Terrific, Especially "Faun"
926427
Wonderful Series for balletomanes, especially "Faun":
1858192
Jack Sheldon has long been one of my very favorite jazz artists. A triple threat, Jack is first an exciting and lyrical trumpet player with one of the most identifiable sounds in all of jazz, a singer whose style I like a lot and who really loves the songs he sings, and a comedian as wonderfully outrageous as Jonathan Winters and Robin Williams. Although he's been a busy studio musician for much of his life, Jack loves to play, even in small clubs for a few people, so I've managed to hear him every few years on my very occasional visits to LA from Chicago. Jack is also one of those musicians who takes both his music and his audience quite seriously, practicing a lot, and even late in his career, studying both his playing and his singing with some of the best teachers in LA. Like some other jazz greats, notably Louis Armstrong, Dizzy Gillespie, and Clark Terry, Jack also considers himself an entertainer, not only a musician. If you're not having fun with Sheldon, it's your fault, not his.

This 60 minute DVD, recorded with a west coast rhythm section led by pianist/ composer and long time Sheldon cohort Dave Frishberg, with drummer/bandleader Frank Capp, guitarist John Pisano, and bassist Dave Stone, finds Jack sounding great and having a good time. Most of the tunes are well known standards, and Jack sings and plays on almost all of them. Frishberg sings one tune, which is also a treat. As always, Jack works in a bit of his off the wall comedy; the New Orleans crowd seems a bit square -- some of them get it, and some don't (like one of the reviewers here), so he backs off. Between tunes, there are also several short segments with Jack talking about his art.

There's an obvious comparison to be made between this DVD and the recent documentary, "Trying to Get Good."  Since I'm a big Sheldon fan, I bought both. I like them both a lot. I find this one a bit better for the music, but the other provides considerably more insight into Sheldon as a person and as a musician.
296531
There have been several fine recordings of Rameau's brilliant keyboard works on CD, my previous favourites being those from Kenneth Gilbert and Scott Ross - both quite hard to find these days, but with a more recent and highly regarded 3-disc set from Pieter-Jan Belder still readily available. This present one, though, from Jory Vinikour, is superb. He plays the Premier Livre Suite in a minor, the Suite in e minor from 1724, the Suite in D, and the Nouvelles Suites in a minor and in G, as well as a number of transcriptions from the Pices de Clavecin en Concert and a terrific bonus at the end which I'll come back to in a moment.

The Chicago-born harpsichordist, now based for some years in Paris, has mastered the French baroque style to perfection. He plays a modern copy by Thomas and Barbara Wolf of a Nicolas Dumont (Paris) instrument of 1707, quite closely recorded with a vivid presence that suits the music well. There are so many brilliant and delightful pieces here, that I can only mention a very few of my own favourites such as the Rigaudon I and II (track I/15), Les Niais de Sologne (I/21), Gavotte et Doubles (II/7); La Poule (II/11) where Vinikour beautifully captures Rameau's take on the hen's idea of rhythm so entirely different from our own; Les Sauvages (II/13) from "Les Indes galantes", L'Enharmonique (II/14) remarkably "modern" in its adventurous harmonies, and the panache, brilliance and invention of L'Agaante (II/18).

The closing work on the second disc brings us a final delightful bonus in the form of Balbastre's keyboard transcription of Rameau's scintillating overture to "Pigmalion" - played here with such  dash and energy that you really feel the sculptor has already fallen in love with his sexy statue, so desperate is he to apply those last few impatient hammer-and-chisel strokes so he can get down to the vital business he clearly has in mind for his artistic creation. It's one of many examples here, in these two well-filled 78-minute discs, of the freshness, energy and spontaneity, the bouncing, springing rhythms of Vinikour's playing and the caprice, wit and sheer imagination of Rameau's invention. And yet, for me, it is the thoughtful, contemplative passages that strike home even more deeply in Vinikour's renditions of Rameau's music - such as the extended Allemande (II/1), the Sarabande (II/3) and the gently-building and increasingly lively Gavotte avec Doubles (II/7) - and where, for me at least, Vinikour is at his very best.

