Music on CD

Davis Miles: Dark Magus [2 CD]

Recorded on February 1, in Osaka, Japan, at the Festival Hall. The band: Sonny Fortune, saxophones, Pete Cosey (who also played synth) and Reggie Lucas on guitars, Michael Henderson on bass, Al Foster on drums, James "Mtume" Foreman on percussion, and Miles Davis on trumpet and organ. Featuring only two resounding epic tracks which run for nearly two hours, "Zimbabwe" and "Gondwana" gives the listener it's unique and primitive kind of Afro<br/>futurism, a brand of jazz-funk that only Miles can deliver.

The Columbia Albums 1976-1982 anthologizes the Jaco Pastorius era of Weather Report. Black Market (1976), Heavy Weather (1977), Mr. Gone (1978), 8:30 (1979), Night Passage (1980), and Weather Report (1982) are packaged in Clamshell Box with wallets. Each disc features reproduced front and back artwork. As detailed by liner notes author Richard Seidel, the box contains 12 bonus tracks, including all the cuts from the 2002 compilation Live and Unreleased that feature Pastorius, as well as material from the 1979 Havana Jam. The 20-page booklet also features full track-by-track credits and session data.

CLAMSHELL BOX

Herbie Hancock: Future Shock [CD]

Her concert debut, a classical recital, was given when she was 12. An upcoming talent. Her parents, who had taken seats in the front row, were forced to move to the back of the hall to make way for white people. An emerging civil rights activist was formed. In 1958 she recorded her first studio album for Bethlehem Records, followed by Colpix and Philips and in 1967 RCA Victor. 'Nuff Said! spawned the hit-singles "Ain't Got No - I Got Life" and the Bee Gees cover "To Love Somebody". After "Mississippi Goddam", from the same album, a civil rights message was the norm in Simone's recordings and became part of her concerts. In 1969 Simone recorded "To Be Young, Gifted And Black". Renditions of the song have been recorded by Aretha Franklin and Donny Hathaway.

Baker Chet: Chet Baker At George Jazzcafe [CD]