|
November 2006
Look for "Rick's Pick" 
|
| CLASSICAL |
|
 |
| |
| $17.98 |
| |
|
|
| |
 |
|
| Title: |
|
Songs of Ned Rorem |
| Label: |
|
Other Minds (dist. Allegro)
|
|
Composer:
|
|
Ned Rorem |
| ISBN: |
|
9786310620961 |
| ISBN-10: |
|
|
| UPC: |
|
00684391100923 |
| Prod.#: |
|
BECDAGROOTM1009 |
| Cat.#: |
|
OM 1009-2 |
| Period: |
|
20th Ccentury |
| Genre: |
|
Classical |
| Release type: |
|
Reissue |
| Comments: |
|
Ned Rorem is one the most important living composers of art song in America, and this program (originally issued on LP in 1964) offers a good overview of his settings of modern and classic poetry along with three psalm settings. Rorem himself is at the piano, accompanying an array of distinguished singers that includes Charles Bressler and Phyllis Curtin, as well as the fine soprano Gianna d'Angelo, who makes seemingly easy work of his more punishingly high-pitched pieces. Here's an excellent opportunity to update your vinyl (check your collections -- the LP is almost certainly in there). (RA) |
|
|
 |
| |
| $13.98 |
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| Title: |
|
Dialogues, Psalmes & Elegies |
| Label: |
|
Explore (dist. Koch)
|
|
Composer:
|
|
William Lawes |
| Performer: |
|
Consort of Musicke / Rooley |
| ISBN: |
|
9786310352350 |
| ISBN-10: |
|
|
| UPC: |
|
00878914000115 |
| Prod.#: |
|
BECDEXPR0011 |
| Cat.#: |
|
EXP0011 |
| Period: |
|
Renaissance |
| Genre: |
|
Classical |
| Release type: |
|
Reissue |
| Comments: |
|
The Explore label was founded in 2006 in order to "explore the large number of existing recordings of rare and unusual repertory which
have never been available internationally on CD - or which have only been available for a limited period of time on CD in the past." One of its first releases is this welcome reissue of a 1979 recording by The Consort of Musicke, featuring soloists Emma Kirkby, David Thomas, Nigel Rogers and others performing songs by the celebrated 17th-century English composer William Lawes. The performances are as good as you'd expect, and the recorded sound is better. Recommended. (RA) |
|
|
|
|
| Title: |
|
Concertos |
| Label: |
|
Archiv
|
|
Composer:
|
|
Antonio Vivaldi |
| Performer: |
|
Giuliano Carmignola; Venice Baroque Orchestra / Marcon |
| ISBN: |
|
9786310326696 |
| ISBN-10: |
|
|
| UPC: |
|
00028947760054 |
| Prod.#: |
|
BECDUMG B000650402 |
| Cat.#: |
|
B0006504-02 |
| Period: |
|
Baroque |
| Genre: |
|
Classical |
| Release type: |
|
New |
| Comments: |
|
"Oh, good," I hear you saying. "Another CD of Vivaldi violin concertos. Just what [yawn] my collection needs." But wait: violinist Giuliano Carmignola is genuinely something else. No gimmicks, no tricks, but he plays with a fiery passion that is really unusual for this repertoire, and he picked just the right concertos from Vivaldi's massive book to showcase his skill and personality. He seems to have lit quite a fire under the Venice Baroque Orchestra as well. This disc really is a must, no matter how much Vivaldi you already have in the collection. (RA) |
|
|
 |
| |
| $15.00 |
| |
|
|
| |
|
| Title: |
|
Intimate Sonate |
| Label: |
|
Champignon International
|
|
Composer:
|
|
Various Composers |
| Performer: |
|
Thom Freas; Fanfare Consort |
| UPC: |
|
617985710222 |
| Cat.#: |
|
CI-CD 102 |
| Period: |
|
Baroque |
| Genre: |
|
Classical |
| Release type: |
|
New |
| Comments: |
|
Thom Freas plays the clarino, a valveless baroque trumpet, and on this disc he leads the Fanfare Consort in a program of sonatas by baroque composers both famous (Biber, Corelli, Corbett) and less famous (Legrenzi, Fantini, the unknown Moravian composer R.P.F.G.). All are played skillfully and are beautifully recorded, and although at times Freas' sound is a bit strained, this disc makes a very nice introduction to some lesser-known works for the early trumpet. (RA) |
|
|
|
|
| Title: |
|
Flute Quartets; String Quartets |
| Label: |
|
Naxos
|
|
Composer:
|
|
Jakub Jan Ryba |
| Performer: |
|
Jan Ostry; M. Nostitz Quartet |
| ISBN: |
|
9786310519593 |
| ISBN-10: |
|
|
| UPC: |
|
00747313272921 |
| Prod.#: |
|
BECDNAXO8557729 |
| Cat.#: |
|
8.557729 |
| Period: |
|
Late Classical/Early Romantic |
| Genre: |
|
Classical |
| Release type: |
|
New |
| Comments: |
|
This is a lovely recording of two flute quartets and two string quartets by the prolific Czech composer Jakub Jan Ryba, who is known today mainly (when he is known at all) for his religious vocal music. Most of his instrumental compositions have been lost, so this collection of chamber works is especially welcome, especially in such attractive performances (on modern instruments). Highly recommended to all classical collections. (RA) |
