📜 Feature The Now Spinning/Recent Purchases Thread
- Thread starter Rudy
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GREAT album!
Elbow-deep in working on kiddo's car literally all day long, I opted to keep my oldest Pandora station (with jazz fusion, which I started in 2007) playing all day. But my last song of the evening? I had to get a blast of ZZ Top's "My Head's in Mississippi" as I closed everything up. And I'll probably have the same station playing tomorrow as I have more to work on, and want to finish it all up by dinner around 6pm.
BIG thanks to Stevenj for jogging my memory about the Ipanemas. I listened to AfroBossa and Call of the Gods yesterday morning.
This morning, back to where I left off alphabetically---Joan Armatrading's 2021 release Consequences.
I can't explain why, but I just couldn't "hear" Joan when she first arrived. This is very, very good.
This morning, back to where I left off alphabetically---Joan Armatrading's 2021 release Consequences.
I can't explain why, but I just couldn't "hear" Joan when she first arrived. This is very, very good.
Showing up as a new release a week ago via Qobuz...
Nick Lowe has a new album out. The bonus here is that it's "Powered by Los Straitjackets." They've been performing together for a while, and this album is the result.
Despite the Martin Denny vibe, this is strongly in a rock & roll throwback style. The review I read says that "...the songs are all hookier than the fishing department in an outdoor gear megamart." It's certainly sounding that way as I play through it. I probably have heard Nick Lowe only in passing over the years, and heard albums he has produced, but this is the first time I've listened to one of his own albums. I like it enough that I may pick it up on vinyl.
Nick Lowe has a new album out. The bonus here is that it's "Powered by Los Straitjackets." They've been performing together for a while, and this album is the result.
Despite the Martin Denny vibe, this is strongly in a rock & roll throwback style. The review I read says that "...the songs are all hookier than the fishing department in an outdoor gear megamart." It's certainly sounding that way as I play through it. I probably have heard Nick Lowe only in passing over the years, and heard albums he has produced, but this is the first time I've listened to one of his own albums. I like it enough that I may pick it up on vinyl.
I've also been in a George Thorogood mood lately. Unfortunately there isn't a good compilation on vinyl, other than one that had a 500 unit pressing run that has long sold out. But I have a feeling his LPs may be cheap at the used record store. (In fact, our nearby store has the bins out front this morning--they're probably selling CDs for 2/$1 Or 4/$1 again. I may need to stop by.)
Been hearing "Moving All Over" and especially "One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer" on my "Blues" Pandora channel lately. The "House Rent Blues" preamble to the latter gets me every time. 😁
He always was a meat-and-potatoes pub blues rocker and that is perfectly fine with me. Sometimes I need this in my life! Some rollicking, good-time music.
Been hearing "Moving All Over" and especially "One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer" on my "Blues" Pandora channel lately. The "House Rent Blues" preamble to the latter gets me every time. 😁
He always was a meat-and-potatoes pub blues rocker and that is perfectly fine with me. Sometimes I need this in my life! Some rollicking, good-time music.
I get the AllMusic new releases newsletter every Friday morning and was surprised to see Marcos Valle has a new release. It's called Tunel Acoustico. So into the library that goes---and I added his catalog, which I have somehow overlooked.
This morning, I listened to 1966's Brazilliance (arranged by Deodato), which apart from some slightly syrupy mid-60s string arrangements, is really great---and now am hearing 2020's Cinzento, which is a lovely listen.
I have been totally snoozing on Marcos other than his early Bossa Nova works we're all familiar with. Not only is he still recording...he's on tour, and the next two nights, he's playing practically in my backyard---Santa Cruz and Berkeley. I can't make it.
Anyway, more dates in other places for you here:
www.songkick.com
This morning, I listened to 1966's Brazilliance (arranged by Deodato), which apart from some slightly syrupy mid-60s string arrangements, is really great---and now am hearing 2020's Cinzento, which is a lovely listen.
I have been totally snoozing on Marcos other than his early Bossa Nova works we're all familiar with. Not only is he still recording...he's on tour, and the next two nights, he's playing practically in my backyard---Santa Cruz and Berkeley. I can't make it.
Anyway, more dates in other places for you here:
Marcos Valle
Buy tickets for Marcos Valle concerts near you. See all upcoming 2024-25 tour dates, support acts, reviews and venue info.
