Evidence

Track Listings
 
1. Serious Coincidence
2. Awakening the Light
3. Insight Energy
4. Awareness of Trust
5. Sustaining Revelation
6. Great Quest
7. Arrival of Guidance
8. Unconditional Love
9. Living in the Light

Editorial Reviews
About the Artist
David Allen Nichols is a performer, recording artist, and producer based in New York City, whose reputation as an improvisational pianist has led to an array of collaborative projects for dance, film, and theater. He has provided classical improvisation for American Ballet Theater, New York City Ballet, Dance Theater of Harlem, and Twyla Tharp, as well as contemporary jazz for audiences at Manhattan nite club "Eighty Eights." His music was heard in the soundtrack of the 1989 motion picture "Miss Firecracker" in which he performs for actress Holly Hunter's dance routines, and in a 1995 CBS "Eye On America" documentary with choreographer Eliot Feld's Ballet Tech. His ambient music CD recordings have been featured on nationally syndicated NPR and PRI radio programs "Hearts of Space" and "Echoes."

Product Description
"This is Medieval harmony at its best. The lyrics of this unique CD were written by an unknown source and are chanted in a natural state. The chants are accompanied by minimal piano playing, each note counting heavily in the total arrangement. Powerful and soothing, it beckons you enter within. Great for soul searching." (Creations Magazine, 1998)

Evidence,David Allen Nichols,The Orchard,New Age,New Age / Meditation,Pop

Evidence

Evidence
Ice-T - Greatest Hits: The Evidence
Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • Ice is Nice
  • Old school gangsta rapper with something to say
  • All Of The OG's Best In One Place
  • Well I guess that's it
  • THE ICEMAN COMETH.
 Ice-T - Greatest Hits: The Evidence
Ice-T
Manufacturer: Atomic Pop
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Gangsta & HardcoreGangsta & Hardcore | Rap & Hip-Hop | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Rap & Hip-Hop | Styles | Music
West CoastWest Coast | Rap & Hip-Hop | Styles | Music
Pop RapPop Rap | Rap & Hip-Hop | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Rock | Styles | Music
Pop RockPop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music
Similar Items:
  1. O.G. Original Gangster
  2. Power
  3. The Iceberg/Freedom Of Speech...Just Watch What You Say
  4. Rhyme Pays
  5. Body Count

ASIN: B00004UEND
Release Date: 2000-08-08

Tracks:

  1. 6 'N The Mornin'
  2. I'm Your Pusher
  3. High Rollers
  4. You Played Yourself
  5. Peel Their Caps Back
  6. O.G. Original Gangster
  7. Colors
  8. New Jack Hustler (Nino's Theme)
  9. Power
  10. I Ain't New Ta This
  11. That's How I'm Livin'
  12. I Must Stand
  13. Squeeze The Trigger
  14. The Tower
  15. The Lane (E.V.A. Remix)
  16. Money, Power, Women

Amazon.com

It's about time. With eight albums to his credit and a reputation that stretches across the globe, someone had to pay tribute to Ice-T. But no one did, so he did it himself. From classics like "6 'N the Mornin" and "I'm Your Pusher" to the more commercial "New Jack Hustler" and "Colors," this compilation is the ultimate cross-section of Ice's hits and favorites. Sure, it may be 13 years worth of material on pimping, playing, and the drug game, but The Evidence demonstrates the strength of a hip-hop artist who's still doing it his way, even into his 40s. Production by Ice himself, Afrika Islam, and DJ Aladdin, among others, underscores the artist's often cinematic approach to hip-hop, with everything from break beats to live bass, ticking snares and guitar licks. If Ice-T is accused of being one of hip-hop's greatest then The Evidence makes him guilty as charged. --Kenji Jasper

Customer Reviews:

4 out of 5 stars Ice is Nice.......2007-07-06

Good collection of Ice-Ts raps. Ice-T is kinda different from most rappers in that he doesn't rely on the beat and the flow so much. There's not so much instrumentation in his stuff, just a drum usually. Ice T relies on storytelling. His delivery is rough, but that works for his stuff. He conveys the no-nonsense business attitude [and sometimes teh menace] of the streets. Contrary to so many critics of rap, Ice doesn't do a lot of glamorizing. He's just gritty realism. Here's some good raps:

6 in the Morning

I'm YOur Pusher

High Rollers

Original Gangster

Colors - tune from the movie

I Ain't New to This

The Tower - song about going to prison and the scary life inside. Great line: "who's got the power, the whites, the blacks, or just the gun tower." Makes a listener really want to NOT go to prison.

Money, Power, Women - starts with Al Pacino's quote from Scarface. Cool.

Looking at my list, it's pretty long. I think I have to say this album is a strong 4 stars, almost 5. If I were more of a serious rap fan, maybe I'd feel it was a 5. Whatever, this a solid CD with serious rap, good storytelling.
You Played Yourself

5 out of 5 stars Old school gangsta rapper with something to say.......2007-06-18

Here it is, The Evidence from one of the first and best. This CD is so awesome, I love it because it makes you think about things long after the music has stopped.
The first half of this album is remarkable, so many great beats with smart lyrics. I can't really pick a favorite, but I really love the message of track 2, I'm Your Pusher. He tells the self-destructive drug users "You don't know what time it is". Instead of pushin' the rock he's pushin the music. It might sound foolish or silly to some, but I like that positive message about keeping a strong mind.
Then there's track 4, You Played Yourself. It's genius, basically saying stay real to yourself. He preaches "stupid, ignorant--don't even talk to me. In school you dropped math, science, and history. Then you get on the mike and try to act smart. Let me tell you one thing, you got heart". Brilliant. Or he mentions "you thought you could do dope and still stay cool? Fool...you played yourself.
Then on track 6, Original Gangster, he paints a vivid picture of the chaos that surrounds South Central L.A. If you listen to the lyrics, you'll get caught up in the sad violent whirlwind that is constantly spinning. He exclaims "I'd be a true sucker if I act like I didn't care".
And of course there's New Jack Hustler. Nuff said.
There are so many other masterful tracks, like 6 'N The Mornin', High Rollers, Colors, Power, The Tower...man, I better stop.
This album is simply a must own. Once again, nuff said.

