Tag Archives: 2017

Esperanza Spalding: Exposure

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On December 16, 2017, “Concord” label released “Exposure”, the sixth Esperanza Spalding studio album. It was recorded in September 2017, at “NRG Recording Studios” in Hollywood, and was produced by Esperanza Spalding, Ray Angry, Matthew Stevens, Justin Tyson, and Rob Schwimmer.

Personnel:

  • Esperanza Spalding – vocals, acoustic bass, electric bass, kalimba
  • Matthew Stevens – guitar
  • Robert Glasper – piano
  • Ray Angry – keyboard
  • Justin Tyson – drums
  • Andrew Bird – vocals, violin
  • Lalah Hathaway – vocals
  • Rob Schwimmer – continuum
  • Tivona Miller – backing vocals
  • Starr Busby – backing vocals
  • Fernando Lodeiro – recording, mixing
  • Zach Brown – recording
  • Rich Costey – mixing
  • Paul Blakemore – mastering

Track listing:

All tracks by Esperanza Spalding except where noted.

Exposure

  1. Swimming Toward the Black Dot
  2. Public Trance It
  3. Heaven in Pennies – Robert Glasper, Esperanza Spalding
  4. Colonial Fire
  5. Coming to Life – Lalah Hathaway, Esperanza Spalding
  6. Geriment
  7. I Am Telling You
  8. The Way You Got the Love – Andrew Bird, Esperanza Spalding
  9. I Do
  10. Double Jointed Canyon – Justin Tyson, Matthew Stevens, Esperanza Spalding

Undeveloped (Pre-Exposure Practice)

  1. Helluva
  2. Tangerine
  3. Word Jungle
  4. Chelsea Mercy
  5. Work of Art
  6. Winning Machines
  7. Trouble
  8. 4th Grade
  9. Whisper
  10. Fittest

Ahmet Ertegun

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On December 14, 2006, Ahmet Ertegun died aged 83. He was businessman, philanthropist, composer, and music producer. Ertegun was the co-founder and president of “Atlantic Records” (with Herb Abramson), and discovered and supported the careers of many rhythm and blues and rock musicians, including Aretha Frankiln, Led Zeppelin, and Ray Charles. Ertegun was chairman of the “Rock and Roll Hall of Fame”, and in 2017 was inducted in the “Rhythm & Blues Hall of Fame”. He was regarded as “one of the most significant figures in the modern recording industry”.

Johnny Hallyday

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On December 5, 2017, Jean-Philippe Léo Smet aka Johnny Hallyday died aged 74. He was musician (piano, guitar), singer and actor, the pioneer of the French rock and roll scene. He was called “The French Elvis”, and described as “The biggest rock star you’ve never heard of in English-speaking countries”. In 1997, he was made “Chevalier of the Legion of Honour”, and in 2001, Officer of the “Order of the Crown” in Belgium. In his more than four decades long career he worked with many famous musicians including Mick Jones, Jimmy Page, Tony Joe White, Dalida, Bon Jovi, Michael Bolton, Sylvie Vartan, Bono, The Jimi Hendrix Experience, Tommy Brown, Connie Francis, and Laura Pausini. In his lifetime Hallyday released 81 studio and live albums.  

Mavis Staple: If All I Was Was Black

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On November 17, 2017, “ANTI-Records” label released “If All I Was Was Black”, the thirteenth Mavis Staples album. It was recorded in May 2017, and was produced by Jeff Tweedy.

Personnel:

  • Mavis Staples – vocals
  • Jeff Tweedy – vocals, guitar, bass, percussion
  • Spencer Tweedy – drums, percussion
  • Rick Holmstrom – guitar
  • Glenn Kotche – percussion
  • Scott Ligon – clavinet, piano, organ, Wurly, guitar
  • Jeff Turnes – bass
  • Stephen Hodges – drums, percussion
  • Donny Gerrard – backing vocals
  • Kelly Hogan – backing vocals
  • Akenya – backing vocals

Track listing:

All tracks by Jeff Tweedy, except where noted.

