 vusi khumalo follow your dream "Top whack South African percussionist who played on 'Graceland'...Against the odds, Khumalo achieves something more interesting than his Graceland work here. Recorded at Peter Gabriel's Real World studios, 'Follow Your Dream' creates an inventive modern music which mixes soul, jazz and African styles...South Africa has long been a source of world class musicians, and Khumalo is a worthy addition to their number. ****" Q Magazine, August '98 Known around the world for his work on Paul Simon's seminal Graceland album, drummer and composer Vusi Khumalo is one of South Africa's most accomplished musicians. His debut album for M.E.L.T.2000, Follow Your Dreams (BW093) is all about hope. "This music represents a lifetime commitment to the creativity we strive for... So many things just fell into place in putting this album together, as if by divine intervention. How can I not believe in dreams?" More Info |
 In 1985 Benson and guitarist Chet Atkins went on the smooth jazz charts with their collaboration "Sunrise", one of two songs from the duo released on Atkins' disc Stay Tuned. In 1992, Benson appeared on Jack McDuff's Colour Me Blue album, his first appearance on a Concord album. Benson signed with Concord Records in 2005 and toured with Al Jarreau in America, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand to promote their 2006 multiple Grammy-winning album Givin' It Up. He played during the second Monsoon Cup in Terengganu in 2006 and also Malaysia's 50th Merdeka celebration alongside Jarreau in 2007.[citation needed] In May 2008, for the first time Benson took part in the Mawazine Festival in Morocco.[citation needed] To commemorate the long-term relationship between Benson and Ibanez and to celebrate 30 years of collaboration on the GB Signature Models, Ibanez created the GB30TH, a very limited-edition model featuring a gold-foil finish inspired by the traditional Japanese Garahaku art form.[14] In 2009, Benson was recognized by the National Endowment of the Arts as a Jazz Master, the nation's highest honor in jazz.[15] Benson performed at the 49th issue of the Ohrid Summer Festival in Macedonia on July 25, 2009, and his tribute show to Nat King Cole An Unforgettable Tribute to Nat King Cole as part of the Istanbul International Jazz Festival in Turkey on July 27. In the fall of 2009, Benson finished recording a new album entitled Songs and Stories, with Marcus Miller, producer John Burk,[16] and session musicians David Paich and Steve Lukather.[17] As a part of the promotion for his recent Concord Music Group/Monster Music release Songs and Stories, Benson has appeared and/or performed on The Tavis Smiley Show,[18] Jimmy Kimmel Live![19] and Late Night with Jimmy Fallon.[20] Benson toured throughout 2010 in North America, Europe and the Pacific Rim, including an appearance at the Singapore Sun Festival.[21] He performed at the Java Jazz Festival March 4–6, 2011. In 2011, Benson released the album Guitar Man—revisiting his 1960s/early-1970s guitar-playing roots with a 12-song collection of covers of both jazz and pop standards overseen by producer John Burk.[22] In June 2013, Benson released his fourth album for Concord Records, Inspiration: A Tribute to Nat King Cole, which featured Wynton Marsalis, Idina Menzel, Till Brönner, and Judith Hill. More Info |
 Henry "Buster" Smith was born and raised in Alsdorf, Texas, a small township near Telico in the outskirts of Dallas, where he attended school as a child. Smith earned the name "Buster" from his parents as a baby, as he was born as an overweight child.[2] Buster was the third of five boys and had no sisters, though both of his older brothers died in childhood of measles.[2] Smith's early musical influences were his mother, and his father, who played guitar. At four years old, Buster was playing the organ with his brother, pianist Boston Smith; Buster played the keys and Boston stepped on the pedals. Soon thereafter, his grandfather gave away the family organ because he believed it would only direct Buster to a life of sin.[2] In 1919, Smith picked cotton for a week to earn himself the money to buy a $3.50 clarinet. Smith learned to play several instruments by the time he was eighteen years old. In 1922, Smith and his family moved to Dallas. He joined the Voodie White Trio, playing Alto saxophone and clarinet. In 1923, he began his professional music career playing alto saxophone with the medicine shows, though he had to play very loudly to draw in more customers.