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June 2011
Look for "Rick's Pick" 
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| CLASSICAL |
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| $20.98 |
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| Title: |
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Vivaldi & Bach for Recorder |
| Label: |
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Dynamic (dist. Qualiton)
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Composer:
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J. S. Bach; Antonio Vivaldi |
| Performer: |
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Quartetto Icarus |
| ISBN: |
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9786314011802 |
| ISBN-10: |
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| UPC: |
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00675754029357 |
| Prod.#: |
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BECDDYNA667 |
| Cat.#: |
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CDS 667 |
| Period: |
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Baroque |
| Genre: |
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Classical |
| Release type: |
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New |
| Comments: |
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Here are delightful settings of popular works by Bach and Vivaldi (primarily concertos, but also an extract from Bach's Art of Fugue) for recorder quartet, played by an unusually skilled group. With recorder ensembles one is always alert to the danger of wobbly intonation, but the Icarus Quartet's playing is almost invariably spot-on and is invariably sprightly and engaging. Recommended. (RA) |
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| Title: |
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Virgo Sancta Caecilia: |
| Label: |
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Marc Aurel Edition (dist. Qualiton)
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Composer:
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Anonymous |
| Performer: |
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Candens Lilium / Norbert Rodenkirchen |
| ISBN: |
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9786314196011 |
| ISBN-10: |
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| UPC: |
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00675754030698 |
| Prod.#: |
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BECDMCAE20044 |
| Cat.#: |
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MA 20044 |
| Period: |
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Medieval |
| Genre: |
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Classical |
| Release type: |
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New |
| Comments: |
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The antiphons and responsories performed on this disc come from a collection that was apparently compiled by one Anna Hachenberch, about whom virtually nothing is known. She may have only transcribed the chants, or she may have written some or all of them. Plainchant selections from her manuscript alternate with music from the period during which it was discovered (the early 16th century): Josquin Desprez and Antoine Brumel. The singing by the female vocal group Ensemble Candens Lilium is excellent. Recommended wherever fans of Hildegard von Bingen are among the patron population. (RA) |
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| Title: |
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The Complete Works |
| Label: |
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Hyperion (dist. Harmonia Mundi)
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Composer:
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Cinquecento |
| Performer: |
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Philipp Schoendorff |
| ISBN: |
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9786314284220 |
| ISBN-10: |
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| UPC: |
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00034571178547 |
| Prod.#: |
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BECDHPONCDA67854 |
| Cat.#: |
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CDA67854 |
| Period: |
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Renaissance |
| Genre: |
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Classical |
| Release type: |
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New |
| Comments: |
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All you really need to know about this disc is that it's performed by Cinquecento, one of the two or three finest male-voice ensembles recording today. But if you need more to convince you, consider that these appear to be the first recordings of the music of Philipp Schoendorff, a contemporary of Philippe de Monte (whose motet "Usquequo Domine oblivisceris me?" and madrigal "La dolce vista della donna mea" are the bases for Schoendorff's two parody masses). This Belgian composer's work has only recently been published, and it is given a tender and reverent account on this stellar recording. Here's hoping that more of Schoendorff's work will come to light in the future. (RA) |
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| Title: |
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Complete Solo Folksong Arrangements |
| Label: |
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British Music Society (dist. Allegro)
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Composer:
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E. J. Moeran |
| Performer: |
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Adrian Thompson; Marcus Farnsworth; John Talbot |
| ISBN: |
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9786314282707 |
| ISBN-10: |
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| UPC: |
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05060212960207 |
| Prod.#: |
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BECDBTMS438 |
| Cat.#: |
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BMS438CD |
| Period: |
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Romantic |
| Genre: |
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Classical |
| Release type: |
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New |
| Comments: |
