Stephane Grapelli and Barney Kessel |
Last evening:
Coleman Hawkins w/ Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis - "Night Hawk". Prestige Swingline 180g reissue. Beautiful recording from 1960 by Rudy Van Gelder.
Handel - "Water Music" Dorati/LSO Mercury Living Presence original.
Sonny Rollins - "Tenor Madness" 180g reissue |
Tonight:
Dire Straits - "Live/Alchemy"
Emerson Lake & Palmer - "Welcome Back My Friends To The Show That Never Ends" |
Vinyl bought new this afternoon:
Johnny "Guitar" Watson, "Bow Wow" on Wilma ($8.00)
The Kinsey Report, "Midnight Drive" on Alligator ($8.00)
Clifton Chenier and his Red Hot Louisiana Band, "New Orleans" On GNP Crescendo, ($12.00)
Muddy Waters, "King Bee" on Blue Sky ($10.00)
All except the last one are NOS, the Alligator album is a delete with a cut corner. I guess the fact they never were the most popular music around is the reason they were still there for me circa 2004. |
Yesterday...
The Beatles "White Album" in 17 different vinyl releases, compliments of a local collector who brought them over for a listen. (We listened to selected cuts from 8 for comparison.) :-)
Crosby, Stills & Nash - "CSN" - comparison of an early original to the Classic Records reissue. Had high hopes for the Classic reissue based on all the comments. In comparison to the original, the Classic was "flat" and uninvolving, largely due to the recessed vocals. The tonal balance on a CD reissue was more true to the original's balance. A disappointment.
Credence Clearwater Revival - "Green River" - the Analogue Productions reissue done by Hoffman and Gray (Acoustech) was excellent (limited only by the less than outstanding sound on the master tape).
"88 Basie Street" - 45rpm reissue from Analogue Productions done by Hoffman and Gray (Acoustech). Superb. And a real pleasure to get back to acoustic instruments after an afternoon of the "less than real." (At last a source suitable for some critical listening a few tweaks to the system.)
Jesse Colin Young, "Soul of a City Boy" - just a single guitar and voice beautifully and simply captured in the studio from 1973. Capitol ST 11267.
Willaert, "Motets" - Rifkin/BostonCamerata, Nonesuch H71345
Schoenberg, "Five Pieces for Orchestra, op16" - Dorati/LSO, Mercury SR 90316 Speakers Corner reissue. (I continue to be amazed.)
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Tonight
"The Reiner Sound" - Fritz Reiner/Chicago Symphony RCA LSC 2183 (Classic reissue): Ravel - "Rapsodie Espagnole", "Pavan For A Dead Princess" Rachmaninoff - "Isle Of The Dead"
Grofe - "Grand Canyon Suite" Morton Gould and his Orchestra RCA LSC 2433 (Late pressing)
Stravinsky - "Rite of Spring" Maazel/Cleveland Orchestra Telarc DG-10054 |
I picked up a copy of Bruce Cockburns album"Stealing Fire"for a dollar,its one of the best sounding records I have! |
Raytheprinter,
I love "If I had a Rocket Launcher" from that LP! It may not be the most PC in this day and age, but it sounds very good never-the-less. |
TA LKI N GHE ADS SP EAK IN GI N TO NGU ES greats and great sound |
Planned for this evening... Stravinsky's Rite of Spring (Solti/LSO, Decca SXL 6691) and Beethoven's 9th Symphony (Solti/LSO, Decca 6BB 121/2). It's a "big sound" evening. |
On the menu tonight:
Rachmaninoff - "Piano Concerto No. 3" Bryon Janis/Antal Dorati/LSO. Mercury Living Presence 180g reissue
Modest Mouse - "The Moon And Antarctica" |
I'll be interested in your comment on the Rachmaninoff Mercury reissue, if you're willing to offer one, Joe. |
Rush,
I don't own a copy of the original Merc pressing, but have heard one in good condition a few times. I will say that the reissue is pretty faithful to the original in sound, maybe a tad brighter, with the double basses sounding a little more recessed. What can I say about Janis' reading of this piece? He is a brilliant performer, and all his emotive playing comes to the fore here. From the trills, to running the keyboard. An excellent outing from what I hope will be many more reissues from the Living Presence series. |
Thanks, Joe. Each of the Speakers Corner Mercury reissues I've heard thus far have been excellent. Appears that this one is following in that same pattern. Another to add to the "want list." |
A near mint of Mercury Living Presence Ernst Bloch Concerto Grosso 1&2 performed by Howard Hanson and the Eastman-Rochester Symphony. Price marked: sixty five cents. |
Bach - "Concerto For Violin and Oboe" Kapp/Ravina/Roseman Philharmonia Virtuosi of New York
Boismortier - "Sonatas For Flute and Harpsichord" Robin Hendrich/Philip Kraft
Haydn - "The Cello Concertos" Robinson/Harnoy Toronto Chamber Orchestra |
Handel - "Messiah" in a small group performance by Christophers/The Sixteen, Hyperion A66251/2
The Oslo Consort (harpsichord, transverse flute, baroque guitar) playing music of the baroque period by Couperin, Monteclair, Piccinini, Quagliata, Riccio - Simax PS 1006 (such a delightfully recorded harpsichord) |
Cannonball Adderley - "Know What I Mean" Analogue Productions 45rpm reissue of Riverside 9433
Prokofiev - "Lt. Kije" Reiner/CSO
Stravinsky - "Song of the Nightingale"
... both on Classic Records' reissue of RCA LSC 2150
(I love the Reiner/CSO performance of Lt. Kije, but the Song of the Nightingale is the recording engineering's masterpiece on this record.)
