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Eight Christmas CDs for the 2016 Holidays

Eight Christmas CDs for the 2016 Holidays

by | Dec 8, 2016 | Special Features

Eight Christmas CDs of Note, Holidays 2016 “Song of the Nativity” – The Sixteen/ Harry Christophers – Coro COR16146, 73:58 (10/14/16) [Distr. by Naxos] *****: This wonderful Christmas offering comprises some of the best modern carols and choral works of the modern age, sung to absolute perfection by a noted and very reliable ensemble. The sound is first rate and the dynamic range of this group never fails to astound. Fortunately, there are also seven traditional carols thrown into the mix, and they are taken, as directly as possible, from the classic Oxford Book of Carols from 1928. After all the Christmas albums that turn these gems inside out with never-ending permutations and cleverly assembled variances, hearing them in this form, sans ego and overly-stoked imagination, is a real and very genuine pleasure. This album will serve as a balm to over-jaded holiday sensibilities, and help to recapture the real meaning of the season. TrackList: Bullard, A: And all the stars looked down Chilcott: Shepherd’s Carol Davies, Walford: O Little Town of Bethlehem Gardner, John: When Christ was born of Mary free Ireland: The Holy Boy Jackson, Gabriel: The Christ-child Lauridsen: O magnum mysterium MacMillan: The Strathclyde Motets: O Radiant […]

Antonio Ciacca Quintet – Volare, The Italian American Songbook – Cellar Live

Antonio Ciacca Quintet – Volare, The Italian American Songbook – Cellar Live

by | Aug 21, 2016 | Jazz CD Reviews

Antonio Ciacca Quintet – Volare, The Italian American Songbook – Cellar Live CL101815, 55:31 ***: A mostly robust and assertive session. (Antonio Ciacca – piano; Paul Gill – acoustic bass; Peter Van Nostrand – drums; Cory Weeds – tenor saxophone; Benny Benack III – trumpet & vocals) The Italian word Volare means “to fly” in English. It was the title to  a popular song of the same name with a sub-title of ‘nel blu di pinto di blu‘ ( translated as “in the blue that is painted blue”). Composed, recorded and sung by Domenico Modugno, it won a Grammy in 1958 for record and song of the year. Although the other tracks on this Volare release do not have Italian-sounding titles, their congruity comes from the composers.  Pianist Antonio Ciacca who is originally from Foggia, Italy composed six compositions, Harry Warren (born Salvatore Antonio Guaragna) two numbers, and Frank Signorelli one. While the titling may be the thinnest pretension, the music itself is mostly robust and assertive. The trio of Ciacca/Gill /Van Nostrand open the session with the title track “Volare” in sprightly-swinging fashion and while Ciacca shows he has the chops to hold the tune together, he often falls […]