August 2006
Look for "Rick's Pick"

CLASSICAL
 
$19.99
 
Title:    Early Symphonies and Chamber Music
Label:    Pentatone (dist. Naxos)
Composer:    Joseph Schmitt
Performer:    New Dutch Academy Chamber Soloists and Chamber Orchestra / Simon Murphy
ISBN:    9786310311968
ISBN-10:    6310311964
UPC:    00827949003967
Prod.#:    BECDPNAT5186039
Cat.#:    PTC 5186 039
Period:    Classical
Genre:    Classical
Release type:    New
Comments:    Nicknamed "The Dutch Haydn," Joseph Schmitt was a highly gifted and prolific figure in Amsterdam in the mid-18th century. The symphonic and chamber works on this disc were only recently discovered, and are of wonderfully high quality, performed with panache by the New Dutch Academy, who play on period instruments yet attain a richness and warmth of tone that not all of their colleagues in the early music field are able to achieve. An essential purchase for all classical collections. (RA)
 
$12.98
 
Title:    Laude Sulla Vita di Gesu
Label:    Tactus (dist. Allegro)
Composer:    Anonymous
Performer:    Consentus Lucensis & I Cantori del Miserere di Sessa Aurunca; Albarello
ISBN:    9786310380278
ISBN-10:    6310380273
UPC:    08007194103571
Prod.#:    BECDAGROTCT280001
Cat.#:    TC 280001
Period:    Medieval
Genre:    Classical
Release type:    New
Comments:    This is a fine collection of thirteenth-century Italian laude, sung with spunk and energy and accompanied by viols, bagpipes and what may or may not be a hurdy-gurdy. The songs are narrative and the singing is generally monodic, with a single voice in a sort of call-and-response relationship to the chorus. This is an unusual repertoire, and should be considered an essential purchase for early music collections. (RA)
 
$11.98
 
Title:    Sweet Irrational Workship: The Niles/Merton Songs
Label:    MSR Classics (dist. Albany)
Composer:    John Jacob Niles; Thomas Merton
Performer:    Chad Runyon; Jacqueline Chew
ISBN:    9786310249162
ISBN-10:    6310249169
UPC:    00681585117422
Prod.#:    BECDMSRCMS1174
Cat.#:    MS 1174
Period:    20th Century
Genre:    Classical
Release type:    New
Comments:    Folk music collector John Jacob Niles and world-famous Trappist monk Thomas Merton met in the late 1960s, shortly before Merton's accidental death in Thailand. Niles was so impressed by Merton's poetry that he set two cycles of it to music. As sung here by Chanticleer alumnus Chad Runyon, the songs are imbued with the kind of meditative grace that one would expect and hope to hear; pianist Jacqueline Chew provides limpid and sensitive accompaniment. Very highly recommended. (RA)
 
$16.98
 
Title:    Dixit Dominus
Label:    Archiv
Composer:    Antonio Vivaldi; Baldassare Galuppi
Performer:    Kornerscher Sing-Verein Dresden; Dresdner Instrumental-Concert / Peter Kopp
ISBN:    9786310251998
ISBN-10:    6310251996
UPC:    00028947761457
Prod.#:    BECDUMG B000649402
Cat.#:    00289 477 6145
Period:    Baroque
Genre:    Classical
Release type:    New
Comments:    This previously unknown Dixit Dominus setting by Vivaldi came to light just last year, when it was discovered in the archives of the state library in Dresden. Quite appropriately, it is given its world-premiere recording here by a Dresden-based ensemble; the makeweight pieces are several sacred works -- also previously unrecorded -- by Galuppi, a contemporary of Vivaldi. The performances and recording quality are excellent, and this disc should be considered essential to any collection of baroque music. (RA)
 
$35.98
 
Title:    Montezuma
Label:    Archiv
Composer:    Antonio Vivaldi
Performer:    Il Complesso Barocco / Alan Curtis
ISBN:    9786310184449
ISBN-10:    631018444X
UPC:    00028947759966
Prod.#:    BECDUMG B000649002
Cat.#:    B0006490-02
Period:    Baroque
Genre:    Classical
Release type:    New (3-discs)
Comments:    It's been known for over two centuries that Vivaldi wrote an opera called Montezuma, but until very recently the music was lost. It was rediscovered by a Hamburg musicologist in 2002, and is here recorded for the first time by the excellent Complesso Barocco under the direction of Alan Curtis. Given a recording of this significance, performance quality is almost beside the point, but in fact the opera is beautifully and energetically sung and the orchestra sounds wonderful. No collection of baroque music can afford to be without this set. (RA)
 
$18.98
 
Title:    Werke fur Blaseroktett
Label:    Harmonia Mundi
Composer:    Ludwig van Beethoven
Performer:    Amphion Blaseroktett
ISBN:    9786310291710
ISBN-10:    6310291718
UPC:    00794881801527
Prod.#:    BECDHMD HMC905264
Cat.#:    HMC 905264
Period:    Classical/Early Romantic
Genre:    Classical
Release type:    New
Comments:    Period-instrument recordings of Beethoven's chamber music are still relatively rare, so this collection of three wind pieces (the Wind Quintet op. 103, the Septet op. 20, and the Rondino) is very welcome, particularly given the generally high quality of these performances. The horns are just a bit shaky at times, which is not unusual, but overall this is a very accomplished recording and can be confidently recommended to any classical collection. (RA)
 
