Friday, September 19, 2014

NEW RELEASES: MAHAVISHNU ORCHESTRA – BEYOND NOTHINGNESS & ETERNITY / VISIONS OF THE EMERALD BEYOND; BIG BOSS MAN – LAST FAMILY ON EARTH; BALLISTER - BOTH ENDS

MAHAVISHNU ORCHESTRA – BEYOND NOTHINGNESS & ETERNITY / VISIONS OF THE EMERALD BEYOND

A pair of 70s classics from this mighty fusion ensemble – back to back in a single collection! First up is Between Nothingness & Eternity – and although there's a pretty big space between nothingness & eternity – but Mahavishnu Orchestra manage to fill most of it up with their hard-jamming approach! The style here is a bit different than the group's initial albums – as the record's a live one, and features some very long tracks that stretch out with possibly a bit more spiritual influence than before – still rockish at times, but also with freer floating energy as well. Billy Cobham's drums are worth the price of admission alone – and other group members include the mighty John McLaughlin on guitar and Jan Hammer on electric piano, synth, and moog. Titles include the "Thrilogy" suite, plus "Sister Andrea" and "Dreams". Visions Of The Emerald Beyond is very spacey work from Mahavishnu Orchestra – a set that continues the change in sound explored by the second incarnation of the group – one that's much more spacious than the first! The group here is somewhat large, but often comes off with a good sense of leanness at times – less of the notes-on-notes jams of rockish fusion, and more stretched-out spiritual modes, mixed with a slight dose of funk at just the right moments! John McLaughlin's in the lead on guitar, and other players include Gayle Moran on keyboards, Jean-Luc Ponty on electric violin, and Narada Michael Waldon on drums, percussion, clavinet, and vocals. Titles include "Eternity's Breath", "Lile's Dance", "Can't Stand Your Funk", "Earth Ship", "Be Happy", "Opus 1", and "Pegasus".  ~, Dusty Groove

BIG BOSS MAN - LAST FAMILY ON EARTH

Maybe the coolest record we've ever heard from this mod British combo – a set that gets way past the easy retro references of previous albums, and goes for a vibe that's quite complicated, but still pretty darn groovy! The set's got the look and feel of the best jazzy soundtracks of the 60s – and these guys bring in a nice range of styles to match – from jaunty groovers to more complicated sonic explorations – served up on a blend of Hammond, Fender Rhodes, mellotron, timbales, tablas, electric sitar, and more – all with a feel that's maybe somewhere in the best territory of Roy Budd during his Get Carter years! The whole thing's wonderful – a great evolution from before – and titles include "Trans Adonis", "Theme From Last Man On Earth", "Aardvark", "Blow Your Own", "Hail Caesar", and "Changing Faces" – and although most of the set is instrumental, three tracks feature some guest vocals too.  ~ Dusty Groove

BALLISTER – BOTH ENDS


Maybe one of the most vibrant musical performances ever from the Ballister trio – for reasons that are recorded in the notes on the album – a stunning collaboration between Dave Rempis on alto and tenor, Fred Lonberg-Holm on cello and electronics, and Paal Nilssen-Love on drums and percussion! The players have a great way of swinging between sound and space – really letting things out to create the right sort of suspense, then bounding back in with the sort of bold energy that really feeds their fire – almost with a sensitivity that's surprising, given the situation! The album features one long live performance – divided up into "Front" and "Back" passages. (Yellow vinyl pressing, too!)  ~ Dusty Groove


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