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It's a rare composer who can take folksongs and resist the temptation to slather his own personal brand of musicianship all over them (Exhibit A for the prosecution: Serge Hovey's virtual destruction of Robert Burns' songs), but E. J. Moeran was such a composer. This collection of his 26 English and Irish folksong arrangements for solo voice and piano is a model of musical economy and insight; his elaborations of the melodies are minimal, and the piano parts manage to reward close listening without ever drawing attention to themselves. Tenor Adrian Thompson and baritone Marcus Farnsworth give perfectly inflected and sensitive performances. Highly recommended. (RA) |
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| Title: |
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Silent Music |
| Label: |
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Steinway & Sons (dist. Naxos)
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Composer:
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Federico Mompou |
| Performer: |
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Jenny Lin |
| ISBN: |
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9786314221287 |
| ISBN-10: |
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| UPC: |
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00034062300044 |
| Prod.#: |
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BECDSTWY30004 |
| Cat.#: |
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30004 |
| Period: |
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20th Century |
| Genre: |
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Classical |
| Release type: |
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New |
| Comments: |
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I confess that Federico Mompou's name was only vaguely familiar to me before I gave this album a spin, but Jenny Lin's transcendently glowing account of Mompou's mystical Musica Callada cycle has made me sit up and take notice. This is music of exceptional quietude and reverence, steeped in the protominimalism of Erik Satie and inspired by the religious writings of Paul Valery and St. John of the Cross, and it is simultaneously soothing and deeply moving. No library collection with an interest in 20th century classical music should be without this work--and this recording is the one to own. (RA) |
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| $18.98 |
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| Title: |
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Cantus Sollemnis |
| Label: |
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Pilfink (dist. Albany)
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Composer:
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Various Composers |
| Performer: |
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Divina Musica |
| ISBN: |
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9786314205157 |
| ISBN-10: |
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| UPC: |
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00642617450559 |
| Prod.#: |
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BECDPILF51 |
| Cat.#: |
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JJVCD-51 |
| Period: |
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Various Periods |
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Classical |
| Release type: |
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New |
| Comments: |
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The female vocal quartet Divina Musica's previous two albums were devoted to Christmas fare; this one offers a collection of mostly music from a variety of periods and composers, from Hildegard in the medieval era to Georgian hymns, late-baroque extracts and modern mass sections. The pieces are wonderful and the singing is mostly very good, though there are moments of slight wobbliness and an occasional hint of screech in the highest voices--not enough to seriously mar the listening experience, but enough to distract. Still, the quality and variety of the programming make this a very enjoyable album. (RA) |
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| Title: |
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Complete Works for Cello and Piano |
| Label: |
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Paladino (dist. Naxos)
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Composer:
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Ludwig Van Beethoven |
| Performer: |
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Martin Rummel; Gerda Guttenberg |
| ISBN: |
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9786314235802 |
| ISBN-10: |
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| UPC: |
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09120040730086 |
| Prod.#: |
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BECDPLDO0011 |
| Cat.#: |
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PMR 0011 |
| Period: |
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Romantic |
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Classical |
| Release type: |
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New (2-discs) |
| Comments: |
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This excellent new two-disc set provides not only a wonderful listening experience, but also a very handy packaging of the five sonatas and three sets of variations written by Beethoven for the cello and piano. Rummel plays with a rich, dark-hued tone and a fiery sense of dynamic, and Guttenberg accompanies him brilliantly. Very highly recommended. (RA) |
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| Title: |
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Piano Concertos |
| Label: |
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Capriccio (dist. Naxos)
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Composer:
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Jan Ladislav Dussek |
| Performer: |
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Andreas Staier; Concerto Koln |
| ISBN: |
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9786314215262 |
| ISBN-10: |
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| UPC: |
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00845221050720 |
| Prod.#: |
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BECDCPCC5072 |
| Cat.#: |
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5072 |
| Period: |
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Romantic |
| Genre: |
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Classical |
| Release type: |
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Reissue |
| Comments: |
