Not sure what’s happening with me on this one, but it seems like the more I listen to it, the better To The Stars gets. To The Stars simply put is one of Chick Corea’s best CDs to date.

I wish it weren’t the case but, it’s not everyday that I get a CD from an artist that I can just pop in and comfortably listen to from beginning to end. There is usually a song or two that I just can’t force myself to get through. Not at all the case with To The Stars. Every track is enjoyable and was pretty easy for me to listen to from start to finish.

One of the nicer things about a CD like this is when the talent is this rich even if Jazz isn’t your favorite style you still can’t help but appreciate the greatness of the artist.

If you’re even mildly into Jazz music you’ll enjoy this CD. Overall To The Stars is an a great release. I give it my double thumbs up. You will not be disappointed with one single track.

While this entire CD is outstanding some of my favorites are track 6 – Johnny’s Landing, track 12 – The Long Passage, and gt3

My Bonus Pick, and the one that got Sore [...as in "Stuck On REpeat"] is track 1 – Check Blast. Outstanding!

To The Stars Release Notes:

Chick Corea originally released To The Stars on August 24, 2004 on the Stretch Records label.

CD Track List Follows:

1. Check Blast 2. Port View 1 3. Mistress Luck: A Portrait 4. Mistress Luck: The Party 5. Port View 2 6. Johnny’s Landing 7. Port View 3 8. Alan Corday 9. Port View 4 10. Hound of Heaven 11. Port View 5 12. Long Passage, The 13. Port View 6 14. Jocelyn: The Commander 15. Port View 7 16. Captain Jocelyn: Tribute By His Crew 17. Captain Jocelyn: The Pianist

Chick Corea Elektric Band: Frank Gambale (guitar); Eric Marienthal (saxophone); Chick Corea (piano, keyboards); John Patitucci (bass instrument); Dave Weckl (drums). Additional personnel: Gayle Moran Corea (vocals); Steve Wilson (saxophone); Pernell Saturnino (percussion).

The evolution of music has brought forth hundreds of music variations in so many forms to the basic music categories. This diversity in music forms have categorized in alternative music those ish style music that come as slight style alterations to most popular music forms (i.e. alternative rock or rock-ish music for rock music that does not really fit into the mainstream genres of a particular time period).

Alternative music is a category coined as a sort of catch-all for those sub-genres that are unclassified but can be traced with similarities to popular genres. These alternative music are usually those that were not released commercially and are recorded on independent labels. Some music from this category, from word of mouth, would soon find its way into the mainstream and become commercially successful.

Off-Country

Country music that does not conform to the prevailing country style is generally classified as alternative music. Musicians playing alternative country music are generally those who do not subscribe to high production values and popularity concerns. Their music are of lo-fi sound quality and often incorporated strong punk and rock and roll qualities and contained lyrics that are bleak, gothic or socially aware. The range of their music spans American folk tune to rockabilly and honky-tonk to a fusion of rock and country music. Alternative country music has developed several namesakes like Americana, neotraditional, progressive country, lo-fi country, and twang core.

Not-so-hip Hip-Hop

The alternative version of hip hop has not been very popular. Artists claiming to play alternative rap or alternative hip hop are non-conformists who wish to turn from the common drug and violence-directed mainstream rap. Alternative hip-hop fuses influences from funk, rock, jazz, soul and reggae. Some of these alternative hip-hop groups have somehow found themselves in mainstream success like Black Star, Mos Def, De La Soul, M.I.A., Kidz in the Hall, Consequence, Jurassic 5 and Brand Nubian.

Electric Rock

Alternative music is most often used to refer to alternative rock. It used to be that the word alternative was used in the 1980s to refer to punk rock-inspired bands that do not belong to major record labels and have no clear genre association. There are a lot of influences in alternative rock namely, grunge, Britpop, gothic rock and indie pop. Most of these alternative rock artists were considered cult acts and recorded their albums on independent labels. Their popularity was largely due to the exposure their alternative music got in college radios and word-of-month. The band Nirvana entry in the alternative music scene has propelled the popularity of several other bands playing alternative rock music. Metallica is another group who made it big in the mainstream music world playing alternative rock.