This, then, is a beautifully organised and contrasted programme, greatly enhanced by Jory's own excellent booklet notes - detailed, enlightening, helpfully explaining musical terms and conventions where appropriate. Altogether, a terrific baroque tour de force.
2884584
Barry Williams Presents: One-Hit Wonders Of The 70s has some mighty great tunes on it--you get 20 tracks for a very reasonable price. These songs really take me back to the 1970s when I was dancing to these songs and listening to them on jukeboxes practically everywhere. The quality of the sound on this CD is nothing short of excellent and I really like that artwork, too.

The album starts with Wild Cherry shooting out their bit hit "Play That Funky Music." Predictably, this tune does have a funky sound to it and it's still great for dancing even today! "Play That Funky Music" also has a good melody that's quite catchy; it makes a strong beginning number for this CD. "One Toke Over The Line" really got a lot of airplay. This tune sounds great; Brewer & Shipley created this country flavored rock song with strong key modulations and perfect harmonizing. "One Toke Over The Line" is easily a major highlight of this album and I love every minute of it.

The Starland Vocal Band does a wonderful job on "Afternoon Delight;" this never seemed to stop playing and it was great for slow dancing all alone late at night with your sweetheart in your living room. "Afternoon Delight" makes god use of the guitars, too. In addition, Billy Swan's "I Can Help" is an excellent tune; Billy does this faultlessly and just one listen proves it. "I Can Help" really has a great vibe to it and that's grand. Again, the guitars and keyboard work enhance the music that goes along with Billy's singing although of course the music never steals the show away from Billy. "In The Summertime" by Mungo Jerry is one of my very favorite songs on this album; the beat is incredible and it brings back many a fond memory, too.

Paper Lace outdoes even themselves on "The Night Chicago Died;" this uses some great electric guitar and it rocks really well! The percussion makes this ballad even better. Listen also for Stories to do their hit entitled "Brother Louie;" "Brother Louie" addresses racism in a tune that you won't forget anytime soon. First Class does a sublime tune when they turn out "Beach Baby;" this Beach Boys sounding tune holds its own very well. Vicki Sue Robinson does her disco tune "Turn The Beat Around" that invariably got everyone out on the dance floor; she sings this with all her might and it works wonders for this number.

Lynn Anderson's "Rose Garden" is a classic country song that scored a big hit on the airwaves; Lynn delivers this without a superfluous note and she had lots of people humming this tune to themselves all the time! Edison Lighthouse also makes good with their masterpiece "Love Grows (Where My Rosemary Goes);" and the CD ends strong with Vicki Lawrence performing "The Night The Lights Went Out In Georgia." "The Night The Lights Went Out In Georgia" has Vicki singing at her best and it leaves you wanting more.

Barry Williams Presents: One-Hit Wonders Of The 70s is best suited for people who want to remember some really great hits that deserve still more attention in our times. This is also a fine CD for anyone who wants a solid 70s music collection.
826179
I own all three Burach albums,and this is the one that ends up in my CD player most often. The playing is as superb as ever, the tune sets are wonderful, and the songs are catchy. A really great blend of traditional and modern music. I'm happy to say that Burach is coming out with a new album soon, check out the  re-vamped Brechin-All-Records website for details.
2925844
This is a collection of tranquil pieces (not "songs", which, by definition, must have vocals) and individual movements excerpted from larger classical works. All of the performances are at least good, some excellent.  Especially satisfying are the Barber and Faure.  As this recording shows, David Zinman is an outsanding interpreter of Barber while Dutoit handles the Faure with the style, polish, and grace that this music requires.  Although the "Pavanne" was originally composed as an instrumental piece, a year after its composition Faure adapted it to fit the text that is given on the CD. He would hardly have been insulted to find a choral version of this work.  In fact, given Dutoit's elegantly understated performance, he would probably think his music well served.  Also recommendable from this disc is Solti's excerpt from Mahler's 5th and Kennedy's rendition of Massenet's "Thais." In a nutshell, if you are interested in exploring some very enjoyable (if not totally on the beaten path) music, this set is an excellent choice.
3830782
This is wonderful production of Verdi's great comedy (written when he was nearly 80!),  in which Shakespeare's "fat knight" moves from the time of  Henry IV to the England of the 1950s.  Falstaff is one of the great enemble operas, in which a large cast continously interacts with one another, usually with the orchestra skipping along underneath.  The updating works well and makes great sense, as Falstaff is not at a tavern at the start of the opera, but rather living well in a grand hotel, which like Falstaff has seen better days.  Carts full of dirty dishes and spent wine bottles are everywhere, and our Falstaff (Ambrogio Maestri) is in his large bed wearing dirty long johns. while  reading his paper.  The production is dominated by this huge (I read 6 foot 5) Falstaff,  who really takes on the part of this lovable rascal.  All the roles are sung well here, and singers react beautifully to one another.  The sets are gorgeous (including the technicolor 1950s kitchen in which Falstaff is stuffed into a laundry basket before being tossed out a window), and action very well staged.

