Monthly Archive: May 2017
“Aspects” = Aquarelle Guitar Quartet – Chandos
Aquarelle Guitar Quartet, “Aspects” [Track List follows] – Aquarelle Guitar Quartet – Chandos CHAN 10928 [Distr. by Naxos] 57:21, (11/18/2016)****: Some really nice guitar playing sure to please all tastes! I am certainly not an expert on classical guitar playing but I do like listening to it going back to my father’s collection of vinyl examples of Andres Segovia and having my own modest collection of ‘LP’s of solo guitar with or without orchestra. The guitar quartet is a genre that has been around for a while but seems to be experiencing renewed popularity. I was not familiar with the Aquarelle Quartet until receiving this disc but these guys are very impressive! The Aquarelle is Michael Baker, Vasilis Bessas, James Jervis and Rory Russell. They have made several recordings featuring everything from guitar ‘standards’ to some very tasteful transcriptions and new works written by the members of the quartet and by other composers for them. In that latter category, this album features three premiere recordings: Welsh Dance No. 2 by Dalwyn Henshall, Flippen/Soon or Never by Carl Mikael Marin and the “Punch Brothers” and an Elegy by John Brunning. Like everything on this very pleasant and engaging album, these are […]
FLECK: Juno Concerto; Quintet – Béla Fleck, banjo/Brooklyn Rider/Colorado Symph./Jose Luis Gomez– Rounder Records
Béla FLECK: Juno Concerto; Griff; Quintet for Banjo and Strings: Movement II – Béla Fleck, banjo/Brooklyn Rider/Colorado Symphony/Jose Luis Gomez– Rounder Records 1166100200 50:51 (3/17/17) ****: A banjo concerto – a very entertaining one at that! I am not at all sure how many works for banjo and orchestra; especially an actual multi-movement concerto there are, but the Juno Concerto is likely the best! I did query to find a concerto by banjoist Chris Lake whose work I do not know but Fleck’s Concerto is very engaging. As promotional materials attest, “Béla Fleck is the world’s premier banjo player, a 16-time Grammy Award winner nominated in more categories than any other musician, a genre-busting collaborator, a film producer and a composer. Foremost, though, he is a dad. The impact of fatherhood on Béla is reflected in Juno Concerto, named for his firstborn son with fellow folk musician Abigail Washburn.” The music morphs through a number of styles including some very Copland-esque moments and some bluegrass type exchanges with orchestral support that reminded me a little bit of Bartok. Ultimately, this is a very creative and – most importantly – entertaining work that showcases Fleck, as the soloist as well as […]
“Between Two Worlds” = Original Works for Saxophone and Organ” – Massimo Giacchetti (sax.) /Manuela Di Marco (org.) – Dynamic Records
“Between Two Worlds” = Original Works for Saxophone and Organ” – Massimo Giacchetti, saxophone/Manuela Di Marco, organ – Dynamic Records CDS724 [Distr. by Naxos] 61:51, (6/26/2012) Tracklist follows ***: Very unusual but mostly quite enjoyable. This Italian recording of music for saxophone and organ has actually been out for a few years but I just recently came across it. I admit straight up I was not aware that any composer had written music for saxophone and organ, being the very unusual combination fraught with potential performance inconveniences that it is, and I admit that I was very skeptical. Truth be told, I was not really enthralled with any of the pieces herein but I was also pleasantly surprised that the overall effect and the mesh of these two seemingly disconnected timbres was actually pretty entertaining. Compliments to all the composers here for scoring the music for the voices on organ and the exact saxophones (soprano and alto) whose partials and timbres sound almost ‘organ-like’ Giacchetti and Di Marco are both very fine players and this repertoire relies mainly on tone quality and melody rather than on the hypertechnical – I think for the better. I found the works by Denis […]
We Are X, Blu-ray (2017)
