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Classical Music

Copland: Three Latin-American Sketches / Quiet City / Concerto for Clarinet
Nashville CO / Gambill
Naxos 8.559069 Reviewed by SG
The Nashville Chamber Orchestra may not be the most fashionable name among the world's orchestras, or for that matter American ones, but with their home city being a major musical centre there is no shortage of talent employed among its players. Copland's music is full of complex rhythms, but the performers offer some impressive accuracy, especially in the string section. Paul Gambill obviously understands the composer's perceptions, supplying interpretations that offer a splendid balance of simplicity and warmth that is enhanced by a wonderful clarity of tone, as well as a beautifully clear recording. The outstanding performance comes from the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra's lead clarinet, Lauren Arden, whose masterful playing of the Clarinet Concerto is particularly lovely; supplying sonorous tones in the lyrical opening and revealing the distinctive jazz qualities of the finale. For a chamber orchestra, the ensemble produce an astonishingly full sound, especially in Appalachian Spring, where Gambill manages to sustain the flow of music in the slower sections as well as anyone. In fact, despite not being the obvious first-choice in creating a great recording, their city's musical heritage has helped the Nashville Chamber Orchestra create a most notable CD.

Death and Devotion: Solo Cantatas by Buxtehude, Tunder, Weckmann and Ritter
The Netherlands Bach Society, Van Veldhoven
Channel Classics CCS SA 20804 Reviewed by SG
While Dietrich Buxtehude is best known for his organ works and for his influence on a young Johann Sebastian Bach, his vocal compositions can be a revelation, deserving far more attention, not only for historical reasons but for pure listening pleasure. Likewise, his father-in-law, Franz Tunder, produced music that can stand alongside that of any other composer of the 17th Century. In fact, his use of texture, his effective shifts of mood, rhythm and tempo, and the beauty of his vocal lines put his work among the most glorious for solo voice ever written. The wonderfully warm and expressive performances match the sublime music, as does the excellent recording. Soprano, Johannette Zomer, commits her most eloquent singing to disc to date, while bass, Peter Harvey, is always worth hearing and produces a most commanding performance, especially in his effective dialogue with Zomer in Weckmann's compelling Wie liegt die Stadt so Wüste. The instrumental playing, whether individually or collectively, is exemplary throughout. While this release is essential listening for fans of the German sacred repertoire, it will also reveal to many that the music world before Bach was a beautiful and thriving place.

Dubugnon: Chamber Music
Royal Academy Wind Soloists / Daniel / Dubugnon
Naxos 8.555778 Reviewed by SG
Swiss-French composer Richard Dubugnon was born in 1968 and only took up the study of harmony and his chosen instrument, the double bass, after earning a history degree at the age of twenty. His compositional work certainly looks back, with obvious links to the composers of pre- 1940 France, but there is a particular beauty as a result. His writing offers great warmth, exhibiting a colourful tonal palette and characteristic expansiveness, especially in the Piano Quartet and Incantatio, for cello and piano. The performance of Trois évocations finlandaises for double bass, by the composer himself, simply explains why his playing has won a number of awards. The second half of the disc then turns to works for wind instruments in solo and chamber settings, with the Cinq Masques for solo oboe revealing a particular moodiness, before a busier, more disjointed Canonic Verses and a similarly styled Frenglish Suite close out the collection. While it may be a touch of hyperbole on Naxos' account to include such new works under their "20th Century Classics" banner, these compelling pieces do indeed hark back to the works of Debussy, Fauré and Ravel, and are therefore recommended to all fans of 20th Century music.

