Welcome to our summary page of musical artists that
we profile. This is our high level snapshot. Many of the bands
mentioned on the page we have more detailed profiles, which include
topics ranging from reviews, commentary, discography, cd recommendations,
photos, and related subjects.
We're always adding new recommendations so stop
back frequently.
Henry
Kaiser is a guitar virtuoso that has recorded on more than 175
releases.
Yo Miles! Sky Garden
In 1998 Kaiser recruited Wadada Leo Smith to form a music
project devoted to Miles Davis music from the early to mid
1970's. Kaiser described the music in the 10/21/99, issue of
SF Bay Guardian as a system of making music. "These
pieces that Miles played in the 1973 - 1975 period weren't
tunes really, they were composed of tiny thematic fragments,
which Miles would usually state, an ostinato bass line that
Michael Henderson would play, and a harmonic climate
environment. The tempos could change and the tunes could be
superimposed on each other."
Yo Miles! is Kaiser and
Smith's band devoted to using Miles formula for making music.
If you like electric fusion jazz, Yo Miles! second release, Sky
Garden, is as good as it gets serving up over 2 1/2 hours
of inspired improvisational jazz. The tracks are a mix of
original and Davis covers. They have an all star line-up of
musicians.
Contrary to what the
Amazon description says, this can be played on a regular CD
player, and the sound quality is amazing.
Guitar Party
Another interesting album from Kaiser's discography is Guitar
Party. An album of cover versions of some great songs as
interpreted by Kaiser and guitarist Glenn Philips. Bob Weir of the
Grateful Dead sits in on the Hendrix remake "If Six Was
Nine."
I was a big Kansas fan and had their first five albums
in the vinyl days and saw a few of their
concerts during their prime. When I went to replace my LP's with CD's I picked up
Ultimate Kansas. It has a ton of music at a good price, but I'm so used to the albums and their sequence I couldn't enjoy the flow. My two favorite Kansas albums by far are
Masque and Leftoverture so I decided to pick those up. Then, make a single
compilation of the rest of Ultimate chronologically.
Song For America
and Point of No Return are the albums before and after my
favorites, Masque and Leftoverture. Their second
album Song For America showed great strides from their
first release displaying a strong hard rock drive, yet also in the
progressive mold. Having the violin gave them a unique touch to
their counterparts. Then, Point of No Return, they scored
some big hits with the title track and "Dust in the Wind."
Kansas Live
Kansas
Two for the Show
Kansas' Two For the Show album was re-released as a 2-CD set to commemorate the 30th Anniversary of
its release. It includes a second disc that did not appear on the original album and a 24-page booklet.
The performances were recorded in 1977 and '78. The first disc does
not seem to be remastered.
This two disc release is our top pick for live
Kansas.
The displayed first five remastered albums also have
bonus live tracks. These are different versions, at least most of
them.
No Kansas collection is complete without "Icarus--Borne on Wings of
Steel"; from Masque. Too many of their
compilations exclude that.
Kansas has several compilations.
Sail On: The 30th Anniversary Collection is a great choice. It has two CD's and one video disc. The music is
chronological and disc one covers the first four albums, Kansas,
Song For America, Masque, and Leftoverture; all of these albums are
very good to excellent. The second disc has a large helping of
Point of No Return material and a sampling of songs of material that extends to the Steve Morse era and beyond.
The DVD included with Sail On: The 30th Anniversary Collection is not one concert but excerpts of
a few different performances. In all cases the quality is not great, but not horrible. The first five songs get my
attention. They cover material up through
Masque and are from the Don Kirshner's Rock Concert. These
early performances remind me of why I used to listen their early albums
over and over.
Meanwhile, Ultimate
Kansas and The Essential 3.0 Kansas are the same
with the latter adding a third disc of what I think is a live
recording.
To sum up, Walk Through the Fire, this is our kind of music.
With an even mix of cover songs or the originals, which are better, the cover songs or the
originals? They're both impressive. Throughout the disc Mark shows that he can write songs, as well as interpret others material with class and style.
