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Qobuz 24/44.1

Qobuz 24/96

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Qobuz 24/96

Qobuz 24/44.1

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Qobuz 16/44.1

Qobuz 24/96

24/96 Qobuz...

Qobuz 24/48

Qobuz 24/96

Qobuz 24/96

HDTracks 24/192

From the artist's website but note it is only 320 mp3. Didn't realise this (it is not made clear) and have asked for a refund. No reply, so far. Good music though.

Bert Schurink posted:

Qobuz 24/96

 

Have you listened to this yet Bert?

Black Sabbath

The Ten Year War - 24bit 96kHz

Qobuz

Edward

Eoink posted:

Bert Schurink posted:

Qobuz 24/96

 

Have you listened to this yet Bert?

Yes I did and I liked it, especially the piano part. It might not be so tight like groups which often play together, but I like quite a number of the elements of individual playing...

Roy Orbisons & The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra

A Love So Beautiful - 24bit 96kHz

Qobuz

1. In Dreams
2. Crying
3. I’m Hurtin
4. Oh, Pretty Woman
5. It’s Over
6. Dream Baby
7. Blue Angel
8. Love Hurts
9. Uptown
10. Mean Woman Blues
11. Only the Lonely
12. Running Scared
13. I Drove All Night
14. You Got It
15. A Love So Beautiful

Edward

From 7digital (16/44.1 Flac)

bandcamp | FLAC & MP3 20

bandcamp | FLAC & mp3 320

Qobuz 24/192

Recordings of Schumann’s symphonies have recently tended towards the small-scale, with chamber orchestras and often period manners, as witness the likes of Dausgaard, Nézet-Séguin, Ticciati, Holliger et al. That trend was reversed with Simon Rattle’s big-band Berlin cycle, plushly upholstered and, with the exception of a startlingly intense Rhenish, broadly conceived. Now Michael Tilson Thomas follows suit with the full forces of the San Francisco Symphony, but acheiving a strikingly different result.

The San Franciscans, like the Berliners, display their virtuosity and discipline in a movement such as the Scherzo of the Second, following with pinpoint accuracy MTT’s subtle ritards and organic tempo-changes for the various episodes. There’s a growing feeling of foreboding in the same symphony’s slow introduction; although where Ticciati (Linn, 9/14) carries this mood through the ensuing Allegro – and indeed the whole work, finding blazing C major resolution only in the hard-won finale – Tilson Thomas settles for a more comfortable view: imaginatively phrased and contoured, to be sure, but without that extra conceptual complication to give added drive to this music.

Howard Assembly Rooms
Tilson Thomas seems happiest in the slow movements, where he encourages the San Franciscans to fill his generous paragraphs with their sumptuous tone. The playing throughout is one of the joys of this set, with characterful woodwind soloists (featuring especially perky clarinets) aided by a recording of remarkable clarity. Again and again the ear is caught by a detail – an inner string motif or a little wind commentary – that is so often swamped. This clarity, though, once more gives the lie to the received wisdom that Schumann was an orchestral amateur and reveals not only his personal appreciation of sonority but also his command of symphonic architecture.

The Spring, for me, is the finest performance here: tempos, while not as brisk as some, seem ideal nonetheless, and all those fine features mentioned above coalesce into something rather lovely. The Rhenish is good, too, although MTT’s depiction of Cologne Cathedral in the interpolated fourth movement is suave rather than craggy and monumental like Nézet-Séguin’s. The Scherzo of the Fourth is less manically driven and the opening movement’s Lebhaft a touch more sedate than, for instance, John Eliot Gardiner’s (but then, most people’s are – Archiv, 6/98).

These are live performances, the audience making themselves known only in the concluding applause that caps each symphony. One or two odd shifts in perspective, for instance in the Spring’s Scherzo, suggest occasional patches from rehearsal, but could equally be artefacts of the recording process. The pre-production review copy suggests a quality endeavour, even if it is trumped by the objet d’art feel of the Berlin product. Otherwise this is a worthy companion to the Rattle cycle, not least for the particularly fine Spring

Qobuz 24/96

Brian Blade & The Fellowship Band: Body And Shadow

Mark Sullivan By MARK SULLIVAN
October 26, 2017
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Brian Blade & The Fellowship Band: Body and Shadow
SLIDESHOW Brian Blade & The Fellowship Band celebrates its 20th anniversary in 2017. Body and Shadow is only their fifth album: they have not recorded prolifically, but each one has been worth the wait. The group occupies a unique space: the sound of Americana (chiefly folk music) is dominant, but played with a jazz sensibility. Despite the considerable technical firepower in the band, it has always kept the focus on the ensemble sound rather than on soloists. For this outing drummer Brian Blade and keyboardist Jon Cowherd have nearly equal compositional input, and the group welcomes a new member in Denver-based guitarist Dave Devine.

Blade gets the first word with "Within Everything," an elegiac slow tune with a haunting melody. The first of the "Body and Shadow" entries is next—Noon, later followed by Morning and Night. These are gentle explorations of similar material, rather minimal until a theme finally appears in the last one. Cowherd's first contribution is "Traveling Mercies," another folksong-like tune which nonetheless includes a dramatic, contrasting bridge. The feeling of contrast is even stronger in the aptly-titled "Duality," which is made up of two contrasting sections. The longest selection by far, it also has the most pronounced jazz feel. The first half features a long, joyful piano solo by the composer; the second half spotlights alto saxophonist Myron Walden in an electrifying solo turn.