  This really is a wonderful prodcution of a great opera - the DVD is a treasure (with some great intermission interviews by Renee Fleming, including one with our Falstaff who tells us in Italian how much he loves the role.

Very, very highly recommended!!!
1071606
La Peau Douce/The Soft Skin is a very pleasant surprise indeed. There's a tendency in much of Truffauts' later work to be over-literate, often throwing in narration that plays more like a prose recital than thought or dialog to convey what he should be doing without it, but there's none of that here. Instead, its illicit romance is told in purely cinematic terms and telling details and, despite the potentially hackneyed material, plays beautifully, whether its the title sequence of two hands caressing in the darkness, a mix-up with room keys as a prelude to seduction or the kitten and the breakfast tray that would make such a memorable comeback in Day for Night.

There's humor and humanity there too, and the hero's painful fallibility on his disastrous dirty weekend in Reihms is one of the great don't-know-whether-to-laugh-or-to-cry moments. The ending seems a bit contrived and unlikely despite being based on an actual incident, but he somehow manages to pull that off too.

Sadly, while the UK DVD includes an excellent commentary from co-writer Jean-Louis Richard and archive interviews with Truffaut and Francois Dorleac, this R1 disc comes only with trailers for various truffaut titles.
3085006
A relative saw FP in the original off-Broadway production years ago, and purchased the tape after the show, making copies for us all.  I've seen it twice in local productions and absolutely love it. The music of course is terrific as is the patter and interactions of cast and audience.  The music is fun to sing along with, too.
1919982
This is also a great album. Whereas Sehnsucht has "Du Hast", this album has "Feuer Frei!", another on of their songs used in a movie! Along with five other songs to start off the album, are really good songs! The next three are pretty good and the last two are just good songs.
150369
"First Dive to Visit Fagen's Sunken Condos"

Jim McPartland

I've had trouble doing anything but listen to Donald Fagen's Sunken Condos since it streamed yesterday, 10/9, one week before its official release.

I'm on eight times straight through so far.

Like fine wine, it gets better with each listen. And like most of Fagen's material, it's very complex with lots of musical intricacies. Sunken Condos is a mixture of jazz, blues, rock, and 70's funk--and Fagen has never been in better form.

Sunken Condos is Fagen's strongest solo material EVER.  Better than The Nightfly--and I LOVE Nightfly.

It surpasses Steely Dan's Grammy Award winning Two Against Nature. And as good as Walter Becker is at contributing to Steely Dan, Fagen proves he is and always has been Steely Dan's driving force.

THIS IS GRAMMY AWARD MATERIAL!!

Donald made a great choice having Michael Leonhart co-produce. Michael `gets it' and his horn playing/orchestration are powerful. The recording is ideal- typical for perfectionist Fagen.

A pass at the songs-

1) Slinky Thing- funky- love the horns and xylophone- an older guy chasing or with a young chick and doubting himself.

2) I'm Not the Same Without You- love the melodica, which Donald uses more on Sunken Condos than on any other CD's and handles it like a madman--- very upbeat-- and optimistic about a break up- think the opposite of The Things I Miss the Most from Everything Must Go. Great vocals! Takes all of Steely Dan and solo efforts---shakes `em up--- and pours out one of the best songs he's ever written.

