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Ian
Shaw - Drawn To All Things, the Songs of Joni Mitchell
Linn AKD 276 Reviewed by DD
Aside from a few of the more obvious choices there aren’t that many
interpretations of Joni Mitchell songs out there. Maybe she’s too
distinct a stylist and certainly no-one can deliver a Mitchell song like
Mitchell. That said, from left field, here’s a really strong contender.
Ian Shaw is previously unknown to me so this album is doubly a revelation.
With a fine, slightly husky voice and clearly a great love and understanding
for Mitchell’s work and evident jazz chops, Shaw definitely delivers
the goods here.
He has carefully selected a great set of Mitchell songs, avoiding her
more diary based numbers such as ‘Hejira’, and has re-arranged
and scored them in what is essentially a jazz format. Supported by a sympathetically
minded set of gifted musicians including the likes of Guy Barker and Jim
Mullen, and aided by excellent production and engineering from Richard
Cottle and John Gallen respectively, the recipe is complete. Standouts
include the opening ‘Jericho’, a really effective reading
of ‘Moon at the Window’, a slinky ‘Harlem in Havana’
with guest vocals from Lea de Laria, ‘Barangrill’ supported
by some superbly recorded percussion, and ‘Night Ride Home’
featuring Claire Martin in fine form, dueting with Shaw. This release
has disproved my instinctive doubts; Mitchell can indeed by successfully
re-interpreted and on this evidence outstandingly well. |
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The
Violins of Cremona: Homage to Fritz Kreisler
Salvatore Accardo, violin; Laura Mancini, piano
fonè 003 LP Reviewed by AKB
Cremona, the cradle of violin making: Amati, Guarnieri, Stradivari, what
fabulous names! The sons of the city represent nearly two centuries of
a successful teacher-pupil-tradition! The Italian violinist Salvatore
Accardo here gathers the wonderful instruments of five of these masters,
each a marvel, a solitaire itself. But his "Homage" also applies
to another exceptional talent: violinist-composer Fritz Kreisler. Touring
the USA at the age of only ten, he excelled furthermore in composing diverting
"pièces", billed as bravura pieces to prove technical
skills, as well as a series of consummate arrangements. However, he gained
notoriety when a reviewer in the New York Times sallied out to find the
"originals" to compare with the arrangements: Kreisler had to
admit that the "classical manuscripts", the 18th and 19th century
originals, were indeed self-penned…
But, who cares whilst listening to this recording?
The box is terrific, the sound of such high resolution that you can almost
smell the rosin! And the sonic comparisons are fascinating. I must confess
that I favour the more subtle timbre of the Guarnieri over the bright,
vibrant sound of the Stradivari. Is it indeed the magic, orange-coloured
varnish? A secret preserved in this fabulous recording. |
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Patti
Smith - Horses
Arista/Speakers Corner Reviewed by JK
Patti Smith’s debut Horses was the album that brought together poetry
and garage rock for the first time. By combining uncompromised lyrics
with a new musical angle on rock this album proved a major influence on
music in the latter half of the seventies. Without artists like Smith
it is doubtful whether the likes of Blondie or The Pretenders would ever
have turned out the way they did. Patti Smith pioneered the junky look,
which was plain shocking at the time, and had a voice that went
totally against the accepted norms for female vocals. Smith was the Angela
Dworkin of rock, substituting raw intelligence for traditional sex appeal
and defying all the rules of commercial success. At the time she was compared
with Rimbaud and Dylan and her band stood alongside the likes of Television
and the Velvets with a proto punk sound that is played well but is clearly
moving into the unexplored territory that became the so called ‘new
wave’. Alongside Richard Sohl (piano), Lenny Kaye (guitar), Ivan
Kral (guitar, bass) and Jay Dee Daugherty (drums) there are tracks that
feature Television’s Tom Verlaine and Blue Oyster Cult’s Allen
Lanier. The sound that John Cale gets on Horses is open and a little stark
but quite sophisticated. Speaker’s Corner has done a sterling job,
eliminating the hiss found on the Simply Vinyl pressing and delivering
a strong yet subtle sound.
