Music - Food for Your Omega Speakers

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jsaliga

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Re: Music - Food for Your Omega Speakers
« Reply #180 on: 18 Sep 2009, 05:46 pm »
John Fahey - America



I find it somewhat odd when people discuss great guitarists that acoustic players are almost universally overlooked.  The discourse will usually be about Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, BB King, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Buddy Guy, Jimmy Page, Eddie Van Halen, Jeff Beck, etc, etc.  But seldom do the likes of John Fahey, Leo Kottke, Bert Jansch, Paco De Lucia, Andres Segovia, or Django Reinhardt receive attention.  I very much enjoy the acoustic guitar, and one of my favorite players is John Fahey.  He once described his music as "American Primitive" but it really defies classification.  His compositions and playing style are clearly informed by several uniquely American idioms, most notably blues, country, and American folk.  But Fahey's music is like nothing else you have ever heard.  He employed a three-finger picking style with alternate tunings to achieve his sound.  And what a glorious sound it is.  Fahey died in 2001 from complications during open heart surgery, and he left behind a huge recorded legacy.  America, while not my favorite Fahey album, is a great place for those new to his music to start.  It is a wonderful recording with terrific sound quality.  The performance and songs are likely to stay with you long after your first listen, and repeated listening is rewarded.  Highly recommended.

--Jerome

jsaliga

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Re: Music - Food for Your Omega Speakers
« Reply #181 on: 21 Sep 2009, 02:54 pm »
Big Maybelle - The Complete Okeh Sessions 1952-1955



This is another entry in the Legacy Rhythm and Soul series.  I really wish Legacy would do more to promote this music, as much of it is terrific music and of significant historical importance.  I'll have to admit to knowing nothing about Big Maybelle before hearing this CD.  But after spending a few minutes reading her bio on AMG I was convinced that I needed to have it.  Big Maybelle was a blues shouter and her vocal style reminds me a lot of Jimmy Rushing.  While she was great at belting out bellowing blues, Big Maybelle was equally adept with a ballad.  You can easily see the jump blues and early R&B styles at work here, as many of these tunes are driven by the classic shuffle beat.  What I found most interesting in this set is that Big Maybelle recorded Whole Lot of Shakin' Going On two years before Jerry Lee Lewis did.  The difference is that Maybelle recorded it as a jump blues tune and Lewis recorded it as a rock and roll song.  I really enjoy them both.  I had to think about whether or not I really wanted to recommend this title here.  The reason being is that a couple of the tracks are somewhat shouty and sibilant.  But most of the tracks sound great and given the significance of the music I thought it deserved a mention in this thread.  If you have a Rhapsody subscription then you can give it a listen using that service.  You can also buy it from Amazon.com for $6.99 so the price is very reasonable.  I think most people who like jump blues and R&B will really enjoy these recordings.  Highly recommended.

--Jerome

vsr123

Re: Music - Food for Your Omega Speakers
« Reply #182 on: 27 Sep 2009, 05:25 am »
The album that got me into Bassa Nova, the one that started it all



I have to admit that I cant understand a word of Portugese (Album is part Portugese part english), however there is enough emotion in the music to give me goosebumps. The album is a tribute to Jobim and is recorded in the late Masters house. Paula Morelenbaum's voice is simply gorgeous and the recording on this CD is superb. This is one of those CDs where you end up listening to the entire CD from track 1.

cheers
vsr







vsr123

Re: Music - Food for Your Omega Speakers
« Reply #183 on: 27 Sep 2009, 05:31 am »
A friend of mine brought over this CD and I simply couldnt believe the quality of the recording along with the wonderful fusion of Middle-Eastern and Indian Instruments. The music itself incorporates various styles ranging from middle easter, to Indian to Electronic to Jazz. If you are into either of these types of music or simply want to explore something different, do give the CD a listen.


jsaliga

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Re: Music - Food for Your Omega Speakers
« Reply #184 on: 10 Oct 2009, 05:26 pm »
Dizzy Gillespie - Birks Works: The Verve Big Band Sessions



Dizzy Gillespie was a giant of jazz and I find it somewhat baffling that he isn't talked about in jazz circles today as much as Charlie Parker, Bud Powell, Miles Davis, John Coltrane, and well...you get the picture.  As a jazz trumpeter, his talents as a virtuoso were easily on par with the likes the Louis Armstrong and Clifford Brown.  As a composer in the jazz idiom he was probably only surpassed by Duke Ellington and Oliver Nelson.  As a bandleader of  both full orchestras and small ensembles he was a superb entertainer and his enthusiasm for the music was contaigous.  And...to top it all off he was an accomplished singer and could scat.  As a creative force behind bop and Afro-cuban jazz he had no peer.  Gillespie was as complete a musician as you are likely to find.  This two CD set is an excellent document of the big band sessions that Dizzy Gillespie led for Verve in the 1950s.  A fine mix of light swing, blues, and some bop.  The sound quality, as is usual for Verve in the mid to late 1950s, is outstanding.  If you are a jazz fan and this affordable double CD set is not in your music collection....it should be.

--Jerome

jsaliga

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Re: Music - Food for Your Omega Speakers
« Reply #185 on: 11 Oct 2009, 05:37 pm »
Toumani Diabate with Ballake Sissoko - New Ancient Strings



This pair of Kora masters (the Kora is a 21-stringed instrument of West African origin) have collaborated to produce a work of sheer beauty.  I was fortunate enough to have an acquaintance on another forum give this a strong personal recommendation.  So I tried a few samples on Amazon.com and was intrigued by the music's complex melodies and the hypnotic sound of the Kora.  If you are open minded and like to experience non-western musics then I think you will find much to admire and enjoy in this superbly recorded CD.

