DEWA BUDJANA Jazz Rock/Fusion • Indonesia

Dewa Budjana biography (http://www.progarchives.com/artist.asp?id=8565)

Dewa BUDJANA is a guitarist and composer from Waikabubak. Influenced by both popular music as the leader and songwriter of the band GIGI and jazz rock from his earlier background, BUDJANA started his solo career in the late 90's after almost 20 years of his musical career. 

His earlier band like SQUIRREL was already more inventive in the 80's by relying on BUDJANA's original compositional skills rather than working on covers like most of the other local jazz bands. One of the award winning works in that time was a composition called 'Nusa Damai' which would later become the name of his first solo album. Throughout the 80's he would also work as a session player and with other bands until 1993 when he founded GIGI which has a major success to this day.

Besides being a producer as well, BUDJANA has been working on his solo career that mixes fusion the likes of other known guitarists like John MCLAUGHLIN and Bill FRISSELL with traditional music of Indonesia, making his approach to world fusion experimental but also approachable at the same time.

Zentuary (2016)

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Stomu Yamash'ta - Jazz Fusion (Japan)

Stomu Yamashta (or Yamash'ta), born Tsutomu Yamashita (山下勉 Yamashita Tsutomu, 15 March 1947) is a Japanese percussionist, keyboardist and composer. He is best known for pioneering and popularising a fusion of traditional Japanese percussive music with Western progressive rock music in the 1960s and 1970s.

In the latter part of the 1970s, he led the supergroup "Go" with Steve Winwood, Al Di Meola, Klaus Schulze, and Michael Shrieve.

1972 - Floating Music

Personnel:

- Stomu Yamash'ta - percussion

- Morris Pert - drums, percussion

- Andrew Powell - bass (03,04)

- Robin Thompson - organ, piano, soprano sax, sho (02-04)

- Phil Plant - bass (01,02)

- Peter Robinson - piano (01)

- Dave White - soprano sax (02)

- I.Goffe - trombone (02)

- R.Harris - trumpet (02)

1973 - Freedom Is Frightening

Personnel:

- Stomu Yamash'ta - kit & percussion

- Hisako Yamash'ta - violin

- Hugh Hopper - bass guitar

- Gary Boyle - electric & acoustic guitars

- Brian Gascoigne - keyboards, synthesizers, vibraphone

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ÁVORA DI CARLLA Eclectic Prog • Brazil

Ávora Di Carlla biography (http://www.progarchives.com/artist.asp?id=8056)

ÁVORA DI CARLLA was conceived in the nineties when singer-composer Gustavo CAVERZAN had the idea for a musical collective geared specifically to studio recording, and by all accounts the band has only performed once in its career, in 1998. Their music has therefore developed independently of an audience and this is surprising given that CAVERZAN places importance on the role of hermeneutics and listener-response in artistic creation. Nonetheless, his aspirations finally bore fruit with the release of the band's debut album ''O Velho, a Carne e a Psicodélica Árvore do Imaculado Ventre da Terra''

in 2010. The core group of musicians involved in the project consisted of Rogério BEZERRA (keyboards), Luiger LIMA (drums), Carlos ANDERSON (bass), and Flávio VERONEZ (guitars), although the music was fleshed out with the help of guest musicians and lavish orchestrations by maestro Helder TREFZGER. 

The band never really set out to produce a prog rock concept album. The free, organic development of the music was instead driven by a desire to faithfully represent the texts and the resultant album is a dynamic work of art, a sweeping epic comprising seven tracks that together form an overarching story that charts human experiences from dusk to dawn. It addresses the tensions between an incoherent concept on one hand, and the crystalline clarity and boundless imagination of the music on the other. From a purely musical standpoint, its eclectic appeal derives from constantly changing horizons of symphonic prog, jazz, slow blues, bucolic acoustic passages, space rock, avant-garde and Western art music. 

The independently-released album was originally intended for exclusive consumption on the internet and it remains available as a free download via the link on this bandpage. A reissue in CD format apparently appeared late in 2012. A follow-up album, the second and concluding part of the dusk-dawn-dusk cycle, is planned for release during 2013. CAVERZAN also intends to publish a book based on his hermeneutic musings. 

