What Are You Listening to? November 2021

[Zeeba Neighba]

R.E.M. - Green (1988)

 

[Zeeba Neighba]

Nat King Cole and His Trio - After Midnight (The Complete Sessions) - (1957)

 

[Zeeba Neighba]

Thelonious Monk - Thelonious Himself (1957)

 

[Ojai Sam]

CBS Symphony Orchestra - The Twentieth Century (TV Soundtrack, rec. 1957-8, Kritzerland rel. 2020)

This superb CBS documentary series ran from 1957 to 1970, hosted by the redoubtable Walter Cronkite. The network went all out for music, commissioning scores from serious classical composers like Darius Milhaud and Alan Hovhaness. Six examples from the first two seasons are included in this album. Each one vividly evokes the historical period covered: "The Liberation Of Paris", "Hiroshima", even "Peron and Evita".

As a kid, George Antheil's majestic opening theme (sadly, not on this disc but available although unlinkable on You Tube) made a huge impression on me.

 

[Zeeba Neighba]

Cannonball Adderley - Somethin' Else (1958)

 

[Zeeba Neighba]

John Coltrane - Blue Train (1958)

 

[Unsomnambulist]

10000 Russos - Kompromat (2019)

 

[Unsomnambulist]

10000 Russos - Superinertia (2021)

 

[Unsomnambulist]

Whispering Sons - Several Others (2021)

 

[Ojai Sam]

^ I am delighted you found something more tolerable, but still don't fully grok this project.

[looks up "grok"]

This project is an opportunity for me to explore the opera incognita of an important artist whose torrential workflow has pretty much streamed by me in recent years. Starting at the bottom and working up wasn't foreordained but seemed like a good way to avoid disappointment ("oh, that one wasn't too bad for #129") . It also started me with a bunch of flistens before working up to the more familiar material.

Czech Philharmonic Orchestra (Leopold Stokowski, cond.) - Bach: Orchestral Transcriptions (1973)

At age 90, the Maestro re-recorded his famous transcriptions of Bach for orchestra. The quality of the performances and the sonic purity combine to deliver a memorable listening experience. Hearing these familiar melodies rendered by the full weight of a symphony orchestra lends them a surprisingly intense emotional weight.

 

[Zeeba Neighba]

^
Years ago, I had an unfulfilled New Years resolution to listen to Bach daily covering a big chunk of his output - the older I get, the more I appreciate him more. One day...

 

[Zeeba Neighba]

Art Tatum - Ben Webster Quarter - Tatum Group Masterpieces: Volume Eight (1958)

My God! What a great album. Can't believe it's been years since I've broken this one out. All the Tatum Group volumes are worth checking out, but I particularly enjoy Ben Webster's sound.

 

[Unsomnambulist]

^
Years ago, I had an unfulfilled New Years resolution to listen to Bach daily covering a big chunk of his output - the older I get, the more I appreciate him more. One day...

So you're saying he'll be Bach in your playlist soon?

 

[axolotl]

So you're saying he'll be Bach in your playlist soon?

That's playLiszt.

 

[axolotl]

Julius Airwave ~The City The Forest (2007)

Julius Airwave | Obscure Sound

There are certain demographics that believe robots will take over within the next few centuries. As absurd as those scientologists and other controversial groups see fit, Julius Airwave is intent on mocking them. On the stage of every one of their lively shows sits a green robot sparkling with...

www.obscuresound.com

 

[axolotl]

Alexander Scriabin~ Preludes, Vol. 1 [Evgeny Zarafiants, piano] (2000)



Embiggen at your own risk.

Spoiler

 

[axolotl]

Toru Takemitsu ~ From Me Flows What You Call Time; Twill by Twilight; Requiem (1998)

 

[axolotl]

Edgar Meyer ~ Edgar Meyer (2006)

There is no doubt about Edgar Meyer's musicianship, creativity or talent. This CD features 14 new works, all by Meyer and all played by him (through the magic of multi-track recording and overdubbing). In addition to his usual double-bass, Meyer plays piano, mandolin, dobro, guitar, and gamba (sometimes bowed, sometimes plucked, at points overdubbed nine times), all in various combinations. Each piece, it seems, is in a different style or genre. The first, a duet for piano and bass, is a long pop ballad without words. Another is (almost) pure bluegrass. There are some artsy pieces that experiment with sounds a la new-age music. The result is never boring but, at the same time, it gives the CD a feel of being neither fish nor fowl. As a means of showing off Meyer's considerable abilities it is splendid, but after the listener finishes oohing-and-aahing over the cleverness, it all seems like hors d'oeuvres with no main course. Different people will absolutely love different parts of this CD; as a unified listening experience, it's somewhat of a puzzle. --Robert Levine

 

[axolotl]

Joan of Arc ~ Boo! Human (2008)



Indie Rock, Post-Rock, Experimental Rock

Boo! Human opens with “Shown and Told,” a sweetly cerebral homage to Simon & Garfunkel that segues into knowing laughter. But the remainder of the Chicago band’s 12th album bears little resemblance to that acoustic gem, trafficking in herky-jerky rhythms (“Just Pack or Unpack”), arch chamber pop (“Insects Don’t Eat Bananas”), and romantic laments (“Vine on a Wire”). That far-flung aesthetic might be due to a more sprawling lineup (14 contributors, to be exact), but thanks to frontman Tim Kinsella’s pleasantly dispassionate delivery, an ambient coherence permeates the tunes, a quality that’s both comforting and numbing. --Shannon Zimmerman

 

[Ojai Sam]

Andrei Gavrilov - Bach: Goldberg Variations (1993)

Different cover, same delightful music.