The Awakening - Mirage 1973 (Black Jazz Records)

Label : Black Jazz Records

Value :

No Mirage here -- as the album's got a presence that's impossible to deny -- a solid, soulful uttering from this key Chicago combo of the 70s! The group's led by reedman Ari Brown -- better known for his later avant work -- and they've got a wicked blend of keyboards and horns with lots of complicated touches, played out over funky rhythms that are completely mindblowing! The great Ken Chaney plays keyboards, and in addition to Brown's reeds, the set also features trumpet from Frank Gordon, trombone from Steve Galloway, and bass from Rufus Reid -- plus cool percussion from Arlington Davis and Drasheer Khalid. Most cuts are instrumental, and recorded beautifully -- but one number, "The Ultimate Frontier", also features vocals from Anita Jefferies. 

Taste :

The Awakening - Slinky 

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By Electric Looser

Μάϊκ Ροζάκης - Τα Παιδιά Των Λουλουδιών 2002 (Potfleur)

Label : Potfleur

Value :

During the summer of 1973, director Omiros Efstratiadis was making a crime film called "She Knew No Other Way”. The shots of the film took place in the cosmopolitan Greek island of Rhodes where a bunch of hippies spend their holidays. They seek an easy and carefree way of life and do not hesitate to use any legal or illegal mean in order to get it. The director needed a film score to match with the psychedelic scenes of the film which where overshadowed by a psychotic mixture of sex and violence. Mike Rozakis was the ideal composer for this film score. Carrying an excellent background in beat music, he managed to filter his influences through the fusion trends of jazz and his classical learning. There is a wealth of styles throughout the film score. Funky breaks, jazzy grooves, fusion improvising and psychedelic effects. The innovative arrangements are enriched by the skilful performance of the musicians creating a unique avant-garde score.The sound has been transferred from the original master tapes in 96kh/24bit and mastered in class-A equipment in order to produce excellent audio quality.

Taste :

  Mike Rozakis - La Discotheque

 Mike Rozakis - She Knew No Other Way (full album)

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By Electric Looser

Vince Guaraldi - A Charlie Brown Christmas 1965 (Fantasy)

Label : Fantasy

Value :

An amazing record – one with a depth that goes way beyond its simple roots, and which has gone on to become one of the true Christmas classics of the 20th Century! Although a Christmas soundtrack, the album's more of a tapestry of sadness, longing, and loss – the best qualities that always emerge in true Christmas classics – underscoring the blue side of the season that's always lurking around corners from the happier moments. Vince Guaraldi penned this score back when he was a rising talent on the San Francisco scene – and in a way, it was almost his musical contribution to the cartoon that made it such a lasting favorite – even over and above the appeal of the famous animated characters. Most tunes are simple piano ones, but played with a phrasing that's beautifully timeless – and the few vocal numbers feature voices from the cartoon, singing softly with the music. 

Taste :

Vince Guaraldi Trio - What Child Is This

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By Electric Looser

Roy Ayers - Virgo Vibes 1976 (Atlantic)

 Label : Atlantic

Value :

A far-reaching early gem from Roy Ayers -- a set that's much more jazz-based than his later work, and a record that has him touching base with the Blue Note and Strata East sides of the jazz spectrum! The lineup here is incredibly hip -- a mix of players that includes a young Charles Tolliver on trumpet, Harold Land and Joe Henderson on tenor, Jack Wilson on piano, and Reggie Workman on bass -- not to mention Roy himself on some mighty great vibes!

Taste :

Roy Ayers - In The Limelight

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By Electric Looser