|
|
|
|
| Title: |
|
Mass in C Minor; Masonic Funeral Music |
| Label: |
|
Virgin Classics
|
|
Composer:
|
|
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart |
| Performer: |
|
Le Concert d'Astree; various soloists / Langree |
| ISBN: |
|
9786310556109 |
| ISBN-10: |
|
|
| UPC: |
|
00094635930924 |
| Prod.#: |
|
BECDVIRG59309B |
| Cat.#: |
|
359309 |
| Period: |
|
Late Classical/Early Romantic |
| Genre: |
|
Classical |
| Release type: |
|
New |
| Comments: |
|
Another triumph for the Concert d'Astree and its stable of exquisite soloists (including the soprano Natalie Dessay), who bring freshness and light to one of Mozart's most expansive and thrilling religious works. This group records on period instruments, which can be a challenge with works of this period (when the decorous classical traditions were giving way to the more bombastic sounds of the romantic era), but the Concert d'Astree manage the complex requirements of this music with real flair. Highly recommended to all classical collections. (RA) |
|
|
|
|
| Title: |
|
Ascension Oratorios |
| Label: |
|
Euroarts
|
|
Composer:
|
|
Johann Sebastian Bach; Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach |
| Performer: |
|
Ex Tempore; La Petite Bande; various soloists / Kuijken |
| ISBN: |
|
9786310143224 |
| ISBN-10: |
|
|
| UPC: |
|
00880242540386 |
| Prod.#: |
|
BEDDEUAR2054038 |
| Cat.#: |
|
2054038 |
| Period: |
|
Baroque/Early Classical |
| Genre: |
|
Music Videos - Classical |
| Release type: |
|
New |
| Comments: |
|
This DVD is gorgeous in every way -- from the intimate but lavishly beautiful setting of the concert it documents (the Church of St. Nikolai, Leipzig) to the sweetly rich sound of the two period-instrument orchestras led by the legendary Sigiswald Kuijken and the thrilling performances by various soloists. Both of these Easter oratorios are spectacularly beautiful pieces, and both concerts are artfully filmed and recorded. Very highly recommended. (RA) |
|
|
|
|
| Title: |
|
Hereafter |
| Label: |
|
Ideal Audience (dist. Naxos)
|
|
Composer:
|
|
|
| Performer: |
|
Glenn Gould |
| ISBN: |
|
9786310524832 |
| ISBN-10: |
|
|
| UPC: |
|
00899132000206 |
| Prod.#: |
|
BEDDNAXO9DM20 |
| Cat.#: |
|
DVD9DM20 |
| Genre: |
|
Music Videos - Classical |
| Release type: |
|
New |
| Comments: |
|
Pianist Glenn Gould was one of the strangest and most gifted figures on the classical music scene in the 20th century, and there has been no shortage of examinations of his life and work. But this deeply affecting documentary, pieced together from archival interview and performance footage and edited so as to sound as if it were narrated by Gould himself, is one of the best I've seen or read. It brings home, in ways other treatments have not, both a sense of the mind-boggling talent and the constant psychological distress that were the twin hallmarks of Gould's genius. Very highly recommended. (RA) |
|
|
|
|
| Title: |
|
Eton Choirbook Collection |
| Label: |
|
Coro (dist. Allegro)
|
|
Composer:
|
|
Various Composers |
| Performer: |
|
The Sixteen / Christophers |
| ISBN: |
|
9786310610054 |
| ISBN-10: |
|
|
| UPC: |
|
00828021604027 |
| Prod.#: |
|
BECDAGROCRO16040 |
| Cat.#: |
|
COR16040 |
| Period: |
|
Renaissance |
| Genre: |
|
Classical |
| Release type: |
|
Reissue (5-discs) |
| Comments: |
|
Originally issued singly and then in a boxed set by the Collins Classics label in the early 1990s, these recordings were saved and returned to market when Harry Christophers bought back the rights and reissued them on his own Coro imprint. If your classical collection doesn't already include these brilliant and historically significant recordings, then now is the opportunity to fill that gap -- and at a budget-line price. The Eton Choirbook is the only one of its kind known to have survived the sacking of the monasteries under King Henry VIII, and the music -- by such masters as William Cornysh, Robert Fayrfax, John Browne and others -- is revelatory, as is the singing of the Sixteen. Essential. (RA) |
|
|
|
|
| Title: |
|
Sun of Justice |
| Label: |
|
RCM (dist. Allegro)
|
|
Composer:
|
|
Juan Gutierrez de Padilla |
| Performer: |
|
Los Angeles Chamber Singers / Rutenberg |
| ISBN: |
|
9786310195322 |
| ISBN-10: |
|
|
| UPC: |
|
00707651200628 |
| Prod.#: |
|
BECDAGRORCM12006 |
| Cat.#: |
|
RCM 12006 |
| Period: |
|
Renaissance |
| Genre: |
|
Classical |
| Release type: |
|
New |
| Comments: |
|
