Monthly Archive: March 2016
BARTOK: Divertimento; Romanian Folk Dances; PIAZZOLLA: Les Cuatro Estaciones Portenas – Konzerthaus Ch. Orch. Berlin/ Sayako Kusaka – CuGate Classics
An interesting combination of composers on one disc. BARTOK: Divertimento for Strings; Romanian Folk Dances; PIAZZOLLA: Les Cuatro Estaciones Portenas (The Four Seasons of Buenos Aires) – Konzerthaus Ch. Orch. Berlin/ Sayako Kusaka – CuGate Classics multichannel SACD CGCO12-2 (3/4/16) ****: The main selection here for me was the string orchestra arrangement of the Romanian Folk Dances, which is usually heard in the version for violin and piano. These seven short selections are full of wonderful Romanian melodies and rhythms and are a joy to hear in these arrangements. The Divertimento was written just before WW II and the music is symphonic in character, with three movements, as though Bartok was aware of the global disaster to come. Its last movement has some melodies and tunes that seem to have come from the Romanian Folk Dances. Piazzolla himself said the tango has much in common with contemporary classical music and that one can find reminiscences of Bartok and other composers in it, so this pairing is perfect. After his change of direction following the session with Nadia Boulanger in Paris, Piazzolla found his expression in the “Tango Nueva” which combined classical European music with Argentinian folklore and hints of […]
BRAHMS: Violin Sonatas Nos. 1-3 & others – David Oistrakh, v. – Praga Digitals
The complete Brahms violin sonata cycle from David Oistrakh shines in live concert performances from Prague and Moscow. BRAHMS: Scherzo in c minor, WoO 2; Violin Sonata No. 1 in G Major, Op. 78 “Regenlied-Sonata”; Violin Sonata No. 2 in A Major, Op. 100 “Thun”; Violin Sonata No. 3 in d minor, Op. 108 – David Oistrakh, violin/ Frida Bauer & Sviatoslav Richter, p. (Scherzo, Op. 100) – Praga Digitals PRD 250 321, 73:38 (2/19/16) [Distr. by Harmonia mundi] ****: Russian violin master David Oistrakh inscribed his live Brahms works over the course of six years, 1966-1972, in concerts alternating between Prague and Moscow. Oistrakh opens (8 December 1968, Moscow) with the 1853 Scherzo that formed a part of the so called F-A-E Sonata that Brahms, Albert Dietrich, and Robert Schumann co-created for their mutual friend Joseph Joachim. Oistrakh and Richter strike a potent, slashing tone throughout the movement, although its tender episodes enjoy a sympathetic pathos. The musical scene switches to Prague (17 May 1972), where Oistrakh and Frida Bauer collaborate on the 1878 G Major Sonata. The transparent theme, based on the Op. 59, No. 3 “Regenlied,” gains volume and momentum from both performers, gravitating to a […]
Audio News for March 29, 2016
Benefits of a Curved Screen HDTV – Almost none. Perhaps if you’re a single person sitting right in the center of the screen it might be nice, but it prevents good viewing from the sides and takes up more room, as well as being more expensive. It may be nice in some commercial theaters but in the home the better visual quality is in fact unverified. Basically it’s just a commercial ploy to get you to spend more on a TV. And wait for the next generation of 4K HDTVs – this one doesn’t address the many other areas needing upgrading besides the resolution, and you need to sit extremely close to see any improvement in resolution anyway. And there is almost nothing reasonable available in 4K until the higher-capacity Blu-rays come out in a few months. MIT Launches Battery-Operated Headphone Amp – MIT has put their patented Multipole Technology inside an active circuit to make their Vero HCA 29 high current, silent-powered class AB headphone Amp. The new amp, which features 29 poles of articulation, is so far only on Indiegogo. Multipole Technology has been used on many films and recordings as well as MIT cables, but this is […]
