Monthly Archive: September 2016
Audio News for September 23, 2016
Where Are All the Women in Classical Music? – There is a large dearth of women in leadership roles in classical music. The October listing of classical events in the NY Times had only one piece composed by a woman and one piece conducted by a woman. Women have tended to be well-represented in the creative fields; there should be more female leaders in classical music. The few organizations addressing the disparity aren’t enough, we have the ability to think creatively about how to break the glass ceilings permanently. Andrea Files Complaints Against Apple – Andrea Electronic Corp. of Bohemia, NY has filed a complaint requesting the ITC make an investigation pursuant to Section 337. The complaint alleges that Apple and Samsung unlawfully import into the U.S. and sell certain audio processing hardware, software, and products that infringe on one or more claims of Andrea. The patents relate to methods and apparatus for processing audio signals, and focus on reducing or canceling noise and interference. These affect the technology in computers, notebooks, laptops, tablets, smartphones, headsets, headphones, earbuds and wearables that all allegedly implement the patented technology. In particular, the complaints apply specifically to the iPhone 6S and the Samsung […]
Beauty and the Beast, Blu-ray (1991/2016)
The 25th anniversary edition of a classic widescreen animation from Disney. Beauty and the Beast, Blu-ray (1991/2016) Cast (Voice-overs): Paige O’Hara, Robby Benson, Richard White, Jerry Orbach Directors: Brian McEntee, Gary Trousdale, Kirk Wise Music: Alan Menken Studio: Walt Disney Collection 136699 (9/20/16) Video: 1.78:1 for 16:9 screens, 1080p HD Technicolor Audio: English DTS-HD MA 7.1, English, French or Spanish DD 5.1 Subtitles: English SDH, French, Spanish Dubbed In: French or Spanish 3 Versions: Orig. theatrical, speclal edition and sing-along Extras: Sneak peak at new version; “Always Belle” – Paige O’Hara, the voice of Belle; Menken & Friends: 25 Years of musical inspiration!; The Recording Sessions; #1074: Walt, Fairy Tales & The Beauty and the Beast; 25 fun facts about Beauty and the Beast/ More… Length of feature: 92 min. Rating: ***** Beauty and the Beast has the reputation of being the finest animated feature Disney has ever done, and that may be right. The story is full of unforgettable characters and the music won the Academy Award for Best Song and Best Score in 1991. Belle is not your usual Disney female, being brave and independent, and she has the adventure of a lifetime rescuing her father and being […]
Dave Brubeck Trio Featuring Gerry Mulligan – Blues Roots – Columbia/ Pure Pleasure – vinyl
Brubeck and Mulligan stretch out… Dave Brubeck Trio featuring Gerry Mulligan – Blues Roots [TrackList follows] – Columbia/ Pure Pleasure CS 9749 vinyl (1968) [6/17/16] ****: (Dave Brubeck – piano & honky-tonk-tuned piano; Gerry Mulligan – baritone sax; Jack Six – acoustic and Fender bass; Alan Dawson – drums) When the Dave Brubeck Quartet split up in 1967, and Paul Desmond moved on as a recording leader and solo artist, Brubeck began to explore some new avenues for expression. His quartet with Desmond was highly melodic, and Desmond stepped back when Dave took lead, content to let the pianist shine when leading the rhythm section. However, with the arrival of Gerry Mulligan (on a temporary basis) in the quartet, Brubeck moved in a new direction toward more open improvisation. Dave and Gerry entered each others’ “territory” with open permission. On Blues Roots the new quartet explored the blues with some gritty playing. In the general jazz public, Brubeck was not appreciated as a blues pianist. In the liner notes on the LP, Willie “The Lion” Smith on a Downbeat Blindfold Test extols Brubeck’s blues prowess, stating that he has “heavy hands.” By spreading strips of copper over the piano’s strings, […]
Rahsaan Roland Kirk – Bright Moments – Atlantic Records/ PurePleasure / Hi Horse – vinyl (2)