Perhaps an offshoot of alternative rock is alternative dance music. This kind of music combined elements of dance-pop which includes forms of electronic house or techno, and alternative rock genres. Alternative dance music can be characterized as mostly electronic, pre-programmed beats and sequenced synthesizer melodies.

As there will always be popular music, there will always be a spot for alternative music. After all, there will always be music that falls somewhere in-between, music that is somewhat like but not entirely the same as what is predominantly popular at a certain period in time.

We all know old Christmas songs, which sound in shopping malls, offices and restaurants each year at Christmas time. Some of them we like, so they assist us to create the Christmas mood even more festive. Others, however sound already irritating for us, and we ask ourselves “When there will be finally something new” This year the answer is “There are something really new in Christmas sounding”. There is xMmus, which will exceed our expectations for Christmas sounding. We can listen to Christmas music online too as per our convenience.

Probably you wonder what xMmus is. Whether it is a new singer or song? Arguably,  xMmus is a new trend in making unique Christmas music. This innovation is created from a true Master of music. His name and age are not known for the time being.

How does xMmus make his unique Christmas music and what musical instruments are used in it? These are quite interesting issues, because the music of xMmus generally do not approximates to our known traditional musical styles. But our concept about Christmas music Accustomed in a way that we want to have it to be gentle, soothing and melodic. Music of xMmus could be described as an alternative or rather high-alternative. It is a blend of different sounds – playing, vociferation, crack with the fingers and any similar. So the sounds, merge with a well-known Christmas tune (for example “Silent Night, Holy Night”), but in unfamiliar arrangement. It may be obtained something unique. It is for sure not everybody would like it. Probably for old Christians it wouldn’t be acceptable. But for sure there will be people who would like this alternative Christmas music.

XMmus has created so far two albums with Christmas songs. The first of them came out in 2009 and it is called “A Lo-Fi Christmas”, and the second has appeard recently, because of the coming Christmas holidays. Its name is “MIDI-free Christmas”. These two albums contain headings of known our Christmas songs. But behind the titles sound something quite unexpected.

The creator says he is not seeking wealth or fame, but wants to promote this kind of unique Christmas music in the world. Whether it will be able to surpass traditional Christmas sounding with these new melodies still remains mystery. Traditional Christmas songs are resistant to the time. However, xMmus has an advantage – Internet. Developments there shall be transmitted with great speed, even more when there is a possibility for everybody to listen it online and it is fully free of charge. Especially it is made by an unknown xMmus. Perhaps it may be the reason that his music becomes the single of the season. Hope, this innovative music will get its own place in this Christmas.

Icons of music have always been popular poster images. Whether it’s the music, the magnetism, the beauty or the poetic lyrics of the musician, posters seem to capture them, full color on posters. These are some of the reasons why posters can be such effective promotional materials for any show or concert. Die-hard fans purchase collectible posters at the concert event or print posters online of the musician’s hit album covers afterwards. Print shops offer to print short run posters and customized designs. Below are three of some of the most famous music posters ever printed.

• The Beatles on Abbey Road-This iconic poster features the fab four crossing Abbey road to their recording studio of the same name. The poster is a reproduction of the album cover with the same name. The album is said to be the 17th U.S. album released by the Beatles in 1969. This album and therefore the iconic album cover is popular as it was said to be the official, final album that the band recorded with their producer George Martin. Some famous songs on the album include Come Together and Here Comes the Sun, written by George Harrison.

• The Rolling Stones’ Forty Licks-A symbol of the band’s successful career of Rock and Roll, this image is on the album cover of the band’s Forty Licks album, released in the United States in 2000. The album is said to compile the band’s collection of hit songs from early 1960’s recordings at Decca up to their post 1970’s era recording with their self-owned material. Some famous songs on this album include I Can’t Get No Satisfaction and Wild Horses.

