The Singers Unlimited – A Special Blend (1976/2014)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/88,2 kHz | Time – 37:23 minutes | 696 MB | Genre: Jazz
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © MPS
The Singers Unlimited were a four-part jazz vocal group formed in 1971 by Gene Puerling. Members of the group included Len Dresslar (better known as the Jolly Green Giant in General Mills commercials), Bonnie Herman, Don Shelton and Puerling himself.
Gene Puerling and Don Shelton had formed part of Puerling’s successful all-male vocal group, The Hi-Lo’s, some years previously, though Shelton was a 1959 replacement for original HiLo Bob Strassen. The Singers Unlimited group were originally formed to record for commercials in the USA, but as time passed, they were persuaded to enter the recording studio to record a series of albums. On the recommendation of pianist Oscar Peterson (who was also signed to the label at the time), they gained a contract with German label MPS. They recorded two albums in 1971, the first a cappella, the second, In Tune with Peterson’s then-current trio.
The group produced 15 albums, of which arguably the most well-known is their Christmas album (which was actually recorded before the group’s association with MPS.) All of the 14 albums they recorded specifically for MPS (between the years 1971-1982) are collected in the 7-CD box set entitled Magic Voices.
Puerling’s Singers Unlimited arrangements earned him the reputation as one of the best vocal writers in the world. Members of the renowned jazz-gospel vocal group Take 6 often give credit to Puerling and the Singers Unlimited as innovators in the a cappella world, claiming that they “went to school” on Puerling’s arrangements.
Puerling took advantage of cutting-edge multitracking techniques of German studio engineer Hans Georg Brunner-Schwer to create his advanced harmonic concepts and the group’s signature sound. In the overdubbing process, baritone Puerling and tenor Shelton would often add two additional middle parts, after which all parts were “doubled” and “tripled.” Creating these extra tracks created the fuller, richer sound of the group’s recordings, and is now a common recording practice. Gene Puerling died on March 25, 2008.
Bass singer Len Dresslar (1924–2005) was known as the voice of the Jolly Green Giant (“Ho, Ho, Ho!”) for over 40 years, as well as the voice behind countless other jingles from Chicago. He had also been the President of the Chicago branch of the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA) for several years in the mid-to-late 1980s.
Bonnie Herman was the singer of the original “Like a Good Neighbor, State Farm Is There” commercial jingle, which ran for several years. She is the daughter of Lawrence Welk original Champagne Lady Lois Best, and Jules Herman, who was a trumpet player in the Welk orchestra. She is the niece of big band leader Woody Herman. –wikipedia
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The Silk Road Ensemble with Yo-Yo Ma – A Playlist Without Borders (2013)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/96 kHz | Time – 01:16:43 minutes | 1,60 GB | Genre: Classical
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © Masterworks
Founded by Yo-Yo Ma during the Project’s second year, the Silk Road Ensemble has featured more than 60 members from 24 countries. Hailed as “one of the 21st century’s great ensembles” by the Vancouver Sun and described as “a kind of roving musical laboratory without walls” by the Boston Globe, the genre-defying Ensemble is a broad collective of musicians who honor the value of each member and the flexibility and creativity of the group. The newest chapter comes with the Sony Masterworks release of the new album A Playlist Without Borders from the Silk Road Ensemble with Yo-Yo Ma. This is the groundbreaking group’s fifth recording and first since 2009’s Grammy-nominated Off the Map.
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Another prized jewel in the Rolling Stones’ unmatched catalog is restored to its full glory. Goats Head Soup Super Deluxe box set features 35 tracks on three CDs & one Blu-ray disc (Dolby Atmos, 96kHz/24 bit high-resolution stereo, and 96 kHz/24 bit DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1). Included are the new stereo album mix, sourced from the original session files, Rarities & Alternative mixes featuring three previously unreleased tracks, Scarlet, All The Rage & Criss Cross. Also included is The Brussels Affair, recorded live at the Forest National Arena in October 1973. The 4 discs are housed in the boxset alongside a 120-page book with an incredible array of photos and 3 essays. 50 Years On –An Appreciation of Goats Head Soup by Ian McCann, Brussels Affair Live 1973 Tour by Nick Kent & The Story Of The Cover Art by Darryl Easlea. The set is completed with 4 x 1973 reproduction tour posters, rolled up within the packaging to avoid creases.
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Utopia Ensemble – Salve Susato (2023)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/192 kHz | Time – 01:14:57 minutes | 2,61 GB | Genre: Classical
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © Ramée
The instrumentalist, composer and publisher Tielman Susato was one of the most famous personalities in Antwerp’s musical life during the Renaissance. Better known today as an important publisher, Susato was also a very accomplished composer. The Utopia Ensemble presents here a florilegium of delightful works composed and/or published by Susato.
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Ensemble Spinoza, Noémy Gagnon-Lafrenais, Margaret Little, Christophe Gauthier – Buxtehude: Trio Sonatas, Op. 1 (2023)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/192 kHz | Time – 01:02:23 minutes | 2,30 GB | Genre: Classical
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © Navona
BUXTEHUDE Trio Sonatas op.1 is the debut album of Québécoise violinist Noémy Gagnon-Lafrenais, who joins forces with viola da gambist Margaret Little and keyboardist Christophe Gauthier to form Ensemble Spinoza and celebrate the seminal work of 17th-century composer Dietrich Buxtehude.