An energy transfusion from Rahsaan Roland Kirk… Rahsaan Roland Kirk – Bright Moments – Atlantic Records/ PurePleasure / Hi Horse PPAN SD2-907 (2 vinyl set) – 1973 ****1/2: (Rahsaan Roland Kirk – tenor sax, flute, stritch, manzello, nose flute; Ron Burton – piano; Henry Pearson – bass; Robert Shy – drums; Todd Barkan – synthesizer, tambourine; Joe Habao – percussion) When inspired by a hip jazz audience in an intimate setting, the inimitable Rahsaan Roland Kirk was a force to be reckoned with. His energy was palpable and his enthusiasm stoked the audience into a frenzy. One of his favorite clubs was San Francisco’s Keystone Korner, owned by Todd Barkan. Unlike many jazz club owners, it was all about the music for Barkan, and not just running up the cover charge with drink minimums. One of the best live recordings in Kirk’s career was an engagement at the Keystone in 1973, fully documented on two LPs on Bright Moments. That title became a mantra for Rahsaan, as his inspired playing opened the light for his fans until his passing four years after this recording, mostly as a result of a stroke in 1975. To the casual jazz fan, Rahsaan is […]
ROAM Ropes Wireless Earphones & Amp
Beautifully designed and packaged, but ear buds cannot equal good over-the-ear headphones. ROAM Ropes Wireless Earphones & Amp List: $199; $150 at Amazon Ropes are an attempt to equal the impact on the audio world of the Beats headphones in 2008. They are high-style earbuds with a built-in DAC (50 MIPS with 24-bit stereo), Bluetooth unit and a free companion EQ App that allows setting the EQ exactly as you want. True, you can now buy Bluetooth earbuds (and the Ropes uses the latest advanced version of Bluetooth: 4.1) with no cable or separate amp at all, so a set with a big “pendent” (they call it the Audio Engine) seems a bit going backwards. In a way, they have “cut the cord” but only some of the cord – they are not wireless. The components are powered by an inbuilt lithium-polymer battery, which charges in about 15 minutes for an hour of playback. You won’t be able to listen to the earbuds while charging at your computer, because the cable is very short. The unit is beautifully packaged and designed, and with the red cables that came with my black unit could be quite a fashion statement. They seem […]
High Risk – Dark Territory – Greenleaf Music
“Welcome to the future.” High Risk – Dark Territory [TrackList follows] – Greenleaf Music GRE-CD-1049, 40:10 [7/8/16] ****: (Dave Douglas – trumpet, producer; Jonathan Maron – electric and synth bass; Mark Guiliana – acoustic and electric drums; Shigeto – electronics) Trumpeter Dave Douglas knows more than a bit about heading into unknown or new terrain. He makes that clear on Dark Territory, the sophomore release with his quintet dubbed High Risk, which includes Douglas, Jonathan Maron (electric and synth basses), acoustic and electric drummer Mark Guiliana and electronics music expert Shigeto (AKA Zachary Shigeto Saginaw). The 40-minute, seven-track album is an acute creation which blends avant-jazz with electronics and shadowy atmospherics. The title comes from Fred Kaplan’s 2016 book, Dark Territory: The Secret History of Cyber War, which quotes former Secretary of Defense Robert Gates and his description of cyber espionage as a “dark territory” with no light, invisible enemies, and catastrophic consequences. The Dark Territory record has been issued as a compact disc, vinyl LP and as a digital download. This review refers to the CD configuration. The sense of imminent danger, of possible threats on the horizon, can be felt on the nearly seven-minute opener, “Celine,” where Douglas’s healthy […]
Martha Argerich/Itzhak Perlman – Works for Violin & Piano by SCHUMANN, BACH & BRAHMS – Warner Classics