It took me a minute to find that just now, as the only Brazilliance I'd heard of was the set of albums featuring Laurindo Almeida and Bud Shank (my mom had Vol. 3--it's somewhere in storage). But I found it on a technicality--Valle's is spelled with one L vs. two. 😁
I've added a California Honeydrops recording, Spreadin' Honey, to my library. I've been hearing a few various tracks on my blues-ish Pandora station (which is sort of crossed with blue-eyed soul and a small amount of old-style rock & roll, so I get a lot of interesting recordings I've never heard of before). The Honeydrops seem to be well known in their unique genre (perhaps more localized--they hailed out of Oakland) but the only readily available versions are on streaming. CDs and especially vinyl are hard to find for their oldest recordings dating back to only 2008.
And this morning, they were another group I couldn't find in Roon. I was searching for California Honeydrippers. 😁
Which reminds me that I need to revisit The Honeydrippers soon. It was a killer lineup behind Robert Plant on the record with Jimmy Page, Nile Rodgers, Jeff Beck, Paul Shaffer, drummer Dave Weckl, and bassist Wayne Pedziwiatr. (Brian Setzer appeared with the concert lineup of the band.) I can't dial back to the 80s but I wish he'd done a Vol. 2.
BTW, this surface in YouTube. Robert Plant and Alison Krauss in Toledo. I was quite surprised to see that it was at the Toledo Zoo (we are zoo members there)--every so often you can catch a glimpse of the historic amphitheater at the zoo. They hold a small concert series every summer, rain or shine. Kinda wish I'd seen ZZ Top a couple of years ago--I can imagine the orangutans and lowlands gorillas nearby were groovin' to it. 😁
Anyhoose, here's what the amphtheater looks like.
Interesting versions of two Led Zep IV songs. Still not a big fan of Krauss but she's necessary to pull off those high notes that left Robert Plant decades ago.
Anyhoose, here's what the amphtheater looks like.
Interesting versions of two Led Zep IV songs. Still not a big fan of Krauss but she's necessary to pull off those high notes that left Robert Plant decades ago.
Ooops.
Spelling is hard.
Interesting thing about Braziliance---you can find it on Warner Bros. with a 1966 release date...
....and on Odeon with a 1967 release date and a different cover.
But it actually was an American album, re-released in Brazil, rather than the other way around.
And could that Warners' cover Warner any harder (in-house art director Ed Thrasher, everybody!)?
There are no credits for the liner notes on the Warners release, but the parenthetical reference to Deodato reads to me like it could be Stan Cornyn, dialed wayyy back:
Yeah, that was my thought also. That one hurts the eyes! Have to say that some of Atlantic's jackets around the same era are similarly cheesy. It might have worked for some of the young, early R&B/soul artists they had on the label but it didn't translate well to jazz or easy listening. I mean, can you be much more creepy than this? Is it a murder scene? A porno film? What?
I've been revisiting this landmark album a few times in recent months.
I'll admit that Innervisions and the hits package Original Musiquarium Vol. 1 (even with some of its omissions) are still my favorite records, and also admit that Songs is a bit of a daunting task to tackle all in one sitting. But it's slowly edging its way into my top three of favorite Stevie albums. (Of the albums from Music of My Mind through Hotter than July, his finest streak of recordings, the only one I really never cared for was the somewhat unfocised Fulfillingness First Finale.)
It's kind of like having information overload. The original package had not only two LPs, but a four song, 7-inch EP. Stevie had that much to say. He tackles his two favorite topics--love, and social consciousness--throughout these sides. It's still a monumental work IMHO--the songs actually hold up today even better than back when they were first released.
While the Tamla LP I had originally (an early 80s reissue) was lacking in terms of surface noise, the recording itself is actually stunning in quality. I've heard digital versions including the Audio Fidelity HDCD, the Japan SHM-SACD, the high-res release at 24-bit/192kHz, and my original first CD release I bought the day it came out (desperate as I was for clean versions of Stevie's albums; this one I drove through a snowstorm over my lunch break to pick it up from Sam's Jams).
I've heard this from a copy of the master tape (in a mastering studio) and it's even more breathtaking. It's a title I wish would get a proper vinyl remastering, at the hands of Kevin Gray. (I think Bernie Grundman's hearing isn't what it used to be--it shows in the Steely Dan UHQRs, which are rather dull and lifeless, as is one of the Craft Small Batch releases I've listened to.) I'd prefer it at 45 RPM but side 3 would be a trick, since "As" segues into "Another Star" very tightly. And it would be a 5-disc set. Ouch.
