For me its the first or very early LP's of: Allman Brothers - "Allman Joys" "Idyllwild South" Santana - "Santana" 200 g reissue Emerson Lake and Palmer - "Emerson Lake and Palmer" and, Beethoven - "Piano Concerto No. 4 in G Major" Rudolph Serkin/Ozawa/BSO
Barney Kessel & Friends - Barney Plays Kessel (Concord Jazz LP, 1975) All Kessel compositions. The friends include Victor Feldman, Jake Hanna, Milt Holland and Jimmy Rowles.
Marvin Gaye - What's Going On (Tamla LP, 1971) IMHO one of the few truly great *albums* - as unified works of art - to have been done in the medium (any genre), plus one of the most original.
Kenny Burrell - God Bless The Child (CTI LP, 1971) One of my favorite jazz guitarists, he's the antithesis of pro forma flash. With Ron Carter b., Billy Cobham d., Freddie Hubbard t., Hubert Laws f., Ray Barretto and Airto Moreira pc., Don Sebesky string arr.
Victor Feldman - ...Plays Everything In Sight (Pacific Jazz LP, mid-60's) British-born LA session stalwart is credited with 20 different instruments in this one-man show of lightweight upbeat instros.
Ramsey Lewis Trio - Another Voyage (Cadet LP, 1969) The latter-day version of the Trio with Maurice White d. and Cleveland Eaton b., plus Phil Upchurch g. I probably own between 20-30 of this guy's records. While some may not consider the popular piano trio cats like Lewis, McCann, Jamal, Bryant, etc. to be 'real' jazz artists, I defy them to stay seated when this combo in its prime starts to swinging the hits. This very fine acoustic/electric set is toward the end of the really meaty part of his run. BTW, I saw Ramsey live and acoustic around 1990, and he's actually a monster pianist and musician, pop hits or no, with a wider range then he generally showed off back in the day.
The Four Seasons - Genuine Imitation Life Gazette (Philips LP, 1969) The group's last album, they probably seemed an anachronism by this time. But the humorously entertaining double-gatefold jacket does the faux newspaper concept 3 years before Tull's "Brick", while the graphics and mock-topical 'articles' mixed among the lyrics are chocked with self-deprecating inside jokes. The music's trendily rococo psych-pop montage is influenced by the likes of The Hollies, The Association, The Cyrkle, and The Left Banke - certainly a far cry from their falsetto, neo-doo-wop take on Brill Building pop of a few years earlier, if not as distinctive, catchy, or hit-bound.
Dr. Feelgood - Malpractice (Columbia LP, 1975) The original lineup with Wilko Johnson on guitar, at their peak on their second album. Among the hardest-edged of the so-called 'pub-rock' British roots rockers of the era: driving, single-minded, revved-up rhythm & blues.
Flamin Groovies - Teenage Head (Buddha expanded reissue 1999 CD, orig. 1971) The apotheosis of their 'American Stones' period (think "Banquet" thru "Exile"), before original vocalist Roy Loney (who came off as more of a cross between early Elvis and Them-era Van Morrison than Jagger) split from the group. The bonus tracks are raw-sounding cover jams, spotty fun but nonessential, and should be programmed-out for maximum effect when playing the powerhouse 9-song album proper, which triumphs despite its inherent derivative-ness due to the timeless combination of great rocking performances of great rock and roll songs, simple as that.
Johnny Carroll - Rock Baby, Rock It (compilation, Bear Family import CD, 1996; Warner Bros, Decca, and Sun singles and unreleased outtakes orig. rec. 1956-60) Texas rockabilly wildman in the mold of Elvis and Gene Vincent was one of the best of the genre, but like literally hundreds of others never scored a national hit (top barn-burner "Wild Wild Women" has often been included on VA comps). The usual fantastic Bear Family job of providing excellent sound and annotation.
Simon & Garfunkel - Live From New York City, 1967 (Columbia/Legacy CD, 2002) Two voices, one guitar, 19 stone-classic songs (possibly give or take one or two), boatloads of offhand-seeming but jaw-droppingly precocious talent, and a perfect performance, topped with wonderful concert hall sound. Both intimate and grand, timeless yet profoundly evocative of a particular moment in time, this precious artifact is revelatory and compulsory for anyone calling themselves a fan.
