Record Reviews

LIGHTHOUSE ~ SUNNY DAYS EDSEL 683 (Barcode: 740155168322) ~ CANADA ~ Brass Rock Recorded: 1972 Released: 2000 This is the 8th album by the great Canadian Jazz-Rock band LighthouseFind albums by this artist, modeled (not surprisingly) after Blood, Sweat & TearsFind albums by this artist and ChicagoFind albums by this artist. In many respects the band was often as ambitious that its US counterparts and it featured bigger lineups and more varied instrumentation. The music and the performances are very strong and every Jazz-Rock fan will definitely enjoy this album immensely. Definitely worth investigating! Side Note: Lighthouse member Larry SmithFind albums by this artist immigrated to Israel in 1984 and recorded a couple of albums on my JazzisFind albums on this label label as the leader of the Jazz-Rock Fusion group Biological MadnessFind albums by this artist and as member of the sextet led by Italian pianist Roberto MagrisFind albums by this artist.

Updated: 26/05/2021Posted:

CD 1 Recommend To A Friend

LIGHTHOUSE ~ THOUGHTS OF MOVIN` ON PROG TEMPLE 8050 (Barcode: 4753314805019) ~ CANADA ~ Brass Rock Recorded: 1971 Released: 2016 This is the fifth album by Canadian Brass Rock group LighthouseFind albums by this artist, formed in 1968 by drummer / vocalist Skip ProkopFind albums by this artist. The group’s lineup included between thirteen and eleven members, with brass and rhythm sections and several members featured on vocals, performing quite elaborate vocal harmonies. The album presents ten original songs written by the band members. Lighthouse had several gifted songwriters and their songs often charted on the Canadian charts. The songs have great melodies and the wonderful instrumental arrangements and brass riffs are a great reminder of times long gone. The music is somewhat less Jazz oriented than that of other contemporary Brass Rock bands, like Blood, Sweat & TearsFind albums by this artist, ChicagoFind albums by this artist and others, but features the same characteristics and often offers more elaborate instrumentation and genuinely belongs to the Brass Rock idiom. It’s good to see this finally available on CD. A must for Brass Rock fans of course. Side Note: Lighthouse member Larry SmithFind albums by this artist immigrated to Israel in 1984 and recorded a couple of albums on my JazzisFind albums on this label label as the leader of the Jazz-Rock Fusion group Biological MadnessFind albums by this artist and as member of the sextet led by Italian pianist Roberto MagrisFind albums by this artist.

Updated: 26/05/2021Posted: 26/05/2021

CD 1 Remastered Recommend To A Friend

ROBERTO MAGRIS ~ LOVE IS PASSING THRU JMOOD 023 (Barcode: 741718929039) ~ ITALY ~ Jazz Recorded: 2005 Released: 2024 This is an album by Italian Jazz pianist / composer / bandleader and my Friend Roberto MagrisFind albums by this artist, recorded in a quartet setting with Italian Jazz musicians: saxophonist Ettore MartinFind albums by this artist, bassist Danilo GalloFind albums by this artist and drummer Enzo CarpenteriFind albums by this artist. The album presents thirteen tracks, which offer solo, duo, trio and quartet recordings. Two of the tracks are original compositions by Magris, nine are standards and two are renditions of Italian Pop songs. The album was recorded in 2005 and was originally intended for release on the legendary Italian Black Saint / Soul Note labels, but the labels were sold and the album remained unreleased. The current passing of Carpenteri prompted Magris to finally release the album on his home label, the American JMoodFind albums on this label Records. The sound quality of the recording is remarkable. The general theme of the album is love, and the compositions are all somehow connected to that theme, but the music offers a diverse stylistic range, from melodic mainstream to Free Jazz. Despite that stylistic variety, the music offers perfectly coherent continuity, proving that the Jazz spirit is completely independent of the specifics and can’t be limited to one aesthetic approach. Magris and his cohorts are all seasoned musicians with wide experience and more importantly the special Italian “thing”, which surfaces in almost every Italian Jazz album, a sublime melodic approach, which goes back hundreds of years in Italian music tradition. As a result, many of the tracks on this album offer a heartwrenching melancholy, which is only to be expected. Overall, this is a wonderful piece of music, which offers a nice collection of familiar tunes in new interpretations as well as some unusual music, altogether an excellent listening experience and first class musicianship. Good to have this material out at last, as it certainly is worth being listened to. Well done my Friend! Side Note: Magris recorded an album for my JazzisFind albums on this label Records label in 1990 with his quartet, expanded to a sextet by two Israeli musicians, called “Life In IsraelFind albums with this title”, and we have been in touch ever since.

Updated: 24/04/2024Posted: 24/04/2024

CD 1 Digipak Recommend To A Friend