Michael Buble Meets Madison Square Garden (CD/DVD)
- Following his first #1 Pop album and his third platinum-plus disc, 2007's Grammy® winning Call Me Irresponsible, singing sensation Michael Bublé returns to the stage with the live CD+DVD package Michael Bublé Meets Madison Square Garden. Featuring powerful performances of his hits 'Everything,' 'Home' and 'Feeling Good,' he brings the December 5, 2008 concert at one of the most famous venues in entertainment history home to fans with Michael Bublé Meets Madison Square Garden.
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Quiet Nights
- Diana Krall's 12th album Quiet Nights is an intimate recording of ballads and bossa novas from the team that brought you her best-selling GRAMMY Award-winning CD The Look of Love. Accompanied by her quartet and orchestra, Diana turns her sensual vocals and consummate piano skills to "The Boy from Ipanema", "Walk on By"and other classic tunes. Quiet Nights is initially available as a limited edition CD including 2 bonus tracks - her stunning rendition of the Bee Gee's "How Can You Mend A Broken Heart" and the standard "Every Time We Say Goodbye". Also available on LP pressed on 180 Gram Vinyl.
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My One and Only Thrill
- Amazing though it is, the story of how Melody Gardot overcame the effects of a near-fatal accident to become one of the vocal sensations of 2008 is not the most extraordinary thing about the 23-year-old Philadelphia singer-songwriter. It is simply that here is a voice in a million; one that touches the soul. Melody's debut album `Worrisome Heart' introduced, in The Sunday Times' words: "a remarkable talent by any measure", with songs of quiet, wistful poetry in arrangements that "ooze after-hours sophistication". Yet the follow-up, for release in April 2009, marks a substantial leap forward. `My One And Only Thrill' is an intensely creative milestone, transcending genre distinctions of jazz and blues to offer a haunting personal musical statement that will appeal to all music-lovers. As with her acclaimed live shows she captures and holds her audience in the palm of her hand. These eleven songs, covering a wide range of emotions, are all her own except for an irresistible, Brazilian take on Somewhere Over The Rainbow. It would take a heart of stone to remain unmoved by the poignant title track My One And Only Thrill. And when the album is finished (as Irving Berlin wrote truly) the song is over, but the Melody lingers on . . .
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Chris Botti in Boston (CD/DVD)
- Special CD/DVD edition of the trumpeter's 2009 live release includes a bonus DVD that includes a two hour concert plus a . 40-minute Behind-The-Scenes bonus. Chris Botti In Boston finds the chart-topping Jazz trumpeter and special guests performing live at the historic Boston Symphony Hall with Keith Lockhart and the Boston Pops on September 18 and 19, 2008. Includes guest appearances from Josh Groban, Yo-Yo Ma, John Mayer, Katharine McPhee, Sting, Lucia Micarelli and Steven Tyler.
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Classique
- Taking his inspiration from the French term Classique - an author, artist or work of art, of the highest excellence - Will Downing returns with his 14th collection of sensual grooves and true love primers. Classique is his second album for Peak Records and a triumphant encore presentation following the challenges he faced creating his Peak debut, After Tonight (recorded while battling the muscle disorder Polymyositis). Back in top form, Downing's sensitive touch is felt throughout the project - singing, writing, arranging and producing, the latter mostly in collaboration with his dear friend and much-in-demand ace Rex Rideout. Uniquely gifted with an unmatched arsenal of velvet lows and silky falsetto highs, few can challenge the growing belief that this versatile crooner is the rightful heir to the Smooth R&B throne.