I'll admit that Innervisions and the hits package Original Musiquarium Vol. 1 (even with some of its omissions) are still my favorite records, and also admit that Songs is a bit of a daunting task to tackle all in one sitting. But it's slowly edging its way into my top three of favorite Stevie albums. (Of the albums from Music of My Mind through Hotter than July, his finest streak of recordings, the only one I really never cared for was the somewhat unfocised Fulfillingness First Finale.)
It's kind of like having information overload. The original package had not only two LPs, but a four song, 7-inch EP. Stevie had that much to say. He tackles his two favorite topics--love, and social consciousness--throughout these sides. It's still a monumental work IMHO--the songs actually hold up today even better than back when they were first released.
While the Tamla LP I had originally (an early 80s reissue) was lacking in terms of surface noise, the recording itself is actually stunning in quality. I've heard digital versions including the Audio Fidelity HDCD, the Japan SHM-SACD, the high-res release at 24-bit/192kHz, and my original first CD release I bought the day it came out (desperate as I was for clean versions of Stevie's albums; this one I drove through a snowstorm over my lunch break to pick it up from Sam's Jams).
I've heard this from a copy of the master tape (in a mastering studio) and it's even more breathtaking. It's a title I wish would get a proper vinyl remastering, at the hands of Kevin Gray. (I think Bernie Grundman's hearing isn't what it used to be--it shows in the Steely Dan UHQRs, which are rather dull and lifeless, as is one of the Craft Small Batch releases I've listened to.) I'd prefer it at 45 RPM but side 3 would be a trick, since "As" segues into "Another Star" very tightly. And it would be a 5-disc set. Ouch.
To me, beyond the 90-point font for the title, what just screams is the font choice on "and his music":
Ed, you've been using that font for three years as essentially a logo for Peter, Paul and Mary:
The drawbacks of an in-house art guy as opposed to individuals working from a concept.
Have to say that some of Atlantic's jackets around the same era are similarly cheesy. It might have worked for some of the young, early R&B/soul artists they had on the label but it didn't translate well to jazz or easy listening. I mean, can you be much more creepy than this? Is it a murder scene? A porno film? What?
I think it's saying she's "arriving"... and it's great.
How a piano figures into that is anyone's guess.
Ahmet Ertegun: "Spend the $4.98 and find out."
I've been revisiting this landmark album a few times in recent months.
I'll admit that Innervisions and the hits package Original Musiquarium Vol. 1 (even with some of its omissions) are still my favorite records, and also admit that Songs is a bit of a daunting task to tackle all in one sitting. But it's slowly edging its way into my top three of favorite Stevie albums. (Of the albums from Music of My Mind through Hotter than July, his finest streak of recordings, the only one I really never cared for was the somewhat unfocised Fulfillingness First Finale.)
It's kind of like having information overload. The original package had not only two LPs, but a four song, 7-inch EP. Stevie had that much to say. He tackles his two favorite topics--love, and social consciousness--throughout these sides. It's still a monumental work IMHO--the songs actually hold up today even better than back when they were first released.
While the Tamla LP I had originally (an early 80s reissue) was lacking in terms of surface noise, the recording itself is actually stunning in quality. I've heard digital versions including the Audio Fidelity HDCD, the Japan SHM-SACD, the high-res release at 24-bit/192kHz, and my original first CD release I bought the day it came out (desperate as I was for clean versions of Stevie's albums; this one I drove through a snowstorm over my lunch break to pick it up from Sam's Jams).
I've heard this from a copy of the master tape (in a mastering studio) and it's even more breathtaking. It's a title I wish would get a proper vinyl remastering, at the hands of Kevin Gray. (I think Bernie Grundman's hearing isn't what it used to be--it shows in the Steely Dan UHQRs, which are rather dull and lifeless, as is one of the Craft Small Batch releases I've listened to.) I'd prefer it at 45 RPM but side 3 would be a trick, since "As" segues into "Another Star" very tightly. And it would be a 5-disc set. Ouch.
It's a masterpiece. It is also a lot all in one sitting. I think I've only listened to it all in one shot....three times...??....in the past 48 years.
This morning: Just finished Anouar Brahem's Conte de l'incroyable amour (Tale of Incredible Love), and it's tremendous. At least to my ears. I can see someone wondering how they wound up in a Tunisian cafe', but I love it.
