Monthly Archive: May 2005
Composers of the Holocaust
Composers of the Holocaust = Isabelle Ganz, mezzo-soprano; Robert Paul Abelson, baritone; Marshall Cold, violin; Humbert Lucarelli, oboist; Mimi Stern-Wolfe, pianist and conductor – Leonardo LE 342, 77:57 ***1/2: It’s been a long time since I stopped patting the cat in mid-stroke to listen to every word of a folk song. That happened with this collection’s Tsen Brider (“Ten Brothers”), sung by Robert Paul Abelson. It is a song about ten brothers being led to the gas chambers and it send shivers through me. The other songs vary widely in themes and styles: The sweetly lyrical Shtil, di Nakht iz Oysgeshternt is about a female partisan who disables an enemy caravan with one shot. Isabelle Ganz sings it (and three others), accompanied on piano in an echoey room, which unintentionally imparts an extemporaneous recital aura. Ten years ago, during the resurgence of interest in Holocaust composers, most recordings featured the instrumental works of composers Erwin Schulhoff, Gideon Klein, and Pavel Haas; few, if any, included songs of sorrow and resistance. Schulhoff’s barbed and ironic Violin Sonata and Haas’ doleful Suite for Oboe and Piano are incorporated here with splendid renditions. A few songs are arrangements of older ones, such as […]
PENDERECKI: St. Luke Passion
PENDERECKI: St. Luke Passion – Izabella Klosinska, soprano; Adam Kruszewsi, baritone/Warsaw Boys Choir and Philharmonic Choir/Warsaw National Philharmonic Orchestra/Antoni Wit. Naxos 8.557149, 76:24 ***1/2: Jarring. Ominous. Chordal, discordant, mellifluous, melismatic, microtonal. Pious. Doubt-racked. Doleful. Portentous. Scary. Dramatic, didactic, climactic. Macabre. Threatening. Jolting. Pleading, whining, evasive. Complaining and proclaiming. Decrescendo, diminuendo. Eruptive! Percussive, rumbling, grumbling. Tense. Vibrant. Vociferous. Clashing. Banging. Clattering. Resonant. Soft. Melodic. Crackling, cackling, hissing, echoic. Buzzing, humming, twittering, thumping. Daunting, quiet, high and low-registered, abrupt, vigorous, gaudy, tacky, and wordy. Gilded and guilt-ridden. Grave, elegant, effervescent. Well-intentioned. Long-winded. Busy, choppy, fragmentary. Bewildering. Purgative, punitive, penitent. Aleatory? Hallucinatory. Laudatory. Sycophantic, cathartic, cathectic, Catholic. Uncritical, uncomforting, unrelenting. Treacherous. Confused. Intricate. Mocking. Regretful, remorseful, inaccessible, intractable, inspirational. Simple. Saved and forsaken. Bureaucratic, stubborn, fixated, sentimental, arch. Shocking. Calm. Soothing. Religious. Hysterical! Well-engineered. Well-conducted. Well-constructed. Fragmentary. Mythical. Glorious, celestial, earthbound, hidebound. Twelfth & twentieth century. Cramped and cavernous. Contained and sprawling. Ordinary and bizarre. Serene and distressed. Compact and diffuse. Torn and assembled. Lush and lean. Scrawny and buxom. Ugly. Harsh. Intense. Unforgettable. Graphic. Abrasive. Violent. Beastly, beaten, beatific. Beautiful.
