Monthly Archive: January 2017
JON GIBSON: Relative Calm – Jon Gibson, saxes and keyboards/Joseph Kubera, keyboards/David Van Tieghem, perc. – New World
A look back at one of the ‘founders’ of minimalism well worth your while! JON GIBSON: Relative Calm – Jon Gibson, saxes and keyboards/Joseph Kubera, keyboards/David Van Tieghem, percussion – New World 8783-2 [Distr. by Albany], 69:06, (11/04/16) ****: I first became aware of Jon Gibson some forty years ago while he was still a member of the Philip Glass Ensemble. My admiration for Jon at the time was solidly (but only) due to his appreciable saxophone skills. I learned of his skills as a composer who could very capably bend the edges of what was then the minimalism genre through his Two Pieces (minimal though they are, they do not ‘mirror’ Philip Glass and others) on vinyl LP which has recently been rereleased on CD. Relative Calm on CD is a major find. From the press materials, Gibson is “one of the less frequently mentioned pioneering composers of minimal music and is probably best known as a founding member of the Philip Glass Ensemble. Gibson also holds the unique distinction of having performed with Steve Reich, Terry Riley, and La Monte Young (as a member of the Theatre of Eternal Music). In addition to Glass, the four composers are […]
PROKOFIEV: Piano Sonatas 2, 6 & 8 – Alexander Melnikov – HM
Alexander Melnikov delivers his first installment of the tempestuous and alternately lyrical Prokofiev sonata-cycle. PROKOFIEV: Piano Sonata No. 2 in d, Op. 14; Piano Sonata No. 6 in A Major, Op. 82; Piano Sonata No. 8 in B-flat Major, Op. 84 – Alexander Melnikov, piano – Harmonia mundi HMC 902202, 70:05 (11/18/16) [Distr. by PIAS] ****: A complete cycle of Prokofiev sonatas, of which this (rec. 8-10 June 2014 and 3-5 August 2015) comprises the first installment. The 1912 Prokofiev Second Sonata first came to my attention through Jean Casadesus’ Piano Literature class at SUNY Binghamton. Dedicated to Prokofiev’s tragic friend Maximilian Smidthof, the music incorporates Prokofiev’s simultaneous gifts for acerbic percussion and haunted lyricism. The opening movement impressed me – realized by Casadesus at the time – with its multiplicity of moods, themes, and effects, all of which made Casadesus’ hands streak by in blurred, pungent motion. Melnikov – virtually a direct “heir” to Sviatoslav Richter – opts for a decidedly lyrical approach here, softening the percussive episodes so as to allow the polyphony of the five themes to blend, separate, vary, and gain in both ornaments and dynamics. The explosions really erupt from Melnikov in the Scherzo: Allegro […]
Star Wars, remastered – (A New Hope – IV 1977, The Empire Strikes Back – V 1980, Return of the Jedi – VI 1983), Blu-ray (2011)
The first three Star Wars films in their improved digital versions, and on Blu-ray. Star Wars, remastered – (A New Hope – IV 1977, The Empire Strikes Back – V 1980, Return of the Jedi – VI 1983), Blu-ray (2011) Cast: Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fischer, Peter Cushing, Alec Guinness, Billy Dee Williams, Anthony Daniels, David Prowse Directors: George Lucas – IV, Irvin Kershner – V, Richard Marquand – VI Music: John Williams Studio: Lucasfilm/ 20th Century Fox (3 discs) (9/16/11) Video: 2.35:1 for 16:9 screens, HD color Audio: English and made-up languages, DTS-HD MA 5.1, French DTS 5.1, Spanish DTS 5.1 Dubbed: English, French, Spanish Subtitles: English SDH, French, Spanish Extras: Commentary tracks (2) incl. actual interviews with the cast and crew Length: TT: 387 min. Rating: ***** It was a more than worthwhile thing to experience the epic story of Star Wars with high definition, re-done cgi digital effects, and pure digital surround sound. (Even though I am much more of a Star Trek fan.) Lucas transformed his films into “special editions” with new scenes and special effects, which were greeted with shrugs by most fans. Lucas also made the new remastered versions the only ones available. […]
Azar Lawrence & Al McLean – Frontiers – CellarLive