Now on to Nik Bartsch's Continuum.
Continuum is an unusual project since it features the Mobile lineup with added strings. "Modul 5" (one of Bärtsch's earliest) is probably my favorite on the album--he's performed it four times on record, including his first album Ritual Groove Music. Two of those were solo performances--his second album Hishiryo: Piano Solo, and on his most recent Entendre. He sometimes performs older "moduls" to demonstrate how he has evolved them over time. Like performing "Modul 36" first on his ECM debut album Stoa, and doing an evolved version on Awase in 2018.
I'm waiting for announcement of his next album. This past summer, one of the teasers for a concert appearance in Cleveland (which I missed 😕) mentioned he'd be performing music from his upcoming album this autumn. And...here we are. Nothing on ECM's site or his own yet. He hasn't had a Ronin album since 2018 (aside from a Ronin Rhythm Clan EP this past January).
I'm waiting for announcement of his next album. This past summer, one of the teasers for a concert appearance in Cleveland (which I missed 😕) mentioned he'd be performing music from his upcoming album this autumn. And...here we are. Nothing on ECM's site or his own yet. He hasn't had a Ronin album since 2018 (aside from a Ronin Rhythm Clan EP this past January).
Stevenj
Well-Known Member
I have all the albums and they are my favorite Brazilian group.
I'm surprised how much I like Continuum. Can't even really put my finger on what it is, but it is absolutely a keeper.
Next up, something completely different, Vampire Weekend's Contra from 2010.
It's my favorite type of discovery--it defies description or genre categorization, it's different but not unwelcoming, and it never gets tiring as it reveals something new on subsequent listens while also falling into a comfortable familiarity. With Bärtsch's music in particular, it's a puzzle, it's mathematical precision, yet it's also organic and always changing.
If you're going alphabetical, you missed Awase (2018--the 18-minute "Modul 58" may be an overall favorite as I've played the digital version 117 times alone, and that's not counting the vinyl, or plays in the car), but Entendre, Holon, Live, Llyria, and Stoa are all coming up in the future. His earlier albums are not available on streaming, but they are much more repetitive and minimalist than what he recorded for ECM, where it really gelled.
Thom Jurek (one of my favorites, who I found out is local to me) from AllMusic tried to nail a description with Bärtsch's first ECM album...and I'll add a few paragraph breaks to make it more readable...
He may call it "Zen Funk," but the real question is, what the hell is it? Swiss pianist and composer Nik Bartsch's Ronin have issued their ECM debut, Stoa, the label well-known for its icy sounding, spacious jazz. ECM has been pushing the envelope for nearly 40 years, but with Ronin, they've pushed it beyond the pale into God knows what.
This is not a bad thing, however. Ronin was a group created with the idea of playing live. And over the course of three previous records issued only in Europe, the band -- birthed in 2001 when Bartsch was 30 -- plays a highly disciplined style of music that relies on interlocking rhythm, groove, and groups of tight, short melodic statements all stacked on top of one another.
There are those who will immediately think of Steve Reich's minimalist discipline, but there are no equations to be solved here. It's math music to be sure, but its also got the good foot, the deep bass, and the drum ostinatos of James Brown & His Famous Flames or the JB's, or even the deep soul tight backbeat toughness of the best Stax rhythm sections. Bartsch has listened to everything from Reich and Terry Riley to techno and the Necks (there is a beautiful nod to them at the beginning of the opener "Modul 36"). Bartsch's melodic ideas are trance-like and hypnotic. They come across more as rhythmic statements than actual melodic ideas. There are Eastern aesthetics at work here in the stripped-down elementalism in this music.
It's full of discipline and is depersonalized so that the ensemble comes off as one voice. It's clear Bartsch has spent time listening to some of the best experimental electronic music by artists such as Apparat, Thomas Brinkmann, Pole, Basic Channel, and Pan Sonic. And while there is improvisation in Ronin's attack, it's structured and tightly woven into Bartsch's compositional structures.
What makes the band tick is the rhythm section as Bartsch works his modulated and shuffled lyrical fragments against the section, assisted ably and minimally by Sha on contrabass and bass clarinets (who acts as another part of the rhythm section more than as a soloist or melodist). It's bassist Bjorn Meyer, percussionist Andi Pupato, and especially the brilliant drummer Kaspar Rast making it all happen in real time.
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