Bill Berry – Shortcake – Pure Audiophile Records {vinyl}
Bill Berry – Shortcake (Bill Berry, cornet; Marshal Royal, alto sax & clarinet; Lew Tabackin, tenor sax & flutes; Bill Watrous, trombone; Mundell Lowe, guitar; Alan Broadbent & Dave Frishberg, piano; Chuck Berghofer & Monty Budwig, bass; Franke Capp & Nick Ceroli, drums) – Concord Records/Pure Audiophile Records PA-004 (2) ****: Another double-disc transfer from Concord’s original analog 2-track master tapes to these analog LPs. (The sleeve says “180-gram Colored Virgin Vinyl” but mine were black; course that’s means colored with lampblack.) Bill Berry will be known to most audiophiles as the leader of a similar small group on the highly-sought-after M & K direct disc “For Duke.” There’s even three tracks of Ellington tunes here, so it’s almost a For Duke volume 2. Berry played for a while with Ellington and has been leading various big bands for some time now. There are actually two groups on this recording: a quintet with Dave Frishberg on piano and Mundell Lowe’s guitar pitted against Berry, and a septet with the guitar and with the youngest member of this seasoned bunch of jazz veterans, Alan Broadbent. The alternations of the two ensembles adds a lot of interest to Shortcake – sort of […]
I Love Lucy: The Complete Fourth Season (1954-55)
I Love Lucy: The Complete Fourth Season (1954-55) Starring: Lucille Ball, Desi Arnaz, Vivian Vance, William Frawley Studio: CBS TV/ Paramount Video: 4:3 full screen B&W Audio: PCM mono Extras: Flubs, Restored music, “Behind the Scenes” Audio Featurette, Original Series Openings, Original Animated Sequences, Production Notes, Spanish Subtitles, Spanish Audio available on most episodes, English Closed-Captions, Song Selections, Guest Cast Information, Five Complete Episodes of Lucy’s Radio Show: My Favorite Husband Length: 13 hrs. 7 min. I Love Lucy: The Complete Fourth Season is available as a 5 disc set and includes 30 episodes. The special features on each of the five discs provide a wealth of background details. Originally aired between 1954-55, the stories are clever and inventive, the humor timeless. With their landlords and best friends, Ethel and Fred Mertz, the Riccardos create an unforgetable ensemble cast. I Love Lucy was first seen in October, 1951 and has never been out of syndication since its original run. The fact that Lucille Ball (1911-1989) and Desi Arnaz (1917-1986) pioneered in shooting their show as 33 mm film just like a feature film is obvious in the excellent B&W image quality of the transfer to DVD. The mono sound is […]
Beaches (1988)
Beaches (1988) Starring: Bette Midler, Barbara Hershey Director: Gary Marshall Studio: Touchstone/Buena Vista Home Entertainment Video: 1.85:1 Enhanced for 16:9 Widescreeen Audio: Dolby Digital Surround Sound Extras: Beaches Bloopers, 1989 Wind Beneath My Wings Music Video, Mayim Bialik Remembers Beaches, Barbara Hershey Screen Test, Audio Commentary with Director Garry Marshall Length: 123 minutes Rating: *** Beaches is all about an intense, enduring friendship between two very different females which survives dramatic fluctuations of careers, marriage, divorce and illness. Real time is 1988. As the film opens, the famous singer C. C. Bloom (Bette Midler) is rehearsing for her next concert at The Hollywood Bowl. She’s suddenly called away to an apparent emergency. Most of the film is a series of flashbacks to the previous three decades. After meeting accidentally on vacation at age eleven on the beach at Atlantic City, C. C. and Hillary (Barbara Hershey) develop a strong connection via a decade of long distance letter writing before they meet again in New York. When circumstances separate them at other times, they again write letters. The voice overs as letters are read serve as effective and lovely transitions for the film. C.C. lives a lower middle class life in […]
Baby Snakes (1979)
Baby Snakes (1979) Starring: Frank Zappa Studio: Eagle Eye Media Video: 1.33:1 Full Frame Audio: DD 5.1, DD 2.0 Extras: Baby Snakes Trailer, Commercial Spot (2), Roxy Trailer Length: 164 minutes Rating: ***1/2 (Zappa fans), * (everyone else) Take a trip as Agent “Musique Fann” to infiltrate the mind of the evil FZ. This disc is written, produced, directed, and music composed by Frank Zappa. Animation sequences are done by Bruce Bickford and music is performed by Terry Bozzio, Roy Estrada, Adrian Belew, Ed Mann, Patrick O’Hearn, Tommy Mars, Peter Wolf, and Frank Zappa. In the beginning of the disc are cartoon images, acid-trip style claymation, and shots of the band scoring the claymation sequences. It is clear that Zappa has a huge axe to grind with Warner Bros., which he manages to mention every chance he gets. There is even a warning at the beginning of the DVD to suggest that the powers that be may be alarmed at the material presented. The film is about “people who do stuff that is not normal.” At points there is weirdness including a talking police car and scenes with a female blow-up doll. From the middle on, there is more […]