Martha Argerich/Itzhak Perlman = SCHUMANN: Violin Sonata No. 1 in a, Op. 105; Drei Fantasiestuecke for Piano and Violin, Op. 73; BRAHMS: Scherzo in c from F.A.E. Sonata; BACH: Violin and Keyboard Sonata in c, BWV 1017 – Itzhak Perlman, v./ Martha Argerich, p. – Warner Classics 0190295937898, 50:58 (9/30/16) ****: A great pairing in some lovely selections. Assembled from two distinct venues, Saratoga Performing Arts Center (Schumann, Op. 105, 30 July 1998) and Salle Colonne, Paris (29-31 March 2016), classical superstars Itzhak Perlman and Martha Argerich collaborate in music both familiar and unfamiliar to their respective repertory, the Brahms and the Bach sonata new to Martha Argerich. Having performed together in Saratoga, New York in 1998, the two artists had been eager to reunite, and the vivacious spontaneity of their recent recital proves infectious. Schumann’s Violin Sonata No. 1 (1851) casts an agitated veil in the course of its three movements, which betray something of the mental anxiety and obsession of the composer at this time. Besides its famed recording by Adolf Busch and Rudolf Serkin (1937), the work found another acolyte in Szymon Goldberg. The first movement – to be played with “passionate expression” – remains relatively subdued: […]
Al Jarreau – Live At Montreux, 1993 – Eagle Records
Al Jarreau – Live At Montreux, 1993 – Eagle Records ER203992, 71:02 ****: A sure-footed musical exploration by Al Jarreau at his peak. (Al Jarreau – vocals; Paulinho Da Costa – percussion; Steve Gadd – drums; Eric Gale – guitar; Marcus Miller – bass; Philippe Saisse – synthesizer; Joe Sample – keyboards; Patches Stewart – horns; Stacy Campbell, Sharon Young, Jeff Ramsey – backing vocals) Early in his career, a jazz critic described Al Jarreau as “a singer with an orchestra in his throat”. When this album, Live At Montreux, was recorded on July 6,1993 at a performance at The Montreux Jazz Festival, Jarreau was 53 years old and in full control of his vocal facilities. The set list was a stroll through material with which Jarreau was fully familiar, yet also had a number of tunes that were new to his repertoire. Additionally the back-up band had a number of stellar and accomplished musicians, including drummer Steve Gadd, bassist Marcus Miller who been an integral part of one of Miles Davis’ groups, and keyboardist Joe Sample who was one of the founding members of the 1960 hard-bop band The Jazz Crusaders. Jarreau persuasively begins the outing with his 1981 […]
Audio News for September 20, 2016
Amazon’s Echo is Taking Over the World – The $180 small cylindrical speaker is much more than that, and there is a new $50 version called the Dot which can also be used with existing audio systems, and software which keeps multiple units from answering your voice commands. Amazon is building its Alexa army, tied in somehow with Kindel (which the company itself spells Kindel but Amazon insists on spelling it Kindle). Alexa is a plug-and-play hardware now integrated with Lutron and Creston, and Nucleus has a home video intercom device with Alexa built in. Echo is controlled by your voice, and streams music from top services via its 360-degree mono omni-directional audio. It can hear you even on top of music playing and from across the room. It can answer questions, read audiobooks, give the news, info on local businesses etc. It can control lights, switches, and thermostats on smart home devices. Things are constantly being developed to expand what it does. One observer called the virtual assistant the closest thing to a Star Trek computer available today. (But an audio club member complained that the speaker part is mono and has no bass end.) BBC Radio 3 Observes […]
Blunt Talk series – Season 1, (2016)
A most interesting TV series and a quite different role for Patrick Stewart. Blunt Talk series – Season 1, (2016) Cast: Patrick Stewart, Jacki Weaver, Adrian Sarboroght, Richard Lewis Studio: Starz cable TV/ Anchor Bay ST63694 (8/30/16) (2 discs) Video: 1.78:1 for 16:9 screens, color Audio: English DD 5.1 Subtitles: Spanish, English SDH Extras: Inside the World of Blunt Talk, First Look, Meet the Newsroom, Walter & Harry Length: TT: 312 min. Rating: **** Quite a different sort of role for Stewart. He is a British talking-head/interviewer who wants to be a success on cable news with his guidance on how Americans should love, think and behave. He has a dysfunctional news staff, a recent black ex-wife, children of various ages, and a heavy-drinking devoted butler whose life he saved during the brief Falklands War. And more progressive ideas than most TV personalities. Blunt has plenty of problems with his network boss, his motherly producer-manager and her husband, his crazy staff, and his porn-making neighbor. I did like the air mattress he kept in his office and when things got really tough he would get his producer-manager (with whom he had an affair 20 years earlier) to spoon with him, […]
