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North Mississippi All Stars – World Boogie Is Coming (2013/2017)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/44,1 kHz | Time – 58:25 minutes | 660 MB | Genre: Rock
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © Legacy Recordings
This is the seventh studio record for the band recently crowned ‘Americana music luminaries’ by National Public Radio. They produced it themselves at their own Zebra Ranch Studios in Coldwater, MS, aside from a day in the studio with Robert Plant (and his harmonica) at Memphis legendary Royal Studios.The Dickinson Brothers did it with the help of long-time friends, Lightnin Malcolm, Duwayne and Garry Burnside, Kenny Brown, Alvin Youngblood Hart, Sharde Thomas, Sid and Steve Selvidge, Plant & others. World Boogie is Coming is the record that perfectly ties it all together, fusing the elements that have made the Allstars special while pushing the bands sound further into the future than ever before.
North Mississippi Allstars formed in 1996; the product of a special time for modern Mississippi country blues. Brothers Luther and Cody Dickinson soaked up the music of their father, Memphis legend Jim Dickinson, and absorbed the North Mississippi legacy while playing and shaking it down in the juke joints with their blues ancestors. R.L. Burnside, Junior Kimbrough, Otha Turner and their musical families were at their peak, making classic records and touring the world. Eventually, Luther (guitar, vocals) and Cody (drums, vocals) formed the North Mississippi Allstars.
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Norsk Tromboneensemble – Nibbles (2020)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/192 kHz | Time – 47:44 minutes | 1,73 GB | Genre: Classical
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © Lawo Classics
The Norwegian Trombone Ensemble was formed in 2014 and consists of Audun Breen, Principal Trombone of the Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra and Sverre Riise, Petter Winroth, and Clare Farr, the trombone section of the Norwegian Radio Orchestra. The four performers have extensive experience as soloists and chamber musicians. They are some of Norway’s most outstanding trombonists and master most genres, from renaissance and baroque to contemporary, jazz and pop. “In our concerts we attempt to move effortlessly through many different musical styles, performing chamber music for trombones with excellence and a twinkle in the eye. We are aiming to convey the same lighthearted character with this recording and have put together a handful of pieces that we believe display all the fine and varied qualities of the trombone. The pieces cater for all tastes and span over 400 years, from Gabrieli and Beethoven to Bacharach and ABBA. Sit down with your favourite nibbles, relax and enjoy the concert!”
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Norrköpings Symfoniorkester & Christian Lindberg – Pettersson: Symphonies Nos. 5 & 7 (2018)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/96 kHz | Time – 01:22:48 minutes | 1,40 GB | Genre: Classical
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © BIS
A characteristic trait in Allan Pettersson’s music is the use of strong contrasts – shifts between an enormous intensity and calm relaxation, between complex and violently dissonant passages and peaceful, simple melodies and harmonies. This certainly applies to both works recorded here by the Norrköping Symphony Orchestra and Christian Lindberg – the composer’s Fifth and Seventh Symphonies. Premièred in 1963 and 1968 respectively, these two symphonies contributed substantially to Pettersson’s public standing during the 1960s. The Fifth earned him the music prize of the newspaper Expressen, while at the same time Pettersson’s extensive use of traditional harmony, particularly in the slow ending of the work, caused a number of commentators to criticize it as ‘outmoded’. In 1964, the symphony probably contributed to Pettersson being selected as one of the first recipients of a public remuneration scheme for composers which guaranteed them a lifelong minimum income. Four years later, the first performance of Symphony No. 7 was conducted by Antal Doráti, the dedicatee of the work. The event is often described as Pettersson’s ‘breakthrough’, and Doráti’s recording of the work in 1969 with the Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra earned the performers and the composer a ‘Swedish Grammy’ Award each. Pettersson’s Seventh remains the most recorded and most frequently performed of all of his works. It is heard here in a performance from what are widely regarded as the leading Pettersson interpreters of our time.
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Norrköping Symphony Orchestra & Jeff Beal – Jeff Beal: House of Cards Symphony (2018)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/96 kHz | Time – 02:12:23 minutes | 2,20 GB | Genre: Classical
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © BIS
This release grew out of the fascination of Robert von Bahr, founder and managing director of BIS Records, for the television series House of Cards. It wasn’t only – or even primarily – the script or the acting that grabbed him, however, but just as much the music. Said and done – Jeff Beal, the composer of the House of Cards soundtrack, was contacted and it was soon decided that he should compose a Flute Concerto for the virtuosic Sharon Bezaly. To complement the concerto a selection of music from the series was agreed upon, but with five seasons worth of installments to choose from, this quickly grew into a large-scale House of Cards Symphony which at 83 minutes takes up an album all on its own. So now the decision was made to record and present a lavish release, with three further works: Six Sixteen for guitar and orchestra (performed by Grammy winner Jason Vieaux), Canticle for strings and a brand new House of Cards Fantasy for flute and orchestra. The Norrköping Symphony Orchestra has received international acclaim for its recordings of the hyper-intense music of modernist Allan Pettersson, but here, under the direction of the composer himself, it has taken to the new idiom and welcomes the additional instruments necessary to bring out that House of Cards feeling: electric guitar and bass guitar, drum kit, piano and flugelhorn.