Finally, what surprised me most about the CD is how good of
a singer Mark is. Perhaps my review is a bit wordy. That's because there's a lot of good things to say about it. To
repeat an introductory remark, throughout Walk Through the Fire
Mark's vocals are clear, commanding, and powerful, while his guitar playing is effortless, melodic and expressive.
"This album is meant to be played loud, turn it up!!!"
River
of Time review
I've heard plenty of Jorma albums, but what got me especially interested in
his latest release, River of Time, is the personnel and acoustic
instruments accompanying him. Most of all, I was interested in
hearing Larry Campbell jamming with Jorma. I've heard Larry Campbell
on Bob
Dylan and Phil and Friends releases and
thought the two would be a great pairing. It truly is. Larry shows
off his skills on a variety of instruments including guitar,
mandolin, fiddle, pedal steel, cittern,
dobro, and
percussion; meanwhile Jorma is picking, singing, and arranging in
top form.
The Best of Hot Tuna
2 discs Keep on Truckin'
1 disc...
1. Hesitation Blues
2. How Long Blues
3. Uncle Sam Blues
4. Don't You Leave Me Here
5. Death Don't Have No Mercy
6. Know You Rider
7. Oh Lord, Search My Heart
8. Winin' Boy Blues
9. New Song
10. Mann's Fate
11. Keep Your Lamps Trimmed and Burning
12. Candy Man
13. True Religion
14. Belly Shadow
15. Come Back Baby
1. True Religion
2. Highway Song
3. 99 Year Blues
4. Sea Child
5. Keep On Truckin'
6. Water Song
7. Ode For Billy Dean
8. Let's Get Together Right Down Here
9. Sunny Day Strut
Albert
King is one the most influential guitarist. A few of the best blues rock
guitarist, Eric Clapton and Stevie Ray Vaughan, were disciples of
Albert's playing. In fact, Stevie Ray Vaughan sat in with Albert and
his band in 1983 where they recorded In Session. For a jam
session, it is very good.
The June 2007 Stax compilation
release, The Very Best Of Albert King, is a
perhaps the best single disc King compilation. It focuses on his
prime years between 1966 and 1974 for Stax Records. This 24-bit
remastered disc collects 20 greatest hits
including “Born Under a Bad Sign,” “Crosscut Saw,” and many
more! The version of "Blues Power" is an edited live
version from his Fillmore releases. It also includes rare photographs and notes by Rob Bowman,
author of the Grammy® Award-winning Soulsville U.S.A.: The Story of
Stax Records.
Hearing the blues live adds a whole new energy to it. There are two live
releases from 1968 from a Wednesday and Thursday evening that are top
picks. His 1968 live classic, Live Wire/Blues Power, is taken from
these dates, but is shorter in length.
Thursday Night in San Francisco: Recorded Live at the Fillmore Auditorium
Wednesday Night in San Francisco: Recorded Live at the Fillmore Auditorium
How Blue Can You Get? : Classic Live Performances, 1964-1994
Live in Japan
B. B. King is great live
and there are certainly no shortage of recordings to select from. We've
highlighted some of the best, including a two-disc
compilation, How Blue Can You Get? : Classic Live Performances, 1964-1994.
A favorite, Live at Regal is a
spectacular choice offering a balance between musicianship and
entertaining. While the recording was made 11/21/64, the
sonics are very good. Beside King's striking guitar and vocals, his
supporting cast is fabulous. This album lives up to its
reputation.
B.B.
King Guitar, Vocals
Ken Sands Trumpet
Johnny Board Sax (Tenor)
Bobby Forte Sax (Tenor)
Duke Jethro Piano
Leo Lauchie Bass, Bass (Electric)
Sonny Freeman Drums
Chronicles: Live at the Regal/Blues Is King/Live in Cook County Jail
Live at the Regal - 1964
Blues Is King - 1966
Live in Cook County Jail - 1971
Live At The Electric Ballroom Press
Release
LOS ANGELES, CA — Close your eyes and it’s 1974. Legendary blues
musician Freddie King’s distinct voice, second only to his
unmistakable guitar playing, fills the room. Shout! Factory brings
this matchless combination back to life on Live At The Electric
Ballroom, 1974, originally released in 1996 by Black Top Records.