Aerial America – New England Collection, Blu-ray (2013)
Aerial America – New England Collection, Blu-ray (2013) Cast: Jim Conrad – narrator Director: Richard Mervyn Studio: Tusker Television for the Smithsonian Channel IMG1229BD (7/9/13) Video: various aspect ratios for 16:9 screens, HD color Audio: English DD 5.1 Length: 276 min. Rating: ** A less than inspiring travelogue, with less than pristine video. This Blu-ray disc is a collection of the New England states of Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Connecticut. These are the same programs that air frequently on the Smithsonian Channel on cable and satellite TV. The shows were all shot with a Cineflex V14HD gyro-stabilized camera system mounted under the front cabin of a helicopter. These shows have been around for a long time. PBS had an Over America show that is still being aired, and I remember similar shows going back to the 1980s. Still, the photography is generally beautiful, shot at opportune times of day. There is plenty of history, looks at famous places and National Parks, and things that tourists see, and some things tourists would never see. I think the problems with the shows on this disc is it’s a lot of content, 276 minutes, to watch in one session. […]
MOZART and SCHUBERT works played by pianist Annie Fischer – Praga Digitals
Hungarian virtuoso Annie Fischer brings refined energy and passion to Mozart in classic performances. MOZART: Piano Concerto No. 20 in d, K. 466; Piano Concerto No. 22 in E-flat Major, K. 482; Rondo in D Major for Piano and Orchestra, K. 382; SCHUBERT: Impromptu in f, D. 935, No. 4 – Annie Fischer, p./ Philharmonia Orch./ Sir Adrian Boult (K. 466)/ Wolfgang Sawallisch (K. 482)/ Hungarian Radio Sym. Orch./ Ervin Lukacs – Praga Digitals PRD 250339, 81:58 (10/7/16) [Distr. by Harmonia mundi/PIAS] *****: Hungarian pianist Annie Fischer (1914-1996) remained the darling of Mozart interpretation, along with Clara Haskil, though Fischer could be more intense and aggressive in her performances. Andras Schiff credits her with some of “the most poetic playing” of his experience. Various conductors assisted Fischer in her Mozart journeys: Otto Klemperer, Ferenc Fricsay, Wolgang Sawallisch, and Adrian Boult. The present collection assembles London performances from 1959 and 1965, while the Rondo has its recording location in Budapest of 1959. The collaboration on the 1785 d minor Concerto (February 1959) with Sir Adrian Boult establishes a truly ominous atmosphere of sturm und drang, later affirmed by the Beethoven cadenza. The powerful opening motives, however turbulent, find no echo in […]
Zodiac Trio – “Dreamtime” = Works of DANIELPOUR, LIST & MACKEY – Blue Griffin
Very exciting ensemble and some compelling modern works. Zodiac Trio – “Dreamtime” = RICHARD DANIELPOUR: Lamentations; ANDREW LIST: Klezmer Fantazye; Visions from the Aboriginal Dreamtime; JOHN MACKEY: Breakdown Tango; various composers: Zodiac: Across the Universe – The Zodiac Trio – Blue Griffin BGR391, 58:05, (3/08/16) (Distr. by Albany) ****: (Vanessa Mollard, violin/Kliment Krylovskiy, clarinet/Riko Higuma, piano)/Ariel Barnes, cello) The Zodiac Trio is a very exciting new ensemble that specializes in contemporary music, continuing a tradition, perhaps, for this genre started by the esteemed Verdehr Trio. These three very talented musicians met at the Manhattan School of Music in 2006 and have made quite a name for themselves, becoming the first American group to enter the Ysaye Quartet Chamber Music Program at the Paris Conservatory. All of the works here are impressive and worthy additions to the trio repertoire but the most eclectic and hard to describe is also the one piece that offers the most curious results. The Zodiac Trio decided to take advantage of their name or muse and solicit scores of one minute compositions depicting the various astrological/astronomical signs of the zodiac. So, the Trio selected one piece for each sign from the works submitted to form the […]