This is a wonderful collection of a capella polychoral works by Juan Gutierrez de Padilla, who was born in 1590 and trained in Spain before relocating to Puebla, Mexico, where he trained indigenous choirs and even built instruments to make performances of his music possible. The works recorded here date from that period, and include a mass setting along with several motets, antiphons and responsories. The Los Angeles Chamber Singers deliver lovely performances. Highly recommended to all classical collections. (RA) |
|
|
| COUNTRY/FOLK |
|
 |
| |
| $16.98 |
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| Title: |
|
Straws In The Wind |
| Label: |
|
Topic
|
|
Artist:
|
|
Martin Carthy & Dave Swarbrick |
| ISBN: |
|
9786310593661 |
| ISBN-10: |
|
|
| UPC: |
|
00714822055628 |
| Prod.#: |
|
BECDTOPI556 |
| Cat.#: |
|
TSCD 556 |
| Genre: |
|
British Folk |
| Release type: |
|
New |
| Comments: |
|
If British folk music can be said to have an aristocracy, then there's no question whether guitarist/singer Martin Carthy and fiddler Dave Swarbrick are nobles -- and not hereditary ones, either. They earned their way into their position by dint of decades of singing and playing songs both familiar and obscure and giving them their own stamp of modern authenticity. (Carthy's marriage into the Waterson family helped too, admittedly.) The duo's latest is another slice of rough-hewn genius, and should find a place in any folk collection. (RA) |
|
|
 |
| |
| $17.98 |
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| Title: |
|
Life In A Song |
| Label: |
|
Rounder
|
|
Artist:
|
|
New Found Road |
| ISBN: |
|
9786310549248 |
| ISBN-10: |
|
|
| UPC: |
|
00011661057623 |
| Prod.#: |
|
BECD116 6105762 |
| Cat.#: |
|
11661-0576-2 |
| Genre: |
|
Bluegrass |
| Release type: |
|
New |
| Comments: |
|
If anyone wants definitive proof that the old bluegrass/newgrass dichotomy is dead, then consider the latest album from New Found Road, a band that never departs in any significant way from traditional bluegrass instrumentation and rarely departs from traditional bluegrass sonics, but that manages (through the deft application of original songwriting and subtly innovative arrangements) to bring a fresh, new sound to what many may consider to be a very tired format. Me, I think they take "Handsome Molly" way too fast. But their a capella version of "When I Get Home" will make your hair stand on end. (RA) |
|
|
|
|
| Title: |
|
Black Mountain Rag |
| Label: |
|
Rounder
|
|
Artist:
|
|
Doc & Merle Watson |
| ISBN: |
|
9786310524443 |
| ISBN-10: |
|
|
| UPC: |
|
00011661162020 |
| Prod.#: |
|
BECD116 6116202 |
| Cat.#: |
|
11661-11620-2 |
| Genre: |
|
Country/Folk |
| Release type: |
|
Compilation |
| Comments: |
|
As a young and fiercely tradition-minded bluegrass fan in the early 1980s, I was deeply offended by Doc Watson's use of a snare drum in his arrangement of "Black Mountain Rag." I was, not to put too fine a point on it, an idiot. This collection of recordings from that period (most of them previously issued on the now-defunct Flying Fish label) finds the flatpicking genius working in a variety of styles, switching happily from western swing to bluegrass to jazz to blues to old-timey mountain music. Only an idiot could find fault. (RA) |
|
|
|
|
| Title: |
|
Tulsa |
| Label: |
|
Bloodshot
|
|
Artist:
|
|
Wayne Hancock |
| ISBN: |
|
9786310560328 |
| ISBN-10: |
|
|
| UPC: |
|
00744302013428 |
| Prod.#: |
|
BECDBLOD20134 |
| Cat.#: |
|
BS 134 |
| Genre: |
|
Country & Western |
| Release type: |
|
New |
| Comments: |
|
One hesitates to praise a singer specifically for the similarity of his voice to someone else's, but I have to tell you: Wayne Hancock sounds more hair-raisingly like Hank Williams (the real one) than anyone I've ever heard, and it gets me every time. That wouldn't be enough without great original songs, mind you, but those he has. In spades. And he has a raucously swinging approach to country tradition that owes as much to Bob Wills as anything else. Hank crossed with Bob -- if that's not a recipe for country music bliss, what is? (RA) |
|
|
|
|
| Title: |
|
If I Should Fall from Grace with God |
| Label: |
|
Rhino
|
|
Artist:
|
|
Pogues |
| ISBN: |
|
9786310513638 |
| ISBN-10: |
|
|
| UPC: |
|
00081227406929 |
| Prod.#: |
|
BECDRHINR74069 |
| Cat.#: |
|
R2 74069 |
| Genre: |
|
Celtic Folk/Rock |
| Release type: |
|
Reissue |
| Comments: |
|
