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;
Tuneful ECM like jazz. Give it a try...
Little Feat - Dixie Chicken. Little Feat - Sailin' Shoes.
Sometimes, for late night listening, only the very best will do.
Nighty night. 
Now Playing......
Anouar Brahem - The Astounding Eyes of Rita
Anouar Brahem (oud), Klaus Gesing (bass clarinet), Björn Meyer (bass), and Khaled Yassine (darbouka, bendir)
Through five tracks and it is a wonderful album, simply beautiful music.
Full review from All About Jazz found here: (Review by John Kelman)
The Astounding Eyes of Rita introduces a new group and a consolidation of past interests. Featuring an international quartet—with two familiar faces to recent ECM fans—its dark, low register-heavy landscape is inherently chamber- like. Still, with an electric bassist and percussionist, this collection of eight Brahem compositions returns to more defined rhythms and vivid Middle Eastern traditionalism, even as it uses group interaction to lend it unmistakable modernity.
Gregory Porter - Nat King Cole & Me
Andras Schiff - Bach: French Suites
Had a scan through some new albums. The first one was a uncommon duo of piano and guitar. It was ok and good to listen, but I missed a bit of excitement which should have been there due to the combination. Perhaps I will buy it later, but so far I will refrain from it...
Then switched to Steno Bollani.... the excitement I was missing in the first album of the day was totally compensated in this album. The joy and excitement of new music of people liking to play it was coming across in spades. Highly recommended album, and of course on my personal download list for the day....
Then had a short listen to this - as I was looking out for his new album Bad Hombre which was not yet available. A full drumming album. Amazing for old drummers like me, but not every bodies taste I guess....
Bert Schurink posted:Then switched to Steno Bollani.... the excitement I was missing in the first album of the day was totally compensated in this album. The joy and excitement of new music of people liking to play it was coming across in spades. Highly recommended album, and of course on my personal download list for the day....
Just found a more balanced review which I will offer to compensate for my excitement, which doesn’t change by the way...
ACT has made it a virtual trademark to showcase the very best in up and coming pianistic talent and has invariably done so in challenging settings that stimulates creativity and label boss Siggi Loch is to be commended for such an open-minded approach. This live recording is a coming together of a fourteen piece string and brass ensemble that are part of the prestigious Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, the so-called, ‘Mitglieder’, or orchestral members, and the repertoire is re-interpretations of classical opera pieces in a piano jazz trio milieu with classical elements added and arrangements by Norwegian Geir Lysne. Danish jazz accompanists Jesper Bodilsen (double bass) and Morten Lund (drums) make up the closely knit trio and there are a few more contemporary Italian pop and film soundtrack numbers added in for good measure and a little variety. If the idea behind the project is an excellent one and fully deserving of support, then the execution needs to be clear about where classical and jazz elements coincide and can be complimentary, and where they are better separated to avoid sounding too stilted.
Where this works best is when the trio get down to business and create an intimate environment in which to take off in new directions on well known themes, as with Nino Rota’s ‘Amarcord’, from a famous Federico Fellini film of the same title. If anything, the project as whole would have been better served sticking to more contemporary fare and they perform well again on ‘The good, the bad and the ugly’. A medley of Leoncavallo and Puccini numbers, ‘O mio babbino caro’ for the latter and ‘Mattinata’ for the former, showcases the trio at their best recalling the Brad Mehldau sound. However, the strings and brass, however well performed by member of arguably the premier western classical orchestra in the world, simply sound too rigid in a jazz context, and there is no improvised feel which sounds strange when one is accustomed to a swinging big band jazz orchestra. That is no fault of the musicians themselves who are fine individuals in their own right and, moreover, need to be in order to regularly perform with the Berlin Phil. Rather, they are being asked to perform in an idiom which is not their own and ultimately that structural weakness has to be addressed.
Maybe a project devoted to the music of Paolo Conte, or another composer of the same calibre might prove to be fertile terrain for a future follow up. The now distinctive artwork comes courtesy of Federico Herrero, with a gatefold sleeve that reveals inner notes in English and German.
Saw a review of this album. Was a bit skeptical as it’s still in my head to n this poppy hard rock with the final countdown. But I have to say, it is quite a good album, while it will need a couple of spins more to get rid of my Skepsis....
Traditional progressive rock, long numbers etc...... will need some more time to reflect if I like it or if it is just a good prog album, but not my thing...
Hank Mobley - To one so sweet stay that way
This CD containts recordings of three live concerts Hank Mobley did in the Netherlands on 20, 28 and 29 of March 1968. It's in a quintet setting, a big band setting and in a quartet setting. On all of these concerts Hank Mobley is in excellent form. The music is really good as is the sound quality.
I. very much like his style, will see him live later in the season and will download the album...
Now some grandmasters of jazz..
Robert Plant - Carry Fire.
After some initial doubts, and having been playing it to death in the car too, this has now proven to be a winner ................ an album
full of earworms from Percy ................... and the band's not half bad either.
Robert Plant - Dreamland.
It's turning into a Percy afternoon ............. this album of covers is sounding great, the sun's belting down in North Yorks. and
everything's just grand. 
On CD:-
St. Vincent - St. Vincent
Stereophonics - Scream Above The Sounds
Because they're Welsh!
1st run...
Bert Schurink posted:1st run...
It’s good but not the album of the year which I would have expected. The excitement of Love is not reflected over the whole album, too much ballad oriented - but of course still a great album as to many standards.
Agreed Bert - I'm a big fan of American Song Book classics, plus a big fan of Gregory Porter, what's not to like ???
2nd opinion will be made with a significant other over a glass (or three) of a rich mellow red, as mellow as Gregory's voice
HDTracks (USA) 24/96 WAV (Deluxe edition 15 tracks 1hr 3m)
Mike-B posted:Agreed Bert - I'm a big fan of American Song Book classics, plus a big fan of Gregory Porter, what's not to like ???
2nd opinion will be made with a significant other over a glass (or three) of a rich mellow red, as mellow as Gregory's voice
HDTracks (USA) 24/96 WAV (Deluxe edition 15 tracks 1hr 3m)
Just listening to the ripped CD which I purchased less than an hour ago rather enjoying this CD.