$19.98
 
Title:    Missa Mort m'a Prive; Chansons; Motets
Label:    Hyperion (dist. Harmonia Mundi)
Composer:    Thomas Crecquillon
Performer:    Brabant Ensemble
ISBN:    9786310291864
ISBN-10:    6310291866
UPC:    00034571175966
Prod.#:    BECDHMD CDA67596
Cat.#:    CDA 67596
Period:    Renaissance
Genre:    Classical
Release type:    New
Comments:    Musicologist Stephen Rice formed the Brabant Ensemble in 1998 "in order to explore the neglected repertory of sacred music in the period 1520-1560" -- a rather narrow goal to be sure, but one that has borne glorious fruit in this fine collection of works by the obscure Franco-Flemish composer Thomas Crecquillon. One parody mass and a nice handful of motets and chansons are offered here, and everything about both the music and the recording will have you searching (mostly in vain) for other material by both this composer and this group. Highly recommended. (RA)
 
$8.99
 
Title:    String Quartets Nos. 2 and 3
Label:    Naxos
Composer:    Jacob Druckman
Performer:    Group for Contemporary Music
ISBN:    9786310136288
ISBN-10:    6310136283
UPC:    00636943926024
Prod.#:    BECDNAXO8559260
Cat.#:    8.559260
Period:    20th Century
Genre:    Classical
Release type:    New
Comments:    This disc offers an excellent opportunity to reconsider not only two of Druckman's wonderful string quartets, with their adventurous use of extended string techniques, but also the composer's exquisitely beautiful solo marimba piece Reflections on the Nature of Water, which is played here by the composer's son. Druckman was a national treasure and no library should be without a good sampling of his works. (RA)
 
$9.98
 
Title:    Requiem; Piano Concerto D Minor (Chamber Versions)
Label:    Stradivarius (dist. Allegro)
Composer:    Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Performer:    Quartetto Aglaia; Laura Alvini
ISBN:    9786310380179
ISBN-10:    6310380176
UPC:    08011570110121
Prod.#:    BECDAGROSTV11012
Cat.#:    STR 11012
Period:    Classical
Genre:    Classical
Release type:    Reissue
Comments:    String-quartet versions of Mozart's most famous large-scale sacred work and one of his piano concertos? Well, sure, why not? It is, after all, his 250th birthday this year. These arrangements were made after Mozart's death by Peter Lichtenthal, and are played here on period instruments by the very fine Quartetto Aglaia, a group whose restrained, almost dry style gives a very different flavor to these works. Collections supporting coursework in arrangement and orchestration will want a copy of this disc. (RA)
 
$16.98
 
Title:    Music of a Bygone Era
Label:    Bridge
Composer:    Various Composers
Performer:    Frank Glazer
ISBN:    9786310248790
ISBN-10:    6310248790
UPC:    00904049194280
Prod.#:    BECDBRIDBCD9194
Cat.#:    9194
Period:    Romantic
Genre:    Classical
Release type:    New
Comments:    This is piano music of the most unapologetically romantic sort -- not the big, bombastic, overemoting kind of romanticism, but rather the gentle, florid, sitting-with-Grandma-in-the-parlor kind. That's not to criticize pianist Frank Glazer, whose sensitive touch brings new insight to some pretty hoary and familiar material here (Mendelssohn's "Song Without Words," Liszt's "Liebestraum," etc.). It's just to say that the disc is well and aptly titled. (RA)
 
$17.98
 
Title:    Oboe Concertos
Label:    Hanssler (dist. Allegro)
Composer:    Georg Friedrich Handel; Christoph Forster
Performer:    Ensemble Instrumental La Follia; Lajos Lencses
ISBN:    9786309915597
ISBN-10:    6309915592
UPC:    00040888821724
Prod.#:    BECDAGROHNS98217
Cat.#:    CD 98.217
Period:    Baroque
Genre:    Classical
Release type:    New
Comments:    The Handel works are pretty well documented elsewhere, but these two oboe concertos by his contemporary Christoph Forster are a nice surprise. The ensemble playing could be just a bit cleaner, but oboist Ljos Lencses has a lovely tone and his phrasing is crisp and elegant. (RA)
COUNTRY/FOLK
 
$17.98
 
Title:    Good Morning, Friend
Label:    Compass
Artist:    Druha Trava
ISBN:    9786310245607
ISBN-10:    6310245600
UPC:    00766397443423
Prod.#:    BECDCOMS974434
Cat.#:    7 4434 2
Genre:    Country/Bluegrass
Release type:    New
Comments:    It's kind of hard to know whether to classify this one as Country/Folk or World/Ethnic, since Druha Trava is a Czechoslovakian bluegrass group. Actually, it would be more accurate to label them "newgrass," since they follow the time-honored "progressive" bluegrass practice of taking country, rock and pop songs (by the likes of Mark Knopfler, Johnny Cash, Tom Waits and Bob Dylan) and adapting them to bluegrassy arrangements. Very nice stuff -- good singing, exquisite playing. (RA)
 
