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

From 1959:

"With the robust ambience of Fugazi Hall in San Francisco at his disposal, Thelonious Monk recorded ten unaccompanied tracks over two days to create a long-awaited sequel to his immensely endearing Thelonious Himself long-player. As had become somewhat customary for Monk, he brought with him a healthy sampling from his voluminous back catalog, cover tunes, as well as a few new compositions. What is most immediately striking about these recordings is the rich and accurate sound stage at Fugazi Hall. The overtones are rich and thoughtful in their ability to animate Monk's recreations of some of his most endearing works, such as the pair that opens this set."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g4mVNZQC9DM

Now Playing......

Carla Bley - Social Studies

Carla Bley (piano, organ, composer), Steve Swallow (bass, composer), Tony Dagradi (clarinet, tenor saxophone), D. Sharp (drums), Joe Daley (euphonium), Joseph Daley (euphonium), Carlos Ward (alto saxophone, soprano saxophone, Gary Valente (trombone), Michael Mantelé (trumpet), and Earl McIntyre (tuba)

Exploration of the ECM catalogue continues......    Streaming from TIDAL

Enjoying the opening track 'Reactionary Tango (In Three Parts)' quite a bit......

Notes from TIDAL: Not everything Carla Bley has done has been artistically successful, but much of it has -- and the imaginative, good-humored pianist/organist/composer certainly deserves credit for daring to take so many risks. Bley's risk-taking serves her quite well on Social Studies, an unorthodox and adventurous pearl that is as rewarding as it is cerebral. Highlights of this CD range from "Reactionary Tango" (an abstract take on Argentinean music) to the melancholy "Utviklingssang" to the angular quasi-hard bop number "Walking Batteriewoman." This time, Bley leads a nonet, and the star soloists include Carlos Ward (soprano and alto sax), Tony Dagradi (tenor sax, clarinet), Gary Valente (trombone) and frequent allies Michael Mantler (trumpet) and Steve Swallow (electric bass). Bley doesn't allot herself much solo space, but the results are appealing when she does. ~ Alex Henderson

Now Playing......

Carla Bley - Andando El Tiempo

Carla Bley (piano), Andy Sheppard (tenor saxophone, soprano saxophone), and Steve Swallow (bass)

Continuing on with the ECM catalogue exploration......   Streaming from TIDAL

Enjoyed the previous offering from Carla and the first track on this album is once again superb!

Notes from the ECM Records webpage: Andando el Tiempo features new music of wide emotional compass by Carla Bley, and underlines her originality and resourcefulness as a jazz composer. “Saints Alive!” sets up animated conversations between the participants with striking statements from Steve Swallow’s bass guitar and Andy Sheppard’s soprano sax. The stately “Naked Bridges/Diving Brides” draws inspiration from Mendelssohn and the poetry of Paul Haines. And the powerful three part title composition – which addresses the trials and tribulations of recovery from addiction - moves through sorrow to hopefulness and joy. The trio with Sheppard and Swallow has been an ideal vehicle for Carla’s writing for more than 20 years and also provides one of the best contexts for her unique piano playing. Like the critically lauded ECM album Trios (2012), Andando el Tiempo was recorded at Lugano’s RSI Studio and produced by Manfred Eicher.

Joe Jackson. Night And Day. On the original A&M vinyl from 1982. The music is fantastic and so is the SQ.

The Best Of The Guess Who (1971). On Sony CD from 2006. Probably my favorite compilation album. Originally very well recorded, Joe Palmaccio's digital mastering makes this as good a redbook CD as you'll find for immediacy and SQ.

Pearl Jam. Yield. On CD from 1998. One or two tracks are vaguely familiar from FM airplay in Seattle back in the day, so really a new listen to me. The album really rocks. I've grabbed a few Pearl Jam CDs the past month and home listening is different from hearing them on the radio. I'm gaining an appreciation of just how accomplished the band's guitar playing is. I'm also hearing more emotion in Eddie Vedder's vocals.

One artist I would have liked to have seen live. I did have tockets for one of his gigs but it got cancelled.

ewemon posted:

One artist I would have liked to have seen live. I did have tockets for one of his gigs but it got cancelled.

This was Seger in his prime. One of the better live recordings out there, playing in front of his home audience. Great energy and the setlist totally rocks. The segue from 'Travelin' Man' to 'Beautiful Looser' always gives me chills.

Roger Waters. Radio K.A.O.S. On CD from 1987. Quite the artistic and creative rock album with impressive stereo imaging.

UK first press vinyl, from November 1981. I remember buying it in Our Price in Maidstone the day it came out. It got pretty poor reviews at the time, but I've always loved this album, from the cover (and the glorious cardboard stock it's printed on) through to Martin Hannett's cavernous production.

