What Are You Listening To?

[Botch]

Virtuoso Guitar Limited Edition 45rpm White Vinyl LP

Laurindo Almeidai

I have direct-to-disk vinyl of the LA 4, and I believe Mr. Almeida was on it. Damn I need to get my turntable back up! :angry-banghead:

 

[Dennie]

Mountain In The Clouds

Miroslav Vitous

1972 Atlantic Records

Miroslav Ladislav Vitouš (6 December 1947), is a Czech jazz bassist who was born in Prague. He began the violin at age six, and started playing the piano at age ten, and bass at fourteen. As a young man in Europe, Vitouš was a competitive swimmer. One of his early music groups was the Junior Trio with his brother Alan on drums and fellow Czech luminary-to-be Jan Hammer on keyboards. He studied music at the Prague Conservatory (under František Pošta), subsequently winning an international music contest in Vienna, earning him a scholarship to the Berklee College of Music in Boston.

Vitouš's virtuoso jazz bass playing has led critics to place him in the same league as Scott LaFaro, Dave Holland, Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen and Christian McBride. A representative example of Vitouš's double bass playing is Now He Sings, Now He Sobs (1968), with Chick Corea on piano and Roy Haynes on drums. This album shows his strong rhythmic sense, innovative walking lines, and intensity and abandon as an improviser.

His first album as a leader, Infinite Search, re-released with minor changes as Mountain in the Clouds featured several key figures from the then-budding jazz fusion movement: John McLaughlin, Herbie Hancock, Jack DeJohnette, and (slightly) elder statesman Joe Henderson.

A founding member of the group Weather Report, he has worked with Jan Hammer, Freddie Hubbard, Miles Davis, Chick Corea, Wayne Shorter, Joe Zawinul, and Jan Garbarek. Vitouš has since discussed his contentious departure from Weather Report with journalists, specifically regarding his relationship with Zawinul. Alphonso Johnson, who replaced Vitouš, was himself replaced by the highly innovative and influential bassist Jaco Pastorius. In 1988 Vitouš moved back to Europe to focus on composing, but nonetheless continued to perform in festivals.


Track listing

Freedom Jazz dance
Mountain in the Coulds
Epilogue
Cerecka
Infinite search
I will tell him on you
When face gets pale

8510

 

[Dennie]

Virtuoso Guitar Limited Edition 45rpm White Vinyl LP

Laurindo Almeida

I have direct-to-disk vinyl of the LA 4, and I believe Mr. Almeida was on it. Damn I need to get my turntable back up! :angry-banghead:

I tell you, that is one "Audiophile" recording. It sounds absolutely fantastic! The weird thing is, you can hardly see the grooves on that record, but they are there and are fine groves! :music-rockout:

To me, vinyl just sounds better. As you know, I have quite a few SACD's, and great sounding CD's, but they just don't sound the same as vinyl.

Some people may not hear a difference, and I am good with that. But I do! :handgestures-thumbup:


Dennie

 

[Dennie]

Journey To Love

Stanley Clarke

1975 Nemperor Records

Take the Perfect Path, June 6, 2010
By J.A.B.
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)
This review is from: Journey to Love (Audio CD)


As fusion began to take a tight grip around the music industry - and elbow its way onto FM rock playlists and earn grudging slots in jazz formats - many young artists demonstrated the motivation and energy to hack out of the trail paved by Miles Davis and find their own way.

In arguably the finest solo effort from Stanley Clarke, an all-star lineup - that includes Jeff Beck, John McLaughlin, Chick Corea, Lenny White, Jon Faddis, George Duke, Steve Gadd, David Sancious and Tom "Bones" Malone - bolsters the punch from the six tracks that clock in at nearly 40 minutes.

The 14:25 of "Concerto for Jazz/Rock Orchestra, Parts 1-4" is as impressive a composition ever penned by Clarke and captures the meticulous artistry of the jazz/rock sound. Beck propels the title cut and struts with hot licks on "Hello Jeff." The two-part tribute to John Coltrane - "Song to John, Part 1 and Part 2" - has the sweet canvas painted by the touching acoustic piano of Corea and acoustic guitar of McLaughlin. "Silly Putty" is a slick kick-off with Clarke seizing the spotlight.

