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Palladian Ensemble – An Excess of Pleasure – Works of MATTEIS, LOCKE, PURCELL, etc. – Linn

by Audiophile Audition | Nov 27, 2016 | Classical Reissue Reviews

Palladian Ensemble – An Excess of Pleasure – Works of MATTEIS, LOCKE, PURCELL, etc. [TrackList Follows] – Linn BKD 010, 65:43 (10/31/95 & 3/11/16) ****½: (Pamela Thorby; recorders/ Rachel Podger; violin/ Joanna Levine Viola da Gamba/ William Carter; theorbo, guitar) A welcome reissue of the Baroque chamber super-band Palladian Ensemble’s debut recording. Between their formation in 1991 and 2003, when violinist Rachel Podger left to pursue a solo career, the Palladian Ensemble made ten remarkable recordings for Linn Records. Except for the first, which is under review here, on which Joanna Levine plays viola da gamba in place of regular Susan Heinrich, the ensemble has remained the same. Seven of these recordings received lofty Diapason awards. Over these 12 years, they have established themselves as a consistent and premier Baroque chamber group. For me, this ensemble of theorbo/lute, violin, viola da gamba and recorder is distinctive for its harpsichord-less sonority. William Carter’s fretted instruments have an expanded role in maintaining the harmonic textures. We feel his presence everywhere in the ensemble, whether plucking the deep notes on the theorbo or driving the rhythm with his bright-hued Baroque guitar. Occasionally, as in the Ciaconna, he showcases his virtuosity on a solo […]

Ray Charles – Swiss Radio Days Vol. 41/ Zurich 1961 – TCB

by Audiophile Audition | Nov 17, 2016 | Jazz CD Reviews

The jazzy side of Brother Ray… Ray Charles – Swiss Radio Days Vol. 41/ Zurich 1961 – TCB 02412, 78:43 [Distr. by Naxos] (11/11/16) ****: (Ray Charles – piano, vocals; Marcus Belgrave, Wallace Davenport, Phil Guilbeau, John Hunt – trumpets; Henderson Chambers, Dickie Wells, Keg Johnson – trombones; Rudy Powell – alto sax; Hank Crawford – alto sax, band leader; David “Fathead” Newman – tenor sax and flute; Don Wilkerson – tenor sax; Leroy Cooper – baritone sax; Elbert Forriest – guitar; Edgar Willis – bass; Bruno Carr – drums; Quincy Jones – arranger {#1, 2, 9-11, 17}. With the Raelettes: Pat Lyles, Margie Hendricks, Gwen Berry, and Darlene McCrea – vocals) Although Ray Charles had been recording for Atlantic Records since 1957, his impact had primarily been in the United States as a rhythm-and-blues artist. In October, 1961, Ray took his full orchestra to Europe in order to expand his stature worldwide. At the beginning of the tour he played in Zurich on Oct. 18, 1961. As part of the Swiss Radio Days Series (now 41 volumes strong), TCB is releasing this date in great digitally-remastered sound. Ray brought an outstanding orchestra to Europe. Four trumpets, three trombones, and […]

Don Friedman Piano Trio – Strength and Sanity – Newvelle vinyl

by Audiophile Audition | Oct 30, 2016 | SACD & Other Hi-Res Reviews

Don Friedman – honoring Booker Little… Don Friedman – Strength and Sanity – Newvelle NV004LP – audiophile vinyl (Available only through newvelle-records.com) ****: (Don Friedman – piano/ Phil Palombi – bass/ Shinnosuke Takahashi – drums) For jazz vinyl and CD collectors with extensive collections, it is often a chore to keep track of our most valuable recordings, those that we want to pull out and revisit when the inspiration hits and we need to be moved again. This is especially pertinent at this time when our world is rather chaotic. For me, I keep these treasures handy by not pushing the CD jewel cases and LPs back against the walls or storage shelves. Thus they remain within vision in my everyday world. Whether it is your favorite Blue Note Hank Mobley, or whatever Bill Evans Trio that still tugs at your heart, they are within reach when the need for sanity returns. Speaking of “sanity,” one CD that has always been completely free to breathe in my listening room is the xdcd version of Circle Waltz by Don Friedman from 1962. Backed by Chuck Israels and Pete LaRoca, this session matches up well with the iconic Bill Evans Trio of […]

“ORGANISM” – TRYGVE MADSEN, KJELL MØRK KARLSEN, and KJELL FLEM – Terje Winge, organ – 2L

by Audiophile Audition | Sep 11, 2016 | SACD & Other Hi-Res Reviews

“Organism” – TRYGVE MADSEN, KJELL MØRK KARLSEN, and KJELL FLEM – Terje Winge, organ – 2L Pure Audio Blu-ray 2L-123-SABD + multichannel SACD, DTS-HD MA 192kHz/24 bit 5.1, DTS-HD MA 96kHz/24 bit 7.1, PCM 192kHz/24 bit stereo, Dolby Atmos, 9.1 Auro 3D, mShuttle: stereo MQA 96kHz + MP3 (8/25/16) (1:09:17) [Dist. by Naxos] ****: Excellent contemporary organ music in a variety of listening formats, both hi and low-res. The organ music on this album is written by three composers with different musical backgrounds, who give us excellent contemporary music for organ. Trygve Madsen studied with organist-composer Egil Hovland, one of the 20th century’s most significant pioneers in the field of church music. Kjell Mørk Karlsen grew up in a rich church music milieu, inspired by his father, Rolf Karlsen, who was Oslo cathedral organist for over fifteen years. Kjell Flem studied piano and organ, gaining a close knowledge of the organ’s technical and musical possibilities. Included on the disc are: 1 Kjell Mark Karlsen: Sonata “De profundis”, Op. 142 (21:13) 2 Trygve Madsen: Le Tombeau de Dupré, Op. 62 (22:30) 3 Kjell Flem: Ecclesia in mundo (25:35) As is always the case with 2L, this is a beautiful recording. It arrives […]

