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:
Exploring some more of my recent Aimee Mann purchases.
Bachelor No.2
and of course
Mental Illness
1999 - CD(rip)...
Dimitri Shostakovich: Plamena Mangova (piano) | Natalia Prischepenko (violin) | Sebastian Klinger (cello) | Tatyana Melnychenko (soprano)
Piano Trio Nr. 2 in e-minor | Seven Romances to Poems by Alexander Blok
My only criticism is that I'm not sure why they didn't include the first Piano Trio as well?
Dimitri Shostakovich (1906-1975): Beaux Arts Trio - Daniel Hope (violin) | Antonio Meneses (cello) | Menahem Pressler (piano)
Piano trio No. 1 in c-minor, op. 8
Piano Trio No. 2 in e-minor, op. 67
Seven Romances on Verses by Alexander Blok, op. 127
Stereotypes abound as to how a certain composer should sound or better yet, how they 'meant' their music to be played. I suppose since Shostakovich lived in the last century we may have more compelling reason to argue for one way as opposed to another. We can't do that as easily for Bach or Beethoven.
Above we have a younger viewpoint where everything sounds a little more rougher, aggressive, and uncomfortable. Here, with older, maybe more experienced players, we have a smoother, controlled, more mature viewpoint. Maybe it is emotion in the former versus intellect in the latter?
Having played these works I can certainly vouch for both sides. At times you just want to be in the jungle and just smash things such as times in the fourth movement (very cathartic) or go a little wild and over the edge like in the second movement. Then there is the searching, other worldly moments like in the opening or the cold bleakness of the Largo with its hidden warmth underlying with the most pungent harmonies one could imagine. It is all there in Shostakovich's own language despite the fact that he hid many things below the surface.
I guess this morning I get to have my cake and get to eat it too.
Genesis - Foxtrot
Staying with Genesis.
Now Playing
Kit Downes - Obsidian
Kit Downes (organs), Tom Challenger (tenor saxophone)
Streaming on TIDAL......... New release from ECM taking it out for a spin, the opening track with the organ playing somehow is appropriate for this Sunday morning. Enjoying it!
Note from ECM Records Website here:
Kit Downes’s previous ECM appearance was as pianist on the debut recording of Time Is A Blind Guide in 2015 and he’s critically-regarded as one of the UK’s outstanding young jazz talents. This recording however has little to do with “jazz”, although it could only have been made by an improviser of subtle sensibilities. Some of Downes’s earliest musical experiences were as a church organist and in recent years he has been revisiting the instrument, exploring its sonic possibilities and idiosyncrasies, in improvisations both melodic and textural. In November 2016 producer Sun Chung followed Downes to three English churches – the Snape Church of John the Baptist and Bromeswell St Edmund Church – both in Suffolk – and Union Chapel Church in Islington, London. These are very different acoustic spaces housing organs of very different characters which Downes investigates creatively. Alone for most of the album he is joined on one piece (“Modern Gods”) by frequent improvising partner Tom Challenger (tenor sax).
On CD. I think this might be my favourite Jarrett recording:
(2011)
A corny link, but this hasn't been played for a while and fits nicely with snow falling here on top of the snow that's been around all week.
Antonio Farao - Domi
Streaming via Qobuz.
Bert: thanks for introducing me to this music (via the what's the latest you downloaded topic)! This is wonderful piano jazz. It's on my shopping list.
UK first press double vinyl. Haven't heard this in yonks! It's rather spiffing (if not quite as good as the first album):
Delivered to me today. Early impressions are favourable, though I find Tori's albums tend to grow on me after several listens.
Nice floating jazz
Otis Taylor - Truth Is Not Fiction.
Some early evening trance blues from the master.
If you've never listened to Otis, there's a few of his albums available on Tidal, though, sadly, this isn't one of them. 
(1970)
Because sometimes Alvin Lee and TYA need unleashing.
Playing CD number 5 of this 5 x CD boxset : )
Wish i hadn't bought this set, it's not very well recorded; too much mufty-duff over reverberation. I like to hear a piano that's close by, like i'm standing next to the pianist and it's my job to turn the music sheet page over, but here it's a bit second hand reverb in a large hall that tends to skew the fast and finer composition details of play into plinky plonky mush. Bit of a shame really, i find what i hear here rather dull TBH. The final CD5 is more of a vibrant live sound and the best of the bunch - in my imho.
Debs
The material (most of it written by Willie Dixon) is great, she has a fantastic set of pipes, and the SQ on this compilation of the gravel-voiced soulstress' best Chess sides is superb, so why not?
Now Playing......
Maciej Abara Quartet - Unloved
Maciej Obara (alto saxophone), Dominik Wania (piano), Ole Morten Vågan (double bass), and Gard Nilssen (drums).
Streaming on TIDAL...... Continuation of the exploration of the ECM Catalogue.
Note from ECM Records Website here:
Maciej Obara makes a striking ECM debut with Unloved, an album whose expressive range embraces tender lyricism and impassioned, fiery, powerful playing. With the exception of the title track – written by Krzysztof Komeda (spiritus rector of modern jazz in Poland) for Janusz Nasfeter’s film of the same name – themes are by the highly inventive alto saxophonist. Obara emphasizes however that his themes “serve as outlines, from which our sound is set free. My friends are amazing improvisers. I love their ability to move around freely in open spaces, and the way they shape and give colour to what I have in mind…It’s more like composing in real time.” The players have been developing their concept for several years: Maciej Obara and pianist Dominik Wania, another major talent, first met in a Tomasz Stanko ensemble a decade ago. Since 2012 they have been joined by two highly creative Norwegian musicians, bassist Ole Morten Vågan and drummer Gard Nilssen. (Vågan’s ECM credits include work with Thomas Strønen’s Time Is A Blind Guide, while Nilssen can be heard on Mathias Eick’s Skala.)
Haim Ronen posted:
Haim, I will join you with Marian McPartland.
Allmusic.com:
Marian McPartland has become a jazz legend over several decades and this captivating solo concert has something for everyone. Whether it's her jaunty opener "This Time the Dream's On Me," the deliberate somber take of "Willow Weep for Me," or her thunderous performance of her "Theme From Piano Jazz" (usually heard only as an incomplete snippet on her long-running NPR series), her chops are never in question. A highlight is Duke Ellington's "Clothed Woman," a piece rarely performed even by its composer. McPartland slowly unveils its shrouds, gliding through a maze of dramatic chords, joyous stride piano and repetitious vamps with a veteran's confidence (she played it with Ellington in the audience during her long run at the Hickory House in the 1950s). The CD closes with "I'll Be Around," a warm tribute to her good friend and the song's composer, the late Alec Wilder. It's a shame that this superb concert wasn't captured on video as well in order for the rest of us to catch her playfulness at the piano, her head thrown back with laughter, with her witty introductions to each piece (which are unfortunately edited out of the CD). This performance not only ranks with the best of the Maybeck solo series, but it should be considered as one of the best solo concerts ever to be released.
LP - Decca Records
I've got the mono button pressed in for these fabulous 1950s recordings : )
Debs