VII Suonate a due, violin & viola da gamba, con cembalo Op.1. highlights Buxtehude’s distinctive compositional style and stands as a testament to his contribution to the instrumental repertoire of the Baroque era. Featuring North German, French, and Italian influences, the music is an aesthetic masterpiece of musicological significance. Through its historically informed performance, Ensemble Spinoza gives a thoughtful and heartfelt reading of each of the beautiful sonatas in this collection.
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Danish Chamber Orchestra & Ádám Fischer – Haydn: Late Symphonies, Vol. 2 (2023)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/192 kHz | Time – 01:09:11 minutes | 2,19 GB | Genre: Classical
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © Naxos
The second volume in this series is devoted to three more ‘London’ symphonies. No. 96 in D major ‘The Miracle’ – so named, as the legend goes, after a falling chandelier narrowly missed the audience during its Hanover Square Rooms premiere – exemplifies the grandeur of these works. The structural surprises of No. 97 in C major and the hymnal slow movement of No. 98 in B flat major reinforce Haydn’s inexhaustible compositional versatility and inventiveness. These recordings are the product of a two-decade partnership between Adam Fischer and the Danish Chamber Orchestra during which they have explored the most effective technical solutions necessary for performing these works.
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The Julius Quartet – Unspoken (2023)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/48 kHz | Time – 01:03:44 minutes | 649 MB | Genre: Classical
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © Albany Records
In collaboration with the award-winning Julius Quartet, EMERGE will be launching its inaugural workshop this September 2020: a 3-day new music reading laboratory and concert webinar. Thiscutting-edge platform will provide emerging composers worldwide the opportunity to breathe life into their creative works, especially during such trying and unprecedented times. For our inaugural season, we plan to host at least two workshops (Fall 2020 and Spring 2021) in an effort to reach a wide audience of composers hungry for growth both musically and professionally. To that end, we welcome the opportunity to discuss a potential collaboration between our two organizations in hopes that we might assist growth in our respective businesses.
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Thembi – Thembi (1977/2021)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/44,1 kHz | Time – 35:50 minutes | 399 MB | Genre: World, Funk
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © Biram
South African singer Thembi Zikhali here backed by Nico Gomez and his crew from Lord Funk / SSO / Doug Lucas / Marc Moulin : Ralph Benatar, Bruno Castellucci, Daniel Vangarde, Jean Kluger, Vicky Edimo… Includes “Johannesburg Love Trip”, afro disco.
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Thelonious Monk With John Coltrane – The Complete 1957 Riverside Recordings (2006/2017)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/48 kHz | Time – 01:46:07 minutes | 1,22 GB | Genre: Jazz
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © Concord Records
The Complete 1957 Riverside Recordings is a 2006 release of Thelonious Monk and John Coltrane’s work for the Riverside Records label in 1957, with two tracks previously unreleased in any form. In 2017 it was relaunched for the new vinyl reissue of Craft Recordings imprint (Concord Music Group).
This collection is an almost complete anthology of the work of Monk and Coltrane, who only recorded together in the studio during 1957. The set draws from the self-titled Thelonious Monk with John Coltrane, Monk’s Music and a solitary trio track from Thelonious Himself. Thelonious Monk Quartet with John Coltrane at Carnegie Hall and Discovery! are the only other recordings documenting this musical association.
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The Seldom Scene – Changes (2019)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/96 kHz | Time – 42:37 minutes | 883 MB | Genre: Country
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © Rounder
Since forming nearly 50 years ago, The Seldom Scene has brought both freewheeling joy and immaculate musicianship to their inventive take on bluegrass, offering up spirited interpretations of songs from limitless genres. On their new album Changes, the band sharpens their focus to a highly specific body of work: songs first recorded in the 1960s and very early 70s, rooted in the archetypal storytelling of classic singer-songwriters. And in taking on the music of iconic artists like Bob Dylan and Townes Van Zandt, The Seldom Scene perform a sort of subtle magic: transforming the most stripped-bare songs into harmony-rich and elaborately arranged compositions, while wholly sustaining the charmed simplicity of each piece.
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The Norwegian Soulband – Groove Your Hips (2021)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/48 kHz | Time – 32:42 minutes | 418 MB | Genre: Soul, Funk
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © The Norwegian Soulband
The Norwegian Soulband was established in 1989 (SixPack 1989-2011) The band plays at clubs, blues and jazz festivals throughout Norway. The guys have used the time without gigs to compose and record a bunch of groovy tunes that hit the feelgood factor in audiences of all ages. This year’s release consists of its own tracks within the genre soul/funk.
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The Norwegian Soloists’ Choir, Hans-Kristian Kjos Sørensen, Ensemble Allegria & Grete Pedersen – Lament (2020)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/96 kHz | Time – 59:09 minutes | 922 MB | Genre: Classical
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © BIS
The Norwegian Soloists Choir and Grete Pedersen have made acclaimed recordings of music spanning a millennium from chants by Hildegard of Bingen (1098 1179) to the most recent compositions and in styles ranging from folk songs to Bach motets and Berios Coro. On their new album, the focus is on contemporary Norwegian music, with three works which all originate in words and challenge the relation between language and music. For his Lament from 2015, Lars Petter Hagen has chosen to set a short text by E. E. Cummings, written when the poet was 6 years old. The words of the poem are split up and stretched out into pulsating waves of grief, at once mysterious, beautiful and painful. Awarded the Nordic Council Music Prize in 2018, Muohta (Snow) consists of 18 sections, each setting a single word in Sámi, the language of the indigenous people in the north of Norway. The words are all related to snow, and composer Nils Henrik Asheim has found inspiration in how indigenous peoples live with nature, as opposed to seeking to control it.
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