Spencer - glad you liked the Tarantule; all of the recordings by Paniagua and the Atrium Musicum Madrid are worth acquiring if you enjoy early music. They are all exceptional performances of interesting music superbly recorded. Here are a few to watch for:
Musique Arabo-Andalouse (Music of Arabic-Spain of the 9th-13th Centuries), Harmonia Mundi HM 389
La Folia (collection og Spanish Renaissance Dances, with some fun with chain saws and a Land Rover thrown in), Harmonia Mundi HM 1050
La Spagna (Music of Spain from the 15th-17th Centuries), BIS LP 163/164
Villancicos (collection of rural Spanish songs, 15th-16th Centuries), Harmonia Mundi HM 1025
Tarantella (collection of Italian ancient dances), Harmonia Mundi HM 379 - the recording you listed above. .
Images I and II for Piano, Michelangeli -pf, DGG 2530 196 Preludes, Book I, Michelangeli -pf, DGG 2531 200 Estampes, Jacobs -pf, Nonesuch H 71365 Images II for Piano, Jacobs -pf, Nonesuch H 71365
La Boite a Joujoux Printemps (Symphonic Suite) ..... Ansermet/OSR, Decca SXL 2136 (Speakers Corner reissue)
Coming up: Images pour orchestra (Complete), Argenta/OSR, London CS 6013 (Speakers Corner reissue) Danses sacree et profane for harp & strings, Slatkin/StLouisSO, Telarc 10071 .
Right now: Marianne Faithful - Strange Weather. She kinda scares me a bit. Preceeded by: Tarentule - Atrium Musicae de Madrid(thanks Rushton!) Yes - Tales From Topographic Oceans Velvet Underground - Loaded - Under-rated late lp from them after John Cale's departure. More pop, hummable tunes; not the stuff of legends, but a solid album Jefferson Airplane - Flight Log - One of my fav "best of compliations" that proves the diversity of the band Copland - Bernstein - 3rd Sym Connells - Boylan Heights - Quintessential late 80s&90s bar band that will appeal to fans of REM, Jayhawks, and Fountains of Wayne. Lots of jangly guitars, sarcasm & harmonies( a lot like life) Cheers, Spencer
Albert Collins - The Cool Sound Of... (TCF/Hall mono LP, 1965) The electric blues guitarist's rare debut long-player, and one of my nicest recent thrift store scores in excellent condition for the princely sum of $.80 cents. Among the several 'cool'-themed titles: "Frosty", "Sno-Cone", and "Don't Lose Your Cool". Albert's been a personal guitar hero of mine since I was in my teens and first dug his late-70's Alligator effort "Ice Pickin'", and I was glad to be able to catch him live at a small club back in '82 (just days after I turned legal :-) Though I've owned this music on an import reissue for many years, the original's cover-art pastel of a frosty highball on the rocks with an orange slice, maraschino cherry and a swizzle stick, plus the selection of hep-cat DJ endorsements on the back ("Albert Collins has got to become the next James Brown!" "AC's a bad motor-cycle!" "He puts the foxes away!" "This guitar-pluckin' fool from Texas is plumb out of his mind!" "Our 50,000 big watts aren't big enough for the big rockin' sound!") are a total hoot.
Billy Mure - Supersonic Guitars (MGM stereo LP, early 60's) Sessioneer leads a five-guitar army with three drummers in a set of accelerated, rocking dance instrumentals that recalls mid-period Ventures crossed with the studio wizardry of tape-echo multitrackers like Les Paul, Chet Atkins or Jorgen Ingmann, except that the liner notes claim everything was recorded live in the studio as you hear it: "...no tricks in the recording - no over-dubbing or re-tracking, no artificial sound effects - just pure actual sound of the widest spectrum caught as precisely as the recording mike ever has!" And: "Your living room becomes a miniature Cape Canaveral and your hi-fi rig a musical launching station as Billy Mure blasts off in sound!...Your passport into musical space - an album that will send you out of this world with each new play!" Cover photo of a Navy fighter jet in flight and titles like "Guitars In Space". Yeah baby!
Heifetz - Bach/Concerto For Two Violins in D Minor (w/Erick Friedman 2nd v., Sargent/New SO of London, RCA Living Stereo LP LSC-2577, 1961) Side One is Beethoven's "Kreutzer" Sonata with Brooks Smith p., recorded in a different space with lesser sound, but Bach is more my bag anyhow. Though there's an unobtrusive touch of coolish steel in the strings atypical of many earlier shaded dogs, this recording (Side Two) erects an immersive cathedral of sound that's immediate and enthralling, and the playing ain't shabby either.
