Wes Montgomery – In Paris – The Definitive ORTF Recording (Remastered) (2018) [Official Digital Download 24bit/192kHz]

Wes Montgomery – In Paris – The Definitive ORTF Recording (Remastered) (2018)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/192 kHz | Time – 01:41:46 minutes | 3,53 GB | Genre: Jazz
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © 2xHD

Recorded during the one single overseas tour in Paris, The Definitive ORTF Recording is considered one of the greatest live Wes Montgomery performances ever. Wes Montgomery is known for his unconventional techniques on the guitar which granted him such a distinctive musical sound.

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Werner Pirchner, Harry Pepl, Jack DeJohnette – Werner Pirchner, Harry Pepl, Jack DeJohnette (1983/2019) [Official Digital Download 24bit/44,1kHz]

Werner Pirchner, Harry Pepl, Jack DeJohnette – Werner Pirchner, Harry Pepl, Jack DeJohnette (1983/2019)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/44,1 kHz | Time – 41:44 minutes | 406 MB | Genre: Jazz
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © ECM

Vastly under-recognized malleter and composer Werner Pirchner sharing the same studio with guitarist Harry Pepl and drummer Jack DeJohnette? What could go wrong? Quite a bit, unfortunately. The opening “Africa Godchild” starts intriguingly enough, seeming to creep from the soil like an awakening locust. Pirchner describes with his marimba the feelers of a friend testing the air and finding only the welcoming glow of sunrise, while DeJohnette’s tom-heavy drumming calls forth the swarm. Yet despite these evocative beginnings, Pepl’s Ovation soon becomes distracting, and the chorus effect applied to it makes its chording sound perpetually out of tune. When soloing, however, it sounds fantastic, as the force of the playing cuts through the warble that constricts it. In “Air, Love and Vitamines,” the guitar again feels out of place, despite the lovely improvisatory stretch from Pirchner’s vibraphone. “Good-bye, Baby Post” fares little better, and Pepl’s crackling solo is too little too late. He shows admirable melodic acuity in the closing “Better Times In Sight,” but is once more undermined by the amping, which would have benefited greatly from a cleaner treatment.

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Werner Güra, Christoph Berner, Julia Schröder, Roel Dieltiens – Haydn: Scottish Airs (2014) [Official Digital Download 24bit/44,1kHz]

Werner Güra, Christoph Berner, Julia Schröder, Roel Dieltiens – Haydn: Scottish Airs (2014)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/44,1 kHz | Time – 01:05:47 minutes | 595 MB | Genre: Classical
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © harmonia mundi

Late in life, Franz Joseph Haydn made about 125 arrangements of Scottish songs for the publisher George Thomson. Thomson’s project was an ongoing one in the 1790s and early 1800s; after a volume with arrangements by Scots composers sold well, Thomson was apparently inspired to commission more of the same from “name” composers like Haydn and later Beethoven, Hummel, and Weber. The results were more than purely financially motivated. The aged Haydn proclaimed in one of his submissions to Thomson that he was proud of his work, and Beethoven seems to have gone on to set a variety of national popular songs (the term “folk songs” is anachronistic here, for the materials were contemporary) without any commission at all. Haydn’s are pretty regular in structure, with a strophic setting for a trio of piano, violin, and cello, and an instrumental introduction that neatly sets the mood and the pitch world for the song. It’s easy to see why Haydn became intrigued by the project: within the severe constraints of the form, he introduces quite a variety of expressive touches, and he was obviously well coached on the meaning of the texts (or absorbed a great deal of English in the course of his travels to London), even those in Scots dialect. There is little to tell the listener that German tenor Werner Güra is anything other than a native English speaker, and he even does well with the Scots pieces (everything is translated into German and French in the CD booklet, and the Scots texts are heavily footnoted for English speakers). The interpretations by Güra and his trio of instrumental collaborators (keyboardist Christoph Berner plays a fortepiano) are probably ideal for these little pieces. Güra keeps the music to its proper small scale, and he gives the instrumentalists room to move and avoids the mechanical quality of earlier readings. There’s nothing revelatory here, but for those interested in the development of Scottish song, or in hearing some of the last notes Haydn set to paper, this is a strong pick.

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Werner Acker – Roots (2016) [Official Digital Download 24bit/44,1kHz]

Werner Acker – Roots (2016)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/44,1 kHz | Time – 46:51 minutes | 524 MB | Genre: Jazz
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © Personality Records

