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

On of the best classical recordings ever

Streaming | Deezer Elite

(1993)

Cut from a similar cloth as Ozric Tentacles but these guys never seemed to get their due recognition.

Tidal :-

Joe Jackson - Fast Forward, most enjoyable.

Streaming | Deezer Elite

(2008)

Terrific live album

Streaming | FLAC 

(1970)

Pure nostalgia with this, some say that it was their best album but they possibly  say that because it has "tunes/songs". My favourite remains their classic forerunner which was proper "underground music" but this is very enjoyable and unsurprisingly very much of its time with that California sound.

A-ha, Minor Earth Major Sky.  Better then their debut album imho and still enjoyable to listen to.  flac via audirvana/hugo

Good choice Steve, not heard that for ages, thanks for the prompt

The CD rip is excellent SQ. If you like country blues this is one of Lightnin Hopkins's best early albums.

Came so close to buying this in a bookstore the other day, its a new pressing...are the new pressings good?

The brilliant and beautiful Emily Remler - always a joy to hear. 

Recorded in 1974.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bnXMX31ApWQ

Van Halen, 1984.  I group I find irritating becuause the song writing can be sloppy and infantile but the guitar and music incredible.  Some good tracks on this one though. 24 bit flac via audirvana/hugo

Indeed she was - and gone WAY too soon...

What do you think of it?

Originally Posted by kuma: 

What did he play?Was it a trio or quartet?Been waiting on Music Matters 'Speak No Evil' reissue. 

 

Originally Posted by Corry: 

Kuma,

 

He was leading a quartet, the same one he's been with since 2000:

 

 He played his customary tenor and soprano saxophones (to my ears, the soprano is much more "his" instrument). I didn't recognise any of the pieces - I'm afraid my most recent 

album by him is from the 80s (Sportin' Life). From what I could 

see, the pianist (Danilo Pérez) and the bassist (John Patitucci, on upright bass) were playing from written out charts at least some of the time.

It was an extraordinarily good show. The music was pure Shorter - dark, angular, intense, poetic - and I thought the quartet meshed very well. It was helped hugely by the surprisingly good sound at Benaroya Hall. The acoustics are (supposedly) highly regarded, but I've never been a fan: there's something about the character of the sound that is very much of the digital era. Not last night, though. I doubt they've made any changes, so I suspect the acoustics might just be kinder to a small ensemble.

 

Although my system is sounding better than ever these days, I have to confess that listening to a record after a show like that was quite the cold bath.

 

I also have the MM Speak No Evil on my wishlist. Their site still says “September 2015,” so who knows when it will appear. I bought Unity by Larry Young last week, so it should be on my porch some time tomorrow.

Corry,

Thanks for your detailed reply.

It's nice to hear he's still composing altho, I would love it if he was to do his *nostalgic* tour and play some numbers from his Blue Note era. Perez is an excellent piano player and Patitucci is a pro.

I am not at all familiar with what he's doing lately either as last CD I got was from the 90s ( 1+1 with Hancock ) after Seak No Evil. ( nearly 30 years gap )

You'll enjoy Unity and it seems everyone's fafourite. Another gorgeous release along with it is Jackie McLean's Right Now!

I wish they'd redo Night Dreamer in 33RPM. The title tune is my favourite of Shorter. All original. No covers with young Mccoy Tyner's opulent piano.

I see what you mean by a system sounding a bit lacklustre, after a wonderful, especially an acoustic concert.

Just no way to reproduce the real life scale and dynamics of full orchestra and chorus. I don't even think there is a technology to record it.

A simple trio or solo might have a chance, tho.

I will try this again...on the correct thread this time.

kuma's post a while back reminded me of this album...which for some reason this has always seemed a real cool album cover to me.

And then, sticking with a good thing...

Cake. Prolonging The Magic. Original CD from 1998. There's currently a bevy of ads running on US TV for Amazon's Echo that feature Cake's music, so I've got it stuck in my head. This album is particularly nice with a tight funk throughout and good dynamic range.

France seems to have had an endless supply of financially independent composers who never made it into the hall of fame. Magnard is one of the better ones in the league of second-stringers, but did end up in the hall all the same, as a war hero.

EJ

Pink Floyd. Endless River. On CD from 2014. Better with repeated listens now that I know what to expect.