Outkast - Big Boi & Dre Present... (LaFace/Arista CD, 2001) Compilation from their first four albums '94-'00 plus three new bonus tracks, released to consolidate the success of the hit single "Ms. Jackson" and paved the way for the Rap duo's superstar breakout to come. Smart, imaginative, idiosyncratic and fun in ways I find most modern hiphop is not, and works the ol' woofers well too.
Telarcs 1979 "digital" soundstream recording of Stravinsky's Firebird Suite.Imported Pressing.DG-10039 Right now it's my only Firebird...I like the Atlanta Symp. and Robert Shaws conducting of this version is very good..but, would like to get a copy of the Dorati/LSO for sure.
Next up was...Supertramp's Crime of the Century..MFSL 1005 and Breakfast in America.
Closed with "The very best of Poco" 1975 CBS.. not too bad.
Last night... The Academy of St. Martin in the Field in Concert: Music of Albinoni, Bach, Beethoven, Handel, Mendelssohn, Mozart, Pachabel (Marriner/ASMF, Brown -vn, EMI ASD 3017)
Rimsky-Korsakov: Overture from May Night; Christmas Eve Suite; The Tale of the Tsar Saltan Suite (Jarvi/SNO, Chandos DBRD 3004)
Piano Works of Milton Babbit (Taub -pf, Harmonia Mundi HMC 5160)
Tonight... Just back from live chamber music at the Curtis Institute of Music: student recitals with music of Dohnanyi, Chopin, Bruch, de Falla. They may be students, but they are world class performers. The Dohnanyi "Serenade for Vn, Va & Vc" was stunning, and the performance of the Bruch "Scottish Fantasy" (arr: piano and violin) matched the best of the performances in my record collection, and in far better sound because it was live, second row center. .
So far A shoot-out between 2 versions of the "Firebird": Dorati/LSO Mercury reissue Liensdorf/Los Angeles Sheffield Lab 24
Another AudiogoN member (Sbank) and I listened to the Sheffield together last weekend, and we both thought the dynamics of the Sheffield were greater than the Mercury. After listening tonight to both, I still feel that way, at least as it comes across on my system. That said, I prefer the performance of the Dorati/LSO over the Sheffield because to me, there is more emotion and "fire" in his reading. There are no flies on either recording. You can't go wrong with either of them.
Last night was music night for our group, eight showed up and this is what we spun on the Walker TT.
Eels, "Electro Shock Blues" Terry Clark "Cool Struttin'" Sonny Rollins, "Way Out West" Dead Can Dance, "Serpents Egg." Bjork, "Gling Glo" Patsy Cline, "Patsy Cline Story" Miles Davis, "Kind of Blue" Miles Davis, "Tutu" Bill Evans, "At the Montreux Jazz Festival" Nirvana, "Nevermind" Stevie Ray Vaughn, "Riviera Paradise"
aluminum CD actually a computer burned CD-R of Diana Krall "when I look in your eyes" never actually heard her before the recording quality is just awesome.
Dark - Round The Edges (Arkarma Italian Import reissue, orig. rec. 1972) English power trio acid-psych/hard rock sound, not unreminiscent in spots of early Black Sabbath or Hawkwind. I didn't know anything about the band or the provenance of the original release before stumbling across this disk; from the repro it looks as though this may have been a limited-edition vanity pressing at the time, and this copy must itself be a relatively recent limited edition, with a textured-stock gatefold jacket plus booklet and in 180g pressing.
Unicorn - Blue Pine Trees (Capitol, 1974) Unpreposessing, somewhat generic, but uniformly winsome mixture of post-Beatles Brit-pop and post-Byrds country-rock, produced by Pink Floyd's David Gilmour (who also guests on pedal steel). Imagine Badfinger imitating the Flying Burrito Brothers covering Dwight Twilley tunes and you'll be in the general neighborhood.
