Legendary vibist Bobby Hutcherson delivers an attractive collection on this, his first recording for the Verve label. Accompanied by an all-star lineup, it's Hutcherson himself who raises Skyline to a level above the average straight-ahead jazz jam, but he is obviously inspired by his young bandmates. Alto saxman Kenny Garrett is especially impressive here. Highlights include a "Delilah" played in a relaxed, slow groove; a beautiful reading of Herbie Hancock's "Chan's Song"; and a lovely piano/vibes duet on the Hutcherson original "Candle." In addition, the opening "Who's Got You" features fine interplay between Hutcherson and Garrett, and smokin' solos from the whole crew, while the arrangement of "I Only Have Eyes for You" takes that warhorse far beyond the mundane place where it usually resides.

A great combo from Mannheim, Germany, also known as Joy & The Hit Kids. They were mixing jazz-rock, krautrock, funk, soul, pop and psychedelic rock, with Hans W. Herkenne (drums, percussion), Albin Metz (trumpet, bass), Roland Heck (organ, piano, vibes, marimba, percussion, vocals), Dieter Kindl (bass, guitar, percussion), Gerd Köthe (saxophone, flute), Klaus Nagel (guitar, woodwind, percussion, flute) and Hans Lingenfelder (guitar). Led by extraordinary vocal skills of female singer Joy Fleming, the band released their debut 'Overground'in 1970 (released under the name 'Turbulence' in UK and 'Joy Unlimited' in the US). Their second album, 'Schmetterlinge' (which means 'Butterflies' in German) along with the debut is the most representative band's material, and certainly worth checking.

Oliver Lieb was particularly influential via the first wave of European club trance that emerged in the 1990's, the melodic and more accessible cousin of techno… and the distinctive futuristic, techy quality of his trance productions also carries over into his downtempo and ambient albums, relatively few in number but exceptionally high in quality. "Constellation" (1993) was his first ambient album release. The title certainly makes explicit the deep space and sci-fi themes but the music itself is sophisticated and understated. The fourteen minute "Dimension X" is an absolutely gorgeous cosmic hymn with exquisitely layered melodic loops in the best Berlin-school ambient tradition and executed with a feather-soft touch. This stunningly accomplished track alone makes the album worth having.

It's hard to believe that the Cure could release an album even more sparse than Three Imaginary Boys, but here's the proof. The lineup change that saw funkstery bassist Michael Dempsey squeezed out in favor of the more specific playing of (eventually the longest serving member outside Robert Smith) Simon Gallup, and the addition of keyboardist Mathieu Hartley resulted in the band becoming more rigid in sound, and more disciplined in attitude. While it is not the study in loss that Faith would become, or the descent into madness of Pornography, it is a perfect precursor to those collections. In a sense, Seventeen Seconds is the beginning of a trilogy of sorts, the emptiness that leads to the questioning and eventual madness of the subsequent work…

Lonnie Brooks in his jukebox bluesman mode, playing the hits of the day for an appreciative crowd at one of Chicago's legendary blues joints. First issued on the European Black Magic label, the set captures his showmanship effectively as he attacks "You Don't Have to Go," "Sweet Little Angel," "Hide Away," and Johnnie Taylor's soul workout "Who's Making Love." Even in 1968, he was stockpiling originals - a rocking "Shakin' Little Mama" and a distinctive "The Train & the Horse" are all his.

It's been four long years since British composer and saxophonist John Surman issued a new recording for his longtime home label, ECM. In a loose way, The Spaces in Between is the mirror image of 2003's Free and Equal, recorded with drummer Jack DeJohnette and the London Brass (though that record was a mirror of the first teaming of Surman with his longtime collaborator, double bassist Chris Laurence and the then-new Trans4mation String Quartet). Surman has been writing, arranging for, and performing with Trans4mation since that time. Whereas Coruscating was far more formal in structure, and its textures and colorings plotted in advance, here there are more opportunities for the strings to improvise and add more freely to the mix…

An all-instrumental group that mixed prog metal and jazz fusion with the more ethereal sounds of King Crimson, Gordian Knot was the project of bassist/stick player/keyboardist Sean Malone with several collaborators including guitarist Trey Gunn of King Crimson and former Cynic drummer Sean Reinert. Gordian Knot also included guitarists Ron Jarzombek and Glenn Snelwar. As well as playing atmospheric and heavy progressive music, the group also experimented on their eponymous debut with Eastern-influenced pieces. Malone soon began working on a sequel with a whole new roster of prog rock guests, including former Genesis guitarist Steve Hackett and former Yes drummer Bill Bruford.