Dvorák: Piano Concerto in G minor / The Golden Spinning Wheel
Aimard / Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra / Harnoncourt
Teldec 8573 87630-2 Reviewed by SG
Dvorák's Piano Concerto is as fine a late-romantic work as any, featuring wonderful interplay between orchestra and soloist, although lacking the all-out virtuosic displays of many other concertos. The pianist's job is more of a collaborative one and Pierre-Laurent Aimard displays great zeal for his part, supplying a supremely colourful performance of drama and vibrancy, combined with a fair amount of refinement. He offers poignant renditions of both the slow movement and the finale, with its hauntingly lyrical second theme, revealing the
most idiomatic of piano writing. The piano playing is matched with some spirited conducting, but the real excitement begins with The Golden Spinning Wheel, where Nikolaus Harnoncourt's discernible devotion and an utter understanding of Dvorák's work results in a symphonic poem full of energised rhythms, clarity of texture, and rich colours. His sensitivity to the music, as well as the fine recording that convincingly reveals the expanse of the Amsterdam Concertgebouw, allows its contrasting moods to be perceived with ease.
Add to this the tremendous orchestral performance, especially in the woodwinds, and you simply get two of the finest performances of these works on disc, and a most satisfying addition to an already fine Dvorák series.

Elogio per un'ombra
Makarski / Larcher
ECM New Series 1712 465 337-2 Reviewed by SG
For the curious listener, ECM's catalogue is often a voyage of discovery. This disc of works mainly for solo violin (two have a piano accompaniment) is no exception. American violinist Michelle Makarski creates an intelligent and thoughtful program by composers who, on the face of it, are either Italian or have ties with Italy. Many have ties with each other, but it is the sonata by 18th Century composer Giuseppe Tartini that is the key to a connecting thread that runs through the program.
Makarski has interspersed the modern pieces among the sonata and some of its variations, revealing that many of the 20th Century works borrow from it, and making the Tartini sound rather contemporary. There are subtle, often gentle changes - variations of light and dark - punctuated with more stark and surprising
moments of atonality that provide a fascinating series of colours. While occasionally abrasive, at times almost surrealistic, the music is more often beautifully lyrical. The results are surprisingly accessible, although sometimes uncompromising, but never uninteresting, and like its label, this disc certainly provides the listener with a discovery of the unexpected, confirming the legitimacy of melding new ideas with older forms.

Guillaume de Machet: Motets
The Hilliard Ensemble
ECM New Series 1823 - 472 402-2 Reviewed by SG
14th Century composer, Guillaume de Machet has left us with about two dozen of his motets. This recording presents eighteen of the most thematic, referring to subjects such as love, war and politics, incorporating a vast gamut of emotions through their mainly French texts. They are performed with ravishing beauty by the Hilliard Ensemble, who have now been setting the standard for early music vocal groups for thirty years, and they bring out the wonderfully intricate phrasing through the expertly balanced use of textural contrast and
their immaculate tonal beauty. They do perform some of the pieces a touch slowly, enhancing the harmonic sense of each work, but the results lack some of the contrast that would have enlivened some of the musical and poetic rhythms. This rhythmic quality is also disrupted by the acoustics of the St. Gerold monastery. While exhibiting particularly atmospheric sound, the recording is on the resonant side, and the clarity of the interplay between the five voices is therefore lost to some extent. Having said that, these are minor quibbles,
and this CD remains a beautiful and poignant release that effectively identifies and projects human feelings and touches our most personal emotions.

Monteverdi: The Sacred Music Volume 1
Various Soloists / Choir of the King's Consort / The King's Consort / King
Hyperion CDA67428 Reviewed by SG
Until now, with the exception of the 1610 Vespers, the sacred music of Claudio Monteverdi has lacked a fitting number of dedicated releases. With their highly regarded recordings of Vivaldi's sacred writings already well underway, Hyperion's new enterprise promises much. This first volume's music comes mainly from the Selva morale e spirituale of 1640/41, with two additional pieces, including a lovely four-part Mass, concluding the program. As with the Vivaldi output, the Monteverdi performances are being delivered with
absolute aplomb by Robert King and his charges.
Much depends on the soloists for this music to be successful, and King has assembled an excellent array from the very best early music singers. Add the world class talents of the choir and the instrumental ensemble and the project is off to a winning start. With assured leadership throughout, all the performers sing or play with great precision, exhibiting tremendous articulation and expression, as well as the subtlest of phrasing.
Such expertise is obvious from the outset, and allied to a splendid energy and vibrancy, they create the most balanced of performances. With such an outstanding first release, the complete project can only become an entertaining and significant addition to the catalogue.

