MOTOWN: The studio years. Chief Engineer of Motown: Russ Terrana Shares 18 Years of Recording for the Iconic Labe

  Rob Bisel writes: It is truly remarkable to step back and examine the full societal impact that some recording engineers and mixers have had on American culture. During his 18-year tenure as Chief Engineer for Motown Records, Russ Terrana captured and crafted the sounds for many of the Detroit label’s most iconic hits. He, […]

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MUSIC IS THE

JAN GARBAREK: Challenging listening, to say the least – but certainly worth the £3.00 I paid.

Yes, its Jan Garbarek time again. Another of my £3.00 bargain bin finds. Not what you might call ‘easily accessible ‘ – but it did survive the 3-in-a-row consecutive plays on my office system last Saturday by quite a high margin. Perhaps I was in the right mood for a bit of ‘ethereal’? Anyway – […]

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PAUL BUTTERFIELD BLUES BAND: Got A Mind To Give Up Living Live 1966 (CD)

We are told …..   If the Summer of 1967 was the Summer of Love, the Summer of 1966 set the stage for the musical revolution that was to come. Albums released during the season, like The Beatles’ Revolver and The Byrds’ Fifth Dimension, brilliantly blended the burgeoning influence of Eastern exoticism into the rock […]

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MUSIC IS THE

JJ CALE: Fragments Of A Rainy Season Reissue (2CD)

We are told …. Domino Records reissue John Cale’s classic live album ‘Fragments Of A Rainy Season’, featuring his revered interpretation of Leonard Cohen’s ‘Hallelujah’ amongst many solo versions from his enduring catalogue and previously unreleased outtakes. ‘Fragments Of A Rainy Season’ was the first live John Cale album to feature him performing solo and […]

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BLUE OYSTER CULT: Don’t Fear The Reaper – New York ‘81 (2CD)

Classic live performance from Long Island’s Iconic Spit Club Includes the entire WLIR-FM broadcast from 1981 Digitally remastered for enhanced sound quality 1981 started so promisingly for iconic American rockers Blue Öyster Cult with the release of the acclaimed Fire Of Unknown Origin album in June, but the sudden departure of drummer Albert Bouchard had […]

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IAN CARR: Old Heartland (CD)

We are told ….. Ian Carr (21 April 1933 ? 25 February 2009) was a Scottish jazz musician, composer, writer, and educator. Carr performed and recorded with the Rendell-Carr quintet and jazz-rock band Nucleus, and was an associate professor at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London. Old Heartland is completely different to […]

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JEFF BECK: Live On Air 1967 (CD) by The Jeff Beck Group:Aynsley Dunbar,Rod Stewart, Ronnie Wood

We are told …..   Three legendary performances broadcast on the BBC Digitally remastered for greatly enhanced sound quality Background liners The March 1967 release of Hi Ho Silver Lining catapulted Jeff Beck to solo stardom, three months after he’d left the Yardbirds. He performed on three BBC radio broadcast sessions over the course of […]

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ANNE NAYSMITH: Concert pianist who later lived her life on the streets and became a cherished figure in Chiswick, West London

  From the archives Garry Humphreys writes: Anne Naysmith, who has died after being hit by a lorry in Chiswick High Road, west London, has no Alan Bennett to write about her, as he did for Miss Shepherd, who camped on Bennett’s front drive and is immortalised in his play The Lady in the Van. […]

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BEN ANDREWS: Brilliant Blues Musician

  Whilst looking on American sites to see if Ben had started recording again, the first listing that came up was this  http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/…9EE_story.html from the Washington Post to say I’m totally gutted would be a massive under statement. Ben was imo the last of the Great Blues singer/ players, his stile of picking was unique. […]

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YEVGENY SUDBIN: On recording Beethoven’s piano concertos – a personal diary

The pianist reveals what it was like to play Beethoven with Osmo Vänskä in Minnesota for the first time. A strong feeling of trepidation has always accompanied my arrival in the twin cities of Minnesota. I still remember experiencing it the very first time I was invited to work with the Minnesota Orchestra back in […]

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VIC FLICK: New insights

HP Newquist writes: From James Bond to the Pink Panther. From London to Los Angeles. From Jimmy Page to Eric Clapton. This is the journey of Vic Flick, the man who created the guitar sound that launched a thousand spy movies. Flick was among the handful of top session guitarists in England during the early […]

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FREDDIE KING: Going Down At Onkel Po’s (2CD)

Even though he died over 38 years ago, Freddie King’s legend continues to grow. His highly emotional propulsive playing that fused blues, soul and rock paved the way for multiple generations of soulful string benders. Freddie is a member of both the blues and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and was listed at #25in […]

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DAN PENN / SPOONER OLDHAM; The Complete Duo Recordings (Limited CD+DVD)

Deluxe limited edition CD + DVD package collecting the complete official, artist approved recordings of legendary southern soul songwriters, Dan Penn and Spooner OldhamThis professionally filmed and recorded event captures the pair at their best, performing in London during their 2006 tour, in the magnificent 17th century setting of Sir Christopher Wren’s ‘St. James’s Church,’ […]

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From the archives: Channa Vithana / “I grew out of Clapton and the Stones as my twenties faded because I can’t stand their bland dinner-party classic status, after one too many of their “

Previously published on September 17, 2012Channa’s (formerly of Hi-Fi World and now of Hi-Fi Choice joins us as guest writer for a short series of contributions. Prologue Music continues to be within the very structure of my life. Consequently, I use it as non-background direct stimulus when I work, or equally as engrossing and positively […]

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