Harry Pepl Quartet, N.Y.C. Impressure (Extraplatte, 1992)

A hard hitting and impossibly hard to find album from the ever obscure Austrian guitarist Harry Pepl. Many of the tracks could easily be from one of Steve Coleman's best albums from the same era. Apparently this was recorded the day after a gig at the Knitting Factory. An unusually concise and funky album from the usually outside Pepl with more than the occasional nod to Miles. With Claus Stötter on trumpet and fluegelhorn, Paul Nowinski on bass and Jojo Mayer on drums. When Pepl channels Hendrix on La La La it takes my breath away. My favorite Pepl album and an easy thumbs up.

The Atlantic Family Live at Montreux (Atlantic 1977)

Killer big band jazz funk from the mid seventies. The line up is pretty amazing: The Don Ellis Orchestra, the Average White Band, the Brecker Brothers, Herbie Mann, Sonny Fortune, Klaus Doldinger, Richard Tee, Luther Vandross and well the list goes on and on. How did they get all these guys on the same stage? It's got some cheesy dated synth here and there, but the grooves are rock solid and the playing is intense. The extended "Pick up the Pieces" was edited and released on the rerelease of the Average White Band CD. I picked this up when it came out, and I still love it.

Tracks:
1 Bahia (Na Baixa Do Sapateiro) 16:32
2 Jadoo 10:34
3 Everything Must Change 6:21
4 McEwan's Export 8:58
5 One to One 9:10
6 Pick Up the Pieces 21:40

Personnel (from Wikipedia):
* Ben E. King - lead vocals
* Sonny Fortune - alto sax
* David "Fathead" Newman - alto sax
* Roger Ball - alto sax
* Herbie Mann - flute
* Dick Morrissey - tenor sax
* Molly Duncan - tenor sax
* Klaus Doldinger - tenor sax
* Michael Brecker - tenor sax
* Jaroslav Jakubovic - saxophone
* Don Ellis - trumpet
* Gilman Rathel - trumpet
* Lew Soloff - trumpet
* Randy Brecker - trumpet
* Alan Kaplan - trombone
* Barry Rogers - trombone
* Richard Tee - electric piano
* Jim Mullen - guitar
* Hamish Stuart - guitar
* Rafael Cruz - percussion
* Sammy Figueroa - percussion
* Rubens Bassini - percussion
* Alan Gorrie - bass
* Steve Ferrone - drums
* Onnie McIntyre - guitar


Backing Vocals:

* Alfa Anderson
* Diane Sumler
* Diva Gray
* Krystal Davis
* Luther Vandross
* Peter Cox
* Robin Clark