Tag Archives: 2015

Hugh Masekela

On January 23, 2018, Hugh Ramopolo Masekela died aged 78. He was musician (trumpet, flugelhorn, cornet), singer and composer, known as “Father of South African Jazz.” As leader Masekela released 49 albums, and received many awards, including:

  • 1968 – Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Pop Performance – instrumental
  • 2002 – BBC Radio Jazz Awards: International Award of the Year
  • 2005 – Channel O Music Video Awards: Lifetime Achievement Award
  • 2007 – Ghana Music Awards: 2007 African Music Legend Award
  • 2010 – Order of Ikhamanga: South African National Orders Ceremony
  • 2014 – University of York Honorary Doctorate in Music
  • 2015 – Rhodes University: Doctor of Music

William Guest

On December 24, 2015, William Franklin Guest died aged 74. He was singer, best known as member of Gladys Knight & the Pips. His vocal can be heard on all of the group’s major hits, including “Midnight Train To Georgia”, “I Heard It Through The Grapevine” and “Neither One Of Us”. In 1996, Guest was inducted to the “Rock and Roll Hall of Fame” with Gladys Knight & the Pips.

Magma: Mekanïk Destruktïw Kommandöh

In December 1973, “Vertigo” label released “Mekanïk Destruktïw Kommandöh”, the third Magma studio album. It was recorded in 1973, and was produced by Giorgio Gomelsky. The French edition of “Rolling Stone” magazine named the album the 33rd greatest French rock album.  In 2015, the same magazine ranked the album at number 24 on its list of the “50 Greatest Prog Rock Albums of All Time.

Personnel:

  • Klaus Blasquiz– vocals, percussion
  • Stella Vander– vocals
  • Muriel Streisfield– vocals
  • Evelyne Razymovski– vocals
  • Michele Saulnier– vocals
  • Doris Reinhardt– vocals
  • Claude Olmos– guitar
  • Jean-Luc Manderlier– piano, organ
  • Benoit Widemann– keyboards
  • Jannick Top– bass
  • Christian Vander– drums, vocals, organ, percussion
  • René Garber– bass clarinet, vocals
  • Teddy Lasry– brass, flute
  • Eddie Sprigg, Gilbert, Gilles Sallé, Simon Heyworth, Steve Michell, Tom Rabstener– engineer
  • Loulou Sarkissian– stage manager

Track listing:

All tracks by Christian Vander.

  1. Hortz Fur Dëhn Štekëhn Ẁešt
  2. mah Sürï Dondaï
  3. Kobaïa Ïss Dëh Hündïn
  4. Da Zeuhl Ẁortz Mëkanïk
  5. Nëbëhr Gudahtt
  6. Mëkanïk Kömmandöh
  7. Kreühn Köhrmahn Ïss Dëh Hündin

The Rolling Stones: Blue & Lonesome

On December 2, 2016, “Polydor” label released “Blue & Lonesome”, the 23rd Rolling Stones album. It was recorded in December 2015, at “British Grove Studios” and was produced by Don Was and The Glimmer Twins. It is the band’s first album to feature only cover songs. The album won “Album of the Year” at the “2017 Jazz FM Awards”. “Blue & Lonesome” was certified Platinum in Austria by “IFPI Austria”; Platinum in Belgium by “BEA”; 2 x Platinum in France by “SNEP”; Platinum in Poland by “ZPAV”, and Platinum in UK by “BPI”.

