Free music close to me heart

[greatbear]

Fans of progressive/ambient/world/jazz/instrumental music might want to take notice. Kit Watkins, formerly of the bands Happy The Man and Camel, has made a great deal of his solo and collaborative works available for free downloads via a Creative Commons license, in .mp3 format. This is the better part of his discography, minus only the latest few releases. There is a great deal of different styles and genres here, mixed and matched and worthy of some serious listening. So treat yourself to some fine music via the download link on the website. If you like what you hear, you owe it to yourself to check out the full discography. You can get it all in a single DVD-Data disc, complete with concert footage and more. I highly recommend it all.

Full Disclosure: Kit and I were an item for a time during the last century. But that's not the reason for this post. A musical talent like this should keep on being heard, especially in this day and age of disposable, manufactured pop music. It does a body good. It does the mind even better.

Comments

[furr-a-bruin.livejournal.com]

Wow.

Any suggestions as to where to start?

[greatbearmd.livejournal.com]

Lessee...

"wet, dark and low" and "SunStruck are primarily rhythmic, worldbeat inspired, more uptempo and 'cheery'. the "Thought Tones" CDs are pure ambient, flowing works along with "Music For The End". "Azure", "Labyrinth", "In Time", "Frames of Mind" are more conventional being more jazz/fusion, rock and progressive oriented. "A Different View" is tracks of his arrangements of classical and baroque works. You can sample stuff directly from the download page, though I need to slap him for having the stream links messed up.

[reslbear.livejournal.com]

Kit is a great guy, as you well know but I have not talked to him in several years, probably 5 or 6. I do ejoy his music. Thanks! :-)

[fuzzcub.livejournal.com]

Go Kit/ManX!

Funny--I was just listening to some Camel and Happy the Man last night.

[jfboyd.livejournal.com]

Was Happy the Man named after the early Genesis song? 'Cos that is awesome if so... :D

[greatbearmd.livejournal.com]

Mostly, yes. Both of the bands got the name from the Horace quote "Happy the man, and happy he alone, He who can call today his own; He who secure within can say: Tomorrow do thy worst, for I have lived today." Since all of the band members are fans of Genesis, The inspiration came from there as well.

[progbear.livejournal.com]

Exquisitely cool! I’ve been curious about Labyrinth in particular for a while now. Thanks for the heads-up!

[greatbearmd.livejournal.com]

There's a lot there to enjoy. I bet some of the later stuff will eventually go for free as time rolls on and if Kit does any future material. SkyZone the one I played on, is part of the later stuff still for sale on CD Baby.

[progbear.livejournal.com]

I’ve downloaded up to In Time so far. Listened to Labyrinth tonight; it’s incredible—like the long lost fourth HTM album! (Of course, considering there’s two songs that were HTM tracks, plus one Camel song, that’s not too surprising.)