Magic Sam's Blues Band - Black Magic (Delmark, about 1969) Second-gen Chicago electric blues guitarist/singer was infuential with his updated, smoothly soulful yet intense blend of Muddy Waters', B.B. King's, Bobby Bland's, Otis Rush's, and Sam Cooke's takes on the blues (but with his own distinct stamp, both vocally and instrumentally), he died tragically young. Often cited as a main progenitor of of the blues-soul crossover approach that later made Robert Cray a broad-appeal star.
Polycarbonate/aluminum:
Classic Reggae: The DeeJays (compilation, Music Club/Demon 2001, orig. rec. late-60's thru early-70's, Trojan Recordings) Prime cuts of the 'sound-system' kings like U Roy, I Roy, Big Youth, etc., in the eccentric genre that spawned Dub and contributed to the foundation of Rap.
Lee Morgan Quintet - Take Twelve (Jazzland/Original Jazz Classics/Fantasy '89, orig. 1962) The trumpeter's first date as leader after leaving Blakey's Jazz Messengers, with Clifford Jordan t.s., Barry Harris p., Bob Cranshaw b., and Louis Hayes d. For a guy who's mainly remembered today for his funky-bop jukebox hit "The Sidewinder", Morgan remains one of my personal favorite composers and players of the era, and I have yet to discover a run-of-the-mill album from him (another one who died too young, by violence at a club in 1972). The uptempo stuff is typically varied and invigorating, but the nicest thing here may be the beautifully elegiac "A Waltz For Fran", which sounds neither like a usual jazz waltz nor a usual jazz ballad, but rather stately and meditative, like gentle waves lapping upon a sandy shore at sunset, with a simple but satisfying melody that sticks in the head, delivered with tender tone and touch.
With fellow "goNer Sbank along for the ride today, a playlist as long as your arm. I'll try and replicate what I can remember: Dead Can Dance "Into The Labyrinth" Louis Armstrong "Satchmo Plays King Oliver" Stravinsky "Firebird Suite" Leinsdorf/Los Angeles (Sheffield Lab 24) Elvis Costello Ben Folds "Live" Oscar Peterson Sonny Rollins Quintet "Tenor Madness" (Prestige LP 7047) Prokofieff "Lieutenant Kiji" Reiner/Chicago (Chesky RC10) Supertramp "Crime Of The Century" Speaker's Corner reissue
Miles Davis "Sketches Of Spain" (Columbia PC 8271) Gene Ammons "Blue Gene" (Prestige 7146) Classic Records 180g reissue Keith Jarrett "The Koln Concert" (ECM 1064/65) The resolving power of my new preamp really showed itself on this recording tonight. All the humming, foot tapping, hall noises, and assorted moans, groans came through LOUD AND CLEAR ;)
Cheryl Wheeler: "Cheryl Wheeler" Northstar W0001 Paul Simon: "There Goes Rhymin' Simon" Columbia 25589 Sonny Boy Williamson: "Keep It To Ourselves" Alligator AL 4787
Just to confuse all of you who think I listen only to classical. ;-) .
hey Rob,hows all the new gear sounding?now that i have a record cleaning machine im going thru some albums ive had since i was 14 and see what i can salvage,,,,
Sbank, for a good Schubert Trout Quintet on LP, consider either:
Clifford Curzon and Members of the Vienna Octet, Decca SXL 2110 (Speakers Corner reissue) (my preferred performance and recording); or
The Festival Quartet, RCA LSC 2147 (Classic Records reissue)
These were among some recordings I recommended recently on an "introduction to classical music" thread for someone looking for CDs. CD or LP, these are superb performances.
And, thanks for your comments; while I do listen to a lot of classical music, and I've collected quite a few recordings which I enjoy, I still defer to others on this forum who are more knowledgable about the music than I. And, as Texasdave points out to me regularly, I'm not familiar with many great recordings that are available only on CD. .