5 out of 5 stars All Of The OG's Best In One Place.......2005-07-01

Ice-T is known as the first true "gangster rap" artist. He earned this title not by using excessive violent and vulgar language, but because he told true stories about the life of people in the streets. Tales of husters,pimps,gangsters and prisoners are all told, as well as a few true stories from Ice-T's own life. Every song on this compilation is a classic. If you want to hear real rap music and not crunk pop garbage such as Lil John and Chingy, go to the nearest record store and purchase this collection.

3 out of 5 stars Well I guess that's it.......2004-02-13

With Ice-T making bad movies and silly TV shows, his singing days are over. He probably did this to get out of his contract and be fully available to star in the 'Facts of Life' Reunion tour. I hear he's going to play Mrs. Garret's long lost pimp.

5 out of 5 stars THE ICEMAN COMETH........2003-11-05

This is a well put together compilation from probably the best rapper out today.It contains many of his classic hits and is very well put together.I wish there were more rappers of the same calibre of ice t today.He is a very real person unlike many rappers of today who are simply about image and the pursuit of money.GET THIS CD TODAY.
Jazz in Silhouette
Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
  • Classic Jazz album
  • space jazz
  • Any Herman Blount record will educate you
  • Pretty Good Session
  • A Must
 Jazz in Silhouette
Sun Ra Arkestra
Manufacturer: Evidence
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Avant Garde & Free JazzAvant Garde & Free Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Jazz | Styles | Music
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  1. Speak No Evil
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ASIN: B0000014J0
Release Date: 1992-02-06

Tracks:

  1. Enlightenment
  2. Saturn
  3. Velvet
  4. Ancient Aiethopia
  5. Hours After
  6. Horoscope
  7. Images
  8. Blues At Midnight

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Classic Jazz album.......2004-10-20

This is perhaps the best place to start with Sun Ra - demonstrating his full roots in Ellington, Monk, and Space! But seriously - this guy is a true master - his compositions are imagineative - he is a master leader- the solos are all inspired - and everything is together. In Jazz there are 4 composers who really were ingenious - Monk, Mingus, Ellington, and Ra - there are some other great ones to - but these are the ones that really stand out to me!

5 out of 5 stars space jazz.......2004-07-28

This is one of the best jazz albums from the 1950s. More like swing and bop than the free style Ra became noted for later on. The tune Images is a standout, being something like Monk's Off Minor. This is music for a future that has yet to arrive. Ancient Aethiopia will take you all the way there in time and place. Arguably, this is Sun Ra's best album ever!

5 out of 5 stars Any Herman Blount record will educate you.......2003-05-01

There are literally hundreds if not thousands of Sun Ra albums. Not all in print of course. This one is pretty nice. Some like this one are jazz with a slight twist. Some are completely abstract, some are something different from anything you've ever heard. There are Do Wop and Disco Sun Ra albums made well before the terms Do Wop and Disco were coined. As a matter of fact it could be argued that Sun Ra invented Do Wop, Disco, rock and fusion jazz since he was experimenting in these genres long before most anyone else. They are all worth listening to.

4 out of 5 stars Pretty Good Session.......2000-10-24

This was released on Ra's Saturn label in 1957. It's not quite as startling, colorful, or brilliant as "SuperSonic Jazz", which he released in 1956; the edges seem to have been filed down a bit on the music. But it's good stuff, listenable jazz with an exotic edge.

The one amazing track here is "Ancient Aethiopia" - it fuses eastern & western motifs together and sounds well ahead of its time.

5 out of 5 stars A Must.......2000-05-10

I am a Sun Ra rookie. I heard of him, but never heard him. So, unlike other reviewers here, this is my first Sun Ra album. And I love it. More precisely, I think that its a masterpiece. One of those albums you here and just know you discovered a wide new world. Music will never sound the same again! (*written while hearing this album again, and dicovering how great it is).
Super-Sonic Jazz
Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
  • one of sun ra's best
  • Swinging Sun Ra from the fourth moon of Saturn
  • Six stars for this one
  • Music as Colorful as the Cover Art
  • The Hottest Cool on the Planet
 Super-Sonic Jazz
Sun Ra
Manufacturer: Evidence
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Avant Garde & Free JazzAvant Garde & Free Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Jazz | Styles | Music
Contemporary Big BandContemporary Big Band | Swing Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music
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  1. Space Is the Place
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  4. Rip, Rig & Panic/Now Please Don't You Cry, Beautiful Edith
  5. Space Is the Place: The Lives and Times of Sun Ra

ASIN: B0000014J3
Release Date: 1992-02-06

Tracks:

  1. India
  2. Sunology
  3. Advice To Medics
  4. Super Blonde
  5. Soft Talk
  6. Sunology Part II
  7. Kingdom Of Not
  8. Portrait Of The Living Sky
  9. Blues At Midnight
  10. El Is A Sound Of Joy
  11. Springtime In Chicago
  12. Medicine For A Nightmare

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars one of sun ra's best.......2006-09-22

buyer beware: there are 2 types of sun ra recordings. 1. great colorful big band music featuring the great saxophone work of john gilmore. (which is the category super-sonic jazz certainly falls into). and 2. experimental free-form jazz. i, personally, cannot stand the pretentious free-form stuff, but when the sun ra outfit is focused on compositions (as they are on this cd) they make jazz about as good to listen to as anybody. this is a perfect cd to introduce yourself to the best kind of sun ra. yes, sir.

5 out of 5 stars Swinging Sun Ra from the fourth moon of Saturn.......2005-04-24

Super-Sonic Jazz is not nearly as avantgarde as Suns albums became starting in the early sixties, rather this album documents Sun's earlier more traditional work. Those of you who didn't know that the master of big band free jazz could swing and play the blues you should check this stuff out. I love Sun Ra's more demanding and avantgarde material from the sixties, seventies and eighties, but this album is very cool. You can tell Sun's fancy is just begining to take flight in that he's starting to add different rhythms and instrumentation and more exotic harmony to his repetoire. The arrangements and compositions are just starting to get "out." For instance the album opener India is a bit of exotica played on electric piano. Many of the tunes use tympani and odd melody lines such as the stunning El Is The Sound Of Joy. Other tunes sound like Charles Mingus of the period but with an odd harmonic sensibility. Ra's piano recalls Thelonius Monk in his use of space and occasionally a tiny bit of Sun's Cecil Taylor-like style pokes through. But in general he swings and solos in a more traditional though harmonically advanced way. The playing by his side men is top notch. Featured are John Gilmore, Pat Patrick and Julian Priester. Super Sonic Jazz is just a really enjoyable listen of the beginnings of one of jazz's most out-there and intriguing composers. Its melodic, exotic and swinging. As a bonus it's well recorded.

