Roberto Colombo is a keyboard player, artistic producer and arranger and has worked with bands such as Le Orme, PFM, Finisterre and many other prominent Italian musicians. He's often considered one of the underrated gems in Italy. His solo albums from the 70's have a lot of Frank Zappa influences. In 1976 his first solo album, "Sfogatevi Bestie," was released. 1977 saw the release of "Botte da Orbi." This work verges on progressive and jazz-rock, but is marked by light-hearted ironic tones. He gathers together an all-star band of more than thirty musicians, featuring essentially the cream of the Italian music scene: from Mauro Pagani (PFM) to Walter Calloni (PFM), Ronnie Jackson to Lucio Violin Fabbri (PFM), Stefano Cerri (considered one of the best bass player of those days) to Tullio De Piscopo (another legendary drummer who have been playing with New Trolls on Tempi Dispari), and Ivan Cattaneo (a songwriter who was backed on one album by PFM).

The Mindbenders in their post-Wayne Fontana configuration were a hot little British pub trio specializing in a kind of jazzy rock similar in a lot of ways to the Zombies or Traffic, and they amount to one of the great lost groups of the 1960s. Although they had two strong songwriters in Eric Stewart and Graham Gouldman (together they would go on to form one half of 10cc), the Mindbenders were also one hell of a cover band, and their recorded legacy is surprisingly diverse because of it. This two-disc, 37-track set, which collects the two LPs, six EPs, and ten singles the group released between 1966 and 1968, is a revelation in that regard - it includes imaginatively done garage soul covers of “Shotgun,” “Mystery Train,” and “The Seventh Son” alongside the pipe dream psychedelia of “Yellow Brick Road” and the hazy sunshine pop of “A Groovy Kind of Love”…

The dedicated fans of the legendary but also problematic Prog/Power Metallers Crimson Glory who made a sensation in the late 80’s and early 90’s, will remember that in 1999 they released their controversial fourth and last album, “Astronomica” after several back and forth. On that album, Wade Black, a tireless heavy metal worker was their frontman. Wade Black’s latest project is Astronomica, with a name (and artwork) obviously influenced by his participation in that Crimson Glory album. But this is where the similarities on every level stop. Black doesn’t revisit his prog/power past with Crimson Glory but sticks to what he knows better, namely a heavy metal approach of a clear old school aesthetic. In almost an hour, Astronomica offer us a heavy metal creation, without much inspiration and originality, that is nevertheless well crafted and what really stands out are some excellent guitar solos by Rich Marks (War of Thrones).

Beautiful work from French pianist Michel Sardaby - a wonderfully lyrical talent with a sweeping and soulful flair! The set's got a stripped-down approach that has Sardaby working with bassist Gilbert Rovere and drummer Philippe Combelle - sometimes hitting the keys in a harder style that has touches of Les McCann, but mostly gliding magically in that warm and soulful mode that's made more than a few of his albums jazz dance classics! Includes the great groover "Come From No Where", plus other wonderful originals like "Lament For Billy", "Wendy", "Empty Room", and "Always Room For One More". Plus, the CD also features a full bonus album by Sardaby - the Con Alma set recorded in Paris in 1964! That album's in a similar trio mode, and features backing by bassist Michel Finet and Philippe Combelle - on tracks that include the wonderfully-titled "Volcanic", plus "Brother Bill", "Con Alma", "Little Sister", and "Blues For Mae".

Christophe Goze creates music that combines world, jazz, and electronic music. His soothing and melodic tunes elevate emotions and inspire relaxation.
My Kind of Blue marks the beginning of a new period reflecting a more contemplative, personal journey and going back to his Lounge experimental sound he is most known for where the “Blue” raw emotion meets the relaxed ambiance of Lounge, and the sleek rhythms of Smooth Jazz give it a modern, refined edge. It’s a period of embracing mood and emotion, where the music invites the listener to experience a spectrum of “blue” feelings from calm reflection to profound introspection.

Brainbox is usually remembered as Dutch heavy progressive band with guitarist Jan Akkerman and drummer Pierre van der Linden - just before they have founded fame in Focus. Many fans still even remember the vocalist Kaz Lux, but nobody ever mentions ‘Parts’ - an official 2nd album recorded by completely revamped line-up (with the exception of drummer Frank Smit) and released by EMI Harvest in 1972. This unjustly forgotten, but great record (now on CD for the first time!) was completely ignored at the time of release, which surely was a big mistake! LP featured very eclectic, mostly progressive and sometimes truly experimental tracks characterized by changing moods and clever arrangements - in many ways similar in style to Wishbone Ash, Livin’ Blues, Fleetwood Mac and Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young.