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There's something particularly exciting about hearing music of the late classical and romantic eras being played on period instruments--it must be something about the sound of a fortepiano or a gut-strung violin being pushed to the outer edge of its dynamic and expressive limits. On this fine collection of piano concertos by Jan Ladislav Dussek (originally issued in 1992), famed period keyboardist Andreas Staier demonstrates just how expressive the fortepiano could be, and the Concerto Koln orchestra does the same with its period instruments. Highly recommended to early music collections, which will tend to be a bit light on music from this era. (RA) |
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| Title: |
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Requiem pour voix d'hommes; Stabat Mater |
| Label: |
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Glossa (dist. Qualiton)
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Composer:
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Pierre Bouteiller; Sebastien de Broussard |
| Performer: |
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Le Concert Spirituel / Herve Niquet |
| ISBN: |
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9786313984367 |
| ISBN-10: |
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| UPC: |
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00675754028459 |
| Prod.#: |
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BECDHUGR32670 |
| Cat.#: |
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GCD 921621 |
| Period: |
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Baroque |
| Genre: |
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Classical |
| Release type: |
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New |
| Comments: |
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This is an exceptionally beautiful album featuring two major works by two little-known French composers of the baroque period. Bouteiller's Requiem mass is his only surviving large-scale work of several now known to have existed, and it is only due to the work of composer and music theorist Broussard (Bouteiller's contemporary) that we even still have a record of that one. Broussard's Stabat Mater setting rounds out the program; the singing by Le Concert Spiritual is up to that group's constantly high standard, and the accompanying consort of viols (which interpolates brief works by Charpentier, Hugard, Fremart, and Le Prince between the mass sections) plays beautifully as well. Essential to any baroque collection. (RA) |
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| COUNTRY/FOLK |
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| $12.97 |
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| Title: |
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Sud de la Louisiane |
| Label: |
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Quicksilver Productions
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Artist:
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Foghorn Trio |
| UPC: |
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751937405122 |
| Cat.#: |
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Country |
| Release type: |
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New |
| Comments: |
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This is a solid and thoroughly enjoyable debut by two members of the Foghorn Stringband alongside Cajun guitarist/singer Nadine Landry. Singer Caleb Klauder mostly plays mandolin (but also dabbles in fiddle and guitar) and fiddler Stephen "Sammy" Lind branches out into guitar and clawhammer banjo from time to time, and together the three play Cajun two-steps, old-time country classics, and the occasional old-school original song in a style that is authentically rough-hewn but perfectly tight at the same time. Fans of old-timey and Cajun music should jump at the chance to buy this album. (RA) |
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| $14.00 |
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| Title: |
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A Long Series of Memorable Nights Forgotten: The Belfast Sessions |
| Label: |
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Dead Slack String/Same Room
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Artist:
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Robert Sarazin Blake with John McSherry |
| UPC: |
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700261321981 |
| Cat.#: |
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SRR013 |
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Folk |
| Release type: |
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New |
| Comments: |
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Robert Sarazin Blake is a singer-songwriter from the Pacific Northwest who encountered uilleann piper John McSherry during a trip to Northern Ireland in 2009. The pair's musical chemistry was immediately obvious, and they repaired quickly to a local studio to record this set of Blake originals plus one Child ballad. The slower numbers have a sort of down-at-the-heels, Tom Waits feel to them, but the faster ones sound like a perfect blend of American songcraft and Irish tunecraft, especially when McSherry's pipes begin skirling out a complementary reel alongside Blake's guitar. Blake's gravelly a capella rendition of "Anachie Gordon" is the least compelling track on this brief program, but overall it's an impressive outing by two richly gifted musicians. (RA) |
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| $17.98 |
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| Title: |
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I'll Never Get Out of This World Alive |
| Label: |
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New West
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Artist:
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Steve Earle |
| ISBN: |
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9786314180379 |
| ISBN-10: |
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| UPC: |
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00607396619528 |
| Prod.#: |
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BECDNWST6195 |
| Cat.#: |
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6195 |
| Genre: |
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Country & Western |
| Release type: |
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New |
| Comments: |
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Steve Earle has mortality on his mind, although not necessarily his own. His latest album was written around the period of his father’s demise, and that theme permeates the lyrics. Earle’s weary voice adds weight to the songs, but he avoids being maudlin. “Every Part of Me” would be a perfect heartfelt wedding song for couples who favor stripped-down country/roots music expressions of the “’til death do us part” sentiment. He wraps up with “This City,” a moving ode to New Orleans’ enduring strength. (MC) |