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Kind of Blue
- This is the one jazz record owned by people who don't listen to jazz, and with good reason. The band itself is extraordinary (proof of Miles Davis's masterful casting skills, if not of God's existence), listing John Coltrane and Julian "Cannonball" Adderley on saxophones, Bill Evans (or, on "Freddie Freeloader," Wynton Kelly) on piano, and the crack rhythm unit of Paul Chambers on bass and Jimmy Cobb on drums. Coltrane's astringency on tenor is counterpoised to Adderley's funky self on alto, with Davis moderating between them as Bill Evans conjures up a still lake of sound on which they walk. Meanwhile, the rhythm partnership of Cobb and Chambers is prepared to click off time until eternity. It was the key recording of what became modal jazz, a music free of the fixed harmonies and forms of pop songs. In Davis's men's hands it was a weightless music, but one that refused to fade into the background. In retrospect every note seems perfect, and each piece moves inexorably towards its destiny. --John Szwed
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Time Out -50th Anniversary (2 CD/1 DVD Legacy Edition)
- The first million-selling album in jazz history. 1959 was a banner year for jazz, but no album captured the public's attention like Dave Brubeck's Time Out. "Take Five," the surprise radio hit from Time Out, would enter the record books as the first million-selling jazz instrumental single on the Billboard Hot 100, and "Blue Rondo ŕ la Turk" would become an instant classic. This edition marks the 50th anniversary with an unprecedented presentation of music, images, insight and history, including the chance to hear the classic Brubeck Quartet in top form live at Newport, plus a companion DVD offering a fresh take on the making of this pioneering recording. The experimental meters of Brubeck's music set Time Out apart from the pack. But the appeal of this album--in 1959 and today--is less in the rules it broke, and more in the sheer sweep and effervescence and pure unadulterated fun of the music. For all his seriousness and ardor, Dave Brubeck had somehow recaptured a sense of childlike wonder in this project. And for that reason, the decades may pass and tastes may change, but it will always be the right time for Time Out.
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Diana Krall: Live in Rio [Blu-ray]
- Diana Krall has had a long time fascination with bossa nova, a type of music which perfectly suits her sophisticated yet sensual style. This culminated in her new studio album "Quiet Nights" (released by Verve in spring 2009) and in this stunning concert filmed in the home of the bossa nova, Rio de Janeiro, in November 2008. Accompanied by her band and an orchestra, Diana Krall delivers a superb set of standards in true bossa nova style but clearly bearing her unique stamp. This DVD captures Diana Krall at her scintillating best.
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Bare Bones
- The third album in four years from song interpreter extraordinaire Madeleine Peyroux, Bare Bones is both an extension of the currents of 2004's Careless Love and 2006's Half the Perfect World and a bold step into previously unexplored psychological terrain. Produced, like its two predecessors, by Larry Klein, this fluid and enthralling new work is Peyroux's most personal yet, hardly surprising considering she had a hand in writing each of the 11 songs, marking the fulfillment of a lifelong dream.
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Call Me Irresponsible
- Melding the contemporary and the classic in ways only he can, Michael Buble has created his most complete studio effort yet. Ranging from "I've Got The World On a String" to "Me and Mrs. Jones," in addition to two new songs co-written by Michael, Call Me Irresponsible makes this album irresistible.It's no coincidence that Michael Bublé's new album starts with just his voice and some fingersnaps on "The Best Is Yet to Come," a song made famous by Frank Sinatra. The Canadian smoothie looks longingly towards early-'60s Vegas, an impression quickly reinforced when a boisterous horn section makes its grand entrance, about 20 seconds into the track. That Bublé means business is confirmed by the second cut, a fast-paced take on Henry Mancini's "It Had Better Be Tonight," and of course by the CD's very title, another song identified with Sinatra as his cockiest. There are just a few sidesteps from the retro formula that's served Bublé so well so far: a languid duet with Brazilian star Ivan Lins on the bossa "Wonderful Tonight," a gospel choir on "That's Life." Interestingly, Bublé co-wrote the best of those sidesteps, "Everything," a Norah Jones-esque number that alluringly harks back to sunny '70s pop. It's also the only song on the album produced by Bob Rock (best known for his work with Metallica), sending out a strong signal that Bublé should reach out to unlikely collaborators more often. --Elisabeth Vincentelli More Music from Michael Bublé
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Five Peace Band Live
- From intimate duets to intricate acoustic jazz to burning jazz/rock/funk...this is one of the most important collaborations for jazz in our times! This special 2-CD set features the two musical legends in performance together; each displaying their unparalleled artistic integrity. Five Peace Band Live was recorded from the band's 2008 European Tour and features the amazing performances of the stellar musicians Christian McBride, Kenny Garrett, and Vinnie Colaiuta, along with special guest Herbie Hancock!