Antti Martikainen, an independent composer, producer and entrepreneur from Finland. He also run Omniscore, a music label that features other talented composers and producers.

Smokin' Joe Kubek is pure Texas blues - he's a forceful guitarist and his band rocks with a loose, greasy vibe. What makes the album so much fun is the combination of solid material and piledriving performances - it may follow a tradition, but it manages to be unpredictable.

Having both cut his teeth and come into his own with Dizzy Gillespie, Freddie Hubbard, and Yusef Lateef, among others, pianist Kenny Barron began to carve out what has proven to be a lengthy and fruitful solo career by 1973. This fine duo outing, which has Ron Carter and Michael Moore trading off on bass, certainly shows Barron was in full control of his vigorous and tuneful style by the mid-'80s. Cut for the independent BlackHawk label before Barron would eventually find more exposure via such high-profile companies as Enja and Verve, 1 + 1 + 1 features a tasty program of numbers by Monk, Ellington, Coltrane, Dave Brubeck, and others. Of particular note are Barron and Carter's treatments of the Gershwin opener, "The Man I Love," and Brubeck's "In Your Own Sweet Way"…

With the future of the original Alice Cooper band in doubt by mid-1974 (they would soon break up for good with Alice going solo), Warner Bros. decided to issue a best-of compilation entitled Greatest Hits. If you're a newcomer to Alice, this 12-track compilation is a must-hear – all the selections are exceptional. While many have chosen to focus primarily on Cooper's theatrics over the years, the original bandmembers were indeed supreme rock songwriters; such anthems as "I'm Eighteen," "Under My Wheels," "School's Out," and "No More Mr. Nice Guy" are unquestionably among the finest hard rock tracks of all time.

The impressive Downwind is the first release from the band under its new moniker, Pierre Moerlen's Gong, as Moerlen assumes creative control and dominance. The release marks a return to vocals/lyrics, which proves only partially successful. Moerlen's voice is a hit on the opener, the rocking "Aeroplane," and the collective vocals on the fast-paced, percussive "Jin-Go-Lo-Ba" (popularized by Santana) are right on target. His singing is weak, though, on "What You Know" and detracts from the song's quality. Mick Taylor makes his only appearance here with an exceptional guitar solo. Downwind is also a return to compositions dominated by rock structures and styles, the jazz element minimal this time around.

New Musik's near-total lack of commercial acceptance is one of the great mysteries of early-'80s pop. Their music, rooted in classic pop songwriting but with a forward-looking interest in shiny electronics, is both instantly accessible and coolly forbidding. This dichotomy is most clearly expressed in the split between group leader Tony Mansfield's melodies, which are hummable, welcoming, and often quite bouncy, and his lyrics, which even Joy Division's Ian Curtis might have sometimes found a little too alienated.
Having released their debut album in 1980 and seeing modest success with the single 'Straight Lines', New Musik's sophomore album, released in early March of 1981, marked a maturing in the band's sound; one where the synthesizer would play a more predominant role in creating an atmosphere which lasts the duration of the album…

Volume 2 of Connoisseur Collection's 2 part series on Ritchie Blackmore's overall career. Where Volume 1 focused largely on Blackmore's '60s sessions and his Purple work from 1968 to 1974, Volume 2 is more of a grab bag which has a lot of variety. Originally intended mostly to cover the period from 1975 (Rainbow's formation) onwards, it actually covers from 1965 to 1984 with several memorable pit-stops in between. This great CD is bolstered by great liner notes and great pictures, including some magazine covers quite rare to find anywhere else. Anyone remotely interested in the heights to which Blackmore can reach will be rewarded here.

It's a long way from the simple and rather forgotten days of guitarist Ritchie Blackmore's early dabbling in English skiffle to belting out some of the most memorable leads and riffs in hard rock. This well-researched collection traces the roots of a young "Man In Black" fingering the fretboard to nothing sounding that spectacularly different from his peers in the beginning to smoking the rest of the pack while fronting the multi-million-selling Deep Purple. Unearthed are four previously unreleased Deep Purple tracks, lost treasures that are worth the price alone, particularly the earliest recorded live version of "Highway Star," still in its infancy before being solidified in the studio on Machine Head.