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01 |
Lullaby Of Birdland |
McCoy Tyner |
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From the Album ""Jazz Roots: McCoy Tyner Honors Jazz Piano Legends Of The 20th Century"" |
03:38 |
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02 |
Harcourt Nights |
Oscar Peterson, Quartet, Michel Legrand and Strings |
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From the Album ""Trail Of Dreams: A Canadian Suite"" Date of US Release October 24, 2000 Trail of Dreams: A Canadian Suite is hardly a typical Oscar Peterson album. This time, the Canadian pianist doesn't play any standards and doesn't take a bop-oriented approach; in fact, Trail of Dreams isn't a straight-ahead jazz album but rather combines jazz with elements of pop, classical, and symphonic music. Recorded in April 2000, this CD finds Peterson joining forces with Michel Legrand, who conducts a lush 24-piece string orchestra. Legrand is famous for composing gems like ""You Must Believe in Spring"" and ""Once Upon a Summertime,"" but the French icon doesn't do any composing on this album; his role is strictly that of a conductor/arranger, and all of the writing was done by Peterson himself. The compositions were meant to paint an aural picture of Peterson's native Canada; they were inspired by places that range from Quebec in eastern Canada to British Columbia in the western part of the country. The music is generally likable, and even though Peterson doesn't have a great deal of room to stretch out and improvise, he manages to get in some decent solos here and there. Nonetheless, Trail of Dreams never pretends to be a hardcore bop date, which is why it's pointless to judge the CD by bop standards. This release isn't recommended to bop snobs, although more broad-minded listeners will find it to be an interesting, if imperfect, departure for the veteran pianist. |
05:12 |
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03 |
Kisses In The Rain |
John Pizzarelli |
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From the Album ""Kisses In The Rain"" Date of US Release February 22, 2000 John Pizzarelli takes his nifty little act over to the folks at Telarc, and in fact, little has changed at all; if anything, the act has gotten better. The good news is that Pizzarelli shows continued improvement as a vocalist; the nasal, callow, youthful sound slowly gives way to a less naive, more rhythmically hip style in the manner of early Nat Cole. Pizzarelli was a fine, versatile guitarist from the start, and he continues to astonish at lightning tempos here. His airtight longtime trio (brother Martin Pizzarelli on bass, Ray Kennedy on piano) keeps right up, switching tempos on a dime. As you would expect, the menu consists of mostly Tin Pan Alley/swing standards from way back (""When I Take My Sugar to Tea,"" ""When Lights Are Low,"" ""Don't Be That Way,"" ""Polka Dots and Moonbeams,"" etc.); the idiom is King Cole Trio all the way, with some Oscar Peterson when Kennedy gets rolling. The only thing missing is Pizzarelli's good-natured kidding around with his band and his audience, which has become one of the main attractions of his live act. This artist is a good match for Telarc's growth as a jazz label - young faces, old repertoire - and of course, the Pizzarelli brothers and Kennedy are now the beneficiaries of Telarc's vaunted, depth-charged engineering. |
03:39 |
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04 |
All We Need Is Love |
Mighty Sam McClain |
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From the Album ""Blues For The Soul"" Date of US Release June 27, 2000 |
03:44 |
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05 |
Catfish Blues |
Ronnie Earl |
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From the Album ""Healing Time"" Date of US Release January 1, 2000 Guitarist Ronnie Earl continues his string of all instrumental albums with this stunning follow-up to 1997's critically acclaimed The Colour of Love. With sturdy yet subtle assistance from Anthony Geraci on keyboards, Mark Greenberg or Don Williams on drums, Michael ""Mudcat"" Ward on bass, and, for two tracks, special guest Jimmy McGriff handling the Hammond B-3 in his inimitable fashion, Earl peels off sweet and spicy jazz-blues-gospel licks with the touch of a musician whose heart and soul is intimately infused in his music. Earl's love of Muddy Waters shines on a sizzling cover of ""Catfish Blues"" where his guitar alternately screams and moans through the stop-start rhythm of the song as if it's singing the lyrics. But this is primarily a jazz album with a heavy blues influence, and Earl's Kenny Burrell and Grant Green roots are pervasive throughout. His tensile tone ranges from tender and sensitive to biting and majestic, with touches of Carlos Santana's unique phrasing thrown in. Whether digging deep into the achingly soulful slow groove of ""Blues for Shawn"" or closing out the album with a rapturous ""Amazing Grace,"" Ronnie Earl proves himself to be a master of moods. Healing Time effectively moves him into the realm of the guitar greats he idolizes. |
04:51 |
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06 |
In The Evening (When The Sun Goes Down) |
Robert Lockwood, Jr. |
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From the Album ""Delta Crossroads"" For Delta Crossroads, Robert Lockwood Jr., a former student of Robert Johnson, returns to his Delta blues roots. This 16-track album features Lockwood with only his 12-string acoustic guitar. It is rather strange hearing old Delta blues sung by one of its originals on a modern recording. All of the notes from the guitar are clear. Plus, his voice isn't scuffed up by the scratches and pop of the vinyl recording. Lockwood plays a mix of Robert Johnson tunes, a few of his own, and some blues standards including ""C.C. Rider."" With its high production quality and Lockwood's unique and possibly near-extinct style of singing, Delta Crossroads is a strong testament to the endurance of a Delta blues original. |
05:05 |
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07 |
Ouverture zu ""Die Entfuring aus dem Serail"" |
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04:22 |
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08 |
Ballsirenen - Walzer |
Charles Mackerras: Scottish Chamber Orchestra |
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06:44 |
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09 |
Sinfonie Nr. 1 in D-Dur, 3. Satz |
Yoel Levi: Atlanta Symphony Orchestra |
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10:20 |
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10 |
Trompeten - Konzert Es-Dur, Finale |
Wynton Marsalis; Raymond Leppard: English Chamber Orchestra |
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From the Album ""The London Concert: Haydn/Hummel/Mozart"" Date of US Release March 28, 2000 Like any other classical star, Wynton Marsalis felt the urge to re-record the basic repertoire for his instrument after awhile - and so, he goes at the Haydn, Leopold Mozart, Fasch, and Hummel trumpet concertos again, only a decade after his first go-round with these works. While it might seem presumptuous to remake these performances so soon, there are signs of growth here that repay close listening. Marsalis' Haydn, for example, shows considerably more depth of thought and variety in phrasing than on the earlier hit record; the finale, in particular, gains in expressiveness. In general, the tempos are a little slower than on the earlier records, the technical finish of Marsalis' playing is just as polished. Raymond Leppard again is the conductor, and he too displays a freer, more expressive hand as leads the English Chamber Orchestra. Moreover, the sound has more depth than the '80s recordings. What is missing is the sense of occasion of the earlier records, where a brash 21-year-old trumpet virtuoso proves to the world - and specifically to young black musicians (as he claimed in interviews) - that it's possible to play both the classical and jazz repertoire well. By 1994, this was old news. Also, the title The London Concert seems to be rather misleading, for these recordings in St. Giles Church do not sound like live performances, and the fact that they were made in London is nothing special; Marsalis' earlier recordings were done in that city, too. If you don't have the artist's earlier performances, these recordings are preferable, but if you do have them, there's no urgent need to invest in this unless you're collecting the series. The differences aren't huge. |
04:35 |
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11 |
Symphonie Nr. 9 E-Moll ""Aus der neuen Welt"" |
Leonard Bernstein: New York Philharmonic Orchestra |
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06:32 |
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