Ah, the Pogues. That young piker Pete Doherty only wishes he could live up to Shane MacGowan's epic levels of personal dissolution and musical brilliance, and those two elements of his craft were about as balanced as they'd ever be when the Pogues recorded this, their third album, in 1987. It's now reissued (along with the other four of the band's first five discs) in an expanded version with bonus tracks and extensive liner notes. Your library should really own all five, but if you must pick just one, this edges out the others -- in part because it features a guest vocal by Kirsty MacColl on the gloriously depressing "Fairytale of New York." The remastered sound lets you hear MacGowan mangling every consonant on the crumbling edges of his black, snaggled teeth. Brilliant! (RA) |
|
|
 |
| |
| $17.98 |
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| Title: |
|
Yours Truly |
| Label: |
|
Rounder
|
|
Artist:
|
|
Natalie Mac Master |
| ISBN: |
|
9786310556956 |
| ISBN-10: |
|
|
| UPC: |
|
00011661706521 |
| Prod.#: |
|
BECD116 6170652 |
| Cat.#: |
|
11661-7065-02 |
| Genre: |
|
Canadian Folk |
| Release type: |
|
New |
| Comments: |
|
On her latest album, Natalie Mac Master has it both ways, indulging both her passion for the traditional Scottish fiddle tunes of Cape Breton and her love of rock'n'roll, beefing up her jigs, reels and strathspeys with drums and electric guitars. It works quite well, generally, although Michael McDonald's "Danny Boy" is a serious disappointment and the program-closing "Interlude" is a self-indulgent irritant. Very nice overall. (RA) |
|
|
|
|
| Title: |
|
Game Set Match |
| Label: |
|
Topic
|
|
Artist:
|
|
Nic Jones |
| ISBN: |
|
9786310593678 |
| ISBN-10: |
|
|
| UPC: |
|
00714822056625 |
| Prod.#: |
|
BECDTOPI566 |
| Cat.#: |
|
TSCD 566 |
| Genre: |
|
British Folk |
| Release type: |
|
Compilation |
| Comments: |
|
The recording career of British folksinger and guitarist Nic Jones was cut tragically short in the early 1980s, so fans tend to treat newly unearthed tapes with a certain reverence. The material on this collection was recorded in various live settings in the late 1970s, and although the sound quality varies from very good to acceptable, the musical quality of these tracks is invariably more than high enough to justify their introduction to the marketplace. The pleasure they provide is bittersweet, but deep and real. (RA) |
|
|
| JAZZ |
|
 |
| |
| $13.99 |
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| Title: |
|
Minions Dominion |
| Label: |
|
Troubadour Jass (dist. Burnside)
|
|
Artist:
|
|
Delfeayo Marsalis |
| ISBN: |
|
9786310579054 |
| ISBN-10: |
|
|
| UPC: |
|
00707541841122 |
| Prod.#: |
|
BECDTRUB090306 |
| Cat.#: |
|
TJR 090306 |
| Genre: |
|
Jazz |
| Release type: |
|
New |
| Comments: |
|
This is a set of very nice, if not necessarily earth-shaking, straight-ahead jazz from trombonist Delfeayo Marsalis (of the New Orleans Marsalises). Sidemen include his celebrated brother Branford and firebrand drummer Elvin Jones, as well as the always excellent pianist Mulgrew Miller. The group really shines on the ballads, in particular a lovely rendition of Marsalis' own "If You Only Knew." Not essential, but very nice. (RA) |
|
|
 |
| |
| $16.98 |
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| Title: |
|
Joys & Desires |
| Label: |
|
Intuition (dist. Allegro)
|
|
Artist:
|
|
John Hollenbeck & Jazz Bigband Graz |
| ISBN: |
|
9786310428529 |
| ISBN-10: |
|
|
| UPC: |
|
00750447338623 |
| Prod.#: |
|
BECDAGROINU33862 |
| Cat.#: |
|
INT 33862 |
| Genre: |
|
Jazz |
| Release type: |
|
New |
| Comments: |
|
This can very fairly be called "big band jazz with a difference." Percussionist and bandleader John Hollenbeck leads this group through some of the most innovative and adventurous arrangements I've ever encountered: "The Bird With the Coppery Keen Claws" is a flat-out tone poem (with spoken word elements); "Just Like Him" involves phase-shifted drums, tightly massed horns and crazy time signatures; "Jazz Envy" juxtaposes atonal chaos with carefully arranged horn charts -- the whole thing is a thrilling carnival ride of sounds and textures, and is much more fun than I'm probably making it sound here. Trust me. (RA) |
|
|
|
|
| Title: |
|
Heroes |
| Label: |
|
IPO (dist. Allegro)
|
|
Artist:
|
|
Roger Kellaway Trio |
| ISBN: |
|
9786310511641 |
| ISBN-10: |
|
|
| UPC: |
|
00822019010104 |
| Prod.#: |
|
BECDAGROIPO1010 |
| Cat.#: |
|
IPOC1010 |
| Genre: |
|
Jazz |
| Release type: |
|
New |
| Comments: |
|
The drumless piano-guitar-bass trio has a long and venerable history: Art Tatum, Nat Cole and (most notably) Oscar Peterson have all led such combos in the past, and pianist Roger Kellaway pays tribute to those predecessors on this very fine album. The repertoire is familiar ("Cotton Tail," "Night Train," "Moten Swing," etc.) but the interaction between the three musicians is so joyfully energetic that it's like you're hearing the tunes for the first time. Note, in particular, Kellaway's brilliant arrangement of Thelonious Monk's "52nd Street Theme." For all jazz collections. (RA) |