Joe Henderson/Chick Corea etc. – Mirror, Mirror – MPS vinyl

by Audiophile Audition | Sep 1, 2016 | SACD & Other Hi-Res Reviews

Joe Henderson expands the vision on Mirror, Mirror… Joe Henderson/Chick Corea etc. – Mirror, Mirror – MPS 0210998MSW – vinyl (1980) ***: (Joe Henderson – tenor sax; Chick Corea – piano; Ron Carter – bass; Billy Higgins – drums) Joe Henderson, the iconic jazz tenor saxist, covered all bases. He could be deeply in the groove as a key member of Horace Silver’s funky hard bop band, yet at home with free expression exploring abstract jazz. He led sophisticated large bands and earned a Grammy honoring Billy Strayhorn on his well-received album, Lush Life. He was a reserved musician, never showy, and highly respected by his peers. He was inspired by John Coltrane and that influence is felt on this 1980 release, just reissued by MPS on vinyl. Backed by three all-stars, Chick Corea, Ron Carter, and Billy Higgins, we find Joe in a complex harmonically advanced modal space exploring fellow band member’s compositions, as well as one of his own tunes, and the standard, “What’s New.” Joe enters avant-garde space but does not venture so far as to alienate mainstream listeners. His composition, “Joe’s Bolero” goes out onto the ledge but is not a free dive as his bellowing […]

Audio News for July 8, 2016

by Audiophile Audition | Jul 8, 2016 | Audio News

Six of the Most Inspired Single Notes in Classical Music Samsung Galaxy Note 7 Notebook to Have Iris Scanner – Samsung’s new Note 7 (due for release August 2) will have both a fingerprint reader and an amazing new security feature – an iris scanner. All you have to do is look at the smartphone, no button-punching is required to lock or unlock your phone. It will have 64GB of internal storage and should deliver over 20 hours of video on one battery charge. Amazon Beats Wal-Mart in Consumer Electronics – Best Buy May Be Next – Despite its already gargantuan size and the market share it has gained over the past few years last year it was able to accelerate that growth to the point where it now commands a 17% share. It’s clear that Amazon will become No. 1 sooner instead of later. Only a bit more than a third of the top 25 CE retailers saw higher sales last year. Everyone else suffered falling sales. It is hoped that use of Best Buy’s Geek Squad service and repair division might somehow offset Amazon’s low pricing, but services only represent 4% of the total revenue of Best Buy. […]

One for All – The Third Decade – Smoke Session

by Audiophile Audition | May 25, 2016 | Jazz CD Reviews

A most welcome return… One for All – The Third Decade – Smoke Session SSR 1605, 66:02 (06/03/16) ****1/2: (Eric Alexander – tenor sax; Jim Rotondi – trumpet; Steve Davis – trombone; David Hazeltine – piano; John Webber – bass; Joe Farnsworth – drums) It’s been over five years since One for All has released a group effort. As this group is made up of some of the finest hard bop players on the scene with the front line horn section each heavily recorded with their own projects (and trumpeter Jim Rotondi spending time in Europe), it was feared that the group had run its course. Not so, as their new CD, Third Decade, is hitting the stores on June 3. This super group has been a favorite of hard bop devotees ever since their first CD was issued on Sharp Nine Records back in 1997. For over twenty years they have set a standard that hearkens back to Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers. They took their name from Blakey’s last studio album, and their cohesion, tight charts, and ensemble blend as a sextet is spot on. Being New York based they seldom toured but found a home at […]

Frank Kimbrough – Meantime – Newvelle (vinyl)

by Audiophile Audition | May 4, 2016 | SACD & Other Hi-Res Reviews

Tasty prix fixe jazz… Frank Kimbrough – Meantime – Newvelle NV001LP – vinyl ***1/2: (Frank Kimbrough – piano; Andrew Zimmerman – tenor sax; Riley Mulherkar – trumpet; Chris Van Vorst Van Beest – bass; RJ Miller – drums) There are those that love the best life has to offer. (Within reasonable limits) they pursue fine food, fine wine, and aural treats as well. For audiophiles, 180 gm vinyl has always fit the bill, even in times when digital releases smothered the market. There is a warmth and presence that a well-recorded and pressed analog LP has always claimed. A new marketing strategy by Newvelle Records will appeal to this market. They are offering a subscription series (beginning at $350) for six audiophile 180 gm LPs to be issued bi-monthly over the next year. Newvelle’s goal is to keep the signal chain short and clean utilizing vintage and tube microphones. Promising the best acoustics, recorded at East Side Sound in NYC, and pressed at MPO in France, the subscription features six intriguing titles. Besides the initial Frank Kimbrough issue, they include a solo piano recording by Jack DeJohnette, a Don Friedman Trio tribute to Booker Little, and Ben Allison Trio’s homage […]

KVERNO: Credo – A Composer Portrait of Trond H.F. Kverno – Bergen Cathedral Choir/ Arnfinn Tobiassen, organ – LAWO

by Audiophile Audition | Mar 27, 2016 | SACD & Other Hi-Res Reviews

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. […]