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

Kings of Convenience - Quiet is the new loud

Hadn't come across these guys before. They were mentioned elsewhere in this forum so had to check them out. A great relaxing listen.

The other two records are good too and Erland Oye (glasses above) does a nice line in electronic stuff under his own name and The Whitest Boy Alive

US first press vinyl. Why? It's Bobbie's birthday today. Many happy returns, Chickasaw County Chld!

A kind of raw recording, but with beautiful moments...

Time to switch to CD, and to dig deep into the 2017 Pepper big box. Listening to CD2, which contains various outtakes/alternate versions of "Strawberry Fields", "Penny Lane", "64", "Sgt Pepper", "Day in the Life" and "Good Morning". Splendid stuff!

Alicia Keys  -  "The Element Of Freedom"  (2009)

Very good as the other album, will buy this tomorrow on Qobuz, discounted.....

Florestan posted:

EJS posted:

Bach at his most hypnotic, in one of the best performances of the French suites that I've yet heard.

cheers,

EJ

EJ, I do not doubt your enthusiasm and usually can affirm your astute musical judgement.  I am just wondering if you have heard the Murray Perahia and if so what are your thoughts on this recording?  Prior to Ashkenazy, who were your go-to performances by?

Thanks,
Doug

Hi Doug - Perahia and Ashkenazy's approach to the French suites are very different, if there ever was a case to have both this is it. Ashkenazy clearly has different priorities: he lets the music speak for itself which makes Perahia sound driven by comparison. I am not sure how I would have answered this question one year ago - I feel good Bach recordings are plentiful, truly inspired recordings are rare as hen's teeth.

Thanks,

EJ

Trying this one out also discounted on Qobuz..

ewemon posted:

I am really looking forward to the album. I have not listened to any of the pre launch releases, as I want to play it through a couple of times with an open mind.

Updated prog from "supergroup" 'Flying Colors'. Really enjoyed their self-titled debut so thought I'd give this one a try. Excellent playing as you'd expect from members of (Dixie) Dregs, Dream Theater and Spock's Beard.

Must dig out Liquid Tension Experiment for later.

More from the Pepper box - this time CD3, containing outtakes etc of "Hole", "Kite", Rita", "Within", "Lucy", "Getting Better", "Friends" and "SPLHCB Reprise":

Christian McBride - Conversations

From allmusic.com

Conversations with Christian is an unusual release, as it features the veteran bassist playing duets with a number of good friends. The vocal meetings include Angélique Kidjo, Sting, and Dee Dee Bridgewater (the latter with a hilarious, funky cover of the Isley Brothers' signature song "It's Your Thing"). The pairings with musicians of McBride's generation (trumpeter Roy Hargrove, tenor saxophonist Ron Blake, and guitarist Russell Malone) all exceed expectations. There are several enjoyable duets with pianists, one featuring Latin jazz master Eddie Palmieri, a duo improvised tango by Chick Corea and the leader, plus an all too rare acoustic outing by the talented George Duke (who tears up the keyboard with his hard-charging "McDukey Blues"). But McBride's meetings with Dr. Billy Taylor (playing his beautiful "Spiritual" with some potent arco playing by the bassist) and the elegant, swinging meeting with the gifted jazz master Hank Jones ("Alone Together") remain moments to savor, as they are among the final recordings by the two jazz greats, both of whom died in 2010. The last track is a funky blues just for laughs, with actress Gina Gershon joining the bassist by playing a Jew's harp, and featuring lots of comic spoken exchanges between the two. Throughout it all, Christian McBrideplays with the chameleon-like adaptability of a Milt Hinton or Ray Brown. In the two-plus decades since arriving on the jazz scene, Christian McBride has demonstrated that he is a jazz master in the making, and this is easily one of his most compelling sets.

On CD:-

Stackridge - Extravaganza

Tony2011 posted:

ewemon posted:

C'mon, Ewe. Play some tff. All is forgiven!

Just for you Tony. 

Beth Orton  -  "Pass In Time: The Definitive Collection"  (2003)  disc 1 of 2

ewemon posted:

Tony2011 posted:

ewemon posted:

C'mon, Ewe. Play some tff. All is forgiven!

Just for you Tony. 

Good man! You can even play some PC next. I can take anything but that geezer! Is that cover a homage to the Smurfs?

Now go back to playing some propa music, you get me?

Peace!

Greg Brown - Covenant

Thanks to whoever it was who posted this originally. I like it. 

Interesting album...

1986 - Vinyl - German pressing....

Let's crank up the volume.

One more for Bobbie's birthday, on US first press vinyl. A sort of concept album, this LP contains one of her most musically sophisticated compositions ("Mornin' Glory", which Bill Evans loved and played many times in the last decade of his career); and "Courtyard", one of her best lyrical efforts: a desolate tale of a woman imprisoned by getting the things she has always desired. A masterpiece.

Stones, Tattoo You. 'Side 2' , the quieter side - tracks 7-11. Sounding splendiferous and really colourful. A real tour de force from Charlie Watts throughout. 

Prom no. 17 on the NAT 01 - Tchaikovsky's 6th symphony in B minor, Pathétique, BBC Philharmonic, Juanjo Mena.

I'd say the tempo seemed a little hurried compared with what I'm used to, but I still find it an immensely moving piece, particularly in the last movement.