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| $12.98 |
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| Title: |
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Between The Two |
| Label: |
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Phantom Domestic
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Artist:
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O's |
| ISBN: |
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9786314114930 |
| ISBN-10: |
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| UPC: |
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00098054208824 |
| Prod.#: |
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BECDPHAD88 |
| Cat.#: |
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IR088 |
| Genre: |
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Folk Music |
| Release type: |
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New |
| Comments: |
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Country music takes curious turns these days, and the O’s are driving the Americana stretch of the highway. On their second release this duo from Texas, Taylor Young and John Pedigo, wrote the music, play the instruments, and give us a dozen strong, catchy songs that sometimes twang and sometimes rock out. Their vocals are less country and more country-rock, perhaps even cowpunk. Banjo and harmonica often dominate the instrumentation, and are very nicely played. This is fine music for driving down that highway. (JW) |
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| $16.98 |
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| Title: |
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A Treasury of Civil War Songs |
| Label: |
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Folkways
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Artist:
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Tom Glazer |
| ISBN: |
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9786314192730 |
| ISBN-10: |
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| UPC: |
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00093074018729 |
| Prod.#: |
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BECDFOLK40187 |
| Cat.#: |
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SFW CD 40187 |
| Genre: |
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Folk Music |
| Release type: |
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Reissue |
| Comments: |
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One expects a deluge of Civil War-related music coming out as we commemorate the conflict's 150th anniversary, and this reissue from 1973 adds to it. Glazer sings and plays guitar on 25 tracks, with occasional help from a backing chorus on songs such as “Battle Hymn of the Republic.” State songs (“Maryland, My Maryland”) sit alongside marches, minstrel tunes, political songs, and a few humorous ditties (“Goober Peas”), giving us a panoramic view of the musical life of the time. With a fine, detailed booklet on the context of the music, this is an excellent source for classroom use. (JW) |
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| Title: |
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The Centennial Collection |
| Label: |
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Columbia
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Artist:
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Robert Johnson |
| ISBN: |
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9786314217921 |
| ISBN-10: |
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| UPC: |
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00886978590725 |
| Prod.#: |
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BECDCOLM85907 |
| Cat.#: |
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88697 85907 2 |
| Genre: |
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Blues |
| Release type: |
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New/Reissue (2-discs) |
| Comments: |
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“Robert Johnson,” according to Eric Clapton, “is the most important blues musician who ever lived”-- and the 29 songs that Johnson recorded in 1936-37 are, arguably, the most influential blues songs ever written. It’s hard to find any blues or rock guitarist who doesn’t cite him as a major influence. Haunting, concise, and staggeringly brilliant, Johnson’s oeuvre has been re-recorded by hundreds of musicians. And to top it off, an entire mythology has emerged about his life, particularly the Faustian notion that he met the devil at the crossroads where he sold his soul to play guitar. This new set of his complete recordings includes remarkably clean remasters of his songs, along with an excellent 28-page booklet that includes a biographical/discographical essay by Stephen C. LaVere and an overview by jazz and blues historian Ted Gioia. Johnson’s work is essential for any record collection. Very highly recommended. (GH)
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| $15.99 |
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| Title: |
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English Country Dances |
| Label: |
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Saydisc (dist. Allegro)
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Artist:
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Broadside Band |
| ISBN: |
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9786314216207 |
| ISBN-10: |
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| UPC: |
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05013133439321 |
| Prod.#: |
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BECDSYDC393 |
| Cat.#: |
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CD-SDL 393 |
| Genre: |
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Folk |
| Release type: |
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Reissue |
| Comments: |
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Last released on CD in 1991, this reissue marks a welcome return to market for the Broadside Band's fine collection of dance tunes compiled from various editions of Playford's Dancing Master published between 1651 and 1703. Although the group had recorded many such sets in the past, this one was compiled with direct input from country dancers themselves who provided wish lists of tunes they would like to see recorded for practical use -- but sedentary listeners will enjoy the album just as much. (RA) |
