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

Why because it would have been JL 75th birthday today.. Vinyl

Me too Quad.

Blackfoot, Highway Song Live.  One of my favourite live albums, just foot tappingly good. flac via audirvana/hugo

Have all his albums apart from his Kevin Breit collabs which I never took to. 

Great album.

Dipped my nose quickly into the recent recording from Tharraud and Levit on Bach's Goldberg variations. While Levit's version is very fluid, I tend to have the feeling that Tharraud's one appeals more to me. But let's give it some time to have an intensive listening session.

...and then I can compare it in remastered format with the reference of all references, Glenn Gould...

First run of Warner's latest attempt to establish its credentials as a serious classical label: a studio recording of Aida. 

EJ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wq5Ks3_r6f0

Mccoy Tyner: Passion Dance 1978 recording

Line up:

• Bass – Ron Carter
• Drums – Tony Williams

A lot of great energy and power from his Japan Live recording. This analogue recording simply sounds fantastic: Victor Japan engineers ( XRCD fame ) worked on this recoding. 

Piano sounds up close and bold with proper colours. The best sounding Milestone/Fantasy release so far.

There is a retake of 'Passion Dance' but I still prefer old Blue Note style over this avant-garde abstract hard hitting interpretation.

IT's a pity EMI is no more.

Warner Bro. label always reminds me of Doobie Brothers.

Sony also have been working to established in the classical music arena ever since bought the rights to the Columbia catalogue. 

Hope they are at least launching a new site for classical music. 

Dolly Parton doesn't sing Aida!

Mccoy Tyner: Looking Out 1982 Release

Change of label to CBS/Columbia might necessitated the change of direction to something more * marketable* from his noodle jazz. 

At least he did not go disco like Turrentine did and at least he's got some original tunes written and he was a producer which retains some control in ouput. Add in label mate Carlos Santana and female singer of the day, singing a power ballad, these have a better chance to be played on a main stream easy jazz radio station. 

Completely different line up of support musicians for the new directions and sound. mainly from the same Columbia label artists.

• Alto Saxophone – Gary Bartz 
• Bass [Acoustic], Electric Bass – Stanley Clarke 
• Drums – Buddy Williams 
• Guitar – Carlos Santana 
• Piano, Producer – McCoy Tyner
• Vocals – Phyllis Hyman

Here's a tune he wrote for Santana featured in the album. 

Mccoy Tyner: Revelations 1989 Release

Finally he's back on he Blue Note Label again! 

Simple reflective style solo piano playing both original and standard tunes. Produced by Michael Cuscuna, digitally recorded but sounds natural and dynamic on vinyl.

His original 'You Taught me Heart so Sing' sounding lyrical like Bill Evans.

Listen to these gorgeous chord progressions and his spot on timing on Coltrane cover of 'Lazy Bird'. There is a trio version of this but I much prefer his solo piano set.

Bud Powell: The Amazing Bud Powell Vol. 1  2014 Blue Note Records 75th Anniversary Vinyl Initiative

• Drums – Max Roach, Roy Haynes 
• Piano – Bud Powell
• Tenor Saxophone – Sonny Rollins 
• Trumpet – Fats Navarro

A compilation of 2 separate recordings done in 1949 and 1951. This was before what Blue Note became Blue Note without Van Gelder or Reid Miles' wonderful cover art.

Nonetheless it's a star studded session, I wish I was on a fly on the wall at WOR Studio to listen in to this!

Remaster has been done several times but this latest Don Was' Blue Note reissue effort is done by Bernie Grundman and pressed at United Record Pressing. I am not certain if they went back to the original analogue master tape or worked off later digital Van Gelder or Ron McMasters' remastering.

Sub par production value in terms of packaging where the outer jacket is so thin, the seam and shrink wrap were arrived busted open by shifting record inside. If the Music Matters reissue is a luxurious Bergdorf Goodman, this is a bargain basement Walmart reissue.

Record is not quiet albeit there is a certain amount of digital silence ( all 75 Anniversary reissue by Blue Note are digital vinyl ). My copy has off centre hole bad enough to go back to the supplier.

Counting Crows. This Desert Life. On CD from 1999. Counting Crows was never really able to remuster the magic of their brilliant debut album. This one is decent though, and Adam Duritz's vocals are compelling and provide a strong sense of involvement with the music.

The Beatles. Live At The BBC. On 2CD from 1994. As has been pointed out here, it's John's birthday. There is a delightful vintage vibe and fun energy captured in these recordings. Reminds me I've been remiss on buying a copy of the Volume 2 successor.

Started the morning with my 1st spin of Yuja...

Rather dark toned album, but I like it a lot...

Nevertheless, kudos to all involved. It's a valuable recording which deserved to be made, and combines some of the best Verdi singers of this generation, an experienced conductor, chorus and orchestra, and sticks them in a no-expense-spared, atmospheric, high resolution recording with an amazing amount of detail.

Listening to the end of Act 1 for the second time, and it gives me the goosebumps. It has been a - long - time that an opera recording did that to me. This brings me back to my first CD: Aida, with Maazel. It kicked off a lifelong obsession with classical music. 

EJ

Streaming | Deezer Elite

(2011)

Starting the day as I finished off last night, this time with a quick trip through some of his excellent back catalogue high points in this collection.

Streaming via Tidal to NDX/Hugo and it sounds excellent.

G

The Artemis Quartet's last recording with Weigle (on viola), who passed away earlier this year. I was very much looking forward to this recording, as Brahms' string quartets include some of his densest, most difficult music. The Artemis pull this music surgically apart, then put it back together with every strand of melody, every note clearly delineated - this is Brahms looking forward to the modern Viennese school. In their approach, the Artemis are a bit like the Casals or Hagen quartets, but the Artemis usually up them on the emotional quotient (I haven't heard the Casals' Brahms, however). Fascinating, and highly recommended.

EJ

Played 3 times this morning already.