..:|:Nuttin' But Stringz:|:..

Nuttin' But Stringz, also known as N.B.S., consists of brothers Damien and Tourie Escobar who both play violin. The musicians from Jamaica, Queens play a blend of classical music, hip-hop, jazz and R&B. The brothers big break came when they auditioned for the third season of NBC's America's Got Talent in New York City and received a unanimous yes from all three judges thus advancing to Las Vegas. They were subsequently named to the Top 40, advancing to Hollywood. They made it through subsequent rounds and were one of the five acts to make it to the finals. The duo ultimately placed third.  N.B.S. is not the only duo to combine these genres into their sound, there is also Black Violin, and although N.B.S. is as musically talented as B.V. the hip-hop lyrics and performances on their CD do not compare with the hip-hop aspects of Black Violin. I'm looking forward to their next release to see if they develop the lyrics and skill level of their hip-hop.

Nuttin' But Stringz - Struggle From The Subway To The Charts [2006]

1. Broken Sorrow
2. Struggle
3. Thunder
4. Beauty from Afar Intro
5. Beauty From Afar
6. Suka 4 Her Interlude
7. Suka 4 Her
8. Get Low
9. Egyptian In The Night Intro
10. Egyptian In The Night
11. A Nu Day
12. Dance With My Father
13. Thunder Remix

..:|:Alice Coltrane:|:..

Alice Coltrane (née McLeod) (August 27, 1937 – January 12, 2007) was an American jazz pianist, organist, harpist, composer, and the wife of John Coltrane.Coltrane studied classical music, and studied with Bud Powell. She began playing jazz as a professional in Detroit, with her own trio and as a duo with vibist Terry Pollard. From 1962 to 1963 she played with Terry Gibbs's quartet, during which time she met John Coltrane. She replaced McCoy Tyner as pianist with John Coltrane's group in 1965. She married Coltrane in 1966, and continued playing with the band until his death in 1967.After John Coltrane (Sr.)'s death she continued to play with her own groups, moving into more and more meditative music, and later playing with her children. She was one of the few harpists in the history of jazz. Her essential recordings were made in the late 1960s and early 1970s for Impulse! Records.

Alice Coltrane - Translinear Light [2004]

1. Sita Ram
2. Walk With Me
3. Translinear Light
4. Jagadishwar
5. This train
6. The hymn
7. Blue Nile
8. Crescent
9. Leo
10. Triloka
11. Satya Sai Isha

Alice Coltrane - Ptah, the El Daoud [1970]

1. Ptah, the El Daoud
2. Turiya and Ramakrishna
3. Blue Nile
4. Mantra

Alice Coltrane - Journey In Satchidananda [1970]

1. Journey In Satchidananda
2. Shiva-Loka
3. Stopover Bombay
4. Something About John Coltrane
5. Isis And Osiris

..:|:Black Violin:|:..

To most people, jazz, hip-hop, funk, and classical are musical genres. But to revolutionary music group Black Violin, they're nothing but ingredients.Combining a daunting array of musical styles and influences to produce a signature sound that is not quite maestro, not quite emcee, this group of two classically trained violinists and their DJ is redefining the music world-one string at a time. With influences ranging from Shostakovich and Bach to Nas and Jay-Z, Black Violin breaks all the rules, blending the classical with the modern to create something rare-a sound that nobody has ever heard, but that everybody wants to feel.

Black Violin - Black Violin [2007]

1. Brandenburg
2. Jammin'
3. Sleepin'
4. No Words
5. Don't Want To Lose You
6. Dirty Orchestra
7. All For U
8. Chance
9. My Story
10. I'm A Ryder [feat. DMX]
11. Get Down
12. Inspiration
13. Fanfare
14. Good Music
15. Missing U
16. Gypsy

..:|:Babatunde Lea:|:..

Babatunde Lea’s vast experience of nearly forty years as a master percussionist, as well as the spiritual depth and resonance he brings to everything he does, has made him one of the most esteemed musicians of the past half century.

Babatunde Lea - suite unseen: summoner of the ghost [2005]

1. Suite Unseen: Ancestral Stroll
2. Motivation
3. On The T.L.
4. A Song For Ani
5. The Bay Area's Afro-Latin Funky Love Shuffle
6. Invocation
7. INconspicious
8. Suite Unseen: the Unseen
9. Fire and Rain
10. Suite Unseen: Spirit of the 'Wood'
11. Chants from Home
12. Suite Unseen: From Home
13. Maeeah's Big Adventure
14. Suite Unseen: Summoner of the Ghost

..:|:Bootsy Collins:|:..