  1. Little Bit
  2. If All I Was Was Black – Jeff Tweedy, Mavis Staples
  3. Who Told You That
  4. Ain’t No Doubt About It
  5. Peaceful Dream
  6. No Time for Crying – Jeff Tweedy, Mavis Staples
  7. Build a Bridge
  8. We Go High – Jeff Tweedy, Mavis Staples
  9. Try Harder
  10. All Over Again

The Good, The Bad & The Queen: Merrie Land

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On November 16, 2018, “Studio 13” label released “Merrie Land”, the second and final studio The Good, the Bad & the Queen studio album. It was recorded 2017 – 2018, at “Studio 13” in London, and was produced by Tony Visconti, Damon Albarn, Tony Allen, Paul Simonon, and Simon Tong.

Personnel:

  • Damon Albarn – lead vocals, ARP synthesizer, Farfisa organ, keyboards, mellotron, organ, piano, theremin, percussion, engineer
  • Paul Simonon – lead and backing vocals, bass, percussion, creative director, artwork
  • Simon Tong – lead and backing vocals, guitar
  • Tony Allen – guitar, drums
  • Tony Visconti – vocals, engineer
  • The Demon Strings – strings
  • Antonia Pagulatos – violin
  • Kotono Sato – violin
  • Stella Page – viola
  • Isabelle Dunn – cello
  • Kate St. John – oboe, Cor Anglais
  • Michael “Bami” Rose – saxophone
  • Lucas Petter – trombone
  • Chris Storr – trumpet
  • Eddie “Tan Tan” Thornton – trumpet
  • Gareth Humphreys – bassoon
  • Gerry Diver – tin whistle
  • Owain Arwel Davies – choir arrangements, conductor
  • Stephen Sedgwick – engineer, mixing
  • John Davis – mastering
  • Robert Gordon McHarg III – art direction
  • Chris Musto – layout
  • Herbert Mason – cover photography

Track listing:

All lyrics by Damon Albarn, all music by Damon Albarn, Tony Allen, Paul Simonon, Simon Tong and Tony Visconti.

  1. Introduction
  2. Merrie Land
  3. Gun to the Head
  4. Nineteen Seventeen
  5. The Great Fire
  6. Lady Boston
  7. Drifters & Trawlers
  8. The Truce of Twilight
  9. Ribbons
  10. The last Man to Leave
  11. The Poison Tree

Walk the Moon: What If Nothing

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On November 10, 2017, “RCA” label released “What If Nothing”, the fourth Walk the Moon studio album. It was recorded in 2017, and was produced by Mike Crossey, Mike Elizondo and Captain Cuts.

Personnel:

  • Nicholas Petricca – vocals, keyboards, percussion, programming
  • Kevin Ray – vocals, bass, programming
  • Sean Waugaman – vocals, drums, percussion, programming
  • Eli Maiman – vocals, guitar, programming

Track listing:

All tracks by Nicholas Petricca, Kevin Ray, Sean Waugaman, Eli Maiman, except where noted.

  1. Press Restart
  2. Headphones
  3. One Foot – Ryan Rabin, Ben Berger, Ryan McMahon
  4. Surrender – Ben Berger, Ryan McMahon
  5. All I Want
  6. All Night
  7. Kamikaze – Ryan Rabin, Ben Berger, Ryan McMahon
  8. Tiger Teeth
  9. Sound of Awakening
  10. Feels Good to Be High
  11. Can’t Sleep
  12. In My Mind
  13. Lost in the Wild

Whitey Glan

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On November 7, 2017, Pentti “Whitey” Glan died aged 71. He was musician (drums), member of the band The Rogues (later Mandala), performed and recorded with Bette Midler, John Kay, American Flyer, Bush, Klaatu, Anne Murray, Domenic Trolano, David Wilcox, Downchild Blues Band, Alice Cooper, and Lou Reed.

Django Bates’ Beloved: The Study of Touch

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On November 3, 2017, “ECM” label released “The Study of Touch”, the 14th Django Bates album. It was recorded in June 2016, at “Rainbow Studio” in Oslo, Norway, and was produced by Manfred Eicher.

