A German bandleader, pianist, arranger and composer.
Growing up with three brothers in Bad Kissingen, Günter Maier was the eldest son of a postman early in touch with music and studied piano. He was classically trained at the Bavarian State Conservatory in Würzburg and studied piano and composition. His studies he financed as jazz musicians performing in American clubs as a member of the Hep Cats combo . Even after successful graduation he initially joined on as a jazz musician with the Helmut Brandt Combo on. In 1961, it undertook RIAS for his RIAS Dance Orchestra in Berlin as a pianist and deputy conductor…

Drummer Roberto Gatto's quartet pleasingly ensnares a range of contrasting musical quarry without falling into the Traps of pretense and mimicry. Within his strong framework of compositional eloquence and musical economy, Gatto draws on Monk, Latin, Kurt Weill and assorted other influences for a relaxing yet highly expressive program. Gatto is a stalwart in an Italian jazz scene that has matured over the last several decades into a wellspring of creative instrumentalists across a variety of jazz subgenres. Though Gatto is most associated with trumpeter Enrico Rava, with whom the drummer has been recording in different groups since 1999, this release highlights players who are among the finest in the current generation of Italian jazz musicians. Most impressive is pianist Luca Mannutza who displays a mature grasp of the less-is-more ethos that comes across from his first almost toy-like intro to opener "The Hands.

The production and video direction are by British film-maker Ken Russell who puts his own stamp on the production. Russell told an interviewer he felt the plot was "silly" so he turned Marguerite into a young nun, eliminated the Walpurgis Night ballet, had Marguerite use sign-language for Valentin's deaf-mute children, and had Mephistopheles disrespectfully urinating in the stoup in church. However, the overall effect is visually engrossing, the vivid sets and costumes by Karl Toms are effective. And the singing is outstanding.

This CD is musicianship at its best. There is something for everyone here from the dark evocative sounds of Misa Negra, the hard swing of the Ellington tribute, and the infectious beat of the son montunos. And all this with some of the most exciting solo performances you could ever hope to hear.

When the German transverse flute found its place in Italy and was accepted by the Catholic church as a suitable replacement for the proscribed recorder, Antonio Vivaldi took to it with great enthusiasm. His flute concertos mark a point of departure, coming after he had completed his 40 bassoon concertos and virtually all of the string concertos. Although some of these pieces were reworkings of material previously composed for recorder, Vivaldi came to capitalize on new techniques he learned from Ignazio Siber, the flute instructor at the Ospedale della Pietà. Of Vivaldi's 15, the 7 flute concertos presented here were freshly written for the instrument.

New York Times - "…The [Pièces de Clavecin - Book I] has all the energy and bright self-advertisement of a composer in his early 20's….The [Book II] represents a composer of solo music at his most inventive….Mr. Haas is very good indeed…"

Bernardo Gaffi's 'La forza del divino amore' (The Power of Divine Love) is an intriguing rarity, and receives its premiere recording on the Chaconne label. It is an oratorio (for chamber forces with solo trumpet), one of eight by the composer which were popular in their day, and it is based on an episode in the life of St Teresa of Ávila. It is a beautiful score, performed by Ensemble 'Pian & Forte', a group formed in 1989 and dedicated to rediscovering and performing works of seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. The Ensemble is joined by three vocal soloists, renowned exponents of the music of this period.

20 original albums recorded beetween 1959 and 1975 on the legendary soul label Atlantic, including Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin, Otis Redding, Wilson Pickett and Solomon Burke‘s masterpieces, the classic Stax/Volt recordings by Booker T. & The M.G.’s, Rufus Thomas, Sam and Dave, Eddie Floyd and Ben E. King, Percy Sledge, Don Covay and Donny Hathaway’s legendary LPs. Also includes material previously unreleased on CD, such as Sam Dee's classic The Show Must Go On.

The programme chosen for this CD by the eminent early music specialist Rinaldo Alessandrini and performed by members of his hand-picked ensemble Concerto Italiano illustrate most of the forms that instrumental music adopted in the course of the seventeenth century. Amongst the composers featured are Giovanni Gabrieli, Frescobaldi, Zanetti, and Torelli, as well as lesser known figures of the period including Giovanni de Macque, Evaristo dall’Abaco, and Giovanni Bononcini.

A 4 CD box set which chronicles the band's history and recording career from their first recordings up to the present day. Features a total of 78 tracks, including rare and unreleased items, and a lavishly produced booklet with in-depth notes by official Blues Band historian Roy Bainton, plus loads of memorabilia care of Tom McGuinness All tracks digitally remastered!

Eddie Harris - Come on Down! & The Reason Why I'm Talking S–t (2006) {Atlantic–Collectables COL-CD-7672 rec 1970-1975}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 505 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 205 Mb
Full Artwork @ 300 dpi (jpg) -> 17 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 1970-75, 2006 Atlantic / Collectables Records | COL-CD-7672
Jazz / Jazz-Funk / Soul Jazz / Blue Humor / Comedy / Saxophone

This repackages two of Eddie Harris' 1970s albums: Come on Down! was recorded in Miami in 1970 and The Reason Why I'm Talking S–t is a bizarre live album from 1975. Released as a two-disc collection, this is one of the stranger things Collectables has ever done. The first disc is a solid soul-jazz, rock, and funk date with Ira Sullivan, pianist Dave Crawford, Duck Dunn on bass, and Cornell Dupree on guitar with an all too rare appearance by Tubby Zeigler on drums. Harris wrote all but one track. Produced by Tom Dowd, it's a gritty, greasy burner with the guitars allowed front space with the horns and paired with Harris' electric sax. It's FONKIFIED.

A Greek-only premium compilation, released with the music magazine "Jazz & Tzaz" (Issue 69). Billie Holiday, Oscar Peterson, Clifford Brown, Charlie Parker, Coleman Hawkins, Stan Getz, Bill Evans and others.