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:
Digging into my back catalogue of the Blues. The first Hans Thessink recordings from 1970
JUPITER, FLORIDA by The Fiction Aisle
For anyone who remembers The Electric Soft Parade
Pauline Oostenrijk - Vivaldi: concertos for oboe, strings and basso continuo
Was playing. Roxy Music: Avalon
Now Playing. Aimee Mann: Mental Illness
Van Morrison - Roll with the Punches
Spinning the black discs and this is perfect for a Sunday morning.
nigelb posted:MDS posted:nigelb posted:Lizz Wright - Dreaming Wide Awake
Just lovely!
Think I'll try one of her albums.
Mike, my favourite LW album is The Orchard so you could start there as most of them are on Tidal (if you have it). But as has been said, most of her albums are wonderful so you can't go far wrong.
Thanks, Nigel. I've ordered her latest from the big river. If I like it, The Orchard is now next in line.
M
Vox Luminis - Motetten
Allmusic.com:
Read the graphics carefully: no motets by Johann Sebastian Bach (except for one piece generally attributed to Johann Christoph Bach, but possibly the work of J.S.) are included here. Instead there are works by three of J.S. Bach's ancestors in the 17th century, including the very first composer in the 250-year Bach musical clan, Johann Bach (1604-1673). It's usually the Bach sons whose music is recorded, and all three of these composers qualify as obscure. Considering the fact that J.S. Bach set himself the task of compiling this music and obviously admired some of it, there will be reason enough for many buyers to acquire this Outhere release. There are certainly flashes of the characteristic Bach genius in a few of these works. Try the Johann Michael Bach motet Halt, was du hast (CD 1, track 7), and note the complexity with which the chorale Jesu, meine Freude is treated: it's hard not to think that the younger Bach had this in mind when he approached the chorale himself in the motet medium. The music on the album traces the passage of Italian styles across Germany while remaining firmly rooted in the chorale tradition, and the composers' flexibility in combining these elements must have had a general impact on the most talented Bach of them all. The performances of the small Vox Luminis choir with the Scorpio Collectief -- a quintet of winds and brasses with organ continuo -- are generally sparse, with one voice per part. This is questionable in music that took the great cathedral choirs of Venice for its performance model, but it's listenable and puts across the stylistic distinctions effectively. Recommended for Bach fans.
Tina Brooks - Back to the tracks
Allmusic.com:
The music that comprises Back to the Tracks was recorded in September 1960, months after the sessions for True Blue, but it sat on the shelves until Mosaic reissued it as part of their Complete Blue Note Recordings box, even though it was penciled in for release. Like Minor Move, Tina Brooks first session that stayed unreleased for over 20 years, Back to the Tracks is an excellent hard bop set, and it's hard to understand why it wasn't released at the time. Brooks leads a fantastic band featuring alto saxophonist Jackie McLean, trumpeter Blue Mitchell, pianist Kenny Drew, bassist Paul Chambersand drummer Art Taylor through three originals and two standards. Each musician has opportunity to shine, but Brooks remains the center of attention. His style is remarkably fluid, capable of graceful, elegant turns on the ballads and clean, speedy improvisations on the up-tempo bop. Each of the five songs have breathtaking moments, confirming Brooks talents as a saxophonist, composer and leader. Listening to Back to the Tracks, it's impossible to figure out why the record wasn't released at the time, but it's a hard bop gem from the early '60s to cherish.
Before sunrise:
Yo-Yo Ma's second recording of Bach's Cello Suites, released in 1997, came about after he heard a quote by Albert Schweitzer describing Bach as a pictorial composer. That led Ma to ask six directors and several other artists from different disciplines to collaborate with him on a series of short films -- part documentary, part performance -- each one based on one of the suites. The resulting mini-series, titled Inspired by Bach, was shown on television in Canada, the U.S., Europe, and at various film festivals. Each of the suites in this recording, however, isn't necessarily the exact soundtrack for the film it goes with, but it was what the other artists involved in the project used as their inspiration.
Relaxing but never dull. Wonderful interplay between John Abercrombie and the violinist Mark Feldman, with a top rhythm section in Thomas Morgan and Joey Baron. Perfect while cooking the lunch.
George Benson - Give Me The Night, produced by Quincy Jones (why....I love the transition into the title track and as always end up listening to the whole thing).
From the "Original Album Series" collection. Late Sunday night listening out here (BTW - excellent sound quality, in fact much better than could reasonably be expected seeing the whole collection of 5 albums costs about EUR 10).