$39.98
 
Title:    Complete Atlantic Sessions
Label:    Rhino/Atlantic
Artist:    Willie Nelson
ISBN:    9786310275710
ISBN-10:    6310275712
UPC:    00081227338329
Prod.#:    BECDATL 73383
Cat.#:    R2 73383
Genre:    Country & Western
Release type:    Reissue (3-discs)
Comments:    This fine three-CD set documents the brief (1973-74) but highly creative period Nelson spent with Atlantic. Already a country music pariah, Nelson’s brilliant but idiosyncratic muse (by Nashville standards) was allowed creative freedom at Atlantic, resulting in two of the finest albums of his career: Shotgun Willie and Phases and Stages, the latter an insightful concept LP that details a painful breakup as told from both the male and female perspectives. For this reissue, Rhino has also tossed in a third, live LP from the period, Live at the Texas Opry House, which provides further evidence that Nelson was at the top of his form in ’73-74. It’s three discs of classic Willie, filled with outtakes and extra cuts, all sounding better than ever. (GH)
 
$17.98
 
Title:    In the Natural State
Label:    Rykodisc
Artist:    Jimmy Thackery
ISBN:    9786310285740
ISBN-10:    6310285742
UPC:    00014431087127
Prod.#:    BECDRYKO310871
Cat.#:    RCD 10871
Genre:    Blues
Release type:    New
Comments:    Legendary Arkansas bluesman Jimmy Thackery collaborates with local mainstays the Cate Brothers on this warm and loose-limbed collection of songs, one that ranges from the Delta to Chicago and back again, with excursions into greasy bottleneck blues and thunderous blues-rock. A must for any blues collection. (RA)
 
$13.99
 
Title:    A Flying Leap
Label:    Borealis
Artist:    James Hill
ISBN:    9786310295404
ISBN-10:    6310295403
UPC:    00773958117426
Prod.#:    BECDBRLS174
Cat.#:    BCD 174
Genre:    Folk Music
Release type:    New
Comments:    There's really no reason (apart from the enduring legacy of Tiny Tim) why the ukelele shouldn't get more respect. And if anyone has made a more compelling case for the uke as a serious instrument for high-quality, jazzy folk-pop than James Hill has, I'd like to know who it is. A Flying Leap is a delightful album, a mixture of jazz, folk and pop flavors that even includes an unembarrassing rendition of Jimi Hendrix's "Little Wing." Every library should own a copy of this disc on principle alone. (RA)
 
$17.98
 
Title:    Raven
Label:    Compass
Artist:    John Williams & Dean Magraw
ISBN:    9786309983350
ISBN-10:    6309983350
UPC:    00766397442327
Prod.#:    BECDCOMS974423
Cat.#:    44232
Genre:    Celtic
Release type:    New
Comments:    On this fine and adventurous album, Williams (concertina, flute, whistle, piano) and Magraw (guitar) make it clear that not all trad Celtic albums sound the same. For one thing, some of the material isn't traditional at all -- but more importantly, their approach to harmony and arranging frequently owes as much to jazz, Cajun music, rock and even classical music as to Irish tradition. Very, very nice. (RA)
 
$16.98
 
Title:    La Guitara: Gender Bending Strings
Label:    Vanguard
Artist:    Patty Larkin, project coordinator
Performer:    Various Artists
ISBN:    9786309642004
ISBN-10:    6309642006
UPC:    00015707979627
Prod.#:    BECDVANG79796
Cat.#:    79796-2
Genre:    Folk Music
Release type:    Compilation
Comments:    Listeners hip to Patty Larkin’s recordings know that in addition to being an excellent, highly unique songwriter she’s also an extraordinarily gifted guitarist. With La Guitara, Larkin’s “goal is to expose some of the most prodigious guitar talent that happens to also be female,” as she succinctly states. Cutting across genres and time, prepare to be stunned by the playing of guitarists such as Memphis Minnie, Elizabeth Cotton, Sharon Isbin, Alex Houghton, Wu Man, Badi Assad, and others. Larkin achieves her goal of showing that women guitarists are “changing our perceptions about gender and guitar heroes.” The playing is amazing. Don’t miss this one. (GH)
 
$16.98
 
Title:    Got No Bread, No Milk, No Money, But We Sure Got A Lot Of Love
Label:    Cimarron
Artist:    James Talley
ISBN:    9786310017839
ISBN-10:    6310017837
UPC:    00693249100121
Prod.#:    BECD93241001
Cat.#:    CIM 1001
Genre:    Country/Folk
Release type:    Reissue (2-discs)
Comments:    If you've never heard of James Talley, then you're in good company. But if you take advantage of this 30th-anniversary reissue of his 1975 debut album, then you'll be in happy company: those who are familiar with his plain-but-sweet singing voice, his similarly plainspoken songwriting and his gentle way with traditional material. If you have a country collection, then you need this album. (This reissue includes a bonus disc with interview material.) (RA)
 
