Record Reviews

SHLOMO ARTZI ~ MIDNIGHT HED ARZI 14822 (Barcode: 7293372482229) ~ ISRAEL ~ Classic Rock Recorded: 1981 Released: 1991 Israeli singer / songwriter Shlomo ArtziFind albums by this artist has been the most iconic figure on the local music scene since the late 1970s. His songs have become the soundtrack of Israeli life, both in the moments of joy and those of profound sadness, overwhelmingly accepted as the epitome of the collective Israeliness, shared by all those living in Israel. In retrospect this phenomenon is quite surprising, as Artzi´s music is definitely non-trivial and often quite complex and his lyrics are usually cryptic, convoluted and associative, rather than narrative. And yet hundreds of thousands of Israelis are able to sing his songs, quoting every phrase and chanting each note. His live performances, which are legendary in scope and intensity, transcend well beyond cultural events and for many of the participants turn into emotional experiences of truly epic proportions. Although Artzi started his musical life at an early age, the initial period of his career and his early recordings are considered less significant, although some indications of his abilities were already present these. It was the release of the album "He Lost His Way…Find albums with this title" which established him as a major force on the local scene and his career took off from this point onward with a meteoric momentum. It was followed up by the brilliant album "WaysFind albums with this title", which was the first true giant step in Artzi´s "Golden Age" and remains one of his strongest to date, a definite, serious artistic statement in every respect. This, the follow up album, is very much a continuation of the style and approach established by its predecessor, with all 9 songs being composed and written by Artzi. It has a strong Jazz-Rock influence, which is emphasized by the presence of a brass section and the brilliant guitar work by Mordy FerberFind albums by this artist and exceptional (as always) flute parts by Shem Tov LevyFind albums by this artist. Of course every Artzi album is an absolute must for every lover of Israeli music in general and Israeli Rock in particular. A classic!

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	CURVED AIR ~ MIDNIGHT WIRE REPERTOIRE 4499 ~ UK ~ Progressive Rock 1975 album by this legendary group with a new line-up with only Darryl Way and Sonja Krisitina left from the original band. Slightly less Progy than the earlier releases, but still a good album with great vocals and outstanding musicianship.
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GRYPHON ~ MIDNIGHT MUSHRUMPS TALKING ELEPHANT 113 (Barcode: 5028479011322) ~ UK ~ Progressive Rock Recorded: 1974 Released: 2007 2nd album by the wonderful British Prog group GryphonFind albums by this artist, one of the most unique and sophisticated bands to appear on the scene in the 1970s. For this album the group was expanded to a quintet with the addition of bassist Philip NestorFind albums by this artist, which resulted in a tighter and slightly rockier sound. They also expanded their musical ides resulting in much longer compositions, some suite-like spanning almost 20 minutes, like the title track on this album, which was commission to accompany Shakespeare´s "The Tempest" produced by the National Theatre. This is one of those albums, which should be an integral part of any serious Prog collection and an absolute classic of the genre.

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MARK MURPHY ~ MIDNIGHT MOOD MPS 4029759124191 (Barcode: 4029759124191) ~ USA ~ Jazz Recorded: 1967 Released: 2017 This is a reissue of the only album for the MPSFind albums on this label label by American Jazz vocalist Mark MurphyFind albums by this artist, recorded with a superb octet comprising of members of the fabulous international, resident in Europe, Kenny Clarke / Francy Boland Big BandFind albums by this artist: British trumpeter Jimmy DeucharFind albums by this artist, Swedish trombonist Ake PerssonFind albums by this artist, British saxophonists Derek HumbleFind albums by this artist and Ronnie ScottFind albums by this artist, American saxophonist / flautist Sahib ShihabFind albums by this artist, Belgian pianist Francy BolandFind albums by this artist, American bassist Jimmy WoodeFind albums by this artist and drummer Kenny ClarkeFind albums by this artist. The album presents ten tracks, five of which are originals by the octet members, two of which feature lyrics written by Murphy and the remaining five are standards. The album was recorded during the decade when Murphy lived in London. The music is absolutely wonderful, as is Murphy´s extraordinary singing, which lost absolutely nothing of its power and delicate beauty over time, emphasizing the fact that Murphy remains as one of the most underrated Jazz vocalists of all times in spite of his numerous recordings over six decades. The octet provides a comfortable and superbly intelligent accompaniment to Murphy´s vocals, which includes in addition to singing lyrics also excellent vocalese statements. Spiced with short but brilliant instrumental solos, the album is an absolute delight from start to finish, a classic example of male Jazz vocals, which sadly suffer a miserable setback these days. For connoisseurs of classic Jazz vocals of the finest caliber, this album is an absolute must and considering the superb sound quality and "vintage" ambience, it is an exquisite gem! Side Note The legendary German MPSFind albums on this label (Musik Produktion Schwarzwald) label, founded by Hans Georg Brunner-SchwerFind albums by this artist (HGBS) in 1963, first as SABAFind albums on this label Records and later on from 1968 as MPS Records, was the most important independent European record label, which had an enormous contribution to the development of European Jazz. For many years MPS cooperated with the legendary German producer / author Joachim BerendtFind albums by this artist, my Friend and Mentor, whose visionary approach and open-mindedness brought the crème de la crème of the Jazz (in the broadest meaning of the word) musicians from all over the world to the label. Between 1963 and 1983 MPS produced about five hundred albums, many of which are among the most important Jazz recordings on this planet. In 1983 the MPS catalog was sold to UniversalFind albums on this label, which sadly resulted in all those artistic treasures to almost disappear from the face of the earth – a situation not only tragic but culturally criminal. Universal reissued a part of the MPS albums (probably 128 titles) on CD between 1999 and 2011 under the "Most Perfect Sound Edition" moniker. Since 2008 the German Promising MusicFind albums on this label label released some of the MPS recordings, but at a very slow pace. In 2014 the German company Edel AG bought the MPS catalogue from Universal and released a series of 25 MPS albums on CD with a new slipcase graphic design, which brought all those excellent albums back to life. In 2015 Edel AG started to record and release new albums under the MPS moniker. In 2016 Edel AG released a series of 10 classic MPS albums on CD, which were beautifully remastered and re-packaged, presenting the original artwork and liner notes, as well as new liner notes and photographs. An obvious labor of love, these reissues are what the MPS catalogue truly deserves. This project was continued in 2017 with another series of 10 classic MPS albums released on CD. In later years some new reissues were released sporadically. Over the years many SABA / MPS albums were reissued in Japan, which is often the only available source for these albums today, but that is a story in itself.