“Filament” = Works of DESSNER, MUHLY, LUX & GLASS – eighth blackbird – Cedille vinyl & CD
Fear not minimalism or new music—hear this with joy and gratitude. “Filament” = BRYCE DESSNER: Murder Ballades; NICO MUHLY: Doublespeak; SON LUX: To Love; This is My Line; PHILIP GLASS: Two Pages – eighth blackbird – Cedille CDR60000 157, vinyl & CD, 49:10, (7/08/16) [Distr. by Naxos] ****: Chicago based Eighth Blackbird is absolutely one of the finest new music ensembles in the country. They are all superb musicians and their choice in repertory is excellent; something that, fortunately, has given them a stellar reputation with contemporary composers and this amazing rep list becomes self-supporting. This new collection is a perfect example and was recorded live at Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago, in May of 2013. To me, the centerpiece of this set is the amazing Murder Ballades by the very talented guitarist (of the rock group “The National”) turned composer Bryce Dessner. This collection of seven captivating pieces is based on the very real and somewhat bizarre folk tradition of writing ballades and ditties that describe murders. The individual works are mostly based on actual folk melodies on this grisly topic; while “Dark Holler” is actually an original melody of Dessner’s in the same dark, folky but ominous style. This […]
Fargo, Year Two, Blu-ray (2016)
One reviewer says it’s an insult to call this a TV series; it’s a great ten-hour movie. Fargo, Year Two, Blu-ray (2016) Cast: Patrick Wilson, Keith Carradine, Ted Danson, Jesse Plemmons, Kirsten Dunst, Jean Smart Studio: 20th Century Fox, 3 discs, 10 episodes (2/23/16) Video: 1.78:1 for 16:9 1080i color Audio: English DTS-HD MA 5.1, Spanish DD 5.1 Subtitles: English, French, Spanish Dubbed: Spanish Extras: Skip Sprang TV commercial; The Films of Ronald Reagan, “Waffles and Bullet Holes: A Return to Sioux Falls;” “Lou on Lou” – Conversation with Noah Hawley, Keith Carradine and Patrick Wilson; more… Length: 572 min. Rating: ***** The general feeling is that the first season (which we haven’t seen) was even better, but this is a great series nevertheless. Each season is a different story (and stands alone) that has some connections to the feature film (the wood chopper for example is replaced by a meat grinder). This one is about a war brewing between a drugs gang from Kansas City (representing the corporate world) and a family operation run by the Gerhardts out of Fargo, North Dakota. It runs completely out of control after an innocent couple, the local butcher Ed and his wife […]
BRAHMS: Piano Concerto No. 1; Variations and Fugue on a Theme of Handel – Claudio Arrau, p./ Bavarian Radio-Sym. Orch. /Rafael Kubelik – Praga Digitals
Claudio Arrau realizes Brahms in the grand manner, both in recital and with a spirited Bavarian ensemble. Claudio Arrau plays JOHANNES BRAHMS: Piano Concerto No. 1 in d minor, Op. 15; Variations and Fugue on a Theme of Handel, Op. 24 – Claudio Arrau, p./ Bavarian Radio-Sym. Orch. /Rafael Kubelik – Praga Digitals PRD/DSD 350 068, 79:27 [Distr. by Harmonia mundi] ****: A sturdy combination of technical prowess and intellectual erudition marked the long career of Chilean virtuoso Claudio Arrau (1903-1991). Arrau’s often massive chordal approach made him a “German” performer par excellence, courtesy of his one teacher, Martin Krause. Although Arrau and Vladimir Horowitz had been exact contemporaries, Arrau favored a personal and aesthetic distance from his public, preferring to preserve his individual space and vision without concessions to the public or to record company management. By the end of his career, he dropped encores from his response to audience adulation – you paid your money, and Arrau delivered his stated program. When I complimented him (in Atlanta) on his 1951 inscription of the Schumann Concerto with Victor de Sabata, Arrau remarked, “That was a long time ago.” The Brahms 1861 Handel Variations remained a staple of the Arrau […]
