Great eclectic mix of jazz, folk, and pop
928245
I've been listening to Dan's music over again since his death.  While this CD never got a lot of play before, I just realized what I had been missing.

"Twin Sons" is a mix of instrumentals with a strong feeling of place and time and vocal music with Dan Fogelberg on the primary lead. The instrumentals (songs 1-4,6,7,8) of  are lovely and a departure from Fogelberg's heartfelt vocals on the latter numbers.

I still prefer the songs where Fogelberg sings: "Tell Me to My Face", "Since you asked" and "The Power of Gold". Even if you don't like the instrumentals, these three songs make the CD price worth it because they are some of Fogelberg's best work.

Rebecca Kyle, May 2008
4260883
This is a nice,well organized 5 disc collection of both standard and less popular but still delightful recordings covering a varied range of sub-genres by artists most jazz  fans will recognize and enjoy. The novice jazz enthusiast may find this collection to be an easy listen as it flows nicely and is an enjoyable way to explore some of the many musical styles, voices, and artists within the genre. I found this to be a satisfying, enjoyable listen and was quite happy to add the set to my collection!
Genres: Early & Standard Jazz, Latin Jazz, Hard Bop, Post-Bop, Soul, Blues and some World Fusion as well!
295567
Totally unique sound: I don't hear Country, Rock, Pop, or Jazz, but rather a synergistic blend of them all.
Amazing vocal harmonies: they are right on (or "spot on"), as if they've been singing together for years.
The lyrics are interesting and fun.  The melodies go places you wouldn't expect and it all just works.
You can practically hear their smiles as they are singing.

Before this album, I wasn't a big fan of Kenny Loggins, and I didn't know Gary Burr or Georgia Middleman.
Now I can't get enough of their music!
740174
This collection is interesting for a number of reasons in addition to the  music itself.  First, Dock Bogs is a musician whose career was interrupted  for 35 years by the Depression.  The natural musicianship which shows  itself after such an interruption is fascinating in itself.  Second, the  notes to the tracks tell where Dock Boggs learned the song which provides  interesting insights to how folk music perpetuates itself in the concrete  rather than abstract.  Including the lyrics in the booklet would have been  useful.
The breadth of the material is delightful.  "My Old Horse  Died" is based on a verse from a life insurance advertisement.  There  are blues, ballads and gospel pieces all played on the banjo learned from  relatives, friends, recordings or self-composed.
Count this as a  must-have for anyone with an interest in folk banjo or Appalachian music.
4046549
'Ring Some Changes' is an instrumental collaboration between two excellent singer songwriters.  The range of styles is very eclectic, from gypsy jazz to classically inspired pieces, and it includes original songs from both artists in addition to an interesting selection of covers.
This album didn't leave my CD player for about six months after I bought it.  I even prefer it to Brooks' solo instrumental album 'Little Lion,' which is also excellent.  Highly recommended to fans of either artist.
1864732
Putumayo always puts out good, eclectic collections, and this one is no exception. The title conjures up images of Gene Kelly and Leslie Caron dancing on the Seine, Edith Piaf ripping her heart out with "La Vie en Rose" and a hot demitasse with a couple of madeleines. Listening to this album will not provide such a complete throwback, but it will make you appreciate the different textures of popular French musical styles - genres like chanson (French song), musette (traditional style influenced by immigrants) and manouche (gypsy jazz). The eclecticism is enhanced by the wide variety of performers presented here from contemporary artists to legendary stylists since WWII.

The old guard is represented by the likes of Serge Gainsbourg, a controversial figure and notorious womanizer, whose song here, "Marilou Sous la Neige", a rather tame pop ballad, sounds a bit like Gordon Lightfoot. Two of his lovers are represented as well - Jane Birkin, who provides an updated version of Gainsbourg's "Elaeudanla Teiteia" swimming through what sounds like a Wurlitzer organ, and sex kitten Brigitte Bardot showing surprising jazz vocal chops on "Un Jour Comme un Autre". A charming-sounding chanteuse named simply Barbara contributes a musical tribute to a criminal in "Si la Photo est Bonne", and George Brassens' guitar-plucked "Je M'Suis Fait Tout Petit" is cafe chanson at its most heavily Gallic.

