What Are You Listening To?

[PaulyT]

That's cool. Yeah it'd be nice to actually talk about some HT stuff, sometimes that's a little lacking around here. But there's always something going on... Pull up a chair and enjoy.

 

[Dennie]

Good to see you JayD! bscene-drinkingcheers:


Today's work truck music...

Bridge Over Troubled Water -- CD

Simon & Garfunkel

1970/2001 Columbia Legacy

Amazon.com essential recording

No one can say Simon & Garfunkel went out with a whimper. The popular duo's 1970 swan song produced four hit singles and won six Grammy awards, including Record, Album, and Song of the Year. An involving mix of sweeping epics ("The Boxer," the title track) and breezy throwaways (a live cover of the Everly Brothers' "Bye Bye Love," the rock & roll trifle "Baby Driver"), Bridge was one of the most popular albums of its era. What's particularly striking about this collection is how brightly lesser-acclaimed songs like "So Long Frank Lloyd Wright" and the gorgeous "The Only Living Boy in New York" shine. (The 2001 reissue adds a pair of demos to the original work, including the traditional "Feuilles-O.")--Steven Stolder

Side 1

1. "Bridge Over Troubled Water" – 4:52
Recorded: November 9, 1969 [3]
2. "El Condor Pasa (If I Could)" (Daniel Alomía Robles, English lyrics by Paul Simon, arranged by Jorge Milchberg) – 3:06
Recorded: November 2, 1969
3. "Cecilia" – 2:55
Recorded: November 2, 1969
4. "Keep the Customer Satisfied" – 2:33
Recorded: October 27, 1969
5. "So Long, Frank Lloyd Wright" – 3:41
Recorded: October 28, 1969

Side 2

1. "The Boxer" – 5:08
Recorded: November 16, 1968
2. "Baby Driver" – 3:14
Recorded: November 19, 1968
3. "The Only Living Boy in New York" – 3:58
Recorded: November 15, 1969
4. "Why Don't You Write Me" – 2:45
Recorded: June 13, 1969
5. "Bye Bye Love" (Felice and Boudleaux Bryant) (live recording from Ames, Iowa) – 2:55
Recorded: November 14, 1969
6. "Song for the Asking" – 1:39
Recorded: November 1, 1969

Bonus tracks (2001 CD reissue)

1. "Feuilles-O" [Demo] (Traditional) – 1:45
Recorded: August 11, 1969
2. "Bridge over Troubled Water" [Demo Take 6] – 4:46
Recorded: August 13, 1969

 

[JayD]

Thanks guys. Good album Zing. All of their tension adds to the album.

 

[Zing]

I was Masher. Yes, hell has frozen over and am looking to discuss HT, etc on a forum that actually functions and has competent admins.

Well, it's about time! Welcome aboard. Welcome back. Welcome home.

Good album Zing. All of their tension adds to the album.

You have me confused. What album are you referring to?

 

[JayD]

Bridge over troubled water. The song itself was Paul Simon's "looking at the end of their run". Garfunkel nailed the vocals on it though. Most of the tunes on that album deal with their soon to be split.

 

[Bob R]

Is that a Masher sighting?

I guess hell did freeze over. :banana-dance:

Did you see the baseball thread? Did you hear who won the World Series?

Did ya, Did ya? :text-welcomewave:

 

[Zing]

Bridge over troubled water. The song itself was Paul Simon's "looking at the end of their run". Garfunkel nailed the vocals on it though. Most of the tunes on that album deal with their soon to be split.

Ah. I'll be sure and convey your thoughts to Dennie since it was him, and not me, that posted that album. :teasing-neener:

Regardless, welcome to the Annex. I mean that sincerely.

