Jasper van 't Hof - Eyeball (1974) {2015 Japan Timeless Jazz Master Collection Complete Series}
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© 1974, 2015 Timeless Records / Solid Records Japan / Ultra-Vibe | CDSOL-6397
Jazz / Post Bop / Modern Post Bebop / Fusion / Jazz Funk / Keyboards

Reissue with the latest remastering. Features original cover artwork. A really nice mix of modes from keyboardist Jasper Van'T Hof – as some cuts feature the heavy electric modes we know from his MPS recordings of the 70s – but others feature a much more personal approach on acoustic piano! As with other records from the time, Jasper plays a range of keyboards here – from piano to Fender Rhodes to organ – and the group shifts a bit from track to track, depending on the mood – and features Wim Overgaauw on guitar, John Lee on bass, Zbigniew Seifert on violin, and Gerry Brown on drums. Lee and Brown kick in heavily on the jamming cuts, but lay back more on the mellower ones.

Zartong were a quartet of Armenian musicians who moved to France and released a self-titled debut album before promptly vanishing in the late 70's, and a fascinating and unpredictable prog curio it turned out to be! A mostly instrumental work that jumps in all sorts of directions, prominent spacey synth-driven symphonic prog moments suddenly give way to plentiful folk interludes and Turkish flavoured diversions, electronic ambience, Zeuhl weirdness, jazz-fusion fire and poppier vocal breaks (not to mention some dreaded yet unsurprising light disco elements due to the era it arrived in!). The album has a distinctive and very unique sound due to two of the musicians playing a santour (an Iranian instrument similar to a zither) and a kamancha, a type of oriental violin.

Steeped in the sounds of classic blues, soul, and rock & roll from the '50s and '60s, Vintage Trouble fuse the style of the past with the swagger and cool of the present day, and have won a devoted fan following in the United States and the United Kingdom with their passionate live show. Vintage Trouble were formed in 2010 by vocalist Ty Taylor, guitarist Nalle Colt, bassist Rick Barrio Dill, and drummer Richard Danielson, all of whom were living in Los Angeles, California at the time. Taylor had previously worked with the bands Dakota Moon, Camp Freddy, and Ghosthounds, and was a contestant on the music competition series Rock Star: INXS.

The eponymous debut album from YouTube sensation and America's Got Talent quarterfinalist Lindsey Stirling – the colorful and uncommonly spirited classical, hip-hop, rock, country, modern dance, and Legend of Zelda/Elder Scrolls-loving violinist – features ten original tracks that dutifully reflect all of those aforementioned styles and influences with moxie to spare. Propelled by the engaging electronic and dubstep-infused single "Crystallize," which yielded 11 million views in less than two months when it was released in its video form in early 2012, Stirling's debut carves out a unique new niche in the classical crossover genre.

John Lee & Gerry Brown - Bamboo Madness (1974) {2015 Japan Timeless Jazz Master Collection Complete Series}
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© 1974, 2015 Limetree / Timeless Records / Solid Records Japan / Ultra-Vibe | CDSOL-6419
Jazz / Neo Bop / Fusion / Drums / Bass / Flute

Reissue with the latest remastering and the original cover artwork. Comes with a description written in Japanese. A sweet 70s set from the ultra-hip rhythm duo of bassist John Lee and drummer Gerry Brown – working here in a European setting with loads of great reed work to support the "bamboo" vibe of the title! Flute player Chris Hinze blows both bamboo and regular flute – and the feel of the set is like some of his excellent fusion dates from the same time – but the record also has lots of great work from Gary Bartz on alto and soprano sax, plus some keyboards from Hubert Eaves and Jasper Van'T Hof – two very different players who balance out the mood nicely. Some tracks are full-on fusion, but they're offset by mellower, more introspective passages – of the sort that really let the reed players come out strongly – and titles include "Jua", "Rise On", "Who Can See The Shadow Of The Moon", "Infinite Jones", and "Deliverance".

Returning to action after four years of solo projects, Roxy Music redefined its sound and agenda on Manifesto. More than ever, Roxy sounds like Bryan Ferry's backing band, as the group strips away its art rock influences, edits out the instrumental interludes in favor of concise pop songs, and adds layers of stylish disco rhythms…

Ludwig van Beethoven’s first printed work was a set of variations – published in 1783 when he was only twelve years old – and his final keyboard composition was the massive set of thirty-three variations on a theme by Anton Diabelli, composed almost four decades later. Not counting the several movements in variation form included in the sonatas, his twenty-one sets of piano variations thus trace a line of development in his production, parallel to those formed by the 32 piano sonatas or the 16 string quartets.

