Sarah McLachlan::Surfacing

$37.95

Solace is at once comforting, mysterious, expansive, timeless, and familiar. The sophomore jinx was certainly eluded here, as McLachlan sets forth a superior collection of songs and performances with the help of longtime producer Pierre Marchand. The opening track, "Drawn to the Rhythm," serves its title well and does the job of luring you in. Intelligent, intriguing lyrics and lilting melodies abound, whether amidst the pulsing rhythms of "Into the Fire" and "Back Door Man" or the quietly profound stories of "Home" and "Shelter." Although pretty much all of the tunes will grab you at one point or another, "The Path of Thorns (Terms)" and "I Will Not Forget You" are especially memorable, the latter not to be confused with McLachlan's "I Will Remember You," which appears on the 1995 soundtrack for The Brothers McMullen and Classic Records 2 LP set "Fumbling Towards Ecstacy / Freedom Sessions". Solace is a wonderful record that offers a glimpse of the astounding talent of a young Sarah McLachlan. - Kelly McCartney
find out more

$29.95

In 1962, Contemporary Records set out to create the ultimate stereophonic listening experience. Widely acclaimed for both the sonic quality of its recordings and its classic and adventuresome jazz repertoire, Lester Koenig decided to meld these two elements into an album that would test the mettle of any stereo system, while providing listeners with entertaining and unusual treatments of familiar repertoire. Shelly Manne, who was a mainstay of Contemporary's artist roster, and who was acutely aware of the subtleties of sound recording, was the obvious protagonist for such a project. Shelly's arrangements, in which he plays a vast array of exotic and seldom heard percussion instruments (and other objects) in duet with Jack Marshall's nylon string acoustic guitar, were conceived so as to demonstrate to the fullest the capabilities of Contemporary's renowned recording system. Contemporary S9006.

Mastered by Stan Ricker.
find out more

$44.95

Mastered by Kevin Gray.

At 21, Herbie Hancock was already a mature and well-traveled musician. He played Mozart with the Chicago Symphony at age 11, studied at Grinnell College and by age 20 played with Donald Byrd. Takin' Off, his Blue Note debut, is a sophisticated showcase for Hancock's ability as a group leader. Not as intellectually challenging or technically complex as his later recordings, the pianist nevertheless displays a restless imagination and technical verve. When he's not striking off on funky, swinging solos, the backing chords are restrained an unassuming. He's controlling the session and confident enough to let his soloists (Freddie Hubbard on trumpet and Dexter Gordon on tenor sax both in fine, relaxed form) take the spotlight. From the now-legendary hit "Watermelon Man" to the reflective, noir-ish "Alone and I," this is a great first album that foreshadows the greatness that would follow on his Blue Note masterworks, Empyrean Isles and Maiden Voyage.

find out more