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New Additions:
 Medeski Martin & Wood - Radiolarians 2 CD - A year ago, Medeski Martin & Wood set off on the innovative experiment known as The Radiolarians Series. The Radiolarians Series was designed to subvert the age-old music industry cycle of write>record>tour. The trio, consisting of keyboardist John Medeski, drummer Billy Martin, and bassist Chris Wood, convened for brief writing retreats, performed only that new material on tour, and then recorded the music immediately after getting off the road.
Indirecto Records is now releasing this material as a trio of records entitled Radiolarians I, II, and III. To date, the band has completed 3 tours with dates stretching across the United States, South America, and Japan. The influences of these locations have found their way into MMW's writing and are being expressed through the music found on the Radiolarians Series. In September, Indirecto released Radiolarians I. This April 2009, Indirecto will releases the second installment of the series, Radiolarians II. The Radiolarians Series, designed to challenge the traditional format of touring after a record¹s release, has found Medeski Martin & Wood thriving and making some of their most creative and innovative music in years. $15.98
 Jake Shimabukuro - Live CD - Ukulele master Jake Shimabukuro has taken the four-string, two-octave instrument to places no one has gone before, performing awesome music that ranges from Jazz, Blues and Rock to Bluegrass, Classical and Folk. His live concerts are an out-of-the-box blend of stunning virtuosity, deep musicality and a natural entertainer's flair. Jake now has his own record label, and tours extensively in the U.S. and Japan. He has completely rewritten the book on the possibilities of the ukulele -- and is adding new chapters with every CD he records. $16.98
 Easy Star All Stars - Lonely Hearts Dub Band CD - 2009 release from the Dub/Reggae tribute outfit, a fab reworking of The Beatles' classic 1967 Sgt. Pepper album. Following the critical success of 2003's Dub Side Of The Moon and 2006's Radiodread, get ready for the Easy Star's Lonely Hearts Dub Band! The album features guest vocals from an impressive list of Reggae, Dancehall and Dub greats including Steel Pulse, Matisyahu, Michael Rose [Black Uhuru], Luciano, U Roy, Bunny Rugs [Third World], Ranking Roger [English Beat], Sugar Minott, Frankie Paul, Max Romeo and The Mighty Diamonds. Comes complete with a bonus digicard with access to free downloads. $15.98
Miles Davis - Bitches Brew (2 LPs) - Everybody wants to "change the face of music," but few have succeeded. Even fewer have changed the musical universe by simply doing what comes naturally. Miles Davis was a constant and natural innovator throughout his life, but perhaps none of his works have had the impact of Bitches Brew. This album could be credited with changing the very nature of improvisation, and certainly with changing the demographic of jazz audiences around the world. Recorded in August 1969, in the wake of Woodstock, this is a masterpiece of epic proportions. Miles certainly wasn't the first to fuse jazz, funk, and rock, but there's no better incarnation of fusion's beginnings than this album. With a myriad collection of instrumentation and atmospheres, Bitches Brew stretched music into previously unheard shapes. Truly a watermark in the evolution of sound!