Personnel:

  • Mick Jagger– vocals, harmonica
  • Keith Richards– electric guitar
  • Ronnie Wood– electric guitar
  • Charlie Watts– drums
  • Eric Clapton– slide guitar; lead electric guitar
  • Darryl Jones– bass
  • Matt Clifford, Chuck Leavell– keyboards
  • Jim Keltner– percussion
  • Andy Cook, Jason Elliott, Derrick Stockwell – enginer assistant
  • Krish Sharma – engineer, mixing
  • Stephen Marcussen, Ron McMaster – mastering
  • Pierre de Beauport – crew chief
  • Don McAulay – drum technician
  • Richard Havers – liner notes

Track listing:

  1. Just Your Fool – Buddy Johnson
  2. Commit a Crime – Howlin’ Wolf
  3. Blue and Lonesome – Little Walter
  4. All of Your Love – Magic Sam
  5. I Gotta Go – Little Walter
  6. Everybody Knows About My Good Thing – Miles Grayson, Lermon Horton
  7. Ride ‘Em on Down – Eddie Taylor
  8. Hate to See You Go – Little Walter
  9. Hoo Doo Blues – Otis Hicks, Jerry West
  10. Little Rain – Ewart G.Abner Jr., Jimmy Reed
  11. Just Like I Treat You – Willie Dixon
  12. I Can’t Quit You Baby – Willie Dixon

Newton Faulkner: Human Love

On November 20, 2015, “BMG” label released “Human Love”, the fifth Newton Faulkner studio album. It was recorded in 2015, and was produced by Cam Blackwood and Empire of the Sun.

Personnel:

  • Newton Faulkner– lead vocals, guitar
  • Tessa Rose Jackson – vocals
  • Cenzo Townshend– mixing

Track listing:

All tracks by Newton Faulkner, except where noted.

  1. Get Free – Thomas Wesley Pentz, David James Andrew Taylor, David Longstreth, Amber Coffman
  2. Up Up and Away
  3. Step in the Right Direction
  4. Passing Planes
  5. Stay and Take
  6. Break
  7. Far to Fall – Ed Drewett, Dan Dare, Newton Faulkner
  8. Can I Be Enough
  9. Gone
  10. Shadow Boxing
  11. Human Love

Billy Gibbons: Perfectamundo

On November 6, 2015, “Concord” label released “Perfectamundo”, the debut Billy Gibbons and rock band The BFG’s studio album. It was recorded in 2015, and was produced by Billy Gibbons and Joe Hardy.

Personnel:

  • Billy Gibbons: vocals, guitar, bass, Hammond B3, piano, design
  • Mike Flanigin: Hammond B3,
  • Alx “Guitarzza” Garza: guitar, bass
  • Martine “G.G.” Guigui: Hammond B3, piano
  • Joe Hardy: guitar, bass, keyboards, vocals, mastering, mixing
  • L. Moon: guitar, rngineer
  • Greg Morrow: drums, engineer

Track listing:

All tracks by Billy Gibbons, Mike Flanigin and G.L. Moon.

  1. Got Love If You Want It
  2. Treat Her Right
  3. You’re What’s Happenin’, Baby
  4. Sal y Pimiento
  5. Pickin’ Up Chicks On Dowling Street
  6. Hombre Sin Nombre
  7. Quiero Mas Dinero
  8. Baby Please Don’t Go
  9. Piedras Negras
  10. Perfectamundo
  11. Q-Vo

Kings Of Leon: Walls

On October 14, 2016, “RCA” label released “Walls”, the seventh Kings of Leon studio album. It was recorded 2015 – 2016, and was produced by Markus Dravs.

Personnel:

  • Caleb Followill– lead and backing vocals, guitar, percussion
  • Matthew Followill– guitar, percussion, backing vocals
  • Jared Followill– bass, percussion, backing vocals
  • Nathan Followill– drums, percussion, backing vocals
  • Liam O’Neil– Clavinet, Jupiter-8, mellotron, minimoog, percussion, piano, prophet synthesizer, synthesizer, Wurlitzer, backing vocals
  • Robin Baynton – engineer
  • Anthony Cairns – assistant assistant
  • Nicolas Essig – engineer assistant
  • Dylan Nelson – engineer assistant
  • Christopher Followill – engineer assistant
  • Spike Stent– mixing
  • Michael Freeman – mixing assistant
  • Britti Himelfarb – mixing assistant
  • Brent Rawlings, Mitch Salle, Jay Schleusener – mixing assistant
  • Geoff Swan – mixing assistant
  • Ted Jensen– mastering
  • Jessica Windsor – assistant assistant

Track listing:

All tracks by Caleb Followill, Nathan Followill, Jared Followill and Matthew Followill.