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| JAZZ |
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| Title: |
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Parting Shot |
| Label: |
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Tone Center
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Artist:
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Steve Khan |
| ISBN: |
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9786314207465 |
| ISBN-10: |
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| UPC: |
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00026245407022 |
| Prod.#: |
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BECDTNCT54070 |
| Cat.#: |
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TC 4070 2 |
| Genre: |
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Jazz |
| Release type: |
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New |
| Comments: |
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Guitarist Steve Khan is always worth hearing, and this Latin-themed album is one of the best he's released in some time. Some of the credit goes to his accompanists, who include legendary bass guitarist Anthony Jackson and equally legendary percussionist Manolo Badrena. But Khan's brilliantly inventive and ceaselessly tasteful guitar playing is at center stage, and it is a constant pleasure to hear. Highlight: a bouncing Latin arrangement of Thelonious Monk's "Bye-Ya." (RA) |
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| $15.99 |
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| Title: |
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Tirtha |
| Label: |
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Act Music & Vision Records/All
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Artist:
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Vijay Iyer |
| ISBN: |
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9786314159566 |
| ISBN-10: |
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| UPC: |
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00614427950321 |
| Prod.#: |
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BECDAMSV9503 |
| Cat.#: |
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5903-2 |
| Genre: |
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Jazz |
| Release type: |
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New |
| Comments: |
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“Tirtha” means crossing, but not necessarily in the literal sense, and has implications of religious liminality, or “betweenness.” Pianist Iyer, with Prasanna (guitar, voice), and Nitin Mitta (tabla) finds the liminal space between jazz, North and South Indian music, and minimalism. But rather than just another world fusion album, this speaks all these musical languages, and forms a dialogue among them. The result is a complex, polyrhythmic interaction that presents a feel that is both anticipatory and meditative. The musicians remove the barriers between the styles and it all flows seamlessly in this excellent outing. (JW) |
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| Title: |
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Jazz: The Smithsonian Anthology |
| Label: |
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Smithsonian Folkways
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Artist:
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Various Artists |
| ISBN: |
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9786314198381 |
| ISBN-10: |
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| UPC: |
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00093074082027 |
| Prod.#: |
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BECDFOLK40820 |
| Cat.#: |
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SFW CD 40820 |
| Genre: |
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Jazz |
| Release type: |
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Compilation (6-discs) |
| Comments: |
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There was never any question that Smithsonian Folkways would do a good job updating their jazz anthology, but this 6-disc set is an extremely impressive sampling of the history of jazz. From ragtime through hot jazz, swing, bop and its offshoots, avant-garde, fusion, and world influences, the 100+ tracks represent nearly every style and nearly every major artist. The set presents a narrative, not entirely chronological, that contrasts in many ways with the Wynton Marsalis/Ken Burns PBS series. Jazz history courses will use this, fans will argue endlessly over what was included and excluded, but everyone will want to hear it. The discs come with a substantial book with extensive notes on tracks. (JW) |
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| $15.99 |
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| Title: |
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Melodious Monk: A New Look at an Old Master |
| Label: |
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Summit (dist. Allegro)
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Artist:
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Kim Pensyl; Phil DeGreg |
| ISBN: |
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9786314212827 |
| ISBN-10: |
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| UPC: |
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00099402564920 |
| Prod.#: |
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BECDSUM 564 |
| Cat.#: |
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DCD 564 |
| Genre: |
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Jazz |
| Release type: |
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New |
| Comments: |
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With this album, trumpeter Kim Pensyl and pianist Phil DeGreg claim to take a "new look" at Thelonious Monk's very thoroughly-recorded catalog, and they succeed. Working with alternately as a duo and with the addition of vibes, bass, or saxophone, they do indeed take a very fresh look at tunes like "Straight No Chaser" (which is given an almost abstract treatment here) and "Ugly Beauty" (which is taken at a very slow, almost lugubrious tempo). With a few bouncy exceptions such as their jauntily joyful take on "I Mean You," they generally take things at a leisurely and contemplative pace, which allows the melodies plenty of room to breathe. This isn't a definitive statement on Monk, but there's really no such thing; at this point there are only new interpretations, and this program is a very impressive one. (RA) |