Simon and Garfunkel - "Bridge Over Troubled Water"
And coming up -
Shostakovich - "String Quartet No. 8" played by the Fiztwilliam Quartet on L'Oiseau Lyre DSLO 11.
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Chicago - Chicago Transit Authority. All 4 sides. My first listen in a loooong time and I had forgotten what a great LP it is. |
Sonny Rollins Quartet - "Tenor Madness" (Prestige LP 7047/Classic Records reissue)
Dire Straits - "Love Over Gold" (Warner 23728-1)
Rachmaninoff - "Isle Of The Dead" Reiner/Chicago Symphony (RCA LSC 2183/Classic Records reissue |
A bunch of DGG and Philips albums I recently got for $5.99 a piece, brand new and sealed. Actually they were samples that probably disappeared from circulation since 1980. Among the lot my favourite is Dvorak Symphony No 9, Concertgebow, Colin Davis, Philips 9500 511. The surfaces are remarkable, leading to me to believe that the proper pressing of vinyl is a very European art that is lost and has little to do with making the vinyl thicker and charging $40.00 for it. |
Shostakovich - "String Quartet No. 15," Fitzwilliam Qt on L'Oiseau Lyre
"Early Music at Wik" - Joculatores Upsalienses, BIS LP 3 |
Unfortunately nothing, I don't have a turntable yet. The wife says I have to wait until July to get one. I'm protesting and buying records anyway. I stack them up on top of my CD player hoping the vinyl sound will trickle in somehow. |
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GOOD ONE ALBERT! Now turn it on and tell us what happens:^)
There's nothing on mine for the next two weeks. We're re- facing the fireplace in marbel, then we are going to re-do the floor in pergo.
My whole system is down right now, it could be two weeks before I'm back up and running. |
Josef Haydn - "Seven Last Words Of Christ, Op.51" Amadeus Quartet (Westminster XWN 18055)
J.S. Bach - "Orchestral Suites" Linde-Consort (EMI/Angel SB-3943) |
Pbb -- any more where that came from? For me tonight is Rodrigo's Concierto de Aranjuez directed by Argenta with Yepes on the geetar. An old Decca orange label. |
All day today has been a music fest with friends over music and visiting. A sampling of what was on the turntable includes:
Telemann, Tafelmusik, BkIII, Bruggen/ConAmsterdam, Telefunken 6.35064
Laudate II, DrottingholmBarEns, UppsalaAcKammarkor, Anne Sophie von Otter, Proprius PROP 7860
La Spagna, Paniagua/AtrmMMadrid, BIS LP 163/164
Baroque Music for Cornett, Klimo OW 004
Kodaly, Sonata for Cello, Helmerson -vc, BIS LP 25
Cantus Gregorianus (chant), Claire/AbbeyStPierreSolesmes, SuperAnalogue 9165
Bach's Brandenburg Concerto #3, Pinnock/EnglishConcert and Britten/ECO |
Bobby Hutcherson: Happenings- Old Blue Note pressing mastered by Van Gelder. Sound is big, warm, sweet and beautiful. |
Didn't light up the system until late tonight but I got in
Mozart - "Requiem" Corboz/Symphonic Chorus and Orchestra of the Gulbenkian Foundation of Lisbon w/Elly Ameling, Barbara Scherler, Louis Devos, Roger Soyer (RCA AGL1-1533) |
A gospel sampler
The Dixie Hummingbirds - We Love You Like A Rock
Jack Johnson - On and On
All digital |
Ahhhhh. Our Tuesday night listening session.
