Title Artist Comments
Ambient
Music for Airports Brian Eno This album was played throughout New York’s La Guardia airport in April or May 1979. I wish I had experienced that!
Music for Airports Bang on a Can This orchestra transcribed the Brian Eno album + played all of the parts on orchestral instruments - one of my all time favorite albums! Gr8 for massages!
On Land Brian Eno Recorded in his loft in NYC. Amazing textures.
Drawn from Life Brian Eno & Peter Schwalm Lovely album.
The Boy and the Tree Susumu Yokota Beautiful Japanese Ambient album! I just ordered more of his work. A poet of loops and digital editing!
Flamenco / Guitar
Vivencias Imaginadas Vicente Amigo His second album - contains beautiful duet with Paco.
Poeta Vicente Amigo With full orchestra, arranged by Leo Brower.
City of Ideas Vicente Amigo Vicente plays a Lester DeVoe Negra on this album.
Paseo de los Castanos Tomatito Contains beautiful duet with George Benson.
Cositas Buenas Paco De Lucia His latest album and one of my favorite Paco releases.
Siroco Paco De Lucia Great CD!
Tauromagia Manolo Sanlucar  
Jucal Gerardo Nuñez I am not a big fan of this guitarist. Sure, he has unbelievable technique, but some of his writing/playing sounds like scales/exercises. Still, a very interesting CD.
De Mi Corazon al Aire Vicente Amigo What a brilliant first album. Check out “Reino de Silia” - that riff at the end reminds me of Hendrix.
Rosas D’Amor Tomatito I used to own the original LP release ca. 1988. It was better, but this re-worked album is quite good as well.
Alcazar de Cristal Rafael Riqueni I have heard people describe Riqueni as a mix between a classical and a flamenco guitarist and I think there is some truth to that.
Flamenco / Vocal
Autoretrato Camaron de la Isla Excellent Best-Of collection that spans his whole career
Del Amanecer José Mercé With Vicente Amigo, who also wrote the songs and produced the album.
El Pelé Canto With Vicente Amigo, who also wrote the songs and produced the album.
  Confi de Fua José Mercé Brilliant 2005 CD. I love this man’s singing.
Latin / Brazil
Uma Batida Diferente Bossacucanova
Danca dos Escravos Egberto Gismonti From 1989. Mostly solo guitar and mostly brilliant.
Duas Vozes Egberto Gismonti & Nana Vasconcelos  
Brasilidade Bossacucanova  
Tanto Tempo Bebel Gilberto Lovely progressive Bossa album. Great voice. I was very disappointed with her follow-up to this briliant CD.
Latin / Cuba
Buena Vista Social Club Buena Vista Social Club  
Cachaito Orlando Cachaito Lopez Wonderful Cuban bass player. Nephew of the great Cachao. Brilliant album.
Mambo Sinuendo Ry Cooder & Manuel Galban Ry Cooder had to pay one huge fine to record in Cuba... but it sounds like it was worth it!
Latin / Portugal
Guitarra Portuguesa Carlos Paredes Portuguese guitar has 4 double course strings and this guy is the master! I first heard him with Amalia Rodriguez - Fado music.
Film Music / Soundtracks
Amadeus Soundtrack 3 CD set. Excellent overview of Mozart's work. Beautiful performances.
The Motorcycle Diaries Gustavlo Santaolalla  
The End of Violence Film Soundtrack Ry Cooder's score for the movie
Talk to Her Film Soundtrack Includes a beautiful track by Vicente Amigo with El Pele
Ocean's Eleven Film Soundtrack In high rotation at Jon’s house.
Jazz
Fascinoma Jon Hassell Very original trumpet player and I think this is his finest recording. Listen closely and you can hear that Hassell studied with an Indian flute player. He plays his trumpet with an unparalleled ease and a lovely light tone.
Kind of Blue Miles Davis If you own only one jazz record, it should be this one. Best selling jazz album of all time.
Blue Breakbeats Grant Green Funky Guitar Jazz.
Ben Webster Meets Oscar Peterson (Verve Master Edition) Ben Webster Beautiful Jazz record.
Haunted Heart Charlie Haden Quartet West  
Always Say Goodbye Charlie Haden Quartet West  
Now is the Hour Charlie Haden Quartet West As you can tell I love this music....
Deodato 2 Deodato Seventies Music!