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| Title: |
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Skala |
| Label: |
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ECM
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Artist:
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Mathias Eick |
| ISBN: |
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9786314154349 |
| ISBN-10: |
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| UPC: |
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00602527432281 |
| Prod.#: |
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BECDUMG B001538902 |
| Cat.#: |
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2187 |
| Genre: |
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Jazz |
| Release type: |
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New |
| Comments: |
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Norwegian multi-instrumentalist Mathias Eick is one of those rare solo artists who has figured out how to balance his personal vision with a recognition that the participation of others can often help one avoid unseemly (or merely boring) excesses of self-expression. For his second ECM album, he started out by recording demos alone and then gradually invited other musicians to add to the tunes and help shape them. Eick's primary instrument is the trumpet, but here he also plays vibes, guitar, and string bass; sidemen include tenor saxophonist Tore Brunborg, keyboardist Morten Qvenild, and drummers Gard Nilssen and Torstein Lofthuis, among others. The music is impressionistic, rarely groove-oriented, and consistently, sumptuously lovely. (RA) |
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| $15.00 |
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| Title: |
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Reveille |
| Label: |
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Nineteen-Eight Records
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Artist:
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Kermit Driscoll |
| Cat.#: |
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19/8 1015 |
| Genre: |
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Jazz |
| Release type: |
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New |
| Comments: |
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Bassist Driscoll is well know to fans of Bill Frisell from his many studio sessions with the guitarist. Driscoll dons the composer's hat on his first CD as a leader, and Frisell joins him for this quartet session that also features drummer Vinnie Colaiuta and pianist Kris Davis. This tight band runs through various moves and grooves, ranging from blues/rock pieces,to slightly “out” tunes, to engaging explorations that dance back and forth between Frisell’s improvisations and Driscoll’s richly toned bass work. Great stuff - recommended. (GH) |
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| ROCK/POP |
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| $12.98 |
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| Title: |
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Raven In The Grave |
| Label: |
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Vice/TVT
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Artist:
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Raveonettes |
| ISBN: |
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9786314153717 |
| ISBN-10: |
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| UPC: |
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00883888002423 |
| Prod.#: |
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BECDVICR0024 |
| Cat.#: |
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VCA 800242 |
| Genre: |
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Pop/Rock Music |
| Release type: |
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New |
| Comments: |
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Raveonettes are the Copenhagen male/female duo of Sune Rose Wagner and Sharin Foo. This is their 5th studio album. Their signature style blends Everly Brothers-style vocal harmonies with reverb-heavy shoegaze guitars that balance melodic melancholy innocence with dirty dissonance, feedback and other delightful noise. If their past records were more Jesus & Mary Chain this one is more My Bloody Valentine. The songs are a bit longer than on their previous releases, which fits the more sombre subject matter and is a perfect vehicle for their painfully beautiful mood pieces that somehow, in their embrace of heartache, envelop and comfort the listener. (TWB) |
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| $15.98 |
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| Title: |
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How To Become Clairvoyant |
| Label: |
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429 Records (dist. Fontana)
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Artist:
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Robbie Robertson |
| ISBN: |
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9786314153960 |
| ISBN-10: |
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| UPC: |
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00795041782120 |
| Prod.#: |
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BECD429R17821 |
| Cat.#: |
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FTN17821 |
| Genre: |
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Pop/Rock Music |
| Release type: |
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New |
| Comments: |
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Robbie Robertson has not put out an album since his only partially successful foray into electronica, Contact from the Underworld of Redboy, in 1998. This album is a return to his more traditional singer-songwriter romanticism, and it sounds like a million bucks … was spent on its production. Eric Clapton adds guitar and co-writes a few songs, but even contributions from comparatively contemporary artists like Trent Reznor don’t make this album any less of a throwback. It’s certainly not bad, just kind of lifeless. (SA) |
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| Title: |
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South Saturn Delta |
| Label: |
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Columbia
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Artist:
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Jimi Hendrix |
| ISBN: |
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9786314190354 |
| ISBN-10: |
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| UPC: |
