Monthly Archive: August 2005
The Browning Version (1951)
British schoolmaster-questions-his-life classic starring Michael Redgrave
Miss Congeniality 2 — Armed and Fabulous
Special Agent Gracie Hart is back on the job, but not as Bullocky-cute as she was in MC1
Miriodor – Parade + Live At Nearfest — Cuneiform Records Rune (2 CDs)
Avantgarde progressive rock from a unique French group
Delbert McClinton – Cost Of Living — New West Records
Blues to country-western from this Texan singer-songwriter
Zucchero – Zucchero & Co — Concord Records
Italian vocal superstar does pop and blues duets with many different artists
Montrose (self-titled) — Audio Fidelity AFZ 028 Gold CD
Audiophile reissue of 1973 album of 70s-style rock heavy on electric guitar
James Blood Ulmer – Birthright — Hyena
Gospel-style blues are guitarist Ulmer’s thing in his first solo effort
Michael Hill – Black Gold & Goddesses Bold! — JSP Records
Gritty and passionate blues-flavored songs on many serious topics
Barbara Montgomery – Trinity — Mr. Bean and Bumpy Music
Big rich voice floats some great tunes by Sammy Cahn, Stevie Wonder, Leonard Cohen and others
Creedence Clearwater Revival — Fantasy/Analogue Productions CAPJ 8382 SA
The original 1968 Creedence hit album, for the first time without distortion and with a huge soundstage
Salena Jones – Jazz Vocal Best Collection — JVC XRCD
Usual winning combination of jazz vocalist and clean xrcd sonics doesn’t quite pan out this time
Triple Fret — JSP Records JSP5108 Multichannel SACD
Triple Fret — JSP Records JSP5108 Multichannel SACD ****: Triple Fret is a catchy title meaning the inclusion of three talented guitarists: Bernard Allison (vocals, rhythm guitar, guitar solos), Larry McCray (vocals, guitar solos, rhythm guitar), and Carl Weathersby (vocals, guitar solos). Special guest Lucky Peterson is featured on organ and additional band members include John Colby (piano, Rhodes, clavinet), Johnny B Gaydon (bass), Steve McCray (drums), Jamie Finegan (trumpet), and Robert Feiner (tenor sax). Producer and primary song writer Bruce Feiner drew inspiration from an album from the mid-80s with Albert Collins, Robert Cray, and Johnny Copeland called Showdown. Many consider that one of the premier blues recordings, but this album differs in its goals. On this record, the artists celebrate the blues and each share the spotlight throughout. In the liner notes, there are details of each artist’s participation on a song by song basis. The music is funky blues with lots of surround information. Recording quality is very good and spatial though it’s a bit rough around the edges. The advantage of having such talented and versatile performers is clear from the first listen to this record—every song is good! Track four is a favorite. It starts […]
HANDEL: Dixit Dominus, HWV 232; CALDARA: Missa dolorosa; Crucifixus a 16 voci — Balthasar-Neumann Chor/Balthasar-Neumann-Ensemble/Thomas Hengelbrock — Deutsche Harmonia mundi
Powerful performance in surround of one Handel’s most exciting cantatas plus two rarely-heard choral works of Caldara
Audio News for August 28, 2005
Looks Like Two Hi-Def DVD Formats After All; Naxos Moves Further With Digital Downloading and Streaming; Saxist Michael Brecker Needs Bone Marrow Transplant
RESPIGHI: Overture to Belfagor; Pines of Rome; Fountains of Rome; The Birds; Three Botticelli Pictures; Ancient Airs and Dances — London Symphony Orchestra/Lamberto Gardelli/ Academy of St. Martin in the Fields/Sir Neville Marriner (The Birds — EMI
Two-CD set of throughly idiomatic Respighi panorama postcard performances
HANDEL: Opera seria = Sandrine Piau, soprano/Les Talens Lyriques/Conducted by Christophe Rousset — Naïve/Naxos
A serious contender to Bartolli in the operatic soprano competition
“Heaven Must Have Sent You” – The Holland/ Dozier/ Holland Story — Motown/Hip-O 3-CD set
The two brothers and their producer friend put Motown and The Supremes on the soul music map
Giaconda de Vito, violin = BEETHOVEN: Violin Concerto in D; BACH: Double Concerto in D Minor, BWV 1043; HANDEL: Sonata for 2 Violins; Sonata for Violin and Continuo, Op. 4, No. 1; VIOTTI: Violin Concerto No. 22 in A Minor; VITALI: Chaconne — Idi Idis
Restorations from a variety of sources of a gifted Italian viruoso who died in l994
Claudio Abbado: Hearing the Silence — Sketches for a Portrait
An aurally and intellectually compelling video on the former director of the Berlin Philharmonic
MOZART: Serenade No. 13 in G Major, K. 525 “Eine Kleine Nachtmusik”; Divertimento No. 17 in D Major; Divertimento No. 11 — Chicago Symphony Orchestra/NBC Symphony Orchestra (K. 251)/Fritz Reiner — Testament
While not generally associated with Mozart performances, Reiner shines in these 1954-55 tapings
FREDERIC CHOPIN: 12 Etudes Op. 10, Barcarolle Op. 60, Piano Sonata No. 2 in B-Flat Minor Op. 35 — Nelson Freire, piano — Decca
Dramatic view of Chopin which some may feel lacks some tenderness
MARTINU: Rhapsody-Concerto for Viola and Orchestra; Triple Concerto; Concertino for Piano Trio and Orchestra; Pamatnik Lidicim (Memorial for Lidice) — Trio Wanderer/Tabea Zimmermann, viola/ Gurzenich Ochestra of Cologne/James Conlon — Capriccio
Courageous programming of Martinu works deserving more attention
Stereotypes Audio
Cembal d’amour
Pure Pleasure / Speakers Corner
Cedille
