Taking a stroll through Keiko Matsui's musical hypnotherapy session Dream Walk is like entering a funhouse where all previous definitions of contemporary jazz are strikingly distorted, and invention walks on the wild side of East meets West. Crisp melodies have always been at the heart of the keyboardist's best work, only here they come at you as part of the mood, rather than the central theme. Only a handful of the keyboardist's tunes follow conventional linear melodic patterns throughout, and even these are so beautifully enhanced by sweeping orchestral and percussive invention that atmosphere and throbbing, raw twists ultimately win out over predictability. Equal credit for the newly aggressive approach goes to husband/producer Kazu Matsui, whose sonic wizardry surrounds Keiko's silky jazz and new age passageways with curious echoing flavors, enticing soundscapes where almost anything goes, and loose-fitting urban cool. Other out-there touches include Molly Pasutti's sweeping wordless vocals, bass samples by Marcus Miller and John Patitucci chosen over live bass, and Kazu's own shakuhachi. More typical excitement is provided by Paul Taylor's always warm soprano and alto musings.

If we're talking Keiko Matsui, we can expect another impressionistic album cover which belies the often explosive music on the disc. Matsui draws a little more from her heritage this time but textures it with soulful excursions ("Walking on the Bridge"). She once again gives radio a seductive earful while continuing her heightened exploration into more challenging orchestral sounds and several impressive, wildly percussive Latin journeys (e.g. "Sail South"). Making perfect use of Lenny Castro's spicy percussion and Clay Jenkins' punchy trumpet flavors, Matsui lets loose. The gospel vocal by Arnold McCuller is a strong one. Other newcomers to the fold are guitarist Jorge Strunz, Jon Clark (recorder) and Sam Riney on sax.

This auspicious introduction to the many aspects of the composer's skills finds her surrounded by a slew of L.A.'s top players, some of whom had yet to begin their own solo careers at this point: Grant Geissman, Brandon Fields, Robben Ford, Nathan East, Vinnie Colaiuta, and Jimmy Johnson. Matsui balances a mystic Eastern edge with a lighthearted new agey pop appeal. "Ancient Wind" and the Geissman co-composition "Mediterranean Sand" are the best cuts, building from pastoral ideas into an explosive ensemble hook. Matsui also showed her penchant for soulful vocal pieces, using Abu Khalil and Marva King to varying effectiveness. The emotional vocal title cut was inspired by Challenger astronaut Ron McNair.

Норвежский ди-джей и продюсер Kygo 3 ноября 2017 года выпустил второй студийный альбом, в котором участвуют Джон Ньюман, Джейсон Уокер, Бонни Макки, OneRepublic, Wrabel, The Night Game и Джеймс Абрахарт. В целом альбом положительно оценили критики за смешение разных жанров в единое целое.

Keiko Matsui’s 2013 Soul Quest album was particularly important to the Tokyo-born pianist, not only because it celebrated the 25th anniversary of her debut U.S. release but also because she made it following the 2011 earthquake and tsunami that devastated Japan—which she experienced first-hand. Live in Tokyo, presented here on both audio CD and DVD, captures Matsui’s first return to her hometown since the tragedy, the finale of her 2014 tour. It reprises most of Soul Quest more or less faithfully, Matsui accompanied by her road band of guitarist JP Mourao, saxophonist Tom Braxton, Rico Belled on bass and Dave Karasony drumming. She’s also joined by guitarist Chuck Loeb, who produced half of Soul Quest, and tenor saxophonist Kirk Whalum, who played on it.

Keiko Matsui is an icon of Contemporary Jazz. With over 1.2 million units sold in the U.S. along and sold out appearances at concert halls across the world, she is one of the most recognized artists in the genre. Her elegant piano melodies and gentle jazz grooves have enormous appeal and never disappoint the loyal fan base which she has cultivated with over a dozen albums and hundreds of stunning live shows.
Keiko follows up 2012 s critically acclaimed production The Road with the brilliant new album Soul Quest without a doubt her most heartfelt release yet. The impressive list of special guests includes saxophone greats Kirk Whalum, Andy Snitzer (of Rolling Stones fame) and Dave Mann, hit making guitarist Chuck Loeb (Fourplay), superstar bassists Marcus Miller (Miles Davis) and Will Lee (of David Letterman fame), drummer and mega-producer Narada Michael Walden (Mariah Carey, Whitney Houston) and more.