We Are X, Blu-ray (2017) A stunning documentary about Japan’s greatest metal band! Cast: Yoshiki; Toshi; Pata; Hide; Heath Sugizo; Taiji with interviews by Gene Simmons; Marilyn Manson; and Stan Lee Studio: Magnolia Home Entertainment 1156 [4/25/2017] Director: Stephen Kijak Audio: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 Video: 1.78:1 for 1080P HD, color Length: 95 minutes Bonus Features; Deleted Scenes; Deleted Interviews (Yoshiki; Toshi; Pata; Heath; Sugizo); Yoshiko on We Are X; “Forever Love” “Kurenai”; Born To Be free Fan Video Rating: Audio: ****1/2 Video: ****1/2 Overall****1/2 Magnolia Home Entertainment has released a fascinating documentary, We Are X on blu-ray. Utilizing extensive interviews with visionary founder, drummer, pianist, composer Yoshiki (and to a lesser degree other band members), the film traces the decade-long meteoric rise of the Japanese band known as X and Then Japan X. This band had an impact in Japan like Led Zeppelin, Kiss or any other metal band. But the cultural and language challenges keep them joining their peers in American superstardom. Their glam conceptual presence (referred to […]
KIDS – Original Motion Picture Soundtrack – London/Island Records
KIDS – Original Motion Picture Soundtrack – London/Island Records (1995)/MVD Audio stereo vinyl, 41:07 (4/7/2017)****: Special vinyl re-issue of a landmark 1995 is quirky, yet powerful. (Featuring music from Folk Implosion/ Lou Barlow; John Davis; Bob Fay and Mark Perretta; Daniel Johnston; Slint; Lo-Down and Sebadoh) MVD Records has released a re-mastered vinyl of the soundtrack to the 1995 movie, Kids. The film, written by Harmony Korine and directed by Larry Clark (Bully) was a harrowing, cautionary tale of sexual and drug-related hedonism, set in New York in the mid-1990’s. At the time, the four stars (Leo Fitzpatrick, Justin Pierce, Chloe Sevigny and Rosario Dawson) had not acted in a film. The film was critically acclaimed for its unflinching examination of the lives and casual approaches to the pitfalls of growing up. The film score was composed by Lou Barlow and John Davis of Folk Implosion fame. At the time, their style of music was referred to as lo-fi or alt-rock. This special edition release features a limited number of color vinyl discs (red, blue green or yellow), and should become a collector’s item (after the color discs are done, it will be black vinyl). Side One is noteworthy for […]
Final Thoughts: The Last Piano Works of BRAHMS and SCHUBERT = BRAHMS: Piano Pieces, Op. 116 through 119; SCHUBERT: Piano Sonatas D. 959, D. 960 – Jorge Federico Osorio (p.) – Cedille
Final Thoughts: The Last Piano Works of BRAHMS and SCHUBERT = BRAHMS: Piano Pieces, Op. 116, 117, 118, 119; SCHUBERT: Piano Sonata in A Major, D. 959; Piano Sonata in B-flat Major, D. 960 – Jorge Federico Osorio, piano – Cedille CDR 9000 171 (2 CDs) 77:02; 79:24 (5/12/17) [Distr. by Naxos] **** Jorge Federico Osorio invests an ardor of personal authenticity into the late works of Schubert and Brahms. I had the distinct pleasure of hearing Mexican piano virtuoso Jorge Federico Osorio (b. 1951) in concert some years ago in San Jose’s Mexican Heritage Center, and I recall having been impressed with his magnificent technique, poise, and security in the repertory of his choice. In this ambitious album (rec. 27-30 June and 26 July 2016), Osorio approaches two composers in their maturity, although ascribing that term to youthful Franz Schubert, aged thirty-one, besets us with manifold ironies. The magnificent 1828 A Major Sonata, D. 959, for instance, combines an exalted lyricism with a breadth of interior turmoil, marked by circuitous harmonic ventures. Osorio plays the expansive first movement Allegro with a bright, forward motion, eschewing over-wrought dramatic ploys and padding so as to address directly the tensions inherent in […]
Audio News May 19, 2017