5 out of 5 stars Six stars for this one.......2002-12-18

Recently a friend asked why most of the reviews I have posted have five stars. I pointed out that the main reason is that the CDs I have reviewed are all ones that I own, and that I research very carefully before I buy anything.

The few that I give lower ratings to are usually impulse buys based on a single recommendation that have disappointed me when they clearly don't stand up to repeated listening.

Let's face it, if you own more than two or three albums by the same artist, some of them will hardly ever get played, so it is well worth while to make sure that you buy the very best work of the artists you like.

For me a top rated (five star) album has to be one that is consistently of the highest standard. It is no good if there are one or two great tracks and the rest is dross. A top rated album has to be one that bears repeated listening without getting tired of it, and it has to sound good and be well recorded. It has to be the best work of the artist in question, and it has to be excellent music in its own right.

Now what does this have to do with Sun Ra and Supersonic Jazz. Just that Sun Ra is the exception that proves the rule, in that I have several of his albums including this one. Listening to this you just forget that it is music, as Sun Ra's remarkable rhythmic and harmonic virtuosity takes you out of yourself on a journey to Eternity, or maybe it is just Saturn.

Anyway, the point is that this music is so good that attempts to describe it just lead you into nonsensical babble. Better just to buy it and hear it for yourself.

Six stars.

5 out of 5 stars Music as Colorful as the Cover Art.......2000-10-23

The tonal colors just fly out of the music. An underheard jazz masterpiece. This is a great starting point into Ra's music, and a wonderful, deep, varied album. Discographers claim this was recorded in 1956, but it's hard to believe that. The music is absolutely timeless.

Great composition, great imaginative arrangement of those themes across a wide tonal pallette, great playing, and a mastering job that presents the music in all its glory.

5 out of 5 stars The Hottest Cool on the Planet.......1999-12-24

Super Sonic Jazz is one of Sun Ra's many recordings recently released on the small label Saturn. Historically preceding his official debut with Sun Song on the Tel-Larc label, these songs amply demonstrate that by the late 1950s Sun Ra was charting new territory with his famed "orkestra."

On Super Sonic Jazz Ra divides his time equally between electric and acoustic pianos, creating aural tapestries that sound as fresh today as they did in 1958. Witness Advice to Medics, a free-form improvisation for electric piano. Here, Ra's harmonics are as complex and developed as anything done fifteen years on by Weather Report or Return to Forever. Ra extracts a suprising dynamic range from the electric piano,which even today is regarded an inferior instrument to its acoustic father.

His songwriting skills are in full-force with the after-hours, drunken romance of Sunology, the hipster's Kingdom of Not, and a breakneck Superblonde--the hottest cool track on the record. In fact, in terms of songwriting and performance, the pace never lags. The band sound unbelievably tight, especially in view of its considerable size.

Why Super Sonic Jazz was not readily available to record buyers until decades later is a mystery. In many ways it equals--no, surpasses--Sun Song in terms of sheer innovation, but it's a friendly, accessible avante garde, where complex harmonics and rhythms are based firmly on traditional jazz big band forms.
Vietnam Blues: The Complete L&R Recording
Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
  • Masterpiece - nothing else in blues quite like this
  • sensational discovery
  • A great reissue of the brilliant work of a neglected master
  • The Heart and Soul of Blues
  • A jewel unearthed
 Vietnam Blues: The Complete L&R Recording
J.B. Lenoir
Manufacturer: Evidence
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Chicago BluesChicago Blues | Blues | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Blues | Styles | Music
Electric Blues GuitarElectric Blues Guitar | Blues | Styles | Music
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  1. The Parrot Sessions
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  5. Martin Scorsese Presents The Blues: J.B. Lenoir

ASIN: B0000014PZ
Release Date: 1995-06-27

Tracks:

  1. Alabama
  2. Mojo Boogie
  3. God's Word
  4. The Whale Has Swalloed Me
  5. Move This Rope
  6. I Feel So Good
  7. Alabama March
  8. Talk To Your Daughter
  9. Mississippi Road
  10. Good Advice
  11. Vietnam
  12. I Want To Go
  13. Down In Mississippi
  14. Slow Down Woman
  15. If I Get Lucky
  16. Shot On James Meredith
  17. Round And Round
  18. Voodoo Music
  19. Born Dead
  20. Leavin' Here
  21. Vietnam Blues
  22. How Much More
  23. Tax Payin' Blues
  24. Feelin' Good

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Masterpiece - nothing else in blues quite like this.......2006-10-14

I've just bought this CD for the 4th time - along with Jack Dupree's "Blues From The Gutter", it's the one I give away when I really want to give, and turn someone on to the blues.

It contains JBs last 2 albums before his untimely death in 1967, and represents the full flowering of his groundbreaking African Hunch style. JB was a popular Chicago electric blues musician who gradually evolved a new acoustic sound - syncretising a lot of what had come before, from gritty Delta guitar to barrelhouse-piano style syncopation, and more than a touch of gospel - but sounding fresh and modern; he was moving forwards not back. Sadly this style seems to have died with him; the world has not caught up yet.

All tracks have JB on acoustic guitar and vocals (those words hardly doing justice to what he does with them); many with Freddie Below on drums (inventor of Rock & Roll no matter what anyone else says); and a few with Willie Dixon's atmospheric growling on backup vocal (Willie also produced).

There's nothing else quite like this, though JB's 50's and early 60's Chicago recordings gave some hints of what was to come (a couple of his 50's hits are reworked here). The guitar work is simple yet complex, highly syncopated; the voice a flexible instrument, and the songs are just extraordinary - power and subtlety, tears and laughter, protest and acceptance, folk tales and modern living.

