in full. Anything done by this musician is remarkable and worthy repeated listening!

MUFFINS ~ DOUBLE NEGATIVE

2nd album (recorded 2004) by the re-formed (in 1998) legendary US Prog band. As always, they deliver an album full of beautiful compositions and back it up with excellent performances, living up to their legendary status. They add a few guest musicians (brass and strings) to enhance and enrich the overall sound and the emphasis is mostly on the compositions, which vary in style and complexity. A superb musical experience!

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I will expand the catalog as much as possible this year, with both Prog and Jazz additions, all depending on my ability (and your help) to generate sales. I hope this will be an exciting year!

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Many items back in stock!

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The OOAK items are almost completely sold out. The US $ 1.00 price tag sure did the trick and the orders were outstanding. I decided to leave this price till all of them are sold out - not too long now. Orders are still coming in.

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jazzis kirjoitti noin 19 vuotta sitten+/- saldo : 0
Two great Canterbury scene albums added today:

HOPPER, HUGH ~ 1984

Reissue of Hopper`s 1973 brilliant solo album, recorded while he was still with Soft Machine. One of the most important Canterbury scene solo project at the time and very innovative. Hopper uses his unique fuzz bass as well as multiple overdubs and other avant (then) studio technology to create a powerful statement, based on Orwell`s vision of the future. A classic in every sense!

GOWEN, ALAN / HOPPER, HUGH ~ TWO RAINBOWS DAILY

Reissue of a classic 1980 album by two of the Canterbury scene`s greatest musicians - Alan Gowen (keyboards - see National Health, Hatfield & The North and Gilgamesh) and Hugh Hopper (bass - see Soft Machine). This intimate duo recording (using overdubs) displays the talents of the musicians involved to create sophisticated music, melodic and yet complex and fascinating. An absolute must to all Canterbury scene lovers.

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jazzis kirjoitti noin 19 vuotta sitten+/- saldo : 0
Two more Canterbury albums added today:

WYATT, ROBERT ~ SOLAR FLARES BURN FOR YOU

Any new release bringing out historical material by Wyatt is extremely important, and this one really deliveres. It includes two BBC sessions from 1972 and 1974, as well as a previously unheard and little known 1973 soundtrack for a short experimental film, two recent works with old collaborator Hugh Hopper and finally a 2003 home demo of a new song that did not end up on Robert´s release "Cuckooland". Additionally, this CD includes a Quicktime movie of that 1973 film. A package that surely is a must for any Wyatt fan.

HOPPER, HUGH / BAND ~ CAROUSEL

After several live albums, this is the first studio album by this band (recorded 1994 - well not entirely: 3 live tracks from 1993 are also included). This band includes European musicians (mostly Dutch) and plays the jazzy side of Hopper`s compositions, with rock undertones. All the musicians are very experienced and the music flows naturally. Interesting compositions and good performances are all one needs to anjoy an album.

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jazzis kirjoitti noin 19 vuotta sitten+/- saldo : 0
One classic jazz album added today:

COREA, CHICK ~ NOW HE SINGS, NOW HE SOBS

The Blue Note reissue of the 2nd Chick Corea album as a leader recorded in 1968 just weeks before he joined the Miles Davis` group. This is the complete session (13 tracks) as opposed to the original LP which had only 5 tunes on it. Chick`s trio includes the brilliant Czech bassist Miroslav Vitous and the veteran master drummer Roy Haynes. This strong rhythm session enables Chick to stretch out and play his heart out like never before. He moves between tightly structured pieces and more free oriented ones, always playing superbly. 11 of the 13 tunes are composed by Chick, 1 by Monk and only 1 is a standard. This is some of the best American jazz of that period and a classic!