Higdon: City Scape / Concerto for Orchestra
Atlanta Symphony Orchestra / Spano
Telarc CD-80620 Reviewed by SG
Although now residing in Philadelphia, Jennifer Higdon spent the first decade of her life in Atlanta. Thirty years on she received major commissions from the orchestras of both these cities, although it is the Atlanta Symphony that produces the splendid platform here from which her music is so convincingly portrayed. The
Concerto for Orchestra was written for the Philadelphia Orchestra’s centenary, and provokes plenty of excitement. It produces a vast array of textures, and offers a number of opportunities for all the principals and their sections to really shine - with the percussionists having almost a complete movement (the fourth) to themselves.
City Scape is a three-movement portrait of Atlanta, with a hymn-like, more rural impression sandwiched between two vistas of a modern, thriving, urban landscape, with the opening Skyline full of towering force and spirited vigour. Again, this work is eminently exhilarating, and while some may find both pieces a little
flamboyant and overly confident, in a particularly American way, there is an undeniable stature to the music. Robert Spano has done a great job during his Atlanta tenure, producing an orchestra now at their peak. This is made all the more clear by Telarc’s fantastic engineering that is simply state-of-the-art.

Szymanowski: The Complete Mazurkas
Marc-André Hamelin
Hyperion CDA67399 Reviewed by SG
Karol Szymanowski's Mazurkas follow-on from where Chopin's left off. They are intricate, yet idiomatic works, full of harmonic sophistication and a wealth of feelings, but with an impression of the sensual residing just beneath the surface. Marc-André Hamelin is the perfect pianist to champion the composer's work. He has already endorsed many pieces that lay just outside of the central body of piano repertoire, and through
his tremendous dexterity is able to tackle Szymanowski's technical demands. He plays with the utmost control, utilizing split-second timing and great precision to bring forth the harmonic structures of each piece, whether in the most ravishingly soft moments or playing more dynamic, full-blooded sections. He may just
lack some colour and rhythmic drive, allowing the melody to find its own way, but as far as sophistication and absolute prowess are concerned, he has no immediate rivals. This is all made the more clear by a fine recording that places the instrument naturally, centre-stage, and offers plenty of detail. From this release it
is also clear that Szymanowski's Mazurkas, as well as the Valse Romantique and Four Polish Dances
also included here, should be classed alongside Chopin's piano compositions.

New Formats

Brahms: Violin Concerto / Hungarian Dances
Scottish Chamber Orchestra / Swenson
Linn Records CKD 224 Reviewed by RP
This contribution to the audiophile digital software debate is worthy both for its dual SACD & HDCD format and the programme lengths of these classical CDs. Whereas the admirable JVC XRCDs often barely run beyond the forty-minute mark Linn's discs extend to well over seventy minutes of music. Moreover, their association with the SCO and its principal conductor Joseph Swenson, which began two years ago, is certainly producing some excellent recordings. On the surface the choice of repertoire does not appear particularly radical or challenging. Most will be familiar with the Brahms Violin Concerto and his earlier Hungarian Dances. The twist in the tale here comes from the performances because we are accustomed to hearing these works played by a full symphony orchestra and not its little brother. The Scottish Chamber musicians guided by Swenson give dynamic, technically assured and intimate readings overflowing with the subtle touches and flourishes that are effectively retrieved by both the SACD and HDCD processes. Swenson, who rarely performs nowadays as a soloist, is quite beguiling in the Concerto. In the first movement he eases through the elaborate writing in a good-natured and quite endearing way. There is plenty of warmth in a lyrical and gently melodic second movement and for the final virtuoso section where he raises the spirits further with an exuberance that draws deeply upon the colour, flair and persuasive rhythmic calling of Hungarian gypsy music. The kaleidoscopic instrumental hues and those syncopated and crossing rhythms of the Dances also underlines a sense that there is a special rapport between this conductor/soloist and these Scottish musicians-making them very satisfying to listen to as well.
Supplier: Vivante - www.vivante.co.uk (44)(0)1293-822186

