John James - I Got Rhythm - COMPACT DISCS [CD]

Could be that From the Fire (FTF) is one of the most underrated bands in rock-history. Unfortunately exactly at that moment, when the band released their AOR-debut 'Thirty Days And Dirty Nights' in 1992 on the Active Record tag, American grunge was shoving a flannel-clad shoulder against melodic rock, and though the album got very favorable reviews in friendly circles, a sudden fascination with teen angst and the city of Seattle kept FTF at arm's length from Stateside radio play or proper distribution. On the night in October 1992, at NYC's Rocketeria, FTF performed what would be their last live show for over 20 years, to a packed house. A re- in 2009 generated the first spark to talk about a possible re-union. The re-firing of the band would finally take place in 2013, when Sciotto, Kelly, and Lafferty converged on Sciotto's upstate New York InchElliptical SoundInch studio to record a follow-up effort, titled InchEvil Men DoInch, an album containing strong AOR and melodic rock elements again. FTF presented the album live at the InchFirefestInch-festival in Nottingham/UK. The performance at this festival, accented greatly by the inclusion of bassist John McCoy, was extremely emotional - indeed, life-changing - for a band that had no idea what to expect, but who were greeted by a sold-out crowd that knew every word to their older songs, and were willing to embrace their new material. It was this enthusiasm, that inspired the last standing band members J. D. Kelly and Thommy Lafferty to produce the third album InchOctOpusInch - also a self- of the band in 2016, due to the fact that a promised production of an indie tag wasn't delivered. As was the case with InchEvil Men DoInch, this special-edition set represents the first time InchOctOpusInch has seen a proper .

This is one of those albums that excited me from the word go. When John and I first discussed the possibilities of his recording I was very pleased. You see, John James is one of the most creative and important acoustic guitar players performing and living in Europe today. His music owes little to the days of Davey Graham and Bert Jansch. These were the English guitar heroes of ten years ago. Instead John's music has traveled a path derived from folk music, ragtime and jazz sounds. From these sources he has developed a very unique and beautiful style of playing as well as composing. Once we had recorded all the material for this album I knew we had a proverbial Inchhot platterInch on our hands. Finally, the complete talents of John James seemed to have been captured on record. All of his skills as a guitarist, arranger, and composer were clearly present. Plus, John was happy to transcribe his solos into tablature and we have prepared a PDF booklet, that accompanies this album, which features these pieces. This will certainly bring joy to guitarists who have struggled to learn John's intricate instrumentals.

Following an acclaimed tribute album to Benny Goodman, the 'King of Swing', the Julian Bliss Septet returns with a new album that showcases the music of jazz legends, George and Ira Gershwin, and - by popular demand - some of Benny's compositions and much-loved tunes. The Julian Bliss Septet was formed in 2010 and quickly became known for their trademark inspiring jazz-fuelled shows which have captivated audiences across the globe. Their dazzling virtuosity, extraordinary musicianship and charming humor shines through their programmes of swing, Latin, American and jazz music. The band has played at some of the most prestigious venues and festivals around the world, including the famous Ronnie Scott's and Wigmore Hall in London, the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, Bermuda Jazz Festival and on multiple US tours to sold-out clubs and concert halls including Dizzy's Club at Jazz at Lincoln Center (New York).