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jazzis kirjoitti noin 19 vuotta sitten+/- saldo : 0
A great DVD added today:

TRAFFIC ~ THE LAST GREAT TRAFFIC JAM

This is one of the best DVDs I have ever seen. It is a document of the 1994 Traffic reunion US tour (75 gigs), with two original Traffic members: Steve Winwood and Jim Capaldi supported by four younger, but extremely skilful musicians (and legendary guitarist Jerry Garcia on one track). They play all the classic Traffic material, but rather than trying to imitate the sound from the past they carefully re-arranged it for the 1990's, still keeping the original charm. The music is of course heavenly; both veterans are in very good shape and perform brilliantly. The DVD is well edited, with short behind-the-scene inserts and great camera work on stage. In short: absolutely lovely. I wish more DVD material was of this quality and class. The DVD also includes a bonus CD EP with some studio material recorded while on tour. Watching this actually made me think that this is one of the very few tours I regret missing.

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MANY items back in stock!

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Some OOAK items still left at the US $ 1.00 price tag. You really should not miss those!

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Club Members - your orders please, 2006 is here ;)

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jazzis kirjoitti noin 19 vuotta sitten+/- saldo : 0
A new and excellent Israeli Prog album today:

SYMPOZION ~ KUNDABUFFER

Excellent debut album (recorded 2005) by the Israeli Prog group Sympozion, which has been around since about 5 years, but only recently released their first recording. They play a unique music, heavily influenced by a variety of Prog classics, but also other influences like RIO and classical music. The album is almost entirely instrumental, with just a few minor vocal passages in Hebrew. The two guitarists and keyboards provide plenty of interesting solos and the rhythm section is solid and inventive. The sound is exceptional (the album was engineered Udi Koomran). It is heartwarming to see Sympozion joining the ranks of several other new Israeli Prog groups in a surge of creativity, placing the country well on the genre`s map.

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Many items back in stock!

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jazzis kirjoitti noin 19 vuotta sitten+/- saldo : 0
Two fascinating Israeli additions today:

Please note that the Shlomo Mizrachi albums was released in 300 copies only!!!

MIZRACHI, SHLOMO ~ FENDERICA ONE

Although Shlomo Mizrachi is undoubtedly the greatest Israeli rock guitarist, he remains relatively unknown due to unfortunate turns in his career. The two groups he headed in the 1970`s - Electric Stage and The Cape Of Good Hope - never properly recorded or released albums. Some of his extraordinary guitar playing can be heard on the two Danny Ben-Israel albums, but that is about it. Therefore Shlomo`s decision to unearth various sessions he recorded over the years and release them on CD is a most welcome and festive occasion. The first album in this series ("Fenderica" is the name of his guitar - not difficult to guess the manufacturer) compiles his recordings made between 1975 and 1982, mostly in Europe with European musicians. The music and his guitar work are absolutely stunning and this is an incredible piece of history of Israeli rock. An absolute must for any fan of Israeli music, especially people who like the Churchils.
Individually numbered Limited Edition of 300

SAJRAWY, MICHEL ~ YATHRIB

What a fantastic album! Michel Sajrawy is an Arab Christian, born in Nazareth. In 1995 he moved to London and devoted himself entirely to music. He is deeply rooted in the Middle Eastern music but expanded his musical horizons to include jazz and contemporary classical music. He is regarded as an extremely gifted guitarist, composer and arranger. This is his debut album, for which he composed all the music. It is breathtakingly beautiful, a fusion os Middle East and West, with delicate and masterly guitar work by the leader and excellent support by his band and guest musicians. Imagine McLaughlin`s Shakti, but swap Indian music for Middle Eastern music. The people on the album include Muslims, Christians and Jews - a true amalgam of influences, religions and a beautiful proof of music transcendenting cultural and even political differences. Superb!

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jazzis kirjoitti noin 19 vuotta sitten+/- saldo : 0
Although little known outside its native country, Finnish jazz is one of the most important and advanced in the world. Finland is a wonderfully musical country with an extraordinary contribution to the global music scene; way beyond what one might expect from a country this size. Finland has probably the highest recorded music output per-capita. Finns have excelled in contemporary classical music, Progressive Rock and of course jazz, and much of this sublime music was released in the early 1970`s on the small Finnish record label called Love Records. Lucky for us all of those wonderful albums are being slowly reissued by the label in excellent remastered quality. I already have on my site most of the Prog material released on Love Records, and now I start to add the jazz releases. So here we go:

