What are you listening to and WHY might anyone be interested? (Vol. XIII)
Posted by: Richard Dane on 01 January 2017
2017 has arrived today, so time to start this thread afresh.
Last year's thread can be found here;
Streaming Tidal. Motivated by SJBABBEY
Just a bog-standard vinyl pressing from about '86-87. Better than listening to the radio and listening to ManUre fans gloating.
Rufus con Chaka Khan -- Rags to Rufus. vinyl. time to get funky.
Just bought this, cleaned on Okki Nikki and enjoying it a lot.
Kevin-W posted:Just a bog-standard vinyl pressing from about '86-87. Better than listening to the radio and listening to ManUre fans gloating.
Perhaps a nice drop of malt would help ease the pain as well, Kevin. Worked for me last night after my lot's loss earlier yesterday afternoon.
M
Bach - Partitas
Andras Schiff - Piano
That was a bit of thumping, MDS, especially after last weeks excellent start at nottarF kraP
OTOH the Scummers weren't much better 'gainst Swansea......22 shots, two on target!
It's back to the grind tomorrow after three weeks on the Costa del Fareham, for the inevitable inquests on both games. 
But as this is the "What are you listening to" thread: currently being streamed is
"City" by Stuart McCallum
Omer Klein plays easy accessible modern jazz..
Just finished.....
Sean Rowe - New Lore
..... listened to Sean while doing some chores around the house. Love this album, continues to grow on me!
.....now playing
Fink - Distance and Time
Continuing the journey of exploring the Fink catalogue.
Richard Thompson has brought out 2 new albums (on 11th August). This is a set of acoustic readings of some of his best loved and well known songs. 1st play through, with typical Thompson perversity the release was when a lot of his most avid fan base was in a field watching him play at the Cropredy Festival, so I only downloaded when I got back today. If you know RT, you know what to expect, brilliantly written sings played by a master of the acoustic guitar.
Now playing.......
Will Hodge - Carousel
.....random pick from the CD rack which I have not listened to in years.
Great music - some audience noise...
Abdullah Ibrahim: African Piano
John Kelman By JOHN KELMAN
March 3, 2014
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Abdullah Ibrahim: African Piano Chick Corea and Keith Jarrett are widely thought to have represented ECM Records' initial solo piano forays with Piano Improvisations, Vol. 1 & 2 (1971/1972) and Facing You (1972), respectively, but a lesser-known recording from 1969, unreleased until 1973 on ECM's sister label, JAPO, could be considered its true first. Originally released under Dollar Brand's birth surname as the South African pianist had yet to convert to Islam and become Abdullah Ibrahim, African Piano's reissue as part of ECM's Re:solutions series is now attributed to Ibrahim on the cover, though the liner notes inside remain—somewhat confusingly for those not in the know—credited to Brand.
Creating further confusion, this continues 39-minute set recorded at Copenhagen's renowned Jazzhus Montmartre remains listed here as JAPO release, even though its first appearance on CD in 1991 was rebranded as an ECM recording. But these factual discrepancies/quibbles are really minor when it comes down to the real question: how is the music?
In a nutshell: excellent, and for a number of reasons. First, only a few ECM recordings have been made in clubs, and none of them sound like this; at the start of the opening "bra joe from Kilimanjaro," the sounds of glasses clinking and people talking/coughing/moving almost dominate, but as Ibrahim's riff-driven modal tune begins to pick up steam, these external sounds disappear, leaving just the music, suggesting the pianist had commanded attention almost instantly. And how could he not? While his 5/4 left hand-driven riff remains constant throughout the tune's 11-minutes, the freedom explored with his right is truly exhilarating as it runs the gamut from gentle themes and McCoy Tyner-esque fourths to more outré explorations, amazing feats of rapid-fire virtuosity and hints of middle eastern tonalities.
Only "The Moon" approaches African Piano's opening tune in length, a more up-tempo piece that, at eight minutes in length, is more joyously consonant and redolent of the music of his country and his upbringing, with hints of gospel and indigenous folk music filtering through. "xaba" may only be forty seconds in length, but it's a brief injection of church before moving to the more rhythmically boogieing but harmonically abstruse "sunset in blue," which seamlessly marries modal jazz concerns with South African motifs.
It's hard to know if this music was preconceived in any way or, like Jarrett, drawn completely from the ether, but if there was any preplanning, Ibrahim's liberated approach—which takes the brighter, firm-handed consonance of "jabulani—easter joy" and injects moments of oblique majesty, abstract expressionism and Cecil Taylor-like block chords to create a miniature encyclopedia of jazz piano—comes clearly from a South African perspective rather than Jarrett's American viewpoint.
Spirituality also runs deep through African Piano. Ibrahim continues to record to this day, but the captivating African Piano—his second solo album after Reflections (Black Lion, 1965)—presents a pianist in flux: both spiritually, in his pending conversion to Islam; and musically, as he begins a move away from the more avant tendencies of his early recordings towards a greater acceptance/inclusion of the South African heritage that remains an unavoidable—and unmistakable—part of his DNA.
Track Listing: bra joe from Kilimanjaro; selby that THE ETERNAL SPIRIT IS THE ONLY REALITY; THE MOON; xaba; sunset in blue; kippy; jabulani - easter joy; tintiyana.
Personnel: Abdullah Ibrahim: piano.
Title: African Piano | Year Released: 2014 | Record Label: Japo Records
On CD on the 2nd system (Tivoli)
Why? Had for my birthday in July now got round to playing it.
Followed by this on a Dandelion label vinyl
Why? It seemed to fit
steve
Next up in the queue......
K.D. Lang - Shadowland
Why - It's the voice, its the music!
This was her third album and produced by Owen Bradley who worked with Patsy Cline and Brenda Lee. K.D. is joined on the last song of the album by Loretta Lynn, Brenda Lee and Kitty Wells. This album is certainly worth a listen.
After listening to the first two songs, especially "Lock, Stock and Teardrops," K.D. has a sweet voice and a great group of studio musicians backing her on this album.
Jammin' with the Temps...
24/88 FLAC (If I'd noticed the vinyl triple album of this and the classics above I ordered came with these hires downloads, I don't think I'd have also ordered the double CD to rip.)
Thompson's new album of acoustic renditions of some of his less-played songs, 5 previously unreleased, although I recognise 2 from gigs. A couple have been regualr parts of Fairport's sets over the years. Even the dustier corners of RT's song library tend to be well-crafted songs, here sung and played brilliantly. Very good SQ in the downloads.
Robert Schumann (1810-1856): Maria João Pires (piano)
Faschingsschwank Aus Wien | Waldszenen | Romanzen | Arabeske
The colours (and remarkably sane voices) to be found in the music of Robert Schumann are endless and a source of joy and inspiration for this listener.
Inspired by Pediatrik in the Kabin
Miles Davis, of course, 'Live Evil'
Now Playing.....
Martina McBride - The Way That I Am
Why - Martina has one beautiful and powerful voice and this album puts it on full display. Great songs with wonderful lyrics and a great band backing Martina.
Old quality - nice sounding in high resolution audio...
was listening to 'Joey':
....
Always on the outside of whatever side there was
When they asked him why it had to be that way
"Well, " he answered, "just because"
....
enjoy
ken