Azar Lawrence & Al McLean – Frontiers – CellarLive CL 073116, 72:22 ***: A gritty outing from two like-minded spirits. (Azar Lawrence – tenor saxophone; Al McLean – tenor saxophone; Adrian Vedady – acoustic bass; Paul Shrofel – piano; Greg Ritchie – drums) For a period in the ‘50s and ‘60s, groups led by two tenor saxophone players seemed to hold some caché. For example there was the group led by Al Cohn and Zoot Sims, another by Bill Perkins and Richie Kamuca and a further group with Gene Ammons and Eddie ‘Lockjaw’ Davis. This type of group iteration fell out of favour without much fanfare, as such things often do. The concept has been rejuvenated with the combination of Azar Lawrence and Al McLean for the album Frontiers issued by the Canadian label CellarLive. As for the music played on this session, in addition to several originals by the band’s front line, the majority of the tracks were penned by either John Coltrane, Thelonious Monk or Freddie Hubbard. Of equal import is the musicians themselves. Azar Lawrence is an American musician who has released a number of album under his own name, but may be best remembered as the […]
Audio News for January 6, 2017
LG’s Ultra-thin TV at CES – The new LG Signature LED W7 might be – at 2.6 mm – the thinnest TV ever made. They call it a “Picture on Wall” and it uses both magnetic hardware and nails to mount it nearly flush to the wall. And it is UHD, and allows you to impress your friends by peeling it off the wall. It will be available in 55-inch and 65-inch screen sizes with a premium aluminum stand and bezel in the screen size. It includes a Dolby Atmos-enabled sound bar that delivers 2.0.2 Atmos sound. They are expected to ship in April, and will be expensive. Sony Now Also Has OLEDs – The Sony A1E is based on an OLED LG display, but includes the X1 Extreme processor, a powerhouse with three main functions: a dual database for noise reduction and 4K upscaling, Super Bit Mapping to smooth gradations by reproducing the equivalent of 14 bits from an 8 bit source, and object-based HDR remastering that identifies individual objects in the image. Speakers are eliminated entirely: the entire screen vibrates to reproduce stereo sound. It also supports Dolby Vision HDR and Chromecast lets you send contact from a […]
Audio News For January 3, 2017
Audio News For January 3, 2017 Stingray Digital to Aquire Classica TV Channel – The Montreal-based company will acquire Classica and access to more than 1,500 titles and 2,000 hours of content from Unitel GmbH, which will continue to produce and deliver programming for Classica. Financial terms weren’t disclosed in Monday’s announcement. Classica is currently distributed by Unitel through existing partnerships across four continents and available to an estimated 20 million subscribers. Stingray says Classica will complement its other classical music products acquired from Berlin-based EuroArts and Brava NL. The company reaches about 400 million subscribers in 152 countries through in-store and residential distribution platforms. Hubblo VR Builds 4K Stereoscopic 360-Degree Video Camera – Hubblo VR revealed an affordable, portable, 4K, stereoscopic, 360-degree, live-streaming camera that will hit the market in the spring for $999. The new company’s first product is a portable 4K 360-degree, stereoscopic video camera with live-streaming capabilities for the consumer market. LG to Release Levitating Bluetooth Speaker – LG to release PJ9 levitating Bluetooth speaker system featuring a 360 degree speaker which is suspended over the top of a separate subwoofer unit by electromagnets. The floating speaker design looks cool and is said to enhance audio […]
Billy Hart & the WDR Big Band – The Broader Picture – Yellowbird/Enja
A tribute from the heart to Billy Hart. Billy Hart & the WDR Big Band – The Broader Picture – Yellowbird/Enja ENJA 97452, 79:14 [9/30/16] ****: (Billy Hart – drums; Christophe Schweizer – arranger, conductor; Johan Hörlen – alto saxophone, soprano saxophone, alto flute, clarinet; Karolina Strassmayer – alto saxophone, flute, piccolo, clarinet; Paul Heller – tenor saxophone, bass clarinet; Olivier Peters – tenor saxophone, clarinet, soprano saxophone; Jens Neufang – baritone saxophone, bass clarinet, contra-alto clarinet; Wim Both, Rob Bruynen, Andy Haderer, Ruud Breuls, & John Marshall – trumpet, Flugelhorn; Ludwig Nuss, Andy Hunter & Raphael Klemm – trombone; Matthis Cederberg – bass trombone, tuba; Frank Chastenier – piano; Paul Shigihara – guitar; John Goldsby – bass) Drummer Billy Hart probably doesn’t get the dues he deserves. He was an important member of Herbie Hancock’s sextet (1969-73), performed with McCoy Tyner (1973-74) and Stan Getz (1974-77), and was part of the group Quest in the 1980s. Since the early ‘90s he’s spent considerable time teaching younger jazz students. Along the way, he’s also done about a dozen solo projects. One of Hart’s gifted pupils was Christophe Schweizer, who arranged, conducted and put together The Broader Picture, which is nearly […]
