Monthly Archive: July 2006
Dr. Lonnie Smith – Jungle Soul – Palmetto Records
An Old School Master At His Best
Paul Cacia Jazz Orchestra – Legacy – The Last Sessions – Empressario
A fine big band primer
Christian Scott, trumpet – Rewind That – Concord
Scott’s debut CD has R&B, hip-hop and electric period Miles influences
Why We Fight (2006)
Eisenhower’s “military-industrial complex” speech of 1961 inspires a documentary on why the U.S. seems to be continually at war
BRAHMS: Complete Piano Quartets = No. 1 in G minor, Op. 25; No. 2 in A, Op. 26; No. 3 in C minor, Op. 60 – Walter Trampler, viola/Beaux Arts Trio (Menahem Pressler, piano/Isidore Cohen, violin/ Bernard Greenhouse, cello) – Pentatone
2-disc set recorded originally in quad in 1973
DVORAK: Violin Concerto in A Minor; BRUCH: Violin Concerto No. 1 in G Minor; GLAZUNOV: Violin Concerto in A Minor – Johanna Martzy, violin (Dvorak)/ Erica Morini, violin/ Radio-Symphony Orchestra Berlin/ Ferenc Fricsay – DGG OriginalsDGG Origina
Hard to find but one of the Best of the Year
Audio News for July 21, 2006
Babelfish is Happening!; National Geographic Launches The Soundtrack of the World; Cable Operators Seek New Retail Outlets
TCHAIKOVSKY: Serenade in C Major for Strings, Op. 48; Francesca da Rimini, Op. 32 – London Symphony Orchestra/ Leopold Stokowski – PentaTone
Stoky’s genius in not-the-least dated-sounding surround sound from 1974
Electric Light Orchestra – ELO II – Epic/Legacy
This 1972 effort is sometimes deemed the best progressive rock album of all time
Gordon Goodwin’s Big Phat Band – The Phat Pack – Immergent CD + surround DVD
18-piece band of LA veteran players led by top Hollywood composer/orchestrator/arranger
CÉSAR FRANCK – Oeuvres pour Orgue = Grande pièce symphonique; Choral No. 2 in B minor; Prière, Op. 20; Final, Op. 21 – Roberta Gary, organ – Arsis
******* MULTICHANNEL DISC OF THE MONTH *********
LISZT: Piano Concerto No. 1 in E-flat Major; Piano Concerto No. 2 in A Major; Piano Concerto No. 3 in E-flat Major; Totentanz: Symphonic Poem for Piano and Orchestra – Joshua Pierce, piano/ State Symphony Orchestra of Russia – Paul Freeman – MSR Classics
An extroverted pianist, perfect for Liszt’s fireworks
RIMSKY-KORSAKOV: Overtures and Suites from Operas = Scottish Nat. Orchestra/ Neeme Jarvi – Chandos (2 discs)
Instrumental colors galore, with most suitable performances and sonics to boot
“In Spiritum” – Olivier Latry plays CÉSAR FRANCK: Piéce héroïque; Prélude, Fugue et Variation Op. 18; Trois Chorals pour grand orgue – Olivier Latry, organ of Notre-Dame Cathedral, Paris – DGG
One of the last Universal SACD releases
Oppo DVD 970 HD Universal DVD Player
Electronic Value Product of the Decade
SCHOENBERG: Verklaerte Nacht, (Transfigured Night) Op. 4; ZEMLINSKY: Piano Trio, Op. 3; MAHLER: Piano Quartet – Vienna Piano Trio/ Johannes Fiedler, viola (in Mahler) – MDG Gold
Three Romantic and tonal expressions from the Second Viennese School
Audio News for July 18, 2006
Portable Audio Still Providing Top Electronics Sales; Microsfot, Sony & BMG in Trouble in Europe; XM Radio Asks Copyright Suuit to be Thrown Out; Big Brand Names Influence Shoppers Less; New Single-Speaker Surround Solution
Dave Eggar, cello & ensemble – Left of Blue – Domo Records
Relaxing lyrical originals for cello and others
RICHARD STRAUSS: Violin Sonata in E flat major Op. 18; GEORGE ENESCU: Violin Sonata in A minor Op. 25 “With a Roumanian Folk Character” – Kolbjørn Holthe, violin/ Tor Espen Aspaas, piano – 2L
Superb versions of two important violin-piano sonatas in hi-res surround
30 Days (2005)
The TV series created by the maker of Super Size Me
BEETHOVEN: String Quartet in F Major, Op. 18, No. 1; String Quartet No. 11 in F Minor, Op. 95; String Quartet in F Major, Op. 135 – Busch String Quartet – Dutton
1932-33 recordings by one of the finest quartets of the times
Shostakovich’s Circle = SHOSTAKOVICH: Chamber Symphony in F Major, Op. 73a; GALYNIN: Piano Concerto No. 1; USTVOLSKAYA: Piano Concerto – Serhiy Salov, piano/ I Musici de Montreal/ Yuli Turovsky – Analekta
Two exciting Russian piano concertos plus a symphonic treatment of a Shostakovich string quartet
Stereotypes Audio
Cembal d’amour
Pure Pleasure / Speakers Corner
Cedille
