What Are You Listening To?

[topper]

Enjoying this one a lot, very interesting material, unusual instrumental arrangements, quite cool.

Cool. -- I've wondered if anyone would be intrigued enough to check out Otis Taylor . . . .
Glad you're enjoying him, Pauly ----- :handgestures-thumbup:

"Recapturing The Banjo" is another good one by him.

 

[PaulyT]

Thanks topper, they mentioned that album in his bio on wikipedia and it sounded interesting, I'll add it to my list!

 

[Dennie]

Thanks Keith! bscene-drinkingcheers:

For The Love of You -- CD

Candy Dulfer

1997 N2K Encoded Music

This girl jams... April 27, 2003
By A. Ort
Format:Audio CD

I find it strange to be writing this review as my wife turned me on to Candy Dulfer. Usually I'm not a big fan of my wife's music (she likes Mariah Carey's type of bubblegum pop a bit too much for me) but over time this album and her Greatest Hits really grew on me. It really does jam and has some great bass lines to boot.

As for her jazz 'purity' (whatever that is) I don't really know. All I know is it's some good music. A bit funky, a bit fun and she can really wail on the saxophone.

Her Greatest Hits is also good and she pays tribute to Miles Davis and covers Average White Band's 'Pick Up The Pieces' to give you a sampling of what she plays. Good stuff.

Track Listing
1. Saxy Intro
2. Saxy Mood
3. Gititon
4. For the Love of You
5. Smooth
6. Give Me Some More
7. Once You Get Started
8. Bird
9. Wish You Were Here
10. Allright
11. Sunday Cool
12. Girls Should Stick Together

 

[Dennie]

In Modern Times -- SACD

Spyro Gyra

2001 Heads Up Records

Absolutely amazing. Great music, awesome recording, January 25, 2003
By Theodore Hyatt "bronxer" (Bronx, NY) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)
This review is from: In Modern Times (Hybr) (Audio CD)

Absolutely must hear this sacd! I was floored by the clarity, fluidity of sound. I felt like I was almost able to touch it! Especially the fourth song (can't remember the name. I do not own it yet -- buying it online and waiting for delivery, but my friend has it).
I consider this one of the best of anything I ever heard! If it wasn't sacd, it would still be great, but the sound reproduction is flawless, and the harmonics and tonal purity make it a MUST HAVE!!!
By the way, I listened to it on a Yamaha RX V1 with Pioneer Elite DV45A with Polk RT11's.
Buy this sacd and you will NOT be sorry.

"After Hours" (Jay Beckenstein/Chuck Loeb) - 5:08
"Feelin' Fine" (Jay Beckenstein) - 4:23
"Julio's Party" (Julio Fernandez) - 5:08
"The River Between" (Scott Ambush) - 6:45
"Groovin for Grover" (Tom Schuman) - 5:50
"Open Door" (Julio Fernandez) - 4:38
"Florida Straits" (Jay Beckenstein) - 4:18
"Feelin' Fine Pt. 2" (Jay Beckenstein/Chuck Loeb) - 4:04
"East River Blues" (Jay Beckenstein) - 6:14
"Your Touch" (Jay Beckenstein/Tom Schuman) - 5:10
"Lucky Bounce" (Jeremy Wall) - 4:18
"Planet J" (Joel Rosenblatt/Phil Magallanes) - 4:42

 

[Kazaam]

In Modern Times -- SACD

Spyro Gyra

2001 Heads Up Records

Wait a second... is that a farm on a Pentium 4 chip?

EDIT: It is! :music-rockout:

 

[Dennie]

Today's work truck music....

Blue Moon Swamp -- CD

John Fogerty

1997 Warner Bros. Records

A wonderful, mature roots rock record December 29, 2004
By Docendo Discimus
Format:Audio CD

If you already own "Blue Moon Swamp", don't bother buying it again because of the bonus tracks (or whatever they are). The melodramatic 1960s teenage-rocker "Endless Sleep" and the instrumental "Just Pickin'" are good enough, sure, but they don't really add anything to an album which was just about perfect to begin with.

"Blue Moon Swamp", John Fogerty's first album in almost 11 years, is a warm, exquisitely produced and richly evocative roots rock record, blending R&B, rockabilly, country, blues, folk, and swampy rock n' roll on twelve vibrant and masterfully executed songs.
Deservedly winning a Grammy for best rock album, "Blue Moon Swamp" is tight but laid-back, not as hard-rocking as Creedence and not as pop-oriented as "Centerfield", but better and more mature than anything else that John Fogerty has created as a solo artist.
This remains one of my favorite records, one which continues to grow on me.


All tracks written and composed by John Fogerty, except where noted.

