July 2011
Look for "Rick's Pick"

CLASSICAL
 
$16.99
 
Title:    Piano Trios
Label:    CPO (dist. Naxos)
Composer:    Ignaz Pleyel
Performer:    Trio 1790
ISBN:    9786314285418
ISBN-10:   
UPC:    00761203754427
Prod.#:    BECDCPO 777544
Cat.#:    777 544-2
Period:    Classical
Genre:    Classical
Release type:    New
Comments:    Ignaz Pleyel was one of Franz Joseph Haydn's star pupils, and went on to become one of the leading lights of the high classical era. His piano trios are among the most winning of his chamber works, and here they are played with wonderful freshness by the period-instrument Trio 1790. Everything about this recording is top-notch, and I recommend it strongly to all classical music collections. (RA)
 
$17.99
 
Title:    Schubertiade
Label:    Etcetera (dist. Allegro)
Composer:    Franz Schubert
ISBN:    9786314320195
ISBN-10:   
UPC:    08711801102931
Prod.#:    BECDETCE1421
Cat.#:    KTC 1421
Period:    Romantic
Genre:    Classical
Release type:    New
Comments:    When you bring up Schubert and vocal music, people inevitably think of lieder and song cycles for solo voice. But Schubert also wrote many wonderful secular choral pieces, some of them intended for concert performance and others for intimate gatherings of friends. The songs on this collection fall into the latter category, and are beautifully performed by the twelve-voice Orpheon Ensemble with Jan Vermeulen at the fortepiano. A must for any library collecting in the Romantic period or with a particular interest in vocal music. (RA)
 
$11.98
 
Title:    Johannes-Passion; Sechs Motetten
Label:    Christophorus Entree (dist. Qualiton)
Composer:    Christoph Demantius
Performer:    Kammerchor Saarbrucken / Georg Grun
ISBN:    9786313717460
ISBN-10:   
UPC:    00675754023799
Prod.#:    BECDCRSE0149
Cat.#:    CHE 0149-2
Period:    Rennaissance
Genre:    Classical
Release type:    Reissue
Comments:    If you like the sacred music of Monteverdi and the stately ceremonial works of Gabrieli, then you'll probably find that you also very much enjoy the somewhat more subdued but no less sumptuous choral writing of the less well-known Christoph Demantius, who was Monteverdi's exact contemporary and spent virtually his whole career as cantor of the Frieberg cathedral. The motets and Passion setting featured on this album (originally issued in 2000) are quietly intense and are wonderfully sung by the Kammerchor Saarbruck. Highly recommended. (RA)
 
$18.98
 
Title:    Mottecta 1612
Label:    Cornetto (dist. Albany)
Composer:    Gallus Guggumos
Performer:    Il Canto Figurato Ulm
ISBN:    9786313392629
ISBN-10:   
UPC:    00487164100287
Prod.#:    BECDCTOV10028
Cat.#:    COR10028
Period:    Renaissance
Genre:    Classical
Release type:    Reissue
Comments:    Gallus Guggumos is an almost unkown composer whose career spanned the early decades of the 17th century, but about whom not much else is known beyond some skeletal information about his training. A student of Gabrieli, he writes in a style that fits firmly into that of the Naples school, and if his works aren't quite as exciting as those of his famous mentor, they are nevertheless lushly attractive and are ably performed here by the vocal and instrumental ensemble Il Canto Figurato. Recommended to specialist collections. (RA)
 
$15.99
 
Title:    Organ Concertos
Label:    Challenge (dist. Allegro)
Composer:    Franz Joseph Haydn
Performer:    Ton Koopman; Catherine Manson; Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra
ISBN:    9786314040291
ISBN-10:   
UPC:    00608917239027
Prod.#:    BECDCHAG72390
Cat.#:    CC72390
Period:    Classical
Genre:    Classical
Release type:    New
Comments:    I confess that I've never been a huge fan of concert music for the organ; I find that instrument bombastic and grandiose and overbearing. But I figured if Haydn is the composer and Ton Koopman is at the keyboard the disc would be worth hearing, and I was right: it's brilliant. Koopman plays what sounds like a chamber organ, so those who actually prefer the bombast of the larger church organs may find these three concerto recordings somewhat tame, but for those of us with more delicate constitutions both the pieces and Koopman's playing are revelatory. (RA)
 