|
|
 |
| |
| $19.99 |
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| Title: |
|
Live |
| Label: |
|
In+Out (dist. Redeye)
|
|
Artist:
|
|
Lynne Arriale Trio |
| ISBN: |
|
9786310566771 |
| ISBN-10: |
|
|
| UPC: |
|
00181212000078 |
| Prod.#: |
|
BECDREDEMTM007 |
| Cat.#: |
|
MTM-00007 |
| Genre: |
|
Jazz |
| Release type: |
|
New (2-discs) |
| Comments: |
|
Pianist and composer Lynne Arriale, along with her trio, really shines on this live set, recorded in Germany in early 2005. (The package includes a DVD with live footage from the same concert along with a PBS documentary on Arriale.) She shows off her impressive versatility, tackling New Orleans R&B ("Iko Iko"), Brazilian samba ("Braziliana") and off-kilter bebop ("Bemsha Swing," which she twists almost cruelly to her own rhythmic ends) with equal aplomb. And Jay Anderson plays some of the only interesting bass solos you're ever likely to hear. Then there are her originals... (RA) |
|
|
 |
| |
| $18.98 |
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| Title: |
|
Dizzy's Business |
| Label: |
|
MCG Jazz (dist. Fontana)
|
|
Artist:
|
|
Dizzy Gillespie All-Star Big Band |
| ISBN: |
|
9786310541075 |
| ISBN-10: |
|
|
| UPC: |
|
00612262102325 |
| Prod.#: |
|
BECDMCGJ1023 |
| Cat.#: |
|
MCGJ1023 |
| Genre: |
|
Jazz |
| Release type: |
|
New |
| Comments: |
|
This very fine album was recorded live over the course of a series of concerts at the Manchester Craftsmen's Guild in Pittsburgh, and features a large cast of alumni from Dizzy Gillespie's big band playing a predictable but completely enjoyable collection of compositions either written by or associated with the trumpet great. The arrangements are big and sumptuous almost to a fault, but despite its size the band manages to sound nimble on such bop chestnuts as "Hot House" and "I Mean You," and singer Roberta Gambarini is a treat on several tracks. Very nice. (RA) |
|
|
 |
| |
| $14.99 |
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| Title: |
|
Face No Face |
| Label: |
|
Jonji Music
|
|
Artist:
|
|
Jon De Lucia Group |
| ISBN: |
|
9786310583167 |
| ISBN-10: |
|
|
| UPC: |
|
00616892819028 |
| Prod.#: |
|
BECDVICC509 |
| Cat.#: |
|
JM 506-001 |
| Genre: |
|
Jazz |
| Release type: |
|
New |
| Comments: |
|
Jon De Lucia writes music that seems a bit spiky and forbidding on the surface, but that reveals hidden depth of lyrical accessibility if you give it enough time and attention. Under the slippery, sideways chord progression of "Really," there's a lovely and hummable melody; behind the tricky rhythmic mathematics of "Amir, the Brain Kid" there's what sounds like a nifty Webern-meets-Parker bebop tone row. "Edo Komoriuta" is an adaptation of a traditional Japanese folk song (complete with koto and shamisen). Intrigued? You should be. (RA) |
|
|
 |
| |
| $49.98 |
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| Title: |
|
Forecast: Tomorrow |
| Label: |
|
Columbia/Legacy
|
|
Artist:
|
|
Weather Report |
| ISBN: |
|
9786310514840 |
| ISBN-10: |
|
|
| UPC: |
|
00828768557020 |
| Prod.#: |
|
BECDCOLM85570 |
| Cat.#: |
|
82876 855702 |
| Genre: |
|
Jazz |
| Release type: |
|
Boxed Set (4-discs) |
| Comments: |
|
From 1971-1985, Weather Report co-leaders Wayne Shorter (saxophone) and Joe Zawinul (keyboards) were joined by a wide array of percussionists and bassists, recording over a dozen studio albums. Weather Report’s long-overdue box set provides a fine career retrospective of fusion’s most popular band, even if it includes only two previously unreleased audio tracks on the three CDs. Most of the selections are straight from the original albums, and the only real burst of previously released material is found on the enclosed DVD, a stunning concert from 1978 with bassist Jaco Pastorious. The DVD itself, with excellent camera and sound work, is worth the price of the box. (GH) |
|
|
|
|
| Title: |
|
Do The Boomerang: The Music of Junior Walker |
| Label: |
|
Blue Note
|
|
Artist:
|
|
Don Byron |
| ISBN: |
|
9786310554679 |
| ISBN-10: |
|
|
| UPC: |
|
00094634109420 |
| Prod.#: |
|
BECDBNOT41094 |
| Cat.#: |
|
0946 3 4109420 |
| Genre: |
|
Jazz Music |
| Release type: |
|
New |
| Comments: |
|