The group's previous album Landmarks (Blue Note, 2014) featured a rare cover, a hymn-like treatment of the traditional song "Shenandoah." This time they up the ante with an actual hymn: "Have Thine Own Way, Lord." Cowherd plays it solo on harmonium first, then the entire band continues the feeling with Blade's arrangement. That it fits in with the original music so well is a testament to the deep traditional roots of the Fellowship Band's music. They have never been a long-winded bunch, but this is an especially succinct collection: the nine tracks run only a little over half an hour. Not a minute is wasted.
Track Listing: Within Everything; Body and Shadow (Noon); Traveling Mercies; Have Thine Own Way, Lord (Solo); Have Thine Own Way, Lord (Band); Body and Shadow (Morning); Duality; Body and Shadow (Night); Broken Leg Days.

Personnel: Brian Blade: drums; Jon Cowherd: piano, harmonium, mellotron; Chris Thomas: bass; Melvin Butler: tenor saxophone; Myron Walden: alto saxophone, bass clarinet; Dave Devine: guitar.

Title: Body and Shadow | Year Released: 2017 | Record Label: Blue Note Records

Qobuz 24/96

Ron Miles: I Am A Man

Dan Bilawsky By DAN BILAWSKY
October 27, 2017
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Ron Miles: I Am A Man
SLIDESHOW When two workers were killed by a malfunctioning garbage truck in Memphis in 1968, the flames of activism were rightly stoked. Sanitation workers fed up with poor working conditions and abuse of power poured into the streets wielding "I Am A Man" signs, making a principled stand that spoke not only to the situation at hand, but also to a broader struggle connected to the civil rights movement. That incident remains clearly fixed in cornetist Ron Miles' mind, standing out both for its place in history and for what the statement on those signs represents.

In addressing the very notion of the "I Am A Man" platform, Miles references the sadly apparent nexus between injustices of the past and our present day situation, bringing social justice into his artistic sphere while also investigating the more philosophical notions connected to humans simply being and expressing themselves. There's no dichotomizing these topics for Miles—"it's impossible and unnecessary to separate spirituality and politics, and art and politics," he shares in Michelle Mercer's finely crafted liner notes—and this album is all the better for it.

The quintet that Miles assembled for I Am A Man capitalizes on long-lasting relationships and familiar figures. First and foremost on the list of old friends is Bill Frisell. The shared sensibilities that bind the cornetist and guitarist have been on display for more than two decades, highlighted on Frisell releases like the eerily wonderful Quartet (Nonesuch, 1996), the richly textured Blues Dream (Nonesuch, 2001), and the stylistically broad-minded History, Mystery (Nonesuch, 2008); collective concoctions, such as the two albums from Floratone; and a number of Miles dates, like the duo-licious Heaven (Sterling Circle, 2002) and the trio-centric Quiver (Enja/Yellowbird, 2012) and Circuit Rider (Enja/Yellowbird, 2014). Drummer Brian Blade, the third member of the trio on those aforementioned Miles albums, also returns for another ride here, bringing his inimitable touch and signature blend of grace and groove to the fore.

While Miles' past trio dates never wanted for anything or anyone, the two additives on this outing—bassist Thomas Morgan and pianist Jason Moran—prove indispensable, manifesting as the missing ingredients that nobody could've known were missing in the past. Morgan, who's Frisell's bassist of choice these days, is a highly skilled harmonic navigator and a rhythmic pillar, capably binding this band and craftily finding his way through solid checkpoints and the mists of uncertainty that occasionally create a fog. Moran, whose distinctive personality could theoretically threaten to overpower any situation, perfectly meshes with his band mates. At times he artfully weaves his keys into the tapestry, but he's equally comfortable standing out front to paint a pensive picture as an entryway ("Darken My Door") or add his two cents in a quaint and beautiful setting ("Mother Juggler").

The originals presented here are basically in keeping with the general theme and Miles' established persona. His cornet, with its sapphire-to-indigo blue streaks, provides a high level of warmth that draws in the ears, and his compositions inspire conversation, communication, and the occasional feeling of consternation (i.e. the core of "Revolutionary Congregation"). One number might be set off by a simple motif, inviting a lyrical strain to set in and a grooving gathering to take shape ("I Am A Man"); another might flow from the start, with an underlying swing pulse setting a curved course for cool ("The Gift That Keeps On Giving"); and a third may call on deep reflection ("Is There Room In Your Heart For A Man Like Me?").

There's great specificity in Miles' writing, yet the music is flexible enough to allow for these five beautiful and intrepid souls to make their mark within the established bounds. I Am A Man occupies a rare space, existing as a mark of musical pride and dignity, a statement driven by social activism, a history-propelled piece of art, and an album that challenges and unites. What's more, it scores incredibly high marks when viewed from each of those angles.
Track Listing: I Am A Man; Darken My Door; The Gift That Keeps On Giving; Revolutionary Congregation; Mother Juggler; Jasper; Is There Room In Your Heart For A Man Like Me?.

Personnel: Ron Miles: cornet; Brian Blade: drums; Bill Frisell: guitar; Jason Moran: piano; Thomas Morgan: bass.

Title: I Am A Man | Year Released: 2017 | Record Label: Yellowbird

Qobuz 16/44.1