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Down the Wire
- The patriarch of the famous aerialist family certainly knew what he was talking about after a lifetime of thrilling, edge-of-the-seat performances for his audiences. While the stakes might not be as high for a jazz band improvising in a recording studio or in front of a live audience, Spyro Gyra's leader and saxophonist Jay Beckenstein understands the passion that drives a person and makes "life on the wire" so appealing. Their new album, Down the Wire is a snapshot of Spyro Gyra's enduring dedication to walk along that wire.For more than three decades, they have maintained a position at the forefront of modern jazz by successfully managing not just one, but several feats of creative dexterity. "That's what has kept this band going," says Beckenstein. "There are always balances to be found - between the individual player and the group, between the songwriter and the player. It's about both satisfying yourself and satisfying your audience. And when you're improvising in front of a crowd, you're really walking down that wire. There are always surprises that way, but our openness to those surprises is what makes this band what it is. We just happen to be walking on a slightly more forgiving tightrope." Asked where Down The Wire belongs in Spyro Gyra's substantial legacy, Beckenstein is quick to reply. "You know, everybody up on the wire knows one thing for sure," Beckenstein laughs. "The real trouble comes if you start looking behind you. The future's in front of you."
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Returns 2CD
- 2009 two CD release. Return To Forever were at the forefront of Jazz/Rock fusion in the '70s and, like their contemporaries Weather Report and Mahavishnu Orchestra, were formed by a former Miles Davis sideman, in this case the great Chick Corea. Return To Forever hit their commercial and artistic peak with a string of albums in the mid-'70s featuring the line-up of Chick Corea on keyboards, Stanley Clarke on bass, Al Di Meola on guitar and Lenny White on drums. In 2008, this classic line-up reunited for their first tour in 25 years and proved that their musicianship and the chemistry within the band was as strong as ever. Eight tracks.
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John Barleycorn Must Die
- Traffic's third studio album is also its third best, ranking below the band's superb second record (1968's Traffic) and its psychedelic debut (1968's Mr. Fantasy). The depth of those albums came from having two superior songwriters, Steve Winwood and Dave Mason; by John Barleycorn, Winwood was leading a trio that included Chris Wood on horns and Jim Capaldi on drums. Winwood now supplied guitar as well as keyboards, and songs such as "Glad" and "Freedom Rider" reflected the trio's fondness for instrumental jams. But the 1970 album is remembered most for the title tune, a traditional folk song blessed with one of the finest vocals of Winwood's long career. --John Milward
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Canyon Trilogy: Native American Flute Music
- Using digital technology, R. Carlos Nakai creates the sound of the cedar flute echoing in the canyons and valleys of the vast Southwest. His seventeen free flowing compositions soothe the spirit and carry the listener to the far realms of the imagination. Awarded a certified Gold Records in 1998 ~ the first ever awarded for a Native American music album.Nakai's free improvisations on this album are based on his impressions of the Anasazi and Sinagua sites, ancient cliff dwellings that were home to communities of Native people thousands of years ago. By using the Roland SDE 3000 Digital Delay system, Nakai is able to play duets with his own echo, in an effort to emulate the echoes of the past that haunt these ruins. On this recording, Nakai's flute sounds even more plaintive than usual, as if the spirits of these forgotten ancestors had entered into the studio to fill his playing with the whispered reverberations of their ancient ways. This is one of Nakai's most deeply felt recordings, one that resonates with a deep, melancholy yearning. --j. poetNakai's