What's your latest "Discovery"

"Castel del Monte" by Michel Godard
This CD, recorded in a cathedral in Puglia, Italy, is astounding. If you like Anouar Brahem, or any of the Jordi Savall pieces, it is a must-have.

Marco, I'm a big Kelly Joe Phelps fan myself. Probably like Lead Me On best of all, but that's the first one I got and the first often ends up being the favorite. I've seen him live only once and it was very special.

funnily enough my recent "discoveries" are via a DVD-V of Boonaroo Festival (if you don't haven't heard about this event, its annual music fest with strong leanings to jam band stuff).....Los Lonely Boys, Robert Randoplh, Guster.

heres two CDs ive just bought that are getting a lot of play,,Wynton@Ellis Marsalis(Joe Cools Blues) and ,Bernard Herrmann(The Day The Earth Stood Still)

I'm stuck listening to headphones while in abroad and it's an interesting way to get to know new material (and stuff you've listened to before, at that).

I just got the complete Blue Note recordings of Grant Green with Sonny Clarke (a 2-disc set) and JESUS is it good (sorry for the blasphemy...I'm just in awe!).

Love the CD release of Vashti Bunyan: Just another Diamond day. She has a beautifull, breathy voice that has a truly unique quality in the upper registers. True, the recording quality varies by track, but still, a lovely bit of music to have caress your eardrums.

The new Sufjan Stevens is really nice, and the recording quality is stellar.

Hamid Drake/Sabir Mateen: Brothers Together. For those of you who like more avant-garde jazz (but not totally inane/free) this is a really great disc. My friend turned me onto it and I can't thank him enough. Nice recording to boot!

I just rediscovered Michael Gordon's: Weather. If you're into new composers it's worth listening to. Love the weird digital 3rd movement (maybe 2nd, can't remember...actually it's in the 2nd). I say rediscovered because I had listened to this a while ago in like 2000, but never heard it on a proper system. Now that I'm listening to it on my Grados, I can't wait to get it on my system when I'm back state-side

And the best of all:

Was digging in some crates at a vinyl shop with a friend and found the eponymous album by Cymande, which we bought back to his place and now I'm regretting not having a TT here even more. The cut, Bra (also on the second volume of the Crooklyn soundtrack, and sampled by De La Soul on their first album) is just a great funk track.

I almost forgot Tom Harrell: Art of Rhythm. I've seen Tom at the Vanguard in NY a few times, and he was just here in London a couple of months ago. This guy can blow, and when you consider he's schizophrenic, you realize that bit about genius and madness going hand-in-hand is true. Sometimes through listening to so much great old vinyl I forget that people still made great straight-ahead jazz after the 60s. This album (1970s I think, so nothing really _new_) is great

There's an EP by White Magic called Through the Sun Door which has a sort of Jeffereson airplane acoustic/on (even more) sedatives feeling. The (female) singer has a slightly smokey voice that reminds me of a clarinet somehow, but in a sexy way. God that doesn't sound right...or make sense, but that's all I got. You know this is new music, but it feels old.

And lastly: Manitos De Plata:Feria Gitana is a classic bit of Flamenco which I didn't own (I'm ashamed to say) until a month ago, and bought into a local hifi here to listen to. All I can say is that it really revealing about treble weaknesses in systems, and the salesman couldn't believe it either. I came close to buying a system on the spot (Proac d38s, Pathos Logos, Audionet player) because of how good this sounded.

And since it's come out like over a year ago I've been perpetually listening to a couple tracks (although I like the entirety) off of Enon's "Hocus Pocus". Seriously, even if you're not into indie music, everyone should buy this just to impress their friends with the track "Monsoon". My dad even plays it (along with "Everything in its right place" from Radiohead's Kid A) to impress people when they come over to hear his kit. The salesmen made me promise to burn him a copy. It's got this uncanny keyboard/bass interchange in the beginning that's much more on the digital than rock side of sound. It's just amazing, and the female singer's voice is great as well.

So these are pretty much the only things I've been listening to for a long time now, and I need to mine the above recommendations before I go absolutely mad!

Thanks for the recommendations everyone. If anyone wants more info on any of these groups (or to exchange other recs.) just email.

Hi Rene,

http://www.jazzloft.com

A fellow Audiogon member turned me on to some of the
more eclectic jazz & improv, and it's downright addictive. There is
so much great music of this kind.

Enjoy!
Howard

Howard (Boa2), that looks like a great recommendation. Any good suggestions where to get it? (Amazon did not come up with it.) Looking for the album, I found the following interesting review

Saxophones

I am not familiar with Pierre Favre, but I love the tuba player, Michel Godard, or at least what he does on Rabih Abou Khalil "Sultan's Picnic". I certainly have to check this one out.

Nice.