King’s 12th album kicks off with “That’s Alright” and
“Dust My Broom,” the only two known acoustic tracks ever put on
tape by King. Recorded in the early ‘70s, these two rarities were
captured during an interview with Dallas DJ Jon Dillon who coaxed
the blues legend to pick up the acoustic guitar that day. Following
these gems are eight live tracks culled from an old reel-to-reel
recording made in 1974 at the Electric Ballroom in Atlanta, GA. Live
At The Electric Ballroom, 1974 arrives on February 14th for the
suggested retail price of $11.98. The new liner notes for this
album, written by Dave Alvin (Grammy® Award-winning
singer/songwriter and cofounder of The Blasters), describe Alvin’s
feelings when he first met the blues legend.
King’s down-home style of thumb and finger picking is displayed on
this remarkable collection. These rare treasures went unknown to
audiences for over 20 years and the performances are just as
relevant today as they were when recorded. King’s legend is
evidenced by today’s musicians who site him as an influence,
including Eric Clapton, Keith Richards and Stevie Ray Vaughan.
Clapton and King toured together in the ‘70s and both Clapton and
Jeff Beck have recorded his songs. In 1977, King was the winner of
the W.C. Handy Award for Blues Reissue of the Year, beating out
classic reissues by B.B. King, Mississippi John Hurt, Bobby
“Blue” Bland, and Slim Harpo.
The fascinating interview during which Dillon coaxed King into the
impromptu acoustic performance can also be heard on this piece of
Texas Blues history. The pair has an intimate chat about King’s
albums, his feeling for the blues and life in the big D. Snippets of
their conversation are also heard between the acoustic tracks during
which the humble King tries to convince Dillon he is not an acoustic
guitar player. Lucky for fans, Dillon believes otherwise and gets
the songs on tape. The live tracks capture the essence of King and
his band, their passion and love of the blues.
Product Description
7-CD-Box, LP-format 104-page booklet. The Freddie King-box on Bear Family includes all the studio recordings of Electric-Guitar-blues legend from 1956 to 1973 for the label El-Bee, Federal, King, Leon Russell's Cotillion-Atlantic and Shelter Records! All murderously good instrumentals, which he recorded during his heyday in the Sixties, including 'Driving Sideways',' Wash Out ',' Low Tide 'and' Remington Ride ', to his hits' Hide Away', 'Lonesome Whistle Blues ',' San-Ho-Zay ',' I'm Tore Down 'and the rausgewuchtete' Going Down '! A total of seven CDs filled to the brim, including several rarities and early, previously unreleased alternate recordings of many of his classics for the Federal label like 'You've Got To Love Her With A Feeling', 'Have You Ever Loved a Woman "and" See See Baby ', plus previously unreleased Federal-songs. A complete, also never released demo session of 1968 in Dallas with his interpretation of JB Lenoir's 'The Mojo', which exists in no other studio version. Great, unseen photos and memorabilia as well as comprehensive notes by Bill Dahl! - Freddie King, the legendary 'Texas Cannon Ball', was one of the greatest blues guitarists in history, whose aggressive style to the modern rock guitar playing was preparing the ground. The 'Rolling Stone put him at number 25 of the best guitarists of all time - he coined including Eric Clapton (the title King' Hide Away ',' Have You Ever Loved A Woman 'and' I'm Tore Down recorded ' ), Jeff Beck ("The Stumble"), Stevie Ray Vaughan ('Hide Away') and many others. - 'He was a true type ", said Jimmie Vaughan. 