“Trouvailles” Cello and Piano Sonatas by BOËLLMANN, DOHNÁNYI and BRIDGE – Hannah Holman, cello /Réne Lecuona, p. – Blue Griffin
A talented piano/cello duo performs sonatas by Boëllmann , Dohnányi and Bridge. “Trouvailles” Cello and Piano Sonatas by BOËLLMANN, DOHNÁNYI and BRIDGE – Hannah Holman, cello /Réne Lecuona, p. – Blue Griffin BGR 359, 76:24 (Distr. by Albany) *****: The catalogue of works for cello and piano is not extensive, and yet these two musicians, Réne Lecuona and Hannah Holman, searched it and found these three treasures (French “trouvailles”). All three composers were virtuoso performers on their chosen instruments before they began serious composing – Léon Boëllmann on organ and piano, Ernó Dohnáhnyi on piano, and Frank Bridge on viola – and so the quality of playing required in each of these works is very high. Léon Boëllmann (1862 – 1897) is the earliest of the three and the shortest-lived. Born in Alsace, he entered music school at age nine and happened to come under the tutelage of two great organ teachers, Lefèvre and Gigout. He won prizes in organ and piano performance as well as music theory, and was a favorite of his teachers. Indeed, he married Lefèvre’s daughter, and was adopted by Gigout. He moved easily in the best Parisian musical circles, and at 25 became “organiste titulaire’ […]
DE FALLA: Complete Works for Solo Piano – Juan Carlos Rodriguez, p. – Paladino Music
All of Manuel de Falla’s piano music, sensitively played by fellow Spaniard Juan Carlos Rodriguez. MANUEL DE FALLA: Complete Works for Solo Piano – Juan Carlos Rodriguez, p. – Paladino Music pmr0062 (Distr. by Naxos), 73:36 *****: Manuel Maria de los Dolores Falla y Matheu (Manuel de Falla) was born in 1876 in Cadiz, Spain and died in Alta Garcia, Argentina 70 years later. He became one of the leading Spanish composers of the 20th century, along with Isaac Albéniz (1860 – 1909) and Enrique Granados (1867 – 1916). He left music lovers with dozens of stage works, including three of the best – La vide breve (Life is short – 1913), El amor brujo (Bewitched Love, or The Magician – 1915), and El sombrero de tres picos (The Three-cornered Hat – 1917). And he spent his last decades obsessed with completing his monumental opera Atlántida, but never did. This CD presents all of the known piano music that Manuel de Falla composed – and helpfully does so in chronological order. Manuel de Falla took piano lessons in the city of his birth, developed an interest in journalism and literature in his teenage years, and established two literary magazines. By […]
The Stryker/Slagle Band Expanded – Routes – Strikezone
A jazz journey from two artists who’ve been there, done that. The Stryker/Slagle Band Expanded – Routes [TrackList follows] – Strikezone 8813, 50:16 [2/5/16] ****: (Dave Stryker – guitar, co-producer; Steve Slagle – alto saxophone, soprano saxophone (track 2), flute (tracks 2, 6), horn arranger, co-producer; John Clark – French horn; Billy Drewes – tenor saxophone, bass clarinet (tracks 2, 3); Clark Gayton – trombone, tuba (tracks 3, 6); Bill O’Connell – piano, Fender Rhodes (tracks 2, 5-6); Gerald Cannon – bass; McClenty Hunter – drums) On the 50-minute Routes, frequent musical allies, friends and co-leaders Dave Stryker (guitar) and Steve Slagle (saxes, flute) explore journeys from place to place, past to present, and person to person. The two have collaborated for decades on each other’s projects, in other people’s groups, and as the mainstays of the Stryker/Slagle Band. This time around, Slagle and Stryker have lots to say about areas they’ve called home, musicians they’ve performed with or met along the way, and the passage from their past to their present. That spacious viewpoint also means an enlarged ensemble was needed, thus this nine-track outing utilizes the Stryker/Slagle Band Expanded. One tune features Slagle and Stryker’s traditional quartet setting, […]