Pierre Favre - "Saxophones"
Excellent percussionist + a tuba + 4 saxophones

Some good friends invited me to see an outdoor performance by Kelly Joe Phelps. Since then his solo acoustic CD's have been making the frequent rotation on my player. Hot damn this guy has a way with the slide guitar! Raspy voice and down-home honest lyrics that touch the soul. My kind'of artist. Highly recommended if you are a fan of folk, blues, guitar, slide guitar. The three CD's in my order of preference (though they're all great) are: "Shine-eyed Mr. Zen", "Lead Me On" and "Roll Away the Stone". Can any fans comment on his other more recent albums, or offer further recommendations?

Marco

jonathan byrd and dromedary "the sea and the sky" maybe it's just me, but this is quite simply an excellent acoustic work on all counts--songwriting, storytelling, musicianship etc.....a real depth and breadth that seems to reveal something new with each listen. his (mr. byrd's) first two releases are pretty good, but this collaborative effort just hits it out of the park....

Raytheprinter,

Sonny Clark's "Cool Struttin" is a fantastic album and beautifully engineered by TVG. I have the Japanese pressed vinyl and whenever I listen to it, it never fails to lift my spirits.

Happy Listening!

For classical buffs, and for any who would just like an outstandingly beautiful, and very assessible violin concerto. Annie-Sophie Mutter performing Korngold's VC w/her husband Andre Previn conducting the LSO on DG. The ONLY criticism I have is that the Mutter's violin is very closely miked, but her tone is so beautiful who cares! The Tchaikovsky VC is different than the norm, not my fav. But the Korngold is now my favorite version. Very highly recommended.

"Jubilee" -- Harry Manx & Kevin Breit

An eclectic blend of blues, jazz, and folk; I bought it after hearing "Diving Duck Blues", then found myself playing the whole album over and over... heck, I thought I'd like their version of "Voodoo Chile", but never thought I'd like "Good Time Charlie's Got The Blues"!!!

I recently bought a couple Blue Note ,RVG titles that are very good,,The Horace Silver Quintet"Song for my Father"and Sonny Clark"Cool Struttin"

The Waifs - up all night, I had heard some other cuts before but did not care for them too much but I loved the many of the songs on this cd. The female vocals were very moving and the instrumentation was very good.

Susan Tedeschi - just won't burn, I can not believe this was her debut, it rocked liked crazy and her voice was unbelievable, and on one track I thought I was listening to Janis singing.

Sixteen Horsepower's "Secret South." Newgrass with a big dose or dark spirituality and personal introspection. The deepest and most complete of all of the 16HP releases. Also available on vinyl, good pressings, none too expensive.

Dammit, they broke up last month....

I was going through a hundred or so LP's at a local thrift store recently, when I found a record of the70's British prog rock band Renaissance. I was a major prog rock fan during my teens, but I always overlooked this great band in the record bins with this incredible female vocalist named Annie Haslam. I can not begin to tell you how regretable it feels to have missed out on hearing such a wonderful singer for the past 35 years of my audiophile life. Annie still sings today and has new CD's available. To learn more about her you can go to her website at www.anniehaslam.com. Check out her art work too.

Jerry Garcia & David Grisman a cd called So What from Acoustic Disc.com. If you love acoustic music, better still acoustic jazz this ones for you. Check it out. Your toes will tap and your head will bob. Then you will start it over and do it all again. Then the wife will say honey it's time for bed!!!!! Oh well there is tomorrow night.

Flacre,i have the domestic version,sounds pretty good,i have not heard the import version,

Mary Gauthier: "Mercy Now". Like Lucinda Williams & John Prine combined. Great lyrics. Great tunes. Terrific sound.

Ray, are you recommending the import version of the Kasey Chambers? It's a lot pricier than the domestic.

Kasey Chambers "Wayward Angel" from Australia

Some good friends just introduced me to the music of Jeffrey Foucault. His two albums, Stripping Cane and Miles from the Lightening, cut right to the top of my frequent rotation list. From Wisconsin, mostly acoustic guitar and great songwriting, and a voice like Bruce Springsteen might wish his own would smooth out to. Folksy, Americana, great acoustic guitar and lyrics, down to earth. Great stuff. Also plays in the band, Redbird who's self-titled album is also wonderful.

Marco

not much of a suprise but Van's (M) "Magic Time" This man is a treasure god bless the soul

Gary Jules "Trading Snakeoil for Wolftickets" - Gary's an excellent Singer/Songwriter, and this is great album. He is in the mixing process of a new album also.

Jim Bianco "Handsome Devil" - This guy is sounding more and more like early Tom Waits, but with a little something extra thrown in....

Check them out!
Z

It's more of a re-discovery, but I picked up Jah Wobble's 'Rising above Bedlam' on the weekend and have since ordered another 3 Jah Wobble CD's at Amazon....I listened to this stuff 10 yrs ago and it sounds even better today!

Eliza Gilkyson "Land of Milk and Honey" the title says it all!

There are a couple of CD's that I have been getting a lot of rotation time. Buddy Miller "Universal United House of Prayer" - not too preachy and a nice blend of country & blues/rock. Next up is Rusty Truck "Broken Promises" - It has that Bakersfield country slant with real solid songwriting. Lastly is Neil Finn "One All" - Some really good pop with an edge. I think its one of of best pop CD's relased in the last couple of years.