$16.98
 
Title:    Masters of Old Time Country Autoharp
Label:    Smithsonian Folkways
Artist:    Various Artists
ISBN:    9786310147376
ISBN-10:    6310147374
UPC:    00093074011522
Prod.#:    BECDFOLK740115
Cat.#:    SFW CD 40115
Genre:    Folk Music
Release type:    Reissue
Comments:    Originally issued on LP in 1962 as Mountain Music Played on Autooharp and here reissued on CD with 14 additional tracks, this is is a surprisingly fun album to listen to. There's something deeply satisfying about the sound of an autoharp being played well -- it's a tight, choppy, sweet and sometimes startlingly melodic sound, especially to ears that may have only previously heard the instrument being amateurishly strummed in a grammar-school classroom. Maybe not essential for every library, but well worth hearing. (RA)
JAZZ
 
$17.98
 
Title:    Plays Rachmaninov
Label:    Kind Of Blue (dist. City Hall)
Artist:    Classical Jazz Quartet
ISBN:    9786310203478
ISBN-10:    6310203479
UPC:    00076119100047
Prod.#:    BECDKDOP10004
Cat.#:    KOB 10004
Genre:    Jazz
Release type:    New
Comments:    Ah, the old jazz-classical fusion idea -- one that tends to work best when jazz musicians take classical themes and treat them like jazz heads (the way the MJQ did with Bach), rather than trying to combine the two into some kind of musical Frankenstein monster (the way Gunther Schuller tried to do). Luckily, the Classical Jazz Quartet's approach is the former, and it does a fine job with these themes taken from Rachmaninov's second piano concerto. Pianist Kenny Barron is the star here, but also check out the graceful work of vibraphonist Stefon Harris. (RA)
 
$18.99
 
Title:    6th Avenue Romp
Label:    Joyous Shout!
Artist:    Chico Hamilton
Performer:    Chico Hamilton and Euphoria
Cat.#:    JS100003
Genre:    Jazz
Release type:    New
Comments:    Drummer and bandleader Hamilton shows no signs of stopping on this high-energy outing that blends jazz, funk, and classic R&B. Opening with a blistering Jr. Walker & the Allstars cover, Hamilton’s Euphoria band sizzles on tunes by Booker T. and the MGs, Steve Wonder, Duke Ellington, and others. But the real magic comes from the amazing Chico Hamilton – at age 85, his expressive, energetic command of the entire trap set puts thousands of younger drummers to shame. Highly recommended. (GH)
 
$18.98
 
Title:    Turned to Blue
Label:    MCG Jazz
Artist:    Nancy Wilson
ISBN:    9786310403137
ISBN-10:    6310403133
UPC:    00612262102226
Prod.#:    BECDMCGJ1022
Cat.#:    MCGJ1022
Genre:    Jazz
Release type:    New
Comments:    Jazz aficionados have known Nacy Wilson for decades, while younger NPR listeners may recognize her as the voice of the Jazz Profiles program. Turned to Blue finds her drawing on her extensive Rolodex to create a variety of large- and small-scale settings for jazz standards old and new, and singing them with her trademark warmth and grace. (RA)
 
$18.98
 
Title:    Who Let the Cats Out?
Label:    Heads Up
Artist:    Mike Stern
ISBN:    9786310403113
ISBN-10:    6310403117
UPC:    00053361311520
Prod.#:    BECDHEAD3115
Cat.#:    HUCD 3115
Genre:    Jazz
Release type:    New
Comments:    Few guitarists have managed to straddle so effectively the line that separates fusion and straight-ahead jazz as Mike Stern has done over the years, and his latest album is a typically thrilling blend of scratchy funk, swinging jazz, soulful blues and even calypso-flavored numbers. Guest musicians on this all-original program include bassists Anthony Jackson and Meshell Ndegeocello, drummer Dave Weckl, and trumpeter Roy Hargrove, among others. Brilliant. (RA)
 
$15.98
 
Title:    It's a Good Thing
Label:    Unity Music (dist. Bayside)
Artist:    Jamie Davis
ISBN:    9786310233789
ISBN-10:    6310233785
UPC:    00837101125178
Prod.#:    BECDUNMU1251
Cat.#:    2517
Genre:    Jazz
Release type:    New
Comments:    Singer Jamie Davis is an alumnus of the Count Basie Orchestra, and that's the strongest influence you hear on this warm and winning collection of jazz and pop standards, which includes songs by Stevie Wonder (a wonderful basie-style arrangement of "Isn't She Lovely" -- a song that no father of a daughter can listen to without tearing up) and George Harrison as well as more conventional fare by Cole Porter and Rogers and Hart, among others. Davis' voice is a pleasure to hear, a richly colored instrument with a nice, sharp edge, and the big band that accompanies him is top-notch. The package also includes a bonus DVD with a "making of" documentary. Very, very nice. (RA)
 