Onkyo is boosting its product line with new 7-channel receivers — Next month, Onkyo — the creator of the premier RZ series receivers— will be adding three new network AV Receivers to its product lineup: TX-RZ820, TX-RZ720, and TX-RXZ620. Of note is support for a 5Hz to 100 kHz spectral range, six Dolby Vision HDMI input ports, 5GHz/2.4GHz Wi-Fi, along with many other features. There is also an Onkyo Controller app for Apple and Android devices, which can be used with Spotify and other streaming services. For more information of these exceptional receivers, see www.onkyousa.com. More portable players are going Hi-Res — Pioneer has come out with a new compact audio player (XDP-30$) which supports a full gamut of formats, from MP3 through AAC, up to 192 kHz at 32-bit resolution. A handheld portable, down to pocket size, it is lightweight, and also has Wi-Fi input and Bluetooth output capabilities, suitable for the new SE-CH5BL-K ear headphones. Hi-Res Smartphone — In addition to Pioneer offering, there is the new Sony Xperia XZ Premium 4K smartphone. With this, Sony touts a range of hi-res formats, along with automatic detection of headphone type (for optimization), their Digital Noise Canceling option, as well as […]
PALESTRINA: Missa Papae Marcelli, Motets – Sistine Chapel Choir/ Massimo Palombella – DG
PALESTRINA: Missa Papae Marcelli; Tu Es Pastor Ovium; O bone Jesu; Confitemi Domino; Ad te Levavi Oculos Meos; Benedixisti Domine; Veritas Mea Et Misericordia Mea; Jubilate Deo; Confirma Hoc Deus; Ave Maria – Sistine Chapel Choir/ Massimo Palombella – DG 00289 479 6131, 60:29 [Distr. by Universal] ****: Round two from the Sistine produces a gorgeous recording of great authenticity. Last year we were treated to the first-ever recording made in the famous Sistine Chapel, Michelangelo’s multicolored marvel that, as it turns out, also sports some exceptionally resonant and rich acoustics. For the follow-up there is an even greater treat, hand-picked works of the Venetian master given in uniquely radiant performances that simply sound unlike any other. Though the Sistine is an all-male ensemble, the high tenors use a degree of falsetto that sounds quite different from the now-new-normal infestation of countertenors, a practice that adds a high degree of lack of strength when compared with the more preferred altos and mezzo-sopranos. (One wonders when the ladies will plan a worldwide protest…) So, the choir itself, the oldest in the world, and remarkably international in makeup, gives us an inimitable and richly-diverse experience of a space, place, and historically-crucial institution […]
“sevenfive: The John Corigliano Effect” = Music For Brass: David SAMPSON; John CORIGLIANO; Jonathon NEWMAN; Steven BRYANT; Jeremy BECK; Conrad WINSLOW – Gaudete Brass – Cedilla
“sevenfive: The John Corigliano Effect” = Music for Brass – David SAMPSON: Entrance; Still; John CORIGLIANO (arr. Colnot): Gazebo Dances: Overture; Jonathon NEWMAN: Prayers of Steel; Steven BRYANT: Sevenfive; John CORIGLIANO: Antiphon; Fanfares; Jeremy Howard BECK: Roar; Conrad WINSLOW: The Record of a Lost Tribe – Gaudete Brass – Cedille 90000 169, 56:10 [Distr. by Naxos] *****: A real blast of a birthday tribute to an enormously popular composer — fantastic compositions, brilliantly executed! The works on this disc range from standard brass quintet to an eleven-member ensemble, so it’s really Gaudete Brass plus. This album had its gestation in the 2013 Chicago celebrations of composer John Corigliano’s 75th birthday, and many of the works here by his students were performed at that event. I can think of no more fascinating exercise than hearing the pieces of the master—and Corigliano is indeed that—coupled with that of his students. If music history tells us anything, it’s that as often as not students take completely different roads than their teachers, though on this disc there are a couple of pieces where differentiation between teacher and student is tricky indeed. I won’t spoil the experience by giving any of this away, but will […]
“Music for the 100 Years’ War” = The Binchois Consort / Andrew Kirkman (cond.) – Hyperion Records
