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

Started this morning with Vivaldi

Now listening to Russell Malone

tonym posted:

Stevee_S posted:

A+3 | WAV

(2010)

Often compared with Dream Theater these London boys do good heavy prog rock 'n metal but have a different, more subtle and varied approach than DT. 

Thanks Stevee, that reminds me to look at their other albums. I agree, they're an excellent band.

I've only got this one, which is about to go on the turntable (good recording and vinyl quality too)  -

 

Tony, its good to know others enjoy Haken, The Mountain is my favourite of theirs to date and Affinity either as a single or double (deluxe) album is very good indeed, all of their albums are available to try over on Tidal if you fancy giving them a go...

A very good trio album....

On CD:-

Shpongle - Tales Of The Inexpressible

Thanks to Stevee for introducing me to Shpongle.

On CD:-

dav301 posted:

On CD:-

Shpongle - Tales Of The Inexpressible

Thanks to Stevee for introducing me to Shpongle.

Glad you them Dave. Try Simon Posford's other incarnations as Hallucinogen and Younger Brother, all cut from the same cloth but without being samey.

ATB

Steve

Herbie Nichols - The complete Blue Note recordings.

Herbie Nichols was a pianist who release a number of albums in the 1950s. He was a talented yet overlooked jazz pianist who played everything from Dixieland to bop to free jazz.

From allmusic:

A reissue of the 48 Herbie Nichols recordings formerly out on the limited-edition five-LP Mosaic box set, this three-CD package from 1997 has the pianist/composer's greatest work. Nichols was largely neglected during his lifetime; only in the late '90s did the highly original musician start receiving some of the recognition he deserved. Although his originals were often quite orchestral in nature, Nichols only had the opportunity to record in a trio format; the five sessions on this box (30 songs plus 18 alternate takes) feature either Al McKibbon or Teddy Kotick on bass and Art Blakey or Max Roach on drums. The music (all originals except George Gershwin's "Mine") is virtually unclassifiable, and although largely straight-ahead, sounds unlike anything produced by Herbie Nichols' contemporaries. Essential music.

Something completely different. Not the best recording - but decent r cording of these pieces...

A Breath of Fresh Air: A splendid 3-CD of the Harvest label's peak years, including Floyd, the Purps, Michael Chapman, Third Ear Band, Pete Brown, Dave Mason, etc. Spoiled only by the witterings of the insufferably twee Shirley & Dolly Collins...

Haven't listened to this one since I bought it, so first listen - something to be in the mood for, so perfect with bad weather....

Bud Powell - Bouncing with Bud

The period instruments group Ensemble 415 plays Boccherini's String Quintettes with two violas.

Boccherini is an underappreciated master of the classical form, and this recording provides an excellent glimpse into that lost world.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6q3LOryeiU8

Blue Mitchell - The cup bearers

From allmusic.com:

Trumpeter Blue Mitchell and four-fifths of the Horace Silver Quintet (with Cedar Walton in Silver's place) perform a variety of superior songs on The Cup Bearers, including Walton's "Turquoise," Tom McIntosh's "Cup Bearers," Thad Jones' "Tiger Lily," and a couple of standards. The music swings hard, mostly avoids sounding like a Horace Silver group, and has particularly strong solos from Mitchell, tenor saxophonist Junior Cook and Walton. Excellent hard bop.

Switching to something completely different...

Excellent mix of rock'n'roll and classical

Erroll Garner - Concert by the sea

Solo outing from the Floyd's drummer, in collaboratuion with Carla bley. A stellar cast of musicians, including Robert Wyatt, Steve Swallow, Chris Spedding, Gary Windo, Mike Mantler, etc. UK first press vinyl from 1981...

on Nonesuch.

Continuing with the Floydian solo albums theme. 1970s UK vinyl pressing:

Now Playing.....

Andy Bey - Chillin' with Andy Bey

Why - Smooth and laid back, love Andy's voice and piano playing - wonderful way to start off a lazy/hazy Sunday morning.

On CD

Listening to BBC Radio Five Live on DAB: Maureen's lumps vs the Mighty Irons at The Theatre of Prawn Sandwiches®.

Fcuking Lukaku!

Erroll Garner - Long ago and far away.

From Allmusic.com:

These sides from 1950-51 were the first Garner recorded for Columbia, and like the later Body And Soul reissue from the same label, this disc includes a sophisticated and highly enjoyable program of classic standards. In his inimitable keyboard style -­ a seamless mixture of swing's bounce, pianist Art Tatum's mammoth facility, and some of bebop's mercurial twists -­ Garner glides through fine ballad readings of "Spring Is Here" and "Long Ago and Far Away," as well as compact, medium to fast tempo swingers like "When You're Smiling" and "Lover." Garner's burgeoning knack for abstract song preludes are plentiful too, with his two minute (half the song's length) impressionistic reworking of the chords to "My Heart Stood Still" standing out in particular. Extending the process further, Garner plays cat and mouse with the chords over the entirety of both "It Could Happen to You" and "Laura," creating spectral -- some might say overly florid -- interpretations in the process. The pianist's soft, almost strumming touch endeared him to a millions of fans in the late '40s and early '50s, and made the complex improvisational embellishments almost seem like part of the original composition. A great disc for newcomers and fans alike ­- nicely remastered, too.