MOTW
Posted by: Pete on 10 December 2002
Never mind the whole year, let's just look at this week since I've just had the first buying splurge in a while...
Offer time at naim, picked up the Kai Eckhardt one, Flamenco Havavna and Jim Lampi's "Greazy". The KE is a bass led fusion piece, if you like Stanley Clarke that's a good pointer. For me it's in the "okay but not great" file, a bit like most of my SC albums, in fact!
The Flamenco Havana is good stuff, but may be more authentic than many people's exposure to flamenco, often featuring the very mannered singing of the genre. But if you like that, it's good stuff with excellent guitar and fancy footwork too.
Greazy isn't in fact on the naim label, they're just distributing it. It's very, very good, with excellent groove factor. All sorts of influences in there, and it's been taking over the CD player more and more.
Next bargain stop was at Linn (who sell their Top 10 discs for a tenner all the time, including postage). Mackenzie and William Jackson's "Notes from a Hebridean Isle" takes in a range of styles, from waulking songs to piping and harp work. If you like (or wish to find out more about) Celtic folk then very well worth looking into.
Scottish Chamber Orchestra have released the Hebrides Overture and Scottish Symphony and some other bits of Medelssohn. Like what I've heard of it so far, SCO are a good grouping and Linn have recorded it well AFAICT.
Last one from Linn was "Something There" by David Paul Jones. File under "odd, but good", it's in Linn's classical list but isn't really... more like a soundtrack for an imaginary movie with lots of arty visuals. 5 interconnected songs with piano, occasional drums, 3 cellos and 2 voices. I really like it, others may think its pretentious twaddle...
And finally, the California Guitar Trio's Christmas Album. You won't here this in the shops over Christmas instead of Now That's What I Call Bloody Annoying Dross, and you won't be sick of the sound of it after a couple of days either. A mix of old Christmas warhorses (but interestingly enough arranged to not warrant removing (Jingle Bells as surf music?)) and less common goodies played with their usual panache. If you want a Christmas album but not the usual fare, this is a goody.
Pete.
Offer time at naim, picked up the Kai Eckhardt one, Flamenco Havavna and Jim Lampi's "Greazy". The KE is a bass led fusion piece, if you like Stanley Clarke that's a good pointer. For me it's in the "okay but not great" file, a bit like most of my SC albums, in fact!
The Flamenco Havana is good stuff, but may be more authentic than many people's exposure to flamenco, often featuring the very mannered singing of the genre. But if you like that, it's good stuff with excellent guitar and fancy footwork too.
Greazy isn't in fact on the naim label, they're just distributing it. It's very, very good, with excellent groove factor. All sorts of influences in there, and it's been taking over the CD player more and more.
Next bargain stop was at Linn (who sell their Top 10 discs for a tenner all the time, including postage). Mackenzie and William Jackson's "Notes from a Hebridean Isle" takes in a range of styles, from waulking songs to piping and harp work. If you like (or wish to find out more about) Celtic folk then very well worth looking into.
Scottish Chamber Orchestra have released the Hebrides Overture and Scottish Symphony and some other bits of Medelssohn. Like what I've heard of it so far, SCO are a good grouping and Linn have recorded it well AFAICT.
Last one from Linn was "Something There" by David Paul Jones. File under "odd, but good", it's in Linn's classical list but isn't really... more like a soundtrack for an imaginary movie with lots of arty visuals. 5 interconnected songs with piano, occasional drums, 3 cellos and 2 voices. I really like it, others may think its pretentious twaddle...
And finally, the California Guitar Trio's Christmas Album. You won't here this in the shops over Christmas instead of Now That's What I Call Bloody Annoying Dross, and you won't be sick of the sound of it after a couple of days either. A mix of old Christmas warhorses (but interestingly enough arranged to not warrant removing (Jingle Bells as surf music?)) and less common goodies played with their usual panache. If you want a Christmas album but not the usual fare, this is a goody.
Pete.