First, two artists:
One to the north (Cecile Corbel), under the foothills of the Monts d'Arree presided over by Saint-Michel de Braspart (in Brittany) The other to the south (Laurent Tixier), under the Monts Mercure illuminated by Saint-Michel Mont Mercury (in Vendee).Two artists on the same territory that only crosses, "Ypresis", the prehistoric name of the Loire. Cecile Corbel and Laurent Tixier found themselves on the back of the Dragon* to sign together a work that seals a new alliance in what will perhaps one day become "New Armorica", as it is true that cultural ties are close. from the head to the tail of the dragon.

"This CD is exceptional for two reasons. First of all, due to its focus on Italian songs in jazz, but also because all the recordings are not published anywhere else (nov '97), and in most cases made on purpose for this occasion. In this project have participated many of our best jazzmen (and jazz women), besides Lee Konitz' presence. The CD is plenty of "re-readings" displayed in a six chapter series, in order: the Fresu-Salis-Di Castri trio; Renato Sellani, Tiziana Ghiglioni, Lanfranco Malaguti, and the Umberto Petrin group. We can see thus, track after track, the strait bonds between canzone and Italian jazz, with its reciprocal, important influences."

Groups of girls singing together… from the end of the 20s they were known as girl vocal groups, a huge phenomenon in the USA that ended only in the 60s. By then they’d established the art of singing vocal harmony in every genre of American pop, and gone far beyond the country’s borders. Jean Buzelin and Jean-Paul Ricard have gone deep into jazz, pop and soul material for this set, and chosen the most representative groups that sublimed the songs of America’s girl singers.

5 Review by Ken Dryden
Ekseption's finest release is Ekseption 5, which was also its only LP released in the U.S. This Dutch quintet, led by keyboardist Rick van der Linden, blends elements of classical, jazz, and rock within its music. The band sounds much larger than a quintet. The leader begins with the an excerpt of the famous theme of Beethoven's "Symphony No. 5," played on a pipe organ. "Vivace," taken from J.S. Bach's "Concerto for Violin and Strings in A Minor," is turned into a lively fusion vehicle as van der Linden plays piano, Hammond organ, and harpsichord, and Rein van den Broek adds some tasty flügelhorn. But one of his most intriguing arrangements is the medley of "For Example/For Sure"; the former is a piece written by Keith Emerson while he was with "The Nice," while the latter piece is credited to van der Linden but seems very similar to Emerson, Lake & Palmer's "Living Sin," which was released the same year.

00.04 Review by Ken Dryden
The Dutch quintet Ekseption, led by keyboardist Rick van der Linden, was always an uneven mix of progressive rock, at times burdened by excessive special effects, along with some catchy original compositions by the leader. This studio release has the usual overdone arrangements of classical music, including a tedious "Ave Maria" that incorporates excerpts of several works by Johann Sebastian Bach, along with a very distracting and disappointing treatment of Bach's "Partita No. 2 in C Minor." The most intriguing piece is the leader's "Piccadilly Sweet," in which the group is augmented by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. This extended work finds van der Linden on organ, grand piano, and even a bit of a majestic pipe organ, while Rein van der Broek's trumpet solo and a fine effort on tenor sax by Dick Remelink add to the appeal of this compelling suite. Unfortunately, the rest of his compositions and arrangements on this long unavailable LP have not stood the test of time very well.

Ekseption Review by Ken Dryden
Young keyboardist Rick van der Linden, leader of Ekseption, was inspired to arrange rock treatments of classical music after hearing the Nice in concert, which led to the group's debut LP for Phillips in Europe. Although their somewhat jazzy treatment of the theme from the first movement of Beethoven's well-known Fifth Symphony was a hit in Europe, this song has not aged well. His treatments of works by Bach and Khatchaturian have their moments, but are equally dated. The group also delves into then-current rock and jazz. Jethro Tull's "Dharma for One" comes off heavy-handed, with an overly long drum solo and mediocre flute. What is truly bizarre is his arrangement of Bobby Timmons' soul-jazz composition "This Here," which is bland beyond belief, with the leader alternating between harpsichord, piano, and organ via overdubbing. Little better is the furious original "Feelings," which has a lot of energy but nothing to offer the listener. Ekseption may have won some fans initially with this release, but most of this music has disappeared without a trace since the end of the LP era, with good reason.

Black Sabbath made a two-pronged comeback in 1980 and 1981 when Ronnie James Dio joined their ranks as their new lead singer for the platinum albums, Heaven And Hell and Mob Rules. On the 1982 Mob Rules U.S. tour, they decided to record shows to create the first official Black Sabbath live album. With material drawn evenly between songs written with Ronnie as well as older classics such as “War Pigs” and “Iron Man,” when Live Evil was released at the end of 1982, it represented an accurate and powerful memento of Black Sabbath Mk2 on their second world tour.