Never have a band sounded so bewildered, so lost, so uncertain, so absolutely shattered, as New Order on their debut. And that's what gives the record its power, and what makes it so moving...

An early 1985 cherished recording:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RX55iNF3LSk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3RktmYruRis

On vinyl. Inspired by seeing them on Monday night (they were magnificent):

Fretwork - Bach: the art of fugue

From Gramophone.co.uk:

Did Bach really leave ‘Contrapunctus 14’ of The Art of Fugue unfinished? Two scholars think otherwise. Christoph Wolff argues that the composer ‘planned to stop where he did’. And Hans-Klaus Jungheinrich, believes that ‘the fugue is imposing enough to be a plausible climax’. The Keller Quartet, playing modern instruments, are indeed imposing, but the marking alla breve indicates a need for more vitality – which Fretwork offer. 

The wide variation here exemplifies the absence of tempo directions for the 20 pieces that comprise this work. Performers are expected to relate speed to time signatures without other guidance; and Fretwork’s judgements are difficult to fault. Turn to the ‘Canon alla Duodecima’, or alternatively ‘Contrapunctus 9’, where the required swift pulse does not preclude expressive articulation; and then to ‘Contrapunctus 10’, where four-in-a-bar is reflected in a slower pace that also allows more space for a keener, but not overt, subjective response. Indeed, throughout their idiomatically phrased, impressively cohesive and clean-textured exploration of the work, these thoughtful musicians don’t italicise anything. 

In sum, the Keller are extrovert in their emotional involvement, whereas Fretwork opt for a quieter, controlled intensity that perhaps needs extended listening to be fully appreciated. The recording certainly won’t stand in your way. It is expertly balanced, the acoustic of The Maltings, Snape harnessed to give both ambience and intimacy. Producer/engineer Nicholas Parker has done Fretwork proud. Bach, too. Though The Art of Fugue is usually considered a composition for keyboard, the timbre of strings, especially viols played and reproduced this way, does give the music another dimension. Nalen Anthoni (December 2002)

First time in several years. Still great.

Mud Slide Slim - James Taylor

Hard Nose The Highway - Van Morrison

2 x LPs I have not listened to much recently. Must have bought them in the 70's ?

Great !

More Krautrock/kosmische music. On 1980s vinyl. The title track is one of my top 10 Can tunes:

Now Playing.......

Chick Corea - Return To Forever

Chick Corea  (electric piano), Stanley Clark (double bass, bass guitar), Joe Farrell (saxophone, flute), Airto Moreira (drums, percussion), and Flora Purim (vocals, percussion)

Continuation of the exploration of the ECM catalogue........ Streaming from TIDAL.......

Opening track is a fantastic eye opener this morning!

Bruce Hornsby - Intersections

Great overview of the music of Bruce Hornsby. The first track is 'The way it is', just Bruce Hornsby on piano. It starts with the Aria of the Goldberg variations and half way transforms it to the way it is. Very nicely done.

Stevee_S posted:

ARC - Church 

(2010)

Perhaps my favourite ARC album, this one was recorded live in a church at "The Gatherings" in Philadelphia."Their music is deeply routed in the traditions of the German synthesizer music of the 1970's and as such they employ a vast range of vintage analogue equipment not the least of which is Shreeve's massive Moog IIIC modular system."  

Lovely, sit back crank it up and let it wash over you... 

Bought and playing now! Like it.

Now Playing......

Stefano Bollani - Joy In Spite Of Everything

Stefano Bollani (piano), Jesper Bodilsen (bass), Morten Lund (drums), Mark Turner (saxophone), and Bill Frisell (guitar)

Continued exploration of the ECM catalogue!   Streaming from TIDAL..........

The opening track 'Easy Healing' is fantastic!

Note from the ECM Records website: Stefano Bollani is an artist of ebullient virtuosity, with uncommon sensitivity and range. The Italian pianist has proved to be at home on ECM improvising solo or leading a trio, as well as engaging in duos with Enrico Rava, Chick Corea and Brazilian bandolim player Hamilton de Holanda. With Joy in Spite of Everything – an album of new compositions by the pianist for a trans-Atlantic quintet – Bollani has made his most beautifully textured and infectiously lyrical statement yet. He recorded these nine pieces at New York City’s Avatar Studios with the Danish rhythm section from his Stone in the Water trio – bassist Jesper Bodilsen and drummer Morten Lund – plus two prominent American players and ECM intimates: guitarist Bill Frisell and saxophonist Mark Turner. As its title reflects, Joy in Spite of Everything brims with an indefatigable lightness of spirit despite the inevitable shadows of life.

(1966)

After their new album released last month which IMO is a huge disappointing rehash of their earlier material, its time for some Evanescence when they were good, interesting and vibrant.