Personnel: Miles Davis, Wayne Shorter, Bennie Maupin, Joe Zawinul, Larry Young, Chick Corea, John McLaughlin, Dave Holland, Harvey Brooks, Lenny White, Jack DeJohnette, Don Alias, Jumma Santos $24.98
Coming Soon:
April 21 - John McLaughlin & the 4th Dimension - Live at Belgrade DVD
Sex Mob Meets Medeski - Live in Willisau CD
Jorma Kaukonen & Vital Parts - Rockpalast: West Coast Legends DVD
May 5 - Rusted Root - Stereo Rodeo CD
Ozric Tentacles - The Yum Yum Tree CD
Buckwheat Zydeco - Lay Your Burden Down CD
Ziggy Marley presents Family Time CD
May 12 - Jeff Bujak - Alive Like the Spine CD (pre-order)
Last Week's Additions:
 Grateful Dead - To Terrapin: Hartford '77 (3 CDs) - As they were prepping for the summer release of their first studio album in two years, Terrapin Station (a Top 40 Billboard® album), the Grateful Dead belw the roof off Connecticut’s Hartford Civic Center on the closing night of their spring ‘77 tour. A show long sought after by Dead fans, the set features inspired versions of songs that would soon come out on Terrapin, including “Estimated Prophet,” “Passenger,” and the title track. Epic jams also include, of course, “One More Saturday Night,” “Jack Straw,” “Candyman,” “U.S. Blues,” and takes on “Tennessee Jed” and “Sugaree” that many fans claim are as good as any ever recorded. Released in celebration of the Dead’s ’09 tour—which plays Hartford—and presented in HDCD, the recordings from this previously unissued show were mastered from the original two track master analog tapes. $19.98
 Grateful Dead - Winterland 1973: The Complete Recordings (9 CD box) - The Dead had...beat the delivery of arena acoustics with a monstrous, traveling PA that was worth the bills just for the ice-knife slice of Jerry Garcia's guitar solos. A running joy across this nine-CD box...Oiled and armed from a good year on tour (including the Watkins Glen festival in July), the entire band is in buoyant form.” —from Rolling Stone’s four-star review by David Fricke “The tone on every song played is perfect, they have that 70s sweetness…this could be the best set of shows in their history, and I’m a big fan who has seen my share of shows.”—fan comment
When the Grateful Dead played San Francisco’s Winterland Arena for three straight nights in November 1973, they triumphed with home court advantage during one of their most celebrated eras. Recorded November 9, 10, and 11, the trio of epic shows captured on WINTERLAND 1973 are among the finest and most legendary in the band’s vast tape vaults, according to Dead archivist David Lemieux. Housed in a deluxe archival box and presented in HDCD, the set contains a portfolio of 72 tracks mastered from the original two-track Master Tapes using an innovative process that delivers unprecedented sound quality.
WINTERLAND 73 will be issued in a one time only limited edition run. Get yours before they are gone. $99.98
 Superfrog - Year of the Frog CD - Superfrog's chest jarring bass riffs, wailing guitar jams and incredible lyrics alone could stand the test of time as a modern sounding rock-jam band. Add in the flavor of superb vocal harmonies, a pinch of brass goodness and a whole helluva lot of solid rhythm and you have yourself a sound that is evolving into one of the Northeast's hottest acts. Comprised of 5 members with various backgrounds and influences, the talent that presents itself each time the band takes the stage is certainly as impressive as their mentors. Crafty lyrics coupled with original, creative musical arrangements sets Superfrog apart from many of the other rock bands hailing out of the New England region. With a strong inventory of original tunes and a host of covers, Superfrog's line-up of music will keep you rocking long into the night. Despite being busy in the studio banging out their second album, Superfrog still finds time to tour and put on intense shows. Keep an eye out for the band in the months to come. This is the band you don't want to miss when they arrive in your town. $12
 Balkan Beat Box - Nu Made Remixes CD - Balkan Beat Box's first remix album, Nu Made, a dynamic take on BBB's wildly successful catalogue.
Continuing their quest for a boundary-smashing party, Balkan Beat Box shakes up their intoxicating mix of Gypsy, Jewish, Arabic, and Mediterranean rhythms with a remix album for the dancefloor. Nu Made takes BBB's “syncopated pulse, intoxicating melodies and Semitic harmonies...lifted from ancient traditions” (Washington Post) and fearlessly rearranges them into irresistibly danceable cuts. Nu Made includes remixes of BBB favorites like “Hermetico”, “Habibi Min Zaman” and “Digital Monkey.”
The album features remixes by Turntables on the Hudson founder Nickodemus, Dub Gabriel, JDub labelmates Soulico, the iMeem/Ableton Live BBB remix contest winners and Balkan Beat Box themselves. $8.98
Upcoming Events:April 16-19 - Shakori Hills Grassroots Festival - Pittsboro, NC
April 16-19 - Signal Fest - Chapel Hill, NC featuring The Malah & SciFi on 4/17.
April 17-19 - Coachella - Indio, CA
April 24-May3 - New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival
April 24-26 - Some Kind of Jam 4- Kempton, PA
May 17 - Carolina Bluegrass Festival - Cary, NC
Video of the Week:
Miles Davis - Bitches Brew live - Recorded for Danish Radio broadcast on November 4, 1969 at Tivoli Konsertsal, Copenhagen, Denmark.
Thanks for reading, and have a great week!
Lee Crumpton |