 

[Bob R]

On Brian Ferry's "Live in Lyon" DVD concert, one of the extras was the making of:

He played a few songs in the concert. During "You can Dance" The Go Go Girls ......

well they went ....

or they Go or, ..... hell they looked good. :music-rockout:

 

[Dennie]

Tribute To Count Basie -- CD

The Gene Harris All Star Big Band

1988 Concord Jazz

A big-band date that slightly predated pianist Gene Harris' association with the Philip Morris Superband, this CD is ostensibly a tribute to the recently deceased Count Basie, but surprisingly, only two of the eight songs ("Swingin' the Blues" and "Blue and Sentimental") were played by Basie, although one original ("Captain Bill") was written in homage of the bandleader. Harris' 16-piece orchestra does bring back the spirit of Basie's band in spots, with a lightly but steadily swinging rhythm section and such soloists as trumpeters Conte Candoli and Jon Faddis and tenors Plas Johnson and Bob Cooper. But in reality, Harris dominates the solo spotlight, and the music (which includes a memorable version of "When Did You Leave Heaven") is a bit predictable. ~ Scott Yanow

Track Listing
1. Captain Bill
2. Night Mist Blues
3. Swingin' the Blues
4. When Did You Leave Heaven?
5. Blues For Pepper
6. Blue and Sentimental
7. Riled Up
8. The Masquerade Is Over
9. Dejection Blues

Personnel: Gene Harris (piano); Herb Ellis (guitar); Bill Green , Marshall Royal (alto saxophone); Plas Johnson , Bob Cooper (tenor saxophone); Jack Nimitz (baritone saxophone); Conte Candoli, Jon Faddis, Snooky Young, Frank Szabo, Bobby Bryant (trumpet); Bill Waltrous, Garnett Brown, Thurman Green, Bill Watrous, Charles Loper, William Frank "Bill" Reichenbach Jr. (trombone); Jeff Hamilton (drums).Recording information: 03/1987-06/1987.

 

[Dennie]

Bags Meets Wes! -- Remastered 24bit CD

Milt Jackson and Wes Montgomery

1961/2008 Riverside/Concord Records

One of the classic hard-bop collaborations, BAGS MEETS WES! presents guitarist Wes Montgomery and vibraphonist Milt "Bags" Jackson in an excellent 1961 session. Montgomery's warm, rootsy tone and blues-derived style provided a perfect complement to Jackson's intellectual, traditional bop approach, and the two achieve natural, sometimes scintillating dialogues on this date.Backed by a hard-to-beat band--pianist Wynton Kelly, bassist Sam Jones, and drummer Philly Joe Jones--Bags and Wes play largely in a blues mode here, with plenty of stretching out over the 12-bar progressions. Jackson's "S.K.J." kicks off the set, and proves one of the highlights, as does Montgomery's "Jingles," an up-tempo, minor-key groove-laden song on which the co-leaders unfurl vibrantly melodic lines during their solos.

Track Listing
1. S.K.J.
2. Stablemates - (take)
3. Stairway to the Stars - (Take 6)
4. Blue Roz
5. Sam Sack
6. Jingles - (take 9)
7. Delilah - (take 4)
8. bonus track) Stablemates [Take 4] - (Take 2
9. bonus track) Stairway to the Stars [Take 2] - (take 8
10. bonus track) Jingles [Take 8] - (Take 3
11. Delilah [Take 3] - (take)

Personnel: Milt Jackson (vibraphone); Wes Montgomery (guitar); Wynton Kelly (piano); Sam Jones (bass instrument); Philly Joe Jones (drums, drum).Audio Remasterer: Joe Tarantino.Recording information: Plaza Sound Studios, New York, NY (12/18/1961-12/19/1961).

I'm giving this one a second spin..... :text-bravo:



Dennie :dance:

 

[Bob R]

This little sixteen year old has a nice voice and put out a very good LP.

Royals

 

[JayD]

Ah. I'll be sure and convey your thoughts to Dennie since it was him, and not me, that posted that album. :teasing-neener:

Regardless, welcome to the Annex. I mean that sincerely.

Shit, I noticed your name, then scrolled down........damn cobwebs are encroaching on gray matter.

Thanks man.

 

[Botch]

On Brian Ferry's "Live in Lyon" DVD concert, one of the extras was the making of:

Thank You for the reminder! I've had Lyon on my coffee table now since it came out, keep forgetting to watch that feature.