$16.98
 
Title:    Natural Instinct
Label:    Sunnyside
Artist:    Laszlo Gardony
ISBN:    9786310200576
ISBN-10:    6310200577
UPC:    00016728400329
Prod.#:    BECDSSCI284003
Cat.#:    SSC 4003
Genre:    Jazz
Release type:    New
Comments:    Pianist and composer Laszlo Gardony has put together a very fine trio album made up primarily of original tunes (including one written by his son), along with some nicely-chosen standards. Some of his choices are a bit strange -- an uptempo version of "Motherless Child"? -- but all work out well in the end. His take on Horace Silver's "Peace" is especially nice. Recommended. (RA)
 
$18.98
 
Title:    Blues in the Night
Label:    Telarc Jazz
Artist:    Ann Hampton Callaway
ISBN:    9786310403106
ISBN-10:    6310403109
UPC:    00089408364129
Prod.#:    BECDTELA83641
Cat.#:    CD-83641
Genre:    Jazz
Release type:    New
Comments:    Not many singers as gifted as Ann Hampton Callaway are also accomplished songwriters, which makes this album, her first for Telarc, even more impressive than it might be otherwise. It finds her singing originals and standards from both inside and outside the jazz repertoire -- "Blue Moon" rubs shoulders with "Spring Can Really Hang You Up the Most," and the title track comes right after Stephen Sondheim's "No One Is Alone." Callaway's voice is a thing of rich, dark-hued wonder, and her singing style offers a perfect compromise between personal expressiveness and respect for the material. (RA)
 
$18.98
 
Title:    Solo Soprano Saxophone
Label:    FMR Records
Artist:    Paul Dunmall
UPC:    649849982285
Cat.#:    FMRCD167-i0805
Genre:    Jazz, Improv
Release type:    New
Comments:    Dunmall, part of the London Jazz Composers' Orchestra, is a major force in European improvisation. This CD, recorded live at the 2005 Southend Jazz Festival, captures Dunmall on a pure jag of brilliance. Each track displays the glimmer and tone of an instrument that's notoriously hard to tame. Highly recommended. (DC)
 
$19.99
 
Title:    Supermodel Supermodel
Label:    Emanem
Artist:   
Performer:    Gail Brand; Tim Perkins; Gino Robair; John Shiurba; Matthew Sperry
UPC:    5030243412624
Cat.#:    4126
Genre:    Jazz, Improv
Release type:    New
Comments:    Many jazz improv groups may include one stand-out musician leading the way, while the rest of the group follows that path. This CD is NOTHING like that! If there was ever a recording where the listener is not sure exactly who is doing what with whom, this is the one. This is jazz improv at its best. There are no standouts and yet all the musicians are standouts. Highly recommended, especially for any libraries supporting jazz programs. This should be required listening for students. (DC)
 
$18.98
 
Title:    House On Hill
Label:    Nonesuch
Artist:    Brad Mehldau
ISBN:    9786310275604
ISBN-10:    6310275607
UPC:    00075597991123
Prod.#:    BECDNONEN79911
Cat.#:    79911-2
Genre:    Jazz
Release type:    New
Comments:    This set of Mehldau originals was mostly recorded for the sessions that became 2004’s Anything Goes. Written specifically for the pianist’s exemplary trio of bassist Larry Grenadier and drummer Jorge Rossy, the selections here are traditional jazz trio material: state the head, improvise, revisit the themes, etc. What works so well is how seasoned these veterans are, and how well they know each other’s playing – this is Mehldau’s trio working within their comfort range, but doing it very well. Sure, it’s more of the same from Mehldau, but since this is one of the finest piano trios of the last decade, that’s a very good thing. (GH)
 
$15.98
 
Title:    Fallen Angel
Label:    Sons of Sound
Artist:    Bob Sneider & Joe Locke Film Noir Project
ISBN:    9786309962690
ISBN-10:    6309962698
UPC:    656607003120
Prod.#:    6003975659
Cat.#:    SSPCD031
Genre:    Jazz
Release type:    New
Comments:    Remember about fifteen years ago, when bassist Charlie Haden put together an album called Haunted Heart to explore the jazz/film music nexus of the 1950s? It was a wonderful record, and I found myself being reminded of it frequently and happily as I listened to this one, which seeks to evoke the mood of classic noir films by means of both original compositions and new performances of music associated with those films (both old and new). Nice concept, great album. (RA)
 
$16.98
 
Title:    Patch Of Blue
Label:    Exit Nine (dist. City Hall)
Artist:    Dee Carstensen
ISBN:    9786310062631
ISBN-10:    6310062638
UPC:    00750507900425
Prod.#:    BECDEXT99004
Cat.#:    9004-2
Genre:    Jazz
Release type:    New
Comments:    Jazz harp? Well, really, it's no more unlikely than jazz piano, and besides, Dee Carstensen's take on jazz is pretty unique: sometimes her songs owe quite a bit to Kate Bush, and the arrangements here occupy some kind of wild and mysterious borderland between jazz, pop and folk music but doesn't sound like anything you might expect based on that description. This is a beautiful, unique and very special album. (RA)
 