Don Byron’s recordings bespeak an array of influences as diverse as Mickey Katz’s Klezmer tunes, Raymond Scott’s cartoon soundtracks, and operatic fare. His latest eclectic outing is a brilliant, funk-drenched tribute to 60s R&B saxman Junior Walker. Byron’s found Walker’s groove and expanded on it, while keeping the spirit of Walker’s tunes alive. Extra kudos go to guitarist David Gilmore and organist George Colligan on the Hammond B-3. This is fun, funky virtuosity at its best – just try to keep those feet still and that smile off your face. (GH) |
|
|
 |
| |
| $18.98 |
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| Title: |
|
Sound Grammar |
| Label: |
|
Sound Grammar (dist. Harmonia Mundi)
|
|
Artist:
|
|
Ornette Coleman |
| ISBN: |
|
9786310372211 |
| ISBN-10: |
|
|
| UPC: |
|
00837101159340 |
| Prod.#: |
|
BECDHMD SG11593 |
| Cat.#: |
|
11593 |
| Genre: |
|
Jazz |
| Release type: |
|
New |
| Comments: |
|
Ornette Coleman, one of the giants of modern jazz, should not have to wait ten years in between releases, but this album represents just such a return to recording availability. Sound Grammar is a live date recorded in Germany, featuring an acoustic band of two bassists – one playing with a bow (Tony Falanga) and one playing only with his fingers (Greg Cohen) – and a drummer (Denardo Coleman) to accompany the leader’s alto sax as well as occasional trumpet and violin. Any recording by Ornette is an essential purchase for a serious jazz collection, and this one makes a fine addition to the master’s catalog. (SA) |
|
|
|
|
| Title: |
|
Mythologies |
| Label: |
|
Blue Note
|
|
Artist:
|
|
Patricia Barber |
| ISBN: |
|
9786310304069 |
| ISBN-10: |
|
|
| UPC: |
|
00094635956429 |
| Prod.#: |
|
BECDBNOT59564 |
| Cat.#: |
|
0946 3 59564 2 9 |
| Genre: |
|
Jazz |
| Release type: |
|
New |
| Comments: |
|
Pianist/singer/songwriter Barber has always displayed a literary bent in her work, and this is her most ambitious effort to date: a song cycle based on Ovid’s take on Greek mythology. Morpheus, Icarus, Persephone, Narcissus, and Orpheus inspire these songs, which range from first-person anecdotes by these esteemed characters to modern-day stories loosely based on their exploits. Musically and lyrically, Barber has crafted a masterpiece. Jazz fans will savor her composition and wit, while those teaching the Western Classical canon will want to polish up their syllabi to incorporate this marvelous material. (GH) |
|
|
| ROCK/POP |
|
|
| |
| $25.00 |
| |
|
|
| |
|
| Title: |
|
Dick's Picks Volume 36 |
| Label: |
|
Grateful Dead Records
|
|
Artist:
|
|
Grateful Dead |
| Cat.#: |
|
DECD 295 |
| Genre: |
|
Rock |
| Release type: |
|
Boxed Set (4-discs) |
| Comments: |
|
It’s been eleven years since Jerry Garcia’s death, time enough to get some perspective on the Grateful Dead’s massive body of live material that spans thirty years. In the estimation of this humble critic (and others) 1972 was arguably the Dead’s finest year for live performances, as this collection of material from September ’72 documents. They were adding country-flavored originals to their sets (“Cumberland Blues,” “Friend of the Devil”) while still playing extended, trippy jams. The highlight is an impressive, nearly 50 minute medley of “Dark Star” and “Morning Dew,” which sums up the Dead’s improvisational gifts as well as anything. Crisp recording and remastering add to the importance of this set. (GH) |
|
|
 |
| |
| $19.98 |
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| Title: |
|
Definitive Collection |
| Label: |
|
Rhino
|
|
Artist:
|
|
Wilson Pickett |
| ISBN: |
|
9786310131672 |
| ISBN-10: |
|
|
| UPC: |
|
00081227761424 |
| Prod.#: |
|
BECDRHINA77614 |
| Cat.#: |
|
R2 77614 |
| Genre: |
|
Rock, Alternative Music |
| Release type: |
|
Reissue |
| Comments: |
|
Wilson Pickett’s catalog includes some of the most recognizable tunes of the 60’s R&B era: “Land of 1000 Dances,” “Mustang Sally,” and “In the Midnight Hour.” Rhino’s new double CD set provides a good overview of Pickett’s best material, even if the discography could stand to be a bit more comprehensive. (For instance, the liner notes mention that Duane Allman played on Pickett’s version of “Hey Jude,” but the actual song list doesn’t contain a list of musicians for each tune. Did Allman’s guitar grace any other Pickett tunes? You won’t find that out here.) A nice set, albeit not a “definitive” collection. (GH) |
|
|
 |
| |
| $10.98 |
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| Title: |
|
Passover |
| Label: |
|
Light In The Attic
|
|
Artist:
|
|
Black Angels |
| ISBN: |
|
9786310125152 |
| ISBN-10: |
|
|
| UPC: |
|
00826853001823 |
| Prod.#: |
|
BECDLITA018 |
| Cat.#: |
|
LITA 018 |
| Genre: |
|