$17.99
 
Title:    15 Symphonies; Overture to "La Calamita"
Label:    Newton Classics (dist. Naxos)
Composer:    Johann Christian Bach
Performer:    Netherlands Chamber Orchestra / David Zinman
ISBN:    9786314287481
ISBN-10:   
UPC:    08718247710652
Prod.#:    BECDNWTN8802065
Cat.#:    8802065
Period:    Classical
Genre:    Classical
Release type:    Reissue (2-discs)
Comments:    This two-disc set appears to duplicate the one released by Philips as part of its "Duo" series in 1994; the recordings date from the mid-1970s. If your library already owns the Philips version, there is no need to replace it with this re-reissue by Newton Classics. However, this budget-line release offers an extremely attractive opportunity to any library that doesn't already own these gorgeous recordings of exceptionally fine performances of brilliant pieces by Bach's youngest (and most stylistically forward-looking) son. It's rather difficult to believe that these recordings are as old as they are, and the pieces themselves are beyond delightful. (RA)
 
$20.98
 
Title:    Handel; Mozart; Beethoven; Wenth
Label:    Gall (dist. Albany)
Composer:    Various Composers
Performer:    ClarinArt Ensemble
ISBN:    9786314309848
ISBN-10:   
UPC:    00034060913239
Prod.#:    BECDGALL1323
Cat.#:    CD-1323
Period:    Romantic
Genre:    Classical
Release type:    New
Comments:    Much of this program consists of familiar music from the late-classical and early-Romantic periods, arranged for clarinet trio: a Mozart divertimento on a theme from The Marriage of Figaro, Beethoven's variations on Mozart's aria "Reich mir die Hand, mein Leben," and also an arrangement of a baroque overture by Handel. It's the last part of the program that comes as more of a surprise: a lovely serenade by Johann Wenth, about whom I was able to find out little and from whom I would love to hear more. The ClarinArt Ensemble's playing is absolutely first-rate. (RA)
 
$62.94
 
Title:    The Recorder Collection
Label:    Bis (dist. Qualiton)
Composer:    Georg Philipp Telemann
Performer:    Clas Pehrsson; Dan Laurin
ISBN:    9786314228798
ISBN-10:   
UPC:    00675754032500
Prod.#:    BECDBIS 148890
Cat.#:    BIS CD 1488/90
Period:    Baroque
Genre:    Classical
Release type:    Boxed Set (6-discs)
Comments:    No composer of the baroque period wrote more creatively and insightfully for the recorder than Telemann, and very few modern recorder players have such an inspired feel for Telemann's music as does Clas Pehrrson, who has been recording this repertoire for the Bis label for almost four decades. This attractively (but not irresistibly) priced box brings together recordings dating from as early as 1974 (though most are from the 1980s) and includes sonatas, the solo fantasias, two collections of duets, the famous A minor suite, and lots of concertos (with the Drottningholm Baroque Ensemble). Pehrrson and his partner Dan Laurin play exquisitely, and even the 1970s recordings sound rich and full -- though they are noticeably less lovely in tone than the later ones. Highly recommended to all early music collections. (RA)
COUNTRY/FOLK
 
$16.98
 
Title:    Strictly Whatever
Label:    Stony Plain
Artist:    Harry Manx & Kevin Breit
ISBN:    9786314269777
ISBN-10:   
UPC:    00772532135221
Prod.#:    BECDSTON321352
Cat.#:    SPCD 1352
Genre:    Blues
Release type:    New
Comments:    This is the third Manx/Breit collaboration, and once again these two fine multi-instrumentalists deliver an appealing mix of innovative playing and singing. Opening with the 60’s hit “Sunny,” the two create a folksy feel marked by layers of great guitar playing, with a range of other string instruments on the side (baritone guitar, lap slide, National steel, ukelele, banjo, mandolin, sitar). This CD of mostly original songs tips the hat to many styles with very pleasant results. (GH)
 