Just finished it. I normally read the album credits of everything I buy to see who played on it, for whatever reason I never did this on Lyon. Holy crap. Nile Rodgers. Flea. Neil Hubbard. David Gilmour.
Marcus Miller played on a lot of the album too; he's been a fixture in the jazz/cutting edge music scene forever and I have his first two solo albums; I don't like them. Here, however, he plays brilliantly and its just what each song needs. I may have to revisit the albums of his I have.
And I think I complained about the kid he had playing drums, doubling another drummer. It's his kid, and he's not bad. I also just learned that the model on the cover? Kate Moss. mmmkay. :drool:

Need to dig out Olympia and my cans later tonight! :music-listening:

 

[Dennie]

This little sixteen year old has a nice voice and put out a very good LP.

Royals

AND... She's a cutie! The girl next to her ain't bad either! :teasing-neener:




Dennie :teasing-tease:

 

[Dennie]

Pretzel Logic -- Remastered CD

Steely Dan

1974/1999 ABC/MCA 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

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

 

[Bob R]

Listening to this superb CD :banana-dance: :banana-rock: :banana-dance:

While watching Duck Boats. :music-rockout: :music-rockout:

 

[Dennie]

Sampler & Audiophile Test CD -- CD

Chesky Records Jazz

1990 Chesky Records

Amazing Recording October 18, 2012
By Just a voice
Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase
Came to know this cd after reading some equipment reviews from Steoreophile website of which many pros and hobbyists recommends or uses it. Bought it mainly to check my budget 2-channel system (NAD CD player, Denon amp & Infinity Kappa speakers) to see if it is up to par. After inserting the cd into the player, I was blown away by the clarity of the recording. Although I've never heard any of the 9 songs before, I enjoyed most of them as they are jazz like to me and I particularly like Viola Fora De Moda by Ana Caram. If I close my eyes, this song would transport me to a Brazilian jungle paradise. Therapy after a crazy day in the office. The recording is so clean that I can hear every instrument being played in relation to it's stage. After the songs come the soundstage testing of which I can understand some. I like the part where the tester introduce his voice at various part of the stage and I can hear the difference as presented. Overall, I would highly recommend this cd whether for the songs or testing.

Track Listings

Part 1: Sampler
1. Tico Tico - Paquito D'Rivera
2. Stompin' At The Savoy - Johnny Frigo/Bucky/John Pizzarelli
3. Viola Fora De Moda - Ana Caram
4. Club De Sol - David Chesky
5. Charles Christopher - Luiz Bonfa
6. Meditation - Johnny Frigo/Bucky/John Pizzarelli
7. Pennies From Heaven - Clark Terry
8. Samba De Orfeo - Luiz Bonfa
9. The Song Is You - Johnny Frigo/Bucky/John Pizzarelli

Part 2: Test CD
10. Introduction And Left-Right Imaging Test - Listening & Technical Tests
11. Ledr Test - Listening & Technical Tests
12. Acoustic Soundstage Test - Listening & Technical Tests
13. Acoustic Soundstage Test - Polarity Test #1
14. Acoustic Soundstage Test - Polarity Test #1
15. Acoustic Soundstage Test - Polarity Test #1
16. Acoustic Soundstage Test - Polarity Test #2
17. Acoustic Soundstage Test - Polarity Test #2
18. Acoustic Soundstage Test - Polarity Test #2
19. Acoustic Soundstage Test - Polarity Test #2
20. Acoustic Soundstage Test - David Chesky Band
21. Multiple-Generation And Low-Level Linearity Test - Announcment
22. Multiple-Generation And Low-Level Linearity Test - David Chesky Band
23. Multiple-Generation And Low-Level Linearity Test - Announcment
24. Multiple-Generation And Low-Level Linearity Test - David Chesky Band
25. Bonger Tests - Bonger Test
26. Bonger Tests - Bonger Test
27. Announcement And Technical Tests - Warning Announcment
28. Announcement And Technical Tests - Audio Percision
29. Announcement And Technical Tests - 128x Oversampled A to D
30. Announcement And Technical Tests - Standard Successive Approximation

