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

Now Playing.......

Anouar Brahem - Blue Maqams

Anouar Brahem (oud), Dave Holland (double bass), Jack DeJohnette (drums), and Django Bates (piano).

Streaming on NAS........   Some nice soft jazz to start of Tuesday evening, great quartet, beautiful album

Limininas- Shadow People

Superb French duo playing all sorts of styles. “The Gift” with Peter Hook bassist from New Order sounds like New Order. Other sounds channel the Velvets and Techno. Tres excellent.

One of the more interesting recent versions of this famous music....

You’ve got to learn your instrument. Then, you practise, practise, practise. And then, when you finally get up there on the bandstand, forget all that and just wail.’ Those words, or others to that effect, have been ascribed to jazz legend Charlie Parker, and they easily apply to Alexandre Tharaud’s Bach. While the pianist has obviously scrutinised the Goldberg Variations with a fine-tooth comb, he basically hangs loose and flies free, letting detailed niceties fall into place without sounding the least bit studied or calibrated. It’s a performance, not a lecture.

The opening Aria is on the slow side (dragging? Never!), but the first five variations sprint from the starting gate, buoyed by perky left-hand accents. If Var 5 doesn’t quite sustain its opening pace, other cross-handed numbers such as Vars 14, 20 and 23 fuse a light harpsichord touch with unabashed pianistic bravura. Note, too, Var 7’s inflected embellishments, the woodwind-like left-hand articulation in the Fughetta Var 10, the pianist’s flexible, vocally oriented phrasing of Var 13’s long cantabile lines and his gorgeously tinted three-part texture throughout Var 15.

In contrast to interpretations that seek unity and continuity through rigorously considered tempo relationships (Glenn Gould’s 1981 remake, for example), Tharaud apparently aims to reveal each variation’s individual character. You especially hear this via Var 29’s flurries of notes, abetted by appropriately grandiose octave reinforcements, and in the French-overture Var 16’s unorthodox elongation of the opening chord. For the record, Tharaud observes each and every repeat. In short, his fresh voice and genuine musicality warrant placement in the vast Goldberg Variations discography’s top tier.

The Robert Cray Band. Don't Be Afraid Of The Dark. On vinyl from 1988. Seeking some mellow, urban blues tonight.

Now Playing........

Tord Gustavsen Trio - Being There

Tord Gustavsen (piano), Harald Johnson (double-bass), and Jarle Vespestad (drums).

Streaming on NAS.........   Arrived today in the mail, ripped to NAS, and now taking out for a spin. I have listened to this album a couple of ties by streaming on Tidal. Enjoyed it enough to make sure I have a copy at home.

Nubya Garcia. Post-modern jazz.

joerand posted:

The Robert Cray Band. Don't Be Afraid Of The Dark. On vinyl from 1988. Seeking some mellow, urban blues tonight.

cray  V good live  TRY  and listen to peter alderton too

Elvis Costello. Trust. On original vinyl from 1981. A great album that somehow manages the trick of being simultaneously upbeat and downbeat. 

audio1946 posted:

joerand posted:

The Robert Cray Band. Don't Be Afraid Of The Dark. On vinyl from 1988. Seeking some mellow, urban blues tonight.

cray  V good live  TRY  and listen to peter alderton too

Nevr managed to get a cd copy of the above album that didn't have major distortion on it on the track Acting this Way. I have tried Canadian, European, South American and Japanese all of them have it in exactly the same place.

My personal favourite out of all the Ronnie Earl discs and gives my system a good work out.

audio1946 posted:

joerand posted:

The Robert Cray Band. Don't Be Afraid Of The Dark. On vinyl from 1988. Seeking some mellow, urban blues tonight.

cray  V good live  TRY  and listen to peter alderton too

Reminds me to pull out a Pete Alderton set as I am always partial to his third album Cover my Blues.  

Been trying to get a copy of his first album Bluesanova album for years

Filipe posted:

Filipe posted:

Stevee_S posted:

Stevee_S posted:

(1981)

I can't even begin to imagine when I last played this, spotted it in the virtual library while browsing, giving it a whirl. 

Just a couple of tracks in and I'm blown away by the the quality of the recording, a quick look at the Dynamic range and it's knocking on the door of 16. The old choons aren't too bad either  

At the weekend the BBC repeated a program  about Agnetha Fältskog post ABBA and said that this album was caught up in their sudden breakup in 1982. In my opinion it is their most mature album getting away from their usual style. Some of the vocals still give me goosebumps! I have the vinyl bought last year from Oxfam.

Phil

@Stevee_S

The Visitors goes into history as one of the first album to be digitally recorded and mixed. It was the first to be produced in CD format. It has been reissued a number of times with different mixes. This may explain why your were amazed by the sound quality.

Phil

Thanks for that reminder Phil, I ripped this from an original 1982 Polydor CD. If only all 'popular' artists subsequent CDs down the years had the mastering done with an ear on the dynamic range rather than the loudness and being car radio friendly. 

Stevee_S posted:

kevin J Carden posted:

I have to say that I fully agree that this version is more appropriate 

Even if that were not the case, interestingly, googling for images just now I found none but the censored versions...

Here we go Kevin, the full monty as it was meant to be. 

(Album art is usually always to be found in original format on Amazon when checking out vinyl and CDs)

Recommended

Janine Jansen - Vivaldi: The four seasons

Wonderful performance of the four seasons.

1979 - Vinyl - UK first pressing...

Jackie McLean - Capuchin Swing

Allmusic.com:

One of Jackie McLean's more underrated albums from a plethora of Blue Note releases, 1960's Capuchin Swing finds the bebop alto saxophonist in fine form on a mix of covers and originals. While his future fascination with Ornette Coleman's free-form innovations can be sensed in some of the solos here, the majority of the album is in a classic hard bop vein. Like contemporaries Hank Mobley, Sonny Clark, and Lee Morgan, though, McLean doesn't just churn out pat jam-session fare, but comes up with consistently provocative charts and solos. Eschewing ballads, McLean focuses on mid- to fast-tempo swingers and blues. Standouts include originals like "Francisco" and "Condition Blue" and choice renditions of "Just for Now" and "Don't Blame Me." McLean enlists a sparkling lineup of hard bop stars, including trumpeter Blue Mitchell, pianist Walter Bishop, Jr., bassist Paul Chambers, and drummer Art Taylor. Mitchell particularly impresses, matching many of McLean's own inspired flights with his supple and progressive playing. Along with other fine Blue Note titles like Jackie's Bagand Bluesnik, Capuchin Swing makes for a great introduction to McLean's extensive catalog.

1969 - vinyl - UK second pressing...

Now Playing........

Applewood Road - Applewood Road

Emily Barker, Amber Rubarth and Amy Speace

Streaming on TIDAL....... A mention from HUNGRYHALIBUT yesterday had me place this in the queue and taking it out for a spin this morning.  A very pleasant surprise, great vocals, lyrics and music!

1969 - UK first pressing...

1970 - UK first pressing...

Tony2011 posted:

1970 - UK first pressing...

 

You're having a fine Zeppelin session there Tony, well done!! 

Stevee_S posted:

Tony2011 posted:

1970 - UK first pressing...

 

You're having a fine Zeppelin session there Tony, well done!! 

Couldn’t think of anything better on this cold but sunny afternoon, Steve. Only five more to go... Coda is not really a proper album.