The distinctive cry of Sokratis Sinopoulos’ Constantinople lyra has previously been heard on ECM recordings of Eleni Karaindrou (The Weeping Meadow, Elegy of the Uprooting, Medea) and Charles Lloyd/Maria Farantouri (Athens Concert). The Athens-born Sinopoulos has played a key role in the revival of interest in the lyra in Greece, both in traditional music contexts and in the shaping of new music. Sinopoulos’s reflective compositions and yearning ballads on Eight Winds cede the central melodic role to the lyra, sensitively supported by the piano of Yann Keerim and the subtle bass and drums of Dimitris Tsekouras and Dimitris Emmanuel.

Mike Nock - Piano Solos (1978) {2015 Japan Timeless Jazz Master Collection Complete Series}
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© 1978, 2015 Timeless Records / Solid Records Japan / Ultra-Vibe | CDSOL-6415
Jazz / Post Bop / Neo Bop / Piano

Reissue with the latest remastering and the original cover artwork. Comes with a description written in Japanese. Beautiful solo work from pianist Mike Nock – a set that's got some of the dark edges and dynamic energy of Nock's previous 70s recordings – but an album that also shows some newly lyrical elements as well! Some passages have Mike hitting the keys with the sort of frenzied creation he reached on fusion recordings – but with wonderful results on the acoustic piano – and other moments have this enhanced sense of melody that makes for very beautiful, expressive passages – maybe a touch more sentiment than the younger Nock would have allowed himself, but never in a way that's soppy or overdone. The balance in these modes is great – and reminds us that Nock can be equally compelling a solo performer as he is in a group – on titles that include "Enchanted Garden", "Polyhedron", "Fallen Angel", "California Country Song", "Soliloquy", and "Jacanori".

B.B. King - "Here's One You Didn't Know About": from the RPM & Kent Vaults (2015) {Ace Records CDTOP1457 rec 1954-1962}
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© 1954-62, 2015 Modern Records / Ace Records | CDTOP 1457
Blues / Modern Electric Blues / Soul Blues / Early R&B / Memphis Blues

The great bluesman B.B. King, who died in 2015, was one of the few artists whose every note was of interest. This 25-track CD of mostly previously unissued recordings are drawn from his sessions for Modern Records between 1954 and 1962. Be Careful Baby is a rare thing a B.B. King song that has never been released before in any version, while two tracks appeared on Ace's 2014 RPM compilation Speak Easy. The version of Catfish Blues is from a completely different session to the familiar issued version and from B.B.'s commentary appears to be the version he played on the road. There are many comments from B.B. and the band which provide an insight into the recording process and B.B.'s relaxed and informal manner in the studio. The CD ends with a previous unheard interview, recorded backstage at the Fillmore Ballroom in San Francisco with radio station KSAY at the 10/10 spot on your dial. All tracks are from the original master tapes.

Barry is blues royalty; a true legend among blues drummers and connoisseurs. Thus, his name "the Baron of the Blues," as musicians often introduce him, is a perfect fit with his real name, Baron. Barry's playing personifies the quintessential blues-based drummer: a deep pocket, tight groove and supportive agility. Barry spent years touring with Shemekia Copeland on a myriad of domestic and international tours. Before that, he toured for years with her father, the legendary Johnny Copeland.

Wily Bo Walker teams up again with Grammy Award winning musician and arranger, Danny Flam, to produce this collection of blues, rock & soul featuring many talented musicians from both sides of the Atlantic! Wily Bo Walker is a solo artist, songwriter, composer and performer noted for his characterful vocals and swaggering 'live' performances. Renowned as being a diverse and prolific artist and hailing originally from Glasgow, Scotland, Wily Bo works across many styles and genres; blues, rock, soul, swamp, alternative, soundtrack and jazz. Wily Bo Walker has released a trilogy of albums for 2015, the latest of which, ‘Moon Over Indigo’, sees him working once again with multiple Grammy Award winning musician and arranger, Danny Flam.