AALTONEN, JUHANI ~ ETIQUETTE

Debut album (recorded 1974) by one of the greatest European jazz players - Finnish virtuoso Juhani Aaltonen. The album presents Aaltonen`s incredible range of instruments: tenor and alto saxophones and a wide selection of flutes, all of which he handles with exquisite elegance and total control. The settings vary from solo to quintet and the music is European free jazz - intelligent, sophisticated, provocative and beautifully structured. Other superb Finnish musicians, including the legendary Edward Vesala on drums and the divine Pekka Sarmanto, who is (for me) one of the best bass players on this planet, accompany the leader. This music is typical of European free jazz in the early 1970`s, when cross-country cooperation flourished. Aaltonen and Vesala were used to play with German, Polish and other European musicians, swapping influences, ideas and cultural backgrounds and creating a new amalgam of the jazz Art Form, which was aeons ahead of its time and remains the most advanced
achievement of the genre to this day. This album is an absolute must for people with two ears and any substance between them.

AALTONEN, JUHANI / DONNER, OTTO ~ STRINGS

Don`t let the album`s title fool you - this is by no means one of those sugary "jazz & strings" albums - no way. This is a masterpiece created by Finland`s greatest jazz player - Aaltonen - and greatest jazz composer / arranger - Donner, designed as an exercise in "easy listening". Of course the "easy listening" those two gentlemen create is anything but easy! Donner composed a series of compositions, which serve as a basis for Aaltonen`s beautiful improvisations. The "background" music is performed by some of the best Finnish jazzmen at the time, including Esko Linnavalli on electric piano and Esko Rosnell on drums, with intricate string arrangements. Aaltonen plays "on top" of these compositions, sometimes very melodically, sometimes quite freely, with a wonderful passion and superb zest. This is heavenly music, which remains with you for lifetime and unveils new layers of pleasure every time.

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All Love Records albums are back in stock (including Pekka Pohjola)!

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jazzis kirjoitti noin 19 vuotta sitten+/- saldo : 0
More Finnish jazz delights:

DONNER, OTTO / TREATMENT ~ EN SOISI SEN PÄÄTTYVÄN

Finns have not only great respect for their musicians, but also for their poets and therefore they produced a large body of work where music and poetry are combined. This is one of such projects for which the composer / arranger Otto Donner created music to poems by Pentti Saarikoski to be performed by a vocal group and jazz ensemble. Recorded in 1970, this excellent example of Finnish jazz includes some of the best players on the local scene at the time (Juhani Aaltonen - tenor sax & flute, Esko Rosnell - drums, a.m.o.). Donner plays trumpet & vibes and directs the whole project. The music is typical European jazz of the period, melodic but complex and constantly surprising. The composer also cleverly includes shades of Finnish folk music in the background of the compositions. The album includes 18 short pieces, all quite different, but flowing naturally into one coherent suite. The group vocals resemble the European vocal jazz tradition as demonstrated by the French group Le Double
Six or Novi Singers from Poland. Sublime music for people with highly developed and sensitive taste glands.

VESALA, EDWARD ~ RODINA

For almost four decades, until his untimely death in 1999, Edward Vesala was one the leaders of the European jazz scene with dozens of recordings to his credit (as leader and sideman). His phenomenal talent as a drummer, composer, bandleader and trendsetter made him a pivotal figure and his status was truly legendary. This 1976 recording is one of the highlights of his illustrious career. It is a suite for a large jazz ensemble, which incorporates modern jazz idioms with Eastern European folk motifs. Vesala collected for this project the creme de la creme of the Finnish jazz scene, with such illustrious names as Juhani Aaltonen (sax & flute), Esa Helasvuo (piano), Pekka Sarmanto (bass) and two phenomenal Polish jazz musicians: Tomasz Stanko (trumpet) and Tomasz Szukalski (sax), with whom he played many times before in the Polish / Finnish quartet. The vocal talents of the Irina Milan are also featured on some tracks. The music is truly majestic, floating constantly between melodic
themes, solos by the individual instrumentalists and group improvisations. It leaves the listener awestruck and humble, following a larger then life soundtrack of wonders. A modern jazz icon and an absolute must in any decent jazz collection.

