Monthly Archive: January 2016
Teddy Edwards – Feelin’s – Muse/Xanadu/Elemental
The feelin’s right… Teddy Edwards – Feelin’s – Muse/Xanadu/Elemental 906077, 40:18 (1974) ****: (Teddy Edwards – tenor sax; Conte Candoli – trumpet; Dolo Coker – piano; Ray Brown – bass; Frank Butler – drums; Jerry Steinholz – congas and percussion) Teddy Edwards has never received enough accolades as a heavyweight straight-ahead jazz tenor sax player. Perhaps it was because he primarily stayed on the West Coast throughout his career, and did not get the New York exposure needed to be a breakout star. Nevertheless, Edwards made many standout albums and recorded well into his 70s. Feelin’s, recorded in 1974, is a welcome reissue in the Xanadu Master Edition series. Edwards has a super backing group comprised of Conte Candoli on trumpet, the iconic Ray Brown on bass, and the relatively unheralded Dolo Coker on piano, Frank Butler on drums and Jerry Steinholz on percussion. Recorded on March 25, 1974, at Wally Heider’s Hollywood Studio, this session consists of four Edwards’ originals, a blues from Ray Brown, and a nice cover of “Georgia on my Mind.” “Bear Tracks” is taken at a relaxed shuffle beat. Teddy blows some ultra low notes, much like those of a tugboat horn. “April Love” is […]
Roy Orbison – One Of The Lonely Ones – Universal – vinyl
Roy Orbison – One Of The Lonely Ones – Universal 00602547233042, 33:43 [12/4/15] stereo vinyl ***: Previously unreleased 1969 album surfaces on vinyl. (Roy Orbison – guitar, vocals; plus many others) Roy Orbison is an intricate part of the original rock and roll landscape. His rockabilly structures share a common bond with Southern-based artists like Elvis Presley and Carl Perkins. His inspiration was drawn from the pathos of country music. Songs like “Only The Lonely”, “Pretty Woman”, “Crying” and “Blue Bayou” were heartfelt revelations with a personal message. Orbison remained vital into the Sixties. But like a lot of American rock and roll stars, the British Invasion pushed them aside. It was more than ironic that the very musicians idolized by British rockers, became its most notable casualties. Orbison, whose “near-operatic” twangy tenor had no equal pushed back on this and continued to record and tour. In 1965, he left Monument Records and signed (an alleged $1M deal) with MGM records. While not as commercially successful, Orbison scored 12 MGM-era singles, 10 studio albums and maintained relevance. There were dark times for the Kentucky singer that included the death of his wife (in a motorcycle accident) and a second tragedy […]
Audio News for January 8, 2016
CES First Day Summary; OLED UHD Displays; Pioneer Has OLED Displays and Automotive Laser at CES; Industry Efforts at Promoting Hi-Res at CES
SIBELIUS: Swanwhite; Odian; A Lonely Ski Trail; The Countess’ Portrait – Segerstam cond. – Naxos
Segerstam extends his Sibelius commemoration with rare scores of incidental music. SIBELIUS: Swanwhite – Complete Incidental Music, Op. 54; Odian – Complete Incidental Music, Op. 8; A Lonely Ski Trail; The Countess’ Portrait – Riko Eklundh, narr./ Turku Philharmonic Orch./ Leif Segerstam – Naxos 8.573341, 63:34 (9/25/15) ****: As part of the 150th Sibelius anniversary celebrations, conductor Leif Segerstam leads a disc (rec. Jan-Sept 2014) of the composer’s assorted theater incidental music, beginning with his 1908 setting for August Strindberg’s Swanwhite. The playwright Strindberg fell under the spell of Maurice Maeterlinck’s symbolist play Pelleas et Melisande. Swanwhite was Strindberg’s response to Maeterlinck’s fusion of dream and reality. It is a story in the fairly-tale mold, about a fifteen-year-old princess who lives in a fairy-tale castle with her father, a duke, and with her wicked stepmother, the latter of whom keeps Swanwhite unkempt. The princess Swanwhite has been promised to the king of a neighboring country, but she falls in love with the prince, who is the king’s messenger. The story shares several motifs with the Tristan myth; for instance, the lovers will share a bed which has a sword placed between them. For the play Sibelius wrote a horn call […]