3) Memorabilia- great muted horns, sweet and soulful. More great vocals. The gals do a great job of complimenting Donald.

4) Weather in My Head- very bluesy- more outstanding horns/backing vocals- super nice guitar solo- B.B Kingish- I assume its Jon Herrington.

5) The New Breed- reminds me of Gaucho's My Rival--- organs--- freakin' great horns- and more melodica. More vocal harmonies. Donald's voice as strong as ever.

6) Out of the Ghetto (Isaac Hayes cover)- very funky--think War's Slippin' Into Darkness. "I took you out of the ghetto, but I could not get the ghetto out of you."

7) Miss Marlene- THIS SONG TOTALLY ROCKS- a little I.G.Y., a little Ruby Baby. Vocal blend is unbelievable- takes the best of SD-- gives me the chills--another totally great guitar solo by Herrington.

8) Good Stuff- TOTALLY FUNK-EEEE! Love the off key piano- more out-freakin'-ragous muted horns-- melodica-- xylophone---backing vocals--think Haitian Divorce--sounds like a Sopranos episode, both lyrical and musically--- "East Patterson"-- reprise of  "There's a special satisfaction when a job comes off so right- better break out the good stuff, the boss wants to party all night."

9) Planet d'Rhonda- Jazzy- "somewhere between 19 and 38"--sweet with more outstanding vocal arrangement--AND yet more Herrington guitar. Think Chain Lightening--- stretchin' out, like Donald said "Have at it, Jon". "My friends say `Jim, you're on a deadly spree.' They just can't understand that D's my vitamin XYZ."

I guarantee the reviews will praise Sunken Condos, proving you don't get old--you get better. I don't know what's gotten into Donald, but it's ridiculously good. Sunken Condos is an epiphany for Fagen, like vintage wine that has fermented for hundreds of years, is opened, and will be enjoyed for many more.
1407758
For those of us who can't get enough of Fagen's solo stuff, "Sunken Condos" delivers big time! Not being able to decide between "Slinky Thing," "I'm Not the Same Without You," or "Weather in My Head," as my favorite is a quandary that I look forward to pondering for decades to come! Bravo Donald!
4271584
Of all the CD's I've ever bought on Amazon, this one has really been a super delicious deal.  Not only did I pay this one used for 5 dollars, but it also came in a beautiful mini box digipack set.  It arrived containing the CD, as well as a bonus DVD containing the making of the album, with nice home footage of Will and Allison's house studio and luscious countryside scenery.  There is also the music video for A & E included on the DVD.  4 postcards containing unseen photos included alternate shot of the owlman, and Allison standing in a cute polka dot uniform alongside a horse behind a tree.  BEST OF ALL, a foldout poster (and believe me this is every Goldfrapp fan's wet dream) of Allison herself, in white pagan robe, completely barefoot with her deliciously hot long legs exposed and dark eyeliner standing cross-stance on a tree with the head of the owl mask perched high above with a lake background.  Trust me fans, if you can get a hold of this copy, this poster is a real steal.  Oh my GODDESS, this poster is proof that Allison Goldfrapp is not just a musical genius but the woman I come home to worship at my alter.  She is so freakin' hot!!!

All right, getting carried away, I really don't want to freak anyone out here.  Don't let those last sentences distract you from the music and the the greatness of the album.

