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

My usual thing. Got a more audiophile fuse and wall socket installed and started up the system with this one. And yes with a small investment again an improvement in sound. Very happy I did it..

Now listening to another favorite of mine...

Julian Gray & Ronald Peral - Baroque Inventions

Robert Plant and Alison Krause - Raising Sands (2007) - CD Oxfam £3.99

Saw someone mentioned Robert Plant a few days ago so when I saw they had worked together it seemed worth taking a chance! Alison Krauss comes up often.

Quite a variety of styles, but while only having got to track 5 I particularly like “Sister Rosetta Goes Before Us”. They both have beautiful voices making their harmonisation particularly magical.

Phil

The Netherlands Bach society

allmusic.com:

Beloved & Beautiful: Meine Freundin, du bist schön (Girlfriend, you are beautiful) sounds like a title for an album of pop songs, but it's something different and original: a collection of German Baroque cantatas setting passages from the Song of Songs (or, in the case of J.S. Bach's Cantata No. 196, a related text). Dutch conductor Jos van Veldhoven and his Netherlands Bach Society have released a strong series of rather intimate Baroque sacred music recordings, and this may be the best yet. What makes the program so compelling is that the Song of Songs texts, romantic and even sexual in nature, force the composers into intense, often dialogic structures in the absence of the influence of the Italian operatic style that influenced the mature J.S. Bach; the Bach cantata heard here dates from 1709, and the rest of the music is earlier than that, with that work preceded by composers who taught or influenced J.S. Bach. Think of Purcell's Dido and Aeneas for an idea of how this music generates passion in the seventeenth century style. The high point of the whole thing may be the massive final chaconne -- some 60 variations! -- of the Johann Christoph Bach piece (he was an uncle of J.S. Bach) that gives the album its title. "My beloved is mine, and I am his; he feeds among the roses and is faithful to me," runs the text. "His left arm lies beneath my head, and his right arm encourages me. He refreshes me with flowers, and comforts me with apples. My beloved is mine, and I am his, for I am sick with love." Intriguing enough, and the biblical text is adorned with a kind of running secular gloss unlike anything else in the Baroque literature. The program goes back as far as Schütz, who sets this kind of text with antiphonal passages that seem to mount in intensity in a distinctive way. By the time J.S. Bachwrote his Cantata No. 140 he had more modern ways of expressing such ideas, but the collision between the older styles and the hot subject matter has a flavor all its own. The Netherlands Bach Society performers sing one voice per part, often an undesirable solution but appropriate enough in his music, where it creates a madrigal-like atmosphere. The SACD church sound (sampled on a good conventional stereo) produces an extremely unusual effect of intimacy; the quiet male singers take the music at an almost conversational level, and even though you can lose them in the strings, the sound is striking. The Song of Songs is thought to have been an allegory for God's love, but who knows? The idea of collecting Baroque works inspired by it both brings out rarely heard pieces and holds them together in a fascinating way. Highly recommended.

Heard this on the radio today, and found it interesting (not only for Pat Metheny lovers)

2017 - Tidal...

Elbow - The Seldom Seen Kid

Tidal.

Enjoying an unexpected half day holiday.

Hungryhalibut posted:

And I thought I have EVERY possible recording ever made involving Charlie Haden, my all time hero on the bass (must have seen him more than 20 times around the globe, of course nothing compared to [@mention:1566878603881681] - who sees people 50+ times, but I notice I am drifting away )

Great music, great musicians. Listening now.

Thanks Nigel ! (?)

Bert Schurink posted:

Second one of this morning...

 

If you were allowed to have only one RS record this would be the one…

George Benson - Beyond the blue horizon

Allmusic.com:

Having taken Benson along with him when he founded CTI, Creed Taylor merely leaves the guitarist alone with a small group on his first release. The payoff is a superb jazz session where Benson rises to the challenge of the turbulent rhythm section of Jack DeJohnette and Ron Carter, with Clarence Palmer ably manning the organ. Benson is clearly as much at home with DeJohnette's advanced playing as he was in soul/jazz (after all, he did play on some Miles Davis sessions a few years before), and his tone is edgier, with more bite, than it had been for awhile. The lyrical Benson is also on eloquent display in "Ode to a Kudu" (heard twice on the CD, as is "All Clear"), and there is even a somewhat experimental tilt toward Afro-Cuban-Indian rhythms in "Somewhere to the East." A must-hear for all aficionados of Benson's guitar.

