What are you listening to and WHY might anyone be interested? (Vol. X)

Listening to it now.   I have done almost exclusively downloads the past 5 years or so and one thing missing in most cases is liner notes.  In days past I would read everything included with the album and pick up all the little subtleties in the production and musical choices.  Thanks for the heads-up.

Happy holidays Richard

Jeff A

Brandi Carlile

"Give Up The Ghost"     (2009)     mp3

Merry xmas Jeff

Elizabeth & The Catapult

"Taller Children"     (2009)     mp3

First disc of Cynthia Raim who has plenty of talent and hardly any reputation. I am still hunting for her 2009 Brahms recording. Not familiar with the Connoisseur Society label but must say that sound of the recorded piano is quite impressive.

Highly recommended.

Remaster CD

Why? Because I felt like it.

steve

Two variations by Elgar and Brahms by Toscanini.

The original early RCA pressing is a bit compressed at climax but full of humanity.

A single microphone was set about 5 ft above Toscanini's head. At some point I can hear him breathing and grunting!

Blackfield - DNA

Creedence Clearwater Revival - Rock legends

A John Zorn son

The more I play this album, the more I like it.  The song Precious Things is fabulous and Tori sings Me And A Gun with real feeling.   

Dire Straits - Dire Straits

Dixie Chicks - Taking The Long Way

Ozric Tentacles  - Pungent Effulgent -  on c.d. 

includes a live version of half prog/space rock half dub/reggae Ayurvedic track, and Wreltch. Interesting percusion, groovy bass, synth head sounds, and lead guitar meltdown.

Tom Waits - Blue Valentine (1978)

Original vinyl

Now some Richard Thompson, the electric CD :-

Richard Thompson - Dream Attic

In the fishtank nr. 10 - Motorpsycho and Jaga Jazzist horns

funky, freaky, jazzy

D'Angelo And The Vanguard - Black Messiah (2014)

Streaming: CD FLAC rip

Alternative R&B

The new D'Angelo

see my post in the music forum

5*****

One for the ages

PS Try the hires download - slightly better than the CD rip

Streetwalkers  Red Card on vertigo vinyl

Heifetz/Sargent's Elgar Violin Concerto.

Technically superb but somewhat mechanical lacking hot blood.

I get the feeling this concerto needs someone a bit more nebulous and fluid.

Like this fluid and genter Menuhin/Boult set makes more sense for pre-Great War Elgar to me.

These two styles and interpretations are so different in that it does not even sound the same tunes.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B3b9tvhkm8A

Excellent duo with constant interplay between the piano and bass. You can tell that these two have been performing together for quite some time. Ten tunes here, seven of them were composed by Holland or Barron, the other three are by Monk, Charlie Parker and Billy Strayhorn.

Alas, the recording which took place at Avatar Studios NY is quite disappointing. The warm non-fatiguing sound is quite flat, lacking resolution and texture, which is inexcusable in a controlled studio setting. Come to think of it, I cannot remember any disc issued on the Impulse label sounding spectacular. They should have gone instead to be recorded at ECM or MA and come up with a much more satisfying  disc. Recommended.

X'mas Eve Disco.