Tom Collier, vibes – Across The Bridge – Origin
Tom Collier – Across The Bridge – Origin 82703, 56:31 ****1/2: Seattle vibraphonist is masterful on his latest release. (Tom Collier – vibraphone, marimba; Larry Coryell – guitar; Bill Frisell – guitar; Dan Dean – bass, guitar; John Bishop – drums; Ted Poor – drums) Tom Collier’s career as a vibraphonist is unlike any other. He has played with an eclectic, diverse group of artists including Frank Zappa, Dave Holland, The Beach Boys, Cal Tjader, Shelley Manne, Earl “Fatha” Hines, Barbra Streisand, Ry Cooder, Peggy Lee, Manheim Steamroller and The Mills Brothers. As leader, he has been recording since 1981 (including a near four-decade association with Dan Dean). Collier has garnered an equally legitimate reputation as a classical player, performing with The Seattle Symphony, Bellevue Philharmonic, Denver Northwest Symphony, Everest Symphony, and the Olympia Symphony. He has played tympani with The Northwest Resource Center. As a classical musician, he released classical recordings like Mallet Fantastique (2010) and Tom Collier Plays Haydn, Mozart, Telemann And Others (2012). Collier is also very involved in music education. He has been the Director of Percussion Studies at University Of Washington, and has been awarded a Royal Research Grant from UW to fund three albums. […]
BEETHOVEN: Piano Concertos; The Late Sonatas – Wilhelm Kempff, p. – APR (4 CDs)
The early Beethoven legacy from Wilhelm Kempff – sonatas and concertos – with excellent restoration in these inscriptions. BEETHOVEN: Piano Concertos = Concerto No. 1 in C Major, Op. 15; Bagatelle in C Major, Op. 33, No. 5; Six Ecossaises in E-flat Major, WoO83; Concerto No. 3 in c minor, Op. 37; Concerto No. 4 in G Major, Op. 58; Concerto No. 5 in E-flat Major “Emperor,” Op. 73; Rondo a capriccio in G Major “Rage over a lost penny,” Op. 129 – Berlin State Opera Orch./ Dresden Philharmonic Orch./ German Opera House Orch./ Paul van Kempen (Nos. 3 & 4)/ Berlin Philharmonic Orch./ Peter Raabe (No. 5)/ Wilhelm Kempff, p. – APR 6019 (2 CDs) 75:34, 77:38 (2/26/16) [Distr. by Harmonia mundi] ****: BEETHOVEN: The Late Sonatas = No. 24 in F-sharp Major, Op. 78; No. 26 in E-flat Major “Les adieux,” Op. 81a; No. 27 in e minor, Op. 90; No. 28 in A Major, Op. 101; No. 29 in B-flat Major “Hammerklavier,” Op. 106; No. 30 in E Major, Op. 109; No. 31 in A-flat Major, Op. 110; No. 32 in c minor, Op. 111/ Wilhelm Kempff, p. – APR 6018 (2 Discs) 76:02, 71:26 (1/29/16) [Distr. […]
KVERNO: Credo – A Composer Portrait of Trond H.F. Kverno – Bergen Cathedral Choir/ Arnfinn Tobiassen, organ – LAWO
KVERNO: Credo – A Composer Portrait of Trond H.F. Kverno – Bergen Cathedral Choir/ Arnfinn Tobiassen, organ – LAWO multichannel SACD (5.0) LWC1091 (11/13/15) [Dist. by Naxos] ****: Inspiring and ethereal music by Norwegian composer Trond Kverno. The new SACD/CD from Bergen Cathedral Choir and organist Arnfinn Tobiassen is a tribute to Norwegian contemporary composer Trond H.F. Kverno on his 70th birthday. The listener is introduced to both his choral work, as well as his works inspired by medieval ballads and Norwegian folklore. The works on this disc were composed in the 1970s through 2004. Most of the selections on this disc are based on Norwegian folklore. Some of the pieces are instrumental, and feature some powerful organ playing by Tobiassen. Some are choral works that are ethereal and beautiful. Translations are provided in the informative liner notes. Bergen is such a stunning and uplifting city, it’s not surprising to hear such inspiring music from musicians with ties to the locale. If you haven’t been there, search the web for some photos. Most of our readers, including me, won’t be familiar with Kverno’s music, but that’s not an excuse to fail to pick up this disc and give it a listen. […]