Dianne Reeves: Live In Montreal (2000)
Dianne Reeves: Live In Montreal (2000) Dianne Reeves, vocals with Otmaro Ruiz, keyboards, Reginald Veal, bass, Roscoe Bryant, Drums and Munyungo Jackson, Percussion Studio: Image Entertainment Video: 1.33:1 fullscreen, color Audio: DD 5.1 surround, DTS 5.1 surround, 2.0 stereo Extras: Video interview Length: 111 minutes Rating: ** Dianne Reeves has developed quite a bit of notoriety over the years for her offbeat takes on jazz standards and her jazzification of many songs from other genres; this DVD video of her performance at the 2000 Montreal Jazz Festival documents her musical journey down the road less traveled. The Overture starts out in a distinctly Afro-Cuban direction, and much of the music follows that bent throughout. My personal highlight was the only piece that really came even close to resembling an actual standard, the bass and vocals only take on Duke Ellington’s Mood Indigo – bassist Reginald Veal is just superb here. If only that truly inspired moment were more typical of what is offered here! Unfortunately, the disc is somewhat lacking, both in sound and video quality. The vocals have a rather disembodied quality to them, and seem to float about the soundstage, regardless of which audio track you choose. I’ve […]
Astor Piazzolla in Portrait (2005)
Astor Piazzolla in Portrait (2005) Studio: BBC/Opus Arte (Distr. by Naxos) Video: 4:3 & 16:9 color & B&W, all regions Audio: Dolby Digital stereo Extras: “Piazzolla: The Man and His Music” – 54 min. of interviews with his son, widow, Richard Alliano and other performers; Bonus track of rehearsal of Milonga del Angel Length: 213 minutes Rating: ***** I’ve wondered for years why a feature film hasn’t been done on the life of Piazzolla; this seems to be the best we have for now and it’s very good. (I also continue to wonder why one still hasn’t been done on the life of Django Reinhardt.) The lengthy timing is due to there being two separate films here: Tango Maestro is a documentary written, filmed and narrated by Mike Dibb, 106 minutes length. Then Tango Nuevo is a record of Piazzolla’s last recorded studio performance, playing six of his complete classics with his final quintet. The film by Dibbs includes selections from 30 years of filmed performances by Piazzolla’s groups. It explores the turbulent and complex life of the great Argentine composer/performer. He speaks directly about some of the highlights in his life. One was his concentration on a more modern […]
Keith Jarrett, solo piano
Keith Jarrett, solo piano – Radiance – (Recorded live in Osaka & Tokyo, 2002) ECM 1960/61 (2 discs) ****: This month is Jarrett’s 60th birthday, and it marks the release of this album of his famous solo improvisations which is the first such in nearly a decade. Jarrett had announced earlier that he probably would not return to the solo piano format since it required much more of his energy and physical/mental work than did the safety-net of his piano trio. Jarrett has been battling chronic fatigue syndrome for some years now. But he changed his mind in 2002 and these two concerts are the sonic results. He made a change in approach this time. Instead of the continuous improvisations of his earlier concert series, he develops some contrasting melodic and textual material and creates an improvised suite made up of discrete pieces drawn from each previous piece. The later Tokyo concert, for example, fulfills the structural implications of the material heard in the Osaka concert. Yet he reports in his liner notes that he had in mind letting some of the music just happen to him without sitting there deep in thought. Each of the two CDs has eight […]
Art Pepper – So In Love – Analog Productions vinyl
Art Pepper – So In Love (2 tracks with Hank Jones, piano; Ron Carter, bass; Al Foster, drums. 3 tracks with George Cables, piano; Charlie Haden, bass; Billy Higgins, drums) – Analog Productions Revival Series APR 3013 ****: There is no listing of the original label for this classic Pepper alto outing, but it looks like it could be one of the Fantasy jazz labels. The year was l979 and he had some of the top sidemen in jazz of the day supporting him. After the quirky opening Thelonious Monk standard and Pepper’s own Blues for Blanche, the rest of the album stresses the lyrical side of this bedeviled jazzman who wished he were black. Great sonics with fine presence. I was furnished a test pressing, so can’t speak definitely about the finished product. Tracks: Straight No Chaser; Blues for Blanche, So In Love, Diane, Stardust.