SIBELIUS: Symphonies Nos. 1, 2, 5 & 7 cond. by Leonard Bernstein – Blu-ray (2015)
SIBELIUS: Symphonies Nos. 1, 2, 5 & 7 cond. by Leonard Bernstein – Blu-ray (2015) Performers: Vienna Philharmonic/ Leonard Bernstein Studio: Unitel/C Major [Distr. by Naxos] (11/13/15) Director: Humphrey Burton Video: 1080i color for 16 x 9 (Symphonies 1, 5 & 7) 4 x 3: Sym. 2 Audio: DTS-HD MA 5.1, PCM Stereo All Regions Extras: Previews of other Unitel releases Video: *** Audio: **** Superb Sibelius from the ‘80s with Bernstein. In the mid 1980s, Unitel began recording a complete cycle of Sibelius symphonies with Leonard Bernstein and the Vienna Philharmonic. Bernstein’s death in 1990 unfortunately cut short this project after the release of Symphonies Nos. 1, 2, 5 and 7. Now, these 4 symphonies have been released on a single Blu-ray disc with an option to listen in multi-channel sound. While the Blu-ray release is new, these performances had earlier incarnations on DVD, and I remember some of the Unitel discs being released on Laserdisc back in the day. Bernsein, like von Karajan and Barbirolli, was a champion of Sibelius’ music, and he recorded a well-regarded set of the symphonies in the sixties. It’s a shame Bernstein did not complete this more recent survey of the symphonies, but […]
Water Wars (2010)
An old but timely documentary about a very serious world problem. Water Wars (2010) When Drought, Flood and Greed Collide Director: Jim Burroughs Studio: Earth Now! / Cinema Libre CLS1097 Video: 4:3 color Audio: English PCM mono Subtitles: English Narrated by Martin Sheen Extras: Earth Song video; Bio of Kazi Nazul Islam, author of Oh My River Deep; Behind the scenes of Water Wars; Trailer Length: 55 min. Rating: ***** While this documentary is mainly about Bangladesh, it points out the very serious problems going on thruout the world with water, and says that the Third World War, if there is one, will be over water rights. The country of Bangladesh, the poorest in the world, is prey to every threat from water known to man. It regularly has devastating floods due to dams in India (which surrounds the country on three sides) dumping their excess water in the wet season directly into Bangladesh. Then India siphons off river water during the dry season, creating deserts in Bangladesh that are nothing but sand where previously there was a big river. The natives are forced to dig more wells for drinking water, and often this water has serious arsenic poision that […]
“Poetry in Motion” = Works of ALBERT, DEBUSSY, LOCKLAIR & Others – Fire Pink Trio – MSR Classics
Flute, viola, and harp sound dull? Then try this!
“Cyprus – Between Greek East & Latin West” – Cappella Romana/ A. Lingas – Cappella Romana
An innovative program concept that results in equally persuasive performances.
Chuck Israels: Rhythm and Romance (2016)
A short but interesting film on jazz bassist Chuck Israels.
BRAHMS: Sonatas Nos. 1 & 2; WEIGL: Sonata; HINDEMITH: Sonata in F Major – Paul Doktor, viola/ Nadia Reisenberg, p. – Romeo
Nadia Reisenberg joins master Paul Doktor in excellent restorations of the viola repertory.
Theremin Sonatas – Original Works for Theremin & Piano – Carolina Eyck, Theremin/ Christopher Tarnow, piano – CD with a single video – Genuin Classics
Four Theremin sonatas well-played but I suspect uncomfortable for many listeners.
Houston Chamber Choir, “Soft Blink of Amber Light” = Works of WHITE, HAGEN, THEOFANIDIS, OQUIN & DIORIO – Houston Ch. Choir/Robert Simpson – MSR Classics
A very rewarding collection of modern choral works performed flawlessly!
“The Korngold Project – Part 1” = ERICH KORNGOLD: Suite; Piano Trio – Two Pianists
A couple of oddities here, mostly worth your time.
