Sonja Kristina – Songs from the Acid Folk (2007)

Sonja Kristina é uma cantora inglesa, famosa por ter intergrado o Curved Air.

O Curved Air teve mudanças na formação através de seus nove álbuns ao longo dos anos (de 1970 até 1976, e uma reunião em 1990), mas Kristina permanceu em todas. A formação original também contava com Francis Monkman na guitarra e Darryl Way no violino e nos teclados.

O primeiro álbum, Air Conditioning (1970), recebeu muita atenção da imprensa, devido ao fato de ter sido o primeiro picture disc lançado no Reino Unido. O segundo álbum, simplesmente intitulado Second Album (1972), teve uma participação mais ativa de Kristina, que escreveu quase todas as músicas ao lado de Way, incluindo a música mais famosa da banda, “Back Street Luv”.

Desde o Curved Air, ela tem uma carreira solo, incluindo seu envolvimento com o movimento acid folk londrino no início da década de 90, culminando em Song from Acid Folk (1991), aclamado pela critíca, e, mais recentemente, no seu duo multi-mídia com Marvyn Ayres Mask.

The Skatalites – Foundation of Ska

As fans are well aware, although the Skatalites only officially existed for a mere 14 months or so, the bandmembers’ impact on Jamaican music extended far beyond that brief period into the rocksteady era and then the reggae era and beyond, and stretching back into the island’s pre-recording days. In various aggregations, the musicians played on vast swathes of songs throughout the ’60s, and during the ska years virtually everything that was put on disc featured at least a couple of the men. Foundation Ska delves deeply into this era, exclusively with the group’s work for Coxsone Dodd. A good number of the tracks predate the group’s official launch, and even then the Studio One head oftentimes preferred to release their singles credited to the composer and/or the main soloist. Thus, although all 32 of the songs within were recorded by the band, many of them never appeared under the group’s name. Helpfully, the sleeve notes provide an excellent background piece on the island’s early music scene, as well as an exceptional biography of the band drawn from interviews with group members. Best of all, though, the individual soloists are listed for each song, a boon for those desperate to tell the saxophonists’ work apart. While instrumentals are the main thrust of the set, five vocal tracks are also featured, a potent reminder of the group’s equally crucial work behind the singers. Sadly, Skatalites’ vocalist Lord Tanamo seems never to have recorded for Dodd during the ska age, but you do get a scorching number from another one of the band’s singers, Jackie Opel, as well as a fabulous duet from Opel and Doreen Schaffer, who also sang live with the group. Filled to the brim with classic after classic — “Don-De-Lion,” “Eastern Standard Time,” “Silver Dollar,” “Scandal Ska,” “Occupation,” and so many, many more, just try to find a weak track within. Foundation Ska isn’t the definitive set; fans still need to hear their equally masterful material from Treasure Isle, never mind the spectacular numbers they cut for the Yap brothers, but nonetheless this is a stunning and essential set. ~ Jo-Ann Greene, All Music Guide

Rory Gallagher – Tattoo (1973)

Rory Gallagher (pronounced “Roar-ie Gall-a-her”) (born Liam Rory Gallagher, 2 March, 1948– died 14 June, 1995) was an Irish blues/rock guitarist. Born in Ballyshannon, County Donegal, Ireland, he grew up in Cork City. He is best known for his solo albums, and for his tenure in the band Taste during the late 1960s. A multi-instrumentalist who gained a reputation as a gifted and charismatic live performer, Rory Gallagher’s albums have sold in excess of 30 million copies worldwide^.

Sven Van Hees – Gemini (1999)

Quando os pormenores vocais, sedutores e irreais, entram em campo, dissolvem-se por entre fragmentos jazzísticos, enquanto a música flui, cristalina e cintilante, até se alojar num mar de tranquilidade. As etéreas e exóticas atmosferas são esculpidas de forma irrepreensível e em faixas como “Matress mambo”, “Ocean Jive” ou “Breakfast with abductees”, Sven Van Hees convoca um sem números de cambiantes melódicas, como o pintor impressionista que vai alojando na tela um sem número de traços e silhuetas coloridas até chegar a um resultado final aparentemente harmonioso e coerente.

Na ilha do amor chamada “Gemini” são recitados poemas sonoros ao final da tarde e, por entre metáforas, é possível entrever a definição atmosférica irreal e exótica de Martin Denny e Lex Baxter, os métodos, as técnicas e os suportes sonoros utilizados pelos Kruder & Dorfmeister, Karma, Air ou Nightmares On Wax e a silhueta quase invisível do confessional e apaixonado Serge Gainsbourg. Sumptuoso e despojado, artificial e simples eis o mundo maravilhoso de Sven Van Hees, também conhecido por Ramon Serrano.

Life Enhancing Audio, distri. Symbiose – Vítor Belanciano