• The Best of the Doors-released in 1985, this image is taken from the cover of the two-disc compilation featuring 19 of the band’s best songs throughout their career. It features nothing but the famously compelling and magnetic headshot of band singer Jim Morrison. This photo was one of the images taken by photographer Joel Brodsky from his photo shoot with Jim Morrison entitled “The Young Lion”. Famous songs included in the album are Break on Through (to the Other Side) and Light my Fire.

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If you are looking for the hip hop music maker software program for you to start making your own hip hop beats, You need to understand how to talk the terminology.

If you are certainly not acquainted with the hip hop variety lingo or music terms, no worries. Here are some simple meanings along with a few hip hop music facts to assist you a little.

To begin with hip hop music began in the 1970’s in the South Bronx area of New York City. A “hip hop producer” is also known as a “beatmaker” or “beat maker”. Should you be in a recording studio, the record producer operates as the hip hop producer or the individual whom is charged with how the beat sounds once it’s completed and recorded.

As part of your search for a hip hop music maker software to make hip hop beats, you will certainly not understand which application is best if you are not acquainted with some of the primary hip hop beat terms. Let me help you be more informed.

A “blast Beat” is a duplicated, sixteenth note that is typically played in a fast tempo and it is played together with the “kick drum”, “crash” or “hi-hat” cymbal and the “snare and ride”. Mostly used for techno or dance music.

I know it could be a lttle bit perplexing if you don’t have any music theory know-how nevertheless just hang in there. Once you begin developing your beats, most of the computer software will have tutorials that will instruct you throughout the process and explain the essential sounds.

Your hi hat “hat” is a style of cymbal which is a part of the drum. It’s leaving the hi-hat open just a touch while hitting the snare.

The term “ride” symbolizes riding with the song as it lingers the moment it is hit. If you would like add a spectacular flair to your beat, you’d use a single chord, which is used in electronic music and is typically supplied by horns. This is called a “stab”. It presents a rhythmic effect and is added to little parts of a beat.

If you’re able to remember the track “Shake Whatcha Mamma Gave Ya”, from the Poison Clan, it had a beat that brought on much excitment simply because it had an electro sound with up-beat tempos, as well as a sweet “Bounce”. The beat had low-note basses with fast hihats and simple snares. This particular song was a leader of hip hop “bass sound” back in the 90’s.

“beat” is known as a hip hop instrumental. A “Sampler” or “Beat Samples” are types of electronic musical instruments. It resembles a synthesizer, however rather than creating sounds, it uses recordings, or for the reason that term emplies “samples”, of the sounds that were produced, uploaded or recorded by a “beatmaster”.

A “break Beat”, whenever you make hip hop music, would refer to the section of music you could sample and repeat. This is called “drum loops” or “beats” as a rhythmic pattern used in rap and hip hop songs.

When communicating about a hip hop music maker software and the method of making beats, you will run into some techie terms for the software and the tools needed to create them. Let’s talk about some of those at this point so you can be educated when researching as to which beat making program would be best suited for your desires.

A “music sequencer” is a musical app or a specific system, which has a primary function of actively playing back musical notes.

“Drum kit” or trap set, are combinations of cymbals, drums and electronic “drum pads” that can produce sampled or synthesized sounds of a drum.

Today you could possibly come accross a hip hop music maker software containing what is called a “digital audio workstation” also known as (DAW). This format was presented in the 80’s and was also known as a microprocessor-based system that was tape-less.

In short what that means is you can not only play back sampled sounds, you can also edit, play and record any digital audio rails.

As time proceeded the structure changed to a keyboard workstation and has been now refered as a “virtual studio computer system”. It has an audio hardware that is a mixture of multitrack and MIDI software.

I could go on for days however this ought to at least position you in the suitable direction in choosing a hip hop music maker that includes the sophistication required to make broadcast top quality sounding hip hop beats.

How do you like that, you now can speak some hip hop. Now you should not run out and buy Rosetta Stone, it can not teach you the dialect.