Nefertiti – Miles Davis Q. – Columbia/Mobile Fidelity 45 rpm vinyl + Filles de Kilimanjaro – Miles Davis Q. – Columbia/Mobile Fidelity 45 rpm vinyl
A pair of the top Miles Davis albums remastered at 45rpm speed.
Janos Starker: In Memoriam = Cello Concertos of MARTINU, PROKOFIEV & DOHNANYI – Praga Digitals
Cello master Janos Starker provides illuminated firepower in three epic works from XXth Century repertory.
Our Gang – Anthony Wilson Trio – Groove Note (2 vinyls)
Audiophile reissue of Anthony Wilson’s Our Gang, with two tracks at 45 rpm.
Mack Avenue Superband – Live From The Detroit Jazz Festival 2015 – Mack Avenue
A supersession from a superband.
“Song of Songs” = DAVID LANG: Just; LUCIANO BERIO: Naturale; BETTY OLIVERO: En la mar hai una torre – Trio Mediaeval & others – Contemporary Music Society
“Song of Songs” = DAVID LANG: Just; LUCIANO BERIO: Naturale; BETTY OLIVERO: En la mar hai una torre – Trio Mediaeval/Garth Knox, viola/Agnes Vesterman, cello/Sylvain Lemetre, perc./Cliona Doris, harp – Louth Contemporary Music Society LCMS 1502 [Distr. by Allegro], 45:18, (10/02/15) ****: The Louth (Ireland) Contemporary Music Society has a growing reputation as one of Europe’s most innovative promoters of contemporary music. This disc is from an October, 2014 concert and shows the quality of the music showcased and of the featured performers; the Trio Mediaeval vocal ensemble and their guest soloists. David Lang remains one of America’s best known most and highly respected composers whose music is known for its tonal and beautiful center and very diverse and creative approaches to structure. The present Just is a fairly long and wholly captivating work that shows the purity of sound of Trio Mediaeval quite well. The text is taken from the Biblical “Song of Songs” of Solomon and breaks up the words into short, beautiful little phrases that force us to concentrate on the words. This wonderful work is also used in the recent film, Youth, starring Michael Caine and Rachel Weisz. The music of Luciano Berio is of a […]
SCHUBERT: Symphony No. 9 & BEETHOVEN: Symphony No. 9 cond. by Furtwaengler – Praga Digitals
Two classic performances which have gained many plaudits.
“An American Menagerie” = Works of AMLIN, MERFELD & HOUGHTON – viola & piano – MSR
Don’t dismiss this album too quickly—there is a lot of substance to be found!
Francesco Di Fiore, “Pianosequenza – Piano Music in Film” – Music by NYMAN, DI FIORE, GLASS, TIERSEN & SUSMAN – Zefir
Very pleasant and uncomplicated; you may want to go discover the films.
MAHLER: Symphony No. 6 in a minor – NY Philharmonic/ Dimitri Mitropoulos – Archipel
MAHLER: Symphony No. 6 in a minor – NY Philharmonic/ Dimitri Mitropoulos – Archipel ARPCD 0440, 72:57 [Distr. by Naxos] ****: Archipel issues the same performance of the Mahler Sixth (10 April 1955) previously made available on Music&Arts CD-1214, which I reviewed before. The inscription bears all the hallmarks of Mitropoulos’ eminently physical response to Mahler’s over-wrought emotionalism, touched by a palpable yearning for transcendence. When the music calls for overt tenderness and sentiment, Mitropoulos accords the moment a decided eroticism, tinged with imminent tragedy. I here reproduce the gist of my original printed reaction, with a few added remarks, given my “refreshed” familiarity with this epic reading. Mitropoulos provides us with a staggering, superheated Mahler Sixth, a work he first introduced to the United States in 1947, to a mixed critical reception. The 1955 realization has the typical earmarks of the Mitropoulos approach: committed, explosive, excruciatingly poignant, and unsentimental. Mitropoulos opts to place the Andante moderato second, a choice obviously not etched in stone, since his later WDR appearance put the slow movement after the Scherzo, which wins nods from self-styled Mahler scholars. The energized, focused quality of the Philharmonic string, wind, and brass choirs warrants praise, especially as […]
Stereotypes Audio
Cembal d’amour
Pure Pleasure / Speakers Corner
Cedille
