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Ron Boustead – Unlikely Valentine – Art-Rock Music

Ron Boustead – Unlikely Valentine – Art-Rock Music

by | Feb 23, 2017 | Jazz CD Reviews

Ron Boustead – Unlikely Valentine – Art-Rock Music, 43:56 ***: A tasty treat. (Ron Boustead – vocals; Bill Cunliffe – piano, Fender Rhodes; Hammond B-3; Mitchel Forman – piano, Fender Rhodes, Hammond B-3, accordion; John Leftwich – acoustic bass; Jake Reed – drums, percussion; Pat Kelley – acoustic & electric guitar; Bob Sheppard – saxes, flute; Bob McChesney – trombone; Ron Stout – Flugelhorn; Fabiana Passoni – vocal track 5) Who was Ron Boustead’s Unlikely Valentine? A review of the set list from his latest release does not provide any clues. Nevertheless, Boustead’s lively vocals through both the covers and original compositions from this album will be welcomed by his devotees. Backed by a full-throated stylish band, Boustead dives into the tunes with an uncanny reflection of singer Mark Murphy. The opening title track “Unlikely Valentine” was written by pianist Bill Cunliffe based on the chord changes of My Funny Valentine with lyrics from Ron Boustead. It is a rousing bebop styled number, with a husky vocals from the artist. Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller began their song-writing careers in Los Angeles and eventually became one of popular music’s songwriting legends. “Love Potion No. 9” was originally recorded in 1959 […]

Martha Argerich/Itzhak Perlman – Works for Violin & Piano by SCHUMANN, BACH & BRAHMS – Warner Classics

Martha Argerich/Itzhak Perlman – Works for Violin & Piano by SCHUMANN, BACH & BRAHMS – Warner Classics

by | Sep 20, 2016 | Classical CD Reviews

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: […]

The Cookers – The Call of the Wild and Peaceful Heart – Smoke Sessions

The Cookers – The Call of the Wild and Peaceful Heart – Smoke Sessions

by | Sep 12, 2016 | Jazz CD Reviews

Not resting on their laurels… The Cookers – The Call of the Wild and Peaceful Heart – Smoke Sessions SSR 1607, 74:08 ****: (Eddie Henderson – trumpet; David Weiss – trumpet; Donald Harrison – alto sax; Billy Harper – tenor sax; George Cables – piano; Cecil McBee – bass; Billy Hart – drums) For their fifth CD release the super-star jazz ensemble, The Cookers, have moved to the Smoke Sessions Records label. This is a smart move both artistically, and hopefully on the marketing side. Smoke Sessions have been releasing some of the best hard bop and progressive jazz issues over the last several years, ranging from jazz icons such as George Coleman, Harold Mabern, Louis Hayes, and Jimmy Cobb, as well as from more contemporary artists as Orrin Evans and Peter Bernstein. (The label also released a CD from the Cookers’ trumpeter, Eddie Henderson – Collective Portrait). What is so exciting about The Cookers is that they continue to release vibrant, creative music at this stage in their careers. Founding member trumpeter, David Weiss, and newest member, altoist Donald Harrison, are both in their ‘50s, while the balance of the musicians are in their ‘70s (bassist Cecil McBee is 81..). […]