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jazzis kirjoitti noin 19 vuotta sitten+/- saldo : 0
The Finnish frenzy continues:

KOIVISTOINEN, EERO ~ THE FRONT IS BREAKING

Apart from Edward Vesala, Koivistoinen is probably the most well known Finnish jazz musician outside of his native country, due to his US residency and numerous recordings around the world. Deeply influenced by John Coltrane, he started his jazz adventure playing free jazz in cahoots with Edward Vesala and Pekka Sarmanto as early as 1964 (which was about the time European free jazz was developing fiercely). Later on he moved away from free jazz and concentrated more on structured and carefully composed music. By the time this album was recorded in 1976, the jazz world was deeply involved in the jazz / rock fusion explosion, following Miles Davis' pioneering work in the field and later on groups like John McLaughlin's Mahavishnu Orchestra. Inspired by these developments, Koivistoinen decided to record a fusion album, for which he composed the music. The carefully assembled a dreamy combo to record the music, in which he gathered the best Scandinavian musicians from both the jazz and
Progressive Rock genres, including Esko Rosnell (drums) and Olli Ahvenlahti (piano) - Finland / jazz, Jukka Tolonen (guitar - Tasavallan Presidentti) and Pekka Pohjola (bass - Wigwam) - Finland / Prog and Wlodek Gulkowski (keyboards) and Georg Wadenius (guitar - Blood, Sweat & Tears) --Sweden (well Gulkowski was a Polish refugee) / fusion. The result is surely one of the best, most sophisticated and musically uplifting fusion albums ever recorded and an absolute must for any fan of the genre. This was to be the only fusion album Koivistoinen would record, as he returned to "pure" jazz soon after.

KOSKINEN, MIKE ~ SUNWEBS

Like most of his countrymen jazz masters Mike Koskinen started his jazz apprenticeship by playing free jazz on the burgeoning Finnish scene with musicians like Edward Vesala, Seppo Paakkunainen, Eero Koivistoinen and Heikki Sarmanto. His excellent trumpet technique and tone (obviously influenced by Miles Davis) made him a welcome guest at the many jam sessions in Helsinki jazz clubs and recording sessions. In the early 1970's Koskinen went to the US to study jazz at the Berklee College of Music (inspired by Heikki Sarmanto, who also attended that school). Upon his return to Finland in 1975, he gathered some of the best local musicians to form a Quintet and record his debut album as a leader. The players include the excellent sax player Pekka Pצyry, drummer Reino Laine and pianist Vladimir Shafranov (one of several Eastern European jazz refugees living in Finland). Old buddy Juhani Aaltonen (and other musicians) guests on two tunes. All the music was written by Koskinen and can
be best described as post-Coltrane hard-bop with distinct Art Blakey / Miles Davis / Wayne Shorter influences, but as always with European jazz it is more intricate and incorporates slight folk motifs into the jazz tapestry. The melodies are memorable and the musicians change tempo and mood to fit the atmosphere of the tune at hand with masterly sensitivity. A great jazz album for all seasons!

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jazzis kirjoitti noin 19 vuotta sitten+/- saldo : 0
One more Finnish album and a new Israeli album added today:

LIEVONEN, MAKE ~ MAKE LIEVONEN

Debut album by Finnish bass player and composer Make Lievonen recorded in 1977. Heavily influenced by Weather Report, Lievonen wrote the music for this album to reflect the jazz / rock fusion experience to the extreme. Based on the sax / keyboards interplay (as in WR), but less funky, the emphasis here is strongly on the wonderful atmospheric compositions, which are truly awe-inspiring. The best Finnish jazz players take part on this project, with Pekka Pצyry handling the sax parts, Olli Ahvenlahti the keyboard parts and Esko Rosnell in charge of the drums. In addition guitarist Juha Bjצrninen adds some nifty solos, being in charge of the rocky part of the music. Sax / flute player Pentii Lahti, moog player Esa Kotilainen and several other superb musician participate on same tracks. Imagine the energy and virtuosity of US fusion bands combined with the European genius to compose uplifting and intricate melody lines and you can imagine how this album sounds. An absolute
must to any fusion fan around the globe!

