Our friends at Fancy Music are releasing consistently good music in the contemporary classical, jazz and progressive rock fields. Ivan Grebenschikov composes music which manages to combine all three genres effortlessly, and adds in free jazz, rock and Latin American music into a fine stew.
Rock
Adrian Belew – Elevator
Legendary King Crimson and David Bowie guitarist Adrian Belew returns with a brand new progressive rock album that emphasizes rock loudly. It sounds like a very complicated version of power-pop if the song a13 is any indication of what the rest of the album sounds like. The only off-putting thing Continue Reading
Lou Reed – Words & Music, May 1965
I never thought I’d have the opportunity to hear Velvet Underground demos, but I suppose this new Lou Reed album will serve as a fine replacement until I find such a box set.
Jerzy Milian – Optima Fide
Jerzy Milian is one of the most important jazz musicians to ever come out of Poland. In this rather expensive album, he is collaborating with the BRT Radio (now VRT Radio) Orchestra during the late 1960s. The release showcases Milian’s vibraphone talents, but also shows how multi-faceted his music was, Continue Reading
William Shatner – Rocket Man
We’re going to have to wait until June 27th before we can actually hear a sample from this 7-inch single by the absolutely legendary actor/”singer”/raconteur and real-life astronaut William Shatner, but it’s pretty exciting to know he’s working with a prog-rock luminary like Steve Hillage covering Elton John’s Rocket Man Continue Reading
Bernard Purdie – Purdie Good!
Imagine having a resume working with the following acts: James Brown, The Beatles, Jeff Beck, Hummingbird, Steely Dan, Aretha Franklin,Gil Scott-Heron, King Curtis, The Rolling Stones, Miles Davis, Dizzy Gillespie, Randy Brecker, Quincy Jones, Hall & Oates, Isaac Hayes, Cat Stevens, Hair and Larry Coryell among so many others. Bernard Continue Reading
Alèmayèhu Eshèté – Alteleyeshegnem
Another day, another great loss to music. The legendary Alèmayèhu Eshèté, known lovingly as the “Ethiopian Elvis,” passed away yesterday at the age of around 80. I came across his work on this particular album, Éthiopiques 10: Tezeta – Ethiopian Blues & Ballads, and though I didn’t hear much Elvis (despite some physical Continue Reading
Megamozaki – Kaonashi
Dario Elia, working under the name Megamozaki on this release, is an old friend who makes some very impressive industrial rock with elements one normally wouldn’t think to put together. Starting a capella, one would get the impression you would be hearing Sardinian chant, but it melts seamlessly into a Continue Reading
[Video] Julia Hülsmann Quartet – This Is Not America | ECM Records
![[Video] Julia Hülsmann Quartet – This Is Not America | ECM Records](https://musicyouneedtohear.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/maxresdefault-768x432.jpg)
Julia Hülsmann is a pianist from Bonn, Germany who has recorded quite a few stellar albums for the legendary record label ECM. This particular song is a fine rendition of This Is Not America, originally performed by David Bowie and Pat Metheny as part of the soundtrack to the film Continue Reading
Tarah Who? – Manners
Los Angeles produces scores of great rock bands, and has since before I was born. Tara Who? continue the tradition of mixing elements of straight-ahead rock, punk, and the kind of metal that seems to only come from the area of the city near venues like The Roxy or bars Continue Reading