The newer tracks hold up well to their predecessors with Paris Combo proving two manouche songs with style, the mood-setting opener "Fibre de Verre" and "On N'a Pas Besoin" with exemplary guitar by Potzi and trumpet by David Lewis. Sanseverino provides a bouncy track with a Stephane Grapelli-like jazz violin that reminds me quite a bit of Manhattan Transfer. Matthieu Boogaerts' "Ondule" sounds like a Gallic version of a Jason Mraz song with an unearthly calliope-like instrument. Coralie Clement contributes a breathy performance complete with undulating seashore sounds on "La Mer Opale", and Enzo Enzo's "Juste Quelqu'un de Bien" is a smoky chanson with a compelling jazz guitar. The CD comes with an informative booklet which gives mini-biographies on all the performers and the genesis of their songs. This is a genuine musical treat for Francophiles. C'est si bon.
92295
This album has elements of folk, punk and classic rock all mixed in and I think they pull it off very successfully.  I bought it on a whim and wasn't sure if I liked it at first but it has gradually become part of the regular rotation for me.
4268285
The Greatest Hits of Ramsey Lewis is far more than a compilation of a well-known pop and jazz musician's songs that made the big time. The Ramsey Lewis Trio was a breath of fresh air that brought together the very best of popular music and jazz music and stirred it up with waves of joy.

When you hear these songs, it is not a blast from the past. The experience is one of being pulled into someone's really good mood expressed in music. I challenge anyone to listen to this music and maintain a bad mood. You just can't do it. Nor should you WANT to do it.

This music has the very best of wide open jazz propelled by the driving pop beat that makes you tap your toe and just love it. A lot of people - mostly jazz purists - did their best to disparage the Ramsey Lewis sound at the time. They said it was just not serious enough, or that it did not stay focused within the traditional jazz paradigm. Of course it didn't do those things - the music was something spontaneous, something fresh and new.

Ramsey Lewis and his musical cohorts have the jazz chops and jazz pedigree. If you examine the piano, bass, and drums contributions here the music has the requisite substance to fall under the rubric of jazz. There is strong musical statement of all of the song's core substance. There is plenty plenty of improvisation that fits nicely in the song arrangements.

Perhaps the overarching impact of the music is being in the middle of a fantastic, hip, fun, and funny party. You just feel like you opened someone's front door and got ushered into the hippest, wildest, and jazziest gathering known to human beings. This music really rocks and moves and grooves in ways that few have duplicated. I salute Ramsey Lewis as a true musical original and a true visionary of a new kind of jazz. This music is both sophisticated and user friendly in ways that just make you want to dance on the table. Yeah!
997669
I am very pleased with this effort.  True, the songs are Seeger covers, not Bruce originals.  True, they're folk--not Bruce's more familiar rock.  However, the album doesn't advertise itself as anything other than "Bruce doing Seeger's folk songs."

Most of the songs are big, loud, foot-stomping fun.  They are reinterpretations with melodies that sometimes conform and sometimes do not conform to tradition.  You get vocals and guitar, like any folk record, but you also get fiddle, banjo, mandolin, organ, drums, big-time brass and incredible gospel-inspired back-up vocals--often all at once and at full throttle.  The first six numbers will cause your foot to tap whether you want it to or not, and all of them have good, if not foot-stomping, moments.  Not all of the songs fit the above description, but most do, and the CD's worth the investment if that description sounds fun to you.

Folk traditionalists may lament the fact that you don't get just Bruce, his acoustic guitar and harmonica, all channeling Seeger or Guthrie or Dylan.  Bruce's rock fans may lament the fact that this is not the next great Bruce rock album.  Fair enough, I guess, and valid observations.  But me?  I love the fact that it is a really nice, fun compromise, with some zydeco spice thrown in for good measure.  It is truly, and often, a wall of folk!
299084
There's something for everyone on this wonderfully eclectic recording, which ranges from Oscar Peterson's almost lullaby-like piano on "A Child is Born" to Bill Evans's jazzy piano improvisations (overdubbed) on "Santa Claus is Coming to Town," and Sister Rosetta Tharpe's "O, Little Town of Bethlehem," a full-out, hand-clapping, rocking and stomping Gospel song.  Containing both vocals and instrumentals, with arrangements which vary from softly sweet to full-out wailing, this CD is full of delightful surprises to keep the Christmas repertoire fresh.

