Desert Marauders represents the final iteration of pianist Art Lande’s Rubisa Patrol quartet, which over its flash-in-the-pan tenure produced a solid, if modest, body of imaginative work. For this recording Kurt Wortman replaces Glenn Cronkhite on drums and provides plenty of adhesive for otherwise free-floating themes and ideas. His stop-and-start playing engages Lande in exciting conversation throughout the groovy opener. At 16 minutes, it is more main course than appetizer, but whets our expectations all the same with its vivid prime directive while offering food for thought via Mark Isham’s serpentine melodies. Bassist Bill Douglass works us back into the swing of things with consummate fortitude.

Saxophonist, flutist, and composer Lennart Åberg is among ECM’s sleeper talents. Having graced the label only as sideman to 1994’s Dona Nostra, his brilliance was saved instead for the limited JAPO imprint. On this record he is joined by fellow Swedes Bobo Stenson (piano) and Palle Danielsson (bass), both familiar to ECM listeners. Perhaps not is American drummer Leroy Lowe, who rounds out this incarnation of the quartet known as Rena Rama and played with the group from 1975 to 1983.

Directions was a short-lived unit from the evolving mind of drummer Jack DeJohnette, who on this ECM joint proved once again that his deftness at the keyboard is almost on par with his mainstay. New Rags features the same line-up (John Abercrombie on electric guitar and mandolin, Alex Foster on reeds, and Mike Richmond on basses) as 1976’s Untitled, sans Bernhardt. Our frontman meanders into the thick of things with three originals, of which the title track bristles with luscious work from Richmond in a steady interplay with all.

The young and talented duo of French-born singer Cyrille Aimée and Brazilian guitarist Diego Figueiredo is a perfect match! As a duo, they cover a large musical territory from jazz standards, pops, samba, French chanson and Cuban bolero to original compositions, Aimée's expressive vocals and Figueiredo's virtuosic guitar playing combine to create a unique aesthetic that is upbeat and very attractive.

"This set of duets by vibraphonist Gary Burton and guitarist Ralph Towner features a logical matchup, since both musicians are open to folk melodies and are generally quiet improvisers. In addition to six Towner originals and Burton’s “Brotherhood,” the set has thoughtful versions of “Some Other Time” and “Goodbye Pork Pie Hat.” More tempo and mood variation would have uplifted the otherwise fine music" (Scott Yanow, AMG).

Beginning in 1966, the Globe Unity Orchestra sparked a four decades-long run that intersected with the JAPO label on three counts. For this, the group’s second for ECM’s sister label, founder Alexander von Schlippenbach hand-selected a set of free improvisations emitted in a Paris studio in June of 1982.

Steve Kuhn is the all-purpose element: his presence heightens any musical concoction. Like no jazz pianist I know, he is aware of the negative spaces between his notes and shapes those spaces to suit the emotional needs of the tune. And what a set of tunes we have in Non-Fiction, a sorely out-of-print firecracker in dire need of a digital fuse. Speaking of conflagration, nothing singes our brow in any Kuhn project quite like “Firewalk,” which, despite its characteristically spacious feel, is clear and present (I bow to the uncredited engineer on this one). Kuhn accolades aside, it’s the sopranism of reedman Steve Slagle that really sets these coals to glowing and cradles every assured step in the liberation of play.

'King's Mouth' sees the iconoclastic outfit once again tread uncharted territory. These 12 originals are threaded together by cinematic narration courtesy of The Clash's Mick Jones. Additionally, the music parallels front man Wayne Coyne's immersive art installation of the same name.

Between 1970 and 1976, James Taylor released six albums with Warner Bros. Records that became the foundation for his unparalleled career that includes five Grammy® Awards, induction into the Songwriters and Rock and Roll Halls of Fame, and more than 100 million records sold worldwide.

Après 4 millions de disques vendus (dont 2 millions à l’étranger) et une tournée internationale de plus de 500 dates, la chanteuse française n°1 dans le monde est de retour avec un nouvel album studio de chansons originales. Entre rock, salsa, chanson française, entre belles ballades et morceaux dynamiques, l’album très éclectique est un écho aux expériences, aux voyages et aux rencontres que ZAZ a fait en 8 ans de carrière. «Effet miroir» est son album le plus intime.

All double 45 RPM LPs, in a box set. Box Limited to 2,500 numbered sets on 200-gram vinyl copies each; also available on SACD Hybrid Multichannel! All remastered from the original sources by Doug Sax and The Doors engineer Bruce botnick original. At 45 RPM LPs pressed by Quality Record Pressings!

Abracadabra is the twelfth studio album by American rock band Steve Miller Band. The album was released on June 15, 1982, by Capitol Records. Abracadabra charted in nine countries, including Germany where the record reached #1 for a week. Four singles were released from the album: the title track, "Cool Magic", "Keeps Me Wondering Why", and "Give It Up", with the title song charting the highest.

It took Kartet seven years to release the follow-up to the acclaimed The Bay Window, but then this is a group that’s been pacing itself for the long haul. Celebrating its 25th anniversary in 2014 with Grand Laps, Kartet retains its unique sound and approach while introducing some new elements: Belgian drummer Stéphane Galland joins the band while Guillaume Orti’s alto sax is supplemented by C melody and F mezzo-soprano saxes.

Seattle-based guitarist and composer Gregg Belisle- Chi presents his debut album, Tenebrae, featuring music for solo guitar and duo with Chelsea Crabtree. Assimilating influences from his work with various jazz, avant-garde, pop/rock, folk and chamber ensembles, the music on Tenebrae is hard to categorize as it hovers somewhere between contemporary classical and jazz but transcends those labels through its haunting expressive depth. It also relates to the alternate tradition of new music for solo guitar going back to John Fahey, as well as the avant folk of artists like Robin Holcomb.

When Wayne Horvitz decided to record a new piano record, his first leading his own group in 15 years, he took his time until he found the combination of players that was just right. The wait was worth it: thanks to a great piano and studio, 11 of his distinctive tunes and the members of his organ-based group Zony Mash playing unplugged, the music on this 2002 release shines. Foregrounding melody and harmony through the gentle voicings of the piano/guitar front line, concise solos and thoughtful group interplay, the program sets a leisurely pace while evoking a range of styles and feelings. Impressionistic ballads blend with mid-tempo songs steeped in the history of jazz, R&B, rock 'n' roll, soul, funk, blues, gospel and the avant-garde. A chamber jazz homage to musical roots, Forever is an open-hearted yet serenely beautiful record.