 

[Dennie]

Prestige 50th Anniversary Limited Edition -- 20bit K2 Remastered CD

Miles Davis And The Modern Jazz Giants

1959/1999 Prestige/Fantasy Records

Recorded in 1954, as Miles Davis was just beginning his 1950's peak with the Prestige label, MODERN JAZZ GIANTS is aptly named. Miles, his horn clear and crisp, is joined by three-fourths of the original Modern Jazz Quartet as well as bebop piano innovator Thelonious Monk. Oddly enough, Monk and Miles mixed like oil and water, but one can't tell from the recorded results--they're all at at the top of their game in a seminal session rich with inspired soloing and elegant swing. Davis was just starting to hone his mature style, maintaining his beautiful lyricism while cutting down on the number of notes played.

Track List:
1. THE MAN I LOVE (take 2)
2. SWING SPRING
3. 'ROUND MIDNIGHT*
4. BEMSHA SWING
5. THE MAN I LOVE (take 1)

Personnel: Miles Davis (trumpet); John Coltrane (tenor saxophone); Milt Jackson (vibraphone); Red Garland, Thelonious Monk (piano); Paul Chambers, Percy Heath (bass); Philly Joe Jones, Kenny Clarke (drums).Recorded at the Van Gelder Studio, Hackensack, New Jersey on December 24, 1954 and October 26, 1956. Originally released on Prestige (7150).

MILES DAVIS, trumpet
MILT JACKSON, vibes
THELONIOUS MONK, piano
PERCY HEATH, bass
KENNY CLARKE drums

JOHN COLTRANE, tenor sax*
RED GARLAND, piano*
PAUL CHAMBERS, bass*
PHILLY JOE JONES, drums*

 

[Dennie]

Relaxin' with the Miles Davis Quintet -- 20 Bit K2 Remastered CD

Miles Davis Quintet

1956/2001 Prestige/Fantasy Records

Perfect, September 7, 2006
By Michael Hardin (South Duxbury, Vermont United States)

Perfect is hard to define in jazz. In the traditional sense, "perfect" would mean without mistakes, but that denies the human element at the core of this music. What is perfect in jazz is when you sit and listen to Miles or Coltrane play something that is entirely them, and you could never think of any other way they should have played what they just did. "Kind of Blue" is one of those albums, when everything lines up and the creation is natural and beautiful. This album, recorded three years earlier, is another.

Miles hauled his band into the studio for Prestige records to fulfill the rest of his contract, and he cut four albums with two marathon recording sessions loosely constructed of standards. Miles didn't bother with many takes of the same tune and that is what makes his recordings almost as spontaneous as his live performances. This album is one result of those two sessions, and it's probably the strongest of the four albums. The tunes featured are very nice vehicles for incredibly melodic, tasteful playing by the entire group. That group, by the way, is known as the first great quintet, made up of Miles, John Coltrane, Red Garland, Paul Chambers, and Philly Joe Jones. While I'm not a big fan of Red Garland (I'm a piano player myself) I do appreciate his sense of swing and his taste and it's in evidence here. Trane was just getting his bearings and is still a little rough but he manages to put out some incredible ideas. The rhythm section holds down the groove really well. Then there's Miles, who is relaxed (mostly muted) and as melodic as any of his recordings. I listen to this album and, cliche as it may sound, all of my anxieties just melt away. My favorite tune on here is "If I Were A Bell," one Miles would continue to play brilliantly for years but he would never match the softly swinging vibe he created with it here. Tempos vary on this album but nothing is supercharged or blazingly fast, hence the title. The complete picture is one of spontaneous creation of beautiful music, the epitome of playing inside the form while still being creative and just swinging hard.