Having the backing of Columbia Records - which was heavily promoting jazz artists during this era - certainly didn't hurt, but the quality of this album would have found the turntables of top reviewers and fans even if it was only available by mail order.
All tracks composed by Stanley Clarke; except where indicated

"Silly Putty" (4:52)
"Journey to Love" (4:52)
"Hello Jeff" (5:16)
"Song to John, Part 1" (Clarke, Corea) (4:22)
"Song to John, Part 2" (Clarke, Corea) (6:09)
"Concerto for Jazz/Rock Orchestra, Parts 1-4" (14:25)

 

[Botch]

Virtuoso Guitar Limited Edition 45rpm White Vinyl LP

Laurindo Almeida

I have direct-to-disk vinyl of the LA 4, and I believe Mr. Almeida was on it. Damn I need to get my turntable back up! :angry-banghead:

I tell you, that is one "Audiophile" recording. It sounds absolutely fantastic!
Dennie

Damn; that thing only sold (iirc) 15,000 copies, and here it is 30 years later and I find someone who not only has heard it but loves it like I do!


Damn I love this place! :handgestures-thumbup: :handgestures-thumbup: :handgestures-thumbup: :handgestures-thumbup: :handgestures-thumbup:

 

[Dennie]

Cough, cough! 34 years later and did you notice mine is still in the "Shrink Wrap"! :banana-dance:LOL

...and "Nuts" like us hang out in threads like this! :teasing-tease:


Dennie bscene-buttred:

 

[Dennie]

Journey To Love

Stanley Clarke

1975 Nemperor Records

Take the Perfect Path, June 6, 2010
By J.A.B.
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)
This review is from: Journey to Love (Audio CD)


As fusion began to take a tight grip around the music industry - and elbow its way onto FM rock playlists and earn grudging slots in jazz formats - many young artists demonstrated the motivation and energy to hack out of the trail paved by Miles Davis and find their own way.

In arguably the finest solo effort from Stanley Clarke, an all-star lineup - that includes Jeff Beck, John McLaughlin, Chick Corea, Lenny White, Jon Faddis, George Duke, Steve Gadd, David Sancious and Tom "Bones" Malone - bolsters the punch from the six tracks that clock in at nearly 40 minutes.

The 14:25 of "Concerto for Jazz/Rock Orchestra, Parts 1-4" is as impressive a composition ever penned by Clarke and captures the meticulous artistry of the jazz/rock sound. Beck propels the title cut and struts with hot licks on "Hello Jeff." The two-part tribute to John Coltrane - "Song to John, Part 1 and Part 2" - has the sweet canvas painted by the touching acoustic piano of Corea and acoustic guitar of McLaughlin. "Silly Putty" is a slick kick-off with Clarke seizing the spotlight.

Having the backing of Columbia Records - which was heavily promoting jazz artists during this era - certainly didn't hurt, but the quality of this album would have found the turntables of top reviewers and fans even if it was only available by mail order.
All tracks composed by Stanley Clarke; except where indicated

"Silly Putty" (4:52)
"Journey to Love" (4:52)
"Hello Jeff" (5:16)
"Song to John, Part 1" (Clarke, Corea) (4:22)
"Song to John, Part 2" (Clarke, Corea) (6:09)
"Concerto for Jazz/Rock Orchestra, Parts 1-4" (14:25)

If you like Bass...Buy this album!

If you like Guitar...Buy this album!

If you like Drums...Buy this album!

If you like Piano...Buy this album!

If you like Fusion...Buy this album!

If you like Jazz...Buy this album!

If you like Coltrane...Buy this album!

If you like Rock...Buy this album!

If you like Funk...Buy this album!

If you like MUSIC....Buy this album!

So, are we clear! :angry-tappingfoot:

Here is the link ----> http://www.amazon.com/Journey-Love-Stanley-Clarke/dp/B0012GMY8M/ref=cm_cr_pr_pb_t


Dennie bscene-drinkingcheers: You're Welcome!

 

[Dennie]

Dreams So Real - Music of Carla Bley

Gary Burton Quintet

1975 ECM Records

Performing the intricate music of Carla Bley is no mean feat, but if anyone is up for the challenge, it would be vibraphonist Gary Burton. Signifying a high watermark in his career in the mid-'70s, Dreams So Real teams Burton with his fellow professor at the Berklee College of Music Mick Goodrick, along with recently graduated student Pat Metheny. Add the peerless electric bass guitarist Steve Swallow and always proficient drummer Bob Moses, and you have the makings of a short-lived supergroup capable of playing Bley's memorable, melancholy music. While generally regarded as one of many Burton/Metheny pairings, it is Goodrick's individualism (it was he who primarily tutored Metheny) that needs more recognition. With Goodrick on electric six-string and Metheny on electric 12-string guitar, the sonorities they establish allow Burton to freely discourse on Bley's prickly angular melodies.