- seventhsojourn 

O Velho, a Carne e a Psicodélica Árvore do Imaculado Ventre da Terra (2010)

Volume II (2011) [EP]

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Clutchy Hopkins - Psychedelic Funk & Jazz (USA)

Clutchy Hopkins is purportedly a multi-instrumentalist musician based out of California. His existence has not yet been fully verified, though he is widely believed to be a pseudonym for one of several popular DJs. The true identity of the person (or people) behind the music is not publicly known. On September 9, 2006, a YouTube video claiming to be documentary footage about Clutchy Hopkins was uploaded. The video's end credits contain the URL www.misledchildren.com. Originally, this website featured a 12-track album titled "The Life of Clutchy Hopkins", plus a white-label store that sold the album, a brief description, and contact information for a seemingly random Hotmail address. The YouTube video's credits also mention a Myspace page which features grainy photos of a ragged-looking bearded man wearing a flannel shirt.

In February 2007, music blog Idolator published a brief post on the music, describing it as "MF Doom-like hip hop instrumentals with India-influenced guitar tracks and some smoother downtempo work that might fool Portishead fans" and speculating that Clutchy might be a pseudonym for DJ Shadow.[citation needed] Additional attention from Okayplayer and KCRW DJ Jeremy Sole sparked discussion among music bloggers who postulated that Cut Chemist, Madlib, Money Mark or Shawn Lee might be responsible for the music. Clutchy's true identity was never discovered, but in early 2008, noted funk label Ubiquity Records released "Walking Backwards", a full-length album of new Clutchy music, featuring guest vocals from Darondo. It was followed by two collaborations with Shawn Lee and the 2009 album "Music Is My Medicine", credited to Clutchy Hopkins and Lord Kenjamin. In April 2010, Ubiquity released another solo album titled "The Storyteller".

Also in 2008, Porter Records released an album titled "Odean Pope and the Misled Children". While the relationship remains unclear, the sound of the Misled Children is very similar to Clutchy Hopkins, and the URL from the YouTube video suggests a connection. Another Misled Children album titled "Peoples Market" is listed on AllMusic. Noted graphic artist Jim Mahfood has created artwork and album covers for recent Clutchy Hopkins projects. In 2012 Clutchy Hopkins and future soul artist Erik Rico collaborated on an upcoming music project for the Animated Cartunes label.

Walking Backwards

FABIO ZUFFANTI Crossover Prog • Italy

Fabio Zuffanti biography (http://www.progarchives.com/artist.asp?id=707)

Italian multi-instrumentalist and composer FABIO ZUFFANTI is a well know name for those with a keen interest in Italian progressive rock. After starting out as a musician in 1994, he's worked with and been a member of a score of bands: ARIES, FINISTERRE, HÖSTSONATEN, LAZONA, LA MASCHERA DI CERA, QUADRAPHONIC, ROHMER, LA CURVA DI LESMO and R.U.G.H.E. 

In 2008 he also started working with Tommaso Labranca on a project where Zuffanti supplied music to spoken words, another side project besides his bands. But despite Zuffanti's rather busy schedule with bands an projects of various sorts, he's also found the time to venture out to create some solo projects.

The first of these may perhaps be regarded as another one of his side projects, but the release of the double CD "Merlin - The Rock Opera" in 2000 may also be regarded as his first solo venture. Victoria Heward wrote the lyrics and screenplay for this production, but Zuffanti supplied all the compositions used in this project, looking towards ventures such as "Jesus Christ Superstar" in terms of scope and ambition. Live performances in Italy and France followed the CD release, and catered to audiences with a taste for rock opera's of the bombastic variety - with symphonic progressive rock as the musical foundation.

It took a few more years before Zuffanti ventured out as a standalone solo artist though, but in 2007 he issued the EP "Pioggia e luce", a 5 track effort where he handled all aspects pf the album himself. In 2009 two full albums followed, at first the self-titled "Fabio Zuffanti", followed by the ambient effort "Ir", a venture containing two long suites, released on Danish label d'Oorhinge l'Orange Recordings as a CD-R.

2011 sees the release of his most fully-realized solo album, the delightful and personal homage to Italian pop "La Foce del Ladrone."