'He was bursting with energy, unbelievable! And I never heard someone who was playing loud! " - 'If I build a solo,' said Eric Clapton, 'I begin with a Freddie King run. Of all the people with whom I played, he has stimulated me the most. " - Of the three famous postwar guitarists who hear the name King, Freddie King brought the most sustainable energy into his studio work - and probably he influenced so many rock guitarists like no other, including Eric Clapton and Jimmie Vaughan. Kings of style and duplication from Texas and Chicago sound was absolutely unique, and hit his career as a singer and instrumentalist remained unsurpassed. None of the so-called blues guitar gods were taken on more physical power to his permanent string fireworks. And in addition, this all-controlling, emotionally charged voice! This, fabulous collection of songs gathered together - the first time in one spectacular box! - All the studio recordings of Freddie King in the years from 1956 to 1973rd These are the two titles of his first, very rare single that he recorded for the tiny El-Bee label and there is some alternative takes for Federal Records (some never before published), a full demo session of 1968 ( with the only studio version of JB Lenoir's 'The Mojo') and three high-explosive, untitled instrumental pieces. In addition, all titles are King, which appeared to Cotillion and Shelter Records. Over the years there have been many 'Greatest Hits' spending by Freddie King, but all focused solely on only one section of his long career. This here however is the only true monument to a CD of the pioneering blues guitarist ever. Never before has such a comprehensive project was started - not a real blues fan comes by it!
For the essential Carole
King accept no less than her 1971 classic Tapestry, one of the best albums ever; it's
that good. We have a review of
the album in our Carole King section. Tapestry is available in three options; the remastered
version with bonus tracks, the Legacy edition with a second
disc of piano voice versions and live material, and her
two disc anthology, A
Natural Woman: The Ode Collection 1968-1976.
King's
two disc compilation, A
Natural Woman: The Ode Collection 1968-1976,
in addition to the complete Tapestry album includes
highlights of her material between 1968 - '76, mostly studio,
but somelive tracks. It's very well put together, some of the
early pre-Tapestry stuff is excellent, as is
"Jazzman" and the live version of "You've Got a Friend,"
with James Taylor from The
Carnegie Hall Concert: June 18, 1971 is a must have.
Live
Carole King The
Carnegie Hall Concert: June 18, 1971 and Live At The Troubadour
are the top options.
Carole
King plays piano and back up vocals on some of James Taylor's classic
album Sweet
Baby James.
Product Description
Carole King is a legendary songwriter who has crafted a myriad of hit songs for other artists but by writing and performing her own material she charted new ground with Tapestry. Now you can experience Carole's vision in its original "unplugged" brilliance. This deluxe 2 CD Legacy Edition features previously unreleased live piano-voice renditions of Tapestry songs in the original album sequence. A runaway-train success, this landmark album stayed on the national charts for a mind-boggling six years and won King four Grammys®. "I Feel The Earth Move," "It's Too Late" and "So Far Away" were heard everywhere in the '70s on a string of newly-minted FM radio stations featuring adult-oriented rock.
"You'll hear suggested guitar and bass lines, and background vocal parts, because that's the way she plays the piano...that was the brilliance of her demos and that's the way I heard these songs for the first time." Lou Adler, producer
DISC TWO: Previously unreleased live piano-voice renditions of Tapestry songs in the original album sequence
Live material recorded in 1973 in Boston, Massachusetts; Columbia, Maryland; and Central Park, New York City, New York and in 1976 at the San Francisco Opera House, San Francisco, California.
Disc
one has a Carole King overview. The second disc is more interesting
to me. It has other artists performing her hits. In fact, she was
writing for others before she recorded them for herself.
Carole
King Essential
MP3 vesrion
Song
Title
Artist
1.
Will You Love Me Tomorrow
The Shirelles
2.
Take Good Care Of My Baby
Bobby Vee
3.
Every Breath I Take
Gene Pitney
4.
Crying In The Rain
The Everly Brothers
5.
The Loco-Motion
Little Eva
6.
Up On The Roof
The Drifters
7.
Chains
The Cookies
8.
One Fine Day
The Chiffons
9.
Oh No Not My Baby
Maxine Brown
10. Just
Once In My Life
The Righteous Brothers
11.