Rock, Alternative Music |
| Release type: |
|
New |
| Comments: |
|
Since the Light in the Attic label specializes in reissues of lost soul and reggae albums from the 1960s and 1970s, it should come as no surprise that the Black Angels would find a home with them. This band's sound is very consciously derived from the psychedelic and proto-punk sounds of the late 1960s, though with a somewhat more angry edge than was common then. Tambourines, cheap-sounding organs, exaggerated wah-wah guitar -- only the well-recorded drums betray this album as a product of its time. Nice. (RA) |
|
|
 |
| |
| $15.98 |
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| Title: |
|
Louisiana Soul |
| Label: |
|
AIM (dist. Allegro)
|
|
Artist:
|
|
Bobby Powell |
| ISBN: |
|
9786310194950 |
| ISBN-10: |
|
|
| UPC: |
|
00752211150929 |
| Prod.#: |
|
BECDAGROAIM1509 |
| Cat.#: |
|
AIM 1509 |
| Genre: |
|
Soul/Rhythm & Blues |
| Release type: |
|
Compilation |
| Comments: |
|
Hardcore soul aficionados are the ones most likely to recognize the name of New Orleans R&B singer Bobby Powell, whose 1970s work for the Hep Me label is collected on this nice compilation. The songs are generally midtempo and bluesy, with lots of great horn arrangements. Powell's voice is a chesty powerhouse of sound. Perhaps not essential for every pop collection, but if your library collects heavily in soul and R&B, then this is worthy of serious consideration. (RA) |
|
|
|
|
| Title: |
|
Better than Knowing Where You Are |
| Label: |
|
Victory
|
|
Artist:
|
|
Spitalfield |
| ISBN: |
|
9786310559223 |
| ISBN-10: |
|
|
| UPC: |
|
00746105032125 |
| Prod.#: |
|
BECDVICY321 |
| Cat.#: |
|
VR321 |
| Genre: |
|
Rock |
| Release type: |
|
New |
| Comments: |
|
Yet another slab of tight, hard, melodic rock from Spitalfield, a band that seems to have emerged from the emo scene but owes as much to power-pop and pop-punk as anything else. Genres don't matter, of course -- hooks do. And hooks there are in abundance here. Again. I'm starting to wonder if there guys are actually capable of making a bad album... (RA) |
|
|
 |
| |
| $13.98 |
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| Title: |
|
Leonard Cohen: I'm Your Man (OST) |
| Label: |
|
Verve Forecast
|
|
Artist:
|
|
Various |
| ISBN: |
|
9786310355948 |
| ISBN-10: |
|
|
| UPC: |
|
00602517024083 |
| Prod.#: |
|
BECDUMG B000716902 |
| Cat.#: |
|
B0007169-02 |
| Genre: |
|
SOUNDTRACK |
| Release type: |
|
New |
| Comments: |
|
I’m Your Man is the soundtrack to Lian Lunson’s new film about Leonard Cohen. It features live versions of 16 Cohen tunes covered by such luminaries as Teddy Thompson, Martha Wainwright, Beth Orton, Nick Cave, Rufus Wainwright, and others, plus Cohen himself doing a version of “Tower of Song” with U2. While a solid set, nothing here has the enduring strength of two selections from the 1991 Cohen tribute entitled I’m Your Fan, which featured John Cale’s haunting version of “Hallelujah” (which has appeared in such diverse settings as TV’s quirky medical sitcom Scrubs and the film Basquiat) and R.E.M.’s gripping version of “First We Take Manhattan.” (GH) |
|
|
 |
| |
| $39.98 |
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| Title: |
|
Pure '80s - The Ultimate DVD Box |
| Label: |
|
Universal Music Group
|
|
Artist:
|
|
Various Artists |
| ISBN: |
|
9786310374383 |
| ISBN-10: |
|
|
| UPC: |
|
00602498406526 |
| Prod.#: |
|
BEDDUMG B000709709 |
| Cat.#: |
|
B0007097-09 |
| Genre: |
|
Popular Music |
| Release type: |
|
Boxed Set (3-discs) |
| Comments: |
|
Don't laugh -- if your library supports any kind of curriculum in popular music, this three-DVD set is a treasure trove. It offers fifteen vintage music videos each from the following three genres: New Wave (Totally New Wave), Top-40 rock (Video Idols) and hair metal (Headbangers Rule!), and provides a frequently fascinating and sometimes hilarious overview of the Early MTV era. Featured artists include the Buggles (whose "Video Killed the Radio Star" was the first video broadcast on MTV), Soft Cell, Wang Chung, Lionel Richie, Scorpions, Great White and even (be still my 41-year-old heart) Bananarama. A bit pricey, but still a must for your pop collection. (RA) |
|
|
|
|
| Title: |
|
Bad Brains - Live at CBGB 1982 |
| Label: |
|
Video Music, Inc. (dist. MVD)
|
|
Artist:
|
|
Bad Brains |
| ISBN: |
|
9786310425771 |
| ISBN-10: |
|
|
| UPC: |
|
00022891449799 |
| Prod.#: |
|
BEDDVMI DR4497 |
| Cat.#: |
|
DR-4497 |
| Genre: |
|
Music Video - Pop/Rock |
| Release type: |
|
New |
| Comments: |
|