Three of the songs here feature Ella Fitzgerald.  "The Secret of Christmas" and "White Christmas," both of which she sings "pure," are soft, slow ballads filled with sweetness, while "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas," with its quick beat, provides a jazzy close-out for the album.  Dinah Washington's "Ole Santa" and "Silent Night" take the opposite tack from Ella, as she sings with strength and verve--and absolutely no sweetness!  Billie Holiday's "I've Got My Love to Keep Me Warm," not exactly a Christmas song, features solos by the great Benny Carter on clarinet and Sweets Edison on muted trumpet.

Roland Kirk's "We Free Kings," the most highly improvised song on the album, features Kirk on flute and wailing sax, accompanied by an insistent drumbeat.  And my favorite--Jimmy Smith's "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen" is the greatest version of this song I've ever heard, opening with jazz tuba and drums (and sounding like giants walking), then introducing trumpets and a wonderful Smith organ solo, which soars into the stratosphere.  A terrific album for the jazz lover at Christmas time, this CD showcases some of the pioneers of American jazz.  Mary Whipple
3240632
I really like this album. Dar Williams has walked on the folk side of the line between pop and folk, but on The Green World she is firmly walking on top of that fence. Her amazing voice and penetrating lyrics are presented here in a more radio-friendly package, upbeat with more emphasis on full band production than the lonely atmospherics of earlier work. The result is wonderful. Some might say sell out, but what can possibly be better than a pop song that sounds great, feels great, and has some intellectual meat behind it.
1922735
Bought this for "The Boy From New York City".  This is an interesting mix of jazz, pop-you name it!  Recommended for anyone with a love for music of any kind.  Easy listening.
4890623
Great use of diverse instruments and vocals, and really excellent songwriting. A great find for fans of folk metal, death metal, and melodic metal alike. I'm actually not a huge fan of death metal vocals myself - I mostly tolerate them as part of the music that surrounds them - but Chrigel Glanzmann does them as well as I've ever heard. Several reviewers have made comparisons to Dark Tranquillity, which I think is spot on: while Slania does not strike me as derivative, I think that fans of Dark Tranquillity (which definitely includes me, I own their entire catalog) will enjoy this CD a LOT. Favorite tracks: Tarvos (a real standout for me), Bloodstained Ground, and Gray Sublime Archon.
860602
Eddie Daniels is a talented and versatile musician who has recorded both jazz and classical music. Homecoming is a jazz recording featuring Daniels on both tenor sax and clarinet backed by Joe Locke on vibes, Tom Ranier on piano, Dave Finck on bass, and Joe La Barbera on drums. With a 2-CD program that includes both standards and originals, ballads and up-tempo romps, Daniels and his bandmates provide as solid set of tasty jazz that should appeal to a broad spectrum of jazz fans.

 Especially enjoyable is the interplay between Daniels on clarinet and Locke on vibes on several of the cuts, such as "Under the Wire," where they really get into trading off with each other. Another highlight is the band's take on John Lewis's classic "Django," which provides more than 14 minutes of musical pleasure. With good sound and informative liner notes to boot, this is a first-class production all the way, well worth seeking out.
1213248
Old "folk" lovers will appreciate the intricate harmonies of The Journeymen.  The CD has a nice assortment of songs, the quality and quantity are also excellent.  The value for your money is exceptional.
2087268
This is one of my favorite albums of all time.  The mix of performers is outstanding.  Where else would you ever find background girl singers like Bonnie Raitt, k.d. lang, and Jennifer Warnes, not to mention Bruce Springsteen? The choice of songs is wonderful, all of Roy's hits.  But the thing that appeals most to me is the jazz component, i.e., the musical improvisation of these fantastic guys and their instruments interspersed among the vocal renditionings.  And then there are shots of the well-known people in the audience.  Wow!  Superb!!
2265463
As the others say, there is a lot of jazz improv and intense experimentation going on here; that's plain enough from looking at the liner notes and the nod to Eric Dolphy and his own avant garde jazz work.  If you're open-minded, you'll enjoy the jazz tracks, but they're surely not toe-tapping hits.  My favorite bit(s) on this album is the three-song combo of "My Guitar Wants To Kill Your Mama," "Oh No," and "Orange County Lumber Truck."  I only wish the jam on "Lumber Truck" could go on longer.  Then there's the culminating "Weasels Ripped My Flesh;" an appropriate title for 3-odd minutes of live, fully-amplified noise.  This is definitely NOT an introductory FZ recording.  This one should probably come in somewhere between #15 and #25 in your acquisition scheme.  It's a great one to have, but it does take some appreciation, even a little bit of work to access.  Enjoy.