Great Conductors of the Third Reich – Art in the Service of Evil
Great Conductors of the Third Reich – Art in the Service of Evil Furtwängler/Böhm/BlechKarajan/Knappertbusch/Krauss/Schillings The Berlin Philharmonic and Bayreuth Orchestra Studio: Bel Canto Society Video: 4:3 B&W Audio: PCM mono Extras: 20-p. booklet “Music in the Third Reich” and bios of the conductors Length: 53 minutes Rating:**1/2 I came across an article by the CEO of Bel Canto about his achieving improved sound quality on his restoration CDs and DVDs thru the use of very high end A-to-D converters and offering the more data-intensive PCM option on DVDs rather than the data-reduced Dolby Digital. That led me to the online Bel Canto catalog. When I saw this DVD listed I was dumbfounded. And saw that one of our writers – Gary Lemco – had rave reviewed it in the past. But more so to see another review excerpt from a fellow reviewer who had taken over editorship of a publication I had edited many years ago. Her excerpt spoke solely of how highly glorious all the music-making was, with no mention (as made by the other reviewers) of the horror of these conductors turning their art into part of the Nazi propaganda machine. I found it difficult as an audiophile […]
Lotte Lenya and Gisela May – Theater Music of Brecht & Weill
Lotte Lenya and Gisela May – Theater Music of Brecht & Weill Studio: Creative Arts TV/VAI Video: 4:3 Color/B&W, no region code Audio: PCM mono Length: 77 minutes Rating: **** This program will be absolutely fascinating to fans of Brecht and Weill’s theater music and the unique Lotte Lenya. Others may not think it warrants a four-star rating. The sources are various arts programs from early network television, back when commercial channels actually produced excellent music programs – even though they shunted them to times such as early Sunday mornings. That’s when the superb CBS Camera Three aired in1958, and Lenya just moves thru an empty theater seating area and simple sets singing the songs written for her by husband Kurt Weill. There’s a small ensemble off-camera accompanying her. The source is a contrasty kinescope but it’s great to see Lenya and hear her emotional, definitely non-operatic voice – which sounds as lived-in as did Billie Holiday’s, but in a different manner. She does five songs, some in English and some in the original German. Unfortunately, English subtitles are not one of the extras provided; it is obvious the meager Camera Three budget didn’t allow for anything like that. Several […]
Diane Walsh, piano = BARBER: Sonata, Op. 26; MARTIN: 8 Preludes; PROKOFIEV: Sonata No. 2 in D Minor, Op. 14; BARTOK: Sonata – Bridge
Diane Walsh, piano = BARBER: Sonata, Op. 26; MARTIN: 8 Preludes; PROKOFIEV: Sonata No. 2 in D Minor, Op. 14; BARTOK: Sonata – Bridge 9151 73:21 (Distrib. Albany)****: Recorded at SUNY Purchase, 1990, this recital of relatively contemporary piano works–at least they all date from the first half of the 20th century–has a kind of Janus-face, since each of the pieces tends to look back as much as its individual voice carries forward into modernism. Diane Walsh plays each of the selections with obvious sympathy as well as pristine technical skills. Her Barber Sonata (1949) balances the percussive with the lyric, the avant-garde and the modal, with refinement and taste. The second movement Allegro vivo e leggiero is exactly that, quicksilver in touch and meter, and light of hand. The passacaglia third movement comes off as an uneasy, intricate journey into dark regions, with incursions in to Schoenberg&Mac226;s domains. The last movement staccato-motion fugue, with its alternately smooth and jazzy episodes, displays Walsh’s bravura style, an effortless, impulsive dash for the bleachers. The Prokofiev D Minor (1912) is the earliest of the four works, chronologically; my old teacher Jean Casadesus was quite partial to it, especially its deft Scherzo, composed […]
BRAHMS: Piano Concerto No. 1 in D Minor, Op. 15; Piano Concerto No. 2 in B-flat Major, Op. 83; 3 Intermezzi, Op. 117; 8 Klavierstucke, Op. 76; 2 Rhapsodies, Op. 79; 4 Klavierstucke, Op. 119