I can't really explain it in words, just listen to some of the samples, bearing in mind the the whole experience is so much more so - at least hear "Alabama", "Mojo Boogie", "Move This Rope", "I Feel So Good", "Good Advice", "Vietnam", "Down In Mississippi", "Voodoo Music", and especially "Born Dead" and "Feelin' Good" ... heck, just get the album! What a trip it is - hearing this for the first time is like hearing Robert Johnson for the first time...

4 out of 5 stars sensational discovery.......2006-02-17

I knew Lenoir from Scorcesse's films "Blues History" . Hia social interests captivated me so much.

5 out of 5 stars A great reissue of the brilliant work of a neglected master.......2005-02-03

Most hardcore blues fans know of J.B.Lenoir, but if you're unfamiliar with him then this CD will be a revelation. He is a unique stylist, master guitar player, and profound lyricist. His singing is powerful, idiosyncratic and full of conviction.

The cuts on this disc have been remastered beautifully, are full of depth and clarity. They represent the broad range of Lenoir's music, from biting social and political songs, through rocking dance numbers, to pieces in a more gospel or spiritual vein. Many of the songs foreground Lenoir's signature "African hunch" polyrhythm, a style as unique to J.B. as the "Bo Diddley beat" is to, well, Bo Diddley.

If you can only get one Lenoir CD, get this one. You'll love it and it'll compel you to get everything available.

5 out of 5 stars The Heart and Soul of Blues.......2004-04-02

This CD is priceless. It is a ticket into another world. The amazing talent & raw heartfelt emotion of J.B. pours out of these songs and takes the listener on a journey. It is political, it's religious, it's sexual, it's unjust defeat, it's resurrection and it's definitely groovin. This is a glimpse into the heart and soul of a black man who lived and died during civil rights movement in the south. This CD gives the listener more than just great music, it serves up human feelings, the composition of life, and that's what the blues is all about.

5 out of 5 stars A jewel unearthed.......2003-10-12

I've only listened to the five excerpts from this CD, in addition to what portions I have heard on Scorsese's documentary, and I can tell you, this man's a genius. His sounds are pure and full of vitality after forty-plus years. He is unique and original; Lenoir's guitar work is rooted in Delta/acoustic guitar blues traditions, yet, in his riffs and songwriting, he displays the savvy hooks and songwriting skills of a contemporary pop tunesmith. Above all, J.B. is laid-back and downright cool--one can't help but sway, bump, and grind, to his swinging rhythms. I hope his relatives, if they are still with us, are getting a significant portion of these royalties. This man was, and is, an American Blues treasure!

P.S. Mayall's song "The death of J.B. Lenoir" is also great; Lenoir seemed to "produce" great music even after his death! We are blessed for being able to hear, and to see (thanks to this new documentary) his incredible gifts after all these years!
Slideways
Average customer rating: 4 out of 5 stars
  • Great Technician Not Great Music
  • Worth adding to any blues collection
  • Could be better
  • Artificial, Disappointing
  • You Gotta Get This CD
 Slideways
Roy Rogers
Manufacturer: Evidence
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Contemporary BluesContemporary Blues | Blues | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Blues | Styles | Music
Traditional BluesTraditional Blues | Blues | Styles | Music
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ASIN: B0000645KZ
Release Date: 2002-03-26

Tracks:

  1. Avalanche
  2. Smoke & Mirrors
  3. Razor's Edge
  4. Duckwalk
  5. I'm With You
  6. Talking Walls
  7. Crescent Steps
  8. No Destination
  9. Swamp Dream
  10. There Is Only You
  11. Precious Moments
  12. Gumbo Funk
  13. For the Children

Amazon.com

Blues producer and slide-guitar virtuoso Roy Rogers's eighth solo outing continues his exploration of roots music with an all-instrumental selection. Nearly an hour's worth of slide guitar is a rich confection, but the variety of styles and tones adopted here will keep the aficionado amused. A few of the cuts are simply grooves, rather than artfully prepared tunes, but the majority are blues based, and all are raunchy and uptempo. The opening "Avalanche" is a gloriously sweaty blueswailin' stomp. Other highlights include "Duckwalk," a rocking tribute to one of the unsung heroes of the slide guitar, Chuck Berry, and "There Is Only You," which climaxes in a manner reminiscent of some of Ry Cooder's best soundtrack instrumentals. Meters drummer Zigaboo Modeliste lends a New Orleans flavor, and Snortin' Norton Buffalo's harmonica is a key foil for Rogers's slide throughout. --Rob Stewart

Customer Reviews:

2 out of 5 stars Great Technician Not Great Music.......2007-03-08

Love a good slide guitar. This is a good player. After 5 minutes it just sounds like variations of the same lick over and over and over again. I would like to hear him play with others. Not enough on his own.

4 out of 5 stars Worth adding to any blues collection.......2002-12-13

This album has a level of energy that I haven't found on many recent blues albums. Overall I think many of the other reviewers are being a bit too critical--this one is great for driving or background music during a loud party. I play it at work frequently, and almost every time someone will walk past and say "that's good stuff--who is it?" Considering some of the major disappointments I've purchased in the blues vein recently, this one deserves a solid recommendation.

2 out of 5 stars Could be better.......2002-11-25

I bought this after hearing the NPR piece, and thinking that this sounded like my kind of album. But...

Roy Rogers is certainly a virtuoso guitarist and he knows his stuff too. In this album you can hear echoes of Robert Johnson, Muddy Waters, Clapton, Hendrix, even John Fahey. But the problem is that all the compositions are by Rogers, and while Rogers is a great guitar player, he is not much of a composer.

This album would serve very well as a cv for Rogers if he was applying for a position as a studio musician, and I'm sure he would get the job. There are also a couple of tracks that I really like, particularly #6 which is a kind of atmospheric blues with a nice harmonica accompaniment, and #10 that reminds me a bit of Thorn Tree In The Garden, the final instrumental track on Clapton's Layla album. But tracks 1-5 and 13 are tiresome and do not improve on repeated listening.