Rush, Your depth of Classical knowledge & the records to accompany it, never ceases to amaze me. If I ever build my Classical collection to 1% of yours, with your continuing excellent recommendations, it will be a proud collection. Schubert "Trout" is next in the "buy" queue. Recent spinners: Ryan Adams - Gold - maybe it's too produced, perhaps it's too obviuosly searching for airplay, but this record just wears well on me. Great simple songs, interesting lyrics, stuff to get stuck in your head all day long. Besides the vinyl sounding better, you get extra songs not on the CD. Television - Marquee Moon - A punky masterpiece that never received the audience it deserved, except from the critics. Plenty of new bands have learned from this LP. Charles Mingus - Mingus, Mingus, Mingus, Mingus, Mingus - (Import 180g) Pink Floyd - Wish You Were Here Brahms - Szell/Cleveland - Sym No.1 - Epic Van Morrison - Moondance - 180g German pressing Squeeze - Argybargy Copeland - Bernstein/NYP - The Copland Album - Columbia A recently found mono Everly Brothers is on deck...Cheers, Spencer
Tonight... Bartok - various compositions based on the folk tunes he collected, all on Hungaraton LPs from the 1970s. Hungaraton did a full series of all of Bartok's music and these are largely wonderful performances and recordings. Tonight's are all orchestral with the Budapest Symphony Orchestra with either Korodi or Erdelyi conducting: ...Four Old Hungarian Folk Songs ...Four Slovak Folk Songs ...Hungarian Folk Songs ...Slovak Folk Songs ...Rumanian Dance 1 - Orch Version ...Wooden Prince Suite ...Vn Conc 1 (1908)
And continuing this evening of Bartok into chamber music: ...44 Duos for Two Violins, performed by the legendary Wanda Wilkomirska (love her playing) ...Seven Pieces from Mikrokosmos, for two pianos .
Not much over the past several days - raking leaves, Thanksgiving, sports on TV, and then I tore apart the system and vacuumed and cleaned everything down, and readjusted my shelf heights to make way for the ExactPower so I could get it off the floor. The tube monoblocks are removed 'cause my upgrade coupling caps just arrived and it's off to the tech shop they go, so the backup SS stereo amp has taken up residence for the time being. During the last 24:
LP:
The Jimi Hendrix Concerts (2LP, Reprise 1982) I have to admit I do not yet own any of the more recent Experience Hendrix silver disk reissues or compilations, so for all I know this release may be obsolete now, but that doesn't mean there's anything wrong with it either, except for some naturally variable sound quality among the different venues. Seems mastered a bit on the mellow side though, which some might consider a good thing given all the distortion (of the performances, that is).
CD:
The Equals - First Among Equals (2CD, Ice UK import collection, 1994) Eddy Grant's original band, he of "Electric Avenue" and "Romancing The Stone" 80's fame. The Equals were a genre-busting, racially integrated late-60's English band that combined elements as diverse as ska, British Invasion-style pop, Caribbean calypso, American-style R&B, psychedelic rock, and bubblegum (their minor American hit was "Baby Come Back" in '68, on RCA). The Clash covered their song "Police On My Back" for the Sandinista album, and several English and Australian 60's bands covered other of their tunes.
The Blue Things (expanded reissue, Rewind/BMG 2001, orig. rec. 1964-'67) Midwestern garage-beat, folk-rock, pop-psych band originally on RCA (one of that label's first post-Elvis signings of a rock band in the 60's, before the Jefferson Airplane, recorded with good sound at their famed 'Nashville Sound' studio by Felton Jarvis). Derivative but but quite accomplished and enjoyable period stuff for fans of bands like The Beau Brummels, The Lovin' Spoonful, etc.
Tuesday night music sessions with the gang. This is what I remember, (we played other titles).
Peggy Lee, 1956 mono LP, "Black Coffee." Rickie Lee Jones, "Traffic From Paradise." Ella Fitzgerald, 1960 Stereo, "Let No Man Write My Epitaph" Vitaly Gnutov, "Balalaika Favorites" Rudolf Belov, Osipov State Carmen McRae, 1990 Stereo, "Carmen Sings Monk" Billie Holiday, "Lady In Satin" (45 RPM) Tina Brooks, "Back To The Tracks" (45 RPM)
So far: Josef Suk "String Quartet, Op.31" Suk Quartet (Supraphon 1111 3370) Intimate, very well recorded small ensemble string music John Coltrane "Blue Train" (Blue Note ST-46095) a Rudy Van Gelder gem.
ÂTaylor's Wailers - This is a late 50's mono set that is drummer Art Taylor's first recording as a leader. High energy set that features Ray Bryant's swinging and harmonically advanced piano playing, and Art Taylor's powerful but nuanced drumming. The horn players; Charlie Rouse, Donald Byrd and Jackie McClean blend beautifully and have immediately recognizable solo voices. John Coltrane, Red Garland and Paul Chambers are on one cut. The high points of the record are the two Monk tunes that close the set; Minor Swing and Well You Needn't. Apparently, Monk wrote the arrangements and conducted these tunes during the recording session, and it shows. All the rhythmic quirkiness and signature chord changes featured in Monk's own recordings are in evidence. Great record.