“Music for the 100 Years’ War” = The Binchois Consort, Andrew Kirkman (conductor) – Hyperion Records CD A68170, 76:25 (3/31/17) **** A lovely disc brings the music of the 15th century alive A fascinating theme for a CD, with music of predominantly royal association spanning the reign of Henry V, the Battle of Agincourt and its aftermath, and the coronations in England and France of the boy king Henry VI. Probably the best known works on the disc are the works of John Dunstaple (1390-1453), one of the most interesting and influential of 15th century composers. He was a true renaissance man, with interests in astronomy, mathematics and medicine. Many of the other works are anonymous, and a few other composers of the period are represented. The performances by this small ensemble, The Binchois Consort under Andrew Kirkman are fine performers and brings this music vividly alive. The recording is realistic without being too finely etched. The voices emerge from the lovely acoustics of the Ascot Priory in Berkshire, England, blending nicely so that we get a sense of space but without close microphone positions that would destroy the ambiance. A word about the booklet that comes with the disc. It’s […]
Patrice WILLIAMSON, Jon WHEATLEY – Comes Love: A Tribute to Ella Fitzgerald and Joe Pass – Riverlily Records
Patrice WILLIAMSON, Jon WHEATLEY– Comes Love: A Tribute to Ella Fitzgerald and Joe Pass – Riverlily Records 003 49:43*** [MP3 Download on Amazon] Empathy with the material and the antecedents ( Patrice Williamson – vocals, flute (1&12), shaker (12); Jon Wheatley – guitar) In this Centenary year of Ella Fitzgerald’s birth ( born April 25,1917 in Newport News Virginia) there are multiple recorded offerings in the works, including 100 Songs For A Centennial which will include some of her early Decca single releases, Cheek To Cheek, The Complete Ella & Louis Duets as well as the eight classic albums that make up the Ella Fitzgerald Song Books. There has been no indication that any of the four studio albums ( 1973-1986) that Ella and Joe Pass did together would be considered in this special effort. However it should also be pointed out that these sessions were recorded towards the end of Ella’s long career, where her vibrato was sometimes shaky, and her three octave range was long past. Therefore given the plethora of releases from the original Ella, it would probably be a challenge for Comes Love by Patrice Williamson and Jon Wheatley to gain any traction as a tribute album […]
TCHAIKOVSKY: Ballet Suites for Piano Duo = Sleeping Beauty; Nutcracker; Swan Lake; Suite for Piano Duo – Mari and Momo Kodama, piano-duo – Pentatone
TCHAIKOVSKY: Ballet Suites for Piano Duo = Sleeping Beauty, Op. 66 (trans. Rachmaninov); Nutcracker – Suite, Op. 71a (trans. Arensky); Swan Lake, Op. 20 (trans. Langer); Suite for Piano Duo (trans. Debussy) – Mari and Momo Kodama, piano-duo – Pentatone SACD PTC 5186 579, 63:28 (11/18/16) ****: A love-letter to the Tchaikovsky ballets comes in the form of marvelous four-hand transcriptions. It was the eighteen-year-old Rachmaninov whom Tchaikovsky entrusted to transcribe his 1888 ballet Sleeping Beauty for four hands. The five excerpts – Introduction, Adagio, Pas de caractere: Le chat botte, Panorama, Valse – meant to convey, first, the basic tension between good and evil, via the Lilac Fairy and Carabosse; then, the courting of Princess Aurora by the four princes. The fairy-tale quality appears in the White Cat; no less ‘romantic,’ the Panorama has the Lilac Fairy and the Prince Desire crossing the sea to the enchanted castle. The excellent Valse from Aurora’s birthday celebration brings the suite to a grand and sweeping conclusion. Tchaikovsky himself felt that he had to correct certain elements that Rachmaninov – with the aid of Alexander Siloti – had scored, adjusting harmonies and syncopations the composer saw as incorrectly notated. The result as […]
The Salesman, Blu-ray (2017)