E.S. Posthumus , Unearthed .. If you like the main theme for the TV Show "Cold Case" its on here. I can't praise this CD enough.
Go to there web site , The song "Nara" (theme to cold case) should start playing. Sit back and listen . This song gives me goose bumps.

http://esposthumus.com/

how's this for eclectic?
King Crimson - "The Nightwatch" It's a live 2 disc CD of the group playing in Amsterdam in 1973. Ubelievably good recording and playing by the Fripp/Wetton/Bruford/Cross erra band.

and . .

Rachel Podger, Arte Dei Suonatori Baroque Orchestra playing Antonio Vivaldi "La Extravaganza" (12 violin concertos). Incredible string arangements, terrific dynamics.

Bluegrass fans check out "The Biscuit Burners"

Mindy Smith again!!!!

Tom Russell, The Man from God Knows Where, recommended here by a few folks (thanks). an incredible opera-like historical immigrant journey of great music.

Big and Rich...Progressive country. A little country...a little heavy metal...some mexican rap...a little satire and a couple of decent ballads.

Nice bass...and some sweet acoustic guitar...some powerful vocals... will set you back on your heels.

2nd cut and the last cut are filled with emotion.

and

"Save a Horse...Ride a Cowboy" ROCKS

Not a country fan...dig this band.

Yes, sorry I forgot to mention the title, which is indeed "The Milk-Eyed Mender" (thanks Drubin). I think she self-published two earlier CD's, but I've never heard either. The Mindy Smith, by the way, is titled "One Moment More".

Marco

Marco, I have her album The Milk-Eyed Mender. Great songs and playing. The voice is a bit of a challenge, as you say.

Mindy Smith is great russ. Dolly actually joins her on her own song "Joliene" which is a great version of that song.

I'll add one that I think I may have already mentioned on another thread: Joanna Newsom. She's definitely a love her or hate her kind of singer, largely because of her voice, which is a high-pitched little girl voice..kind of like an eight year-old singing. The songs are wonderful, as is her harp playing. If you listen to the lyrics very long you'd quickly realize this is no eight year-old. An unusual combination for sure, but it didn't take long for me to love it. If you try it, don't give up after a few minutes, which I'd hazard a guess some may be inclined to.

Marco
Marco

Mindy Smith, nice ballads. A young voice kinda like a young Dolly Parton but don't let that put you off, it's a VERY good album and I'm not a country music guy.

I have two that I have mentioned on other threads, but are worth mentioning again.

1. Hiromi - Brain. Excellent piano jazz. Hiromi's cd is entertaining, fun and different.

2. Christos Hatzis - Awakening. Awakening is a classical piece that explores the tension between an indigenous people and the technology of foreigners by using the sound of trains and Inuit chanting interwoven with the music of a string quartet. I found it a moving piece.

John

A "duhk" walked into a store and asked for a tube of chapstick. The clerk said, "that'll be .79." The duhk replied, "Just put it on my "bill". Quack,quack quack.

The next day the same duhk walked into the store and put a pack of condoms on the counter. The clerk said, "Do you want me to put these on your bill?" To which the duhk answered, "Now, just what kind of duhk do you think I am?"

The Duhks are great.

The "Duhks" self titled. A great canadian acoustic based group I just saw live at Suwannee Springfest. A nice blend of irish, bluegrass, soul & alittle funk thrown in for fun.

April Barrows,what a sexy voice,,,,,Zero7,really good electronica

Right on Newbee! Rene Marie is all jazz all the time.

One of the audiophile mags recently raved about Masterpieces by Ellington. I second the nomination. The sound quality on the first four tracks is beyond great.

Also, "Artifact" by Sound Tribe Sector Nine. I can't categorize the music but it is at once beautiful, engaging, hypnotic, and interesting. Good sound, too.

Jazz Singer, relatively new on recordings, Rene Marie. I started out with Live at Jazz Standard on MaxJazz. She has 3 other albums on MaxJazz since 2000. She's the real thing! No pop singer, jazz wantabee crossover. Very highly recommended. Great recordings as well.

Give "The Ditty Bops" a listen.

The Volebeats Solitude CD. The instrumentals I can only desctribe as Country Surf Guitar music.

Also digging the Detroit Cobras. Mink Rat or Rabbit release. Fun old school garage band sound.

The Devil Makes Three is another band that's interesting. Sort of Generation X folk music with an attitude.

And The Shins, Chutes Too Narrow CD continues to get regular play. I'm not tiring of this one at all.

Tift Merritt--beautiful and the woman can sing, cross of rock, rhythm and blues, and country.
HEM--unique, poetic folk with lush strings--singer has captivating voice.

Pat Metheny Group, The Way Up, released 1-25-05. If you like him you're gonna love it. highly recommended!

Jimmie D. Lane and Double Trouble- "It's Time"