$15.98
 
Title:    Boxcar Campfire
Label:    Little Pig (dist. Burnside)
Artist:    Paul Pigat
ISBN:    9786314096809
ISBN-10:   
UPC:    00628740133026
Prod.#:    BECDLEPG001
Cat.#:    LPR001
Genre:    Country/Folk
Release type:    New
Comments:    Canadian guitarist Pigat creates a pleasantly anachronistic vibe on this recording that highlights his fine finger picking. He mixes acoustic blues and some early country, evoking Hank Williams and delta bluesmen from one song to another. The themes could be modern, or could come from the Great Depression - it’s hard to tell at times. What’s certain, however, is that the playing and the songs are the real thing - excellent music by a very talented guitarist and songwriter. Check it out. (GH)
 
$25.98
 
Title:    Tell My Sister
Label:    Nonesuch
Artist:    Kate & Anna McGarrigle
ISBN:    9786314224448
ISBN-10:   
UPC:    00075597977080
Prod.#:    BECDNONE527267
Cat.#:    527267
Genre:    Folk Music
Release type:    Boxed Set (3-discs)
Comments:    I still remember the first time I heard Kate & Anna McGarrigle’s eponymous debut record in high school, and was stunned by their elegant songwriting, tight harmonies, and mixture of emotional honesty and wry humor. Sure, I had heard LInda Rondstadt’s cover of their “Heart Like A Wheel,” but that hadn’t prepared me for the cut-to-the-bone honesty of the McGarrigles’ original version. Their first LP became a personal favorite, and has been since its release in 1975. Tell My Sister is Nonesuch’s lovely reissue of the McGarrigle’s first LP and their second, Dancer with Bruised Knees, along with a third CD of demos and unreleased recordings form 1971-74. While they had a long and impressive career, nothing really matched the genius of the early material captured on these discs. The entire reissue was produced by legendary Joe Boyd, who recorded the original albums, so the set has that same intimate, folky feel that marked the original recordings. Very highly recommended. (GH)
 
$16.98
 
Title:    Civil War Naval Songs
Label:    Smithsonian Folkways
Artist:    Dan Milner
ISBN:    9786314192747
ISBN-10:   
UPC:    00093074018927
Prod.#:    BECDFOLK40189
Cat.#:    SFW CD 40189
Genre:    Folk Music
Release type:    New
Comments:    With this companion to Tom Glazer’s recent reissue of Civil War songs, Folkways focuses on the rich mine of tunes about the maritime side of the War Between the States. Dan Milner, Jeff Davis, and David Coffin, all well-known singers of historical songs in the folk tradition, offer up thirteen ballads of blockade runners, ironclads, and naval battles in fine style. Both Confederate and Union songs are represented, and the performances are strong and bracing. As usual, the accompanying notes offer an invaluable guide to the music and the history. An excellent choice for school and public libraries. (JW)
 
$18.98
 
Title:    Trainsong: Guitar Compositions, 1967-2010
Label:    Tompkins Square (dist. Fontana)
Artist:    Michael Chapman
ISBN:    9786314018795
ISBN-10:   
UPC:    00894807002530
Prod.#:    BECDTPKSTSQ2530
Cat.#:    TSQ2530
Genre:    Folk Music
Release type:    New (2-discs)
Comments:    Chapman made his name back in the late 1960s as part of the British folk-rock movement. Always a critics’ favorite, he has toiled solo or in groups for more than four decades, writing great songs that draw from British folk music as well as American rags and blues. Here he presents 26 solo instrumentals, reworking many of his earlier pieces, and he’s at the top of his game. Combining masterful technique with propulsive force, he recorded these without overdubs. The tunes are varied yet form a thematic whole that could be his best statement yet. (JW)
JAZZ
 