$19.98
 
Title:    A.R.C
Label:    Morr Music (dist. Caroline)
Artist:    Tied & Tickled Trio
ISBN:    9786310139418
ISBN-10:    631013941X
UPC:    00880918005980
Prod.#:    BECDMRRM59
Cat.#:    mm 059
Genre:    Dance, DJ
Release type:    New
Comments:    Morr Music has just released this combination live concert footage/video collection, but more importantly they are also re-releasing the back catalogue of this side project by Markus and Micha Acher of German electronica act The Notwist, whose 2003 album Neon Golden is a must-have. This is not exactly jazz, though jazz is implied by the sound of the horns, which play charts and some solo improvisations over very computerized rhythm tracks. This is probably not the future of jazz, but it is one possible direction out of the museum jazz sometimes threatens to turn into. (SA)
ROCK/POP
 
$9.98
 
Title:    Sonic Youth
Label:    Geffen
Artist:    Sonic Youth
ISBN:    9786310063775
ISBN-10:    6310063774
UPC:    00602498797914
Prod.#:    BECDUMG B000613102
Cat.#:    B0006131-02
Genre:    Rock, Alternative Music
Release type:    Reissue
Comments:    You can call Sonic Youth the godfathers or the grandparents of much of today's music scene. While they continue to produce innovative albums, these early recordings (which unlike many SY albums, have not been re-released before) show them in a full-formed but very different light. The debut EP from 1982 and the live recordings from 1981 show the listener that the band was really something else back in the day. You didn't hear music like this on the airwaves. They may sound more "mainstream" now, but that's because they influenced so many musicians. Included with the CD is an extensive memory piece of liner notes from original drummer (and indie-cred actor) Richard Edson. Well worth the re-issue! (DC)
 
$18.98
 
Title:    Fundamental
Label:    Rhino
Artist:    Pet Shop Boys
ISBN:    9786310276519
ISBN-10:    6310276514
UPC:    00081227952525
Prod.#:    BECDRHIN79525
Cat.#:    R2 79525
Genre:    Popular Music
Release type:    New
Comments:    A return by the Pet Shop Boys was really long overdue, wasn't it? Well, it was worth the wait: their seemingly effortless electro-pop hooks and iron-in-a-candy-glove lyrical cleverness haven't faded appreciably with time, and are more needed today than ever. Only a certain added depth to the sound betrays this as a product of the early 21st century rather than the late 20th -- which you may take as either praise or criticism, of course, but as for me and my house, we're too busy singing along with the choruses to worry about anachronism. Excellent. (RA)
 
$14.98
 
Title:    Invisible Deck
Label:    Too Pure/Beggars Group
Artist:    Rogers Sisters
ISBN:    9786310013886
ISBN-10:    6310013882
UPC:    00644918018629
Prod.#:    BECDTOOP80186
Cat.#:    Pure 186cd
Genre:    Rock, Alternative Music
Release type:    New
Comments:    Comcomitant with a general resurgence of interest in the various sounds of 80s rock and electropop, there's been a revival of Gang of Four's scrappy punk-funk approach. Several bands have made money by copping that style, but few have brought anything really original to the mix. The Rogers Sisters succeed by taking the best elements of raggedy 80s-era dance punk and imbuing it with their own unique indie-rock sound. The result is really quite special. Recommended to all pop collections. (RA)
 
$15.98
 
Title:    Sinner
Label:    Blackheart Records Group
Artist:    Joan Jett and the Blackhearts
ISBN:    9786310243429
ISBN-10:    631024342X
UPC:    00748337529428
Prod.#:    BECDBKHT52942
Cat.#:    4833752942
Genre:    Rock
Release type:    New
Comments:    Joan Jett had her biggest success with the Runaways in the 1970s and as a postpunk poster child in the early-MTV era. No real hits since then, but she's never really gone away and never really changed her style, as this bracingly pop-punky album attests. You've got your handclaps, your tight-and-crunchy guitars, your hooks, your eyeliner, your leather pants -- everything you need right here. Now is the perfect time to rediscover one of rock music's most snotty and beguiling figures. (RA)
 
$13.98
 
Title:    Permanent Revolution
Label:    Victory
Artist:    Catch 22
ISBN:    9786310313214
ISBN-10:    6310313215
UPC:    00746105029224
Prod.#:    BECDVICYVR292
Cat.#:    VR292
Genre:    Rock
Release type:    New
Comments:    There's just something so cute about unreconstructed Trotskyism, especially when it's couched in hooky melodies and a punk-ska beat. Understand, if they were Stalinists they wouldn't be cute at all -- but Trotsky, dude, he's kind of bangin'. (RA)
 
$12.98
 
Title:    Eyelicker: Sublight Compilation
Label:    Sublight
Artist:    Various Artists
ISBN:    9786310092447
ISBN-10:    6310092448
UPC:    00775020708723
Prod.#:    BECDSBLTC01
Cat.#:    SLRC01
Genre:    Dance, DJ
Release type:    New
Comments:    Have you gotten the word about breakcore yet? Scary-fast drum'n'bass beats, drastically shifting electronic textures, video-game sound samples, glitchy breakdowns -- it's kind of like dance music for severely malfunctioning androids that run on Red Bull. It's also more fun than a barrel of Gamecubes, but maybe not first thing on a Monday morning. No label is doing more to nurture the emerging breakcore scene than Sublight, and this compilation provides a good overview. Bonus: the creepy cover art is sure to give your library that slightly hipper edge you've been looking for. (RA)
 