Audio News for March 25, 2016
To Stream Music to Speakers and Headphones; BoomSound Speakers Popularity; Behringer Ships 192K Audio Interfaces; Igudesman & Joo for April Fools
TCHAIKOVSKY: Swan Lake Suite; RACHMANINOFF: Piano Con. 2 – both Philadelphia Orch. & Ormandy – HDTT audio-only Blu-rays
Two potboilers in proper quadraphonic surround sound on Blu-ray. TCHAIKOVSKY: Swan Lake Suite – Philadelphia Orch./ Eugene Ormandy – from RCA Quad 4-track tape 1972 – HDTT audio-only Blu-ray (4.0 & 2.0) DTS-HD MA ****: RACHMANINOFF: Piano Concerto No. 2 – Artur Rubinstein, p. / Philadelphia Orch./ Eugene Ormandy – from RCA Quad 4-track tape 1972 – HDTT audio-only Blu-ray (4.0 & 2.0) DTS-HD MA ****: PentaTone are not the only ones bringing four-channel quadraphonic recordings of the past to present-day multichannel formats, but now HDTT is doing the same with these two quad 4-track prerecorded tapes. They have a 192/24 resolution on the four tracks. The results are processed via the very high-end facilities of HDTT and even though four-track rather than two-track, there is no noticeable hiss at all to be heard and the fidelity is excellent. Max Wilcox was the producer and Paul Goodman was the engineer for the first, the second Blu-ray is uncredited. The 14 sections of the suite which Ormandy selected are beautifully played and the sonics are first rate. Rubinstein’s Piano Concerto No. 2 is one of the great recorded performances of the work and holds a lot of appeal. The Rachmaninoff Blu-ray […]
STRAVINSKY conducts STRAVINSKY: L’Histoire du Soldat; Dumbarton Oaks & others – Pristine Audio
For Stravinsky enthusiasts, this disc fills an essential gap otherwise omitted in the recorded legacies accumulated over the years. STRAVINSKY conducts STRAVINSKY: L’Histoire du Soldat Suite; Violin Concerto in D Major; Jeu de Cartes; Dumbarton Oaks Concerto for Chamber Orchestra in E-flat Major – Marcel Darrieux, violin/ Emil Godeau, clarinet/ Gustave Dherin, bassoon/ Eugene Foveau, cornet/ Raphael Delbos, trombone/ Alphonse-Joseph Delmas, doublebass/ Jean-Paul Morel, percussion (L’Histoire)/ Samuel Dushkin, violin/Lamoureux Orch. (Concerto)/ Berlin Philharmonic Orch. (Jeu de Cartes)/ Dumbarton Oaks Festival Orch./ Igor Stravinsky – Pristine Audio PASC 462, 79:20 [avail. in various formats from www.pristineclassical.com] *****: Producer and Restoration Engineer Mark Obert-Thorn provides the rationale for this collection of Stravinsky’s rare recordings: The present program might be called “The Uncollected Stravinsky,” as it brings together several items which have been left out of recent reissues of the composer’s recordings, mainly because they were done as “one-offs” for labels with which the composer did not usually record. We hear here his only recordings for Polydor, Telefunken and Keynote, as well as a French Columbia recording omitted in EMI’s “Composers in Person” series set of CDs devoted to Stravinsky. If you have this CD and the Mozart download on this [Pristine] webpage, […]
Snarky Puppy – Family Dinner Vol. Two – Ground Up – Universal Music – CD+DVD
Snarky Puppy – Family Dinner Vol. Two – Ground Up – Universal Music B0024506-00 (CD + 16:9 DVD), *****: Eclectic fusion big band celebrates music in New Orleans with special guests. (Michael League – electric bass, ukulele, bass, Moog bass, vocals; Bill Laurence – piano, vocals; Cory Henry – keyboards; Shaun Martin, – keyboards, vocals; Justin Stanton – Keyboards, trumpet, vovals; Bob Lanzetti – guitars; Mark Lettierri – guitars; Chris McQueen – guitars; Jay Jennings – trumpet, Flugelhorn, vocals; Mike “Maz” Maher – trumpet, Flugelhorn, vocals; Chris Bullock – tenor saxophone, alto flute, flute, vocals; Robert “Sput” Searight – drums, percussion; Larnell Lewis – drums, percussion; Nate Werth – percussion; Marcelo Woloski – percussion; Candy West – vocals; Peaches West – vocals; Rachella Searight – vocals; with Nola International: Nigel Hall – vocals; Big D. Perkins – electric guitar; Ivan Neville – clarinet, vocals; John Gros – organ; Brian Coogan – piano, vocals; Big Sam Williams – trombone; Khris Royal – alto saxophone; Terence Blanchard – trumpet; Donald Ramsey – electric bass; Jamison Ross – drums; Terence Higgins – drums ; Mike Dillon – percussion; Jason Marsalis – percussion; with guest instrumentalists: Charlie Hunter – 7-string guitar; Jeff Coffin – […]