In most cases it needs a good glass of wine and a motivating advice of a narrow friend and something special can emerge. Exactly this glass of wine and the convincing “kick” of drummer Herbert Wachter have encouraged Werner Acker to record his debut album ‘Roots’. An album, reflecting the musical roots of the artist and his grooving talent in playing the guitar. Werner Acker has been a studio a live musician for 45 years now. Further he has been able to present himself as a multifaceted sideman in countless musical projects over the past decades. Now, however, he is the bandleader himself and debuts with his first album ‘Roots’ at the age of 60. This proves that the guitarist has never lost the fun and the joy in making music. Also one special feature of the album is the innovative and expressive kind of playing the guitar. Own compositions and arrangements convinced by the sound, groove and the joy of improvisation. The artist and his band succeed to bridge between Rhythm and Blues, Soul and Jazz without losing the unified groove and sound concept of the album. Werner Acker himself describes the musical context of ‚Roots’ as: „a mixture of clear earthy beats and grooves and a sound which is stamped by blues, jazz and funky guitars, accompanied from Hammond B3, Wurlitzer and Rhodespiano, grand piano, Bass, doublebass, drumset and a set consisting of altsax, trombone and tenor or baritone saxophone.“ The relation to his instrument is essential to Werner Acker. „The Album was recorded with various, partly very old guitars“, enthuses the musician. Besides instrument, sound and groove the teamwork with longstanding musical companions and meanwhile good friends constitutes the foundation of the album.  Even though it has in fact lasted a little longer to publish his first album, it does not necessarily take long to wait for the second. Enough compositions are just waiting to be published. Werner Acker surely doesn’t lose the musical euphoria and the groove within the next years either.

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Wentus Blues Band – Too Much Mustard (2019) [Official Digital Download 24bit/44,1kHz]

Wentus Blues Band – Too Much Mustard (2019)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/44,1 kHz | Time – 59:26 minutes | 708 MB | Genre: Blues, Blues Rock
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © Ramasound Records

The collaboration between Wentus Blues Band, Finland’s most international blues act, and blues legend Duke Robillard began in 1987 in Finland, when the young band got to open for the global star. They developed a warm friendship lasting many years; Robillard was a guest at WBB’s 30th anniversary celebration and also did a joint tour with the band in Sweden.

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Wen-Sinn Yang & Oliver Triendl – Le violoncelle à l’école de Paris (2021) [Official Digital Download 24bit/96kHz]

Wen-Sinn Yang & Oliver Triendl – Le violoncelle à l’école de Paris (2021)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/96 kHz | Time – 01:11:58 minutes | 1,18 GB | Genre: Classical
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © Oehms Classics

After the devastation of World War I, young, hopeful, gifted composers trooped into the French capital. In 1925, the publisher Michel Dillard coined the term ‘Ecole de Paris (‘Paris School’) for the foreign composers then living there, especially Hungary’s Tibor Hars’anyi (1898-1954), Poland’s Alexandre Tansman (1897-1986), Czechoslovakia’s Bohuslav Martinu (1890-1959), Russia’s Alexander Tcherepnin (1899-1977), and Romania’s Marcel Mihalovici (1898-1985), whose works he specialised in disseminating. All five composers featured in this album came to Paris from Eastern Europe and all, with the exception of Martinu, died there. They initially attempted to translate the essence of folk music from their homelands, using standard musical notation to express idiomatic subtleties that were difficult to capture. The programme includes the world premiere recordings of Hars’anyi’s Rhapsodie and Sonate Pour Violoncelle et Piano, and Mihalovici’s Sonate dans le caract`ere d’une sc`ene lyrique.

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Camerata Chicago, Drostan Hall, Wendy Warner – Haydn & Myslivecek Cello Concertos (2013) [Official Digital Download 24bit/96kHz]

Camerata Chicago, Drostan Hall, Wendy Warner – Haydn & Myslivecek Cello Concertos (2013)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/96 kHz | Time – 01:12:33 minutes | 1,28 GB | Genre: Classical
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © Cedille

On Haydn & Mysliveček Cello Concertos, American cellist Wendy Warner, a protégé of Mstislav Rostropovich, and Camerata Chicago, conducted by its British-born founder, Drostan Hall, present Franz Josef Haydn’s essential C Major and D Major Cello Concertos, harmoniously paired with a genuine rarity: the C Major Cello Concerto of Czech composer Josef Mysliveček (1737–1781), a Haydn contemporary.

Composer: Franz Joseph Haydn, Josef Myslivecek
Performer: Wendy Warner
Conductor: Drostan Hall
Orchestra/Ensemble: Camerata Chicago

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Weldon Irvine – Spirit Man (1975/2017) [Official Digital Download 24bit/96kHz]

Weldon Irvine – Spirit Man (1975/2017)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/96 kHz | Time – 37:45 minutes | 824 MB | Genre: R&B
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © RCA – Legacy

During the 1970s, innovative musicians continually redefined the sound of jazz, funk, and soul music, digging deeper than ever before to unearth powerful new sonic textures. One such pioneer was keyboardist Weldon Irvine, a jazz-funk luminary who released some of the most revered recordings of the era. Irvine’s 1975 album Spirit Man is a true masterpiece, full of infectious grooves and otherworldly electronic elements.

Entirely composed, arranged, conducted, and produced by Irvine himself, the album remains a potent artistic statement, both deeply spiritual and intensely funky. Crate diggers may recognize the opening track “We Gettin’ Down,” which was sampled by A Tribe Called Quest for their classic single “Award Tour.”

