Album of the Evening

[firedog]

58 minutes ago, Paul R said:

I am not so sure his throat is strained, or just closed up with emotion. I am sure that too many histamines and too much tobacco do have something to do with the sound, but not all of it. 

 

George worked rehearsing for his tour and recording the album at the same time. Overworked his voice and lost his voice  before the tour. He toured anyway and was definitely hoarse on the tour and for much of the album. It was well documented and publicly discussed at the time. You can also hear his hoarseness in the press conferences at the time, where I don't think he was choked up on emotion. I saw the tour. The effect on his voice was quite audible when speaking to the audience and in performance.

 

I don't have the album handy at the moment, but listen to "So Sad" and you can clearly hear the strain in his voice. He can't hit the notes. It's a shame, because it's a great song that he didn't do justice to on record. Try the Myron Lefevre-Alvin Lee version (album "On the Road") of So Sad (with George on guitar) and you can clearly hear how much better the song can sound when sung properly.

[firedog]

13 hours ago, Paul R said:

Emerson Lake & Palmer – 1971.

 

My copy of this is a needle drop of the Cotillion Records release(SD 9040). Dang, even after all these years,  and listening to the album near a 100 times or more, it is still one heck of a musical trip.

 

Keith Emerson and Greg Lake both died back in 2016, and for me, that leavens listening to this music with sadness. Still, Emerson’s jazz-infused keyboards, Lakes inspired bass lines, and of course, Carl Palmer’s drumming make it well worth listening to today.  

 

Even if one walks “With sadness on your shoulders, like a worn out overcoat…” That line having stuck with me all these years, takes on new meaning now.

 

Is this progressive rock? Jazz? Sixties pop? Poetry? Classical? You call it. The first song on the album, _Barbarian_ is _Allegro Barbaro_ by Bela Bartok, and was the first song the band put together. Other tracks on the album area also just full of familiar surprises. I find delight in their unique take on some of this.

 

The band formed in 1970, and legend has it, their first live appearance, leading off with _Barbarian_ was a small club outside of London, and for which they were paid about 400 pounds. That was on August 23, 1970.  Their *second* appearance, also with a lot of this music, was at the Isle of Wright, and had an audience of about 600,000 people. That was a whole six days after their first appearance. I don’t know anyone who was there, so take that with a grain of salt. But any man who was there would surely have been a Lucky Man! 

 

 

The 2012 hires remaster is quite good if you are interested.There is also the Steve Wilson remix, which I don't like as much (and has slightly different tracks, as they couldn't find all the master tapes at the time).
 

[firedog]

12 hours ago, Jud said:

 

Yes, although I'd be interested in suggestions regarding versions with the best SQ.

 

The Weight of course is a classic, but I particularly love Chest Fever.

Well, Qobuz has several versions available. The 24/192 sounds more highly volume compressed than the newer 24/96 (remixed and remastered 2018) which sounds more like the original, I think (I don't have it available to  compare).
 

Of course, for those who aren't Jud, if you are only going to get one of their albums,  the Live "Rock of Ages" is the one to get...😉

[firedog]

Very good performance and great recording. This piece needs lots of dynamics and power in the recording, some versions don't have enough.

 

[firedog]

https://play.qobuz.com/album/0827969361429

 

 

The Cellar Door Sessions, 1970. Miles live and in fusion mode. Fantastic stuff  if you like jazz fusion.  6 disc set recorded over 4 nights in  a club by Columbia. Excellent sound. McLaughlin joins in on last 2 discs. Keith Jarrett keyboards. Jack DeJonette drums.
Out of print and expensive in CD form. Hooray for streaming. 

[firedog]

1 minute ago, cambridgehank said:

i found it on Amazon for $40 US

That’s mp3

[firedog]

4 hours ago, Jud said:

Steely Dan would not tour for years because they considered it impossible to have a reasonably sized jazz ensemble play live with the necessary precision. 

Maybe the real reason is that they didn't really want to play live, and found an excuse....

 

[firedog]

An old favorite, and still a winner:

 

[firedog]

Recently available at Qobuz in hi-res for only $6.99 to Sublime subscribers. Very good album; and great sound, as usual from Mack Avenue Records.

[firedog]

New album. Great singing. Interesting blends of soul, folk, R&B, World(Middle Eastern?), and classicial. 

[firedog]

Live performance from 2007. If you like McCartney at all this is a good listen.

