Kenso - Kenso II (1982)

Now Kenso is a progressive rock band from Japan.Their music is strictly instrumental. You will hear a LOT of melodic passages.A lot of odd meters especially 5/8, 7/8, 3/4 but they do it in such a way that from one point on you'll be singing along with the melodies! Excellent music from these guys, with the rhythm changing constantly, having more changes in a 4 minute song than others of thei kind. This second album of theirs along with the 3rd are HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!!!They've become my personal favorite prog band since the moment i heard the first note!

Songs / Tracks Listing

1. Sora ni hikaru
2. Masui part 1
3. Masui part 2
4. Hyoto
5. Brand shiko
6. Harukanaru chi e
7. Naibu e no tsukikage
8. Sayonara Progre
Bonus tracks:
9. Nihon no mugiuta
10. Inei no fue
11. Umi

Line-up / Musicians

- Atsushi Makiuchi / keyboards (1 to 8)
- Kimiyoshi Matsumoto / bass (1 to 8)
- Yoshihisa Shimizu / guitar, kbds, mellotron
- Shiro Yajima / flute
- Haruhiko Yamamoto / drums
GUESTS:
- Sachiko Miyashita / vocals
- Masayuki Tanaka / bass (9 to 11)

Sora Ni Hikaru on youtube played live in a faster tempo.

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Chick Corea Electric Band - Eye Of The Beholder (1988)

Always thought that Chick Corea Electric Band's best album was Beneath The Mask (if you are not familiar with this album and you dig fusion music definitely chack it out). That was until i heard this album. And it is trully an amazing Jazz/Rock record.The line up the same till then, with the talents of John Patitucci on bass, Dave Weckl on Drums, Frank Gambale on guitars and Eric Marienthal on sax. Easily the best of the Elektric Band outings, the writing is really strong, melodic and complex. Eye Of The Beholder is more on the jazzy side of things unlike the albums they wrote after this one (Inside Out & Beneath The Mask) walking on fusion grounds. It has i believe more of a soundtrack feel, with lots of Corea's Piano work being the lead instrument,small piano passages with sax melodies between the main songs. It is more laid back and soft in it's whole having even acoustic guitars from Gambale but has the moments where it gets ''louder'' and more aggressive.
Truly magnificent work here!

Songs / Tracks Listing
1. Home universe (2:46)
2. Eternal child (4:50)
3. Forgotten past (3:00)
4. Passage (4:53)
5. Beauty (7:48)
6. Cascade_part 1 (2:00)
7. Cascade_part 2 (5:08)
8. Trance dance (5:50)
9. eye of the beholder (6:32)
10. Ezinda (6:54)
11. Amnesia (3:30)

Total Time 53:30


Line-up / Musicians
- Chic Corea / acoustic piano
- Dave Weckl / drums
- John Patitucci / bass
- Eric Marienthal / saxophone
- Frank Gambale / guitar


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Victor Wooten - Palmystery (2008)

The latest and by far the greatest Victor Wooten Album. This is a complete work compared to the others where the songs were mostly one bass and vic on vocals. In this one Victor recruited many of his friends and fellow musicians he's worked with in the past and the result is one album that you will be playing over and over. I couldn't imagine Wooten could write such a variety of music, rhythms and melodies.I mean the variety is huge! OK the overall sound is ''fusion'' BUT in this one you find african elements, soul, gospel, jazz, funk of course, and all that put together making a fantastic result! Every song has it's unique flavor and mood.Either with 4/4 or odd time signatures like 3/8 and 5/8 or even 7/8 it get's you grooving! Every musician gets to shine through a song, contributing fantastic solos, not only Wooten as one would expect. This is not jazz, nor Fusion. This has so many elements it is difficult to categorise it. so i say File Under : Great music!!

Highly truly recommended!!!!
Another interesting thing is the site Wooten and his guys put together dedicated to this particular album, explaining the ideas and philosophy behind every song and you get a chance to listen to parts of every song. Take a look, it is worth your time!

Palmystery page

If you like this album buy it. Support the artists if you can. Especially if something like that is worth it, and the artist is currently active like Victor Wooten here.

You will find info on the Line Up of each song on that page above.

Track list

1.2 Timers
2.Cambo
3.I saw God
4.The Lesson
5.Left, Right & Center
6.Sifu
7.Miss U
8.Flex
9.The Gospel
10.Song For My Father
11.Happy Song
12.Us 2
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Living Daylights - 500 Pound Cat (1998)

The Living Daylights is an original, instrumental trio from Seattle that features dense, funky, and occasionally odd-metered grooves from the very exposed two man rhythm section, fronted by free-flowing, hard-blowing saxophone.Every composition so unique on it's own.The sax from Jessica Lurie is mindblowing. The range of melodies and phrases with her unique sound is something not found much often. But she does half the work.In this trio the rhythm section is outstanding. Arne Livingston puts some great and always innovative basslines using double hand tapping here and there.Impressive skills and especially the ideas behind them.Dale Fanning, the drummer has some great grooves and rhythms to play upon and he simply shines all the way through! Nothing similar or ordinary to his kind of playing.Technical, playful and fresh! The music here has a lot of European imspired sounds and melodies blended with the jazz elements that make the overall output simply OUTSTANDING!

This is by far the most invetive, innovating ''jazz'' trio i have EVER heard. If you want to listen to something completely different, THIS is it. My personal favorite band in the jazz world. If you like it check also their next album Electric Rosary.You will love them guaranteed!!

Track List
1.Spaghetti Western
2.500 lb. Cat
3.Trauma and Discourse
4.Petunja
5.Mali Krumpiri
6.Garlic Press
7.Without
8.Code Undo
9.Moena
10.Falling Down Laughing

Jessica Lurie
alto & tenor saxophones

Arne Livingston
elecrtric bass

Dale Fanning
drums


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Listen to Garlic Press

Listen to Without

Samurai - Samurai (1971) , Post Web

Samurai was previously known as Web. Once Web became Samurai, the band was no longer recording for Polydor, but for a far more obscure label, Greenwich.The year is 1971 so this is something like proto-prog bands with the organ having the lead role but in this case not for showing the player's abilities through solos. Just laying the background and the sounds for the other brass instruments (sax, flute etc) to play the themes, melodies and the amazing solos! This is a very song-oriented album and by that i mean it has mane rhythm changes, crossings from one theme to another and a lot less improvisation, which i really enjoy!Samurai is truly another great, lost gem of early British progressive rock.The sound is jazzy,especially the vibraphone keyboard sounds, the chords are jazzy and definitely the saxes make it sound more jazzy but it keeps to the rock side of things.A killer combination if you ask me. I truly, highly recommend this one!

Studio Album, released in 1971

Songs / Tracks Listing 1. Saving It Up For So Long
2. More Rain
3. Maudie James
4. Holy Padlock
5. Give A Little Love
6. Face In The Mirror
7. As I Dried The Tears Away

Line-up / Musicians

- Lennie Wright / drums, percusion
- Kenny Beveridge / drums, percusion
- Tony Edwards / guitars
- John Eaton / bass
- Dave Lawson / organ, piano, keyboards, vocals
- Don Fay / winds
- Tony Roberts / winds

Download

Listen on YouTube