Erik Friedlander, cello – Rings – Skipstone

Erik Friedlander, cello – Rings – Skipstone

by | Aug 25, 2016 | Jazz CD Reviews

Erik Friedlander once again advances the cello into innovative musical areas. Erik Friedlander – Rings [TrackList follows] – Skipstone SKPST 023, 66:26 [6/10/16] ****: (Erik Friedlander – cello, producer; Shoko Nagai – piano, accordion, electronics; Satoshi Takeishi – percussion) Cellist Erik Friedlander is always pushing forward as a composer, musician and music creator. He’s helped elevate the cello as a lead instrument in the jazz arena. He’s explored different aspects of improvisation, composition and performance. On Friedlander’s latest, the 66-minute Rings (issued on his own Skipstone label), he continues to refine and adapt. This time out, Friedlander utilizes a new trio, Black Phebe (it’s unclear if the name is linked to the bird of the same name) to delve into the cyclical characteristics of musical repetition. Despite the application of reiteration, Friedlander’s 12 original pieces offer an enriching degree of variety, with a spacious scope of textures and moods. Friedlander is a veteran of New York City’s downtown jazz/improvisation scene but also works with artists outside that community. He’s collaborated with American indie folk rock band the Mountain Goats; alt rock singer Courtney Love; as well as jazz players such as Dave Douglas and John Zorn. The other Black Phebe […]

SHOSTAKOVICH: The Two Violin Sonatas & Rare Chamber Works – Sasha Rozhdestvensky, v., /Jeremy Menuhin & Mookie Lee-Menuhin p./ Ilona Domnich, sop./ Alexandra Sherman, mezzo – First Hand

SHOSTAKOVICH: The Two Violin Sonatas & Rare Chamber Works – Sasha Rozhdestvensky, v., /Jeremy Menuhin & Mookie Lee-Menuhin p./ Ilona Domnich, sop./ Alexandra Sherman, mezzo – First Hand

by | Jul 9, 2016 | Classical CD Reviews

Outlasting the unfinished: Shostakovich’s First Sonata for Violin and Piano (1945) with rarely heard chamber arrangements. SHOSTAKOVICH: The Two Violin Sonatas & Rare Chamber Works – Sasha Rozhdestvensky, v., /Jeremy Menuhin & Mookie Lee-Menuhin p./ Ilona Domnich, sop./ Alexandra Sherman, mezzo – First Hand CD 37, K&A Productions, 69:46 (1/1/16) ****: Newly-discovered works from beloved composers are rare. Artists have the opportunity to approach them with unique lucidity, unhindered by recordings and editions. Convincing listeners that the works are of lasting value, however, can be challenging. The FHR release featuring Shostakovich’s Unfinished Violin Sonata is up to the task. All works on the album are performed exquisitely. The unfinished sonata reveals Shostakovich at his most expressive: searching melody juxtaposed with driving rhythm. To accept it as cohesive, the work must be programmed in a way that helps suspend belief in the need for expected structure and length (think Ives’ art songs). Instead of the unfinished following the complete sonata, as heard on the recording, a better choice would be to open with the unfinished and end with the complete. The unfinished deserves an attempt at unaffected listening. Surprisingly, in a situation of parallel universe recording releases, the FHR was not […]

Snow White and The Seven Dwarfs, Blu-ray (1937/2016)

Snow White and The Seven Dwarfs, Blu-ray (1937/2016)

by | Feb 19, 2016 | DVD & Blu-ray Video Reviews

The first feature-length animated film and perhaps the most important in history. Snow White and The Seven Dwarfs, Blu-ray (1937/2016) Studio: Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment 131997 (2/2/16) [2 discs] Voice-overs: Adriana Caselotti, Harry Stockwell, Lucille LaVerne Video: 1.33:1 or “Disney View” 16:9, 1080p HD Technicolor Audio: English DTS-HD MA 7.1, DD 2.0 mono, French DD 5.1, Spanish DD 5.1 Dubbed: French, Spanish Subtitles: French, Spanish, English Extras: “In Walt’s Words,” “Iconography” – how the film influenced pop culture, art and fashion, “Disney Animation,” “The Fairest Facts of Them All”, Alternate sequence of the prince meeting Snow White, More, Previews Length: 83 min. Rating: ***** This 1937 effort was a great risk for Disney – there had never been a feature-length animated film before and he could have lost the whole studio if it had flopped. But not only didn’t it flop, it has influenced animated films ever since and may be one of the greatest films ever. The extras discussing the animators and their work are really interesting, and you will even learn that the original Snow White was a blond! The long list of names for the seven dwarfs, which Disney didn’t decide on until a few months […]