$18.98
 
Title:    Live At Birdland
Label:    ECM
Artist:    Lee Konitz, Brad Mehldau, Charlie Haden and Paul Motian
ISBN:    9786314236694
ISBN-10:   
UPC:    00602527369877
Prod.#:    BECDUMG B001550702
Cat.#:    ECM 2162
Genre:    Jazz
Release type:    New
Comments:    Consider the star power on this live recording - alto sax legend Konitz played on Miles Davis’s Birth of the Cool sessions; bassist Haden was part of Ornette Coleman’s earliest groups, but has crafted an elegant, cool sound himself in his later years; drummer Motian played in pianist Bill Evan’s trio, and pianist Mehldau - the relative youngster here - has mastered his own take on quiet, soft expressionism. Toss it all together with a live set of standards by Sonny Rollins, Miles Davis, and George Shearing, and the result is a quiet masterpiece of quartet interplay. Konitz is cool as a cucumber, but still crackles with energy on several solos; the rest rise to the occasion with deft playing and brilliant reconstructions of these jazz warhorses. Beautiful and elegant throughout, this is one of those all-star sessions that you come to with high expectations - and it greatly exceeds them. Highly recommended. (GH)
 
$15.99
 
Title:    Midnight at Nola's Penthouse
Label:    Arbors Jazz
Artist:    Scott Hamilton & Rossano Sportiello
ISBN:    9786314093549
ISBN-10:   
UPC:    00780941141528
Prod.#:    BECDARBR19415
Cat.#:    ARCD 19415
Genre:    Jazz
Release type:    New
Comments:    The CD notes don’t tell us if the duo has a history together, but Hamilton and Sportiello sound as if they’ve played together for decades. The veteran sax man and the pianist concentrate on romantic ballad standards, interspersed with more upbeat tunes. The two complement each other remarkably well, setting moods that are soulful and mellow, but swing at the same time. Sportiello’s rhythmically charged piano makes you not notice the absence of bass and drums. This one is easy to enjoy. (JW)
 
$17.98
 
Title:    This Side of Strayhorn
Label:    Maxjazz
Artist:    Terell Stafford
ISBN:    9786314192440
ISBN-10:   
UPC:    00610614040820
Prod.#:    BECDMXJ 40408
Cat.#:    MXI 408
Genre:    Jazz
Release type:    New
Comments:    This disc finds its origins in a concert Stafford celebrating the music of Billy Strayhorn, in which he participated. Apparently the trumpeter was impressed, and asked pianist Bruce Barth to arrange nine Strayhorn and Ellington/Strayhorn tunes for their quintet. The results are superb. With Tim Warfield on saxophones, Peter Washington on bass, and Dan Hall playing drums, the group cooks beautifully in a stew that ranges from post-bop to swing. Stafford has a gorgeous tone, and his trumpet’s interplay with Barth’s piano is sublime. Classic music, great musicians. (JW)
 
$76.89
 
Title:    Tatum Art
Label:    Storyville (dist. Allegro)
Artist:    Art Tatum
ISBN:    9786312520764
ISBN-10:   
UPC:    00717101860326
Prod.#:    BECDSTVI1088603
Cat.#:    108 8603
Genre:    Jazz
Release type:    Boxed Set (11-discs)
Comments:    Although the issue date on the package is 2008, this boxed set of live Art Tatum recordings has apparently just returned to market as a reissue. To listen to these ten discs (plus bonus DVD) is to be reminded again of two important truths: first (and most important), Art Tatum was a jaw-droppingly gifted pianist whose silky touch, unerring command of stride and swing techniques, and quicksilver melodic inventiveness have not yet been equalled by another; second, the technology available for live recording in the first half of the 20th century was brutally limited, making many of these recordings difficult to listen to. But no collection supporting a jazz curriculum can possibly afford to be without them. Recommended without reservations, despite the frequently atrocious sound quality. (RA)
 