[1] This experience led to Smith defining his own musical style, known for being loud. The time with the medicine shows also led to Oran "Hot Lips" Page inviting Smith to join his group, the Oklahoma City Blue Devils, in 1925. Over the next few years, Smith wrote much of the group's music, learning from banjo player Johnny Clark, writing lyrics with co-workers from the bank that he worked in.[2] When Smith joined the Blue Devils, the line-up consisted of Walter Page, Oran Page, Lester Young, Count Basie, Jimmy Rushing, and Emir "Bucket" Coleman. They toured the Kansas City area and the Midwest, playing jazz for a year, bringing all of its members into prominence. Basie and Page both left the group; however Smith decided to stay on, though this was very short lived and soon after he left also. After leaving the group, he and Basie formed the Buster Smith-Count Basie Band of Rhythm, where the two innovated a louder style of Jazz. Buster's contribution to the unique sound was by using a tenor saxophone reed in his alto saxophone to achieve a louder, "fatter" sound.[1] Lester Young also joined the band and, to complement Smith's louder sound, he also opted for a heavier reed, using a baritone saxophone reed on his tenor saxophone. This sound was later labelled the Texas Sax Sound. Smith gained a great amount of influence in the Texan music community and industry. Smith mentored legendary saxophonist Charlie Parker during the 1930s, developing a "father-son relationship" through mentoring Parker.[2] In 1941, Smith decided to return to Dallas and to cease touring, though he remained active in the local music scene. In the following years, he wrote for jazz and blues bands, played often, and taught many young Texan musicians, including Aaron "T-Bone" Walker and Red Garland among others.[3] He also performed session work with artists such as Pete Johnson's Boogie-Woogie Boys, Eddie Durham, Leo "Snub" Mosley, Bon and His Buddies, and the Don Redman Orchestra.[2] In 1959, Buster led his first solo recording session in Fort Worth, as prompted by Atlantic Records. From these sessions, released by Atlantic with the title The Legendary Buster Smith, Smith's notable songs included "Kansas City Riffs," "Buster's Tune," "E Flat Boogie," and Kurt Weill's "September Song." For the sessions, Buster enlisted his brother Boston Smith to play piano, along with musicians spanning his career to date.[4] In the 1960s, Smith was involved in auto accident, in which he was injured and no longer able to play the saxophone. In order to continue playing music, he started to play the bass guitar throughout Dallas and continued to participate in the Dallas musical community. Buster led a dance music band until 1980, and played in the Legendary Revelations in the mid-1980s. Smith died in Dallas on August 10, 1991 of a heart attack.[1] More Info |
 The Pat Metheny Group is a jazz group founded in 1977. The core members of the group are guitarist and bandleader Pat Metheny, composer,keyboardist and pianist Lyle Mays (who was part of the group's inception in 1977), and bassist and producer Steve Rodby (joined in 1980). Other long-standing members include Paul Wertico who was the drummer for 18 years. Pat Metheny Guitars, guitar synthesizers Lyle Mays Piano, synthesizers Steve Rodby, since 1980 (Bass) Antonio Sanchez, since 2002 (Drums, percussion) Cuong Vu, since 2002 (Trumpet, vocals, percussion, guitar) Grégoire Maret, since 2005 (Harmonica, vocals, percussion) Nando Lauria, since 2005 (Guitar, Vocals, various percussion and instruments) More Info |
 Formed in 1962, in Kansas City, Missouri, the group was a high school doo-wop group called The Sinceres. In 1967-68 they were backed by and toured with a large Kansas City horn band known as the Smokin' Emeralds and performed their version of a Motown-style review which drew large crowds at a venue called the Place in the Westport district of KC. By 1971, the band consisted of Melvin Webb on drums, Roger Durham on percussion, Charles Love on guitar and vocals, Charles McCormick on bass, Harry Williams on percussion, and Willis Draffen on guitar. After learning to play their respective musical instruments, moved to Los Angeles, California. After arriving in Los Angeles, the group met their prospective managers George Braunstein and Ron Hamady. They also replaced their drummer Melvin Webb with Eddie Summers, a resident of Los Angeles, California. The managers decided to change their name from The Sinceres to Bloodstone. Later the group