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Weldon Irvine – Cosmic Vortex (Justice Divine) (1974/2017) [Official Digital Download 24bit/96kHz]

Weldon Irvine – Cosmic Vortex (Justice Divine) (1974/2017)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/96 kHz | Time – 40:24 minutes | 880 MB | Genre: R&B
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © RCA – Legacy

Weldon Jonathan Irvine Jr., also known Master Wel, was an American composer, playwright, poet, pianist, organist, and keyboardist. He was involved with various musical genres including Jazz-Funk, jazz, hip hop, funk, rhythm and blues, and gospel. “Cosmic Vortex – Justice Divine” his first album for RCA Records, released in 1974.

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Weird Beard feat. Florian Egli – Orientation – Orientation (2018) [Official Digital Download 24bit/88,2kHz]

Weird Beard feat. Florian Egli – Orientation – Orientation (2018)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/88,2 kHz | Time – 43:02 minutes | 741 MB | Genre: Jazz
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © Intakt Records

The quartet Weird Beard was founded by Zurich based saxophonist Florian Egli. Following the debut album ‘Everything Moves’ on Intakt Records, they release a second studio album, recorded again in the Blackbox Studio in Brittany by the out­standing sound engineer David Odlum. ‘Orientation’ is a sophisticated record on which Weird Beard increasingly focus their attention on the creation of moods and atmospheres.

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Weird Al Yankovic – The Essential Weird Al Yankovic (2009) [Official Digital Download 24bit/44,1kHz]

Weird Al Yankovic – The Essential Weird Al Yankovic (2009)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/44,1 kHz | Time – 02:33:10 minutes | 1,74 GB | Genre: Rock, Pop
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © Volcano – Legacy

Two disc career-spanning collection of tracks hand-picked by Weird Al himself. Yankovic is a true artistic genius in the classic sense of the word. No other artist can parody a song or a music video without being directly compared to the maestro. Throughout his career, Al has offered up an alternate reality of sorts to the history of pop music, lovingly re-casting hits of all genres into bizarre and hilarious songs and videos that themselves have become hits.

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‘Weird Al’ Yankovic – Straight Outta Lynwood (2006/2017) [Official Digital Download 24bit/44,1kHz]

‘Weird Al’ Yankovic – Straight Outta Lynwood (2006/2017)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/44,1 kHz | Time – 47:49 minutes | 582 MB | Genre: Rock, Pop
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © Volcano/Legacy

“Straight Outta Lynwood” is the twelfth studio album by “Weird Al” Yankovic, released on September 26, 2006. It was the sixth studio album self-produced by Yankovic. The musical styles on the album are built around parodies and pastiches of pop and rock music of the mid-2000s. The album’s lead single, “White & Nerdy”, is a parody of Chamillionaire’s hit single “Ridin'”. The single peaked at number nine on the Billboard Hot 100; “Canadian Idiot” also charted, peaking at number 82.

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Wei Luo – Wei Luo (2019) [Official Digital Download 24bit/96kHz]

Wei Luo – Wei Luo (2019)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/96 kHz | Time – 01:13:44 minutes | 1,02 GB | Genre: Classical
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © UMC – Decca Gold

Currently in school at the Curtis Institute and studying with Gary Graffman (teacher of Lang Lang and Yuja Wang), pianist Wei Luo gave her orchestral debut at age ten with the Shanghai Philharmonic and went on to claim first prize in the 11th Chopin International Competition for Young Pianists and the 2nd Rachmaninov International Piano Competition for Young Pianists. Recently granted the 2018 Gilmore Young Artist Award and named one of WQXR’s “19 for 19” artists to watch, Luo releases her self-titled debut album featuring works by Prokofiev, Shchedrin, and Shostakovich.

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Weezer – Weezer (White Album – Deluxe Edition) (2016) [Official Digital Download 24bit/96kHz]

Weezer – Weezer (White Album – Deluxe Edition) (2016)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/96 kHz | Time – 46:42 minutes | 1,01 GB | Genre: Alternative, Indie
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © Crush Music

Weezer’s self-titled, tenth studio album (referred to as “The White Album”) is here! The first single from the highly anticipated album, Thank God For Girls (“insanely catchy new single” – NPR), has charted across multiple genres and is currently sitting in the top 10 at alternative radio.

Hailing from Los Angeles, CA, Weezer has sold over nine million albums in the U.S. and over 17 million records worldwide. The alt-rock band has proven themselves a force in the industry with a 20-year catalog.

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Weezer – Weezer (White Album) (2016) [Official Digital Download 24bit/96kHz]

Weezer – Weezer (White Album) (2016)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/96 kHz | Time – 34:10 minutes | 764 MB | Genre: Alternative, Indie
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © Crush Music – Atlantic

90’s alt-rockers Weezer come back this year with their tenth studio album, which is the fourth album in their ongoing series of color-themed self-titled albums, with this one being the color white. The album influenced by their home state of California and the beach, it reflects a sunny sound.

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