$15.99
 
Title:    Back in the Saddle Again
Label:    Arbors Jazz
Artist:    "Buck" Pizzarelli and the West Texas Tumbleweeds
ISBN:    9786314159818
ISBN-10:   
UPC:    00780941141429
Prod.#:    BECDARBR19414
Cat.#:    ARCD 19414
Genre:    Jazz/Country
Release type:    New
Comments:    Bucky Pizzarelli is a legend among lovers of small-ensemble swing-era jazz, a brilliant seven-string guitarist and patriarch of a jazz clan that includes his even-more-famous son John. Bucky is not primarily known as a country music artist, and even on the basis of this delightful album he is only sort of one. This program of cowboy and C&W classics like "Drifting Along with the Tumbling Tumbleweeds" and "Heartaches by the Numbers" demonstrates both Pizzarelli's genuine love for the repertoire and also his inability not to jazz it up, which makes for a truly wonderful listening experience. There's plenty of authentic twanginess and some very heartfelt singing, and also plenty of swing. Highly recommended, for its curative properties, to all musical snobs. (RA)
ROCK/POP
 
$13.98
 
Title:    Brilliant! Tragic!
Label:    Cooking Vinyl (dist. Red)
Artist:    Art Brut
ISBN:    9786314238506
ISBN-10:   
UPC:    00711297493429
Prod.#:    BECDCGVL534
Cat.#:    534
Genre:    Pop/Rock Music
Release type:    New
Comments:    On Art Brut's fourth album, frontman Eddie Argos is still working himself into fits of apoplexy, whether enthusing over his favorite singer (a surprising choice of Axl Rose, albeit misspelled in the song title) or railing about a bad comedian. The rest of the band bring its usual brand of ragged post-punk. What's new is that Argos actually sings on some tracks rather than speaking or shouting in tune, and he sounds like a completely different person. It adds another texture to the group's sonic palette, although they are still at their best when Argos is frothing at the mouth. (MC)
 
$13.98
 
Title:    Here Before
Label:    Bar None (dist. ADA)
Artist:    Feelies
ISBN:    9786314192242
ISBN-10:   
UPC:    00032862020421
Prod.#:    BECDBARN20204
Cat.#:    204
Genre:    Pop/Rock Music
Release type:    New
Comments:    Time has stood still for the Feelies, although they are aware that it has kept moving elsewhere. Their first album in 19 years picks up right where they left off with the jangly guitar-based indie rock that made them a college radio mainstay in the 1980s. "On and On" has them at their most Velvet Underground-like, hypnotically droning. But opening track "Nobody Knows" finds them musing about whether they have waited too long to start up again. By their own evidence, the answer is definitely no. (MC)
 
$18.98
 
Title:    Hard Bargain
Label:    Nonesuch
Artist:    Emmylou Harris
ISBN:    9786314208134
ISBN-10:   
UPC:    00075597978186
Prod.#:    BECDNONE525966
Cat.#:    525966-2
Genre:    Country & Western
Release type:    New
Comments:    Over the course of a quarter-century, Emmylou Harris released a score of memorable recordings featuring her remarkable interpretations of other songwriters’ work. Beginning in 2000, however, with the partially-autobiographical CD Red Dirt Girl, Harris began to write more of her own material, and her strength as a songwriter has grown considerably over the last decade. Her latest release showcases some of her finest songwriting to date, accompanied by guitarist/arranger Jay Joyce’s sometimes gritty, sometimes elegant arrangements. The record opens with “The Road,” an elegy to her mentor Gram Parsons, and includes a song about civil rights martyr Emmett Till, a stirring tribute to the city of New Orleans, an elegy to her friend Kate McGarrigle, a self-portrait of a homeless man, and a whimsical song about her rescue dog, “Big Black Dog.” This is a great recording by one of the most distinctive singers in American music, who delivers a set of impassioned, beautifully crafted songs. Recommended. (GH)
 