ÂMiki Honeycutt - Soul Deep Late 80's recording from a Rounder affiliate that simply cooks. This lady has that big, brassy soul queen sound, but with a distinctively bright vocal timbre. Stylistically, less Gopspel and more Broadway, which works great here. Excellent, hyper-tight, backup band cooks throughout. No question that these folks know their way around 60s and 70s Blues and R&B.
Ray, Rushton, As Billie Holiday fans, you might want to check out a sort-of-new artist named Madeleine Peyroux. She has 2 CDs out, one from this year, the other about 7-8 years ago. She has a voice and style that answer the question, "If Billie was born in the modern age, what would she sound like?" Her new album has received many raves...Cheers, Spencer
Miles Davis "Kind Of Blue" (Columbia CS 8163) 45 rpm Classic Records 200g reissue Allman Brothers Band "At Fillmore East" (Capricorn SD2 802)Classic Records 200g reissue Sonny Rollins "Saxophone Colossus" (Prestige P7079) OJC 180g reissue Clemencic Consort/Rene Clemencic "Danses Anciennes De Hongrie Et De Transylvanie" (Harmonia Mundi HM 1003) Moussorgsky "Pictures At An Exhibition" Reiner/CSO (RCA LSC 2201) Classic Records reissue
And, for good measure, a couple of CDs thrown in: Dead Can Dance "Into The Labyrinth", track 1 "Yulunga" Mark Knopfler "Shangri-La" 2 channel SACD version
Mozart Horn Concertos, McGegan/Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra with Lowell Greer playing natural horn (everyone knows how HARD this is to play a valveless baroque horn, right?), Harmonia Mundi HMU 7012 (another outstanding recording by Peter McGrath) .
For Billie Holliday, I'm not an expert but I've liked both "Songs for Distingue Lovers" (Classic Records reissue) and "Lady Sings the Blues" (Speakers Corner reissue). Distingue Lovers is probably her most well known album: it's certainly the one I've heard the most about over the years. But, Lady Sings the Blues really grabs me. .
Rushton,i just recieved my copy of Doc Watson ,Southbound from ups about 20 min ago,,cleaned it and put it on ,,wow!!great album,,,pickin and grinin ,its amazing how a new album can sound so much better with a good cleaning!!Happy Thanksgiving to all!
So far tonight... Walter Leigh: Concertino for Harpsichord & String Orchestra, Braithwaite/LPO, Pinnock -hpd, Lyrita SRCS 126
Malcolm Lipkin, Clifford's Tower/Pastorale/String Trio, The Nash Ensemble, Hyperion A66164 (modern British composer, still actively composing in his 70's. Wish I had more of his music. Anyone know of any additional recordings to recommend?)
Don & The Goodtimes - So Good (Epic, 1967) Sunshine pop plus. Dig that impeccable Cali studio sheen backing the multi-part harmonies, all wrapped up courtesy the aforementioned Jack Nitzsche's arranging and producing talents. Despite a surfeit of catchy tunes and a history of prior singles that sold well regionally in the Northwest (and a regular gig on Dick Clark's Where The Action Is), this turned out to be their lone LP. They morphed from a prototypical stompin' white R&B band along the lines of such compatriots as the original Paul Revere & The Raiders, The Sonics, and The Wailers, but perhaps just a bit late in the game to make it big like the Raiders did.
[Speaking of The Sonics, have you dug the new Land Rover TV ad which features their brutal version of The Sharps' classic "Have Love Will Travel"? The pairing of a luxury SUV and this primal punk pounder is just as ludicrous on its face as previous similar campaigns in recent years (such as Iggy's "Lust For Life" selling cruises) to be sure, but you can't help enjoying hearing this stuff coming through the tube, and I smile at the fact that those at whom the ads are aimed probably never heard of the stuff...]
Ray Bryant - Dancing The Big Twist (Columbia 6-eye stereo, about 1961?) One of my fav jazz pianists and composers turns in the obligatory dance craze cash-in disk. Good, but not as outstanding as his earlier dance craze effort, Madison Time (prominently featured in John Waters' Hairspray movie). Players include Mickey Roker, Buddy Tate, Harry Edison, and Ray Barretto among others.