"Southern Streamline" – 3:56
"Hot Rod Heart" – 3:26
"Blueboy" – 4:04
"A Hundred and Ten in the Shade" – 4:19
"Rattlesnake Highway" – 4:17
"Bring It Down to Jelly Roll" – 2:37
"Walking in a Hurricane" – 3:41
"Swamp River Days" – 3:36
"Rambunctious Boy" – 3:51
"Joy of My Life" – 3:52
"Blue Moon Nights" – 2:33
"Bad Bad Boy" – 4:26

 

[Dennie]

Greatest Hits Live 2 CD Set

Boz Scaggs

2004 Gray Cat Records

Looking Back, July 22, 2010
By P. Goode - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: Greatest Hits Live (Audio CD)

By 1976, Boz Scaggs had established a steady base of musically aware fans who appreciated his brand of blue-eyed soul/R&B (including me). Scaggs broadened the base with the immensely successful Lowdown, which added disco to the mix and took advantage that genre's use of electronic drums and synthesizers. As a commercial decision, Scaggs hit a home run, and indeed Lowdown is an excellent album featuring some of his best material.

But the steely meticulousness of Lowdown sacrificed the warmth and looseness of the early albums, and his original fans missed the easy charm of Moments, And Band, My Time, and Slow Dancer. Greatest Hits Live offers something of a return to those days with intimate, mature renditions of the old songs and easy, more natural versions of the new material -- all without sacrificing the precision that has come to signify Scaggs' music. Terrific extended jams of Loan Me a Dime and Running Blue show the basis his early appeal, and the superb production will make any sound system shine.

Usually I'm skeptical of live greatest hits albums, but Boz Scaggs Greatest Hits Live offers an intriguing look at the career of a successful artist who gained a larger audience by altering his approach without losing his integrity.

DISC 1:

Lowdown
Slow Dancer
Heart Of Mine
It All Went Down The Drain
Harbor Lights
Jojo
Ask Me 'Bout Nothin' But The Blues
Breakdown Dead Ahead

DISC 2:

Look What You've Done To Me
I Just Go
Georgia
Miss Sun
Lido Shuffle
Runnin' Blue
Loan Me A Dime
We're All Alone

 

[Dennie]

Sketches Of Spain -- Remastered CD

Miles Davis arranged and conducted by Gil Evans

1960/1997 Columbia/Legacy Records

Amazon.com essential recording

Miles Davis's impact on jazz is almost incalculable. From his early days as a sideman for Charlie Parker, through his groundbreaking Birth of the Cool sessions, to his stunning small groups of the '50s and '60s, through to his electric renaissance, the trumpeter, bandleader, and composer has left a deep mark on all who came after. He is one of jazz's true giants. Sketches of Spain, though one of Davis's most commercially successful sessions, is also one of his most controversial. Re-teaming with arranger and composer Gil Evans, who played such a pivotal role in Davis's 1949 Birth of the Cool recordings, Davis recorded a series of large group albums beginning in the late '50s, including Porgy and Bess, Miles Ahead, and Quiet Nights. Sketches of Spain, with its emphasis on flamenco, rich orchestrations, and relaxed tempos, is certainly one of Davis's most mellow recordings (he even works out on fluegelhorn), and proved to have broad appeal. To some critics, however, the project was "elevated elevator music." An expanded version of the album, featuring alternative tracks and unreleased material, was issued in 1997 by Columbia Legacy. --Fred Goodman

Side one

"Concierto de Aranjuez" (Adagio) (Joaquín Rodrigo) – 16:19
"Will o' the Wisp" (Manuel de Falla) – 3:47

Side two

"The Pan Piper" (Gil Evans) – 3:52
"Saeta" (Evans) – 5:06
"Solea" (Evans) – 12:15

 

[PaulyT]

^--- still my favorite Miles album, I think.

 

[Dennie]

Monterey Concerts -- Remastered CD

Cal Tjader

1959/1989 Prestige Records

Originally released on vinyl as the two-volume CAL TJADER'S CONCERT BY THE SEA in 1959, THE MONTEREY CONCERTS is the vibraphonist/percussionist's breakthrough recording under any name. The bass-less, percussion-heavy lineup--Tjader on vibes, Willie Bobo on drums and timbales, Mongo Santamaria on bongos, Lonnie Hewitt on piano, and Paul Horn on flute--offers a curious mixture of Latin rhythms and the sort of West Coast cool pioneered by Tjader's former employer Dave Brubeck. Evenly balanced between standards given Tjader-style cool arrangements and band originals like Santamaria's classic "Afro Blue" (given a definitive reading here, with the exception of John Coltrane's 1963 take), THE MONTEREY CONCERTS captures Tjader's best band at their collective peak, and is essential listening for all fans of Tjader's unique brand of Latin jazz.