Pleasant Valley Sunday
The Monkees
12. (You
Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman
Aretha Franklin
13. No
Easy Way Down
Dusty Springfield
14. Wasn't
Born To Follow
The Byrds
15. Hey
Girl
Billy Joel
Live At The Troubadour
Product Description
In November of 1970 James Taylor and Carole King first performed together at the Troubadour on Santa Monica Boulevard in West Hollywood, California. Taylor had just released his debut album for the Beatles' newly formed Apple Records and King was finding her way as a first time solo performer even though by then she was a famous songwriter with a string of hits for other artists. When they returned to the club for a two-week co-headlining run in 1971 their lives were somewhat different. That summer Taylor's "Fire and Rain" was topping the charts and King's landmark Tapestry was on its way to making her a music superstar. Thirty-six years later, in November 2007, James Taylor, Carole King and members of their renowned original band "The Section" (featuring guitarist Danny Kortchmar, bassist Leland Sklar and drummer Russell Kunkel) returned to the Troubadour for a three-night, six-show run to celebrate the venue's 50th anniversary. Those historic shows are documented in Live at the Troubadour, a special 2-disc CD/DVD. This remarkable recording, culled from these unforgettable shows, features 15 songs and 75 minutes of pristine video and audio including stunning performances of the pair's most beloved hits such as Carole King's "So Far Away," "It's Too Late," and "Will You Love Me Tomorrow?" as well as James Taylor's "Carolina in My Mind," "Sweet Baby James," and "Fire and Rain," to name just a few.
The return to the intimate Troubadour--the fertile ground that served as the unofficial home to a some of the era's defining musicians such as the Eagles, Elton John, Jackson Browne, Linda Ronstadt and Joni Mitchell--rekindled King's and Taylor's love for making music together. Variety enthused at the time, "Taylor and King reminded us about the intensity of the song, that the artistically-rich and commercially-viable are not mutually exclusive and how one tiny club continues to be a birthing room for some of this city's most memorable music." The experience was deeply felt by everyone, the musicians on stage, and the fans in attendance as well as the project's technical crew: audio producer Peter Asher (an instrumental figure throughout Taylor's career) and Emmy-winning video director, Martyn Atkins. Live at the Troubadour is captured in sterling 5.1 stereo and state-of-the-art high definition video.
In the album's liner notes, Taylor states: "The Troubadour in 1971 wasn't the beginning, but it was a big step into the light for both of us. When we reunited for the Troubadour's 50th Anniversary celebration in 2007, it felt like yesterday. It was, and still is, all about the music and the celebration of performing together." King adds, "What's even more remarkable is that James's and my musical connection and friendship continue to transcend time and place. Whenever we're together, there we are. I feel a tremendous gratitude to be able to share this experience
with James, with this fine band, and most of all, with the fans."
Led Zeppelin was one of the super groups of the 1970's.
Their continued popularity and appeal decades later
substantiates their legendary status.
Led Zeppelin's music has a
dynamic progression to it, starting in blues and flowing to
hard rock, folk, heavy metal, perhaps a few hints of
reggae.
In
2003 a stunningly exceptional Led Zeppelin
DVD was released as
well as a reasonably priced three disc set
of live material recorded June 25 and 27, 1972, entitled How the West Was Won,
that we consider their best audio live
release, overshadowing the really cool and also recommended BBC
Sessions and The Song Remains the Same.
The Best of Little Feat Press
Release
Little Feat formed in Hollywood, CA in 1969, and the spirited, off-kilter Americana of their music reflects the wild and woolly time and place in which they were born. Two founding members were veterans of Zappa's Mothers of Invention -- including legendary frontman Lowell George -- a pedigree that further influenced their idiosyncratic sound, a crowd-pleasing, genre-transcending fusion of rock and roll, Dixie-boogie, blues, folk, funk, jazz, roots music and more. Following George's death in '79 and a subsequent hiatus, original Feat-ers Bill Payne and Richie Hayward -- along with 1972 additions Paul Barrere, Sam Clayton and Kenny Gradney -- formed the core of the re-launched Feat in 1988. They remain one of rock's most enduring acts, still driven by ace musicianship and inspired songwriting. This new collection -- Rhino's first single-disc Feat retrospective -- is an essential overview of the musical heroes that Led Zeppelin's Jimmy Page once called his "favorite American group."