Recorded at in record store in performance in LA, surprise appearance. Great set list. Very good band and performance. McCartney was apparently quite affected by the intimate atmosphere and you can hear the emotion in his voice on several songs. Notably, he almost loses it while singing his tribute song to John Lennon, "Here Today". 

[firedog]

15 hours ago, Paul R said:

 

How did I miss this?  Thank you! 

Yep, Jimi not at his very  best/complete is still damn good.

[firedog]

1 hour ago, The Computer Audiophile said:

For those of you that really like this album, I recommend the Acoustic Sounds SACD/DSD download. Sounds great. 

[firedog]

1 hour ago, TubeLover said:

I will admit I had no idea who Robert Glasper is, but in doing a quick search found this:

 

"Robert Glasper (born April 5, 1978, in Houston, Texas) is an American singer, pianist and record producer. He has been nominated for 7 Grammy Awards"

 

He clearly does not appear to be associated in any way with rap.

 

JC

Am now listening to a Robert Glasper mix:

 

He most definitely is "associated". Look up his album "Black Radio" or his tribute to Miles Davis "Everything's Beautiful" and tell me he isn't. But then admit it isn't exactly like your apparently limited definition of "rap".

But he's also "associated" with some very sophisticated modern jazz, among other things. Funny how many talented musicians don't fit into the stereotypes audiences try to trap them in. 

I'm actually not a rap fan and I promise Chris, that I won't continue the argument about rap. 

[firedog]

50 minutes ago, The Computer Audiophile said:

Chris, if you like that one have your heard:

Done with straight ahead jazz musicians instead of his usual lineup, and not recorded  at ECM in Europe. It's a really serious and interesting meld of ME and Jazz. 

[firedog]

Speaking of Charlie Haden, maybe my favorite album that he appears on, Old and New Dreams second release:

 

[firedog]

Woody Shaw live. CD quality. Four CDs/Volumes. Total $4.80 from Qobuz. Apparently that's the regular price. Good music and good recordings. 

[firedog]

On 8/7/2019 at 7:56 AM, austinpop said:

 

I love Max Richter, and I love the Four Seasons, but would I love Max Richter's recomposition of the Four Seasons? 

 

Turns out, yes!

Listened to this on Qobuz due to your post. Quite nice. Will probably buy it. 

[firedog]

I liked a few cuts. (Hey, but I also liked some of "Decoy"). I'd give it 2 or 2.5 stars. It's okay if you like this style of music. 

[firedog]

2 hours ago, crenca said:

 

while still subdued, its livelier than most ECM and it sounds really good.  Cohen's trumpet is beguiling as usual...

I still find it amusing that Roon can't get the two Avishai Cohen's straight, especially as the other one is a bassist. 

[firedog]

On 9/17/2019 at 1:50 AM, ronfint said:

Here is another new release which I think is worth listening to. 

 

Don't Buy Ivory Anymore! The Music of Henri Texier / Palm Unit

 

 

 

The bass line put down on this album is really great. It can be found on Bandcamp, Tidal, and Qobuz.

Like it. Never heard of them before. Thanks. 

[firedog]

1 hour ago, Musicophile said:

GoGo Penguins latest EP is fantastic:

 

 

See my review here: https://musicophilesblog.com/2019/10/05/gogo-penguin-is-back-with-a-beautiful-album-ocean-in-a-drop/

Thanks. Didn't know this had come out. Like it. Only $3.99 in 24/88 with Qobuz Sublime

[firedog]

New album with compositions that are sort of a Jazz, Classical, World mix. Like it a lot. 

[firedog]

 

Another "fusion" album. Very well done. Reminds me a bit of the John Handy - Ali Akbar Khan collaborations in the 70's. 

[firedog]

55 minutes ago, ronfint said:

Keith Jarrett / Back Hand (1974)

OK, of course Keith Jarrett is one of the great jazz pianists of all time, but I find a lot of his albums soporific. (I know, my taste is lacking.)  For example, within five minutes of dropping the needle (figuratively) on ‘Koln Concert’, I find myself reading op eds in the NY Times or Wash Post. But this album is something very different — it’s exciting. I came upon it while browsing ‘Jazz Beat’ in the Steve Hoffman forums. 

 

Along with Jarrett are Dewey Redman, Charlie Haden, Paul Motian, and Guilherme Franco (percussion). This is music worth listening to.

 

One of Jarrett's albums with his underrated "American Band" of the Seventies: Dewey Redman, Charlie Haden, Paul Moitan, and Guihreme Franco. Several albums worthy of a listen.