Track Listing
1. Doxy
2. Afro Blue
3. Laura
4. Walkin' With Wally
5. We'll Be Together Again
6. 'Round Midnight
7. Love Me or Leave Me
8. Tu Crees Que?
9. S.S. Groove
10. Night in Tunisia, A
11. Bess, You Is My Woman Now
12. Lover, Come Back to Me
13. Tumbao

Personnel: Cal Tjader (vibes), Paul Horn (flute), Lonnie Hewitt (piano), Willie Bobo (drums, timbales) and Mongo Santamaria (bongos, percussion).Recorded April 20, 1959

 

[Dennie]

^--- still my favorite Miles album, I think.

There are so many to choose from, it's hard for me to pick a favorite.

But, "Sketches" is a good one! :text-bravo:




Dennie

 

[Dennie]

Swiss Movement -- Montreux 30th Anniversary Edition CD

Les McCann & Eddie Harris

1969/1996 Atlantic Records

Trust me, just buy it., March 19, 2010
By J. Furlong - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)
This review is from: Swiss Movement: Montreux 30th Anniversary Edition (Audio CD)

Absolutely essential!

I've always been a rock-n-roll kid. Although I have always appreciated jazz music, I don't often get home from a hard day's work and want to hear jazz... I usually need something that drives and gets my energy back up. And being a lover of most kinds of rock, pop and punk music, I default to my faves.

Having said that, I can tell you this album is not only perfect for after work, it's pretty much perfect for any time, and can easily suit any mood.

I won't go into a detailed song-by-song analysis, since the other positive reviews here that describe Swiss Movement in detail all do a great job at conveying what makes this album so unique and downright excellent.

I can only tell you that it will have your foot tapping and your mood will be good, listen after listen. Swiss Movement is about the most rock-n-roll jazz album (although I'm sure jazz afficionados can cite other great examples of such crossover works). I never get sick of its energy. It is fluid and passionate music made by guys at the peak of their game. Suffice it to say, it has more heart and more balls than most of what passes as rock music in today's world.

Like I said, trust me, just buy Swiss Movement. Absolutely essential to have in your collection...

"Compared to What" - (Gene McDaniels)
"Cold Duck Time" - (Eddie Harris)
"Kathleen's Theme" - (Les McCann)
"You Got It in Your Soulness" - (Les McCann)
"The Generation Gap" - (Les McCann)
"Kaftan" - (Leroy Vinnegar) - Bonus track on the 1996 reissue

Les McCann: Piano, Vocals on "Compared to What"
Eddie Harris: Tenor Sax
Benny Bailey: Trumpet
Leroy Vinnegar: Bass
Donald Dean: Drums

 

[Dennie]

Greatest Hits I & II -- 2 CD Set

Queen

1992 Hollywood Records

Amazon.com essential recording

Queen brought a whole new meaning to the phrase over the top. While rock & roll flamboyance stretched back at least as far as Little Richard, Freddie Mercury continued to camp it up, taking little seriously and smirking at the music's growing pretensions while partaking in them no small bit. Many of the band's singles hold up extremely well, later tracks such as "Hammer to Fall" as much as prime-era numbers such as "Bohemian Rhapsody," "Killer Queen," and "You're My Best Friend." The quartet's canny sense of melody and sophisticated vocal harmonies--not to mention Mercury's raised eyebrow--have traveled well through the years. --Rickey Wright

Track listing

DISC 1:
1. Bohemian Rhapsody
2. Another One Bites the Dust
3. Killer Queen
4. Fat Bottomed Girls
5. Bicycle Race
6. You're My Best Friend
7. Don't Stop Me Now
8. Save Me
9. Crazy Little Thing Called Love
10. Somebody to Love
11. Now I'm Here
12. Good Old-Fashioned Lover Boy
13. Play the Game
14. Flash
15. Seven Seas of Rhye
16. We Will Rock You
17. We Are the Champions

DISC 2:
1. Kind of Magic, A
2. Under Pressure
3. Radio Ga Ga
4. I Want It All
5. I Want to Break Free
6. Innuendo
7. It's a Hard Life
8. Breakthru
9. Who Wants to Live Forever
10. Headlong
11. Miracle, The
12. I'm Going Slightly Mad
13. Invisible Man, The
14. Hammer to Fall
15. Friends Will Be Friends
16. Show Must Go On, The
17. One Vision

 

[mzpro5]

Wish You Were Here

 

[Zing]

Wish You Were Here

Who?

 

[mzpro5]

Wish You Were Here

Who?

No, Pink Floyd.

 

[Zing]

LOL I expected that response. :teasing-neener:


BTW - are you listening to that the way the artists intended?

 

[mzpro5]

LOL I expected that response. :teasing-neener:


BTW - are you listening to that the way the artists intended?

Not all the way, I can only wish.

 

[Rope]

I'd suspect it's being listened in the manner the recording/mastering engineer intended.

Rope

 

[Zing]

LOL I expected that response. :teasing-neener:


BTW - are you listening to that the way the artists intended?

Not all the way, I can only wish.

What's the matter...is that infamous jar empty?