Updated: 28/05/2018Posted: 24/02/2018

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PAUL RODGERS ~ MIDNIGHT ROSE SUN 8067 (Barcode: 015047806720) ~ UK ~ Blues-Rock Recorded: 2022 - 2023 Released: 2023 This is an album by legendary British Blues / Rock vocalist / songwriter Paul RodgersFind albums by this artist, recorded with guitarist Ray RoperFind albums by this artist, bassist Todd RonningFind albums by this artist and drummer Roy RoperFind albums by this artist. Many guest musicians appear on selected tracks. The album presents eight tracks, all of which are original songs (one co-written) by Rodgers. The album is only a couple of minutes over the half an hour mark, which of course is a pity, especially since we had to wait over five years since his last solo album “Free SpiritFind albums with this title” and almost twenty-five years since his last studio album “ElectricFind albums with this title”. But all things considered, this is a most welcomed return! Rodgers lost nothing of his charisma, incredible vocal abilities and songwriting skills, and despite his advanced age (he is a couple of years older than me and we share the same birthday), he is still the best Blues rooted British vocalist, since his early days with Free and nobody comes near his throaty, convincing expressionism. I have seen him live on stage many times and he never disappoints, and his collective discography is all absolute classic, regardless of the musical environment, when he was flirting with Blues-Rock (Bad CompanyFind albums by this artist), Rock (The FirmFind albums by this artist / The LawFind albums by this artist) or Pop (QueenFind albums by this artist), his vocals were always irresistible. Overall, this is a most welcome releases by one of my favorite vocalists of all time, a master of the Blues domain and a great Artist with an incredible career behind him. It is great to see him in perfect shape, giving us old farts hope for a few more years to enjoy life with music. You simply can’t go wrong with Paul Rodgers!

Updated: 05/12/2023Posted: 05/12/2023

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ZZ QUARTET ~ MIDNIGHT IN EUROPE IN+OUT 77145 (Barcode: 798747714525) ~ CROATIA ~ Jazz-World Fusion Recorded: 2019 Released: 2021 This is the third album by the European Jazz ensemble called ZZ QuartetFind albums by this artist, co-led by Croatian guitarist Ratko ZjacaFind albums by this artist and Italian accordionist Simone ZanchiniFind albums by this artist with Macedonian (resident in Germany) bassist Martin GjakonovskiFind albums by this artist and American drummer Adam NussbaumFind albums by this artist. The music was recorded live and the album presents nine original compositions, four by Zjaca and five by Zanchini. The music is a wonderful amalgam of Jazz and European Folkloristic themes, excellently put together and brilliantly performed by the quartet. Accordion is of course a very dominant instrument and Zanchini takes the center stage most of the time, which is perfectly fine as his virtuosic delivery is worth every minute of attention. He is full of the Italian lyricism and incredible feel of melody, which many Italian musicians are blessed with. The fourteen minutes long ballad “Frida Is Vanished” is alone worth the price of the album and epitomizes the soulful atmosphere of the music perfectly. Zjaca adds the Jazz element to the music, soloing skillfully and accompanying the accordion amicably in the background. His music is more Blues oriented, adding different accents to the album as a whole and making it more diverse. The rhythm section is also playing impressively, with veteran Nussbaum, who needs no introduction, adding the perfect accents but playing delicately and sparingly. Gjakonovski, one of the rising young European bass stars, delivers everything expected of him. Overall this is an excellent album, full of great music and exciting performances, with a unique sound and atmosphere, which consolidates Jazz with many European cultural elements, mostly of Mediterranean origin. A delightful listening experience!

Updated: 05/07/2021Posted: 05/07/2021

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