In terms of accessibility, the only sticky wicket is the playing of Coltrane. Non-jazz listeners looking for classy background music for a dinner party will find his tone abrasive and his budding "sheets of sound" to be quite odd. But serious listeners will be able to appreciate what he was reaching for (he hadn't yet found it all the way) and be fascinated by this stage of his development. The rest of the group is very in the pocket while still being interesting, so there's nothing too outlandish about this music. I can safely recommend it to anyone who appreciates the beauty of simplicity and space in music. Just be sure you really listen closely to pick up on the subtleties. Jazz like this will not demand your attention, but once you give it, it is some of the most rewarding music out there.

1. "If I Were a Bell" (Frank Loesser) – 8:15
2. "You're My Everything" (Harry Warren) – 5:18
3. "I Could Write a Book" (Richard Rodgers) – 5:09
4. "Oleo" (Sonny Rollins) – 6:18
5. "It Could Happen to You" (Jimmy van Heusen) – 6:37
6. "Woody 'n' You" (Dizzy Gillespie) – 5:02

RELAXIN' WITH THE MILES DAVIS QUINTET includes dialogue snippets taken from the master reel.Personnel: Miles Davis (trumpet); John Coltrane (tenor saxophone); Red Garland (piano); Paul Chambers (acoustic bass); Philly Joe Jones (drums).Recorded in Hackensack, New Jersey on May 8th and October of 1956. Originally released on Prestige (7129). Includes original release liner notes by Ira Gitler.Digitally remastered by JVC using XRCD (Extended Resolution Compact Disc) technology.

 

[Dennie]

Best of bowie -- 2 CD Set

David Bowie

2002 EMI Records

Amazon.com

Though one of rock's most influential figures, David Bowie's accomplishments are pocked by some distinct ironies. His willful efforts at being a musical and visual chameleon spurred triumphs in genres as diverse as folk, glam, new wave, and electronica. Given the dizzying range and success of his '70s incarnations--from Ziggy to the Thin White Duke to the gaunt, goth-cypher of Low and Heroes--he seemed the artist most well-equipped to weather the changing tides of taste and trend, yet saw his career essentially shrink to cult status after scoring his biggest triumphs when he reshaped the soulless, dance-oriented club music of the early '80s into his own image. This 20-track compilation does little to address the Chinese puzzle that has been Bowie's post-'85 career, but it does deliver an artistically dizzying slate of hits as it skips from one early peak to the next, from evocative cabaret ("Space Oddity," "Changes") through muscular glam-rock ("Suffragette City," "The Jean Genie") to R&B ("Young Americans," "Fame") and post-punk flirtations ("Ashes to Ashes," "Fashion") to the dance-club hits ("Let's Dance," "China Girl," "Modern Love") and '80s one-off duets ("Under Pressure" with Queen, "Dancing in the Streets" with Mick Jagger) that essentially marked the end of his superstar reign. Whole eras and at least one classic '70s album (Low) go completely unaddressed, but all of Bowie's signature hits are here, as well as Earthling's powerful, underappreciated "I'm Afraid of Americans." --Jerry McCulley

Disc: 1

1. Space Oddity
2. The Man Who Sold The World
3. Changes
4. Life On Mars?
5. Moonage Daydream
6. Suffragette City
7. Ziggy Stardust
8. All The Young Dudes
9. The Jean Genie
10. Panic In Detroit
11. Rebel, Rebel
12. Diamond Dogs
13. Young Americans
14. Fame
15. Golden Years
16. TVC15
17. Sound and Vision
18. Heroes
19. D.J.

Disc: 2

1. Ashes To Ashes
2. Fashion
3. Scary Monsters (And Super Creeps)
4. Under Pressure
5. Cat People (Putting Out Fire)
6. Let's Dance
7. China Girl
8. Modern Love
9. Blue Jean
10. This is Not America
11. Dancing In The Streets
12. Absolute Beginners
13. Time Will Crawl
14. Under The God
15. Jump They Say
16. The Heart's Filthy Lesson
17. I'm Afraid Of Americans
18. Thursday's Child
19. Slow Burn