CHOPIN: 24 Mazurkas – Pavel Kolesnikov, p. – Hyperion
A solid and sensuous reading of Chopin’s most prolific national vehicle. CHOPIN: 24 Mazurkas – Pavel Kolesnikov, p. – Hyperion CDA68137, 69:19 (9/2/16) [Distr. by Harmonia mundi/PIAS] ****: Chopin took the genre of the Polish mazurka and made it his own, composing some 58 “official” works, making it the most active vehicle for his experiments in the form. Chopin’s flexible approach to the basic rhythmic pulse set off his critics, like Meyerbeer, who complained that the beats conformed more to the waltz – see the middle section of the C Major, Op. 33, No. 3 – than to the national dance, but Chopin resisted and often dismissed their critiques. Chopin invented rather than copied the forms he notated, and so he remains less an ethnographer than an original. Since Chopin freely utilized his opera in the form as he saw fit, Pavel Kolesnikov (rec. 22-24 August 2015) follows suit and selects mazurkas freely from among the collections published 1826-1845. We have, then, a compressed survey of the Chopin style in the form as it evolves from Chopin’s early chromatic harmony to intricately sophisticated studies in polyphony and cross-rhythm. Chopin composed mazurkas essentially throughout his entire career, a lyrically national life’s […]
Emma Johnson, clarinet – “An English Fantasy” – Works of TODD, READE, DANKWORTH & HAWES – Nimbus Alliance
Charming new pieces played wonderfully! Emma Johnson, clarinet – “An English Fantasy” = WILL TODD: Concerto for Emma; PAUL READE: Suite from “A Victorian Kitchen Garden”; JOHN DANKWORTH: Clarinet Concerto – “The Woolrich”; PATRICK HAWES: Clarinet Concerto – with BBC Concert Orch./Philip Ellis – Nimbus Alliance NI6328 [Distr. by Naxos], 69:19 (8/12/16) ****: I have been a fan of the ‘English school’ of clarinet playing and music for many years, now, going back to my growing up listening to the great Gervase de Peyer and Jack Brymer. There is a full, rounded tone quality to English clarinet artistry, a bit ‘darker’ tone quality than the French and just the right touch of vibrato. While Emma Johnson’s tone is not identical to my idol, Gervase de Peyer, she has been one of England’s greatest and best known clarinetists for many years now and one of my favorites! This is an absolutely gorgeous and captivating collection of some modern works written for Emma and the feel of these terrific works runs from the idyllic and pastoral to the overtly jazzy. To start with, the Will Todd Concerto for Emma is a simply wonderful and jazz-inspired work, the center-piece of which is the […]
MOSZKOWSKI: From Foreign Lands – Rediscovered Orchestral Works – SF Ballet Orch./ Martin West – Reference Recordings
A delightful set of rediscovered orchestral works of Moszkowski. MORITZ MOSZKOWSKI: From Foreign Lands – Rediscovered Orchestral Works [TrackList follows] – San Francisco Ballet Orch./ Martin West – Reference Recordings HDCD RR-138, 72:45 [Distr. by Naxos] ****: Although Moszkowski composed an opera, ballet, three orchestral suites, a symphony, songs, concertos, and chamber music, if this neglected composer is given any attention at all it is for his salon-type piano compositions. He arranged some of these for full orchestra, and the first five selections on this CD are those. The other two were orchestrated by others in 1912 and 1884. Four of the Moszkowski selections are world premiere recordings. These are memorable and melodious orchestral compositions which, especially in their full orchestra versions, seem much more than mere salon pieces from the 19th century. The opening Torch Dance is based on a tradition at some German weddings in a certain area of a dance with torches featured. The From Foreign Lands is a nearly half-hour suite which has been a San Francisco Ballet performance. This ballet orchestra is one of the leading ones in the world, and the excellent recording was made in the low-noise environment of Skywalker Sound with engineer […]