First play of this one, following the obligatory spin on the Okki Nokki. I seem to recall it not being as well received as her other albums, but I don't see why that should be unless it's because of the busier than usual arrangements. She has such a great voice and there are some infectious melodies and rhythms here.

Bert Schurink posted:

Florestan posted:

Dejan Lazić:  Life, Love & Afterlife - A Liszt recital

Is it good. He was the pianist with the issue on wanting a review to be taken down ?

Well, I'm a full blooded Lisztian so my vote is already tainted.  I like this disc as he provides a good selection of music that isn't normally included on everyday programs.  He is not a typical, run of the mill player who follows the general consensus of the masses.  Again, I like this characteristic and I have no problems with what I hear.  I like the album and will continue to buy what I don't have of him.  Note that he has a nice collaboration with Pieter Wispelway.

As for the review non-sense, it is hard to imagine why this one review is dogging him (and why some people are really a nasty sort?).  I say listen and then decide whether you agree with this one opinion.  Honestly, I think this reviewer based her entire assessment on the observation that the 'people' at this particular event did not welcome any encores and were unenthusiastic at the end.  Really?  Could I get paid for doing her job in this fashion?  Is that all it takes to be a reviewer?

It is surprising what can get praised these days in comparison and there is this sort of bandwagon effect.  Along with her review should have been an option to listen to the concert.  Their is fair criticism and then their is just the I don't like it for the sake of I don't like it.  You can see this type of stuff on youtube for almost anything.  A 12-year old with a computer can say the most vile things online now and this stuff tends to stick.  Free speech and all but I tend to understand Dejan Lazic's issue with this.  It is almost like if you cross the wrong person they can bring you down and make you pay through cyber bullying.

Dua Lipa - Live Acoustic EP via Tidal

It's very good.

(2017)

Because Gary Shaw's (excellent and comprehensive) three part guide to his favourite 2017 releases on the My Records of the year thread, reminded me to give the rather fine Samsara Blues Experiment's latest album another workout. 

Florestan posted:

Bert Schurink posted:

Florestan posted:

Dejan Lazić:  Life, Love & Afterlife - A Liszt recital

Is it good. He was the pianist with the issue on wanting a review to be taken down ?

Well, I'm a full blooded Lisztian so my vote is already tainted.  I like this disc as he provides a good selection of music that isn't normally included on everyday programs.  He is not a typical, run of the mill player who follows the general consensus of the masses.  Again, I like this characteristic and I have no problems with what I hear.  I like the album and will continue to buy what I don't have of him.  Note that he has a nice collaboration with Pieter Wispelway.

As for the review non-sense, it is hard to imagine why this one review is dogging him (and why some people are really a nasty sort?).  I say listen and then decide whether you agree with this one opinion.  Honestly, I think this reviewer based her entire assessment on the observation that the 'people' at this particular event did not welcome any encores and were unenthusiastic at the end.  Really?  Could I get paid for doing her job in this fashion?  Is that all it takes to be a reviewer?

It is surprising what can get praised these days in comparison and there is this sort of bandwagon effect.  Along with her review should have been an option to listen to the concert.  Their is fair criticism and then their is just the I don't like it for the sake of I don't like it.  You can see this type of stuff on youtube for almost anything.  A 12-year old with a computer can say the most vile things online now and this stuff tends to stick.  Free speech and all but I tend to understand Dejan Lazic's issue with this.  It is almost like if you cross the wrong person they can bring you down and make you pay through cyber bullying.

Thanks for your insight. Might also give this one a try then. And yes one review shouldn't kill a career, fully agreed.

osprey posted:

Bert Schurink posted:

Second one of this morning...

 

If you were allowed to have only one RS record this would be the one…

I am not completely addicted to The Rolling Stones, but I would argue that they have created better albums. One among more which immediately comes to my mind is Emotional Rescue....and like I said there are more which I guess would be better.... 