free improvisations on this album are based on his impressions of the Anasazi and Sinagua sites, ancient cliff dwellings that were home to communities of Native people thousands of years ago. By using the Roland SDE 3000 Digital Delay system, Nakai is able to play duets with his own echo, in an effort to emulate the echoes of the past that haunt these ruins. On this recording, Nakai's flute sounds even more plaintive than usual, as if the spirits of these forgotten ancestors had entered into the studio to fill his playing with the whispered reverberations of their ancient ways. This is one of Nakai's most deeply felt recordings, one that resonates with a deep, melancholy yearning. --j. poet More from R. Carlos Nakai
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Golden Slumbers: A Father's Lullaby
- This is a real sleeper of an album, literally. Smooth-jazz musicians--including Peter White, Dave Koz, Norman Brown, David Benoit, and others--play music here to put babies to sleep. Fans of New Age music, specifically what came out of the Pacific Northwest in the '80s, may find many of these 14 tracks reminiscent of that period. Long-time listeners of smooth-jazz radio may be reminded of the kind of ethereal, spacey music that was played in the early days of the format. Many of the songs are as obvious as Brian Culbertson's somnambulating "Brahms' Lullaby" and Koz's "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star," but some are inspired choices with creative arrangements and strong performances. Koz and his brother Jeff shine on the Beatles' title tune and the other Lennon/McCartney chestnut, "Blackbird." Brown's take on James Taylor's "You Can Close Your Eyes" is also moving, while not straying from the stillness of the concept. Perhaps the standout track is the superb performance of vocalist John Stoddart on Stevie Wonder's "Isn't She Lovely." --Mark Ruffin
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Ken Burns's Jazz: The Story of American Music
- This five-CD box set soundtrack to filmmaker Ken Burns's 10-part, 19-hour documentary Jazz spans nearly a century of jazz styles, from the martial rhythms of James Reese Europe to the soul-jazz of Grover Washington Jr. It includes time-tested classics like Benny Goodman's 1938 classic, "Sing, Sing, Sing"; John Coltrane's chanting 1965 immortal track, "A Love Supreme"; Billie Holiday's blue-ember ballad, "God Bless the Child"; and Ella Fitzgerald peeling off "A-Tisket A-Tasket." Bebop is represented by Charlie Parker's orchestral bop version of "Just Friends"; Thelonious Monk's nocturnal calling card, "'Round Midnight"; and Dizzy Gillespie's "Salt Peanuts" and "Groovin' High." The jazz-instrumentalist-as-singer comes to life on Coleman Hawkins's "Body and Soul" and Horace Silver and the Jazz Messengers' "Doodlin'." Clifford Brown and Max Roach's "I Get a Kick out of You" epitomizes the hard-bop era, while Miles Davis's "So What" stands as the modal masterpiece. The cool school is in session with Chet Baker and Gerry Mulligan dishing out "Walkin' Shoes," and the Modern Jazz Quartet's soulful elegy "Django" straddles all the above musical orbits. As for Django Reinhardt, he's featured on "Shine" with the justly famed Le Quartet du Hot Club de France. Louis Armstrong's "West End Blues" and "Potato Head Blues" and Duke Ellington's rousing rendition of Billy Strayhorn's anthem, "Take the A Train," and his moody "Solitude" show why they are the Olympian masters of this art form--and the most frequently featured artists in the series. Although Ken Burns tries bringing the music up-to-date with Wynton Marsalis, Cassandra Wilson, and two jazz-hip-hop-influenced tracks--Herbie Hancock's robotic "Rockit" and the French-language "Un Aige en Danger" by MC Solaar and bass legend Ron Carter--there are significant holes here. After Cecil Taylor and Ornette Coleman, the avant-garde period from the late 1960s to the 1980s is lacking. And aside from the bossa nova hit "Desafinado," Latin jazz is also missing. It's a tough task summarizing jazz in five CDs, and Burns has given us a vibrant and vivid multicolored aural portrait of the music. --Eugene Holley Jr.