$18.98
 
Title:    Greatest Hits: Why Try Harder
Label:    Astralwerks
Artist:    Fatboy Slim
ISBN:    9786310266916
ISBN-10:    6310266918
UPC:    00094635681420
Prod.#:    BECDASW 56814B
Cat.#:    ASW 56814
Genre:    Dance
Release type:    Best of
Comments:    I've been a huge fan of Fatboy Slim ever since he left the Housemartins and began his career of copyright abuse under the name Beats International. He really hit his stride as Fatboy Slim, and remains the most successful avatar of the Big Beat sound, a happy-go-lucky and funky-fresh amalgam of hip hop, techno, dub and house music that fills the floor more successfully than almost any other genre. Here's the essential collection, including the huge hit "Rockafeller Skank" and the even better "Weapon of Choice," along with several select remixes of others' material. (RA)
 
$16.98
 
Title:    DFA Remixes- Chapter One
Label:    Astralwerks
Artist:    Various Artists
ISBN:    9786310073484
ISBN-10:    6310073486
UPC:    00094635572629
Prod.#:    BECDATWR55726
Cat.#:    ASW 55726
Genre:    Dance, DJ
Release type:    Compilation
Comments:    To be honest, I sort of expected a collection of DFA remixes to be a bit more fun and adventurous, especially given the raw material they had to work with (Le Tigre, Radio 4, Gorillaz, Hot Chip, etc.). But it's certainly funky in that herky-jeryk, DFA sort of way, and nothing here is less than fun. It's just hard to avoid the feeling that it could have been, you know, funner. (RA)
 
$19.98
 
Title:    Birdy Nam Nam
Label:    Uncivilized World (dist. Koch)
Artist:    Birdy Nam Nam
ISBN:    9786309987082
ISBN-10:    6309987089
UPC:    00855190001050
Prod.#:    BECDUNCV6
Cat.#:    UWECD6
Genre:    Rock
Release type:    New (2-discs)
Comments:    Normally a four-man turntablist crew would be plying some variant on hip hop. Not Birdy Nam Nam, a quartet that makes music that is frequently funky but rarely danceable, exploring an experimental region somewhere between the territories of Christian Marclay and the X-Ecutioners. Few groups have taken the turntable-as-instrument idea this far out of bounds, and the result is fascinating. (The package includes a bonus DVD with live footage, band intros, photos, etc.) Highly recommended. (RA)
WORLD/ETHNIC
 
$16.98
 
Title:    Coconut FM
Label:    Essay Recordings (dist. Forced Exposure)
Artist:    Senor Coconut
ISBN:    9786310272221
ISBN-10:    6310272225
UPC:    00881390200726
Prod.#:    BECDESAY7
Cat.#:    AY CD 07
Genre:    Dance, DJ
Release type:    Compilation
Comments:    Senor Coconut is the South American alter ego of German producer Uwe Schmidt (Atom Heart), and he plays the DJ on this collection of, as the subtitle indicates, 'Legendary Latin Club Tunes.' It mainly focuses on three styles, starting with cumbia (Mexico/Colombia), and working vaguely southward through reggaeton (Puerto Rico/Panama/Argentina), to 'favela' or 'carioca' funk (Brazil). The styles are different enough that this compilation does not hang together especially well, but it will provide your patrons with an illuminating overview of a certain kind of contemporary Latin American dance music. Warning: the cover is not exactly obscene, but it is a little racy. (SA)
 
$18.98
 
Title:    Voices for Humans, Ancestors and Gods: A Musical Journey Through India's Interior (East and North-East)
Label:    Topic Records
Artist:    Various Artists
UPC:    714822093323
Cat.#:    TSCD933
Genre:    World Music
Release type:    New
Comments:    Collected between 1997-2002 by ethnomusicologist Rolf Killius, the 13 field recordings on this disc showcase a variety of traditional and mostly religious songs from rural regions in eastern India. Killius is a talented and insightful folklorist; the recording quality is excellent, and his annotations and photographs provide in-depth cultural and musical context for each performance, specifically discussing the song styles, instruments, and performers. Part of the British Library’s Sound Archive series, this extraordinary disc captures eastern Indian rural music in all its passion and purity, and easily equals the best field work of noted American folklorist Alan Lomax. (GH)
 
$16.98
 
Title:    Bandera Mia: Songs of Argentina
Label:    Smithsonian Folkways
Artist:    Suni Paz
ISBN:    9786310285818
ISBN-10:    6310285815
UPC:    00093074053225
Prod.#:    BECDRD 740532
Cat.#:    SFW CD 40532
Genre:    Latin
Release type:    New
Comments:    Suni Paz delivers a nicely varied program of Argentine folk songs, original tunes and versions of others' compositions in a variety of rhythms and acoustic-based formats. You've got your tangos, your gatos, your vidalitas, your chacareras, and a bunch of other song and dance forms that you may not have had any idea existed, but that you'll want to learn more about after hearing this album. (RA)
 
