Unreal City – Il Paese Del Tramonto – Great Italian Prog Rock!

Last night I was checking out the New Progressive Rock releases at New Prog Releases. One of the albums of interest to me was Il Paese Del Tramonto (Country of Sunset) from an Italian Progressive Rock band Unreal City.  Their music was classified as Symphonic and since I have enjoyed other symphonic prog bands, I figured I’d like these guys. I figured right I put the album on while I was multi-tasking or as I like to call it ADDing! I was watching the football game, reading and listening! It didn’t take long to for the voices of Phil Simms…

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Unreal City – Il Paese Del Tramonto – Great Italian Prog Rock!

Last night I was checking out the New Progressive Rock releases at New Prog Releases. One of the albums of interest to me was Il Paese Del Tramonto (Country of Sunset) from an Italian Progressive Rock band Unreal City.  Their music was classified as Symphonic and since I have enjoyed other symphonic prog bands, I figured I’d like these guys. I figured right I put the album on while I was multi-tasking or as I like to call it ADDing! I was watching the football game, reading and listening! It didn’t take long to for the voices of Phil Simms…

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Shahab Tolouie Master of the Fusetar born Jan 15, 1975!

So last year the FreeWheelin/ Music Safari discovered that on this date in 1975, a very talented world fusion guitarist, Shahab Tolouie  was born! That’s him at the start of this post, he is pictured with a guitar of his creation  an instrumentally speaking a very cool guitar. Well technically speaking,  it is not a guitar it is a Fusetar (eng.“fusion”, “tar” – farsi. “strings” – fusion of strings).  This three-necked instrument represents the culmination of his sound experiments in search of a mode of expression of his new musical concepts. The fusion of Setar, flamenco guitar, and fretless guitar Now…

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Cannonball Adderley – Things Are Getting Better

Things Are Getting Better is the 11th album by jazz saxophonist Cannonball Adderley, and his second release on the Riverside label. The album was released in 1959, when I was 8, so that explains how I missed it on the first go around… Anyway, I had Things Are Getting Better on in the background this morning as I was working on this blog, so I haven’t really listen that closely to the album. But from what I heard and am listening to now, this one’s a keeper. I first chose Things Are Getting Better because of Milt Jackson‘s presence on the…

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Brian Lynch and Emmet Cohen – Question Answered.

One of my favorite albums over the last month or two is  the latest release from Grammy-winning trumpeter, Brian Lynch, Questioned Answered. Actually, I should say the latest from Brian Lynch and up and coming jazz pianist Emmet Cohen.  While I love Lynch’s trumpet on this album, its Cohen’s piano, that at least for me, makes this album special. Here’s what Brian Lynch says about his meeting and connection with Emmet Cohen….. I first had the pleasure of making Emmet Cohen’s acquaintance in January 2011 on that year’s Jazz Cruise, where I was playing as a soloist and he was showcased…

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Milt Jackson:Great Vibes for a New Year!

Milton “Bags” Jackson (January 1, 1923 – October 9, 1999) For the longest time my favorite vibraphonist was Gary Burton and while he still may be my favorite, coming in a close second is Milt Jackson, who would have celebrated his 92nd  birthday today! From Wikipedia:  Milton “Bags” Jackson (January 1, 1923 – October 9, 1999) was an American jazz vibraphonist, usually thought of as a bebop player, although he performed in several jazz idioms. He is especially remembered for his cool swinging solos as a member of the Modern Jazz Quartet and his penchant for collaborating with several hard…

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Ad Maiora! from Ad Maiora – Rock Progressivo Italiano

The phrase Ad Maiora means “to greater things” in Latin and that’s where, in my opinion,  the Italian Prog Rock band,  who chose that expression for their name, is headed.  Yes, based on their self-titled debut album. I think that Ad Maiora will be moving on to greater things! The band was formed in 2009 in Milan, as a progressive rock project. During the period between 2009 and 2013 Ad Maiora was writing their own compositions, all of which appear on their debut album Ad Maiora! which was released in January of 2014. It was also in  this time period…

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Garden of the Sky : John Boswell – extraordinary solo piano

Another New Age album that I have used recently when I’ve meditated is the latest release from pianist John Boswell Garden of the Sky. While Garden of the Sky is Boswell’s eight album, it is his first solo release in fifteen years!! While Jonn Serrie creates science fiction space music, Boswell creates, according to his website,  ” gossamer-toned, classically inspired, lyrical meditations for piano—some of them composed, others improvised.” Boswell says this about his music….. “Some people have called my playing neoclassical,” he says. “I call it film music without a film. I’ve gotten letters from a lot of people saying…

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Thomas Marriott

Primary Instrument: Trumpet Born December 16, 1975   Thomas Marriott is an award-winning and chart-topping jazz trumpeter from Seattle, Washington. Marriott is an eight-time Golden Ear Award recipient. The Golden Ear Awards celebrate contributions and achievements in Seattle Jazz.  In addition to his Golden Ear Award Marriott won the prestigious Carmine Caruso Jazz Trumpet Competition in 1999. Marriott’s jazz career started, when after winning the Carmine Caruso competition, he headed EAST! In New York City, he joined Maynard Ferguson‘s Big Bop Nouveau Band. Marriott completed three world tours with Ferguson’s band and Ferguson has called Marriott  “a truly great jazz trumpet player”!…

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Larry Fuller’s – Larry Fuller – fine jazz piano!

Throughout his career, Larry Fuller has been the consummate sideman. Fuller’s career began, when he was 13 years old and was given a paying gig by Floyd “Candy” Johnson, an ex-member  of both the Count Basie and Duke Ellington Orchestras. Johnson also became a mentor for Fuller. As a sideman, Fuller has performed with a who’s who of jazz, including the likes of: Harry “Sweets” Edison, Stanley Turrentine, Phil Woods, Clark Terry, Herb Ellis, Marlena Shaw, Kevin Mahogany, John Clayton, John Heard, Bennie Golson, Emily Remler, Jimmy Witherspoon, Eddie Harris, Anita O’Day, Steve Allen, Regina Carter, Nicholas Payton, and John Legend….

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