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Kinsmen
- * Kinsmen is a masterful combination of cutting-edge jazz with the Carnatic music of South India and a rare opportunity to experience the virtuoso playing of Kadri Golpalnath, the Indian "Emperor of the Saxophone." * Rudresh Mahanthappa is a key figure in the cutting edge New York scene of composers/improvisers that also includes Vijay Iyer, Steve Lehman, and Liberty Ellman. * Mahanthappa placed second in the Down Beat International Critics Poll in the "Rising Star Alto Saxophone" category for the second year in a row. He has also been extensively featured in the non-music press, including National Public Radio, The New Yorker, New York Times, and Wall Street Journal.
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The Visit
- Mixing a variety of styles with a Celtic base, this was McKennitt's breakthrough album and remains one of her most musically interesting. "All Souls Night" begins the album, with dance-like rhythms and McKennitt's wonderful voice singing about the Celtic New Year. Other features include a musical setting of Tennyson's "Lady of Shalott", which, while not as sophisticated as Noyes' "The Highwayman" on The Book of Secrets, is an enchanting listen. There's also an interesting rendition of "Greensleeves" and the Spanish-flavored "Tango to Evora", as well as the haunting "Courtyard Lullaby" and the wistful "The Old Ways". A setting of words from Shakespeare's Cymbeline closes the album, which focuses thematically on life, death, and the borders between them. --Genevieve Williams
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Send One Your Love
- Send One Your Love, a 10-track album of seductive love songs from sax icon Boney James, is the ultimate "musical valentine." It includes new James originals as well as covers from Stevie Wonder, Barry White, the Stylistics and more. This sensuous collection includes nine instrumental tracks plus a stunning cover of James Taylor's "Don't Let Me Be Lonely Tonight". On this track, Boney introduces the world to the incredible new R&B vocalist Quinn. Having previously done background vocals for the likes of Kelly Price and K-Ci & JoJo, Quinn was working as an Atlanta-based session singer. "I started asking friends if they knew a young singer who should be a star," Boney says. "I got Quinn's MP3 in an e-mail. The next day I flew him to L.A. and cut the track in two takes!"
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When I Fall in Love
- This is not the typical example of an artist from another genre jumping on the crowded standards-and-ballads bandwagon. When I Fall in Love instead represents an instrumental stylist busting out of a box to find a much more suitable platform for his craft. These tracks are the fruits of an obvious labor of love for everyone from the featured musicians to the arrangers to the engineers. The arrangers, particularly Billy Childs and Gil Goldstein, give Botti's trumpet a broad-brushed orchestral backdrop that allows him to emerge from the swirling strings and bouncy horns with bold strokes of creative improvising. Some tracks are obvious nods to Gil Evans and the lush arrangements of 1970s CTI recordings. Even the guest vocalists, Sting and Paula Cole, let his trumpet sing first before their respective cues on "La Belle Dame Sans Regrets" and "What'll I Do." The only blemish here is the obvious attempt at smooth jazz airplay with Sade's "No Ordinary Love." --Mark Ruffin
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Rebound
- Wayman Tisdale is on the Rebound with his special 2008 deluxe edition. A dozen tunes to bounce around on your player of Wayman singing and sharing the mic on one song with guest Toby Keith. Wayman Lawrence Tisdale of Tulsa, Oklahoma is a former professional basketball player in the NBA and a jazz bass guitarist.
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Rhythm & Romance
- Legendary saxophonist extraordinario Kenny G returns with this romantic collection of Latin music, featuring original songs and classic favorites. Contemporary love songs with a Latin twist!!! Kenny G: THE SMOOTH JAZZ KING! Has SOLD MORE THAN 38 MILLION CDs in his career! He's been named the 25th ALL-TIME HIGHEST-SELLING ARTIST IN AMERICA by the RIAA GRAMMY AWARD WINNER! Has had 12 #1 BILLBOARD CONTEMPORARY JAZZ ALBUMS in his career
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Modern Art
- When you think about contemporary music, there are very few bands that have had the lasting impression and impact that the Rippingtons featuring Russ Freeman have had. For over 20 years this band has been delighting audiences all over the world with their distinct, signature sound. Now with their 17th album, Russ Freeman has once again demonstrated why he is one of the true musical innovators in the contemporary jazz genre with Modern Art. Featuring a familiar "cast of characters", Modern Art once again showcases a unique musical style that was created many years ago and still sounds as fresh and new today as it did when they started. Soaring horns, melodic keyboards and driving percussion are all anchored by the intricate guitar styling of Freeman.