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Norman Westberg – After Vacation (2018)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/44,1 kHz | Time – 38:22 minutes | 321 MB | Genre: Electronic, Ambient
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © Room 40
Swans’ influential guitarist Norman Westberg returns with his most substantial album to date on the expansive, personal panoramas of ‘After Vacation’, a profoundly beautiful set of windswept soundscapes amplified by production from Lawrence English.
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ORF Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra – Euryanthe, Op. 81, J. 291 (Live) (2019)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/48 kHz | Time – 02:40:39 minutes | 1,67 GB | Genre: Classical
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © CapriccioNR
Nearly every music lover is acquainted with Der Freischutz, but the fewest are aware of Euryanthe. In the light of the musical quality of the opera, the disdain for it does not seem fitting. Euryanthe was Carl Maria von Webers most ambitious project, one that anything but backfired. The composition may certainly be termed ground-breaking and truly deserves more attention. A chain of glittering jewels from the beginning to the end. All witty and ingenious, (Robert Schumann in his critic about Euryanthe.) The presnt release features a live recording of the work, which was taken in December of 2018 and features the Arnold Schoenberg Chor and the Orf Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra, as well as a group of brilliant soloists.
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Norman Krieger – Brahms: Piano Concerto No. 2 / Piano Sonata No. 1 (2017)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/44,1 kHz | Time – 01:20:12 minutes | 676 MB | Genre: Classical
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © Universal Music Ltd.
“… he owns a world of technique … he always knows exactly where he is going and what he is doing. He never for an instant miscalculates. He communicates urgently but with strict control. He is alert to every manner of nuance and at every dynamic level his tone flatters the ear.” – Los Angeles Times
Pianist Norman Krieger is accompanied by the London Symphony Orchestra under Philip Ryan Mann on this Brahms programme featuring the Piano Concerto No. 2 and the Piano Sonata No. 1. A native of Los Angeles, Krieger is one of the most acclaimed pianists of his generation, highly regarded as an artist of depth, sensitivity and virtuosic flair.
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Norman Connors – Take It To The Limit (Expanded Edition) (1980/2015)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/96 kHz | Time – 44:42 minutes | 992 MB | Genre: Soul, Funk, R&B
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © Legacy Recordings
Drummer and stellar lineup assembler Norman Connors landed on Arista for Take It to the Limit, an album that continued the man’s embrace of smooth R&B and gradual abandonment of jazz. The roster here is extremely lengthy; not only is there a group numbering at about a dozen that’s dubbed the Starship Orchestra, but there’s well over 30 other (!) guests who pop in and out of the mix in various capacities. Both the title track (featuring Adaritha on vocals) and “Melancholy Fire” (Glenn Jones) rightfully cracked the Top 30 of the black singles chart, but a small clutch of other gems deserved similar achievements. “I Don’t Need Nobody Else,” sung by Al Johnson (arranger and conductor of half the album’s cuts), sparkles brightly, while Adaritha’s “Justify” is just as gorgeous as the album’s hit singles. One minor disappointment is Leon Ware’s set-closing “Everywhere Inside of Me,” which falls toward the sappy side. One major dud is a plonking cover of Steely Dan’s “Black Cow,” which has inexplicably shown up on a number of Connors anthologies. Six out of eight ain’t bad by any stretch. ~ Andy Kellman
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Norman Connors – Saturday Night Special (Expanded Edition) (1976/2015)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/96 kHz | Time – 43:12 minutes | 961 MB | Genre: Jazz, Funk, Soul
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © Legacy Recordings
Connors’ strong Saturday Night Special is most notable for “Valentine Love,” a Top Ten black singles hit. The romantic ballad, a duet between Michael Henderson and Jean Carn, arrived in time for February 14 and also peaked on the Top 100 of the pop chart. One can’t help but feel that the whole LP is truly Carn’s show, as she contributes her rich voice to a number of stylistically varied numbers. Whether belting out in front of industrial-strength funk fusion (“Saturday Night Special”; watch out for Reggie Lucas’ needling guitar solo here), sliding through breezy jazz (a rendition of Jobim’s “Dindi”), or slipping into some ethereal colorings (a take on Herbie Hancock’s “Maiden Voyage”), Carn proves herself to be an extremely versatile vocalist, equally adept with each approach. “Skin Diver,” penned by Harry “We Live in Brooklyn, Baby” Whitaker and Dwight Carson, is the best of the lot — a slowly simmering number that features Carn at her soaring best. Hancock contributes piano to “Kwasi,” a painfully brief fusion cut that begins with a two-minute Connors drum solo and ends after another two minutes, just when it begins to really cook. ~ Andy Kellman
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Norman Connors – Invitation (Expanded) (1979/2015)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/96 kHz | Time – 49:04 minutes | 1,07 GB | Genre: Soul, Funk
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © Legacy Recordings