SAMPLES

--Jerome

rajacat

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Re: Music - Food for Your Omega Speakers
« Reply #186 on: 11 Oct 2009, 07:20 pm »
 Blue Country Heart...Jorma Kaukonen

w/ Sam Bush (mandolin), Jerry Douglas (Dobro), B?la Fleck (banjo), and Byron House (stand-up bass), all playing on vintage 1920s and '30s acoustic instruments.



When listening to this album I can close my eyes and imagine that I'm sitting on a front porch in the Sonoma County countryside, sipping a beer, perhaps passing a pipe and enjoying the playing of a bunch of talented friends at the end of a hot Summer day. Also I find the sound quality to be quite good.

For you cat lovers, the cut Tom Cat Blues is hilarious and played with relish.

-Roy


jsaliga

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Re: Music - Food for Your Omega Speakers
« Reply #187 on: 11 Oct 2009, 11:51 pm »
Jorma Kaukonen was one was the founding members of Jefferson Airplane.  Nice find Roy.  His brand of Nashville blues and country is a long way from the San Francisco phychedellic rock scene of the 60's, but this is excellent music nonetheless.

--Jerome

jsaliga

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Re: Music - Food for Your Omega Speakers
« Reply #188 on: 20 Nov 2009, 05:10 pm »
Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong - Ella & Louis



This would be the first of two pairings featuring these legendary performers.  Both are very worthwhile, but the first one -- Ella & Louis -- should have a place in any jazz collection.  These two great singers, performing in a small group setting (a trio consisting of piano, bass, and drums and occasionally a quartet with Armstrong's trumpet tossed in for good measure).  The setting is intimate and the miking is done to foster that great sense of intimacy.  The resulting sound quality is simply breathtaking.  I'm listening to it now on a Universal Japan 200g vinyl pressing, but I also have and can recommend the Verve Master Edition CD of this title.  This would be an excellent choice as jumping off point to explore Ella Fitzgerald's recorded legacy on Verve, which is very well documented on both CD and audiophile vinyl.  Louis Armstrong is a little different since he recorded for a lot of different labels.  Highly recommended.

--Jerome

jsaliga

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Re: Music - Food for Your Omega Speakers
« Reply #189 on: 4 Jan 2010, 07:33 pm »
Ray Charles - The Genius of Ray Charles



Ray Charles is most remembered for his contributions to early R&B and soul music.  During most of his tenure with Atlantic Records, however, Charles was an accomplished jazz pianist and vocalist.  Genius was originally released in 1959, and make no mistake about it...this is a jazz album -- not an R&B or soul record.  Most of the tracks that appear here were arranged by Quincy Jones, and the sidemen for these sessions came from the ranks of the Count Basie and Duke Ellington Orchestras.  The first side is loaded with big sounding swing numbers, and the second side consists of ballads.  The two standout tracks are Let The Good Times Roll and Just For A Thrill, but this is a hugely strong record throughout.  There are a number of CD issues for this album, the best of those come from Rhino.  I have both the Rhino remastered CD and 180g LP.  Both are great, but the LP is a special treat for vinylphiles and that is what I am listening to as I write this post.  Recommended listening for jazz fans or anyone who likes the music of Ray Charles.

--Jerome

jsaliga

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Re: Music - Food for Your Omega Speakers
« Reply #190 on: 8 Jan 2010, 07:01 pm »
Linda Ronstadt - Heart Like A Wheel



I didn't really listen much to Ronstadt's music back in the 1970s.  Led Zeppelin, AC/DC, Kiss, and Van Halen were more my cup of tea.  It would be another 15 years after leaving the nest before I would pay any attention to the pop/rock fare that was coming out as I was making my way through high school.  Since that time, however, I have really come to respect Linda Ronstadt as a recording artist.  Heart Like A Wheel is arguably her greatest, and most recognizable achievement.  I own this album on vintage vinyl (if I am not mistaken it is also available in a 180g vinyl reissue).  I also own the recent reissue on CD by Audio Fidelity, remastered by Steve Hoffman.  This Gold CD is HDCD encoded and my Denon DVD-5910CI can take advantage of it.  The sound quality is truly outstanding and IMHO it is very much worth the price premium.  I can't comment on the regular CD from Capitol since I don't own it.

--Jerome
« Last Edit: 8 Jan 2010, 11:05 pm by jsaliga »

jsaliga

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Re: Music - Food for Your Omega Speakers
« Reply #191 on: 9 Jan 2010, 02:55 pm »
Tri Fi - Postcards



This is an excellent jazz trio.  I came across this music several months ago when I upgraded the tonearm on my turntable to a SME 309.  I put the SME 3009 Series II that it replaced up for sale on Audiogon.  Phil Palombi, the bass player in Tri Fi, bought the tonearm.  In the course of our email exchanges we talked about music and he mentioned the jazz trio he was in.  He kindly sent me a link to the band's web site and I ordered both CDs that were available.  Their music can best be described as straight ahead post-bop.  While that ground has been extensively covered these are all original compositions, the music is adventurous, the performances outstanding, and the sound quality is superb.  The recording engineer who laid down these tracks in the studio really knew what he was doing.  Highly recommended.

http://www.tri-fi.com

--Jerome