Nina Simone-Sings The Blues (1967)

Nina Simone is another of the great divas of American jazz and blues. She was a fabulous singer, a great songwriter, and an excellent pianist, as well as one of the most active advocates for American civil rights for five decades. Born in 1933 in North Carolina, she was already playing piano and singing in her local church by the young age of 10. A pivotal moment in her life was the day her parents, who had come to see her play piano in church, were forced to move to the back of the pew to make room for other white people. Around the age of twenty, Nina Simone moved to Philadelphia, where she began to earn a living giving piano lessons and singing backup vocals. Shortly after, she launched her career performing at the legendary Midtown Bar on Pacific Avenue in Atlantic City. Thanks to her impressive and soulful voice, Nina quickly rose to prominence, and her first recording, "I Loves You Porgy" by George Gershwin, achieved considerable success on the American charts. From this point on, Nina's career would be meteoric, with songs like "My Baby Just Cares For Me", "To Be Young, Gifted and Black", and "Mississippi Godman" (songs with a clear political message), as well as numerous covers of other artists such as "I Put A Spell On You" by Screamin' Jay Hawkins ,"Here Comes The Sun" by The Beatles, and "House Of The Rising Sun" by Dave Van Ronk. Following further success stemming from her participation in several Broadway musicals, her song "For All We Know" would become another of her classics. With a style that blended gospel, blues, and jazz influences, Nina Simone earned the respect and admiration of the American people, earning the title of "High Priestess of the Soul", and becoming a true legend and icon of 20th-century music.

Herbie Hancock-Man-Child (1975)

Released during Herbie Hancock's funk-jazz-rock era, "Man-Child" is his most acclaimed work within that subgenre. Featuring a larger lineup than his usual band of the time, the Head Hunters, this album boasts a stellar roster of musicians, including Harvey Mason (drums), Paul Jackson (bass), Ernie Watts (saxophone), Wayne Shorter (soprano saxophone), Stevie Wonder (harmonica), Bennie Maupin (wind instruments), and Melvin Watson (guitar and synthesizers), among a dozen others. However, despite this impressive group of talented instrumentalists, it is primarily Herbie Hancock who intelligently deploys his arsenal of keyboards and synthesizers, becoming the driving force behind all the album's songs, perfectly supported by the energetic arrangements of the wind instruments and the funky rhythm section. That varied jam of instruments proclaims pieces like "Hang Up Your Hang Ups", "Sun Touch", "The Traitor", "Steppin'in It" or "Heartbeat", as one of the discographic gems of jazz rock fusion with funk rhythms, reaffirming Hancock as one of the great innovators of the most avant-garde jazz of the 70s.

Casiopea-Thunder Live (1980)

Casiopea is a renowned Japanese jazz-rock band, highly praised worldwide, which has consistently released new albums for four decades, all of them well-received by fans of this jazz subgenre. The band was founded in 1976 by Issei Noro, the only constant member throughout Casiopea's history, and Tetsuo Sakurai, who were soon joined by Akira Jimbo and Minoru Mukaiya. In 1979, they released their self-titled debut album, which featured collaborations with American musicians Michael and Randy Brecker and David Sanborn. Their funk and rock influences, Latin rhythms, powerful percussion, dynamic yet melodic instrumental style, and the talent of the four musicians did not go unnoticed, and their albums were soon officially released in the United States and around the world. This first album was followed by other brilliant releases such as "Super Flight" (1979), "Make Up City" (1980), "Eyes of the Mind" (1981), "Mint Jams" (1982), and "Photographs" (1983), totaling nearly fifty albums, many of which reached high positions on the jazz charts in numerous countries. In 1980, they released the excellent live album "Thunder Live" (1980), a formidable showcase of the live performance of what is considered the most important group in the history of Japanese jazz-rock.

Tuck & Patti-Love Warriors (1989)

This musical duo, who are also married, began their dazzling career by chance in the late 1970s in San Francisco, where they met for an audition with a local band. Both already had extensive musical experience. Vocalist Patti Cathcart had played in various San Francisco Bay Area bands, most notably a brief stint with the Kingfish, where she met Grateful Dead guitarist Bob Weir. Tuck Andress, on the other hand, was a veteran guitarist who, despite his youth, had played in several rock and jazz bands, including Sonny and Cher and other local bands in the Los Angeles area. In 1978, after meeting, they decided to work as a duo, and for years they developed their unique style, which blended vocal jazz, intimate pop, R&B, folk, and gospel. During those years, they received several offers from different record labels, all of which were rejected by the duo, who felt they still needed to refine their style. In 1988, Windham Hill Records offered them a three-album contract, an offer they accepted. That same year, they released their debut album, "Tears of Joy", which garnered positive reviews and respectable sales. The cover of this first album featured a sticker that read, "Album recorded without overdubs, backing musicians, or electronic arrangements, just the two of us performing in real time". A year later, "Love Warriors" was released, an engaging work that alternated original compositions with captivating covers such as Santana's "Europa", Jimi Hendrix's "Castles Made of Sand/Little Wing", and The Beatles' "Honey Pie". This second album was later chosen as the best contemporary jazz album on the American West Coast, further solidifying the career of this brilliant and essential duo.

