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

MM33

A good idea!

I've been sampling music from 12 Gauge and Ezekiel this evening ...

Larry knows why

More Hank Mobley................

Personnel:

Miles Davis: trumpet

Hank Mobley: tenor sax

Wynton Kelly: piano

Paul Chambers: bass

Jimmy Cobb: drums

Recorded live at the Blackhawk, San Francisco on 21 and 22 April, 1961.

Columbia Legacy 2 x 2CD set.

Dave

   Sunny music for the grey, rainy day outside.

EJS, what do you think about this record?

BP.

When I first listened to this disc, I thought it was good but faceless; however it isn't, it's actually a very well paced and played performance, deliberately low key in style.

Cheers,

EJ

A good start of the Saturday

Guilty as charged! I have most of the recordings on these discs (all except the Brahms scherzo), but not this issue itself. Why settle for a few of his Debussy preludes if you can have them all?

EJ

Continue with the same artists - different composer...

Well, it's not a bad performance, but there isn't much that sets it apart from the pack. Abbado was very ill at the time, which gave this issue some poignancy. He has the measure of the work and turns in an impressively focused performance. Alagna and Gheorghiu, at the height of their fame, show themselves not to be at home in Verdi (Alagna in shouting mode doesn't help), and the others don't make much of an impact. The live sound doesn't help, either.

...

Sorry for this. Can I recommend one of Abbado's earlier performances, or Giulini? Also, Gardiner recorded a very exciting version for Philips.

EJ

Jennifer Warnes and Famous Blue Raincoat.

The title track has always moved me in some strange way ever since since I first heard Songs Of Love And Hate way back in '71.

On Jennifer's version she adds something extra and then when Lenny comes in it is just so deep and moving.........

i'm a soft git really!

It's four in the morning, the end of December
I'm writing you now just to see if you're better
New York is cold but I like where I'm living
There's music on Clinton street all through the evening
I hear that you're building your little house
Deep in the desert
You're living for nothing now
I hope you're keeping some kind of record
Yes, and Jane came by with a lock of your hair
She said that you gave it to her
That night that you planned to go clear
Did you ever go clear?

All the talk of Bluegrass got me wanting to listen to my favourite Bluegrass artist of all time, Earl Scruggs, sorry Alison.

This compilation of tunes with Scruggs and Lester Flatt to me captures the original style of Bluegrass perfectly, I just love Scrugg's banjo playing. Has there ever been anyone who has bettered that instrument? 

To me Bluegrass is a lovely fusion of original immigrant British and Irish  folk with American blues roots music

[Streaming lossless via Qobuz]

Quite interesting.

There are many good performances of this lovely requiem, but this record is emotionally stirring.

Take Karajan's recording for an example, it's all about conducting admiration and presentation.

While I respect Gardiner's version (a great recording of Phillips, the choir is absolutely fantastic here), there is something missing; Gardiner doesn't seem to have any notion of Italian operatic style. 

Abbado, though, takes it to another place, somewhat gentle - "Mass for the dead", with his unique modesty. Gheorghiu is much more suite than Price and many other great singers.

However the other three soloists are not in the same league.

Abbado from 82' might be a better choice for some.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?...amp;feature=youtu.be

BP.

Hi BP, you caught me off guard there, I thought you were innocently looking for what I thought rather than a challenge session. I am an admirer of Gheorghiu, but in this work I think she misses some of the chest power - I may be influenced by the fact that Verdi wrote the work with his Aida principals in mind. Abbado's early 90s recording has Studer and Carreras - no Aida singers (though both did Aida), but a few sizes up in the vocal department. Even Giulini, who in his DG recording went the spiritual route, went for big-ish voices (well, except for the tenor).

On the Gardiner, I think he's the one to choose if you want an earth-shatting dies irae and generally a clean, dramatic performance that bridges the gap between opera and church music. He really approaches the work more as a mass than a work of drama. 

EJ

I wouldn't disagree but if you only listen to one Alison Krauss album then make it this one:

To quote AllMusic.com "Krauss was arguably the leading bluegrass musician of the late '80s and early '90s, pushing the music into new directions without losing sight of its roots".

Dave

Hi Richard.

This is one of my favourite albums of all time. Jennifer s interpretations of Leonard's songs are done with so much love for the man and his music you would have to be made of stone not to feel it in these songs. The track that always does it for me is Joan of Arc so I guess we are two soft gits together. Also my original vinyl copy is one of the best sounding in my collection and has been used as my go to test record since 1987.

Thank you for the post as this magical album will now get a play today. 

Happy New Year Graham.  

Dave, I totally agree on the above album! I have a few Alison Krauss albums, but this is the one I usually go back to play, I especially like the track 'Oh, Atlanta'

One from last night ...Vinyl.

This was the first issue in Brautigam's ongoing survey of Mozart piano(forte) concertos, for Bis. The pianoforte and small orchestra sound odd the first time, but will grow on you. The performances are beyond outstanding - regardless of instruments used, if Brautigam and Willens keep up the quality, I have no doubt that this will be one of the great Mozart concerto cycles.

EJ

S-in-S

re: Alison Krauss "Now That I've Found You" album. Excellent.

Dave

Qobuz streaming FLAC - Gently into the morning after the night before - Ouch!

G 

Edna Stern

"Bach: Preludes and Fugues"     (2009)     mp3