The album could be improved by cutting out tracks 1-5 and 13 and add some good standards like, maybe, some Hendrix numbers like Up From The Skies or Little Wing, and some classic blues or gospel tunes. The mark of a really good player is that he can take someone else's tune and make it his own, as for example Santana with Tito Fuente's Oy Como Va, or Peter Green's Black Magic Woman, come to think of it.

So maybe Rogers is not quite up to that stature? Well, that's why I haven't given this album five stars.

This sounds like a pretty dire review, but I do think that Rogers has a great album in him, though this is not it.

2 out of 5 stars Artificial, Disappointing.......2002-11-14

Like others here, I ordered this CD after hearing the artist on NPR. He has chops but to paraphrase Albert King's complaint about other players, he "just plays fast, ain't got no soul." I don't hear it, anyway. The tracks are mildly entertaining but there's nothing moving or particularly rewarding, much less memorable. "Uninspiring" and "two-dimensional" are references that come to mind. I deleted it from my iPod after just a listening or two.

5 out of 5 stars You Gotta Get This CD.......2002-10-31

Oh My God, Oh My GOD, OH MY GOD!!!!! I've listened to a lot of instrumental music in my life, but always thought "slide guitar - are you kidding, that's for backwater hillbillies". Boy was I wrong. I heard the NPR feature the other day on Roy Rogers and this album and was intrigued to say the least.

If you have ears (even one will do), you must run out right now and get this CD. It made me jump, it made my laugh, it made me cry, it made me want to live forever, it made me feel like I died and went to heaven. There are no words to describe it.
Genesis for Two Grand Pianos
Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
  • A worthy addition to your Genesis and related artist catalog
  • Wonderful!
  • A VERY good attempt at a Classical Transcription
  • Glorious Interpretations of Classic Genesis
  • Almost Better On Piano
 Genesis for Two Grand Pianos
Yngve Guddal , Roger T. Matte , and Genesis
Manufacturer: Inside Out U.S.
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

GeneralGeneral | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music
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  5. A Curious Feeling

ASIN: B00006IRKG
Release Date: 2002-11-05

Tracks:

  1. The Fountain Of Salmacis
  2. Mad Man Moon
  3. Can-Utility And The Coastliners
  4. One For The Vine
  5. Down And Out
  6. Duke's Travels
  7. Evidence Of Autumn

Album Description

Seven Genesis' tracks arranged for piano by two Norwegian musicians, reminiscent of Stravinsky's work for two pianos. The cover artwork is by Paul Whitehead who did several early sleeves for Genesis albums. Camino. 2001.

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars A worthy addition to your Genesis and related artist catalog.......2007-03-26

Don't be afraid to jump on this one! Unlike previous "symphonic" releases, this album stands up on it's own, and is an outstanding CD. This collection is well played and wonderfully arranged. I've listened to it almost everyday since buying it three weeks ago. A fresh look at some well-worn classic Genesis material.

5 out of 5 stars Wonderful!.......2006-02-24

If you ever wondered why you're so fond of Genesis' music, you only have to listen once to these exquisite arrangements by Yngve Guddal and Roger T. Matte of some of the band's classic tracks. Beautiful songs, outstanding performances. Highly recommended, along with Guddal's and Matte's second collection in this series, "Genesis For Two Grand Pianos, Volume Two." A must for Genesis fans or anyone who enjoys great piano music.

4 out of 5 stars A VERY good attempt at a Classical Transcription.......2006-02-23

I've been a long-time Genesis fan, and a classical music lover. The idea of having 2 pianos play these Genesis tunes is an attactive one, and these gentlemen have given it a nice shot. There are only 2 moderate complaints: The cd is a little short on time (they could have done another piece or two), and I wish they hadn't taken some of the rock rhythms so literally (on some of the melodies). To go this far in "classicalizing" Genesis, they could have taken these rock-stylized rhythms out--they sound borderline hokey. Fortunately, this doesn't happen too often. On the other hand, they did a wonderful job of capturing the essence of these compositions and covering the parts with four hands. Sometimes even the pianos seem to "rock".
Highly recommend!

5 out of 5 stars Glorious Interpretations of Classic Genesis.......2006-02-17

It's hard to imagine how wonderful these albums are (this is the first of two volumes - the second is even better and hopefully there are more to come)

This is an album of piano duets of the music of the 70s progressive rock masters, Genesis. However, it is NOT a `tribute' album. 'Tribute' albums are often Velveeta-smothered cheeseballs, sometimes just plain old elevator music. Other times they're nothing more than limp attempts - with little or imagination - at marketing tools for aspiring prog bands.

But not the music of Guddal and Matte.

First, the music has all the passion of the original music, and then some. You can feel the love that Guddal and Matte have for the music of Genesis, and this passion is deeply infused into these recordings.

The concept of dual pianos is great, creating a synergy with different melody lines, and allowing for great flourishes and nuances. The whole is indeed greater than the sum of the parts.

Further, their arrangements truly reveal the brilliance and composing genius of Banks/Collins/Gabriel/Hackett/Rutherford. The uninitiated would swear they're listening to compositions by giants of classical music such as Gershwin or Debussy.

The song choices are not obvious, but rather interesting and daring. It's so wonderful to see underrated Genesis masterpieces like "Can-Utility and the Coastliners" and "Duke's Travels" receiving such superb renditions. "Down and Out" - another surprising choice - reveals the complexity and passion of this underrated composition.

Bravo to Mssrs. Guddal and Matte. Music lovers of all kinds are fortunate they've applied their considerable virtuosity to the great library of Genesis, and created wonderful, passionate, timeless interpretations of compositions that have stood the test of time.

Here's looking forward to Volume 3, and hopefully a series on the music of the other prog masters, Yes.

5 out of 5 stars Almost Better On Piano.......2005-02-06

The piano is one of the most beautiful instruments. It can be so dark and deep, and yet so beautiful and moving at the same time. Genesis is a fairly deep and dark band, but it's hard to imagine listening to nothing but the stripped down melodies of their songs played by two pianos.

This is a clever ploy, and for once, it actually turned out great. There are string tributes for bands, and orchestral tributes, and even guest musicians covering or playing songs with the bands, and more often then not, it turns out to be total crap. Not Genesis For Two Grand Pianos.