Really mixed bag of tunes this evening, including Red Hot Chili Peppers, Les Paul & Mary Ford, Johnny Cash, The White Stripes, Tony Bennett, Bobby Darin, Jimmy Reed, Eminem, Keith Jarrett and Charlie Hayden, Bill Evans, Buena Vista Social Club and Frank Sinatra. |
Was the cat still on the turntable? Maybe a new tweak you picked up on? I sure hope the cat is not cryoed? Good day. |
Yes, cat was cryoed and while still frozen, we used his wiskers to play the LP's. That's the only way to get them stiff enough for 1.9 grams track force. |
ben harper "fight for your mind" from the french box set, the beatles "white album" russian pressing, and lucinda williams "world without tears." |
Handel's Apollo and Daphne, McGegan/PhilharmoniaBaroque, Judith Nelson, Harmonia Mundi HM 10067 (another superb engineering job by Peter McGrath)
Sammartini's Symphony in A, Concerto in C, Slovak Chamber Orchestra in a marvelous recording on Klimo OW 006 (coupled with Vivaldi concertos). If you love baroque music and you haven't discovered the six LPs made by Klimo (the German tube equipment mnaufacturer), get them if you ever see them. They are all wonderfully recorded with lovely performances. |
Enescu - "Sonata No. 3 In Romanian Folkstyle" David Abel, violin / Julie Steinberg, piano (Wilson Audiophile W-8315)
Delius - "Music of Delius" Sir Thomas Beecham/Royal Philharmonic Orchestra (Seraphim S-60165)
Miles Davis - "Sketches of Spain" (Columbia PC 8271/Classic Records 200g reissue) |
Ah, the Enescu Sonata: wonderful piece. Next time you can come over, Joe, let me introduce you to the Radu Lupu performance of this work in a characterful performance that captures some of the true Rumanian character of the work. Captivating.
Tonight has been:
Mississippi John Hurt, in concert at Oberlin from 1965 on a Vanguard LP
Burt Deivert and Eric Bibb, "River Road," Opus 3 8017
Therese Juel, "Levande," Opus 3 7917
Harry James, "The King James Version," Sheffield LAB 3 |
Ian & Sylvia's "So much for Dreaming"..Original 60's Vanguard Stereo. |
Early music tonight:
. Esther Lamandier, "Decameron" Astree AS 56
. Martin Best, "The Dante Troubadours" Nimbus 45017
. Joculatores Upsalienses, "Early Music a Wik" BIS LP 3
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Kenny Dorham's "Whistle Stop" |
Brand new copy of Vivaldi, "Le Quattro stagioni" Gidon Kremer, LSO Claudio Abbado. DGG 2531 287. I like it much better than the other recording I have on CD that uses period instruments by The Academy of Ancient Music. |
Tchaikovsky Symphony No 1, Concertgebouw/Haitink on Philips 9500 777 bought sealed for $5.99 CAD. Now I have the 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 6th (already had that last one but how can I remember albums bought twenty-five years ago?) purchased at the same time, sealed and for the same price, to listen to. Seems someone had discovered my stash before me and liked the 5th enough to buy it. Oh well could not buy them all, although I tried and wound up with fifty-five of these NOS Philips and DGG. Strange what you can find in the basement of used record shops! |
Last night,
Rachmaninoff - "Isle of the Dead" Reiner/CSO (RCA LSC2183 Classic Records reissue)
Enescu - "Sonata No. 3 in Rumanian Folkstyle" Able/Steinberg (Wilson Audiophile W-8315)
Rachmaninoff - "Piano Concerto No. 3" Janis/Dorati/LSO (Mercury SR90283 Speakers Corner reissue)
Listed these before, but they are familar to me as I am trying out a pair of Synergistic Research Signature 10X speaker cables.
Also 1 CD: Dead Can Dance "Into the Labyrinth" |
Nothing...I am without a cart and phono pre until the new ones arrive next weeK...Oh the pain!! |
nothing without amplifiers being upgraded been gone 4 weeks this Wednesday,they are now waiting for testing I feel your pain Kehut |
Tonight is:
~ Shostakovich - Sym 1/Bolt Ballet, Martinon/LSO, RCA LSC 2322 (Classic Records reissue)
~ Shostakovich - Str Qt 8, Borodin Qt, Decca SXL 6036 (Speakers Corner reissue - marvelous)
~ Verdi, Requiem, Reiner/VPO, Price, Tozzi, RCA LDS 6091 (Soria)
~ Ravel, Ma Mère l'Oye (Mother Goose), Skrowaczewski/MinnO, Reference Recordings Master Cuts RM 1004 (reissue of Vox)
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Stravinsky - "Firebird Complete Ballet" Dorati/LSO (Mercury SR90226/Classic Records 200g reissue)
Stravinsky - "Firebird Complete Ballet" Dorati/LSO (Mercury SR90226 original pressing)
Comparing the original to the Classic Records reissue |
And...??? What did you think after listening to an original vs. this reissue of the Firebird? |
Wellll-
The surface of the reissue is quieter, no doubt due in part to the fact that my original is a little beat up. Dynamics and soundstage are still there though. I'd say we have another winner reissue. I'm prejudice though as I love the performance. I feel the Sheffield/Leinsdorf/LA direct-to-disc recording still has the edge with respect to swings in dynamics and impact. But, the Mercury wins hands down for emotion and performance. |