The Chico Hamilton Quintet - The Chico Hamilton Special (CSP reissue, orig. Columbia rec. 1960) The eternal answer to the seldom-asked question, what is the best jazz group to have featured cello and flute? Not conceited 'chamber-jazz' devoid of swing, but simply bracingly singular music that follows its own path in a most subtle and satisfying way.
Dead Boys - We Have Come For Your Children (Sire, 1978) Still doesn't hold a candle to their '77 "Young Loud and Snotty" debut, but not much does.
Big Joe Williams - Nine String Guitar Blues (Delmark, probably about 1970, maybe recorded earlier) This is a record my father bought at my urging when I was in my early teens. He liked the fact that I was into the blues, and I got to listen to the record without having to buy it myself. When I put this on tonight, I realized - which I hadn't before - that I also have a couple of these tracks on a Delmark blues compilation CD I picked up cheap last summer. So naturally I compared the sound between LP and CD, and was pleased at how close the two were timbrally, which tends to confirm the overall accuracy of each leg of my playback chain (although I did slightly prefer the LP, which sounds just a bit less forward, edgy, and granular, and lacks the incipient distortion on vocal peaks present for some reason on the CD, presumably a remastering artifact).
Gerry Mulligan Meets Paul Desmond (Verve, 1957) The baritone and alto chase each other around over Mulligan's pianoless bass and drums rhythm section. Their copious counterpoint was apparently improvised without prior rehearsal.
Rushton, I lucked out! It was an odd copy from the 3 record set Rick had that had been returned because the label on one side was wrinkled and loose. Outstanding!! sonics and recording second to none, rousing performance. Played it twice this evening. I won't even disclose the price, suffice to say that after hearing it I feel guilty for "stealing" it from Rick. When I saw it, I scooped it into my pile of discs.
Mercury reissue of Dorati/Minneapolis "Seven Studies On Themes Of Paul Klee
Slipknot, what an outstanding record! The music is amazing, the performance is great, and the recording is one of the best. Is this now available individually from Speakers Corner (versus only as part the 3LP set), or is this an odd copy Rick had? If these are now available individually, folks who passed this by initially because of the cost of the set should really consider getting this LP (SR 90282, very accessible and coupled with Fetler's "Contrast for Orchestra" - a very nice piece). .
Tvad, I agree w/you that Neck & Neck is great CD! Haven't seen it on vinyl either.
Listening right now to freshly purchased Al Dimeola/John McLaughlin/Paco DeLucia - Friday Night in San Francisco. Probably the most accomplished acoustic guitar record I've heard. I've always liked DiMeola solo, but the interplay on this record is just palpable...amazing stuff. Recently spun: Eric Clapton - At His Best Joni Mitchell - Blue 10,000 Maniacs - In My Tribe 10cc - Greatest Hits Grateful Dead - American Beauty REM - Eponymous Jeff Beck - Wired Beach Boys - Pet Sounds (stereo reissue) Ben Folds - Live (Great album of solo piano/vocals - funny, too!) Blondie - Autoamerican (proving to my daughters that rap is 20+ years old! Villa-Lobos/Prokofiev - Uirapuru & Cinderella - Stowkowki/Everest Kate Bush - The Dreaming (starting to sound a little dated) Charlie Mingus - Best of Aimee Mann - Lost in Space (MFSL) I've been busy! Cheers, Spencer
Tvad, I also recommend Knopfler's "Local Hero Soundtrack" Not only the vinyl, but the movie too, if you've never seen it, directed by Bill Forsyth, starring Peter Reigert and Burt Lancaster. Really quirky and funny.
