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

Bert Schurink posted:

I have to say that this is not her best. A bit too much, which means the pieces loose the magic...., now I now why I had it in the list and didn’t yet buy it. Below another review...

Immaculate in their textural clarity, virtuosic and elegant in tone, these are highly accomplished, keenly considered performances by an artist of conspicuous refinement. Alive to the quicksilver shifts of mood and character that can leave players adrift in Schumann, Lise de la Salle is near her best in the much-loved but frequently elusive Kinderszenen, whose fleeting emotions are forever demanding. The organic links that undoubtedly unify the Abegg Variations cannot obscure the fact that this, too, is a procession of miniatures, but here her characterisation may strike some as amorphous. There is also a pervasive monotony of phrasing (particularly in her use of near-identical time delays – what are known as agogic accents – to introduce successive phrases) that renders much of the performance disconcertingly predictable. With the epic expanses of the C major Fantasy, these distractions, and others, prove a serious liability. Here it isn’t the phrasing of bars, but the phrasing of phrases that must be achieved if the sheer size of this great drama (both structural and emotional) is to emerge with the requisite power and reach. And this is by no means only a matter of volume, though the comparative shallowness of tone here, for all its refinement, does strike me as disproportionate to the passion, depth and, yes, the fantasy of this monumental work.
 Jeremy Siepmann

Interesting I should get this...

ewemon posted:

Only see this up hopefully it is a taster of a new album as her first 2 albums were really good.

I will look out of this. As you say, I have really enjoyed her first two albums too.

Saw it often on the forum, though I give it a try...

Now Playing......

Lee Ann Womack - The Lonely, The Lonesome & The Gone

Yesterday I ended the day and today I'm beginning the day with with Lee Ann, damm she sounds mighty fine in the morning......

City and Colour  -  "The Hurry And The Harm"  (2013)

Great Quartet - nice floating music...

Continuing the journey...

studio recording done in Brussels 2004...

  There's a lot of love on here for Percy's latest album, together with the one featuring his outing with Alison Krauss, so, this .......

  Percy and Alison do "Black Dog" ..................... loving it! 

Now Playing......

Rumer - Into Colour

Starting to explore the Rumor catalogue......

David Gray  -  "The Best Of ........."  (2016)

  Joanne Shaw Taylor - Diamonds in the Dirt.

  A shot of blues rock from Joanne, a star of the UK blues scene ............ she opened for Joe Bonamassa a while back, to give you some 

  idea of what she's about ................. oh, and it's on yon Tidal thingy. 

The Billy Lester trio - Italy 2016

From allaboutjazz.com:

Piano trios jazz can charm or seduce, and occasionally mesmerize. In modern times, they can also rock the house, but they seldom jump out of the speakers at you with joy. The Billy Lester Trio,  Italy 2016, does just that. The initial impression of pianist Lester's influences—as the opener "An Evening With Friends" plays—is Bud Powell. The music has a bounce and ebullience, a joy of life that was essential to Powell's artistry. Further listening and the Lenny Tristano tint is discernable. And, in a way, alto saxophonist Lee Konitz—a Tristano school alum—comes to mind. 

Lester takes the foundations of a handful of Great American Songbook tunes here, and jumps away with them, the way Konitz—especially new-millennium Lee Konitz—does. For the most part, the source material in not identifiable. "An Evening with Friends" ("Just Friends") cooks along at medium heat. Lester has could be called a straight ahead guy. But there are points in each tune when he drifts into beautiful freedom—the other side of the coin to the way Cecil Taylor sometimes drifts into beautiful melodicism. 

"Yeah Man!" takes as its source "All The Things You Are." Like the music of Bud Powell or Art Tatum, there's a sense with Lester's music of a deep-seated positivity,  an affirmation of life. "To Julia" draws nourishment from the classic "Body And Soul." Craggy and angular, Lester's piano has found perfect backing with his Italian compatriots, bassist Marcello Testa and drummer Nicola Stranieri, rock solid foundation layers who allow the pianist the freedom to explore. 

Though an under sung veteran player, there's not a lot on record/CD available from Billy Lester at this point. YouTube is another story. Lots of great Lester listening available there. But there is Italy 2016 a top tier piano trio outing with an unusual and original sound.

Fever Ray - Plunge 

Giving her new album another whirl and its as bonkers as a handbag full of frogs, love it.

Strangely it's not going to be available on physical media until February 2018, MP3 only until then. 

On CD:-

Teddy Thompson & Kelly Jones - Little Windows

On CD:-

Joe Henry - Thrum

Now Playing......

The Billy Lester Trio featuring Marcello Testa and Nicola Stranieri - Italy 2016

Billy Lester (piano), Marcello Testa (bass), and Nicola Stranieri (drums)

Going with the mention from JEROEN20 above and after reading the first three sentences of the review in his post, "Piano trios jazz can charm or seduce, and occasionally mesmerize. In modern times, they can also rock the house, but they seldom jump out of the speakers at you with joy. The Billy Lester Trio,  Italy 2016, does just that.", from All About Jazz, I was sold.    

Who doesn't want joy jumping out of their speakers on a Tuesday morning, or anytime for that matter, so taking tThe Billy Lester Trio out for a spin........

  Rag 'n 'Bone Man - Human.                                                                           Rag 'n 'Bone Man - Wolves.

  Why? ....................... 'Cos he's got amazing voice, that's why.  

It's years since I've given this a play. I think it even pre-dates my getting Naim kit.  I'd forgotten what the bottom end on this album is like and how visceral it is.  With my system today the bass is in the Royal Blood league!  

(1994)

Some fine Canadian rock to get into this evening.

Long Day and feet up finally = Nina Time . This is a classic !

   Dusty Springfield - Dusty in Memphis.

   Following Rag 'n 'Bone Man with another great UK soul voice .................... a classic album.

dave marshall posted:

   Dusty Springfield - Dusty in Memphis.

   Following Rag 'n 'Bone Man with another great UK soul voice .................... a classic album.

That's surely a classic as you say, lovely.  

Now Playing

Allison Au Quartet - Sky Was Pale Blue, Then Grey

Following the mention from BERT SCHURINK I am taking the Allison Au Quartet out for a noon time spin.......