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Moving Forward
- Critically acclaimed guitarist/songwriter, famed Yankee BERNIE WILLIAMS is set for his sophomore album MOVING FORWARD. The Puerto Rico native, classically-trained musician developed his love for playing guitar alongside baseball, while listening to salsa, merengue and 80s rock. Williams played his 16-year career with the New York Yankees where he was a 4x World Series Champion and a 5x All Star (also among the Yankees all-time leaders in every major batting category). This album features original instrumentals written/performed by Williams, playing alongside musicians such as Dave Weckl (drums), Mike Stern (guitar), Scott Henderson (guitar), Dave Koz (sax), Giovanni Hidalgo (percussion). A special collaboration with Jon Secada and a track with Bruce Springsteen, Patti Scialfa and Bernie performing Glory Days are included. MOVING FORWARD is co-produced by Williams and Loren Harriet - who also helmed Bernie's 2003 acclaimed debut The Journey Within, that debuted #3 on Billboard's Contemporary Jazz Album Chart, #8 on Heatseekers, while being the 11th best seller in New York that year.
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Down the Wire
- The patriarch of the famous aerialist family certainly knew what he was talking about after a lifetime of thrilling, edge-of-the-seat performances for his audiences. While the stakes might not be as high for a jazz band improvising in a recording studio or in front of a live audience, Spyro Gyra's leader and saxophonist Jay Beckenstein understands the passion that drives a person and makes "life on the wire" so appealing. Their new album, Down the Wire is a snapshot of Spyro Gyra's enduring dedication to walk along that wire. For more than three decades, they have maintained a position at the forefront of modern jazz by successfully managing not just one, but several feats of creative dexterity. "That's what has kept this band going," says Beckenstein. "There are always balances to be found - between the individual player and the group, between the songwriter and the player. It's about both satisfying yourself and satisfying your audience. And when you're improvising in front of a crowd, you're really walking down that wire. There are always surprises that way, but our openness to those surprises is what makes this band what it is. We just happen to be walking on a slightly more forgiving tightrope." Asked where Down The Wire belongs in Spyro Gyra's substantial legacy, Beckenstein is quick to reply. "You know, everybody up on the wire knows one thing for sure," Beckenstein laughs. "The real trouble comes if you start looking behind you. The future's in front of you."
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Fourplay: Live in Capetown
- The world's top contemporary jazz ensemble performs live in South Africa, blending their smooth jazz signature sound with large doses of pop, R&B and African beats! SONGS: Galaxia - Chant -Blues Force - 101 Eastbound - Journey - Tally Ho - Amazing Grace - Max-O-Man - Bali Run - Fourplay in Cape Town FOURPLAY: Bob James - Keyboards Nathan East - Bass and Vocals Larry Carlton - Guitar Harvey Mason - Drums
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Lil' Man Soul
- Jackiem Joyner makes a huge step in his young Jazz career with Lil'Man Soul, his sophomore album. Discovered by Richard Elliot and Rick Braun, and supported by Peter White on his first title Babysoul, Jackiem has continually worked with top flight contemporary Jazz performers such as Joe Sample, Wayman Tisdale and Gerald Albright among others. Add to that a couple years of hopping the globe as member of Keiko Matsui's band, and this Lil' Man Soul is ready to be steppin' out and into the bright lights himself.