“Klavierabend” – Piano works of HAYDN, SCHUMANN & SCRIABIN – Arakawa, p. – MSR Classics
Pianist Arakawa delivers three keyboard works, each of which owes its passionate urgency to a feminine muse. “Klavierabend” – HAYDN: Piano Sonata No. 52 in E-flat Major; SCHUMANN: Fantasie in C Major, Op. 17; SCRIABIN: Piano Sonata No. 3 in f-sharp minor, Op. 23 – Jasmin Arakawa, piano – MSR Classics MS 1619, 68:22 (8/17/16) [Distr. by Albany] ****: Assuming a romantic’s approach to the three diverse musical styles – the three compositions having been directly motivated by the composer’s relationship to a significant woman – Ms. Arakawa displays many colorful moments in her intense survey of Haydn, Schumann, and Scriabin. Each of the works means to express an experimental, improvisational spirit. Haydn’s 1794 Sonata in E-flat certainly explores the forte-piano’s capacity for sudden contrasts in dynamics and texture. Much of the first movement’s chromatics look forward to Beethoven, although the secondary theme suggests light-hearted Mozart with its music-box figures. The development opens in C Major, and then proceeds further afield when the secondary tune makes an appearance in E Major. The playing from Ms. Arakawa remains pert, crisp, and direct. The Neapolitan key of E Major will provide the home for the second movement, Adagio. This lovely movement offers […]
January 2017 Editorial Page
Our January free drawing is for a 24-CD box set featuring famed conductor Charles Groves in British music, from Warner Classics. It includes such favorite works as Britten’s The Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra and Holst’s The Hymn of Jesus conducted by Groves and performed by the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra along with the Liverpool Philharmonic Choir. Here is a listing of all the recordings on this 24-CD set, plus a review if it. All you need to do to enter the drawing is simply to check below on the “Register To Win” banner and fill out all the few fields we ask. The lucky winner of the Groves set will be announced here next month. The two winners of the Naxos-donated CD albums – the 9-CD My First Classical Albums, and the My First Christmas Album – our December drawing – are: Glenn Marceil of Winston-Salem, NC and James Le Blanc of Houston, TX. Congrats to both! EDITORIAL AUDIOPHILE AUDITION began as a local program in San Francisco and then in 1985 as a weekly national radio series hosted by John Sunier, and aired for 13½ years on up to 200 public radio and commercial stations. In September 1998 […]
MOZART: Violin Concertos – Isabelle Faust/ Il Giardino Armonico – Harmonia mundi (2 CDs)
MOZART: Violin Concertos – Isabelle Faust/ Il Giardino Armonico – Harmonia mundi (2 CDs) 902230.32, 67:53, 61:26 (11/26/16) *****: (Isabelle Faust; violin/ cadenzas by Andreeas Staier) Mozart’s brilliant violin concertos are much enhanced by the fiddling of Isabelle Faust and newly composed cadenzas. Isabelle Faust has arrived at her preeminent position in the classical music world by an unusual route. Rather than putting personal flair and dazzling virtuosity to work on the popular repertoire in highly visible concerts and recording, she has developed a rigorously intellectual approach informed by an almost self-effacing aesthetic. As for imposing challenges on oneself, try to top this: her first three projects were Bartok, Beethoven (the complete sonatas) and the incomparable J.S Bach sei solo. She is much aided by her much-talked-about fiddle, the “sleeping beauty” 1704 Stradivarius. On the Bach partitas, this instrument was tamed with gut strings and a baroque bow. Ms. Faust illuminated the the architecture of these profound works with a celestial tone and unerring focus. While the pleasures of this recording are those of contemplation, the Beethoven sonatas, (with Alexander Melnikov) demonstrated a different sort of intelligence. Here the Strad sings with the full range human voices, now ravishing, now […]