William "Bootsy" Collins is a funk bassist, singer, and songwriter. Rising to prominence with James Brown in the late 1960s, and with Parliament-Funkadelic in the '70s, Collins's driving bass guitar and humorous vocals established him as one of the leading names in funk.

Bootsy Collins - Ultra Wave [1980]

1. Mug Push

2. F-Encounter

3. Is That My Song?

4. It's A Musical

5. Fat Cat

6. Sacred Flower

7. Sound Crack

Bootsy Collins - Bootsy? Player Of The Year [1978]

1. Bootsy What's The Name Of This Town

2. May The Force Be With You

3. Very Yes

4. Bootzilla

5. Hollywood Squares

6. Roto-Rooter

7. As In "I Love You"

Bootsy Collins - Ahh... The Name Is Bootsy, Baby! [1977]

1. Ahh... The Name Is Bootsy, Baby

2. The Pinnochio Theory

3. Rubber Duckie

4. Preview Side Too

5. What's A Telephone Bill

6. Munchies For Your Love

7. Can't Stay Away

8. Reprise: We Want Bootsy

Bootsy Collins - Stretchin' Out In Bootsy's Rubber Band [1976]

1. Strechin' Out [In A Rubber Band]

2. Psychoticbumpschool

3. Another Point Of View

4. I'd Rather Be With You

5. Love Vibes

6. Physical Love

7. Vanish In Our Sleep

..:|:The Bad Plus:|:..

“The Bad Plus are a reminder that American jazz hasn't gone to sleep. Play any of their albums and their collective sound leaps out of your speaker, steps all over your furniture and scares the bejesus out of the cat.”

~ Observer Music Monthly

The Bad Plus - For All I Care [2009]

1. Lithium
2. Comfortably Numb
3. Fém [Etude No.8]
4. Radio Cure
5. Long Distance Runaround
6. Semi-Simple Variations
7. How Deep Is Your Love
8. Barracuda
9. Lock, Stock and Teardrops
10. Variation d'Apollon
11. Feeling Yourself Disintegrate
12. Semi-Simple Variations [Alternate Version]

The Bad Plus - Prog [2007]

1. Everybody Want To Rule The World
2. Physical Cities
3. Life On Mars
4. Mint
5. Giant
6. Thriftstore Jewelry
7. Tom Sawyer
8. This Guy's In Love With You
9. The World Is The Same
10. 1980 World Champion

The Bad Plus - Blunt Object - Live In Paris [2006]

1. We Are The Champions [Live Album Version]
2. And Here We Test Our Powers Of Observation [Live Album Version]
3. Guilty [Live Album Version]
4. Do Your Sums-Die Like A Dog-Play For Home [Live Album Version]
5. Heart Of Glass [Live Album Version]
6. Flim [Live Album Version]
7. Silence Is The Question [Live Album Version]
8. My Funny Valentine [Excerpt-Live]

The Bad Plus - Suspicious Activity [2005]

1. Prehensile Dream
2. Anthem For The Earnest
3. Let Our Garden Grow
4. The Empire Strikes Backwards
5. Knows The Difference
6. Lost Of Love
7. Rhinoceros Is My Profession
8. O.G. [Original Gentleman]
9. [Theme From] Chariots Of Fire
10. Forces

The Bad Plus - Give [2004]

1. 1979 Semi-Finalist
2. Cheney Piñata
3. Street Woman
4. And Here We Test Our Powers Of Observation
5. Frog And Toad
6. Velouria
7. Layin' A Strip For The Higher-Self State Line
8. Do Your Sums-Die Like A Dog-Play For Home
9. Dirty Blonde
10. Neptune [The Planet]
11. Iron Man

The Bad Plus - These Are The Vistas [2003]

1. Big Eater
2. Keep The Bugs Off Your Glass And The Bears Off Your Ass
3. Smells Like Teen Spirit
4. Everywhere You Turn
5. 1972 Bronze Medalist
6. Guilty
7. Boo-Wah
8. Flim
9. Heart Of Glass
10. Silence Is The Question

..:|:Sly & The Family Stone:|:..