$18.98
 
Title:    The Fall
Label:    Virgin
Artist:    Gorillaz
ISBN:    9786314201333
ISBN-10:   
UPC:    05099909758827
Prod.#:    BECDVIRG97588C
Cat.#:    509990 97588 2 7
Genre:    Pop/Rock Music
Release type:    New
Comments:    For an album that was recorded exclusively on iPads while on tour, this certainly sounds like a regular Gorillaz album -- without the hits, without so many big name guest stars, and without the emphasis on image and marketing. But with Damon Albarn’s skill and resourcefulness those things don’t matter so much, as long as you’re not expecting be bowled over like you were when you first heard the Gorillaz. (SA)
 
$12.98
 
Title:    Raven In The Grave
Label:    Vice/TVT
Artist:    Raveonettes
ISBN:    9786314153717
ISBN-10:   
UPC:    00883888002423
Prod.#:    BECDVICR0024
Cat.#:    VCA 800242
Genre:    Pop/Rock Music
Release type:    New
Comments:    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 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 painfully beautiful mood pieces that somehow, in their embrace of heartache, envelop and comfort the listener. (TWB)
 
$15.98
 
Title:    Man In Motion
Label:    Stax/Concord Jazz
Artist:    Warren Haynes
ISBN:    9786314208967
ISBN-10:   
UPC:    00888072329126
Prod.#:    BECDSTXR32912
Cat.#:    STX 32912
Genre:    Blues
Release type:    New
Comments:    Warren Haynes gets around. Between his own band, Gov’t Mule, and regular gigs with the Allman Brothers Band and The Dead, it’s hard to believe he has the time for a new solo album. The idea behind this record was to focus on songs and on vocals rather than on guitar-slinging, and though he's a fine singer, and he has a fine band behind him here, the overall effect is strangely underwhelming. Haynes is a pro, so it’s not at all bad, just not exactly compelling. (SA)
 
$17.98
 
Title:    Keep Your Soul: A Tribute To Doug Sahm
Label:    Vanguard Years
Artist:    Various Artists
ISBN:    9786312818922
ISBN-10:   
UPC:    00015707990028
Prod.#:    BECDVANG79900
Cat.#:    79900-2
Genre:    Pop/Rock Music
Release type:    New
Comments:    The late, great Doug Sahm only ever really made an impression on the general public when the Sir Douglas Quintet’s “She’s About a Mover” hit the Top 40 in 1965, but he proved in the decades that followed that he was one of the great American musicians of his era. Here an impressive group of artists (for example, Los Lobos, Alejandro Escovedo, Greg Dulli, Jimmie Vaughan, and Delbert McClinton) pay their respects by covering Doug’s songs, some better known than others. Their versions are terrific and a fitting tribute to a great Texan-American. (SA)
 
$14.98
 
Title:    Demolished Thoughts
Label:    Matador (dits. ADA)
Artist:    Thurston Moore
ISBN:    9786314269678
ISBN-10:   
UPC:    00744861095323
Prod.#:    BECDMATR10953
Cat.#:    OLE-953-2
Genre:    Pop/Rock Music
Release type:    New
Comments:    This, Moore's third song-based solo album, was produced by Beck. For many fans of both highly influential artists that is reason enough to buy it. One can hear subtle intimations of Moore’s Sonic Youth writing here in a wonderful way. It is gorgeous chamber folk-pop; his acoustic guitar work and quietly impassioned vocals and Beck’s exceptional arrangements for strings, harp, and electronics fit perfectly together creating layers of poignant, melancholic atmosphere, and, at times angularity, drone effects, micro-tonalities, and bits of well-placed noise. The whole thing is charged with dreamy, meditative charm and intimacy. Recommended. (TWB)
WORLD/ETHNIC
 