In the early 1980s, the Bad Brains emerged as everything a hardcore punk band was not supposed to be: virtuosic, for one thing. Rastafarian, for another. Yet at their peak they thrashed better and more compellingly than almost all of their peers, and when they switched (on a dime) from speed-of-light hardcore into slow and smoky reggae, the effect was electrifying. This DVD finds them at the top of their form, playing the legendary CBGB's in New York. Prepare to be disturbed by singer HR's almost manic absorption in the music, and impressed by the DVD's sound quality. (RA) |
|
|
 |
| |
| $18.98 |
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| Title: |
|
Modern Times |
| Label: |
|
Columbia
|
|
Artist:
|
|
Bob Dylan |
| ISBN: |
|
9786310452135 |
| ISBN-10: |
|
|
| UPC: |
|
00828768760628 |
| Prod.#: |
|
BECDCOLM87606 |
| Cat.#: |
|
|
| Genre: |
|
Rock, Alternative Music |
| Release type: |
|
New |
| Comments: |
|
The Dylan renaissance continues with this, his third fully realized late career album in a row. While perhaps not as revelatory as 1997’s Time Out of Mind or as fresh as 2001’s Love & Theft, Modern Times is of a piece with those records, in that it to demonstrates a renewed ability to adapt and transform the materials of the folk tradition, as well as to incorporate aspects of rock, country, blues, and Tin Pan Alley pop. F. Scott Fitzgerald famously claimed that there were no second acts in American lives, but this is act five or six (at least) for Dylan, and we should enjoy it while it lasts. (SA) |
|
|
| WORLD/ETHNIC |
|
 |
| |
| $16.98 |
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| Title: |
|
Gently Weeps |
| Label: |
|
Hitchhike
|
|
Artist:
|
|
Jake Shimabukuro |
| ISBN: |
|
9786310520261 |
| ISBN-10: |
|
|
| UPC: |
|
00689076537841 |
| Prod.#: |
|
BECDHTHK7653784 |
| Cat.#: |
|
HRCD-1105 |
| Genre: |
|
Rock, Alternative Music |
| Release type: |
|
New |
| Comments: |
|
Think you don't need to hear ukelele arrangements of "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" and Chick Corea's "Spain"? Or of Schubert's "Ave Maria"? Well, maybe you're right. You don't need to. But your patrons might like to. (And what is it with all the boundary-pushing ukelele albums this year? Maybe we'd better buy all of them before the flow cuts off... But when the all-ukelele heavy metal album comes out, I promise I won't recommend it. I think.) (RA) |
|
|
|
|
| Title: |
|
Wishbone |
| Label: |
|
Light In The Attic
|
|
Artist:
|
|
Jackie Mittoo |
| ISBN: |
|
9786310656724 |
| ISBN-10: |
|
|
| UPC: |
|
00826853002127 |
| Prod.#: |
|
BECDLITA021 |
| Cat.#: |
|
LITA 021 |
| Genre: |
|
Reggae/Soul |
| Release type: |
|
Reissue |
| Comments: |
|
Few figures in reggae history are as beloved as Jackie Mittoo, whose arrangements and organ playing helped define the music's sound in the 1960s and contributed greatly to its development in the following decade. This album, originally issued in 1971, finds him working with a large complement of backing musicians in his adopted home of Toronto, creating tracks that alternate between fairly traditional reggae and more adventurous soul/funk sounds. Essential for all reggae collections. (RA) |
|
|
|
| |
| $15.00 |
| |
|
|
| |
|
| Title: |
|
Love Is My Religion |
| Label: |
|
Tuff Gong Worldwide
|
|
Artist:
|
|
Ziggy Marley |
| UPC: |
|
094922607256 |
| Cat.#: |
|
TGW 0001 |
| Genre: |
|
Reggae/World |
| Release type: |
|
New |
| Comments: |
|
This is how smart Ziggy Marley is: he sounds almost creepily like his father Bob, and has a deep and solid grasp of the reggae verities. Armed with those twin assets, he chooses to make music that skips happily back and forth across the border that separates reggae from any number of other world music traditions, including rock, highlife, funk and Latin music. The result, at its best, is music that makes him sound like the Paul Simon of reggae. And this album is one of his best. (RA) |
|
|
|
|
| Title: |
|
Que Linda Es Mi Cuba |
| Label: |
|
Tumi (dist. Allegro)
|
|
Artist:
|
|
Grupo Eduardo Saborit |
| ISBN: |
|
9786310517414 |
| ISBN-10: |
|
|
| UPC: |
|
05022627013428 |
| Prod.#: |
|
BECDAGROTUM134 |
| Cat.#: |
|
TUMI 134 |
| Genre: |
|
Latin Music |
| Release type: |
|
New |
| Comments: |
|
This is a thoroughly wonderful collection of new campesino recordings by the Manzanillo-based Grupo Eduardo Saborit: acoustic, multilayered, packed with call-and-response vocals and danceable in a very snaky, swivel-hipped sort of way, this music is jazzy without being jazz and funky without being funk. Very highly recommended to all collections with an interest in Latin music. (RA) |
|
© CD HotList 2004 |