Still going through my acquisitions from our audio group's (including AudiogoN's Sbank) field trip to Red Trumpet Records today. Mark Knopfler "Ragpicker's Dream" spinning on the CEEDEE player. among the new items in the collection: A sealed, mono, Japanese pressing of Miles Davis "Bag's Groove" a little pricey, but what the hell... Count Basie "88 Basie Street" 45 rpm, 200g. Pink Floyd "WYWH" CBS half-speed master used, but in OK shape Lucinda Williams "World Without Tears" Jerry Garcia/Merle Saunders "Live At Keystone" Still another pressing of Miles Davis "Kind of Blue" this one a 180g from Absolute Analogue The Roaches "The Roaches" 180g reissue A slightly wrinkled center lable copy of the Mercury reissue of Dorati/Minneapolis "Seven Studies On Themes Of Paul Klee
Even though it is a silver disc, "Ragpicker's Dream" is a very worthwhile addition to your collection if you are a Knopfler/Dire Straits fan
Live music for us Friday and Saturday: Last night: The Curtis Institute of Music faculty recital. Chamber music just doesn't get any better than the Field Hall at the Curtis: perfectly sized for chamber music, with seating for 250 people, and lovely acoustics. Last night: Victor Danchenko, violin, with Micah Yui, piano performing exquisitely: JANÃCEK Sonata for Violin and Piano; SCHUMANN Fantasy in C major; DEBUSSY "En bateau" from Petite suite, La plus que lente, Claire de lune; FRANCK Sonata in A major. Followed by encore pieces by Paradis and Kreisler. Second row, center, 15' from the performers: it just doesn't get better that this.
The Crusaders - The 2nd Crusade (Blue Thumb, 1973) Sometimes you feel like a nut, sometimes you don't. Most of the time I feel like giving preference to The Jazz Crusaders 60's acoustic material, but sometimes I've got to get that (plain old) Crusaders 70's electric groove on. Hi Siliab!
V.A. - "Flex Your Head" (Dischord, 1982) Every few years or so, I pull out thee harDCore punk sampler and remind myself that you really had to be there - which I was in large part, but am no longer.
V.A. - "Ear-Piercing Punk" (Trash, early 80's?) Long-OOP 60's garage punk comp featured a cover designed to look like it contained '77-era material; I wonder how many people this has fooled over the years. Still some of the most arresting sleeve art ever, and a totally hot comp besides. Happy to say I own original 45's of two of the sixteen great singles represented: "I Need Love" by The Third Booth, and "Enough" by The Bohemian Vendetta. (Wish it were more, but I don't pay collector prices for these slabs, I dig 'em up on my own.) To me this stuff still wears better today than most anything made in later years that actually called itself punk.
Jerry Cole & The Stingers - Guitars A Go Go! (comp., Beatrocket 2000, orig. rec. 1963-66) Collected tracks from four budget-bin surf/hot rod instro LP's (out of roughly 80 he was responsible for, in a variety of genres and under a variety of pseudonyms). A widely-recorded session man, you might know Cole best (even if you don't actually *know* it) for the ringing arpeggiated riff that's the signature of the inaugural Monkees smash "Last Train To Clarksville". I do own a couple of the original supermarket-special LP's, but Sundazed's 180-gram pressing holds up better in the microwave...
Supertramp "Crime Of The Century" (A&M SP 3647) Speaker's Corner 180g reissue. After the discussion in this thread last night, how could I not? I said it before, I'll say it again - Holo-freaking-graphic! Sonny Rollins "Saxophone Colossus" (Classic reissue OJC-291) 180g Mozart "Sonatas For Piano and Violin K.296,305,306" Perlman/Barenboim (Deutsche Grammophon 415 102-1)
Time for one more disc still before Monday Night Football..
Bach - Casals Conducts Brandenburg Concertos - Marlboro Festival Orch. Columbia 2 eye Not the greatest recording, but music good enough to hold my attention through all 6 sides. Peterson/Brown/Thigpen - Sound of the Trio - Verve A really underrated jazz LP w/nice version of On Green Dolphin St. The Kenny Drew Trio Riverside/OJC Chopin - Sonatas 2&3 Wilhelm Kempff - London ffrr Al DiMeola - Land of the Midnight Sun Modern Jazz Qrt - Concorde - Prestige/OJC - One of the best albums featuring vibes that I've heard. Plenty versions better than the OJC I have. Mozart - Sym 40&41 - Reiner/CSO Shaded Dog Renaissance - Turn of the Cards - Sire; A classic in it's genre, a beautiful blend of art rock & folk, with a nod to the baroque. Annie Haslam's fine voice has never sounded better. Cheers, Spencer
Hi. If you and Joe decide to do a shoot out with Crime of the Century I have the MFSL and Mike may have an original UK. I've always loved that album. The Speakers Corner is supposed to be very very good and some have reported it's better than an original UK.
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