BRAHMS: Piano Concerto No. 1 in D Minor, Op. 15; Piano Concerto No. 2 in B-flat Major, Op. 83; 3 Intermezzi, Op. 117; 8 Klavierstucke, Op. 76; 2 Rhapsodies, Op. 79; 4 Klavierstucke, Op. 119 – Anton Kuerti, piano Joseph Rescigno conducts Orchestre Metropolitaine du Montreal – Analekta AN 2 9205-7 (3 CDs) 48:52; 46:41; 72:47****: The two concertos, recorded 5-6 July 1998, along with the Op. 117 Intermezzi, recorded 21 May 1998, have been prior issued by Kuerti’s Analekta label (FL 2 3139-40). The solo works are a relatively new addition to the Kuerti legacy, having been inscribed 28-29 June 2004. Kuerti says of the late piano pieces after 1892 that they “emanate tender wisdom, calm resignation, and even a hint of exhaustion.” Bearing a close relationship to Chopin and Schumann, the pieces look forward harmonically to Debussy and to the more deconstructionist elements of the Second Viennese School. Kuerti, who comes to this music naturally by way of Serkin and Horszowski, makes elegant sense out of the the Op. 76 collection of internezzi and caprices, perhaps not pushing hard enough on the appoggiatura in the B Minor Capriccio. But the A Major Intermezzo No. 6 has a liquid […]
Mischa Maisky and Martha Argerich in Concert = STRAVINSKY: Suite Italienne from Pulcinella; PROKOFIEV: Cello Sonata, Op. 119; Waltz from The Stone Flower; SHOSTAKOVICH: Cello Sonata, Op. 40
Mischa Maisky and Martha Argerich in Concert = STRAVINSKY: Suite Italienne from Pulcinella; PROKOFIEV: Cello Sonata, Op. 119; Waltz from The Stone Flower; SHOSTAKOVICH: Cello Sonata, Op. 40 DGG B0004047-02 72:22 (Distrib. Universal)****: Recorded April 2003 in the Flagey Buiding, Brussels, this an electric, riveting concert by two past masters of their respective instrument – old colleagues collaborating in music they have long cherished without having committed their thoughts on record. Gregor Piatagorsky’s 1932 arrangement of the suite from Stravinsky’s Pulcinella was recorded by that artist (with Lukas Foss), but has yet to come back to CD format. The odd mixture of refined, 18th century melos with quirky, pungent 20th century harmony still raises an eyebrow, especially when plied by the sizzling combination of Miasky and Argerich, who apply all kinds of orchestral effects, tremolandi double and triple stopping, and fierce, broad glissandi. The Andante movements enjoy a limpid sincerity of expression. The C Major of Prokofiev (1949), despite having been written during troubling times for the composer (and others deemed anti-populist), has the energy and blithe urgency of Prokofiev’s most fertile period, especially with the spirit of his masterpiece ballet Romeo and Juliet not far from his motifs in […]
Sonny Clark, piano – Cool Struttin’ – Blue Note/Classic Records {vinyl}
Sonny Clark, piano – Cool Struttin’ (with Art Farmer, trumpet; Jackie McLean, alto sax; Paul Chambers, bass; Philly Joe Jones, drums) Blue Note1588; Classic Records ****: There’s no date on this album but the rear jacket notes say High Fidelity, seeming to indicate it is mono (a Rudy Van Gelder recording effort). However, on the front cover is pasted a big gold sticker saying “STEREO.” I remember really loving those albums with such a sticker that come out in 1959, 1960 and perhaps a bit later. So that helps date the session. It also exhibits the rather widely-separated two-channel emphasis of those earlier stereo recordings. Among Clark’s influences were Tatum, Waller, Erroll Garner, Bud Powell, George Shearing and Thelonious Monk. He selected his sidemen for this recording date and the smoothly musical style of Art Farmer makes an interesting contrast with the sometimes squawking tone of saxist McLean. There are only four tracks, so there’s plenty of time for some soloing in depth. The first side is a pair of Clark’s own tunes, including the title tune which was inspired by his wife. Nat Hentoff wrote the original liner notes. Tracks: Cool Struttin,’ Blue Minor, Sippin’ at Bells, Deep Night.
