jazzy Archive
Randy Brecker – Randy Pop – Piloo
Randy Brecker – Randy Pop – Piloo PR009, 77:54 ****: (Randy Brecker – trumpet, effects, voice; Kenny Werner – piano, keyboards, arrangements; David Sanchez – tenor saxophone; Amanda Brecker – vocals; Adam Rogers – guitar; John Patitucci – bass; Nate Smith – drums) Elite session musician revisits his pop career in a jazzy way! Randy Brecker has been among the elite of session musicians for nearly fifty years. More importantly, his contributions involve a wide array of music. Brecker has played with Horace Silver, Bruce Springsteen, Charles Mingus, Frank Zappa, Stanley Turrentine, Lou Reed, Spyro Gyra, Dire Straits, Larry Coryell and Blood Sweat & Tears, to name a few. He was a successful band leader, most notably with the Brecker Brothers Band, that included his sibling Michael. That group earned several Grammy nominations and two wins. Brecker also garnered two Grammy awards as a solo artist. Music fans are familiar with a lot of his work by sound, if not by name. Brecker has assembled a top-notch band to revisit and invigorate his jazzy pop legacy. Randy Pop recreates nine songs that Brecker played on in his vaunted studio career. Arranged (or “deranged” as described by Brecker in the liner […]
Frank Zappa – Roxy, The Movie, CD + Blu-ray (2015)
Frank Zappa – Roxy, The Movie, CD + Blu-ray (2015) A true rock genius is revealed in restored Blu-ray of a vintage performance. Studio: Eagle Vision EV8335219 Cast: Frank Zappa & The Mothers Video: 1.78:1 for 16:9 screen, 1080p HD, Color Audio: Dolby Digital 5.1; PCM 2.0 stereo TrackList: Something Terrible Has Happened/Cosmic Debris; Penguin In Bondage; T’Mershi Duween; Dog Meat (The Dog Breath Variations/Uncle Meat); RDNZL; Inca Roads; Echidna’s Art (of You); Don’t You Ever Wash That Thing?; Cheepnis-Percussion; Cheepnis; I’m The Slime; Big Swifty; Be-Bop Tango (Of The Old Jazzmen’s Church); End Credits: Don’t Eat The Yellow Snow; Father O’Blivion Bonus Tracks: Pygmy Twylyte; The Idiot Bastard Son; Dickie’s Such An Asshole Length: 116 minutes Ratings: Audio: ***1/2 Video: ***1/2 Overall: ****: Certainly Frank Zappa’s music and career can be safely described as weird. His unique approach to rock, orchestration and avant-garde set him apart from his peers. The music was different and bent the rules of genre association and instrumental arrangement. Without reluctance, he would shake up the band lineup to bring a fresh perspective to his changing vision. One aspect of his musical career was film. 200 Motels (with The Mothers, Theodore […]
STEVE REICH: Music for 18 Musicians – Ensemble Signal/ Brad Lubman – Harmonia mundi
Yet another recorded entry on one of the seminal works of the minimalist movement.
Robert Kennedy Trio – Big Shoes – self-produced
B-3 music is alive and well!
Doug Macleod – Exactly Like This – Reference Recordings
Bluesman and technology make a great pair.
JAMES GRANT: “High Autumn” = Sultry and Eccentric; Waltz for Betz; High Autumn; Sextet for Bass Clarinet and Strings; Just a Thought; Ragamuffins; Chocolates – William Helmers, clarinet/Wayne Wildman, piano/Philomusica Quartet/ Jerry DiMuzio, baritone sax – Potenza Music PM1028, 62:28 ***:
Some fairly nice clarinet works; a little bit of a mixed bag.
Carl Cleves & Parissa Bouas – Halos ‘Round The Moon – Stockfisch
Prevalent folk roots thru out this stereo SACD album.
“THOMAS FORTMANN: In Dust We Trust” = Piano Trio “Prolitheus Suite”; Sonata for Violin and Piano “A Southern Diary”; Four Pieces for Two Violins “Con Pepe e Zucchero” – Andrzej Grabiec (Piano Trio), Manrico Padovani, and Natasha Korsakova (Four Pieces), v. /Mischa Quint, c. /Carlo Alessandro Lapegna (Piano Trio) & Akemi Masuko, p. – Métier
A sometimes wild-and-crazy musical mix from Swiss composer Thomas Fortmann.
THOMAS OBOE LEE: Six Concertos – Sarah Brady, flute /Ina Zdorovetchi, harp /Irina Muresanu, v. /Robert Levin, p. /Jennifer Stowik, oboe /Rafael Popper-Keizer, c. /Boston Modern Orch. Project / Gil Rose – BMOP/sound (2 CDs)
Eclectic music by a composer whose roots and here and there. And there.
“Delights & Dances” = ABELS: Delights and Dances for String Quartet and Orch.; LEES: Concerto for String Quartet and Orchestra; AN-LUN: “Saibei Dance” from Saibei Suite No. 2; BERNSTEIN: West Side Story Concerto for String Quartet & Orch. – Harlem Quartet /Chicago Sinfonietta/ Mei-Ann Chen – Cedille
An album of contemporary concertos for string quartet and orchestra chosen to quicken the pulse, challenge the intellect and please the ears.
RAVEL: The Piano Concertos; Mirors – Pierre-Laurent Aimard, piano/ The Cleveland Orchestra/Pierre Boulez – DGG
Ravel’s two piano concertos are given stodgy performances, missing the atmosphere and spirit of these masterpieces.