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00886976277321 |
| Prod.#: |
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BECDCOLM62773 |
| Cat.#: |
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88697 62773 2 |
| Genre: |
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Pop/Rock Music |
| Release type: |
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New/Reissue |
| Comments: |
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South Saturn Delta continues to mine the Hendrix archives, providing a single-CD career sampler that mixes alternate takes and a handful of previously unreleased cuts. There are power tracks with the Experience, a searing version of “Power of Soul” with the Band of Gypsys, and an early demo that eventually evolved into “Little Wing” and “Angel.” The Hendrix archives continue to release high-quality, engaging material from the legendary guitarist’s deep vault. Not a weak cut in the batch. (GH)
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| $11.98 |
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| Title: |
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Blood Pressures |
| Label: |
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Domino
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Artist:
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Kills |
| ISBN: |
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9786314192297 |
| ISBN-10: |
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| UPC: |
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00801390028328 |
| Prod.#: |
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BECDDOMN00283 |
| Cat.#: |
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DNO283 |
| Genre: |
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Pop/Rock Music |
| Release type: |
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New |
| Comments: |
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Their last album incorporated electronic beats and pop aesthetics. Here the Kills return to their smoldering garage punk with palpably steamy intensity. “Obsessive and claustrophobic” is how they themselves describe it. They are vocalist/guitarist, W, and drummer/guitarist/vocalist Hotel (aka Alison Mosshart and Jamie Hince). They started off collaborating across the Atlantic before he moved from England to the US in 2000. They had been on hiatus while she recorded and toured with supergroup, the Dead Weather (with Jack White). Her singing is more assured and evokative here. This is their best, most compelling, addictive record to date. (TWB) |
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| Title: |
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Noir |
| Label: |
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Fake Four Inc. (dist. Redeye)
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Artist:
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Blue Sky Black Death |
| ISBN: |
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9786314197094 |
| ISBN-10: |
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| UPC: |
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00616892149361 |
| Prod.#: |
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BECDFKFR025 |
| Cat.#: |
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FFINC025 |
| Genre: |
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Electronica |
| Release type: |
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New |
| Comments: |
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Instrumental rock music of any type is rarely very interesting at all, so it's really startling to find a band whose sound is simultaneously as unique, as compelling, and as frankly beautiful as that of Blue Sky Black Death. Their approach is a hybrid of the analog and the digital; you'll hear hints of the blues and of synth pop, great washes of synthesizer chloud formations bumping up against tight little clusters of vintage drum-machine beats. And throughout the album are unexpected moments of pure uplift in the form of unexpected chord movements that leave you feeling like your day isn't going so badly after all. Brilliant. (RA) |
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| $14.99 |
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| Title: |
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93 Million Miles |
| Label: |
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Warp (dist. Redeye)
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Artist:
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Africa Hitech |
| ISBN: |
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9786314213121 |
| ISBN-10: |
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| UPC: |
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00801061019921 |
| Prod.#: |
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BECDWPRC10199 |
| Cat.#: |
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199 |
| Genre: |
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Electronica |
| Release type: |
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New |
| Comments: |
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Techno, dancehall, and dubstep have long had at least a flirting relationship with each other, and various strains of one are very often heard sneaking through the burbling beats and stuttering grooves of another. But although those are the clearest component elements of Africa Hitech's music, the duo's sound is nevertheless completely unlike anyone else's. Or maybe it's just more extreme: when they use a vocoder, they use it more freakily than anyone else; when they sample a vintage reggae vocal, they wield the sample with a more fiercely relentless repetition; when their groove collapses into a lurching dubstep groove, it staggers more crazily. The end result is exhausting but tons of fun. (RA) |
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| $13.99 |
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| Title: |
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Generation Indigo |
| Label: |
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Future Noise Music (dist. Redeye)
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Artist:
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Poly Styrene |
| ISBN: |
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9786314197957 |
| ISBN-10: |
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| UPC: |
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05055311060019 |
| Prod.#: |
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BECDFENE001 |
| Cat.#: |
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FNMDX001 |
| Genre: |