By the late ’70s, Connors had gained a new audience that was perhaps unfamiliar with his earlier jazz efforts like Dark of Light and Love From the Sun. Later albums like Saturday Night Special, You Are My Starship, and Romantic Journey had Connors putting R&B in the mix. This 1979 album is the follow-up to the classic This Is Your Life. While that effort seemed to attain a good mix of intelligent R&B and jazz, Invitation finds the formula a little diluted. This does start off on a good foot. The first track “Your Love Is My Ecstasy” features spirited vocals by Al Johnson and great drumming. Ada Dyer, who’s also known as Miss Adaritha, handles the rest of the lead vocals. The ballads “Handle Me Gently” and the title track are good but lack a certain earthiness and charm inherent in Connors’ best work. In fact, Invitation seems to be hampered by lack of material and often comes off a little uninspired. “Disco Land” is the biggest misstep here. The track finds Connors jumping on the bandwagon a little too late and with a hackneyed production to boot. The instrumental “I Have a Dream” is better suited for Connors and features beautiful trumpet and flügelhorn solos from Eddie Henderson. The meditative “Beijo Partido” has good soprano sax work from Starship Orchestra member Ralph “Buzzy” Jones. While Invitation is too spotty to be called a classic, his fans will no doubt enjoy a few of the better tracks. ~ Jason Elias
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Norman Brown – The Highest Act Of Love (2019)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/44,1 kHz | Time – 48:47 minutes | 546 MB | Genre: Jazz
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © Shanachie
“a culmination of Jimi Hendrix and George Benson with some Wes Montgomery thrown in.” JazzTimes
“Norman Brown is one of the genre’s brightest lights – whose stirring fluidity makes magic with an edge George Benson never hada monster player and improviser.” –AllMusic
Featuring special guests Deniece Williams, Paul Brown and others!
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Norman Brown – Heart To Heart (2020)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/44,1 kHz | Time – 49:01 minutes | 553 MB | Genre: Jazz
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © Shanachie
2020 release. Grammy Award-winning Contemporary Jazz/R&B superstar Norman Brown has sold over 2 million albums in his extraordinary career and virtually lives at the top of the Billboard Contemporary Jazz sales and radio charts. Heart To Heart has Norman’s hit-making talents on full display. Starting off with his cool and vibey tribute to Wes Montgomery, “Heading Wes,” the album covers a wide range of styles including “Heart To Heart,” a romantic duet with Peter White, the driving “Outside The Norm,” “Amen” and much more!
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Norma Winstone – In Concert (2020)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/44,1 kHz | Time – 58:43 minutes | 574 MB | Genre: Jazz
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © Sunnyside
The incredible relationship between legendary British musicians Norma Winstone and John Taylor has been admired for nearly five decades. The vocalist and pianist have been inextricably linked from their early avant-garde work from the late 1960s through their gorgeous work with Kenny Wheeler and Azymuth.
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Norma Winstone – Descansado – Songs For Films (2018)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/96 kHz | Time – 48:35 minutes | 828 MB | Genre: Jazz
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © ECM
Norma Winstone has found a dream home with the ECM label, a house in her own image… As part of Azimuth, the trio that she formed between 1977 and 2000 with trumpet player Kenny Wheeler and pianist John Taylor, her husband; or alone, the British artist has always been a jazz singer apart. Here, Norma Winstone brings her unique timbre to the big screen. She covers the films of Scorsese (Taxi Driver), Godard (My Life to Live), Wenders (Lisbon Story), Jewison (The Thomas Crown Affair), Zeffirelli (Romeo and Juliette), De Sica (Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow) and several others. With Descansadowhich she dedicated to her late colleagues John and Kenny, she has chosen a great repertoire of scores from composers such as Bernard Hermann, Michel Legrand, Ennio Morricone, Nino Rota and William Walton.
The stripped-down and original arrangements from German saxophonist and clarinettist Klaus Gesing and Italian pianist Glauco Venier give her room to assume complete ownership of this music, which we never imagined in a jazz or quasi-chamber music setting. Norwegian percussionist Helge Andreas Norbakken and Italian cellist Mario Brunello came to round off this team of discerning artists who give this music an utterly fascinating, velvet light.
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Norma Jenkins – Patience is a Virtue (1976/2018)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/44,1 kHz | Time – 33:29 minutes | 375 MB | Genre: R&B, Soul
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © Desert Moon Records
The only album ever cut by Norma Jenkins – a New Jersey singer with a surprisingly great ear for a deep soul groove! Norma’s got a sound that’s richer than most of her east coast contemporaries – a really robust approach that’s almost more like some of the best southern soul singers of the period, and captured beautifully here, in ways that make us wonder why she never recorded more albums after this. The set’s put together by producer George Kerr, right in the middle of a rich run of work for other artists in the 70s – and arrangements are by Bert Keyes and Andrew Smith – balancing equally between midtempo groovers, and some mellow tracks that are especially great. Titles include “Reachin’ Out In Darkness”, “Love Jones”, “I Did It For Real”, “Can You Imagine That”, “I Fooled You”, “It’s All Over Now”, and “You’ve Been Here Since Then”.
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