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

Kuma, this is a highly enjoyable disc, with some stunning pianism by Lewis - it doesn't compare to Richter, really. Lewis also avoids Richter's favored bronchitis background track.

EJ

Boston. Debut LP on the original orange Epic label from 1976. Nearly 40 years on now, the music is still exciting to me. A great go-to, feel-good album with quality production and SQ.

New album influenced by the sound of Mali out 9th Oct and it is well worth a listen. I like it.

An easy way for people to get into classical music...

Streaming | FLAC Download from Bandcamp

Umber ~ Sunshine Young (2013)

Some pleasant ambient music to kick off today.

Bruce Springsteen. Born In The U.S.A. On original vinyl from 1984. Back in the day, I tired of hearing redundant FM radio play of the title track, "Cover Me" and "Dancing In The Dark". Got me off Springsteen for a while. Now I'm back on board with The Boss and can enjoy this album front to back.

On Bandcamp - interesting piano jazz trio with a minimalism type of approach..

Great album, based on a sad story (child death), on my mobile setup - which shines with the album...

Streaming  |FLAC Download from Bandcamp

Arc ~ Umbra (2014)

More good Berlin School ambient from the duo that are Arc; Ian Boddy and Mark Shreeve.

"Their music is deeply routed in the traditions of the German synthesizer music of the 1970's and as such they employ a vast range of vintage analogue equipment not the least of which is Shreeve's massive Moog IIIC modular system. 

Umbra is a recording from their headline performance at the E-Live festival in Oirschot, the Netherlands on 19th October 2013..."

Horrendous - Ecdysis

On CD:-

Peter Gabriel - Us

Guilty pleasure that I  haven't listened to in years. 

A general good album, his breakthrough...

Streaming | FLAC Download from Bandcamp

(2012)

Another very good Berlin School sound from Paul Lawler who is Arcane. 

On CD:-

Streaming | FLAC Download from Bandcamp

(2012)

One of number of very good discoveries in recent times. This band Dirtwire have really got something that's both different and compelling.

"This music combines a number of disparate influences, prominent among them Appalachian, African and Asian, into something that sounds new and refreshingly different." A Bandcamp Patron

One of the traditional albums...

More quilty pleasure music  while cooking dinner. 

Good stuff Tony, no need to feel guilty I had a lot of Rick's music back in the day. Interestingly he played a track or two from this album in his one man show last month. 

Thanks, Steve. That minimises the guilty feeling.  Now, let me go and check those roasties. 

Marc Ford, Holy Ghost on CD. Saw it on the Naim Label website and after listening to the demo's ordered it. I am not usually a fan of this style of music but I really quite like this. Mrs said I now have to put it on her Ipod.

Pires' masterful performances of sonatas D 845 and 960. In Chopin, Pires can be interventionist and assertive; her Schubert, by contrast, is naked and unadorned. In the B flat sonata's first two movements, she doesn't have the emotionally draining impact of Kovacevich and Uchida, but her approach yields dividends in IV, which more than usually sounds as the logical finale to the preceding movements. Recording is excellent.

The 'D' incidentally was coined by musicologist Otto Deutsch, who in the mid 20th century was the first to systematically categorise Schubert's works.

Cheers

EJ

Haven't heard that for many years when I borrowed the LP. Must get a CD version to see if it still impresses.

Vol 2 - people and places - because I saw her live at the Union Chapel last night when she performed quite a number of songs from this album and, supported by the very talented Gerry Leonard, they sounded almost the same.  The version of Tom's Diner on this is excellent. Every time I play it I will now see in my mind SV singing with whilst wearing a black top hat.