Rare & Unreleased (2015)

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Stanley Clarke - Jazz Fusion

Stanley Clarke (born June 30, 1951) is an American jazz musician and composer known for his innovative and influential work on double bass and electric bass as well as for his numerous film and television scores. He is best known for his work with the fusion band Return to Forever, and his role as a bandleader in several trios and ensembles. During the 1970s, Clarke joined the jazz fusion group Return to Forever, led by pianist and synth player Chick Corea. The group released several albums that achieved both mainstream popularity and critical acclaim. In 1981, Clarke and George Duke formed the Clarke/Duke Project. Their song "Sweet Baby" was a Top 20 hit. In 2006 Clarke reunited with George Duke and toured with him for the first time in fifteen years.

Stanley Clarke was also a member of The New Barbarians, a band Ronnie Wood (The Rolling Stones) had assembled in 1979 to play gigs in the US, Canada and UK. Other band members included Keith Richards, Ziggy Modeliste (The Meters), Ian McLagan and Bobby Keys. This version of the New Barbarians played their final concert in the Knebworth Festival, 1979. To date three official live recordings have been released of the New Barbarians 1979 tour. These all include Stanley Clarke as bass player.

In the late 1980s, Clarke and drummer Stewart Copeland, of the rock band The Police, formed Animal Logic with singer-songwriter Deborah Holland. In 2005 Clarke toured as Trio! with Béla Fleck and Jean-Luc Ponty. The U.S. and European tour was nominated for a 2006 Jammy Award in the category of "Tour of the Year." He has also played with Jeff Beck, Ron Wood, Larry Carlton, Billy Cobham and Al Di Meola.

In 2009 he released Jazz in the Garden, featuring the Stanley Clarke Trio with pianist Hiromi Uehara and drummer Lenny White. The following year he released the Stanley Clarke Band, with Ruslan Sirota on keyboards and Ronald Bruner, Jr. on drums; the album also features Hiromi on piano.

Clarke started his solo career in the early 1970s and released a number of albums under his own name. His best known solo album is School Days (1976), which, along with Jaco Pastorius's self-titled debut, is one of the most influential solo bass recordings in fusion history. His albums Stanley Clarke (1974) and Journey to Love (1975) are also notable.

Clarke released The Toys of Men in 2007. This was his first release in five years, on October 17, 2007. The first week of release it went to No. 2 on the Contemporary Jazz Chart of Billboard magazine. The album examines the subject of war, and it includes performances by Esperanza Spalding, Ruslan Sirota, Paulinho da Costa and Mads Tolling.

1972 - Children Of Forever

Alternative Link

Personnel:

- Stanley Clarke - bass fiddle, electric bass (03), arranger (01)

- Chick Corea - electric piano (01-03,05), clavinette (01,03), piano (04), arranger (02-05), producer

- Pat Martino - electric guitar, 12-string guitar (03)

- Lenny White - drums, tambourine (03)

- Arthur Webb - flute

- Andy Bey - vocals (01,02,04,05)

- Dee Dee Bridgewater - female vocals (01,02,05)

1975 - Journey to Love

Alternative Link

Personnel:

- Stanley Clarke - electric & acoustic bass, organ, piccolo bass with Maestro Synthesizer on "Concerto For Jazz/Rock Orchestra," hand bells, tubular bells, gong, vocals

- Jeff Beck - electric guitar on "Hello Jeff" and guitar solo on "Journey to Love"

- Lenny White - drums on "Hello Jeff"

- Chick Corea - acoustic piano on "Song to John"

- Mahavishnu John McLaughlin - acoustic guitar on "Song to John"

- George Duke - mini-moog, Arp Odyssey, organ, clavinet, acoustic piano, electric piano, bells, vocals

- Steve Gadd - drums, percussion

- David Sancious - electric guitar, 12-string guitar

Brass section:

- Jon Faddis, Lewis M. Soloff, David Taylor, Peter Gordon, Allen Rubin, Tom "Bones" Malone, John Clark, Earl Chapin, Wilmer Wise

1976 - School Days

Alternative Link

Personnel:

- Stanley Clarke – vocals (01,06), electric bass guitar (01,03,05,06), handbells (01), acoustic piano (02,03), piccolo bass guitar (02,03,06), humming (03), acoustic bass (04,06), gong (06), chimes (06), arranger, conductor, producer