Personnel:

  • Django Bates – piano
  • Petter Eldh – bass
  • Peter Bruun – drums
  • Jan Erik Kongshaug – engineer
  • Sascha Kleis – design
  • Nadia F. Romanini – photography
  • Ainis Radzevicius – photography

Track listing:

All tracks by Django Bates except where noted

  1. Sadness All the Way Down
  2. Giorgiantics
  3. Little Petherick
  4. Senza Bitterness
  5. We Are Not Lost, We Are Simply Finding Our Way
  6. This World – Iain Ballamy
  7. The Study of Touch
  8. Passport – Charlie Parker
  9. Slippage Street
  10. Peonies as Promised
  11. Happiness All the Way Up

Weezer: Pacific Daydream

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On October 27, 2017, “Atlantic” label released “Pacific Daydream”, the eleventh Weezer studio album. It was recorded 2016 – 2017, at “Ruby Red Productions”, and was produced by Butch Walker and Jonny Coffer.

Personnel:

  • Butch Walker – guitar, synthesizer, percussion, backing vocals, engineer
  • Rivers Cuomo – lead vocals, guitar
  • Brian Bell – guitar
  • Scott Shriner – bass
  • Pat Wilson – drums
  • Todd Stopera – engineer
  • Eric Valentine – mixing, mastering
  • Brendan Walter, Jade Ehlers – art direction, layout
  • Fran Rodriguez, Jade Ehlers, Matt Meiners – design
  • Jeremy Cowart – photography

Track listing:

  1. Mexican Fender – Rivers Cuomo, Tobias Gad
  2. Beach Boys – Rivers Cuomo
  3. Feels Like Summer – Rivers Cuomo, Patrick Morrissey, Johnny Coffer, Dan Dahlquist, Dan Goldberger
  4. Happy Hour – Rivers Cuomo, Chris Sernel, Seann Bowe
  5. Weekend Woman – Rivers Cuomo
  6. QB Blitz – Rivers Cuomo
  7. Sweet Mary – Rivers Cuomo, Josh Alexander
  8. Get Right – Rivers Cuomo, Jonny Coffer, Johnny Mcdaid, Josh Alexander
  9. La Mancha Screwjob – Rivers Cuomo, Josh Alexander
  10. Any Friend of Diane’s – Rivers Cuomo

Lunatic Soul: Fractured

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On October 6, 2017, “Kscope” label released “Fractured”, the fifth Lunatic Soul studio album. It was recorded 2016 – 2017, at “Serakos Studio” in Warsaw, Poland, and was produced by Mariusz Duda, Robert Srzednicki and Magda Srzednicka.

Personnel:

  • Mariusz Duda – lead and backing vocals, keyboards, bass, acoustic guitar, piccolo bass guitar, percussion, programming
  • Wawrzyniec Dramowicz – drums
  • Sinfonietta Consonus Orchestra
  • Michał Mierzejewski – orchestra arrangements
  • Marcin Odyniec – saxophone
  • Eliza Falkowska, Ewelina Bronk-Młyńska, Krzysztof Jakob Szwarc, Maciej Rogoziński – viola
  • Judyta Sawicka, Julia Ziętek, Karolina Gutowska, Katarzyna Libront, Martyna Kopiec, Paulina Kuśmierska, Anna Gospodarek, Gabriela Żmigrodzka, Karolina Janiak, Magdalena Szczypińska, Tomasz Chyła – violin
  • Alicja Różycka, Katarzyna Kamińska, Weronika Kulla – cello
  • Damian Wdziękoński – contrabass
  • Jakub Mańkowski, Łukasz Kumański – orchestra recording
  • Magda – recording, mixing
  • Robert Srzednicki – recording, mixing
  • Travis Smith – illustration, design, layout
  • Oskar Szramka – photography.

Track listing:

All tracks by Mariusz Duda.

  1. Blood On The Tightrope
  2. Anymore
  3. Crumbling Teeth And The Owl Eyes
  4. Red Light Escape
  5. Fractured
  6. A Thousand Shards Of Heaven
  7. Battlefield
  8. Moving On