OFRIN ~ RUST & VELVET

Ofrin is Ofri Brin, a young and promising Israeli singer and Oded K.dar, a young and gifted Israeli composer. This is their debut album and they co-wrote the material. The album was recorded in Berlin (where they now reside) with Israeli and German musicians. When I first listened to this album I could hardly believe my ears - I have not heard such quality of music made by Israeli musicians in a very long time. The music is just breathtaking - dark and complex, yet splendidly melodic and fascinating. Ofri possesses an incredible sensuous deep voice, which she uses skillfully to match the mood of the music. Her vocal range is perhaps a little limited, but that does not limit her ability to express the lyrics with rare sensibility. She sings in English, without any trace of a foreign accent, which is very rare among Israeli vocalists. Having said all that, the forte of the album is definitely the music. It is mostly beyond classification, changing constantly between jazz, alternative
rock, progressive rock and even contemporary classical. Some songs have intimate brass and string ensemble arrangements, which emphasize the mood perfectly and the general level of musicianship is excellent all the way. I only wish this album will be a huge success for the two young and gifted people, but unfortunately I must say (from a vast experience in these matters) that it is definitely much too good to be successful. I can hardly wait for their next album!

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jazzis kirjoitti noin 19 vuotta sitten+/- saldo : 0
The last two (so far) Finnish jazz additions:

AHVENLAHTI, OLLI ~ BANDSTAND

Debut album by the brilliant Finnish keyboards player, recorded in 1975. Ahvenlahti studied music at the Helsinki Sibelius Academy and later at the Berklee College of Music in Boston. Upon his return to Finland, he formed a superb quintet with Swedish trumpeter Bertil Lצfgren and Finnish jazz masters - Pekka Pצyry (sax), Pekka Sarmanto (bass) and Esko Rosnell (drums) - and recorded this debut album, for which he wrote all the music. Strongly influenced by the jazz / rock and jazz / funk movements, he masterly incorporated those influences with European melody lines, creating a set of wonderfully melodic and yet beautifully swinging tunes, performed with taste and gusto by the quintet. The album flows easily, although the music is anything but trivial. For people who love melodic jazz, masterly executed, this album will prove a continuous source of pleasure for years.

AHVENLAHTI, OLLI ~ THE POET

Recorded just a year later (1976) after his debut album, this album continues where the previous one left off. Ahvenlahti wrote all the music and the beautiful arrangements. The trumpet player is now the Finn Markku Johansson and the line up was extended to a nonet, including the master sax player Eero Koivistoinen, Bertil Strandberg on trombone and a couple of percussion players. This expanded line-up allows for more advanced brass arrangements and more soloing by the players. The mood is still very "cool", with gorgeous melodies and pulsating rhythms. In years the album has become a classic and young Finnish jazz musicians studied it as a model for their own jazz development. Thirty years after it was recorded, this sound today every bit as fresh and inspiring as it was at the time of its release. A must!

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jazzis kirjoitti noin 19 vuotta sitten+/- saldo : 0
Two new DVDs added today from the "Live From London" series:

TWELFTH NIGHT ~ LIVE FROM LONDON

Filmed in 1984, this is a rare document of the early days of Neo-Prog, which owes its existence to a small group of bands, including Twefth Night (the others were IQ, Pallas and Marillion). This excellently recorded and filmed material presents the group with their second vocalist Andy Sears, just after the release of their live album "Live And Let Live". Sears replaced Geoff Mann, who was the bands front man for several years and was a large part of their success. Two years later (1986) they were to record their only studio album "Art And Illusion" (on Virgin Records) and then split a few month later in 1987. Since there is so very little material available from this band, this is a most welcome addition to their legacy.