An acclaimed master of the synthesizer, a highly talented multi-instrumentalist and an innovative producer, Phil Thornton is very much a leading light amongst the futuristic and visionary musicians of the New Age. His adventurous and seductive compositions ring out with a tremendous 'journey' quality, evoking rich exotic soundscapes.
From Another Sky (1988). Phil's musical mastery evokes scenes and visions from another dimension, a world that combines a hypnotic equilibrium with unexpected glimpses of sheer beauty and revelation. From Another Sky is delightfully expressive and pleasurable, being at once tantalisingly sensual and intimately restful. Spirals of multi-layered musical textures of harp, oboes, guitar and keyboards subtly entrance the senses with their sparkling clarity. This is a genuinely unforgettable venture deep into the realm of spiritual beauty…

As part of the celebrations of the 40th Anniversary of ABBA wining the Eurovision Song Contest, Universal Music are proud to present a new 3CD 40th anniversary ABBA Gold release. Disc 1 and 2 is a comprehensive collection of ABBAs hits, including the likes of Waterloo, Dancing Queen and The Winner Takes It All; whilst disc 3 includes a selection of Golden rarities.

Finnish frontrunners of icy melodic death metal Wolfheart have proven themselves to be one of metal's most captivating acts of northern heritage and one of the fastest rising bands in the international melodic death metal scene. Over the course of their career, the band has remained relentless with the release of their highly acclaimed 6 full-lengths, gaining massive praise from fans and press alike with their wintery tales of battle and triumph. The new album, "Draconian Darkness", picked up right where Wolfheart left off. Taking every aspect of their trademark sound of colossal melodies, growling vocals and driving drum rhythms to searing new levels. "Draconian Darkness" is showcasing what Wolfheart's music is known for: deep, dark, and beautiful melodies combined with powerful and raw energy.

A real gem from that key moment in Japanese fusion when some of the nation's best artists were hopping over to the American scene - cutting records like this, which often beat the American soul fusion scene at its own game - thanks to the help of a big array of all-star players! Masayoshi Takanaka plays guitar solos throughout, but also gets some help from Lee Ritenour on the electric strings - in a group that also has arrangements from Greg Adams of Tower Of Power, who brings in the rest of the TOP horns too - plus keyboards from Patrice Rushen, bass from Chuck Rainey, and drums from the great Harvey Mason - a rhythm combo that really keeps things groovy throughout. There's two vocal tracks on the set - which feature work from Jim Gilstrap, Maxi Anderson, and The Waters.

In Search of The Lost Chord (1968). "In Search of the Lost Chord" is the album on which the Moody Blues discovered drugs and mysticism as a basis for songwriting and came up with a compelling psychedelic creation, filled with songs about Timothy Leary and the astral plane and other psychedelic-era concerns. They dumped the orchestra this time out in favor of Mike Pinder's Mellotron, which was a more than adequate substitute, and the rest of the band joined in with flutes, sitar, tablas, and cellos, the playing of which was mostly learned on the spot. The whole album was one big experiment to see how far the group could go with any instruments they could find, thus making this album a rather close cousin to the Beatles' records of the same era…

Going by the title, the Retro: Active series from Canada's Hi-Bias label sounds like it could be a nightmare of new wave and '80s-alternative singles remixed by modern producers to put a new spin on old favorites. Thankfully, the label has simply plucked extended versions and remixes from previously existing 12" singles - like the ones you might have sitting in your closet, or the ones you heard in clubs or even on the radio.
A-ha, Erasure, The Cure, Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark, Alphaville, Duran Duran, INXS, New Order, Peter Schilling and many more.

The Kink Kontroversy was a considerable leap forward in terms of quality, but it pales next to Face to Face, one of the finest collections of pop songs released during the '60s. Conceived as a loose concept album, Face to Face sees Ray Davies' fascination with English class and social structures flourish, as he creates a number of vivid character portraits. Davies' growth as a lyricist coincided with the Kinks' musical growth. Face to Face is filled with wonderful moments, whether it's the mocking Hawaiian guitars of the rocker "Holiday in Waikiki," the droning Eastern touches of "Fancy," the music hall shuffle of "Dandy," or the lazily rolling "Sunny Afternoon." And that only scratches the surface of the riches of Face to Face, which offers other classics like "Rosy Won't You Please Come Home," "Party Line," "Too Much on My Mind," "Rainy Day in June," and "Most Exclusive Residence for Sale," making the record one of the most distinctive and accomplished albums of its time.

This 14-song collection, consisting of tracks recorded on July 12, 1951, and October 25, 1952, completely transforms the landscape where Robert Nighthawk's music is concerned. Up to now, apart from seeking out his prewar, unamplified work as Robert Lee McCoy (or McCullum) on Bluebird or grabbing a few tracks from some Chess reissues, there hasn't been a lot of Robert Nighthawk in one place. Now there are 14 hard-rocking tracks, cut for United Records in Chicago and showing Nighthawk in his prime and loving it, playing a mean slide underneath some boldly provocative singing that could have given Muddy Waters a run for his money. The style is there, and the voice and the guitar are there, so why didn't Nighthawk hit it big? Based on this collection, his style with an electric guitar just wasn't as distinctive as Waters' playing; additionally, he just didn't have Waters'…