This is a beautiful CD. It's hard to sum up the beauty of the piano, but to give you an idea; the CD retains a very classical feel. At the same time, the modern sounds of Genesis are brought through, only with a classic piano feel. The end result is absolutely amazing.

Imagine listening to Stravinsky conducting Genesis on classical instruments. If you can comprehend that, then you can sort of imagine what this CD sounds like.

My personal favorites on this CD are Fountain Of Salmacis and One For The Vine. However, the whole CD is strong, and there is not a single bad track.

If you enjoy piano music, classical music, genesis, or a combination of the three, I highly recommend this CD. Even though there are only seven songs, each one is played so incredibly well and with a considerable level of texture.

Screw the string-tribute-quartet. Pianos are in, and they fit this genre so much better.
Another Saturday Morning
Average customer rating: Not rated
    		Another Saturday Morning
    Ellis Hooks
    Manufacturer: Evidence
    ProductGroup: Music
    Binding: Audio CD

    GeneralGeneral | Blues | Styles | Music
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    ASIN: B000RPCJR0
    Release Date: 2007-08-13
    Lanquidity
    Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    • Sun Ra - Misunderstood Genius
    • Genuine hi-fi sci-fi jazz
    • The worst Sun Ra is better than most other stuff
    • Top notch psychedelic jazz music
    • Entrancing Ra
    		 Lanquidity
    Sun Ra
    Manufacturer: Evidence
    ProductGroup: Music
    Binding: Audio CD

    Avant Garde & Free JazzAvant Garde & Free Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music
    GeneralGeneral | Jazz | Styles | Music
    Jazz FusionJazz Fusion | Jazz | Styles | Music
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    1. Strange Celestial Road
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    ASIN: B00004XSLJ
    Release Date: 2000-09-26

    Tracks:

    1. Lanquidity
    2. Where The Pathways Meet
    3. That's How I Feel
    4. Twin Star Of Thence
    5. There Are Other Worlds (They Have Not Told You Of)

    Amazon.com

    This 1978 session, coming relatively late in Sun Ra's creative history, is another extraordinary venture into uncharted musical terrain. As the name suggests, it's a liquid and languid musical state, from the lounge area of Ra's cosmos, but it can also be resiliently funky and subtly dissonant in ways unheard outside the orchestra's precincts. The rhythm section of electric bass, two guitars, and three drummers creates deep pulsing grooves for Sun Ra's assortment of ethereal organs and synthesizers and a horn complement of two trumpets and five reeds that are used sparingly for maximal effect. There are some elements of commercial crossover funk and even Miles Davis's electric period, but this is highly original music, an acid jazz prototype in which groove and electronica intersect with muted brass and a heady assortment of reeds and percussion. Sudden squiggles of funk guitar mix with strong improvisation from Sun Ra and his regular soloists, like saxophonists John Gilmore and Marshall Allen, who are always ready to bend the music into some new pitch zone. The lyrical title track bears a resemblance to Mingus's "Goodbye Pork Pie Hat," and "There Are Other Worlds" is supplemented by overdubbed "Ethnic Voices" and additional percussion and electronics, creating an eerily engaging tapestry. Recorded in a New York studio with the sound further improved by Evidence, this is unusually well recorded for Sun Ra music of the period, a warm bath in music both lush and exotic. --Stuart Broomer

    Customer Reviews:

    5 out of 5 stars Sun Ra - Misunderstood Genius.......2007-05-12

    Sun Ra is really one of a kind in Jazz, he was a pioneer for Avant Garde just as much as he was a colourful and absurd personality that dressed in Exotic or futuristic clothes and claimed he was born on another planet. By most accounts he was born as Herman Sonny Blount 1914 in Birmingham, AL and came to promise in the 50's with his exprimental music that would become an unique take on Avant Garde Jazz soon enough. Few Jazz critics ever took him serious cause of his personality and lifestyle and his music was very controvercial for Jazz Purists during his whole recording history. In particular the album "Atlantic" from 1967 released just 2 years prior to Miles Davis "Bit*es" Brew" when he would be exploring mythical music from the past in what was an indescribable sound of drums and organs. Regardless of Sun Ra was exploring music from the past or futuristic space music, his music is diffrent then anything else and it's both creative and odd. Sun Ra's only interest in life was music, he would be recording or playing with his band from morning to night and for a man like him he made a huge catalogue of music, some really good music, some less interesting but always worth to check out.

    "Lanquidity" from 1978, Released about 10 years after the Avant Garde/Fusion hype that came in the 60's is perhaps Sun Ra's best album and most accessible aswell. Apart from most musicians Sun Ra's creative peak never ended, he would still be recording music to the last years of his life but around 1978 he was recording some of the best music of his life. "Lanquidity" is a recommended album in the sense that it isn't as absurd or unpenetratable as some of his music. It's very meliodic with an almost trance feeling. It's a Fusion inspired Jazz-Funk album with 5 songs that are quite coherant and as usual his big band appearence makes the sound of it very fascinating and grand. Opener and title a midtempo track almost sounds like in a trance, Sun Ra plays his electric piano while saxophonist John Gilmore jumps in with a great solo and all of the others deliver the best of their exotic instruments. All brilliantly produced and coherant. "Where Pathways Meet" is quite diffrent, it's a funky number in fast pace with Trumpet in focus. This one is not as revolutionary as some of the other music, but a real swagger. The third song is really beautiful, it's called "That's How I Feel" one of my personal favorite Sun Ra compositions. It feautures horns and a great electric piano melody that goes on for the entire song. A Bit simular to the opener. "Twin Stars Of Thense" is brilliant aswell, it's also slightly funky with both piano and horn solos. Less meliodic, but nice Fusion recording. "There are Other Worlds" feauture the voice of June Tyson and with some occasional horn sound here and there but the song itself is very mysterious, ending up like a long trance more then an actual song. But this was the whole point cause Sun Ra wants you to pay attention to small details in his music and feeling it's groove. Most songs here are about 6 to 10 minutes so they aren't as long as some of Miles David Fusion recordings, thus it's easy to get into the album + it's mostly meliodic and accessable to most people.