Ryan Adams-Gold (2001)

"Gold" is Ryan Adams' second album, a work more patriotic and more American than his debut, where the influences of Tom Petty and Bruce Springsteen are even more evident.
If a year before Ryan Adams had set the bar very high with his superb "Heartbreaker", with this "Gold" he would hit again with a very bright and energetic album, very close to the true canons of American classic rock.
An elegant album that shows us brilliant compositions such as "New York, New York", which unintentionally became a tribute to the city, when the promotional video for the song was recorded in front of the twin towers four days before the fateful 11 ​​of September.
An album with deep sound where acoustic guitars stand out and some careful lyrics as in "La Cienaga Just Smiled" or in "When The Stars Go Blue", or in the rockers "Firecraker", "Gonna Make You Love Me" or "Tina Toledos Street Walkin´Blues" or the beautiful blues "The Rescue Blues" that gained a lot of relevance when it was included in the movie "Proof of Life".

Imán Califato Independiente-Imán Califato Independiente (1978)

Another important band in the Andalusian progressive rock movement was Imán Califato Independiente, which originated at a convention led by meditation guru Maharajji in the mid-seventies. Like true hippies, the musicians lived together in a house in El Puerto de Santa María, Cádiz. Towards the end of the seventies, they managed to attract the attention of Columbia Records, who produced their first album, released in late 1978. On this debut album, the band displays strong jazz-rock influences reminiscent of Santana, Return to Forever, and Weather Report, with touches of progressive rock and the essence of flamenco folklore. The first side of the debut album is dedicated entirely to the suite "Tarantos del Califato Independiente," a dynamic track where synthesizers, powerful percussion, and exciting flamenco guitar solos and vibrant electric guitars combine to create an exuberant piece. The captivating “Darshan”, a clear example of Andalusian prog, the Latin jazz rock “Cerro Alegre” and the exotic progressive jazz rock with Arabic and Andalusian sounds “Canción de la Oruga”, made it one of the best debuts of Andalusian rock and Spanish rock.

Out Of Focus-Out Of Focus (1971)

Out of Focus were another band from the German krautrock movement, specifically leaning towards psychedelic folk/blues and jazz-rock sounds, not unlike those of other contemporary groups such as Kraan, Embryo, and Nucleus. Formed in the late 1960s in Munich, their initial lineup consisted of guitarist, flautist, and vocalist Remigius Drechsler, keyboardist Hennse Hering, vocalist and saxophonist Moran Neumüller, drummer Klaus Spöri, and bassist Stefan Wishen. In 1970, the German independent label Kuckuck financed their first album, "Wake Up", which showcased their psychedelic leanings with excellent guitar and Hammond organ sounds, complemented by superb flute playing and powerful drumming. A year later, they released their self-titled album, "Out of Focus", in which their approach evolved immensely from the psychedelic rock of their early days to a more jazz-oriented sound, thanks to instruments like the saxophone. These jazz impulses are more in line with the style of early Jethro Tull or Ten Years After, as demonstrated in the energetic "What Can a Poor Boy Do", the psychedelic folk of "It's Your Life", the progressive jazz-rock of "Whispering", and the folk-infused, blues-tinged psychedelics of "Blue Sunday Morning" and "Fly Bird Fly". With their third and final album, "Four Letter Monday Afternoon" (1972), they shifted towards sounds closer to brass-jazz rock, bringing to a close the journey of this magnificent band, which could have been much greater than it ultimately was.

The Moody Blues-Every Good Boy Deserves Favour (1971)

For many this is the masterpiece of The Moody Blues, although weighed down in part by the immense success of their previous "Days of future Passed" and their huge single "Nights In White Satin".
However, this is one of his most versatile, varied and superbly performed works, where the single and rocker "The Story In Your Eyes" would catapult him to the top spot on the UK charts and a staggering second spot on the US Billboard.
Here stands out the mellotron of Mike Pinder, which includes the Moog synthesizers, Hayward's guitar does the rest to make a work of art in which there are sublime and mystical moments such as "My Song" or "Emily's Song", with that bucolic sound very characteristic of this huge and essential progressive rock band.