  1. Waste a Moment
  2. Reverend
  3. Around the World
  4. Find Me
  5. Over
  6. Muchacho
  7. Conversation Piece
  8. Eyes on You
  9. Wild
  10. WALLS

Dave Holland: Aziza

On October 14, 2016, “Dare2 Records “label released “Aziza”, the twenty-first Dave Holland album. It was recorded in September 2015, at “Sear Sound” in New York City, and was produced by Dave Holland.

Personnel:

  • Dave Holland – bass
  • Chris Potter –soprano and tenor saxophone
  • Lionel Loueke – vocal, guitar
  • Eric Harland – drums
  • James Farber – engineer
  • Owen Mulholland – engineer
  • Greg Calbi – mastering
  • Scott Fallone – mastering
  • Susan Archie – art direction, design
  • Rafael Gonzalez – artwork
  • Govert Driessen – photography
  • Ulli Gruber – photography
  • Louise Holland – executive producer

Track listing:

  1. Aziza Dance – Lionel Loueke
  2. Summer 15 – Chris Potter
  3. Walkin’ the Walk – Dave Holland
  4. Aquila – Eric Harland
  5. Blue Sufi – Chris Potter
  6. Finding the Light – Dave Holland
  7. Friends – Eric Harland
  8. Sleepless Nights – Lionel Loueke

Emmanuel “Rico” Rodriguez

On September 4, 2015, Emmanuel “Rico” Rodriguez died aged 80. He was musician (trombone), one of the first and most distinguished reggae and ska artists. He has formed the group Rico and the Rudies, and has recorded and performed with many famous musicians and producers including Karl Pitterson,  Prince Buster, Lloyd “Matador” Daley, Jools Holland’s Rhythm and Blues Orchestra, Bob Marley, Toots & the Maytals, Delroy Washington , Burning Spear, The Specials,  Jools Holland, Dennis Bovell, Ian Dury, Chas Jankel, Joan Armatrading, John Martyn, Linton Kwesi Johnson, Steel Pulse and Paul Young. In 2007, he was awarded an  “MBE”  (Member of the Order of the British Empire) for services to music. For his contribution to Jamaican music, in 2012 he was awarded the “Silver Musgrave Medal” by the “Institute of Jamaica”.

Biffy Clyro: Ellipsis

On July 8, 2016, “14th Floor” label released “Ellipsis”, the seventh Biffy Clyro studio album. It was recorded 2015 – 2016, at “Eldorado Recording Studios” in Burbank, California and “Foxy Studios” in Los Angeles, and was produced by Rich Costey, Simon Neil, James Johnston and Ben Johnston.

Personnel:

  • Simon Neil– lead vocals, guitars
  • James Johnston– bass, backing vocals
  • Ben Johnston– drums, backing vocals, percussion
  • Rich Costey– additional editing
  • James Rushent – programming, additional production
  • John Feldmann – recording, additional production
  • Martin Cooke – engineer
  • Nicolas Fournier – engineer
  • Mario Borgatta – engineer assistant
  • Allie Snow – engineer assistant
  • Zach Tuch – engineer assistant
  • Zak Corvine – additional engineering
  • Matt Pauling – additional engineering
  • Vlado Meller – mastering
  • Jeremy Lubsey – mastering assistant
  • Ian Sefchick – vinyl mastering
  • Matt & Dan – art direction, design

Track listing:

All tracks by Simon Neil except where noted.

  1. Wolves of Winter
  2. Friends and Enemies
  3. Animal Style – Simon Neil, John Feldmann
  4. Re-Arrange
  5. Herex
  6. Medicine
  7. Flammable – Simon Neil, busbee
  8. On a Bang
  9. Small Wishes
  10. Howl – Simon Neil, Gary Lightbody, Johnny McDaid
  11. People