What are you listening to and WHY might anyone be interested? (Vol. XIV)
Posted by: Richard Dane on 31 December 2017
On the eve of a new year, it's time for a new thread.
Last year's thread can be found here:
Recent vinyl issue. The great Irish bluesman playing up a storm, a superb blues album, and one of the great live albums. I’ll aim to play just 2 sides as it’s a school night and I should go to bed, but there is the risk I’ll get sucked in to the whole thing. I’ve dropped the volume after the Motörhead, the fans on the 135s kicked in so I’ve dropped to a more sensible very loud level.
Far out Herbie, on CD. Perfect for the moment:
Clive B posted:
Genesis 'Wind and Wuthering'. I cleaned this last night on the ON so that I could give it a spin today. It's the last album featuring Steve Hackett on guitars, but possibly also my least played Genesis album. It's still better than many which followed IMHO.
Once upon a time this was possibly my most played Genesis album. I still have my ATCO copy that i bought from Pitchfork Records in Concord NH back in about '82.
And this evening I played another album that I bought at the same time from the same shop; Peter Gabriel's 4th album (or Security as it was called in the States). I gave a fresh clean and it has come up like new. A fabulous sounding LP too, the US Masterdisk cut version - appreciably more dynamic than my UK Townhouse 1st issue - and hardly betrays its early digital recording.
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Now Playing........
Joni Mitchell - Both Sides Now
Joni Mitchell (vocals), John Anderson (oboe), Julie Andrews (bassoon), David Arch (piano), Vaughan Armon (violin), John Barkley (trumpet), Pete Beachill (trombone), Bill Benam (viola) Chuck Berghofer (bass), Nigel Black (horn), Susan Bohling (cor anglais, oboe), Rachel Bolt (viola), Catherine Bradshaw (viola), Mike Brittain (bass), Nick Bucknall (clarinet), Dermot Crehan (violin), Andrew Crowley (trumpet), Benedict Cruft (violin), David Daniels (celli, cello), Peter Davies (trombone), Iain Dixon (clarinet, bass clarinet), Phillip Eastop (horn), Richards Edward (trombone), Peter Erskine (drums), Andy Findon (flute), Simon Fischer (violin), Paul Graham (horn), Roger Garland (violin), Wilfred Gibson (violin), Herbie Hancock (piano), Richard Henry (bass trombone), Rebecca Hirsch (violin), Mark Isham (trumpet), Skaila Kanga (harp), Helen Keen (flute), Paul Kegg (celli, cello), Patrick Kiernan (violin), Peter Bale (viola), Chris Laurence (bass), Julian Leaper (violin) Only Lewis (celli, cello), Helen Liebmann (celli, cello), Martin Loveday (celli, cello), Rita Manning (violin), James McLeod (violin), Michael McMenemy (violin), Gavin McNaughton (bassoon), Donald McVay (viola), Perry Montague-Mason (violin), Everton Nelson (violin), Peter Oxer (violin), John Pigneguy (horn), Anthony Pike (bass clarinet), Anthony Pleeth (celli, cello), Gerald Presencer (trumpet), Maciej Rakowski (violin), Frank Ricotti (percussion), Godfrey Salmon (violin), Frank Schaefer (cello), Mary Scully (bass), Hugh Sean (horn), Jackie Shave (violin), Katherine Shave (violin), Wayne Shorter (soprano saxophone, tenor saxophone), J. Neil Sidwell (trombone), Steve Sidwell (trumpet), Richard Skinner (bassoon, contrabassoon), Owen Slade (tuba), David Stewart (baritone trombone, bass trombone), Jonathan Strange (violin), Stan Sulzmann (clarinet, flute), Jamie Talbot (clarinet, flute, alto flute, alto saxophone), Cathy Thompson (violin), Michael Thompson (horn), Philip Todd (clarinet flute, alto flute), Christopher Tombling (violin), Derek Watkins (trumpet), Richard Watkins (horn), Ivo Jan vander Werff (viola), Bruce White (viola) Katie Wilkinson Khoroshunin (violo), David Woodcock (violin), Gavyn Wright (violin), and Warren Zielinski (violin).
Streaming on NAS....... Joni's fantastic voice back by a multitude of very talented musicians make this album a pleasure to sit back, listen and enjoy! Love it.......
Review from All About Jazz by David Adler here:
Joni Mitchell's love of jazz has never been a secret, but this program of mostly old standards is a departure for the folk-rock icon. In characteristically creative fashion, Mitchell orders the songs so that they tell the story of a typical romantic relationship, from the first-blush sentiments of "At Last" to the anguish of "Answer Me, My Love," to the zen-like perseverance of her own classic "Both Sides Now." In so doing, she makes a statement that is truly universal, and she also makes each song uniquely her own. Her smoky, weather-worn voice is still a thing of unsurpassed beauty. Her subdued delivery and unorthodox diction recall Billie Holiday most of all.