Mendelssohn: Hebrides Overture, Violin Concerto, Symphony No.3
Swenson / Scottish Chamber Orchestra
Linn Records CKD 216 Reviewed by RP
Joseph Swenson's tightly knit; sympathetic and quite innovative approach to some of the best-loved classical works began with this Usher Hall, Edinburgh recording in July 2002, although it's worth noting that a closer artistic relationship was formed much earlier with some of these players when they performed chamber music together. That was before Swenson had exchanged his bow for a baton and stood astride the podium. He now only returns as a soloist to play concerto repertoire when the orchestra is one that he has had a long standing association with as a conductor. His rendition here of the famous E minor Concerto on this Philip Hobbs /Calum Malcolm recording is delivered with the beautifully rich tone of a 1715 Stradivarius. Warming to the task in a lyrical slow movement, he gracefully and sensitively reveals the principal melody to us. Elsewhere, playing with considerable bravura he still doesn't indulge in any unnecessary showboating of the kind which can ride roughshod over a work. It makes this a solid and likeable account-one which is unaffected by Swenson's dual role because of that rapport which obviously exists between the soloist conductor and his orchestral rank and file. For Felix Mendelssohn's Hebrides Overture the rolling inevitability of that familiar melody is carried along with an understated degree of affection making this an engaging and involving account which is strong on musicianship, colour and evocative seascape imagery. The "Scottish" Symphony No.3 inspired by an assembly of bagpipers at Holyrood Palace heard during an 1829 walking tour of the Highlands is heavily scored for strings throughout and on this release we can hear the delightful precision, eloquence and clarity of violins, cellos and violas. Sensitively moulded phrasing, good tempos, delicacy of tone and a highly evocative interpretation sustain the composer's vision for this work. The instrumental detail, securely positioned images and great warmth extended across the soundstage enhance another very likeable SCO rendition.
Supplier: Vivante - www.vivante.co.uk (44)(0)1293-822186

Grieg: Norwegian Dances / Symphonic Dances / Lyric Suite
Bergen PO / Ruud
BIS-SACD-1291 Reviewed by SG
Edvard Grieg's Symphonic Dances are terribly underrated, despite being his largest orchestral work. Like the Norwegian Dances, they are largely influenced by the folk music of the composer's homeland. Here they receive a most captivating performance by the Bergen Philharmonic and Ole Kristian Ruud, with the finale given wonderfully animated rhythms and a forward momentum that simply makes this the most interesting rendition on disc, despite a modest basic tempo. In fact the rhythmic qualities and tempos employed throughout this release are superb, never hurrying or overemphasising, but simply letting the music flow in a most natural manner. The playing is also exemplary, but the wind section deserves special praise, especially in the Norwegian Dances. The results are enchanting, as is the Lyric Suite. Not to be outdone, the engineers have produced a most natural sounding disc, offering an excellent balance between clarity and dynamic range. The only drawback is a slight lack of impact compared with the very best recordings, a point that may be particularly noticeable on some surround systems, as no subwoofer channel is employed. But this is a minor point on an otherwise exquisite issue of some of Grieg's most charming music.
Supplier: Vivante - www.vivante.co.uk (44)(0)1293-822186

Tierney Sutton - Dancing in the Dark
Telarc SACD-63592 Reviewed by RP
Tierney Sutton is much more than just a plunging neckline. She possesses perfect pitch and a languid, reflective, and wonderfully dignified voice that radiates warmth and beauty as she recalls the gently swinging and intoxicating tempo of an earlier age where Sinatra is her muse. Sammy Khan, Irvine Berlin, Alec Wilder and Johnny Mercer could put a song together and big Frank really knew how to deliver them. Tierney is no Sinatra. She irons out the bittersweet creases that make his versions of 'All The Way', 'What'll I Do', 'I'll Be Around' and 'Emily' so distinctive and irreplaceable to produce a more homogenised, but exceptionally pretty collection that air brushes lighter tones into the darker recesses of these songs. It's left to the brilliant jazz musicianship and striking arrangements of Christian Jacob (piano), Trey Henry (bass) and Ray Brinker (drums) to suggest that there is a less comfortable underbelly to the relationships of 'I Think Of You', 'Fly Me To The Moon' or 'Last Night When We Were Young'. They tease and then fully expose these tensions in an articulate performance that creates a delectable contrast with their jazz diva's beguiling vocals.
Supplier: Vivante - www.vivante.co.uk (44)(0)1293-822186

