interviews Archive
Gregory Porter (vocals) – Live In Berlin, Blu-ray + 2 CDs (2016)
Soul/jazz singer releases a live performance Blu-ray. Gregory Porter – Live In Berlin, Blu-ray + 2 CDs (2016) Performers: Gregory Porter – vocals; Chip Crawford – piano; Jahmal Nichols – double bass; Emanuel; Harrold – drums; Tivon Pennicott – tenor saxophone Producer/Director: Jeremy Aziz Studio: Eagle Rock Entertainment EVB335539 Audio: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1; PCM Stereo 2.0 Video: 16:9 for 1080i HD, color TrackList: (Same as CD): Holding On; On My Way To Harlem/What’s Going On; Take Me To The Alley; Don’t Lose Your Steam; Hey Laura; Liquid Spirit; Consequence Of Love; Bass Solo/Papa Was A Rolling Stone; Musical Genocide; Don’t Be A Fool; Work Song?Drum Solo; In Fashion; Be Good (Lion’s Song); 1960 What?; Water Under Bridges; Free/Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Again) Length: 128 minutes Rating: Audio ***1/2 Video **** Overall **** Gregory Porter has become a star in the modern soul/jazz genre. His songwriting ability and recordings have garnered critical and fan enthusiasm. His stage persona has made him an international star. Eagle Vision has released a Blu-ray (with 2 CDs), titled Gregory Porter – Live In Berlin. Like many artists, their essence can often be understood in a context of performance. […]
VERDI: Macbeth, Blu-ray (2015)
Lots to recommend in this opera. It’s a keeper. VERDI: Macbeth, Blu-ray (2015) Cast: Anna Netrebko, Zeljko Lucic, René Pape, Joseph Calleja, The Metropolitan Opera Orchestra and Chorus. Studio: Deutsche Grammophon [10/30/15] (Dist. by Universal) Director: Fabio Luisi Video: 1.77:1 1080p HD Color for 16:9 screens Audio: DTS-HD 5.1, PCM Stereo Subtitles: English, German, Chinese, Korean, Spanish, French, Italian Length: 155 minutes Extras: Backstage at the Met – interviews Ratings: Audio: ****½ Video: ****½ Overall ****½ Who would have thought the old play had so much music in it? Unjustly considered one of Verdi’s second tier operas (just below his other Shakespearean operas, Otello and Falstaff), Macbeth nevertheless boasts excellent duets, solos, and several well-timed ensemble pieces. Yet it is rarely performed and even more rarely recorded. A film version (1987) transferred to DVD (2007) with Shirley Verrett and Leo Nucci is eminently splendid, with its simian topless witches (acrobats perhaps?), a musty Godfrey of Bouillon castle, and lots of blue-gray lighting. It set the bar very high, but lately it’s begun to creak in this age of HD and RF mikes. As Macbeth, Zeljko Lucic does a decent job, particularly at the beginning as he totes his AK-47 and […]
The Magics of Music + Castelfranco Veneto Recital (2015)
Two terrific film portraits of musical genius Daniil Trifonov.
Z For Zachariah, Blu-ray (2015)
A provocative post-apocalyptic tale of the world’s perhaps last three survivors.
Bob Dylan – Roads Rapidly Changing (2015)
Some interesting footage, but all too familiar ground in this Bob Dylan documentary.
Rise Of A Texas Bluesman – Stevie Ray Vaughan 1954-1983 (2014)
Documentary examines Stevie Ray Vaughan’s ascension into the Texas blues scene.
Skip Sempé – Memorandum XXI (TrackList follows) with Capriccio Stravagante/Capriccio Stravagante Renaissance Orch./Capriccio Stravagante Les 24 Violons – Paradizo (5 CDs & bound book)
An immense immersion in early music, with essays and interviews in a 388-p. bound book and performance reissues on five CDs.
Les Fils du Vent (2012/2013)
A fascinating documentary on gypsy jazz and the Romani culture.
Pierre Boulez and the Piano = Douze Notations; Piano Sonatas (complete); Incises; Une page d’ephemeride – Dimitri Vassilakis (piano) – Cybele
An exciting and nicely recorded version of the complete Boulez piano music.
Broadway Musicals – A Jewish Legacy (2012)
One of the best of recent PBS documentaries.
Color Me Obsessed – A Film about The Replacements (2011)
Made by fans for fans and covering the entire history of the Minneapolis-based band The Replacements.
Audio News for November 30, 2012
Sony Shows 4K Ultra HD Server for 84-inch LCD TV; Linn Launches Digital Music Collections; Joe Smith Interviews with Music Icons at Library of Congress; Logitech Updates Harmony Remotes
Pink Floyd – The Story Of Wish You Were Here – Blu-ray (2012)
Pink Floyd: The Story Of Wish You Were Here is a worthwhile companion piece to the album.
Robert Plant’s Blue Note (2011) DVD
The DVD documents the muse of a restless musical troubadour.
Behind the Burly Q (2010)
This is the definite visual history of Burlesque in America.
Bamboo Organ of Las Piñas, Manila [TrackList below] – Douglas Lawrence, organist – Move (2 discs with video)
This double album from the innovative Australian label Move is currently the only recording available of the truly unique bamboo pipe organ in the Philippines.
Stereotypes Audio
Cembal d’amour
Pure Pleasure / Speakers Corner
Cedille