Dexter Calling Dexter Gordon Mellow Jazz
Francis Albert Sinatra & Antonio Carols Jobim Frank Sinatra at his finest Frank Sinatra at his finest!
Officium Jan Garbarek & the Hilliard Ensemble A lone saxophone + 4 voices performing in an Austrian church. Jazz or Classical? Hauntingly beautiful in any case!
The Köln Concert Keith Jarrett Masterful Solo Piano Improvisations
Chet Baker with Strings Chet Baker Charlie Parker told Miles about a white cat on the west coast who was a great trumpet player.
Moment to Moment Roy Hargrove with Strings I love this album and listen to it all the time. Gorgeous recording!
Love Songs Miles Davis Nice Compilation of his Ballads
R & B / Funk / Soul
Superfly Curtis Mayfield  
Classical
Canciones Y Danzas-Complete Impresiones Intimas Gustavo Romero Piano works by F. Mompou - I recorded one of these for my Leaning into the Night album on Sony Classical.
Amadeus Soundtrack 3 CD set. Excellent overview of Mozart's work. Beautiful performances.
Bell' Italia Eliot Fisk Four Centuries of Italian Music
Mozart - The Piano Sonatas Glenn Gould  
Pieces in a Modern Style William Orbit  
Yo-Yo Ma and the Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra Simply Baroque Played on Baroque instruments, which sound less bright and very pleasing. Beautiful record.
Yo-Yo Ma and the Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra Simply Baroque II  
Jesus' Blood Never Failed Me Yet Gavin Bryers A tramp, recorded on the streets of Lon don, combined with beautiful orchestration, makes for a very very touching piece.
A Man In A Room, Gambling Gavin Bryers  
J.S.Bach - Suites for Solo Cello Janos Starker The finest cello recording I have ever heard! Starker recorded the Bach suites three times, this being the last one.
Preludes Songs Homages Göran Söllscher Solo Guitar.
Bach JS: 4 Suites for Lute Göran Söllscher Solo Guitar.
Concerto de Aranjuez Paco De Lucia Rhythmically undoubtably the best guitar performance of this concerto. The melody is not as strong and has been carried better by John Williams and the likes.
Satie: 3 Gymnopedies & other Piano Works Pascal Roge
Pop
The Best of Strange Cargo William Orbit Is it Pop, is it Hybrid? Probably both.
Moon Safari Air Eric Schernerhorn sent me this CD in 1996? He had just picked it up in France that year.
Low David Bowie Maybe his finest album. Recorded in Berlin. Produced by Brian Eno.
Jovanotti Lorenzo 1997 L'albero Jovanotti This was our album of 1997. Jon and I listened to this over and over.
Amplified Heart Everything But the Girl  
Walking Wounded Everything But the Girl  
The Essential Leonard Cohen Leonard Cohen  
Welcome To Wherever You Are INXS Couldn't tell you why I like this record. Memories I guess.
Björk Vespertine My all-time favorite pop star! Brilliant album.
Björk Medulla Bjork's 2004 album contains only voices, no other instruments.
Heroes David Bowie Great guitar playing by Robert Fripp.
Hybrid/World Music
In a Silent Way Miles Davis Is it Jazz? Is it a hybrid. It certainly was the start of something new. Beautiful album and one of the first re-cordings using the studio as an instrument.
Voices Rising Fareed Haque Our soundman turned me on to this album.
Songs From The Victorious City Anne Dudley And Jaz Coleman I met Jaz in Auckland, where he came to one of our shows. Intense guy. This is a fabulous album I have listened to many times.
La Revancha Del Tango Gotan Project Gotan = Tango for the 21st Century
Suzuki Tosca  
Set Youssou N'Dour  
Guide (Wommat) Youssou N'Dour  
Bitches Brew Miles Davis This album might be considered more important than beautiful, and it did set the stage for many hybrids that followed.
Miss Perfumado Cesaria Evora If Fado is the intersection of the Moorish/Arabic and Portuguese/European, then this lady is a new Hybrid between Africa and Fado. Wonderful voice!
Set Youssou N'Dour  
The Guide Youssou N'Dour  
Les Nouvelles Polyphonie Corses Hector Zazou  
Compilations
A Brief History Of Ambient Virgin Records Virgin Records compilations - series of several4 CDs - the 1st is my favorite
Verve Remixed Verve  
Verve Remixed 2 Verve  
Secondhand Sounds: Herbert Remixes Herbert  
The Soft Tones of Acid Jazz compilation