Baltic Voices 1
Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir / Tallin Chamber Orchestra / Hillier
Harmonia Mundi HMU 807311 Reviewed by SG
Celebrating Paul Hillier's selection as conductor of the Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir, this is the first disc in Harmonia Mundi's three-year project designed to explore the music from countries bordering the Baltic Sea; from Norway (although it does not actually have a Baltic coastline) to Russia, but with an emphasis on the choir's native Estonia. The opening Psalms of David, by Cyrillus Kreek, reveals the influence of that country's traditional folk music, but the album also focuses on the contemporary composers who are Kreek's aesthetic and spiritual heirs. There are works from composers such as Arvo Pärt and Einojuhani Rautavaara, but for the most part the music is by composers unknown to most listeners. All the works here come from the 20th Century, and this disc offers no less than three world-premiere recordings. The rich and opulent textures of the music suit the purity of performer's voices well, with the choir proving themselves first-rate singers in all areas, and this is enhanced by the engineering that produces an open and reverberant sound. From this inaugural issue of the Baltic Voices project, it is clear that Hillier's new appointment is already a successful one.

Audiophile Recordings

Salzedo: Sonata for Violin & Viola and String Quartets No.2 & No.7
Archaeus Quartet
Dutton Laboratories CDLX 7113 Reviewed by RP
Although they are better known for their historical transfers Dutton Labs have with the CDs in this 24-bit Epoch series put down a marker in terms of repertoire and recording quality. Here it's a Tony Faulkner engineered collection of chamber works by the London-born composer/violinist/ conductor Leonard Lopes Salzedo while elsewhere in the catalogue York Bowen, Cyril Scott and Edmund Rubbra feature. Salzedo's second string quartet is a youthful piece that has undergone several later revisions but remains highly original in nature with a blend of styles from the classical quartet form to jazzy syncopation. For String Quartet No.7 which is dedicated to the memory of the composer's father his deeply personal and contemplative score draws quite strongly upon rhythmic Spanish dance tempos that were only hinted at in the second quartet. The passionate and substantial Sonata was actually written for the first violin and viola of the Archaeus Quartet. After a melancholic opening it progresses through a fleet-footed scherzo into the pulsating instrumental interplay of the third movement and then to a technically demanding and virtuoso climax that is broadly melodic and jazzy in style. The playing is exquisite throughout.
Supplier: Vivante - www.vivante.co.uk (44)(0)1293-822186

Grieg / Schumann / Chopin: Piano Concertos and Allegro
Galliera, Philharmonia, Arrau (Pno)
Testament SBT 1233 Reviewed by RP
Big tunes from that eloquent and charismatic Chilean keyboard dictator, Claudio Arrau are delivered with an uncanny blend of power, intensity and flair. Extravagant for a glittering realisation of Chopin's encore piece the Allegro de Concert in A that richly rewards the bravest and most vigorous of pianists. Arrau is then searching and quite spiritual for a keenly observed rendition of the contrasting Schumann A minor Piano Concerto in which he literally caresses the keys to penetrate the emotional heart of this score. And on that oh so familiar tonal palette of the Grieg Concerto he gives a performance based upon immense strength in a forceful and hugely evocative mix of dark, brooding and vividly painted scenes. The recording of these works (Abbey Road and Walthamstow Town Hall were the venues) is illuminating. Phrasing in both Concertos is spacious and the formation, shape, vicelike grip and natural decay of the piano notes are beautifully presented. This is tactile and nicely detailed work from the engineers who also create a sympathetic and very supportive orchestral balance.
Supplier: Vivante - www.vivante.co.uk (44)(0)1293-822186