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Pop/Rock Music |
| Release type: |
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New |
| Comments: |
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Punk icon Poly Styrene succumbed to breast cancer just as her comeback album was being released. As a teen she had raged against the patriarchy, but she ended her career focused on peace and love and an ode to vegan footwear. The album sounds like Debbie Harry fronting the Cars with a little dub and ska tossed in. "Virtual Boyfriend," an attempt at modernity, already sounds dated with its references to MySpace and BlackBerry, but “Kitsch” is a fun, rousing anthem to individuality. (MC) |
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| $13.98 |
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| Title: |
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Nine Types of Light |
| Label: |
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Geffen
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Artist:
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TV On The Radio |
| ISBN: |
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9786314154233 |
| ISBN-10: |
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| UPC: |
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00602527662138 |
| Prod.#: |
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BECDUMG B001545502 |
| Cat.#: |
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B0015455-02 |
| Genre: |
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Pop/Rock Music |
| Release type: |
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New |
| Comments: |
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TV on the Radio may have come out of the Brooklyn hipster scene, but they’re so good they seem to have avoided the hipster backlash. This is their fourth album and their first after a long hiatus during which band members issued solo albums. That can be a bad sign, but in this case the result is a continued refinement of their art-rock/indie hybrid. One of the best bands currently working. (SA) |
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| WORLD/ETHNIC |
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| $14.98 |
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| Title: |
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Mshini Wam |
| Label: |
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Bbe (dist. Red)
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Artist:
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Spoek Mathambo |
| ISBN: |
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9786313785834 |
| ISBN-10: |
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| UPC: |
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00730003115622 |
| Prod.#: |
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BECDBBER156 |
| Cat.#: |
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BBE156ACD |
| Genre: |
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Electronica |
| Release type: |
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New |
| Comments: |
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Spoek Mathambo may be from South Africa, but this music is far from township jive. It’s an electro/hip-hop/techno hybrid, with spare synths and percussion keeping the focus on the voice. Check out the video accompanying his cover of Joy Division’s "She's Lost Control" on YouTube for a multi-media take on this new brand of Afro-futurism. (SA) |
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| $12.00 |
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| Title: |
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Alphabet City |
| Label: |
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Stubborn
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Artist:
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Rocker-T |
| UPC: |
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758216001921 |
| Cat.#: |
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STU-0019 |
| Genre: |
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Reggae/Ska |
| Release type: |
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New |
| Comments: |
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Rocker-T is indisputably the finest American reggae deejay performing today. (In reggae parlance, a deejay is a rapper, or toaster, rather than a DJ in the hip hop sense.) On his long-awaited new album, he is back in the Version City studio with the Stubborn Records posse, chatting over an array of excellent ska, rock steady, and dub rhythms laid down by members of the Slackers, the Scofflaws and the Stubborn All-Stars. While some of his previous projects have found him working in more of a digital dancehall style, Alphabet City finds him returning, fruitfully, to the more organic reggae sound of his debut full-length, 1998's Nicer by the Hour. As always, his flow is exemplary and the backing rhythms are strictly heavyweight. Highly recommended. (RA) |
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| $18.98 |
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| Title: |
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Setimo Fado |
| Label: |
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Chant Du Monde (dist. Harmonia Mundi)
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Artist:
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Joana Amendoeira |
| ISBN: |
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9786314187590 |
| ISBN-10: |
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| UPC: |
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00794881993826 |
| Prod.#: |
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BECDCTDM2742020 |
| Cat.#: |
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274 2020 |
| Genre: |
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Latin |
| Release type: |
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New |
| Comments: |
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Fado (a sort of cabaret-style song tradition specific to Portugal) seems to be growing in worldwide popularity, which has led to a small explosion of recordings by young fadistas. One of the most gifted of these is Joana Amendoeira, who won a "Best Fado Album" award for her previous release. Setimo Fado finds her expanding the stylistic boundaries of her approach just a bit, incorporating instruments that are not usually part of the tradition, but her singing style is firmly rooted in that tradition and is as stirring and moving as the best fado should be. (RA) |
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© CD HotList 2004 |