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Neil
Young - Prairie Wind
Reprise/Classic Records Reviewed by JK
Classic Records has done a gorgeous job with Young’s 2005 album;
the gatefold packaging weighs nearly as much as the 200 gram Quiex vinyl
slabs thanks to fully printed inner sleeves and an 18 page, 12inch square
colour booklet.
"Lavish" applies both to the artwork and the sound of this LP;
it has one of the most lush and rounded sounds I’ve heard in a good
while, with gorgeous weighty bass and natural, sweet highs. In terms of
content Prairie Wind fits into the acoustic country style half of Young’s
prolific output. It’s dubbed a Nashville Renaissance production
and that’s the way it sounds. There is a tremendous yearning and
nostalgia for a simpler way of life that is reflected in a largely acoustic
instrumentation and relaxed, calm tunes. It occasionally lapses into sentimentality
(‘Falling off the Face of the Earth’) but at other times resembles
good ole honky-tonk (‘Far From Home’) with a tune that could
have been on the Rolling Stones’ Exile on Main Street!
There are some very strong tracks on here; ‘No Wonder’ reminds
you of his Harvest era despite references to 9/11, while the title track
with its horn chorus sounds like a classic in the making.
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Stan
Getz - The Best of Two Worlds
Pure Pleasure PPAN PC 33703 Reviewed by DD
By the time the 1970s had rolled around, the bossa nova craze had already
peaked. For that reason, this outstanding follow-up to Getz/Gilberto did
not attract much attention. The album’s success was further hampered
by substandard mastering and pressing, now remedied by Pure Pleasure who
give it the sound quality it deserves. By the 1970s, Getz had switched
labels, from Verve to Columbia, and again teamed with Joao Gilberto and
Antonio Carlos Jobim, the chemistry between them had, if anything, grown.
By 1976, Astrud Gilberto’s star was shooting in its own right, and
divorce from Joao and her antipathy for Getz means vocals here are contributed
by Heloisa Buarque de Hollanda.
She’s good, but lacks the once in a lifetime magic of Astrud’s
‘The Girl From Ipanema’.
This album also sports a superior rhythm section, with Steve Swallow on
bass and Billy Hart and Grady Tate on drums. The addition of a percussion
section expands the sound from that of the earlier smaller group recording.
The record was remastered by Ray Staff at Alchemy in Soho and pressed
on 180-gram vinyl by Pallas. Both the vinyl and the mastering are far
superior to that found on the 1976 originals, resulting in a terrific
sounding LP. My highest recommendation for anyone who likes sexy Latin
singing, world-class guitar and Stan Getz – an album overdue for
recognition.
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Anonymous
- Ludus Danielis
New York’s Ensemble for Early Music; Frederick Renz
fonè 016 SACD Reviewed by AKB
Since the 1950s, when the interest first emerged, people have been playing
fast and loose with Early Music. Innumerable "special ensembles"
have been formed since then, but, as always, the brighter the light, the
deeper the shadow! Fortunately, there are exceptions, like Ludus Danielis
(Daniel And The Lions), performed by the New York’s Ensemble for
Early Music under Frederick Renz.
This is a liturgical drama based on the tale of the prophet Daniel, thrown
into the lions’ den, created around 1140 at the monastery of Beauvais,
France. You can find the whole spectrum of monophonic music from Mediaeval
times, from Gregorianic chants to instrumental dance music, skilfully
transcribed and arranged by Renz. And, ever since Carmina Burana –
the echoes are unquestionable – we know that a proper portion of
irony is inherent even in liturgical music!
The musicians, with original instruments from psalter to bagpipe, know
how to draw a vivid facsimile of the musical practices of that time with
even the "female" parts sung by male voices. Space and movement
are vital to the performance and recording, a factor appreciated even
with a standard CD player. The dynamics of this recording are phenomenal!
Gain a new listening habit with a disc that’s not only for the connoisseur!
Highest recommendation, and beware of the Lion!
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