    Needless to say, This is perhaps Sun Ra's best album and a good way to get to know him. The man, the myth the legend Sun Ra who by most people atleast recognozed as a musical genius, a bandleader, composer, producer and extremly multitalented and creative musician. In my oppinion, one of the most fascinating persons in Music History. If you're further interested in his personality and music there are some documentaries available that covers some of his life and plenty of good albums and articles to check out too.

    5 out of 5 stars Genuine hi-fi sci-fi jazz.......2007-02-12

    When Carl Sagan pondered the possibility of life elsewhere in the solar system, he conjured up creatures such as a hot-air balloon-sized flying jellyfish that would float through Jupiter's blistering atmosphere propelled by sulfurous discharges. Sun Ra operates on a similar wavelength, apparently attempting to recreate what musical instruments would sound like on other worlds. "Lanquidity" is the most repeatedly listenable Ra release I've encountered (The title track for "The Magic City," for instance, an album released 13 years earlier in 1965 sounds much like a construction site hooked up to a loudspeaker) and one that easily holds its own beside Miles Davis' "Bitches Brew," Art Blakey's "Free for All" and Sonny Sharrock's "Ask the Ages." The meandering Hammond, droning horns, and occasional whale-speak and duck-honk effects give the set a malleable, dreamy complexion. "There Are Other Worlds (They Have Not Told You Of)" feels like a combo LSD deprogramming session and love-in taking place inside a robotic whale adrift in the deep ocean. Some of the songs even suggest a contemporary trip-hop vibe, then abruptly zoom ahead back into the future and eventually steps outside time's bounds, just looking back at the one-dimensional timeline, nothing more than a stray slug's slime trail. Like music that makes you jabber like you're Carlos Castaneda? Then this is the one.

    5 out of 5 stars The worst Sun Ra is better than most other stuff.......2006-04-30

    There is no "typical" Sun Ra, however this one is unique. Way unique. Well worth hearing.

    5 out of 5 stars Top notch psychedelic jazz music.......2005-04-30

    Moore has no idea what he's talking about. Sun Ra never had no commercial ambitions. Whatever was created by him and his arkestra was personal expression, regardless of how many chromatic intervals there are per song (a very simplistic way of looking at Sun Ra's music). Lanquidity has been my favorite Sun Ra record because of its accessability. Much of Sun Ra's music just throws you alone into empty space; in Lanquidity Sun Ra keeps you company on this journey into outer space. The album's definately among Sun Ra's groovier stuff. It freaks out my mom.

    5 out of 5 stars Entrancing Ra.......2001-08-18

    There may be comparisons as to what this music sounds 'like' but like must of Ra's work, it defies boundaries. These tracks are perfect for late night listening. The songs, beginning with track 1, but particularly tracks 2-4, build into a collage of slow grooving, imaginative music which ends with the hypnotic "There Are Other Worlds(They have not told you of)". This may be atypical Ra, according to some, but it IS 'must have' music for the mind.
    Atlantis
    Average customer rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    • I hate to say this but....
    • One of Sun Ra's finest albums
    • Overated but good
    • Mind-expanding, but This-worldly.
    • Personal reflections on Ra
    		 Atlantis
    Sun Ra
    Manufacturer: Evidence
    ProductGroup: Music
    Binding: Audio CD

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    ASIN: B0000014KI
    Release Date: 1993-11-25

    Tracks:

    1. Mu
    2. Lemuria
    3. Yucatan (Saturn version)
    4. Yucatan (Impulse version)
    5. Bimini
    6. Atlantis

    Amazon.com

    One of the key but underappreciated episodes in avant-garde jazz, Sun Ra's Atlantis sounds far out even today. Rather than a full-on assault on the senses, Atlantis is an exercise in build-up, with long, almost forlorn passages of Ra on electric keyboards setting a vast echo chamber for his Arkestra to spring forth within. Captured during one of the most adventurous periods for Sun Ra, *Atlantis* features the orchestral perfection of the best big bands of the century-and then proceeds towards mutirhythmic explosions of intensity, all of it couched in Sun Ra's mixture of interglactic mysticism and heaping doses of experiments in tone, tempo, and texture. --Andrew Bartlett

    Customer Reviews:

    2 out of 5 stars I hate to say this but...........2006-04-28

    ...I think alot of people give this album too much credit. Sometimes you cannot heap lavish praise upon something simply because it is different, and breaks the mold of preconcieved notions formerly held of any particular genre. At this, Sun Ra excells brilliantly, rewriting what could be recorded for a jazz label at an early historical date like no one who has come before or since. That however does not merit placing this album up on a pedestal, for we must detatch the significance the album played in the evolution of avant garde jazz from the actual contents of the disc. For the most part I find the playing on this disc to be extremely over-indulgent and pretentious. Yes, there are some facinating moments where everything clicks, particularly when the creative use of perrcussion is employed to organize so much of that sloppy noise that Ra was putting out. The production is also extremely low quality and I feel that this does nothing to compliment the material. Basically, aside from a few hints that clue in the listener as to the pedigree of musicians being recorded, this could almost be passed over as a bunch of college jazz stoners in their garage improvising tributes to the Coltrane Interstellar Space free-jazz era meterial.

    5 out of 5 stars One of Sun Ra's finest albums.......2005-08-14

    You think Pink Floyd is trippy and out there? Roger Waters and David Gilmour bow down to the great Sun Ra. That being said, Pink Floyd fans and stoners (often times one category) will love Sun Ra. In an age where Ornette Coleman and John Coltrane were criticized for straying way too far away from Jazz's orgins, Sun Ra was already leaps and bounds ahead of them. Sun Ra is the apex of Avant-Garde and Experimental Jazz. To the untrained ear of those unfamiliar with Ra, this may sound uneven and sloppily composed. But you couldn't be anymore wrong. That's the genius of avant-garde art - it may seem poorly conceived on the surface, but underneath its thought out and pays close attention to details. This is one of Sun Ra's best albums, and a good place to go from after "Space Is the Place" or "Easy Listening For Intergalatic Travel" (the two starting points in your Ra enjoyment). The lack of production, minimalist and at times primative organ playing, and the very small band add to an atmosphere of the outer limits that any Space Age Pop artist couldn't dream to create. In other words, classic Ra. Not the greatest starting place to get acquainted with the genius, but a classic nonetheless.