Sly & the Family Stone is an American funk, soul and rock band from San Francisco, California. Originally active from 1966 to 1983, with varied lineups, the band was pivotal in the development of soul, funk, and psychedelic music. Headed by singer, songwriter, record producer, and multi-instrumentalist Sly Stone, and containing several of his family members and friends, the band was the first major American rock band to have an integrated lineup in both race and gender.

Brothers Sly and singer/guitarist Freddie Stone combined their bands (Sly & the Stoners and Freddie & the Stone Souls) at the end of 1966. Sly and Freddie Stone, trumpeter Cynthia Robinson, drummer Gregg Errico, saxophonist Jerry Martini, and bassist Larry Graham completed the original lineup; Sly and Freddie's sister, singer/keyboardist Rose Stone, joined within a year, creating the lineup that is best known

Sly & The Family Stone - Small Talk [1974]

1. Small Talk

2. Say you Will

3. Mother Beautiful

4. Time For Livin'

5. Can't Strain my brain

6. Loose Booty

7. Holdin' On

8. Wishful thinkin'

9. Better Thee Than me

10. Livin' While i'm living

11.  This Is love

12. Crossword Puzzle

13. Time For Livin'

14. Loose Booty

15. Positive

Sly & The Family Stone - Fresh [1973]

1. In Time

2. If You Want me To Stay

3. Let Me Have It All

4. Frisky

5. Thankful N' Thoughtful

6. Skin I'm In

7. I Don't Know [Satisfaction]

8. Keep On Dancin'

9. Que Sera, Sera [Whatever Will Be Will Be]

10. If It Were Left Up To Me

11. Babies Makin' Babies

12. Let Me Have It All [Alternate Mix]

13. Frisky [Alternate Mix]

14. Skin I'm In [Alternate Mix]

15.  Keep On Dancin' [Alternate Mix]

16. Babies Making Babies [Alternate Version]

Sly & The Family Stone - There's A Riot Goin' On [1971]

1. Luv N' Haight

2. Just Like A Baby

3. Poet

4. Family Affair

5. Africa Talks To You 'The Asphalt Jungle'

6. There's A Riot Goin' On

7. Brave & Strong

8. [You Caught Me] Smilin'

9. Time

10. Spaced Cowboy
11. Running Away
12. Thank You For Talkin' To me Africa
13. Runnin' Away [Single Version]
14. My Gorilla Is My Butler
15. Do You Know What
16. That's Pretty Clean

Sly & The Family Stone - Stand [1969]

1. Stand!

2. Don't Call Me Nigger, Whitey

3. I Want to Take you higher

4. Somebody's Watching You

5. Sing A Simple Song [Single Version]

6. Everyday People [Single Version]

7. Sex Machine

8. You Can Make It If You Try

9. Stand! [Single Version]

10. I Want to Take You Higher [Single Version]

11. You Can Make it If You Try [Single Version]

12. Soul Clappin' II

13. My Brain (Zig-Zag) [Instrumental]

Sly & The Family Stone - Life [1968]

1. Dynamite!

2. Chicken

3. Plastic jim

4. Fun

5. Into My Own thing

6. Harmony

7. Life

8. Love city

9. I'm An Animal

10. M'Lady

11. Jan is A Groupee

12. Dynamite! [Single Version]

13. Seven More Days

14. Pressure

15. Sorrow [Instrumental]

Sly & The Family Stone - Dance To The Music [1968]

1. Dance to The Music

2. Higher

3. I Aint Got Nobody [For Real]

4. Da5/16/06 nce To The Medley:; Music Is Alive/Dance In/Music Lover

5. Ride The Rhythm

6. Color Me True

7. Are You ready

8. Don't Burn baby

9. I'll Never Fall In Love Again

10. Dance To The Music [Single Version]

11. Higher [Single Version]

12. Soul Clappin'

13. We Love All

14. I Can't Turn you Loose

15. Never Do Your Woman Wrong [Instrumental]

Sly & The Family Stone - A Whole New Thing [1967]

1. Underdog

2. If This Room Could Talk

3. Run, Run, Run

4. Turn Me Loose

5. Let Me Hear It from You [Single Version Stereo]

6. Advice

7. I Cannot Make it

8. Trip To Your Heart

9. I Hate To Love Her

10. Bad Risk

11. That Kind Of Person

12. Dog

13. Underdog [Single Version]

14. Let Me Hear It from You [Single Version Mono]

15. Only One Way Out Of This Mess

16. What Would I Do

17. You Better Help Yourself [Instrumental]