Cai-Noche Abierta (1980)

"Noche Abierta" is one of the jewels of the Andalusian progressive rock movement, an album that displays masterful musicianship, brimming with jazz sensibility, flamenco essence, and the atmospheric sounds of progressive rock. The band behind this superb work was Cai, a Spanish group originally from Cádiz, founded in mid-1977 by drummer Diego Fopani, guitarists José Fernández and Francisco Delgado, keyboardist and vocalist Sebastian Dominguez, and bassist José Vélez. This band released three albums between 1978 and 1981, disbanding shortly after their third and final album. They reformed almost 25 years later, producing new material which they released on two new albums. The moderate success of their debut album, "Más Allá de Nuestras Mentes Diminutas" (1978), paved the way for them to sign with a major label, CBS's subsidiary Epic Records, with whom they released "Noche Abierta" in 1980. The foreseeable potential of their first album is realized in this follow-up, a first-rate Andalusian progressive rock album with symphonic and strong fusion touches in all the compositions, combined with the virtuoso performances of all its members. Hints of jazz-rock, sounds reminiscent of Canterbury, and ethereal, progressive atmospheres are very much present in tracks like "Alegrías de Cai", "Extraña Seducción", and "La Roca del Diablo". This is undoubtedly one of the high points of Andalusian progressive rock of all time and a truly timeless work.

Bachman-Turner Overdrive-Bachman-Turner Overdrive II (1973)

Bachman-Turner Overdrive is one of Canada's most famous bands, enjoying guaranteed success during the 1970s thanks to their powerful and infectious style, fueled by their blend of rock, country, and rock and roll. Led by Randy Bachman's raspy vocals and superb guitar work, the band was a true leader of the iconic group The Guess Who. By 1973, they had achieved massive success thanks to songs like "Gimme Your Money Please" and "Blue Collar", from their debut album, "Bachman-Turner Overdrive". The band's lineup at that time consisted of Randy Bachman (lead vocals and guitar), his brothers Tim Bachman (rhythm guitar) and Robbie Bachman (drums), and bassist Fred Turner. This first album clearly demonstrated the band's power, with songs showcasing their rock and roll influence, featuring fiery guitar solos and catchy lyrics, creating an energetic and transcendent sound. Later that same year, 1973, they released "Bachman-Turner Overdrive II", achieving, like its predecessor, tremendous success on the American charts, earning a gold record and selling over a million copies worldwide. Songs like "Takin' Care of Business", "Let It Ride", "Blown", and "I Don't Have To Hide" and "Give It Time" showcased strong influences from hard rock, southern rock, and country rock. From this point on, the band's popularity grew rapidly in the US and England, making them one of the most iconic groups of the mid-1970s.

Jonesy-No Alternative (1972)

Another of the lesser-known British symphonic rock bands was Jonesy, an admirable group that, under the spell of Mellotron sounds, evoked the influences of early King Crimson. Its members were trumpeter Alan Bown, guitarist John Evan-Jones, keyboardist Jamie Kaleth, drummer Plug Thomas, and bassist Gypsy Jones. Any of their three released albums are gems of early 1970s proto-progressive rock. Their debut album, "No Alternative" (1972), featured standout tracks such as the progressive heavy rock anthem "Mind of the Century", the emotive epic "Heaven", and complex compositions like "1958", all underpinned by biting lyrics on recurring themes such as political corruption and the environment. The group's strong personality and captivating style, imbued with ethereal interplay between guitars and Mellotron, are evident in their next two releases: the elaborate "Keeping Up" (1973), featuring sublime moments like the avant-garde "Critique (With Exceptions)" and the poignant "Children"; and "Growing" (1973), the band's final album, which veers towards progressive jazz rock, as exemplified by tracks like "Can You Get That Together", "Hard Road", and "Know Who Your Friends Are". Despite their visionary approach and immense talent, they didn't achieve the desired success, and some time later, they brought their fascinating musical adventure to a close.

The Four Tops-Reach Out (1967)

The Four Tops are one of the most famous groups in 1960s Black music. Some of their songs are cornerstones of soul and R&B, and several of their albums are legendary contributions to 20th-century music. Formed in the mid-1950s, its members were Lawrence Payton, Levi Stubbs, Abdul Fakir, and Renaldo Benson, all from Detroit. From the beginning, they displayed immense vocal talent, which soon led them to a contract with the Chicago-based label Chess Records. However, their massive success came when they were discovered by talent scout Berry Gordy, who was in charge of Motown Records. Thanks to the company's songwriters and producers Brian Holland, Edward Holland, and Lamont Dozier, they began producing hit after hit, such as "Baby I Need Your Loving", "I Can't Help Myself", and "It's the Same Old Song". However, their biggest hit would be the contemporary classic "Reach Out I'll Be There", a truly exciting song that combined gospel with pagan sensuality. But it was the departure of Holland, Dozier, and Holland from Motown that would radically impact the quartet's subsequent success. In the following decade, the 1970s, The Four Tops achieved moderate success with albums like "Keeper of the Castle", "Mainstreet People", and "Meeting of the Minds". As the years passed, their commercial and creative impact diminished, and they became a band that lived for many years off the royalties of their past hits, always retaining the aura of an iconic group linked to the golden age of Black music.