Spanning 1970 - 1998, 17 key tracks totaling over 75 minutes of music.
Covers the band's definitive Lowell George era and their later years after re-forming in 1988.
Highlights include "Willin'," "Cold, Cold, Cold," "Dixie Chicken," "Fat Man In The Bathtub" and "Time Loves A Hero," all featuring the George-fronted line-up.
Plus stellar live versions of the hits "Oh Atlanta" and "All That You Dream" from Waiting For Columbus, widely regarded as one of the best concert albums ever made.
Later era Feat classics include "Let It Roll," "Rad Gumbo" and "Home Ground."
In-depth new liner notes by Bud Scoppa.
Remastered to sound better than ever.
Join the Band
Skin It Back DVD 1977
LITTLE FEAT THROWS A PARTY
WITH NEW “JOIN THE BAND”
Group Teams With Guest Artists Jimmy Buffett, Dave Matthews, Vince Gill, Chris Robinson, Emmylou Harris, Brooks & Dunn, Bob Seger, Inara George, Sonny Landreth and Others
Skin It Back
Little Feat at the Grugahalle in Essen, Germany, in July of 1977
DVD Release Date: September 22, 2009
Run Time: 97 minutes
A World Out of Time: Henry Kaiser & David Lindley in Madagascar
David Lindley & Wally
Ingram Live in Europe Available Now at David
Lindley.com
This C.D. is a combination of
recordings of two shows we did in Europe last year. The Fabrik
in Hamburg, Germany and Muhle Hunziken in Rubigen Switzerland.
Muhle Hunziken is, by far, our favorite club in Europe. An
amazing multi-level building, formerly an old mill, it has the
best staff and best stage setup of any club in Europe. Peter
also has the best food backstage. He does the introduction to
the CD. The “Fabrik” runs a close second in all respects.
We recorded other concerts but none of them came out as good
as what we got from these two shows. Kai Fricke and Joe James
are responsible for all the recording. They used a Sony Pro
Tools program on a laptop to record it all. It was very
difficult to decide whether or not to make a two CD set or
pick the best of both shows and we decided on the latter.
There’s some great stuff on here. The drums were mixed
hotter than on any of the other Twango Bango CDs to get a more
“band-like” effect. The bass end is also hotter than usual
because it actually sounded like there was a bass player. I’m
paying my thumb extra for working harder. This is also the
first CD I’ve done where I let someone else, Kai Fricke, do
the mixing and mastering without me being there, and he did a
fabulous job. He never slept and drank a lot of coffee to get
it done in time. Thanks Kai. - - David Lindley
Fans
of The Band will be pleased to
hear outstanding versions of some of their music. The
title track is truly exceptional showcasing the great vocal
abilities of the Professor. Meanwhile, "The
Weight" is a live take with great vocals and melodic
instrumentals.
Also:
Other sections of our website with Professor Louie as a guest.
Two songs of The New
Riders release Where
I Come From, on the bonus disc.
Musical and recording credits on Michael
Falzarano's CD We Are All One.
Lynyrd
Skynyrd is one of the best southern rock bands. They have had
several re-unions and even variations, such as the Rossington
Collins Band. Though, Lynyrd Skynyrd's prime is up to their
album Street
Survivors.
Lynyrd Skynyrd's box set is put together
perfectly, including the right mix of albums tracks and
supplements of unreleased material. It is done so well that it
leaves a fan with practically all the Skynyrd one would
need.
Serious fans may want to also buy their live
classic One
More From the Road; while most of the tracks from this
album are on the box set, the live renditions with guitarist
Steve Gaines are excellent.