Dolly Varden - The Dumbest Magnets
Diverse Records DIV 007LP Reviewed by RP
The Dumbest Magnets was recorded at Alex The Great studios, Nashville in 1999 and re-mastered for LP by Ray Staff at Sony in London earlier this year. Clothed in Cardiff with the sumptuous artwork that was first seen on a CD single release of 'The Thing You Love Is Killing You', it is now an even more tactile showcase for this striking and genre defying band. Their roots based songs rotate upon an impressionistic lyrical axis oiled by the empathic singing of husband and wife team Steve Dawson and Diane Christiansen. They are witty, thought provoking, visually striking, deftly handled and packed with lines like "…the jokes have made my conscience ill, look at the photographs, that's me choking down a pill"(Along For The Ride). Or "…your headlights shoot out into the desert like rage" (Apple Doll) that are underpinned by layered guitars and the simple rhythmic propellant of Mike Bradburn's bass guitar and the drumming of Matt Thobe. A better dose of counter culture that freshens up tired romantic themes and gritty social observations is hard to imagine. Outstanding.
Supplier: www.diverserecords.com Tel: 01633 263526

Schumann: Fantasy, Faschingsschwank aus wien and Kinderszenen
John Lill (piano)
Green Room Productions GREENPRO 4001 & 4002 Reviewed by RP
Green Room Productions is a new all analogue label fronted by sound engineer Tony Faulkner who has been in the music business since the early 1970s and has several thousand commercial titles under his belt including many fine classical recordings for the Warner Enigma subsidiary. Tony is a brilliant technician and true analogue enthusiast. He has a real engineer’s eye for the kind of finite detail that gives musicians the
very best support. The beneficiary here for these remarkable Schumann solo works is the sixty year old Moscow competition prize winning pianist John Lill who had first worked with Faulkner and producer John Boyden on a Classics for Pleasure recording of the Beethoven Emperor Concerto some thirty years ago. The first point of note is the venue. Southwark’s Henry Wood Hall even over three dreary London winter days in December 2003 is an exceptional venue from which to record the craft, imagination, depth and passion of a real performance. Peter Salisbury’s painstaking efforts perfectly tuned the piano, a 1964 Steinway, to Lill’s exacting demands for each piece. The microphones, a pair of original Neumann M50 tube models, were located to achieve an exquisite balance and in the monitoring suite the dynamism, bite, clarity, presence and richness of the piano tone was captured in purist two-channel stereo on the Tim de Paravinci modified Studer A-80 tape machines. Once these renditions were in the can the tapes then went to Stan Ricker for a transfer to disc using his half-speed Ortofon cutter.
Importantly, the LPs pressed at RTI in the States generously spread the repertoire across four sides. It is these shorter side lengths which keep the grooves away from the centre of the disc and offer significant physical advantages when attempting to consistently reproduce the full effect of the dynamic shifts present within this music. The result is a wide-ranging and exceptionally open sound.
But what of Robert Schumann’s music, I hear you ask? The composer’s mental illness, debauchery and that emotional turmoil experienced when these pieces were written in the late 1830s are well documented and provide a telling back drop to the whole fabric of these readings. Lill bears all this in mind for a liberated and completely assured take on all three compositions. His playing has warmth and tonal consistency, is rhythmically solid and possesses plenty of muscle, snap and dexterity as well as offering the subtlest of inflexions when required.
Lill, opening with the Fantasy in C major OP.17 whose three movements are spread over the first two LP sides, takes Schumann’s indulgent outpouring of feelings for Clara, the lively march and an introspective and dreamy finale in his stride. Sparkling, ambitious, precise and dramatic solutions coursing through his fingers for these varied emotional textures.
Next is the five-piece suite, Faschingsschwank aus Wien OP.26 (carnival jest from Vienna), where a joyous Allegro, Scherzino and Finale are punctuated by the lyrical, pensive and beautifully written Romance and Intermezzo.
Music that is brimming over with the kind of interpretative and virtuoso opportunities that a concert pianist of this stature thrives upon. This is a thoroughly fluent and engaging reading during which the soloist has his
keyboard skills pushed to the limit but is never found to be wanting so secure is his technique. The final piece, Kinderszenen OP.15 (scenes from childhood) divides into thirteen evocative and quite candid miniatures that make great play out of the fairy stories, children’s games, nursery rhymes and a creative imagination that comes so naturally to the young. The shortest of these, Hasche-Mann (Blindman’s Buff) is barely thirty seconds long while the longest, Traumerei (dreaming) stretches to a little over three minutes to comfortably fill the fourth side. This is an appealing representation of the World as seen through the eyes of a child but there is nothing naïve, unsophisticated or small minded about them. They were conceived and written for an adult audience (possibly one with a short attention span) but Lill delivers an appropriately serious and convincing exploration of these states.
This album of solo pieces is a superb introduction to what promises to be a new chapter in British audiophile recordings. I look forward in anticipation to forthcoming releases that include a Gustav Holst Planets with the new Colin Matthews Pluto movement, early vocal music sung by Emma Kirkby and the Bach Cello Suites.