DELIUS: Violin Con.; BRITTEN: Violin Con.; MILFORD: Darkly Thrush – Royal Scottish & Philharmonia Orch. – Dutton Epoch
FREDERICK DELIUS: Violin Concerto; BENJAMIN BRITTEN: Violin Concerto; ROBIN MILFORD: The Darkling Thrush – Royal Scottish Nat. Orch. /David Lloyd-Jones, cond./ Philharmonia Orch./ Nicholas Collon, cond./ Phillippe Graffin, violin – Dutton Epoch stereo-only SACD CDLX 7320, 68:46 (9/11/15) [Dist. by Harmonia mundi] ****: Two familiar English works and a very worthwhile world premier. English label Dutton Epoch has given us a fine stereo SACD with 3 notable works; Delius’ Violin Concerto, Britten’s Violin Concerto Op. 15, and the world premier recording of Robin Milford’s The Darkling Thrush. The two English violin concertos are well known in the repertoire, and the Milford piece is written for violin and orchestra. This all-English program has much to recommend it both musically and sonically. The Delius concerto was written in 1916 while the composer was still in England. The score has been revised several times, and this performance reflects edits in the score by Delius champion Sir Thomas Beecham. It goes a bit further than the Beecham edit, however, and it includes revisions to the solo violin part by Albert Sammons. The Britten concerto was written as World War II unfolded. It’s highly emotional, and remains a popular, lyrical work. Finally, the disc features […]
Audio News for March 22, 2016
Federal Trade Commission Warns Android Developers Who Spay on User’s TV Habits; Best Cables for Audio & Video Gear; Classical Music and TV Commercials; Canadian Travelers Never Leave Home Without Their Electronics; VR Video Gaming Is Getting Very Real
MOZART: Requiem, Soloists /Dunedin Consort/ John Butt – Linn vinyl
MOZART: Requiem K. 626 (reconstruction of the first performance) – Joanne Lunn, sop./ Rowan Hellier, alto/Thomas Hobbs, tenor/ Matthew Brook, bass-bar./Dunedin Consort/ John Butt – Linn vinyl CKH 549, 47 mins. (7-10-15) (Dist. by Naxos) *****: Trying to replicate the sound of the premiere performance of the work in the 18th century. There are more than 125 recordings of Mozart’s Requiem formally available these days, all the old and ancient ones of course, plus rafts of new, often more ascetically splendid ones conducted by names like Herreweghe and Higginbottom. But this new one from Linn is different. It’s as if Carlo-Maria Giulini’s great Golden Age vision for Sony of Mozart’s spiritual awakening had been infused with the steel of the best of early 21st century musicological knowledge. In fact, this is the premiere recording of Mozart scholar David Black’s new 2013 edition of the completion of Mozart’s Requiem by Franz Xaver Süssmayr, using half the number of strings used in the 1793 formal premiere later that year and a standard vocal complement of eight singers, serving up what a small-forces version might have sounded like. And while John Butt points out in his excellent liner notes that “it would be natural […]
Bob Gluck, Billy Hart, Eddie Henderson, Christopher Dean Sullivan – Infinite Spirit: Revisiting Music of the Mwandishi Band – FMR
