Monthly Archive: March 2010
Junior Wells’ Chicago Blues Band – Hoodoo Man Blues – Analogue Productions
Played on a high-end CD player without SACD capability, much of the breathiness of Wells’ vocals and harmonica playing is left out.
Ralph Towner/ Paolo Fresu – Chiaroscuro – ECM
Songwriting Takes Center Stage
The Princess and the Frog, Blu-ray 3-Disc Combo Pack (2009/2010)
Disney’s return to hand-drawn animation is a complete success.
Christian Ferras, Vol. I = Works of MENDELSSOHN, MOZART, TCHAIKOVSKY, MARTINON – Conductors: Schuricht, Swellfish, Bruck – Doremi (2 CDs)
An absolutely priceless addition to the Ferras legacy, in marvelous sound, every note a golden droplet from The Violin of Icarus.
"Hendrix" – Valleys of Neptune – Jimi Hendrix, guitar; Noel Redding, bass; Billy Cox, bass; Mitch Mitchell, drums;Rocky Isaac, drums – Sony Legacy
The new Jimi Hendrix album is probably the best of his posthumous releases.
“Voyage à Paris” – POULENC: Improvisations Nos. 13 & 15; DEBUSSY: Minstrels; The Sunken Cathedral, Fireworks; FRANCK: Prélude, Choral et Fugue; RAVEL: Gaspard de la Nuit suite; MESSIAEN: Regard de l’Esprit de joie – Greg McCallum piano – MSR Classics
A very nice idea for turning a recital of 19th and 20th century piano music into a concept album.
SIBELIUS: Violin Concerto in D Minor, Op. 47; 3 Humoresques from Op. 87 and Op. 89; PROKOFIEV: Violin Concerto No. 1 in D Major, Op. 19 – Vilde Frang, violin/WDR Sinfonieorchester Koeln/Thomas Sondergard – EMI
A sensational debut album by a Norwegian violin virtuoso of intelligence and driving musical introspection.
Air Force One, Blu-ray (1997)
While the politics and special effects are now a little dated, the film is still a lot of fun with plenty of action and a first-rate cast.
Ralph Bowen – Due Reverence – Posi-Tone
More dedications from Ralph Bowen.
Tomasz Stanko Quintet – Dark Eyes – ECM
Pay Close Attention
Audio News for March 12, 2010
3D Movies Showing Up Some Viewers’ Problems; Men’s Hearing Loss Caused by Analgesics; Onkyo Has First THX-certified 3D-Ready AV Receiver; Sharp to Launch Fourth Color in TV Displays
THOMSON: The Mother of US ALL–Suite; BRAHMS: Symphony No. 2 in D Major, Op. 73; CHABRIER: Joyeuse Marche – New York Philharmonic/Leopold Stokowski – Pristine Audio
Thomson’s kind of “prairie” doxology infuses the progression of home-spun musical wisdom.
Postwar Sounds, Switzerland – ROLF LIEBERMANN: Furioso; RICHARD STRAUSS: Metamorphosen; ARTHUR HONEGGER: Symphony No. 3 (Symphonie liturgique) – Philharmonisches Orchester Lübeck/ Roman Brogli-Sacher – Musicaphon
The Liebermann is the real ear-opener here. A student of twelve-tone composer Wladimir Vogel, Swiss composer Rolf Liebermann wrote in a variety of styles, including a light-classical vein.
Gary Peacock, bass & Marc Copland, piano – Insight – Pirouet
On Insight, Marc Copland and Gary Peacock show the kind of tandem communication that only long-time friends can share.
ANTON REICHA: Woodwind Quintets, Volume 10 – Quintet in F Major, Op. 100, No. 1; Quintet in D Minor, Op. 100, No. 2 – Westwood Wind Quintet – Crystal Records
The quintets feature a surprising amount of counterpoint for compositions of the Classical era.
HAYDN: String Quartet in D Minor Op. 76 No. 2 (“Fifths”); String Quartet in C Major Op. 76 No. 3 (“Emperor”); String Quartet in B Major Op. 76 No. 4 (“Sunrise”) – Gewandhaus-Quartett – NCA
The Op. 76 and 77 Quartets represent the pinnacle of Haydn’s achievement in a medium he pioneered, and Op. 76 No. 2 is arguably the finest of all.
HANDEL: Trio Sonatas Op. 2 and 5 – Academy of Ancient Music/ Richard Egarr – Harmonia mundi
These performances of Handel’s trio sonatas feature everything that has made this series so laudable.
CARL MARIA VON WEBER: Clarinet Quintet in B Major Op. 34; SIGISMUND NEUKOMM: Clarinet Quintet in B Major Op. 8 – Eric Hoeprich, clarinet/ Ensemble Les Adieux – NCA
I have nothing but praise for the playing of Eric Hoeprich, principle clarinetist in one of my favorite period-instrument groups, the Orchestra of the 18th Century.
BEETHOVEN: Symphony No. 9 in D Minor, Op. 125 “Choral” – Christiane Oelze, soprano/Petra Lang, alto/Klaus Florian Vogt, tenor/Matthias Goerne, baritone/Deutsche Kammerchor/The Deutschephilharmonie Bremen/Paavo Jarvi – RCA
Paavo Jarvi embraces the original metronome marks for this inscription, a wild exquisitely chaste reading of the first order.
MOZART: Four Preludes and Fugues from String Trio Arrangements (after Bach), K. 404a; Divertimento for String Trio in E-flat Major, K. 563 – The Pasquier Trio – Music&Arts
The Pasquiers have rendered stylistic performances from 1951 whose clean lines make a fine rival to those who came before and who will inevitably follow.
Audio News for March 9, 2010
Sony Introduces 3D-Compatible AV Receivers; Sharp To Offer 3D Video Projectors; Kleer’s Wireless Audio Technology Acquired by SMSC; IPTV Cloud Services Launched in Australia by MatrixStream
Dan Dean – 251 – Origin
With 251, bassist Dan Dean demonstrates vitality and confidence on an array of bass/keyboard partnerships.
Stereotypes Audio
Cembal d’amour
Pure Pleasure / Speakers Corner
Cedille