After our 3-year-long and sensuous journey and love affair with the remarkable Soul Quest release and tour, our resident princess ofKeiko Matsui Journey CD contemporary jazz and World music, pianist/keyboardist/composer/visionary Keiko Matsui is back with – what else?—another guaranteed smash hit project called Journey to the Heart. Oh yes. Get ready for yet another colorful and soul-satisfying journey offered up by one who has never learned the meaning of the words “quit” or “mediocre.”

“Meaning of Life” is the eighth studio album by American singer Kelly Clarkson, released on October 27 of 2017, by Atlantic Records. The album is Clarkson’s debut on Atlantic after completing her recording contract with RCA Records. Kelly announced “Meaning on Life” on Twitter, sharing the cover and saying: "This is the album I’ve always wanted to make!"

Five years since her last album, Warrior, and three years since she became embroiled in a famous sexual-abuse lawsuit with her longtime producer “Dr. Luke” Gottwald, Kesha has released a long-promised new album. The 15-track Rainbow is a blatant, angry response to the singer’s battle with a legal system that has left her feeling frustrated and trapped as an artist—but also a powerful pop album that earns the anticipation.

Katatonia and Opeth have historically been muttered in the same breath as fellow impresarios of fugue metal, even if the former hasn't been anything remotely close to metal in quite some time. Of course, the bands shared Mikael Åkerfeldt through the Nineties, so they were bound to share the spotlight as well. Over the years, however, the two bands have become divisible even while rolling as touring mates. Since "Discouraged Ones" and "Last Fair Deal Gone Down", Katatonia have taken ongoing steps away from a pure metal path. Opeth continues to embrace it while exploring new courses, as "Damnation" and most recently, "Heritage", have proven. In both cases, their progressive refinement is world-class.

Gods of Violence reminds me a whole lot of Sodom's latest record in how it tries pretty effectively to be everything for nearly every generation or tier of the band's audience, and it does so with a close approximation of success. Granted, if you're pining for a tip of the hat to Endorama, Outcast, Renewal or Cause for Conflict then you might be largely left out in the cold, but that would at best comprise only a literal handful of listeners on this entire planet, and Kreator would be wise to do so if they want to pump up their base. They also don't delve back into the primacy of their demos or debut. However, if you're interested in hearing an amalgam of their later 80s, involved riffing patterns with the melodic overtures of records like Phantom Antichrist and Violent Revolution, all wrapped up in the accessible thrashing echo chamber of an Enemy of God, then this should fit rather snugly to your interests. Hell, even the TITLE here is drawn from some of those...

If The Fall of Hearts does something right, it's definitely to correct that very mistake; the production breathes much more effortlessly. However, this doesn't mean that The Fall of Hearts is a simpler Katatonia album. On the contrary, it's probably the most varied they have been in their career. The term progressive has been thrown around Katatonia at least since The Great Cold Distance, perhaps even earlier, but I think The Fall of Hearts is the first real example of a more progressively oriented sound. Anders's clean guitar leads are magnificently ornate and meandering and Jonas is still at the top of his game, where he has comfortably been at least since Night Is the New Day.

Хотя, надо сказать, Kreator пугают законопослушных граждан ужасами грядущего Апокалипсиса, сопровождаемого кризисами как в экологии, так и в общественной морали, да еще и дополненного зверствами новых религиозных войн честно, от души. И обложка на сей раз вышла такой, что ежели заменить, скажем, черепа под ногами кошмарной четверки "лошадок" на что-нибудь более "мясистое", она вполне сошла бы для оформления какой-нибудь из работ знаменитых любителей красочной расчлененки из Cannibal Corpse. Но вот собственно музыка на этот раз способна шокировать скорее не упитанного добродушного бюргера, а определенную часть целевой аудитории - эдакого худощавого волосатого и/или бородатого трэшера "со стажем". И причина тому проста: по-видимому, перед нами самая мелодичная пластинка среди всех, выпущенных Kreator за вот уже тридцатилетнюю историю. Кажется, Kreator на сей раз удалось в оптимальных пропорциях соединить лучшие наработки "Violent Revolution" и "Enemy Of God", дополнив их несколькими удачными "аранжировочными" находками, добавившими альбому пресловутую "нелинейность" развития. Которая, впрочем, все равно никому не была бы нужна, если бы не идеально подходящий для подобного "умничания" материал, подбор которого сделан на совесть.