“Heaven and Earth – A Duke Ellington Songbook” – Danielle Talamantes, sop./ Henry Dehlinger, p. – MSR
I’m tempted to say that if you buy only one disc this year, it should be this one. “Heaven and Earth – A Duke Ellington Songbook” – Danielle Talamantes, soprano/ Henry Dehlinger, piano – MSR Jazz MS 1617, 50:47 [Distr. by Albany] *****: Just to double check, I sought out my review of Danielle Talamantes’s debut album from 2014 on MSR Classics called Canciones espanolas. Here is what I said: “From the very first second of the very first track, Metropolitan Opera and Carnegie Hall soloist soprano Danielle Talamantes rips into a recital of some of Spain’s greatest composers with such daring and furiously emotive singing that you hold your breath at the exuberance and seat-of-your-pants vocal dexterity coming from the speakers. Usually it takes a while for recordings to begin to make their mark, but not in this case; Talamantes besieges us with such exquisite and excitingly idiomatic vocalizing that you leave the listening session in awe.” I hate to be repetitive and verbose, but substitute “some of Spain’s greatest composers” with “Duke Ellington”, and the paragraph retains all of its truthfulness transferred to this new release. These are, of course arrangements—Ellington left few of his piano pieces completely […]
PETER RICHARD CONTE – Virgil Fox Remembered – organist Peter Richard Conte playing the Wanamaker Organ – Raven
PETER RICHARD CONTE – Virgil Fox Remembered – with organist Peter Richard Conte playing the Wanamaker Organ in Philadelphia (TrackList follows) – Raven 976, 67:00 (7/12/16) ***1/2: A heartfelt tribute to master showman and organist Virgil Fox. Virgil Fox was a colorful musical personality and also a superb organist. In the 1970s Fox gained recognition with his ‘Heavy Organ’ concerts, primarily playing Bach and getting praise from young music listeners who appreciated the power of the organ and the flamboyance of Mr. Fox who introduced each piece to cheers and general mayhem. I think Mr. Fox brought a lot of young people to classical music, a very good deed. Back in the day I interviewed Fox for NPR and he was a wild interview. Not your typical church organist. Several Fox discs are still in the catalog, Even a few of his RCA recordings have been remastered for SACD. [I sat on the floor of St. Mary’s Cathedral in San Francisco and listened to one of Fox’s concerts in the ‘70s…Ed.] The CD reviewed here is not a Fox re-release, but rather a tribute from organist Peter Richard Conte. It’s a recording from a sellout 2012 concert sponsored by the […]
Monteux Tanglewood Volume 3: 1961, Part One – Concertos – RACHMANINOFF, BARTOK, VIOTTI – Pristine Audio
The Monteux set of Boston collaborations proves exciting and compelling in new repertory. Monteux Tanglewood Volume 3: 1961, Part One – Concertos – RACHMANINOFF: Piano Concerto No. 2 in c, Op. 18; BARTOK: Rhapsody No. 1 for Violin and Orchestra; VIOTTI: Violin Concerto No. 22 in a – Gary Graffman, p./ Isaac Stern, v./ Boston Sym. Orch./ Pierre Monteux – Pristine Audio PASC 478, 69:31 [avail. in several formats from www.pristineclassical.com] ****: Every meeting between veteran French conductor Pierre Monteux (1875-1964) and the Boston Symphony Orchestra promised excitement and supple grace, at once. The concerts in the Berkshires allow Monteux access to repertory denied him on commercial records, and so those from 23 July 1961 (Bartok and Viotti) and 19 August 1961 (Rachmaninoff) become especially precious to us who cherish Monteux’s sensitive authority in collaborations. Personally, I await the restoration of the Schumann Concerto that Eugene Istomin shared with Monteux at these concerts. Gary Graffman (b. 1928) appears in resolute and resonant form in the most popular of the Rachmaninoff concertos, the first movement’s moving with a kind of feline sleekness and accuracy. Prior to this performance, I could not recall having ever heard a note of this composer from […]