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Simple Things
- 2001 debut full length for dance act described as, 'the British Air', the follow-up to two limited, critically acclaimed EPs. Highlights include the awesome African influenced instrumental passage 'Likufanele', the velvety 'I Have Seen' feat. Mozez & the quiet storm of 'Destiny' feat. Sia. Quango.Zero 7's ability to conjure beautiful lullabies with all the romance of 1960s French pop (as found on their debut LP, Simple Things) would have made them the toast of soundtrack composers and chill-out connoisseurs the world over. Unfortunately, two Frenchmen beat Henry Binns and Sam Hardaker to the title of "masters of comedown cool," leaving the London duo to be forever called "the British Air." And this is fair; the similarities between Zero 7's lush cinematic soundscapes and those of Air's Moon Safari and the Virgin Suicides score are so strong as to sound almost intentional. Nonetheless, their debut is a truly gorgeous album. It has all the tried and tested atmospheric tricks--bleeps and whooshes layered over plodding Fender Rhodes chords, swathes of strings and tender trumpet parps--but it's Binns and Hardaker's languid grooves and the soft melancholy of their melodies that make dream-state instrumentals "Give It Away" and "Polaris" utterly enchanting. The real power of Simple Things, however, is in its songs. As beautiful as the ambient strains are, when laid beneath the seductive vocals of Australian diva Sia on the ethereal "Destiny" or the heart-breaking "Distractions," their potency becomes apparent. --Dan Gennoe
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The Mirror Conspiracy
- 2000 release for the extremely talented and unsung DJ duo. An amalgamation of reggae dubplates, lounge muzak, breaks, beats and bossanova. 2000 release. Standard jewel case with slipcase.Washington, D.C.'s Thievery Corporation purvey a very mellow, deliberately international mixture of sounds that might be called "lounge music"--not in the kitschy sense, but in the sense of a laid-back local bar (much like the one the duo happens to run) with no dance floor. Rob Garza and Eric Hilton are professed admirers of Brazilian music, and they're determined to inject as much warmth into electronic music as possible. The Mirror Conspiracy is quite a musical travelogue, starting in Jamaica with "Treasures." This dubby opening track, which features vocalist Brother Jack, is quite reminiscent of the start of Swayzak's Himawari. Next up is "Le Monde," a quiet, wah-wah-inflected song featuring a chanteuse named Lou Lou. She reappears later on the somewhat more uptempo "Shadows of Ourselves," which, despite the title, is also sung in French. "The Hong Kong Triad" sounds like a tip of the hat to Shaft-styled soundtrack music. Elsewhere, it's off to India for two sitar-flavored tracks with a similarly laidback groove that gets a bit closer to techno, one of which, "Lebanese Blonde" (hash? a woman?), has been released as a single. Brazil gets its due on the densely percussive "Air Batucada," the more bossa nova-like "So Com Voce," and an instrumental titled "Samba Tranquille." Fans of this style are sure to be pleased. --Bob Bannister
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The Cosmic Game
- The most fully-realized Thievery set to date, their fourth studio record packs an all-star punch, with cameos by FLAMING LIPS, PERRY FARRELL, DAVID BYRNE, and more of their usually lovely futuristic bossa/lounge/downtempo sound. Check out ThieveryCorporation.com to launch soon.There's always been a psychedelic edge to Rob Garza and Eric Hilton's Thievery Corporation project. 2000's Mirror Conspiracy is a downtempo classic precisely because of its druggy expansiveness; sober listeners and saucer-eyed trippers alike could find common ground. Similarly esoteric and nocturnal, The Cosmic Game floats around the room on a wave of mystic beats and guest vocals from Perry Farrell, The Flaming Lips' Wayne Coyne, and David Byrne. Garza and Hilton are less devoted to non-electronic sources here than they were on The Richest Man in Babylon or The Outernational Sound, though their fascination with dub rhythms and world music remains intact. A fair amount of armchair travel is involved as you go from the late, late-night, beach-club-in-Jamaica sound of "Amerimacka," to the Brazilian percussion of "Ambicion Eterna" and "Pela Janela." But more than anything, the record feels like a return to the duo's own ethereal sonic roots. It's a nice blend of their music over the last half-decade for longtime fans, and a hazy glide down the rabbit hole for newcomers. --Matthew Cooke
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Tales from the Beach
- 2008 album from the Acid Jazz favorites. Tales From The Beach, recorded in Italy, Germany, Indonesia, London, and mixed in Jakarta, is an album of 15 refreshing and uplifting songs. Each of the tracks are beautifully crafted; with guest vocals from Maysa Leak (I've Been Waiting') and Tony Momrelle, who turns in a stunning vocal on 'When The Sun Comes Down'. Other highlights including the four-to-the-floor stomper, 'Step Aside' and 'N.O.T.', an Acid Jazz-flavored track with horns reminiscent of the Average White Band
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Chillounge
- With late night beats and cool morning sensations as downtempo excursions mingle with silky beats and luxurious grooves. This soulful journey into a world of chilled electronica, nu-jazz rhythems and smooth sensual vocals forcuses on some of today's top vibrant artists from around the world.