- David Sancious – all keyboards (01), Minimoog synthesizer (02,03), organ (03), electric guitar (05)

- Raymond Gomez – electric guitar (01,03,05), rhythm guitar (03)

- Gerry Brown – drums (01,03), handbells (01) and "The Dancer"

- Steve Gadd – drums (02,05)

- Milt Holland – percussion (03), conga (04), triangle (04)

- John McLaughlin – acoustic guitar (04)

- George Duke – all keyboards (06)

- Billy Cobham – drums (06), Moog 1500 (06)

- Icarus Johnson – electric guitar (06), acoustic guitar (06)

- David Campbell, Dennis Karmazyn, Lya Stern, Thomas Buffum, Janice Adele Gower, Marcia Van Dyke, Karen Jones, Robert Dubow, Ronald Strauss, Rollice Dale, Gordon Marron, John Wittenberg, Marilyn Baker - strings

- Jack Nimitz, Buddy Childers, Lew McCreary, Dalton Smith, Robert Findley, Gary Grant, George Bohanon, William Peterson, Stuart Blumberg, Albert Aarons - brass

- Ken Scott – producer, engineer

1978 - Modern Man

Personnel:

- Stanley Clarke – Alembic bass (01-04,06,07,09,11,12), acoustic bass (01,09,12), narrator (01), piccolo bass (02,04,09), acoustic piano (02,09), vocals (02,06,07,09), bass (05,08,10), strings arranger and conductor (06), arranger, producer

- Dee Dee Bridgewater - vocals (01,07,12)

- Gerry Brown – drums & percussion (01,03,06,07,12)

- Steve Gadd - cymbal (01,12)

- Raymond Gomez – guitar (01,03,06,07,12)

- Alfie Williams - soprano saxophone (01,03,06,07,12), baritone saxophone (01,12), flute (06)

- Bob Malach - tenor saxophone (01,03,06,07,12), flute (06)

- Dale Devoe - trombone (01,03,06,07,12)

- Al Harrison - trumpet (01,03,07,12), flugelhorn (06)

- James Tinsley - piccolo trumpet (01-03,07,12), flugelhorn (06)

- Mike Garson - Oberheim synthesizer (01,03,07,12), Moog synthesizer (01,03,07,12), organ (01,12), acoustic piano (04,06)

- Jeff Porcaro – drums (02,04,09), percussion (02)

- Jeff "Skunk" Baxter - electric guitar (02), pedal steel guitar (02), guitar synthesizer (02)

- Julia Waters, Maxine Waters - vocals (03,04)

- Harry Shlutz, Jan Kelley, Niles Oliver, Ron Cooper - cello (06,09)

- Barbara Thomason, Leonard Selic, Mark Kovacs, Rollice Dale - viola (06,09)

- Alice Sachs, Connie Kupka, Cynthia Kovaks, Debra Price, Frank Foster, Joseph Shoenbrun, Kenneth Yerke, Marcia Van Dyke, Ron Clark, Sandy Seymour, Steve Scharf - violin (06,09)

- Charles Veal Jr. - violin (06,09), concertmaster (06,09), contractor (06,09)

- Jeff Beck – guitar (11)

- Carmine Appice - drums (11), stereo wah-wah bass (11)

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SOUL TRAIN (USA) - Rhythm & Blues, Soul, Funk

Soul Train was an American music-dance television program which aired in syndication on October 2, 1971 to March 25, 2006. In its 35-year history, the show primarily featured performances by R&B, soul, dance/pop and hip hop artists, although funk, jazz, disco and gospel artists also appeared. The series was created by Don Cornelius, who also served as its first host and executive producer.

Production was suspended following the 2005–2006 season, with a rerun package (known as The Best of Soul Train) airing for two years subsequently. As a nod to Soul Train's longevity, the show's opening sequence during later seasons contained a claim that it was the "longest-running first-run, nationally syndicated program in American television history," with over 1,100 episodes produced from the show's debut through the 2005–2006 season. Despite the production hiatus, Soul Train held that superlative until 2016, when Entertainment Tonight surpassed it completing its 35th season. Among non-news programs, Wheel of Fortune will surpass it in 2018 (that show has already been renewed through that year).

This album is a collection of some good music from Soul Train...

Soul Train U.S.A.