Passaggio, Lavinia Meijer's first release on Sony, is an album of the crossover music of Ludovico Einaudi, an Italian composer and pianist who encouraged the Dutch harpist to record some of his most popular pieces. The playing on this 2013 album is highly polished and appealing, and Meijer demonstrates considerable powers of concentration and precision in performances of her harp transcriptions of Einaudi's keyboard music. Some will find Meijer's renditions emotionally communicative and mood enhancing, and most of the credit for their effectiveness belongs to her, because Einaudi's modal harmonies and conventional patterns tend toward a bland prettiness, or pretty blandness, that's all of a piece. Simple melodies and repeated arpeggiated chords have the instant attraction of minimalist music, and simplicity is often a virtue in the proper context. Sony's recording is clear and close-up, and Meijer has presence in a fairly resonant studio space.

JoBoxers were briefly famous in 1983 for the hit singles 'Boxerbeat', the perfect pop of 'Just Got Lucky' and the 'On The Waterfront' homage, 'Johnny Friendly'. This release includes all the original (and only) album 'Like Gangbusters' together with the double A-side single 'She's Got Sex / Jealous Love' (which was also strangely covered by Samantha Fox!). Dig Wayne's R&B vocals lead a rousing stomp through a strange, infectious mix of Northern Soul. Formed from the remains of the punk band Subway Sect, JoBoxers sadly broke up before releasing the follow album 'Skin And Bone'. This release also includes tracks recorded for the aborted follow up LP and is the only place to find the brilliant extended mix of 'She's Got Sex'. Highly, highly recommended.

Deluxe six CD box, boasting the entire recorded output of Biff Bang Pow! With the bonus of everything issued by The Laughing Apple. Curated with the full support of Alan McGee and other band members, the clamshell set also adds a raft of previously unissued demos and live material. Plus tracks from an abandoned album, Sixteen Velvet Fridays and a handful of previously undocumented songs. And a Laughing Apple CD also adds some hitherto unheard demos by Alan with the band Newspeak (pre-Laughing Apple). This is the ultimate tribute to one of the unsung talents of the C86 generation of indie bands. Biff Bang Pow! Were formed by Alan McGee around the same time he founded Creation Records in 1983. Biff Bang Pow! Made seven albums and a handful of singles - many of which were indie hits - before they finally dissolved in 1992.

PJ Harvey’s tenth studio album I Inside the Old Year Dying marks her first release in seven years, following UK number 1 album The Hope Six Demolition Project. On this album, which was recorded with long-time creative collaborators John Parish and Flood, PJ Harvey builds a sonic universe somehow located in a space between life’s opposites, and between recent history and the ancient past. Scattered with biblical imagery and references to Shakespeare, all of these distinctions ultimately dissolve into something profoundly uplifting and redemptive. I Inside the Old Year Dying is released on Partisan Records.

Considered one of Nathan Davis’ best albums, and long a collector’s item, The Hip Walk was recorded in1965, a time when the Afro-American Davis lived in Europe, working with such legends as Kenny Clarke, Eric Dolphy, and Art Blakey. Nathan’s Kansas City school mate, trumpeter Carmell Jones comes along for the ride. Jones played trumpet on Horace Silver’s classic 1965 Song for My Father – ‘nuff said about his credentials!

Once Upon a Time: The Singles collects all ten of Siouxsie and the Banshees' A-sides spanning the years 1978-1981, with four songs otherwise unavailable on LP. It's a neat and accessible encapsulation of the group's early guitar-driven sound – a frosty, dissonant art punk that had a tremendous impact on the emerging goth rock scene. Unlike similarly forbidding work by such proto-goth contemporaries as Joy Division or the Cure, the early Banshees were tense and visceral; the darkness of the Once Upon a Time singles doesn't come from a sense of downcast gloom so much as it does from a jittery angst. Yet as challenging as the music is, it's also accessible enough for eight of these singles to have charted in the British Top 50. The melodies are angular and almost alien, yes, but oddly memorable once the listener has assimilated them. Starting shortly after the period covered by this collection, Siouxsie Sioux's icy detachment would be fused with an elegant romanticism and lusher, smoother arrangements. Which means that Once Upon a Time isn't the one, definitive Banshees compilation, but it is a cohesive and essential overview of the band's edgy, influential peak.

At age 26, Cassie Taylor is already a veteran musician. She's spent a decade playing bass and singing on stage and in the studio with her father, modern-day blues innovator Otis Taylor. Now she stakes her own claim as an artist of intelligence, power and soul, drawing on a wide swath of influences – spanning centuries, continents and cultures – to create her own indelible and utterly modern sound. With influences ranging from a New Orleans second line to West African psychedelic rock, the album's 12 original songs – all written and arranged by Taylor – are the work of a truly 21st century musical omnivore. From the record's lead track, "Ol' Mama Dean (Part 1)," which opens with drums and theremin, to the wistful piano closer "Again," Taylor proves to be a gifted, independent-minded songwriter with a flair for the unexpected and a voice that will haunt your dreams.

'Ex-fan des sixties' is an album by Jane Birkin. The album was released in 1978. All songs on the album are by Serge Gainsbourg.