BACH: Keyboard Concerto No. 5 in f; HAYDN: Piano Con. in D; MENDELSSOHN: Piano Con. in a – Joshua Pierce, p./ Slovak Nat. Sym. Orch./ Kirk Trevor – MSR Classics
Fine, persuasive pianism from a well-known source. BACH: Keyboard Concerto No. 5 in f, BWV 1056; HAYDN: Piano Concerto in D, Hob. XVIII; MENDELSSOHN: Piano Concerto in a – Joshua Pierce, p./ Slovak National Sym. Orch./ Kirk Trevor – MSR Classics 1496, 62:44 [Distr. by Albany] ****: It comes as no surprise to me that Joshua Pierce, who has already turned in a marvelous album of Mendelssohn’s two-piano concertos on MSR, should turn to a solo concerto outing. What is surprising is his choice here, the early (about 13 years old) A-minor concerto that has been nearly forgotten, written after the composer’s encounter with Hummel in Weimar. Of course, his later concertos aren’t exactly burning up the concert halls these days either, though most artists of substance have felt the need to contribute performances, most notably Murray Perahia in recent years. And none of them has the lasting, enduring “profundity” that other works like those of Mozart seem to contribute. Nevertheless, Mendelssohn’s pieces are always involving and engaging, as wedded pianistically to the page as that of any composer, ever. Pierce revels in this music, and you can feel the enjoyment. The Bach No. 5 is well known, has been […]
Scott Morgan – Songs Of Life – Miranda Music
Scott Morgan – Songs Of Life – Miranda Music MMCD 1024, 50:38 ***: A release filled with promise. (Scott Morgan – vocals; Fred Hersch – piano; Matt Aronoff – bass; Ross Pederson – drums; Special Guests – Joel Frahm – tenor sax tracks 3/5/8; Janis Siegel – vocals track 10) An internet search of the name Scott Morgan turns up four wildly different individuals including an American rock and roll musician, a Welsh rugby union player, a Canadian artistic gymnast, and a retired English footballer. However, the Scott Morgan of the debut release Songs Of Life is nowhere to be found. Now that is not necessarily a bad thing. However it can be interpreted that this Scott Morgan has not yet made a blip on the American musical scene, and thus has a great deal of ground to make up. The good news is that the producer and musical arranger for this session is the brilliant pianist Fred Hersch. While this does not guarantee success, it is a better starting point than might have been hoped for or expected. The set list covers a panoply of tunes from popular standards to The Beatles to James Taylor to pianist/composer Fred Hersch. […]
CHOPIN: Sel. of Nocturnes, Mazurkas & Ballades – David Korevaar, p. – MSR
Beautiful playing, but lacking a sense of abandon. CHOPIN: Nocturne in c, Op. 48, No. 1; Ballade No. 1 in g, Op. 23; Nocturne in E-flat major, Op. 55, No. 2; Ballade No. 3 in A-flat major, Op. 47; Nocturne in D-flat major, Op. 27, No.2; Mazurka in G major, Op. 50, No. 1; Mazurka in A-flat major, Op. 50, No.2; Mazurka in C-sharp minor, Op. 50, No. 3; Barcarolle in F-sharp major, Op. 60; Berceuse in D-flat major, Op. 57; Nocturne in F-sharp major, Op. 15, No. 2; Scherzo No. 4 in E major, Op. 54 – David Korevaar, p. – MSR Classics MS 1626, 76:53 [Distr. by Albany] ***1/2: David Korevaar has made a number of fine recordings spanning an impressively broad repertory. No one pianist is adept at everything, even among the so-called “greats” of the past. And even within the confines of one composer the results can be quite varied. I am hesitant to call this recording unenjoyable, because in fact I did enjoy it in several sittings. Korevaar, as he has demonstrated many times before, has ample technique, a warm sound—even, daresay, “Chopinesque”—and his interpretations here are obviously well-thought and presented. But what struck me […]
Stereotypes Audio
Cembal d’amour
Pure Pleasure / Speakers Corner
Cedille