Seventy members of the London Symphony Orchestra surround Mitchell with luxury; the arrangements are tailored with expert care by Vince Mendoza. Mitchell's ex-husband, bassist Larry Klein, is the musical director. Peter Erskine and bassist Chuck Berghofer provide the most senstive rhythmic accompaniment imaginable. And any number of session musicians could have come in to lay down perfectly acceptable (and perhaps innocuous) solos, but no: Make way for Wayne Shorter, Herbie Hancock, and Mark Isham. Shorter's five guest appearances (on tenor as well as soprano) are particularly amazing: here's a player with a style as idiosyncratic and unmistakable as Joni Mitchell's. (The same could be said about the late Jaco Pastorius, another notable jazzer with whom Joni often worked.) It's fitting for a great singer/songwriter to surround herself with complementary greatness, and Both Sides Now is another fine example of that Joni Mitchell tradition.
The New York Trio consists of pianist Bill Charlap, bassist Jay Leonhart, and drummer Bill Stewart, though it exists solely as a studio band for the Japanese label Venus, as Charlap's regular trio includes Peter Washington and Kenny Washington. Even though this band only meets occasionally in the studio to record yet another release in their prolific series for the Japanese jazz market, there is plenty of chemistry between the three veterans, while the nine songs from the vast Cole Porter songbook were likely to have been a part of each musician's repertoire long before these 2005 sessions. Charlap's lyrical piano style is quite effective, capturing the nuances of Porter's humor (even though none of his lyrics are heard), while the rhythm section gels nicely with the pianist.
Now Playing........
Carla Bley - Trios
Carla Bley (piano), Andy Sheppard (tenor saxophone, soprano saxophone), and Steve Swallow (bass)
Streaming on NAS....... Time for some keyboard and saxophone, and bass! Love this album!
Note from ECM Records found here:
Carla Bley, Andy Sheppard and Steve Swallow revisit classic Bley compositions in an exceptional album recorded in Lugano last year by Manfred Eicher. Included here are spirited new versions of “Utviklingssang” and “Vashkar”, and the suites “Les Trois Lagons”, “Wildlife” and “The Girl Who Cried Champagne”. Carla’s robust tunes are vividly conveyed, all members solo compellingly, and the trio has never sounded better. “Trios” is one of the outstanding jazz albums of the season and marks the first time that a new Carla Bley album has appeared on ECM itself (rather than the ECM-distributed WATT label, which has been her primary platform for 40 years).
Sebastian Knauer - Bach & Sons 2
Nice mixture of keyboard concertos from the master and two of his sons.
Paul McCartney & Wings. Band On The Run. On original vinyl from 1973. There's quite an amazing legacy to the recording of this brilliant album. Macca being mugged of his demo tapes and handwritten lyrics near the recording location in Lagos, Nigeria. Wings' drummer and lead guitarist quit the band just prior to the trip. No problem, McCartney will fill those duties. A lone 8-track Studer available to lay down tracks in the recording studio in Lagos. No problem, Geoff Emerick is part of the recording enterogue. I guess adversity fueled artistry in this case. One of Macca's best albums and the title track is likely his most enduring post-Beatle anthem.
nigelb posted:Boz Scaggs - Memphis
Wonderfully laid back but has that knack of drawing you in.
Great album, lovely recording. I'm a big fan of Mr Scaggs. Time to play this -
George Harrison
All Things Must Pass - 24/96
Edward
Mark Knopfler
Privateering - 24/96
Edward
Gustav Holst
Holst The Planets - Tidal HiFi
Edward
Now Playing.....
Carla Bley - Andando el Tiempo
Streaming on NAS........ End on day and begin the next with Carla......
Carla Bley (piano), Andy Sheppard (tenor saxophone, soprano saxophone), and Steve Swallow (bass)
Note from ECM Records:
Andando el Tiempo features new music of wide emotional compass by Carla Bley, and underlines her originality and resourcefulness as a jazz composer. “Saints Alive!” sets up animated conversations between the participants with striking statements from Steve Swallow’s bass guitar and Andy Sheppard’s soprano sax. The stately “Naked Bridges/Diving Brides” draws inspiration from Mendelssohn and the poetry of Paul Haines. And the powerful three part title composition – which addresses the trials and tribulations of recovery from addiction - moves through sorrow to hopefulness and joy. The trio with Sheppard and Swallow has been an ideal vehicle for Carla’s writing for more than 20 years and also provides one of the best contexts for her unique piano playing.
Now Playing......
Linda Ronstadt & Emmylou Harris - Western Wall -- The Tuscon Sessions
Streaming on TIDAL........ Going with a mention from REDKEV yesterday, I enjoy both Emmylou & Linda and moved this in the TIDAL queue and taking it out for a spin.
I was listening to some Kenny Wheeler yesterday, and thought I’d listen to more today. The Rovi booklet says that this album succeeds both as background mood music and inventive jazz. It’s so utterly engrossing that I’d say it’s a total failure on the former. It’s a very fine album, flügelhorn, tenor sax, piano and bass.
This is an excellent album from 1998 by the late Ronny Jordan. His music is both beautiful and melodic while also containing hip-hop/jazz all molded together. Fans of the West Wing may remember a classic scene where C.J. Cregg "Does The Jackal" definitely worth checking out if you like George Benson type smooth jazz guitar playing.
CD
It's about time I gave some Pendragon an airing, this more recent album is heavier in style than their classic early prog rock years but no worse for that.