Herbie Hancock’s Mwandishi period reassessed. Bob Gluck, Billy Hart, Eddie Henderson, Christopher Dean Sullivan – Infinite Spirit: Revisiting Music of the Mwandishi Band [TrackList follows] – FMR CD398-0915, 63:17 [2/1/16] ***1/2: (Bob Gluck – piano, electronics, arranger (except track 4), co-producer; Jabali Billy Hart – drums; Mganga Eddie Henderson – trumpet; Christopher Dean Sullivan – bass, arranger (track 4), co-producer) Herbie Hancock’s legacy is the locus of the hour-long tribute, Infinite Spirit: Revisiting Music of the Mwandishi Band. Pianist/author Bob Gluck was inspired to put together this project when doing interviews for his book, You’ll Know When You Get There: Herbie Hancock and the Mwandishi Band, which was published in 2012. Gluck and his bandmate, bassist Christopher Dean Sullivan, invited trumpeter Eddie Henderson and drummer Billy Hart, both Mwandishi Band alumni, to participate (the two even reuse the Swahili names listed in the credits of Hancock’s Mwandishi ensemble). The result is five lengthy pieces, four associated with Hancock’s 70s period, plus a likeminded Sullivan original. This material is imbued with groove, creativity, and crisscrosses respect for the original music with an inventive perspective. The quartet commences with a nearly 14-minute excursion through the dazzling “Sleeping Giant,” which Hancock did as […]
Bill Frisell – When You Wish Upon a Star – OKeh/Sony Music – OKeh/Sony
The magic of movies and television as heard via Bill Frisell’s imagination. Bill Frisell – When You Wish Upon a Star [TrackList follows] – OKeh/Sony Music Masterworks 88875142212, 63:26 [1/29/16] ****1/2: (Bill Frisell – electric and acoustic guitar, arranger; Petra Haden – voice; Eyvind Kang – viola; Thomas Morgan – bass; Rudy Royston – drums, percussion) Guitarist Bill Frisell found inspiration in his past for his latest effort, the 63-minute When You Wish Upon a Star. Over the course of 16 tracks, Frisell explores movie music and television show themes linked to cinema and TV programs he grew up with, including material from the James Bond franchise, Disney animation, westerns, and more. Frisell approaches the compositions on When You Wish Upon a Star as a magnification of his ongoing engagement with Americana and roots music, such as 1997’s Nashville, 2000’s Ghost Town and his evocative and reimagined Buster Keaton soundtracks. There is an impressionistic and sometimes atmospheric magnetism which permeates When You Wish Upon a Star. Frisell and his group rarely crank up the volume. Rather, Frisell sustains a sublime evolution with his quintet, which comprises vocalist Petra Haden (one of bassist Charlie Haden’s three daughters; she’s collaborated on other […]
Jussi Björling: Copenhagen Concert & Voice of Firestone B’cast – JSP Records
Vocal enthusiasts may well rejoice that a previously unreleased tape of Jussi Bjoerling appears, from 1959. Jussi Björling: Copenhagen Concert – Jussi Bjoerling, tenor/ Bertil Bokstedt (piano) – The Voice of Firestone 1952 Broadcast – Jussi Bjoerling, tenor/ Orch. & Chorus/ Howard Barlow (rec. live, Falkoner Centret, Copenhagen, 15 October 1959; NBC studio, Rockefeller Center, New York, 10 March 1952) – JSP Records JSP682, 67:50 [www.jsprecords.com] ****: The Jussi Bjoerling Society USA unveils an undiscovered Bjoerling treasure – a Copenhagen recital from October 15, 1959. According to Sue Flaster, speaking on behalf of the Society, the recording, brought to light by collector John Haley, has been released on the JSP label, with the engineering entrusted to Seth B. Winner and CD booklet essays by Harald Henrysson and Opera News contributor Stephen Hastings. These newly-discovered Bjoerling (1911-1960) tapes – in excellent sound quality – were recorded in Copenhagen on 15 October 1959 in the then brand new Falkoner Centret – a concert hall with superlative acoustics seating 2000 listeners. The venue had been fitted out with state-of-the-art recording equipment, which was employed to preserve musical events. The material found itself consigned to the archives – until now. There comes a […]
Stereotypes Audio
Cembal d’amour
Pure Pleasure / Speakers Corner
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