Seventh Tree is that fun, quirky album that caters to the Moonchild in all of us.  Naturally the pagan imagery is alluring and the songs complement it.  I always loved Eat Yourself for the nice crackling vinyl quality the recording has (probably electronically altered that way), giving it that transient mood like it could have been recorded at any time other than 2008.  The acoustic guitar is sensational and Allison's voice (espcially her high-pitched cooing at the end) is euphoric, like I just went out on a date with a girl I never met before absorbing this song.
It's a playful record, one that inspires you to draw, paint, cook, garden to.  I love this album for any occasion really.  It rather shocks me how many malignant reviews people give this album compared to the duo's three previous CD's before.  So it doesn't have the bouncy dance beats of Black Cherry and Supernature.  So it's more esoteric than Felt Mountain (and that's just my opinion, just so ya know cause I love that CD too for it has it's own special mystery).  Each Goldfrapp album is like a different wardrobe to wear and Seventh Tree presents it's own unique weaving of colorful fabrics and cloths.  Tales of Us is the same deal as well.
If I had to pick an album to lose myself on a camping trip in the woods for a week, it would totally be this one (although anything Boards of Canada would do as well).  It would put me in the mood of what nature setting I reside in and make life around me more magical.
Cheers :-)
1514510
Of course pianists should have this wonderful book, just don't assume it's complete.  Faur&eacute; actually wrote a thirteenth Nocturne (in B minor) and a thirteenth Barcarolle (in C major), neither of which is included here.  Both of these are characteristic late Faur&eacute;, but the Nocturne #13 is particularly not to be missed.  I was just playing it over tonight and was amazed by the dark drama of the music.  It's as Faur&eacute;'s biographer Jessica Duchen said, that it seems to stare death in the face.
Both the Nocturne #13 and the suave, tranquil Barcarolle #13 are available individually from Masters Music Publications, and I would suggest that pianists supplement this book with both of those works to make a complete set of Faur&eacute;'s nocturnes and barcarolles.
3337085
This 20-track CD, A Handful of Fats: Original 1929-1942 Recordings, has been released under both the Pro Arte and Naxos labels. This is one of the very best single disk collections of Fats Waller's music.

The sound on the 2004 CD is excellent (I cannot comment on the original 1992 release). Noise reduction is as much an art as a science, and this CD is one of the best sounding Waller anthologies. Granted, I do boost the treble to add a bit of presence, but the CD is very nearly noise free and musical detail is astoundingly good for the age of the source material.

Eight of the tracks are piano solos--all of which are stunning displays of virtuosity. Waller was one of jazz's greatest pianists and swung as hard as any pianist of his or any other day. He played with a forceful stride pattern in the left hand and elaborate and syncopated melodic lines in the right hand. His right hand was dexterous and innovative, and his runs were quick and smooth beyond comparison.

Waller was an exuberant entertainer and a composer of 300+ tunes. Eleven of the 20 included tracks are Waller compositions. A decided plus is the inclusion of Jitterbug Waltz, a fine Waller tune (that has been covered by everyone from Dizzy Gillespie to Chet Atkins to Benny Goodman) with Fats playing an early Hammond organ in a big band setting.

Fats Waller, 1904-43, recoded 600+ sides in his brief life, so any omnibus must be selective. Honeysuckle Rose and Ain't Misbehavin' are presented in less frequently heard piano solo versions--great music to be certain, but some beginners might prefer the vocal versions. This appealing CD could have been made even stronger by the addition of a few more of his vocal hits.

This album emphasizes Waller's piano more than many anthologies, and has gorgeous sound. Five starts are not enough.

If you want a larger collection of Waller's music, RCA/Bluebird has issued a winning 3 CD collection with extensive documentation and photos: If You Got to Ask, You Ain't Got It! For a single CD with a more vocal selections and more tracks total, I recommend a European CD with very good sound from Collector's Choice: The Very Best of Fats Waller.
4776538
"The Yellow Princess" has a lot in common with Fahey's other early stuff, especially "Death Chants, Breakdown, and Military Waltzes." Similar inspired mix of full-on fingerpicking, slow blues, dissonance and found sound. The title track can be found on a number of anthologies, but the rest of the record is excellent as well. There's drum and bass backing on a few cuts, an unusual set-up for Fahey but one that works well.
Suprising this is only available as an import, according to Amazon. You'd think Vanguard would get with the program and reissue this excellent CD, especially now that he's kicked the bucket. Let's hope so.
2530491
The version of Fables of Faubus is fantastic. Great bass clarinet from Doplhy. It was an incredibly creative period for all of the participants with the secret weapon being the piano playing of Jaki Byard. The history of American music is encapsulated in his solos.