Monthly Archive: August 2007
John Coltrane – Stardust – Prestige/Concord RVG Series
Gorgeous pre-modal Coltrane
Chris Walden Big Band & St. John’s Chorus – Kurt Marti Suite – Origin Records
Chris Walden branches out into sacred music
Art Farmer – Farmer’s Market – Prestige/New Jazz/Concord
A hard bop classic from Art Farmer remastered by RVG
Blue Planet & The Dream Is Alive, Blu-ray (1990 & 1985)
These two IMAX presentations make one of the best and most functional uses of the hi-def DVD format
BARTOK: String Quartets Nos. 5 and 6 – Arcanto Quartet – Antje Weithaas, violin; Daniel Sepec, violin; Tabea Zimmermann, viola; Jean-Guihen Queyras, cello – Harmonia mundi
The Arcanto Quartet, through this astonishingly good recording, breathes new life into these difficult pieces
The Kinks: Low Budget – Ray Davies, guitar, keyboards and vocals; Dave Davies, guitar and vocals; Mick Avory, drums; Jim Rodford, bass; Nick Newell, saxophone – Konk/Koch Records
it’s a very good rock recording, and the SACD layer trounces the Red Book layer in every respect. Highly recommended.
The Kinks: Everybody’s In Show-Biz – Ray Davies, guitar and vocals; Dave Davies, guitar and vocals; Mick Avory, drums; John Dalton, bass; John Gosling, keyboards – Konk/Koch Records
This two LP set on one disc at a single disc price easily gets a hearty recommendation.
* BACH: St. John Passion (arr. Schumann, 1851) – Soloists/ Rheinische Kantorei/ Das Kleine Konzrt/ Hermann Max – CPO (2 SACDs)
******* MULTICHANNEL DISC OF THE MONTH ********
More than a curiosity, this version by Schumann is as satisfying as any
“When Angels Make Music” = Music Instruments from 1594 in Freiberg Cathedral – Musica Freybergensis/ Roland Wilson, conductor – Raumklang
A great introduction to Renaissance music of a specific locale in fabulous sound
Wild Hogs, Blu-ray (2007)
Four middle-aged friends attempt to solve their mid-life crises by setting out on a motorcycle road trip.
Linda Ronstadt: Don’t Cry Now – Linda Ronstadt, vocals – with John David Souther, guitars; Chris Ethridge/Lee Sklar, bass; Russ Kunkel, drums; Spooner Oldham, piano; many others – Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab Ultradisc II
Well worth the money, and very highly recommended!
Ida Haendel, violin – The Historic Return to Chelm = Works of BACH, TARTINI, WIENIAWSKI, SARASATE, TCHAIKOVSKY, BRUCH – with Capella Cracov/ Stanislaw Galonski – VAI
Haendel delivers a varied, bravura program that combines her native Polish-Jewish roots with her long career of classical, mainstream repertory.
DVORAK: Piano Quintet in A Major, Op. 81; 5 Bagatelles for 2 Violins, Cello, and Harmonium, Op. 47 – Frank Braley, piano/Ensemble Explorations – Harmonia mundi
A veritable garden of Dvorak delights, this disc.
BEETHOVEN: Leonore Overture No. 3 in C, Op. 72; Symphony No. 4 in B-flat Major, Op. 60 – Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra/William Steinberg – HDTT
We are in the presence of sonic splendor and a thoughtfully paced realization
John McLaughlin, Jaco Pastorius, Tony Williams: Trio Of Doom – John McLaughlin, guitars; Jaco Pastorius, bass; Tony Williams, drums – Columbia/Legacy
The music is really powerful, and the individual performances are superb, especially the incredible drum work of the late Tony Williams.
The Bow (2007)
Intriguing twists on a simple premise make a fascinating story
Audio News for August 15, 2007
All Types of Media Get Used to Limited Expectations; Onkyo Releases HD DVD Player; DirecTV Adding Service Over AC Powerline; IBM to Handle Coupons for DTV-to-NTSC Converter Boxes
Immortal Beloved (2007)
A moving portrayal of the life of Beethoven
“Masters and Commanders” – Music from Seafaring Film Classics: Pirates of the Caribbean, The Buccaneer, The Sea Hawk, Master and Commander, Mutiny on the Bounty, Captains Courageous, Plymouth Adventure, Anne of the Indies, Windjammer & others – Telarc
Kunzel’s 84th Cincinnati Pops album!
Clara Haskil’s Philips Recordings 1951-1960 – Philips 7-CD Set
Her exquisite playing combined lightness, fleetness, dramatic phrasing and terraced dynamics, subtle rubato, digital accuracy, pearly, crystalline articulation.
BEETHOVEN: Symphony No. 1 in C Major; Symphony No. 4 in B-flat Major; Overture to The Ruins of Athens; BRAHMS: Haydn Variations – Pablo Casals Orchestra of Barcelona/ London Symphony Orchestra (Brahms)/ Pablo Casals – Naxos Historical
We look sonically far into the past for these fine Casals performances
RACHMANINOV: Vespers, Op. 37 – Swedish Radio Choir/ Toenu Kaljuste – Virgin Classics
An austere Russian Orthodox liturgical work, but with the Rachmaninoff touch
Stereotypes Audio
Cembal d’amour
Pure Pleasure / Speakers Corner
Cedille
