An amazing collection of music from one of the greatest soundtrack composers of all time – presented in a hefty book-styled package, and done with a very unique presentation of his work! The package is huge – a hardcover volume with 18 CDs and a 48 page book, all presenting a total of 400 tracks that really span the scope of the music of Ennio Morricone over the decade – presented on CDs that each have a different theme, to showcase a different side of the maestro's many creations! The first five CDs focus on Morricone's music for director Sergio Leone, and other CDs present work for directors Henri Verneuil, Roland Joffe, Quentin Tarantino, and Giuseppe Tornatore – plus a full set of music used in films that starred Jean-Paul Belmondo. There's also thematic CDs, too – "Genre Cinema", "Committed Cinema", "Mafia Thrillers", "History Of Italy", and "Faces Of Italian Cinema" – and the final CD features songs penned by Morricone, interpreted by a host of others – including Charles Aznavour, Chico Buarque, Traffic Quintet, Gerard Depardieu, Sting, and many more. A beautiful tribute to Morricone's 50 years of film music – with some unreleased music, rarities, photos, and more! ~ Dusty Groove
Beautifully meditative music from Alabaster DePlume – a set that brings together work from a variety of recorded projects from the past decade or so – finally getting full exposure in this Transatlantic collaboration between Chicago's International Anthem label and London's Total Refreshment Centre! The sound is a great illustration of the genre-crossing modes that have been going on in both scenes – as Alabaster's music is definitely beyond easy description or definition, and comes across in a way that's as personal as it is collaborative – since DePlume works with a whole host of different musicians on the recordings, mixing flute, percussion, strings, keyboards, and other elements together in a way that follows a spiritual legacy from the more spacey side of Alice Coltrane, to the west coast experiments of Carlos Nino and Miguel Atwood-Ferguson, to the changes taking place on the planet at present. Alabaster plays tenor and guitar, and vocalizes slightly – but never really sings – and titles include "Why Buzzardman Why", "Not My Ask", "Whisky Story Time", "If You're Sure You Want To", "What's Missing", and "Song Of The Foundling". ~ Dusty Groove
Brilliant work from the legendary Maria Bethania – a singer who might be looking a few years older on the cover, but who still has all the tremendous power of her youth! Maria's vocals are tremendous, and set up in these beautiful arrangements that blend samba-styled percussion and guitar with some occasional fuller orchestrations – but always in a way that's very understated, so that the lady herself is right up front in the lead – almost never needing the other instrumentation at all, since her presence is more than enough to hold us rapt. Arrangements are by Letieres Leite, and the set features guest appearances from Caetano and Moreno Veloso – on titles that include "A Mangueira E La No ceu", "A Flor E O Espinho/Sombras Da Agua", "Luz Negra", "Sei La Mangueira", "Maria Bethania A Menina Dos Olhos De Oya", and "Historias Pra Ninar Gente Grande". ~ Dusty Groove
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