WHITE, SNOWY ~ LIVE FROM LONDON

Filmed in 1984, this is an excellent and unusual performance by the great UK blues guitarist, who came to fame playing with Pink Floyd and Peter Green. This DVD took me by surprise, as White plays an excellent set in almost fusion style. His guitar playing remains bluesy, but the backup group is very fusion oriented - the result works very well and they all play their hearts out. That Gibson sound! - Unbeatable delight.

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jazzis kirjoitti noin 19 vuotta sitten+/- saldo : 0
One sensational item added today:

CRIMSON JAZZ TRIO ~ KING CRIMSON SONGBOOK VOL.1

This is a perfect marriage of two of my favorite worlds: Jazz and Prog. The piano trio was always my jazz vehicle of choice, as it is ideal to provide both the improvisational and rhythmic jazz qualities. The music of the legendary Prog band King Crimson was always right on top of my preferred music. The Crimson Jazz Trio combines both of these preferences perfectly. Jody Nardone (piano), Tim Landers (bass) and ex-KC Ian Wallace (drums) take the music of KC places, which were unimaginable so far - far into the land of swing (I wander if anybody could have imagined the music of KC in that setting before). The players shine and sweat from the onset to the very last note, full of imagination, brilliant technique and intelligent interplay. The sound is perfect as well, with clear definition of sound, which enables the entire range of the piano to sound balanced and the drum kit (from bass drum to hi-hat) to be perfectly audible. I can only join Robert Fripp in his reaction to this
masterpiece: "Can't wait for Vol.2"!

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MANY items back in stock!

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jazzis kirjoitti noin 19 vuotta sitten+/- saldo : 0
Finally the first four Steve Hackett remasters are here, with superb bonus tracks and booklets:

HACKETT, STEVE ~ VOYAGE OF THE ACOLYTE

1st album (recorded 1975) released while Hackett was still a member of Genesis. Considered by many as one of the best Prog albums of all times and an absolute classic. John is supported by fellow Genesis members (Collins & Rutherford), his brother John and Sally Oldfield on vocals. A concept album of sorts pointing to the direction Hackett will take in his solo career.

HACKETT, STEVE ~ PLEASE DON`T TOUCH

2nd album (recorded 1978) and the first after he left Genesis in 1977. Although quite different from the debut `Acolyte` and more song oriented, this is still a splendid example of Hackett`s talents as player and composer. A plethora of guesting stars spice the album with their additions and the result is altogether excellent.

HACKETT, STEVE ~ SPECTRAL MORNINGS

3rd album (recorded 1979). With time Hackett turns more and more introvert and plays more acoustic guitar, whch is soon to become his main instrument. Beautifully crafted melodies and delicate arrangements make this album another success for this greatly talented musician. A must for all Hackett fans.

HACKETT, STEVE ~ DEFECTOR

4th album (recorded 1980). Typical Hackett material with superb guitar playing in addition to support from his brother on flute and other master musicians. By this time Hackett established his unique voicing and the position of a Prog icon. Although some critics describe this album as one of his lesser acheivements, it is still a great Prog record and Steve`s fans surely would like it in their collection.

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jazzis kirjoitti noin 19 vuotta sitten+/- saldo : 0
This is the last addition for this month:

MOVE ~ MESSAGE FROM THE COUNTRY

4th and last album (recorded 1971) by one of the most interesting UK rock groups. The band did not mean to record this album and it was recorded only to fulfill the contractual obligation (as happened in very many cases). It was in fact recorded in parallel to the next venture, for which they were headed (lead by Jeff Lynne) - the Electric Light Orchestra (or ELO). Intended or not, this was in many respects the best and most complex album thy created. Lacking any chart hits, the album concentrates on subtle compositions and as usual a lot of the typical zany humor they always used as a tool to emphasize the message. The music includes elements of Psychedelica, jazz, and rock, all intermixed wonderfully. This remains an essential album for all Move fans and fans of the later work by Roy Wood.

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January was a record month as far as new additions, but pretty miserable as far as sales are concerned. Post Christmas holes in people's pockets must have had much to do with that I suppose. I certainly hope February will be much better ;)

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