Cast: Shahab Hosseini, Taraneh Alidoosti, Babak Karimi, Mina Sadati Director & producer: Asghar Farhadi Studio: Sony Pictures Home Ent. 50651 [5/2/2017] Video: 1.85:1 for 16:9 screens, color HD Audio: Farsi DTS-HD MA 5.1 & DD-HD 5.1 Subtitles: English, Spanish Extras: Conversation with Asghar Farhadi Length: 124 min. Rating: ***** After their old flat is in danger of collapsing, a couple in Teheran has to move into a new apartment. There the wife is attacked by an unknown assailant when she is taking a shower. The decide not to go to the police but the husband persues the event and enventually discovers that it was an elderly man and not his stepson. The senior and ailing man may have died as a result of the rage of the husband. It certainly has a dramatic role in the life of the young couple. Incidentally, at the same time they are also actors in a stage presentation of the Arthur Miller play The Death of a Salesman. —John Sunier
Tunnel (2017)
Cast: Jung-Woo Ha, Doona Bae, Oh Dal-Su Director: Kim Seong-Hun Studio: Well Go USA (Korean) [5/2/17] Video: 1.85:1 for 16:9 screens, color Audio: Korean DD 5.1 THX\ Subtitles: English Length: 127 min. Rating: **** The loneliness and entrapment for 37 days under the debris and chaos outside is well-illustrated in this thriller of an unthinkable disaster film when a new tunnel in Korea collapses and a second one is being blasted nearby. It stars an actor from the recently-review Handmaiden, and has a heart-pounding race against the clock finale section. The man’s cell phone becomes his only link to the outside world, and at first he thinks he will be rescued that day. Eventually the battery dies and he has only the Kai radio to listen to. Someone participating in the rescue is accidentally killed, and the wife is eventually pushed into regarding her husband as dead and stopping the rescue work. The Jung-soo character must fight for his survival in the claustrophobic darkness, and the death of a young girl in a nearby car does not make it easier for him. This is very pertinent considering the news on the air of the Hanford Tunnel collapse. —John Sunier
Isolation (2017)
A nice little horror/thriller. Isolation (2017) Cast: Dominic Purcell, Luke Mably, Marie Avgeropoulos, Tricia Helfer, Stephen Lang Director: Shane Dax Taylor Studio: Lionsgate (6/20/17) Video: 2.35:1 for 16:9 screens, color Audio: English 5.1 DD Subtitles: English, Spanish Length: 94 min. Rating: ****1/2 This is full of highly unexpected twists, and proves that it is not wise to trust anyone. Better acting than most horror films, and it is not predermined who will be the last ones standing at the end. I don’t want to introduce spoilers, so just watch the film. The story of the couple trying to patch up a failing marriage by a vacation in the Bahamas is always paramount. And the gore is kept to a bare minimum. A most enjoyable thriller all around, and a nice view of the Bahamas to top of it. The transfer of films to standard DVDs has really gotten excellent lately. —John Sunier
BRITTEN: String Quartet No. 2, No. 3; PURCELL: Fantasias & Chaconne – Emerson String Quartet – Decca Gold
Chaconnes and Fantasias = “Music of BRITTEN and PURCELL” – BRITTEN: String Quartet No. 2 in C Major; String Quartet No. 3 in G Major; PURCELL: Fantazias No. 6, 8, 10, and 11; Chacony in g minor – Emerson String Quartet – Decca Gold 26509, 73:42, (4/21/17) ****; A meeting of England’s two most famous composers played brilliantly by the newly reconstituted Emerson String Quartet. (Eugene Drucker, Philip Setzer; violin/ Lawrence Dutton; viola/ Paul Watkins; cello) England was the world leader in industry and science in the 18th and 19th centuries. In terms of patronage and audience, too, the London music scene was the the envy of artists elsewhere. Thus, it was all the more puzzling that, for almost exactly two centuries, England produced few composers beyond middling status. The death of Purcell in 1695, became increasingly seen as an endpoint, ushering in an age of lead. The 20th century saw the emergence of fresh talent in Edward Elgar and William Walton, national musicians of real stature, who duly feted in turn. However, the cruel terms of Modernism demanded more than talent and cutting edge sensibility, something to challenge if not chastise bourgeois tastes. It was Benjamin Britten who satisfied […]