traveled to London, England where they achieved a recording contract with Decca Records. The original members were Charles McCormick, Willis Draffen, Jr., Charles Love, Harry Williams, Roger Durham and Eddie Summers. The first album was entitled Bloodstone, whereas there were two singles released simultaneously called, "That's The Way We Make Our Music", and "Girl (You Look So Fine)", written and arranged by Eddie Summers the newest member. Their second album, Natural Highreached the US R&B Top 10, with their single, "Natural High" reaching number 10 on the Pop chart. The album was written by various members of the group Bloodstone. Bloodstone became known for their funk/soul tracks that blended Jimi Hendrix-styled rock music with doo-wop and gospel music undertones. The group's other hits include, "Never Let You Go", "Outside Woman" and "My Little Lady". Bloodstone was instrumental in the "black rock" and funk movement of the 1970s, and even had a hand in the brown-eyed soul movement with some Latin music-tinged hits. Bloodstone performed with Marvin Gaye, Curtis Mayfield, Elton John, and The Impressions. Their 1973 album Natural High, produced by Mike Vernon, sold over one million copies, and was awarded a gold disc by the R.I.A.A. in July that year.[1] They achieved a moderate comeback in the early 1980s with McCormick replacement Ron Wilson. Their album We Go a Long Way Back (1982), whose title track reached the R&B chart Top 5, also produced a follow-up single "Go On and Cry" that reached number 18. The group continued to record into the mid 1980s. They continue to tour and perform to this day with original members Charles McCormick, Charles Love, Harry Williams and newer member Donald Brown. Bloodstone also starred in and wrote all the music for a film entitled Train Ride To Hollywood (1975). Founding member Willis Draffen died on February 8, 2002 at the age of 56.[2] More Info |
 Mahala Rai Banda ''is a gypsy band based in Bucharest (Romania). It was formed by violinist and composer Aurel Ionitsa, who originally comes from a family of lautari from the village of Clejani''. ''He is related to several members of Taraf de Haïdouks.[1] The ''band plays with an array of styles and genres. Romanian violins & accordions are combined with a brass section consisting of army brass band veterans and musicians from Romania's famous village Zece Prajini – hometown of Fanfare Ciocarlia and a rocking rhythm section''. They'' effortlessly combine a knack for inventive arrangements with an ability to turn every single concert into a wild party''. Their music'' is positioned right at the crossroads between traditional popular music and club-oriented, so called Balkan Beats. This rich blend of sophisticated arrangements, traditional elements and modern outlook puts them in a unique position among all the current bands''. More Info |
 Ben Webster Complete 1943-51 Recording Benjamin Francis Webster (March 27, 1909 – September 20, 1973), a.k.a. "The Brute" or "Frog," was an influential American jazz tenor saxophonist. Webster, born in Kansas City, Missouri, was considered one of the three most important "swing tenors" along with Coleman Hawkinsand Lester Young. Known affectionately as "The Brute",[1] he had a tough, raspy, and brutal tone on stomps (with his own distinctive growls), yet on ballads he played with warmth and sentiment. Stylistically he was indebted to alto star Johnny Hodges, who, he said, taught him to play his instrument. More Info |
 He is the leader of the Pat Metheny Group and is also involved in duets, solo works and other side projects. His style incorporates elements of progressive and contemporary jazz, post-bop, latin jazz and jazz fusion.[1] Metheny has three gold albums and 20 Grammy Awards.[2] He is the brother of jazz flugelhornist and journalist Mike Metheny More Info |
Ben Webster Complete 1943-51 Recording Benjamin Francis Webster (March 27, 1909 – September 20, 1973), a.k.a. "The Brute" or "Frog," was an influential American jazz tenor saxophonist. Webster, born in Kansas City, Missouri, was considered one of the three most important "swing tenors" along with Coleman Hawkinsand Lester Young. Known affectionately as "The Brute",[1] he had a tough, raspy, and brutal tone on stomps (with his own distinctive growls), yet on ballads he played with warmth and sentiment. Stylistically he was indebted to alto star Johnny Hodges, who, he said, taught him to play his instrument. More Info |
All Products - CDs and DVDs
My Cart
The cart is empty