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Travelling Without Moving
- Adding pop savvy to their soul-disco mix, Jamiroquai grabbed the attention of MTV and Top 40 radio and won a Grammy with this platinum-selling album, their third. It's a fine record, with warm keyboards, sweet strings, and irrepressible grooves grounding Jay Kay's sublime vocals and fueling the hits ("Virtual Insanity," "Cosmic Girl," the title track). That voice--elastic, jazzy--is the fire of the band, but immaculate guitar sounds, snappy backup vocals, and clever old-school soul samples (Eddie Harris on "Alright," Esther Phillips on "High Times") are the details that create perfection. Balancing the dance-ready, radio-friendly tracks are the ballads "Everyday" and "Spend a Lifetime," the reggae-styled "Drifting Along," and a couple of didjeridoo instrumentals. --Suzanne McElfresh
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The Outernational Sound
- Mixing fluidly between afro-beat, reggae, rock, Brazilian, soul, easy listening, electronic and rare library music, Thievery Corporation create a set that takes the listener on a trip of truly global proportions. The Outernational Sound is a seamless recording from many nights of sonic exploration with the turntables and a crate of records. From warehouse parties in Caracas to elegant soires in Honolulu, and root downs in Kingston, Garza and Hilton have played a lot of rare wax for a broad spectrum of listeners. Now, in a one-hour mix CD, the sound system has been mashed up and the whole world can share in Thievery Corporation's Outernational Sound.Getting back to their turntables after the all-original work on 2002's The Richest Man in Babylon, Thievery Corporation dust off a collection of soulful wax for The Outernational Sound. Rob Garza and Eric Hilton have gone with an increasingly organic approach since their relatively electronic and modern Mirror Conspiracy, looking more back than forward. Happily, the duo has good taste. If that wasn't obvious after the collections on Babylon and 2001's Sounds from the Verve Hi-Fi, Outernational ends the argument. The record rambles through Brazilian jazz, afro-beat, and a kaleidoscope of funked-up rhythms that only a serious purveyor of world beat chill tunes could unearth. Their big ears, however, can't always keep up with their DJ skills; 20 tracks are smooshed into just over an hour, and you can feel Garza and Hilton sweating to make the different musical bloodlines congeal. You'll likely find yourself playing only sections of the record, depending on your mood. Still, whatever section you settle on should supply a hearty dose of satisfaction. --Matthew Cooke
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Hotel Costes: Best of Costes
- 2004 compilation that features the best tracks taken from the first seven volumes of the Hotel Costes series along with an extra bonus track, an exclusive version of Madonna's 'What it Feels Like for a Girl' that Stephane Pompougnac remixed himself for this Collection. This 16 track anthology is a continuous D.J. mix by lounge master Stephane Pompougnac and features cuts from Pink Martini, I:Cube, Doctor Rockit, Shirley Bassey, Boozoo Bajou and many others.
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En Route
- Canadian Jazz/electronica outfit Four80East returns for their highly-anticipated new studio album En Route. Titled for its constant flow of instrumental groove, the contemporary duo's Native Language Music debut and first new release in five years puts a fresh spin on their past work to create a collection that's remarkably cinematic. Attractively packaged in a "deluxe-edition" jewel case with die-cut slipcase.
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