Jean-François Bonnel And His Swinging Jazz Cats – With Thanks To Benny Carter – Arbors Records
Jean-François Bonnel And His Swinging Jazz Cats – With Thanks To Benny Carter – Arbors Records ARCD 19452 51:25**** Thoughtful and creative interpreters of Benny Carter’s music ( Jean-François Bonnel – alto sax, clarinet #3,10; Chris Dawson – piano; Charmin Michelle – vocals #1,3,4,5,7,10; François Laudet – drums) Benny Carter was a true jazz original. A top of the line trumpeter as well as a pure alto saxophonist, he made a unique contribution to the jazz world. Therefore it may seem passing strange that it would be a couple of French jazz musicians to delve into Carter’s world and come up with a dandy release entitled With Thanks To Benny Carter. In this ten track session, the band delves into compositions either written by Carter or those connected to him via his recordings. For those who may be unfamiliar with Jean-François Bonnel, he is a highly regarded French musician, who doubles on alto and clarinet. He took a serious interest in Carter’s saxophone style by transcribing his solos and also studying his compositions. While not playing entirely in Carter’s manner he is certainly informed by his technique. One of Carter’s best known numbers “When Lights Are Low” leads off the session […]
BRAHMS: Rhapsodies in g minor and in b minor; Chorales Op. 122; 16 Waltzes; Variations on an Original Theme – Nada Loufti (p.) – MEII
A different sort of Brahms recital from Nada Loufti reveals the textural variety of the composer. Vienna: BRAHMS & Nada = Rhapsody in g minor, Op. 79, No. 2; Chorales, Op. 122: No. 1 in e minor “Mein Jesu, der du mich”; Rhapsody No. 1 in b minor, Op. 79, No. 1; 16 Waltzes, Op. 39; Variations on an Original Theme, Op. 21, No. 1 – Nada Loufti, piano – MEII, 68:12 (4/13/17) [meiienterprises@aol.com] Nada recorded this all-Brahms recital 14 January 2017 at Heeren Auditorium, Southern Baptist Seminary, Louisville, Kentucky. She opens with the second of the two Rhapsodies Brahms composed in 1880 with a dedication to Elisabeth von Herzogenberg. Psychologically speaking, consider that for Brahms even a ‘rhapsody’ must evolve in sonata-form. After a thrusting arpeggiated triad that exploits D and E-flat, the piece assumes a martial stringency of mood, moving to d minor. Nada negotiates the persistent rising and falling seconds with a pungent sense of concentrated drama. Happily, her tempo remains solemnly slow and her sonority resonant, courtesy of Recording Engineer Adam Copelin. Nada’s bass tones enjoy a distinctly ominous aura, making Brahms sound much like Mussorgsky. The b minor Rhapsody seems beset by strife and agitation, […]
Friedrich Wilhelm MARKULL: Organ Works Vol. 1 – Andrzej Szadejko – MDG
Friedrich Wilhelm MARKULL: Musica Baltica 2 – Organ Works Vol. 1 – Organist: Andrzej Szadejko – MDG Multichannel (5.1) SACD cat. # MDG 906 1990-6 TT: 61:34 (2/24/17) **** A fine organ recital richly recorded When Friedrich Wilhelm Markull died at the age of seventy-one in 1887, posthumous tributes honored him as a “most highly knowledgeable musician and a most highly outstanding organist and composer for the church, school, and salon and of classical orchestral works.” For more than fifty years Markull had played a significant role in Danzig’s music culture. Markull also enjoyed a reputation as a pianist, and had given excellent concerts of chamber music. He composed operas, oratorios, and two symphonies, as well as and many works for the organ, which is the program for this disc. In this new release from MDG organist Andrzej Szadejko has chosen an attractive selection from Markull’s multitude of organ compositions and recorded these works on the historic Bucholz organ at the Church of St. Nicholas in Stralsund, as part of the MDG Musica Baltic series. The disc contains a few short works followed by three extended compositions by Markull. The organ is a large one, and the recording reflects its […]
Jeffrey JACOB: “Reawakening” – Jeffrey Jacob (p., comp.) / Enrique Mesa / Daniel Spalding / Lara Turner – Novana Records
