It's a delightfully weird-ass stream-of-consciousness creation, as much influenced by James Brown as Arthur Brown, with elements of Duncan Brown as well and the presence of longtime Bunn associate Pete Brown too, mixing soul horns, acid rock, freakbeat spaciness, jazz, and folk-pop (with elements of country and bluegrass showing up); or, sort of like Van Dyke Parks-meets-Donovan with a side-trip to the Kinks' Muswell Hillbillies sessions - it's not always easy to make out what he's singing, but it all sounds cool and so magnificently laid-back that it seems too easy, low-wattage psychedelia with folk and jazz strains flowing through it where the soul horns aren't honking away; in hindsight, it makes one think of what the Small Faces might've done had they ever finished an LP follow-up to their final completed single, "The Universal," and that's definitely a compliment for those unaware…

Steady Rollin' Bob Margolin really comes into his own with My Blues and My Guitar, his second album for Alligator Records. He still pays homage to his mentor, Muddy Waters, not only through covers but simply through his driving musical style. He blends the familiar ("Rip It Up," "Going Home," "The Same Thing") with unpredictable ("See Me in the Evening," "Drip Drop," "Peace of Mind") in his choice of covers, and he has written a set of originals that are sturdy and memorable. Furthermore, he has loosened up a little bit, bringing some jazzy flourishes to his solos and nuance to his vocals. The result is one of his strongest albums, one that is exciting upon the first listen and rewarding upon repeated plays.

The Tohoku Youth Orchestra, a mixed orchestra of elementary school to university students from Iwate, Miyagi, and Fukushima prefectures, was started by Ryuichi Sakamoto immediately after the Great East Japan Earthquake. As a memorial performance for director Ryuichi Sakamoto, who passed away on March 28 of the previous year, performances in Iwate, March 23, 2024, Miyagi, March 30, and Tokyo on March 31 were held. In addition to Ryuichi Sakamoto’s signature songs “The Last Emperor,” “Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence,” “Aqua,” and “The Sheltering Sky,” which were also performed in his last piano solo concert work “Opus,” he also performed at the opening of the 1992 Barcelona Olympics. Sakamoto wrote “El Mar” for the ceremony. This work is a complete recording of a concert composed entirely of Ryuichi Sakamoto’s songs, including “Mediterrani” and “Japanese Soccer Song”, which is known as one of the anthems of Japanese soccer. Sayuri Yoshinaga and Non participated in the reading corner.

Baroque pop (sometimes called baroque rock) is a fusion genre that combines rock music with particular elements of classical music. It emerged in the mid-1960s as artists pursued a majestic, orchestral sound[4] and is identifiable for its appropriation of Baroque compositional styles (contrapuntal melodies and functional harmony patterns) and dramatic or melancholic gestures. Harpsichords figure prominently, while oboes, French horns, and string quartets are also common.

The six sonatas for violin and obbligato harpsichord BWV 1014–1019 by Johann Sebastian Bach are works in trio sonata form, with the two upper parts in the harpsichord and violin over a bass line supplied by the harpsichord and an optional viola da gamba. Unlike baroque sonatas for solo instrument and continuo, where the realisation of the figured bass was left to the discretion of the performer, the keyboard part in the sonatas was almost entirely specified by Bach. They were probably mostly composed during Bach's final years in Cöthen between 1720 and 1723, before he moved to Leipzig. The extant sources for the collection span the whole of Bach's period in Leipzig, during which time he continued to make changes to the score.

If I don't make it, I love u is Still House Plants' third LP and the fullest embodiment of their sound to date. Where Fast Edit formed with quick attachment and jump cuts, If I don't make it is shaped by persistence - a commitment to the songs that makes the music solid, warmer, and accepted.

Ryuichi Sakamoto masterfully blends a luggage full of orchestrated poetic commentary and sound bits from the 20th century to create a trip of a lifetime. The skillful way he has constructed the methods to expose life's inter meanings and human existence is a huge task to say the least, however with ticket in hand this is one trip you won't forget! The intermingling of a variety of languages, express to the listener the urgency that we are all one planet. From the orchestrated cliffs to the lakeside poets brings a clashing of ideas that can only dissect and create a whirlpool of emotions that brings the listener to experience a total assault on the senses. The operatic and chamber vocals found though out weaves the catalyst to LIFE.

New album of unreleased works for piano and small ensemble, with a special 'gift' from Ryuichi Sakamoto. Pianist, composer, arranger (to cite one of her works among many, for Roberto Vecchioni on the album Chiamami Ancora Amore), conductor in the pop sphere (such as at Sanremo where she won with Marco Carta and Arisa), jazz player when necessary (as in the last tour held together with trumpeter Angelo Olivieri), a student of Einaudi and Piovani, an award-winning composer of soundtracks in Italy and abroad, and above all an eclectic, omnivorous, powerful and subtle musical personality, so much so that she convinced an absolute icon of cultured music, such as Ryuichi Sakamoto, to give her the song Asience, featured on the new album.

Three renowned bandleaders & solo artists of European jazz come together to form a very special trio. What unites them is the love for clear themes, melodies, harmonies, with a strong rhythmic grounding. Qualities that originate in the cool jazz of the 40s and 50s which philosophy the trio continues using the jazz vocabulary of today.

A more succinct and straightforward anthology of the Housemartins than 1988's Now That's What I Call Quite Good!, 2004's The Best of the Housemartins is a 14-track overview that sticks to the basics. While it does not contain the significant BBC sessions, B-sides, and album cuts featured on Quite Good!, it does feature superior sound and all the material (such as "Happy Hour," "Sheep," "The People Who Grinned Themselves to Death," and their cover of the Isley Brothers' "Caravan of Love") that casual fans truly need. Most of the band's biggest fans will tell you, of course, that the two studio albums are absolutely necessary.

Milt Jackson made a number of solo albums during his long tenure with the Modern Jazz Quartet, but this release is one of his best as a leader. With young pianist McCoy Tyner and tenor saxophonist Jimmy Heath, Jackson puts together a great session, kicking off with his hard driving "Sonny's Blues." The leader's percussive but swinging style, plus the potent solos by Tyner and Heath, are all appealing. The only reservation about this CD is the deteriorated condition of the master tape from which it was made; it is rather noticeable on several tracks, though finding a mint copy of the original record is not a viable option for most collectors.

As interesting and fun as the Daevid Allen period was, the name Gong became more meaningful in the context of the music as percussionist Pierre Moerlen assumed the role of bandleader. An emphasis on percussives of all sorts became clear on Gazeuse!, the band's first completely instrumental album, and the music became much jazzier, though never considered jazz. Expresso II finds Pierre Moerlen's Gong at their peak. Like their previous studio release, Gazeuse!, the album is instrumental, the music is very polished, the sound very clean. Vibes and xylophone dominate on this album, somewhat reminiscent of the sound Zappa achieved through Ruth Underwood on One Size Fits All just three years earlier. The first two tracks, "Heavy Tune" and "Golden Dilemma," are the highlights here, partially due to the fact that the rest of the cuts all blend together and sound quite similar…