Jeroen20 posted:

George Benson - Beyond the blue horizon

Allmusic.com:

Having taken Benson along with him when he founded CTI, Creed Taylor merely leaves the guitarist alone with a small group on his first release. The payoff is a superb jazz session where Benson rises to the challenge of the turbulent rhythm section of Jack DeJohnette and Ron Carter, with Clarence Palmer ably manning the organ. Benson is clearly as much at home with DeJohnette's advanced playing as he was in soul/jazz (after all, he did play on some Miles Davis sessions a few years before), and his tone is edgier, with more bite, than it had been for awhile. The lyrical Benson is also on eloquent display in "Ode to a Kudu" (heard twice on the CD, as is "All Clear"), and there is even a somewhat experimental tilt toward Afro-Cuban-Indian rhythms in "Somewhere to the East." A must-hear for all aficionados of Benson's guitar.

Thanks Jeroen20, its always good to see mention of George Benson's work. Not being much of a jazz fan this one has passed me by, your posting has piqued my interest. 

Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach (1714-1788):  Alexei Lubimov

Tangere

Alexei Lubimov has chosen a Tangentenflügel (Tangent piano) and consequently has brought this somehow around full circle by entitling this album as Tangere (to touch).  The Tangent piano was popular in and around the middle of the eighteenth century to the end.  Honestly, it has a unique sound with elements of the harpsichord, clavichord, pianoforte and the harp.  I would say to the right side of the middle point between the worst (harpsichord) and the best (a modern day grand piano).  ;-)

While I almost prefer this to a harpsichord let's be honest.  I don't particularly hold to the view that authenticity is the driving force in musicality.  For example, do we like music because it is played on a keyboard that makes it sound unusual, peculiar or might make us feel culturally correct?  This works for some but not for me.  This is a nice thing to have and listen to for the posterity's sake but for musical impact I think it is nice to have good recordings of both styles.  In the end though, I would imagine that most people might agree that they would listen to this 1 out of 10 times and a beautiful sounding modern instrument the 9 out of 10 times?  OK, who am I kidding?  For most aficionados, it ends up being an either / or outcome.

I like Alexei Lubimov and his playing.  The fact is that his Debussy recording is one of my favourites.   Again, it seems he is obsessed with sound and sound quality (touch & sound of an instrument).  If I remember, the pianos for the Debussy were examples of the early 20th century and these were beautiful sounding instruments.

I don't really mind this at all but just feel that anyone who chooses to record on these special or archaic keyboards should do us a favour and record this on the old instrument and the new instruments of today on one album.  Let the people decide which they prefer and then everyone is happy. 

sjust posted:

Hungryhalibut posted:

An all time classic of mine. Just take "Blues For 52nd Street" as an example for what a blessed player can do with that horn. Not sure if it is, but definitely one of the last Waldron recordings, and just LISTEN to the delicate sex he has with the piano keys. Oh, and if you give this song a try (which I encourage), wait until the end. there is a surprise waiting for you  

Great music.

Bert Schurink posted:

osprey posted:

Bert Schurink posted:

Second one of this morning...

 

If you were allowed to have only one RS record this would be the one…

I am not completely addicted to The Rolling Stones, but I would argue that they have created better albums. One among more which immediately comes to my mind is Emotional Rescue....and like I said there are more which I guess would be better.... 

I can understand your point but for me the this was the high peak of Jones Stones and after that, well Brian was the soul of the band …

nigelb posted:

Chris Stapleton - From A Room: Volume 2

The man has only gone and done it again. Another superb album following on from Volume 1. Great voice and great choons. Consistently high score on the belterometer! Love it.

I notice this one is available as a hi-res download. Time hint unashamedly to the family about how much I rate this and what a wonderful Christmas gift it would make. 

I'm not quite as keen as his many fans on this forum. The first track reminds me of the late great Jimmy La Fave who I much prefer.

seakayaker posted:

Now Playing......

I will look out for this.

You might be interested in the Bollani disc I am currently enjoying.  This recent Italian-themed, live recording, which includes inventive improvisations on themes by Morricone and Rota, concludes with a take on Rossini in which the fun the musicians are having comes across vividly.  Anyone who can listen to it with a straight face should consider taking up professional poker.

Roger

Kate is bit too much on the folky side for me but i do posses a few of her albums in my collection. 

This one is rather lovely though and the title track is just sublime...

Kate Rusby - Ghost