$14.98
 
Title:    Love And Death
Label:    Strut (dist. Red)
Artist:    Ebo Taylor
ISBN:    9786313895373
ISBN-10:   
UPC:    00730003307324
Prod.#:    BECDSEDS037
Cat.#:    STRUT073CD
Genre:    World Music
Release type:    New
Comments:    Ebo Taylor is a Ghanian musician whose Afrobeat tracks from the 70s were the highlights of compilations like Ghana Soundz and Afro-Beat Airways. Strut has issued a fine 2-CD compilation of his classic tracks called Life Stories, and now they have given us a new recording by the 74-year-old master. This well-recorded collaboration with contemporary African and European musicians showcases Taylor’s Ghanian approach to Afrofunk, slightly lighter due to the highlife influence but no less groovy than the Nigerian style. (SA)
 
$19.98
 
Title:    Horizontal Structures
Label:    Honest Jon's (dist. Forced Exposure)
Artist:    Moritz von Oswald Trio
ISBN:    9786314122751
ISBN-10:   
UPC:    04047179556828
Prod.#:    BECDHJNR054
Cat.#:    HJRCD54
Genre:    Electronica
Release type:    New
Comments:    This is the kind of music that’s hard to categorize, though it’s easier to say what it’s not. Definitely not rock, not jazz, though there is some improvisation, too much going on to be ambient, sort of techno though mostly without the 4/4 thump. With Mark Ernestus, Moritz von Oswald basically invented minimal techno during the 90s with their Basic Channel releases, but here he’s working with Max Loderbauer (NSI/Sun Electric) and Sasu Ripatti (Vladislav Delay/Luomo) to create a brand new, very European style of electronica that makes heavy use of acoustic instruments. As difficult as it may be to characterize, it’s just as easy to listen to -– lush, playful, and inspired. (SA)
 
$129.90
 
Title:    Alan Lomax in Haiti
Label:    Harte Recordings (dist. Nail)
Artist:    Various Artists
ISBN:    9786313101443
ISBN-10:   
UPC:    00824247018617
Prod.#:    BECDHRTE103
Cat.#:    103
Genre:    World Music
Release type:    Boxed Set (10-discs)
Comments:    Any brief review will be insufficient to describe this extensive collection of Haitian music, photos, and field notes collected in 1936 and 1937 by pioneering ethnomusicologist Alan Lomax. Examples of the music of carnival, Vodou, children, diverse ensembles, rara, and many French musical genres were originally captured on aluminum discs and the sound quality of this release betrays the limitations of the original recordings. The nature and price of this fascinating set may limit the libraries able to justify this purchase, but academic libraries supporting classes in ethnomusicology and any library collecting Haitian materials will find this set essential. (CLHD)
 
$19.98
 
Title:    Scared Sacred
Label:    Liquid Sound
Artist:    Suns Of Arqa
ISBN:    9786313623778
ISBN-10:   
UPC:    05060147125443
Prod.#:    BECDPHAM1631526
Cat.#:    BFLCD90
Genre:    World Music
Release type:    New
Comments:    I've been a huge fan of Suns of Arqa and their dubwise fusion of Asian and reggae-based sounds and rhythms for years, but Scared Sacred may be my favorite release of theirs so far. The beats are both deeply funky and soothing, the ambience is deep and dark, the overtone singing and bamboo flutes and exotic reed instruments and richly melodic reggae basslines are blended in beautifully counterintuitive ways. Anyone with adventurous tastes in worldbeat fusion and an appreciation for the convention of dub will get an enormous kick out of this album -- along with virtually everything else in the Suns of Arqa catalog. (RA)
 
$12.00
 
Title:    After Hours
Label:    Bungaloo
Artist:    AlmaNova
UPC:    884501135474
Cat.#:    BMCD103
Genre:    World
Release type:    New
Comments:    Flutist Jessica Pierce and guitarist Almer Imamovic compose and perform original music that is often deeply informed by the traditions of Imamovic's native Bosnia and other Balkan regions. Their third album finds them mixing original pieces with traditional melodies from Macedonia; both play with impeccable virtuosity and fiery emotion, and the music is by turns soothing and thrilling. Recommended to all music collections. (RA)

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