    3 out of 5 stars Overated but good.......2004-06-07

    Certainly there is some very good music on this album, but I've always thought this album was overated. The shorter pieces suffer from a lack of cohesiveness and ramble on a bit in a laid back, offhand way. They don't really go anywhere. The long centerpiece composition "Atlantis" is for the most part an organ workout for Ra and is by turns extremely aggressive, spacey and ultimately exhausting. There are some great passages but its just too long. I would recommend "The Heliocentric Worlds of Sun Ra Vol. 1", or the truly magical "Magic City" or "Other Planes of There" before Atlantis. Those albums all contain long compositions that are more rewarding. Heliocentric Worlds is comprised of smaller pieces that flow into one another creating in effect one long suite. I'm not saying Atlantis isn't worth having because it is, just that there are better Sun Ra albums out there that you might want to pick up first.

    4 out of 5 stars Mind-expanding, but This-worldly........2004-02-13

    This album surely breaks the traditional molds of rhythm, form and tonality. For these reasons alone it is really worth a listen; however, this is not earth-shattering or out-of-this-world music. Free jazz had been around for about 6 years, and so this experiment had been done before. It is a great recording because the listener hears it against the backdrop of one's own preconceived ideas about how music should be. If I were to describe it, I would call it "Music from a Laudromat", because it harkens (especially rhythmically) to my experience sitting in a laudromat waiting for the clothes to get done in a dryer. As the dryer spins at a constant speed the clothes inside rattle against the sides of the dryer cylinder, snaps buttons and zippers clanging against the sides at an erratic non-linear pace. If one listens to it and places one's attention upon it, it becomes a very meditative and freeing experience.

    5 out of 5 stars Personal reflections on Ra.......2003-01-19

    This was my first introduction to the Might of Ra. I wasn't quite sure what to make of it other than I liekd it. A few months later, I saw the Arkestra live and it all suddenly made sense. I was hooked and hooked deeply! No, this isn't the best starting place for Sun Ra (especially if you're coming from a 'traditional' jazz background) but for the adventuresome and openminded, this is great stuff.....SPACE IS THE PLACE
    Angels & Demons at Play/The Nubians of Plutonia
    Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
    • Discover Sun Ra
    • On the cusp of transition
    • bright satisfied
    • Varied Sessions, Consistently Adventurous
    • A mystical and ancient quality about it
    		 Angels & Demons at Play/The Nubians of Plutonia
    Sun Ra
    Manufacturer: Evidence
    ProductGroup: Music
    Binding: Audio CD

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    ASIN: B0000014KH
    Release Date: 1993-11-25

    Tracks:

    1. Tiny Pyramids
    2. Between Two Worlds
    3. Music From The World Tomorrow
    4. Angels And Demons At Play
    5. Urnack
    6. Medicine For A Nightmare
    7. A Call For All Demons
    8. Demon's Lullaby
    9. Plutonian Nights
    10. The Golden Lady
    11. Star Time
    12. Nubia
    13. Africa
    14. Watusa
    15. Aiethopia

    Customer Reviews:

    5 out of 5 stars Discover Sun Ra.......2002-03-04

    This is a great place to start if you're discovering Sun Ra. Another album I'd strongly suggest is "Sun Ra Visits Planet Earth/Interstellar Low Ways."

    Sun Ra has made a huge number of recordings with his Arkestra... His albums range from adventurous to downright insane. This particular album and the other one I mentioned contain a very pleasing balance of all the things that make Sun Ra so much fun: the big band, the swing, the rumba, the wild orchestrations and rhythms, the improvisations, and the overall "interplanetary funkmanship" of which George Clinton once sang.

    My first Sun Ra album was actually a wild one: "Other Planes of There." I really like it, along with another adventurous title "Cosmic Tones for Mental Therapy/Art Forms of Dimensions Tomorrow." There are a number of these wilder examples of free jazz in his catalogue, and there are also more conventional albums.

    My recommendation is to begin with the more conventional albums, because they offer plenty of fun insanity to begin with. "Angels & Demons at Play/The Nubians of Plutonia" is a particular favorite of mine. If you can get a hold of a copy, check it out!

    4 out of 5 stars On the cusp of transition.......2002-01-11

    I love albums by performers who are in the midst of transitions. Think about the Beatles albums: Rubber Soul and Revolver. They were in the midst of the transiton that freed up their playing, yet they were still remained connected to their roots. That is what Angels and Nubians is like in the Sun Ra catalogue. It is suspended in the middle of a big change of direction from a tighter big band sound to free jazz. It is very complex in mood and is really groovy to boot. A great intro to Sun Ra.

    4 out of 5 stars bright satisfied.......2001-06-16

    This is great music. I bought this CD after hearing an NPR blurb on Sun Ra and his music, during which they played an exerpt of Aithiopia, which really got my attention. The CD exceeded my expectations. The sound is very exotic (not in a kitchy Martin Denny/Les Baxter exotica way). It's like nothing else I've heard. Listen to the sample of "Angles and Demons at Play," and enjoy. The only oddity is the inclusion of "Urnack," which is a little mainstream and out of place on this CD. The sound quality could be better, but the low-fi kind of adds to the atmosphere. Enjoy-

    5 out of 5 stars Varied Sessions, Consistently Adventurous.......2000-10-23

    "Angels and Demons" is a short 8-song collection (more an "EP" than an "LP") that shows Ra's Chicago-era Arkestra doing some of their best work, moving from colorful big-band music (tracks 5-8) to more idiosynchratic music that reflected Ra's belief is cosmology (tracks 1-4).

    "Nubians" is a heavily percussive LP that influenced Coltrane among others. The recording quality on it varies from good to so-so. There are some wonderful compositions on it and many lengthy moments of drum-fueled ambience - "global trance" - that sound contemporary today, and were extraordinary for the late 1950's.

    5 out of 5 stars A mystical and ancient quality about it.......2000-08-29

    The songs are very well represented by the title of these two LP recordings. It is strange and exciting, but not far out in space. It has a more ancient egypt in your mind quality. The recording quality is not the best in fidelity, which is only a little distracting. They needed more mic's.

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