$15.98
 
Title:    Oy Vey!!!...Ole!!!
Label:    Tzadik (dist. Koch)
Artist:    Irving Fields and Robert Rodriguez
ISBN:    9786310311562
ISBN-10:    6310311565
UPC:    00702397810926
Prod.#:    BECDTZDK8109
Cat.#:    8109
Genre:    Cuban Music, Jewish Music
Release type:    New
Comments:    Irving Fields is a prime example of how Jewish music has been extrapolated and assimilated into a variety of genres. Robert Rodriguez continues the Jewish/Cuban trend to this day. This CD has a lot of familiar tunes, and while it could easily transgress into cheesy Catskills camp, it never does. The musicians keep it as it should be: a lovely marriage between two festive lovely musics. (DC)
 
$12.98
 
Title:    Ziriguiboom: The Now Sound Of Brazil 2
Label:    Ziriguiboom/Six Degrees
Artist:    Various Artists
ISBN:    9786309891754
ISBN-10:    6309891758
UPC:    00657036112223
Prod.#:    BECDSXDR361122
Cat.#:    1122
Genre:    World Music
Release type:    Compilation
Comments:    The Ziriguiboom imprint is an offshoot of Belgium's notorious Crammed Discs label, home to all kinds of wonderfully wacked-out experimentalism. But Ziriguiboom has a narrower focus: funky Brazilian electronica. The second volume in the Now Sound of Brazil series offers yet another window on that wonderful scene, featuring great track by Bebel Gilberto, Celso Fonseca, Bossacucanova and the always brilliant Zuco 103, among many others. If you missed the first volume, then snap this one up now. (RA)
 
$17.98
 
Title:    Elysium for the Brave
Label:    Six Degrees
Artist:    Azam Ali
ISBN:    9786310358758
ISBN-10:    6310358758
UPC:    00657036113022
Prod.#:    BECDSXDR361130
Cat.#:    11302
Genre:    World Music
Release type:    New
Comments:    Iranian-born singer Azam Ali has recorded four albums with percussionist Greg Ellis under the group name Vas, and this is her second solo album. On Elysium for the Brave she sings mainly in English, but her music remains an alluring combination of Eastern melodies and textures with Western beats. Imagine a cross between Natacha Atlas and Dead Can Dance, and you'll have a good idea what to expect: some of the best world-music fusion in recent memory. (RA)
 
$14.98
 
Title:    Rough Guide to Planet Rock
Label:    World Music Network
Artist:    Various Artists
ISBN:    9786310245492
ISBN-10:    631024549X
UPC:    00605633117226
Prod.#:    BECDWMN 331172
Cat.#:    RGNET1172CD
Genre:    World Music
Release type:    Compilation
Comments:    If you needed reminding that Americans and Europeans aren't the only ones who know how to rock out, then check out this exhilarating collection of rock'n'roll from around the world. Guinean guitar heroics, Klezmer hip hop, a Tuvan version of "Inna Gadda Da Vida," Cambodian-American guitar pop, Balkan beatboxing -- it's really quite an amazing array of sounds and styles, and it's refreshingly void of the kind of eat-your-peas ethnic-studies mentality that so often afflicts this kind of collection. For all collections. (RA)
 
$15.98
 
Title:    Grass Is Always Greener
Label:    Monika (dist. Forced Exposure)
Artist:    Barbara Morgenstern
ISBN:    9786310274225
ISBN-10:    6310274228
UPC:    04015698667325
Prod.#:    BECDMNKA47
Cat.#:    monika 47
Genre:    Dance, DJ
Release type:    New
Comments:    For some time now Barbara Morgenstern has been building a fine body of work in the style sometimes called 'lap-pop' -- electronic in method but in the service of real songs, not simply abstract tracks. Singing mostly in German, but occasionally in English, she makes great use of the acoustic piano here, which nicely balances with the computerized aspects of the sound. Contemporary Berlin invites you to listen in on this scene. (SA)
 
$14.98
 
Title:    Radio Algeria
Label:    Sublime Frequencies (dist. Forced Exposure)
Artist:    Various
ISBN:    9786310317649
ISBN-10:    6310317644
UPC:    00751937290223
Prod.#:    BECDSBMF29
Cat.#:    SF029
Genre:    World Music, Rai, Guesdba, Pop Music
Release type:    New
Comments:    In this day of instant global access, I'm amazed that the Sublime Frequencies label is still considered so avant-garde in its recording and release of music played on local radio stations around the world. The label's most recent release captures the incredibly diverse and revelatory sounds of Algerian popular music, as well as accompanying bumbers and advertising. Even in a polyglot locale like New York City, one rarely hears this kind of musical variety. The CD jumps from traditional to folk to sacred to popular and beyond. Even if your library might be up on North African music, you can't miss this one! (DC)

© CD HotList 2004