Dreams So Real

Ictus Syndrome/Wrong Key Donkey

Jesus Maria

Vox Humana

Doctor

Intermission Music

 

[Botch]

 

[Dennie]

Today's work truck music...

Live At Blues Alley -- CD

Eva Cassidy

1998 Blix Street Records

Amazon.com

When Eva Cassidy is swinging her way through "Cheek to Cheek" and getting down and bluesy on "Stormy Monday" on this live set from 1996, it's nigh impossible not to get swept up in her voice's vast, barreling force. Her full range, though, becomes most obvious--and soul-shaking--on the slower side, as with Paul Simon's "Bridge over Troubled Water," Buffy Sainte-Marie's "Tall Trees in Georgia," and "What a Wonderful World." On these latter tunes, Cassidy's mix of aching clarity and rich warmth has a melting quality, speaking through the body to some evanescent presence that she seems to know all too well. She improbably makes Sting's "Fields of Gold" an emotional powerhouse just as easily as she makes Billie Holiday's "Fine and Mellow" an offhand declaration of feeling equal to nearly anything in the jazz vocal canon. In doing so she earns her place among the great singers--artists who could take any song and stamp it indelibly as their own. What Eva Cassidy had in her short life was an unbelievably perfect voice and a musical soul that grasped gospel, folk, blues, jazz, and all points in between as if they were mere stops on a single train ride. Alas, her ride ended in 1996, tragically early. --Andrew Bartlett

"Cheek to Cheek" (Irving Berlin) – 4:03
"Stormy Monday" (T-Bone Walker) – 5:49
"Bridge over Troubled Water" (Paul Simon) – 5:33
"Fine and Mellow" (Billie Holiday) – 4:03
"People Get Ready" (Curtis Mayfield) – 3:36
"Blue Skies" (Berlin) – 2:37
"Tall Trees in Georgia" (Buffy Sainte-Marie) – 4:05
"Fields of Gold" (Sting) – 4:57
"Autumn Leaves" (Joseph Kosma, Johnny Mercer, Jacques Prévert) – 4:57
"Honeysuckle Rose" (Andy Razaf, Thomas "Fats" Waller) – 3:14
"Take Me to the River" (Al Green, Mabon "Teenie" Hodges) – 3:51
"What a Wonderful World" (Bob Thiele, David Weiss) – 5:50
"Oh, Had I a Golden Thread" (Pete Seeger) – 4:46 [Studio recording]

 

[topper]

(I've been in 'acoustic mode' for about six weeks now) . . . .

. . . . :music-listening:

 

[Dennie]

Pretzel Logic

Steely Dan

1974 ABC Records

Amazon.com essential recording

Pretzel Logic marked a transition for Steely Dan from a studio-bound rock band producing hits such as "Reeling in the Years" and "Do It Again" to a looser constellation of studio musicians under the direction of songwriters Walter Becker and Donald Fagen. That later version of Steely Dan would paint its masterpiece with Aja. Pretzel Logic is much more playful than that, and also jazzier than the albums that came before. The jazz intentions are made perfectly clear on "Parker's Band," a swinging tribute to bebop titan Charlie Parker, and a crafty cover of Duke Ellington's "East St. Louis Toodle-oo." The lyrics displayed their own twisted logic, presenting a tumble of images in search of a unifying principle that most often remained elusive. Steely Dan was that rare act that could work such purposeful obscurity to its advantage: "Rikki Don't Lose That Number" was a top-five hit even though nobody had a clue as to what it was about. Or, perhaps, everybody had a clue, but nobody could agree. --John Milward

Original album version
Side 1

"Rikki Don't Lose That Number" – 4:30
"Night by Night" – 3:36
"Any Major Dude Will Tell You" – 3:05
"Barrytown" – 3:17
"East St. Louis Toodle-Oo" (Duke Ellington, Bubber Miley) – 2:45

Side 2

"Parker's Band" – 2:36
"Through with Buzz" – 1:30
"Pretzel Logic" – 4:28
"With a Gun" – 2:15
"Charlie Freak" – 2:41
"Monkey in Your Soul" – 2:31

 

[Dennie]

(I've been in 'acoustic mode' for about six weeks now) . . . .