Buddy (2004)
Buddy (2004) Starring: Nicolai Cleve Broch, Pia Tjelta, Aksel Hennie, Anders Baasmo Christiansen, Janne Formoe Studio: Film Movement (www.filmmovement.com) Video: 1.85:1 Widescreen Enhanced Audio: Norwegian w/ English subtitles Extras: Previews, A Ninja Pays Half My Rent Short Film (5 min), Biographies Length: 100 minutes Rating: ***1/2 The story of this delightful film revolves around a group of friends who have some trouble in love and life. Kristoffer seems to be doing rather well until his girlfriend has to “screw” things up when she gives him her apartment keys. His compatriot, Geir, has troubles of his own with a past relationship, but they find enjoyment throughout the day filming each other doing silly things. One day a stunt of theirs gets the attention of the TV station and a new reality show is born. In addition to their videotaped excursions, many of the fun involves their roommate, Stig Inge, who hasn’t left their building and it’s surroundings for many years. Kristoffer mistakenly let the station believe that Stig Inge is only acting, but when they request a live interview, the jig is soon to be up. A friend of Stig Inge has been staying at the apartment and serves as a […]
Sir John Barbirolli conducts Boston Symphony Orchestra
Sir John Barbirolli conducts Boston Symphony Orchestra Program: An Elizabethan Suite (arr. Barbirolli); DELIUS: The Walk to the Paradise Garden; WALTON: Partita for Orchestra; BRAHMS: Symphony No. 2 in D Major, Op. 73 Studio: VAI DVD 4304 Video: 4:3 Black&White Audio: Mono PCM Length: 94 minutes Rating: **** From 1957 through 1979, WGBH-TV co-produced more than 175 Boston Symphony Orchestra concerts to be distributed to public television stations. Recorded on two-inch videotape and 16mm kinescopes, more than 100 programs remain in the Archives of the Boston Symphony Orchestra and WGBH Educational Foundation. Due to the fragility and deteriorating condition of the originals, the programs proved inaccessible prior to the reformatting process that has now made them available to the DVD audience. Sir John Barbirolli (1899-1970) appears in a telecast from Sanders Theatre, Harvard University, 3 February 1959, with music dear to his heart and intellect. These are his first appearances with the BSO, having made his debut in this program 30-31 January. Sporting a long baton, Barbirolli reveals the fluid stick technique that elicits fluid reponse from the BSO players. The shimmering moments from his arrangement of The King’s Hunt section of An Elizabethan Suite is a lovely case in […]
Mel Brown Quartet – Girl Talk (Brown, drums; Tony Pacini, piano; Dan Balmer, guitar; Ed Bennett, bass)
Mel Brown Quartet – Girl Talk (Brown, drums; Tony Pacini, piano; Dan Balmer, guitar; Ed Bennett, bass) – Saphu SCD-0021, 60:47 **** [ www.SaphuRecords.com ] This brand new release is the first from a quartet that came together at Portland, Oregon’s Jimmy Mak’s jazz club three years ago. Led by legendary drummer Mel Brown, the quartet plays every Wednesday night at the club. Though Brown has been playing in the area for many years, the other three member have all been band leaders themselves. Guitarist Balmer is a real whiz, turning out some blistering solos as skilled as the very best of his ilk. Pianist Pacini has a strong percussive style that is never obscured by the drums or guitar. This is straight-ahead modern jazz that swings like nobody’s business. The mix and sonics are first rate too. Tracks: Brown Baggin,’ Girl Talk, Now’s Not the Time, Silverplated Song, Just Squeeze Me, Oldest Son, Venus, Good Friday, Waltz for Theo, Milestones.