Jim HALL (guitar) & Red MITCHELL (bass) – Valse Hot: Live at the Sweet Basil 1978 – ArtistsShare
Jim HALL (guitar) & Red MITCHELL (bass) – Valse Hot: Live at the Sweet Basil 1978 [TrackList follows] – ArtistsShare 0148, 50:00 (10/7/16) ****½: Unreleased recordings of a memorable 1978 encounter between Jim Hall and Red Mitchell. I never had the chance to see Red Mitchell play in person. A couple of years after his death in 1992, I found myself standing in his house on the occasion of a house concert, staring at his bass. There it was, a 200-year-old German-made instrument, rather battered and noble-looking. I really wanted to pluck the low string, for unlike any other bass, it was a low C. For a bassist, it was close to the Holy Grail. With Mitchell, one of the giants of the art form, gone, it is rewarding to get a lost recording and to once again hear the most distinctive instrumental voice in jazz played in Mr. Mitchell’s inimitable style, his bass tuned like a cello to C-G-D-A. The session on document here is a Red Mitchell/ Jim Hall duo performance at the Sweet Basil from back in 1978, a recording of which had previously been issued, a highly sought-after item in the LP days. Other analog tapes […]
ENNIO MORRICONE – 60 Years of Music – Czech National Sym. Orch./ Morricone – Decca
A unique collection of Morricones’ greatest hit scores on Decca Records. ENNIO MORRICONE – 60 Years of Music [TrackList follows] – Czech National Sym. Orch./ Morricone – Decca B0025323-02 [11/11/16] *****: This is the first CD of the greatest film score hits of Morricone which he himself has conducted, recorded and curated in order to put together a legacy for his fans to enjoy. At age 88 now, he’s still going strong. It includes everything from his famous film music from The Good, the Bad and the Ugly to his recent Academy Award-winning score for Quentin Tarantinos’ The Hateful Eight. He collaborated with the Czech National Symphony Orchestra for these brand new recordings as part of his 60th anniversary as a composer and conductor. He said the quality of their performance of his work was truly outstanding. This is an outstanding CD which shouldn’t be missed by any fans of his many films. TrackList: 1 Morricone: Gabriel’s Oboe (2016 Version) by Czech National Symphony Orchestra, Prague and Ennio Morricone 2:05 2 Morricone: Falls (2016 Version) by Czech National Symphony Orchestra, Prague and Ennio Morricone 2:57 3 Morricone: On Earth As It Is In Heaven (2016 Version) by Czech National Symphony Orchestra, Prague and Ennio Morricone 3:17 4 Morricone: The Man […]
A Portrait of Duke Ellington – Dizzy Gillespie and his Orchestra – Verve/ HDTT (DVD-A)
A compendium of 11 famous selections by Ellington, played by Dizzy and his Orchestra in hi-res. A Portrait of Duke Ellington – Dizzy Gillespie and his Orchestra – Verve/ HDTT, 41:09 192K/24-bit DVD-A *****: High Definition Tape Transfers has taken the old Verve 4-track pre-recorded tape from a 1960 NYC session and made a hi-res DVD copy using the ultimate in tape-to-digital equipment. Economic pressures forced Dizzy to give up his big band in 1950, but they appeared overseas after that and made this terrific recording. The HDTT liner notes have quite a bit of information about Dizzy and his playing of the unusual trumpet with the horn up at a 45-degree angle, and his cheeks blown out to drastic size. The package looks just like an ordinary CD but it is not. Although it says DVD-Audio, it will play on most any DVD deck or universal player. The sonics and the performances can’t be beat. TrackList: 1 In A Mellow Tone Written-By – Ellington* 3:44 2 Things Ain’t What They Used To Be Written-By – Ellington*, Persons* 4:50 3 Serenade To Sweden Written-By – Ellington* 4:23 4 Chelsea Bridge Written-By – Strayhorn* 2:34 5 Upper Manhattan Medical Group Written-By […]
Stereotypes Audio
Cembal d’amour
Pure Pleasure / Speakers Corner
Cedille