. . . . :music-listening:

Ain't nothin' wrong with that! I often get in the "Acoustic Mode"! :handgestures-thumbup:

But, if your stuck and can't get out.....let us know and we'll come by with some "Electric Ladyland" or something. bscene-drinkingcheers:


Dennie :teasing-tease:

 

[Dennie]

Pirates

Rickie Lee Jones

1981 Warner Bros. Records

Rickie Lee's Masterwork, June 23, 2000
By J. Collins "Paradise Bar & Grill" - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)


This review is from: Pirates (Audio CD)
"Pirates" is a difficult but musically (and emotionally) rewarding album.(CAREFUL PAULY!

) I believe that it sounds better as time goes by, though unlike some Pop albums, "Pirates" ages like a fine wine, not cheese. To be fair, this isn't truly a Pop album, but given the imprecision of most stylistic terms (Rock, Soul, etc.) and the wide range of musical influences here, it would seem to become popular music by default.

Like Rickie's self-titled debut, "Pirates" is a collection of mostly acoustic music, with snatches of Folk, R&B, Blues, Torch, and what is now called "New Age" material. Then (1981) as now, it is a unique combination of lyrical prose and inspired musical drama. The tone is often somber and dead serious, but there are moments where a "good time" vibe ("Woody and Dutch...") and Rickie's self-effacing humor ("A Lucky Guy") lighten the mood.

Though a superficial reading of this album would suggest it's about Rickie's failed affair with mentor/lover Tom Waits, the topical and emotional focus of this album would seem to be solitude...reflections on the state of being alone and adrift. And though Rickie's phrasing/vocalizing is atypical for Pop music, the directness and passion of her performance is shiver-inducing. Attentive (and willing) listeners will experience feelings beyond empathy, as if the pain and disillusion comes from within and not from Rickie's words and music. To put it more succinctly, only a dim-witted lout or cynical misanthrope could listen to this album and not be moved in some way.

The "best" of this album is hard to define, as different listeners will have different songs that define their listening experience. For me, there are four selections that stand out. "Living It Up" is a story lyric written over a gorgeous, forlorn piano motif. "Skeletons," another spare musical tale, is a heart-rending true story set to gentle piano and string accompaniment. "Pirates (So Long Lonely Avenue)" is the album's centerpiece; like a page from the book of her soul, the changing tempos and emotional dynamics of this song seem to reveal Rickie's love of life, despite the fact that her "pirate" has yet to spirit her away. At first, "A Lucky Guy" would seem to be about the kind of carefree, irresponsible person who charms their way into a person's life, then leaves as soon as their spirit moves them. But as the song comes to a close, it's Rickie herself who has become the "lucky guy," if only to spare herself shame and hurt. There is pain and regret in her voice, but she is not a victim.

Though the lives and experiences of Rickie's street-wise, Bohemian protagonists may seem far removed from the lives of her fans, the directness of her observations is all-inclusive. "Pirates" is the kind of minor key masterwork that sounds intensely personal, just as it offers a glimpse at the universe of human emotion.


"We Belong Together"
"Living It Up"
"Skeletons"
"Woody and Dutch on the Slow Train to Peking" (Jones, David Kalish)
"Pirates (So Long Lonely Avenue)"
"A Lucky Guy"
"Traces of the Western Slopes" (Sal Bernardi, Jones)
"The Returns"

 

[Dennie]

Sweet Forgiveness

Bonnie Raitt

1977 Warner Bros. Records

Bonnie's first (almost) big hit album., October 14, 1998
By A Customer
This review is from: Sweet Forgiveness (Audio CD)

When this was released in 1977, it looked as if the mainstream was about to catch up with the incredible music machine named Bonnie Raitt. Alas, they would have to wait another 12 years until the release of Nick of Time. This one has it all, however. Containing some of Bonnie's most rocking numbers (Gamblin' Man and Three Time Loser) to her most mellow and introspective (Paul Siebel's classic "Louise" and her take on Jackson Browne's "Farewell", Sweet Forgiveness is one of the best of the early Raitt repetoire.