Supplier: Vivante - www.vivante.co.uk (44)(0)1293-822186

Rachmaninoff: Piano Concerto No. 3
Janis, Dorati, LSO
Speakers Corner / MERCURY SR90283 Reviewed by RSF
Recorded by the Mercury team in their June 1961 London sessions at Watford Town Hall, this is a precision reading by an expert pianist, Byron Janis. Dorati and the LSO create a perfect blending of soloist and orchestra and C. Robert Fine’s three microphone technique has captured one of the great performances of all times.
Original early releases of this - the US issue that is - are not all that easy to come by in mint condition. This performance was well received by the critics of the day and many early copies you find are just too noisy to enjoy. This record even became one of the dreaded Columbia record club releases. There are plenty of these around, but all the dynamics have been removed so they could play on the cheapest portable Columbia record player. These can easily be identified by the letters CC, CT, CF, CP or CB before the RFR and stamper number.
The re-issue is on absolutely dead quiet vinyl with no tape hiss to get in the way of those who like their blacks black. Only Kai Seemann would go to the trouble of releasing this LP with the original 35MM banner across the front of the jacket as was the case with the original release. This was usually ripped off by the new owner and these banners appear on just a handful of the earliest 35MM issues.

Alison Krauss and Union Station - So Long So Wrong
Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab MFSL - 2-276 Reviewed by RSF
I’ve been a fan of this group since I first woke up and heard the union station release by Diverse Records, and now, out of left field mobile fidelity has blown me out of the water with an absolutely stunning release on two LPs of AK & US’s 1997 hit CD.
Mofi has pulled no punches in the mastering of this album. While the cd is approximately 48 minutes, they ‘could’ have squeezed this onto one record but instead felt if they were going to do it, they were going to do it right! And they’ve done it right. This is an ‘in your room’ release and I have to tell you that you won’t believe what your ears are going to tell you when you cue for the first time. I know people have had some not-so-kind words about some of the selections mofi released in the past. Well, under new management, this two record wonder should put those nay sayers to bed. This is fabulous material, well recorded by Rounder and superbly transferred by mofi and is one of the best-of-the-best vinyl releases to come along in a long time. If you had any concerns about Mobile Fidelity being able to deliver the goods, this will end your doubts once and for all.

Thelonious Monk Quartet with Johnny Griffin - Thelonius in Action
Acoustic Sounds/Riverside Stereo 1190 Reviewed by RSF
Most jazz afficionados would opt to buy this album in its mono form. I wouldn’t blame them… but that’s because they haven’t heard the great job that Gray and Hoffman have done with the stereo tapes. I’d probably agree that a mono recording would be the way to go on Monk’s first live recording, but boy, this record, in stereo, really holds its own.
I’ve always been a big Monk fan, but sadly I now own few of his albums inoriginal pressings. Years ago I had to make some collecting decisions and a couple of my "friends" scooped up some nice Riverside recordings I’d decided to let go. Hey, you can’t collect everything, and I’d probably have done the same. But it doesn’t mean I’ve forgiven them…
Standout tracks are‘Rhythm-aning ’and‘ Blue Monk’, the latter allowing Johnny Griffen’s tenor and the drumming of Roy Haynes to really shine. Side four’s ‘Evidence’ and its interplay with ‘Skip to Milou’ woven into the melody, is a real toetapper. Yeah, I’m sure the mono is a great record - and given what these remastering engineers have given us here, they could probably score a big hit with a mono redo-but I’m glad to have the stereo version and I think you’ll enjoy every minute of this piece of history. Strong Recommendation.

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