Madeleine Peyroux, vocals – Careless Love (with Dean Parks, guitars; Larry Goldings, keyboards; David Piltch, bass; Jay Bellerose, drums & percussion; Lee Thornburg, trumpet on 2 tracks)
Madeleine Peyroux, vocals – Careless Love (with Dean Parks, guitars; Larry Goldings, keyboards; David Piltch, bass; Jay Bellerose, drums & percussion; Lee Thornburg, trumpet on 2 tracks) – Rounder 11661-3192-2 ****: Ms. Peyroux comes from a folk music and Francophile background and possesses a voice that can best be described as a young Billie Holiday brought up to date. She’s obviously not trying to be solely a jazz singer, and her choice of tunes as well as delivery reflect that. Among the sources here are Bob Dylan, George Cory, William C. Handy, and Leonard Cohen. Peyroux also plays guitar on many of the tracks, folk-style. Larry Goldings, who probably was responsible for most of the arrangements, adds immensely to the overall sound with his stylings on a great variety of instruments, including B3 and celeste. Not to be missed if you’re a Holiday fan – and who isn’t? Tracks: Dance Me to the End of Love, Don’t Wait Too Long, Don’t Cry Baby, You’re Gonna Make Me Lonesome, When You Go, Between the Bars, No More, Lonesome Road, J’ai deux Amours, Weary Blues, I’ll Look Around, Careless Love, This is Heaven to Me.
John Stowell, guitar – Resonance
John Stowell, guitar – Resonance – Origin Records 82443 ****: Portland, Oregon-based guitarist Stowell has a super-cool approach to his instrument but with a minimum of fuss can tear up the strings with some complex improvising that seems to occur at almost the speed of light. He plays here acoustic-electric guitars made by Portland custom guitar-maker Mike Doolin, and using nylon strings. Doolin invited Stowell over to try out his latest creations and in the process taped him playing a tune on each instrument. Eventually there were enough tracks for an album, and this is it. There’s a rich and resonant timbre that fits the album’s title perfectly, as well as Stowell’s technique. It sounds more subtle and played with more finesse than your typical solo electric guitar session. Tracks: Nobody Else But Me, Picture in Black and White, Prelude to a Kiss, Peau Douce, Equinox, Ron’s Return/Eclipse, Bolero Algorhythm, How Deep is the Ocean, Some Other Time, I Wish/Everything I Love, Yesterdays, I Should Care, Maybe Later.
Joey DeFrancesco with Jimmy Smith
Joey DeFrancesco with Jimmy Smith – Legacy – Concord Jazz CCD-2229-2, ****: This was one of the last recordings by B3 legend Jimmy Smith, who passed away in February. It was a studio session conceived as a followup to their earlier live duo recorded during the San Francisco Jazz Festival (also on Concord: Incredible). It was also their first studio recording together. DeFrancesco used his regular rhythm section: Paul Bollenback on guitar and Byron Landham, drums, but he added many other sidemen for some of the tunes plus fiery tenorman James Moody on the track “Jones’n for Elvin.” Both organists play the latest Hammond New B-3, which DeFrancesco helped them develop as a modern digitized update of the original tone-wheel B3. It’s also much more portable for hauling around to gigs. However, concerned that even too much of a good thing could get boring, DeFrancesco balanced off Smith’s B3 on several of the tracks by playing something called a Palatino piano instead of another B3. (I suppose it’s a digital piano of some sort.) The opening, Legacy, features a sextet of players in addition to Smith on B3 and DeFrancesco on piano. Guitarist Bollenback plays an electric sitar and there […]
Stereotypes Audio
Cembal d’amour
Pure Pleasure / Speakers Corner
Cedille