1. "About to Make Me Leave Home" (Earl Randall) – 4:14
2. "Runaway" (Max Crook, Del Shannon) – 3:57
3. "Two Lives" (Mark T. Jordan) – 3:49
4. "Louise" (Paul Siebel) – 2:45
5. "Gamblin' Man" (Eric Kaz) – 3:27
6. "Sweet Forgiveness" (Daniel Moore) – 4:11
7. "My Opening Farewell" (Jackson Browne) – 5:20
8. "Three Time Loser" (Don Covay, Ronald Dean Miller) – 3:19
9. "Takin' My Time" (Bill Payne) – 3:37
10. "Home" (Karla Bonoff) – 3:28

8555

 

[Botch]

Pirates is on my Top-5-Albums-of-all-Time list, and I can't agree with this statement:

Like Rickie's self-titled debut, "Pirates" is a collection of mostly acoustic music, with snatches of Folk, R&B, Blues, Torch, and what is now called "New Age" material.

at ALL!! But, my MBA is on reserve batttery power so I'll finish this tomorrow.

 

[Botch]

 

[Dennie]

'Get Yer Ya-Ya's Out!'

The Rolling Stones In Concert

1970 abkco/London Records`

Get Yer Ya-Ya's Out!´: The Rolling Stones in Concert is a live album by The Rolling Stones, released 4 September 1970 on Decca Records in the United Kingdom and on London Records in the United States. It was recorded in New York and Maryland in November 1969, just before the release of Let It Bleed.

Side one

1. "Jumpin' Jack Flash"– 4:02
2. "Carol" (Chuck Berry) – 3:47
3. "Stray Cat Blues" – 3:41
4. "Love in Vain" (Robert Johnson; originally credited as "traditional" with arrangement by Jagger and Richards) – 4:57
5. "Midnight Rambler" – 9:05 <---- NICE! :bow-blue:

Side two

1. "Sympathy for the Devil" – 6:52
2. "Live with Me" – 3:03
3. "Little Queenie" (Chuck Berry) – 4:33
4. "Honky Tonk Women" – 3:35
5. "Street Fighting Man" – 4:03

 

[Dennie]

My Feet Are Smiling

Leo Kottke

1973 Capitol Records

Jaw-droppingly good, November 25, 2001
By Tom Dupree - This review is from: My Feet Are Smiling (Audio CD)

I was a newly hatched "rock" "critic" in Leo Kottke's actual birth-town back in Seventysomething, and this record arrived in one of the first critpax from the record company. I placed the needle on the slab, and *** if my ears didn't flap back into my brain. It was painful but revelatory. This is one of the four or five finest acoustic guitar albums ever released. It comes from a time when Kottke still wore folk/country influences on his sleeve but was still prepared to knock some doors down. "Standing in My Shoes" is slide-godlike. "June Bug," etc., the same. The medley that ends the set is a marvel of touch and taste. If you like acoustic power and you don't already have this one, my god, save yourself: click BUY NOW!

Side one

"Hear the Wind Howl" – 3:10
"Busted Bicycle" – 2:40
"Easter" – 3:19
"Louise" (Paul Siebel) – 4:26
"Blue Dot" – 2:58
"Stealing" – 3:03

Side two

"Living in the Country" (Pete Seeger) – 1:38
"June Bug" – 2:06
"Standing in My Shoes" (Leo Kottke/Denny Bruce) – 2:50
"The Fisherman" – 2:43
"Bean Time" – 2:15
"Eggtooth" (Leo Kottke/Michael Johnson) – 5:15
"Medley: Crow River Waltz,/Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring/Jack Fig" ("Jesu…" composed by Johann Sebastian Bach) – 7:20

 

[Dennie]

The Secret Sisters -- CD :handgestures-thumbup: :handgestures-thumbup:

The Secret Sisters

2011 Universal Republic

“This entire experience has been a dream come true,” says Lydia Rogers. “More than a dream, because even in our wildest dreams we would have never imagined all these amazing things would come true,” adds Laura Rogers. “We are truly blessed and thankful to have this opportunity.”

Critics have fallen in love with The Secret Sisters. USA Today raves, “This retro folk-country duo from Muscle Shoals, Ala., delivers the most charming debut of the year.” Rolling Stone adds that they “sound like something dreamed up by NPR.” And even NPR remarks, “The Secret Sisters are off to a good start in the music world. If initial reactions are any indication, this duo will be around for quite a while.”
Track Listing

Tennessee Me (2:28)
Why Baby Why (2:29)
The One I Love Is Gone (3:25)
My Heart Skips A Beat (2:22)
Something Stupid (2:42)
I've Got A Feeling (2:25)
Do You Love An Apple (2:44)
All About You (2:58)
Waste The Day (2:35)
Why Don't You Love Me (2:19)
House of Gold (2:57)