“Reawakening” = Music of Jeffrey JACOB – various orchestras and ensembles (track details below), Jeffrey Jacob (piano) Navona Records CD NV6087 TT: 62:00 (4/14/17) **** Lush and well recorded contemporary orchestral and ensemble music Composer Jeffrey Jacob has written four symphonies, three piano concertos, and numerous works for piano and chamber ensemble. Raymond Leppard and the Indianapolis Symphony premiered his Symphony: Winter Lightning. The Moscow and St. Petersburg Symphonies premiered respectively his Piano Concertos 1 and 2 with the composer as soloist. The Gregg Smith Singers premiered his Sleeping at Last for mixed chorus and solo cello. Jacob’s Persistence of Memory was premiered by the Cleveland Chamber Symphony at the 1999 College Music Society National Convention, and was selected by the Charles Ives Center for American Music for a performance by the Charleston Symphony at the 2002 Charleston Spoleto Festival. On this disc we get 8 works by the composer, recorded with various ensembles and orchestras, including, notably, the National Symphony Orchestra of Cuba. They played Jacobs’ Awakening for Piano and Orchestra, the first American composed piece played in 5 decades. The music is generally contemplative – what I might term ‘night music’. Although the pieces vary some in tone, […]
Nelson – Brothers Under The Sun – High Note
Nelson – Brothers Under The Sun – High Note HCD 7294 [4/14/2017], 59:43 ****1/2: Vibraphonist’s tribute to Mulgrew Miller is jazz at its best! (Steve Nelson – vibraphone; Danny Grissett – piano; Peter Washington – double bass; Lewis Nash – drums) Vibraphonist Steve Nelson has been a member of the Dave Holland Quintet for over a decade. The Pittsburgh native received two degrees in music from Rutger’s University and teaches at Princeton. Additionally, he has recorded with Kenny Barron, Bobby Watson, David “Fathead” Newman, Johnny Griffin and Jackie McLean. He has also recorded as a band leader. Of his collaborations, Nelson maintains that on a personal and professional level, his association with pianist Mulgrew Miller was significantly impactful. Nelson appeared on Wingspan (1987) and Hand In Hand (1992). Nelson has put together a tribute to Mulgrew Miller, titled Brothers Under The Sun. He has assembled a stellar quartet (Danny Grissett/piano; Peter Washington/double bass and Lewis Nash/drums) representing six Mulgrew compositions and other pieces that capture the pianists’ style. The opening track is a cool-breeze rearrangement of Harry Warren’s romantic ballad, “The More I See You”. This song has been covered by Dick Haymes and Nat Cole, but this ensemble glides […]
BALAKIREV: Symphony No. 1 & No. 2 – Phil. Orch. of London/ Herbert von Karajan/ Moscow Radio Symph./ Gennady Rozhdestevensky – Praga Digitals
The two Balakirev symphonies receive intensely colorful treatment in classic readings remastered to good effect. BALAKIREV: Symphony No. 1 in C Major; Symphony No. 2 in d minor – Philharmonia Orchestra of London/ Herbert von Karajan (C Major)/ Moscow Radio Symph./ Gennady Rozhdestevensky (d minor) – Praga Digitals PRD 250 363, 77:59 (5/12/17) [Harmonia mundi/PIAS] ****: My own initiation into the charms of the Balakirev Symphony No. 1 in C (1864; 1897) came by way of the classic 1956 EMI recording by Sir Thomas Beecham and the Royal Philharmonic on the Angel label (35399). The energy and natural sympathy of that reading set a definite standard for me in terms of musicality and elan of ensemble. While under the “tutelage” of Walter Legge at EMI, Herbert von Karajan (1908-1989) leads the Philharmonia Orchestra from Kingsway Hall in November 1949. It would be fascinating to know how and why Karajan approached the work which in his Berlin Philharmonic recording career he did not reconsider. Given the musicians working in the EMI circle, Issay Dobrowen might have been a more logical candidate. In the digitally restored sound, the opening Largo enjoys breadth and resonance, especially in the esteemed winds – the oboe […]
Stereotypes Audio
Cembal d’amour
Pure Pleasure / Speakers Corner
Cedille
