Outstanding Demo CD's etc...

adydula · « **Reply #60 on:** 14 Mar 2009, 01:55 pm »

Surfacing by Sarah McLachlan ....

Very, Very nice...very open and real...lots of reverb etc.

Also just listened to Sails by Chet Atkins....a really mellow, but tight nylon stringed guitar set of tracks that really have some
very nice kick drums in many of the tracks....this disc is a good demo and will explore the great overall response the
Song Towers are capable of.

Skylark by Rene Olstead, this young lady sings some of the past greats....all of the tracks are superb but listen to the last one
called "nothing but the blame"...

Roberta Flack's Quiet and Fire...the "Bridge Over Troubled Water", " Sunday and Sister Jones", and "Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow" are
excellent ..this is an older 1971 dated material , but is is redone well, its not as forward as modern recordings, but plays softly but the SongTowers bring out all the nuances for sure....really wonderful!! Thils lady has longs that go all the way down to the tips of her toenails!!

All the best
Alex

Gord_Toronto · « **Reply #61 on:** 19 Mar 2009, 11:02 pm »

Alex

I picked up Jennifer Warnes - "Famous Blue Raincoat the songs of Leonard Cohen" yesterday. It caught my eye because she's on Jim's Demo CD. This is a 20th Anniversary Edition issued in 2007 with 4 bonus tracks. One of the bonus tracks, #13 a live version of "Joan of Arc" will take your breath away. The entire album is superb. I had to play it again this AM before work and will again once more tonight. In fact I can hear her calling to me now. What's that you say Jen', you want go for a spin now...

Also, on your recommendation I spun Surfacing by Sarah McLachlan. I found both it and the Jennifer Warnes at the Library yesterday. Its been years since I last listened to Sarah. As you say "Very, Very nice". A great deal of feeling and warmth in interpretation

Gord

adydula · « **Reply #62 on:** 19 Mar 2009, 11:36 pm »

Hey Gord!!

Yes its nice for sure....

Have you heard of Amanda McBroom, she wrote "The Rose" that Bette Midler made famous. She has a few tracks on the GRP label with Licoln Mayorga, she has a real nice voce as well.
You can sample some of these on www.allmusic.com

I have several Jennifer Warnes cds, Famous Blue Raincoat and The Hunter. She has a real nice voice.

Linda Rondstadt singing 'Round Midnight' is what I call 'sultry' for sure!

Make sure you have your seatbelt on your listening seat when you listen to Jen again!!! aa

All the best
Alex

UPDATE:

Preston Reed's "Instrument Landing" a DDD CD. this acoustic guitarist has what is called an 'orchestral' style of guitar playing.....really amazing...all instrumental really is amazing that this is ONE guitar making all this music...

Update 2: Gord, I listened to Famous Blue Raincoat, then listened to The Hunter....if you liked Blue Raincoat, then run, fly, race to your nearest audio store and BUY this NOW. Its close to a 10 out of a 10 for overall WONDERFULNESS, content, dynamic range, just really, really goooooood sound. The drums are to die for...the soundstage is awesome. This has the cut Jim has on his demo CD as well, once you get past that its just keeps getting better and better.....be careful on several of the cuts the bass plucking will make you jump in AWE at what your Songs will do....I cant tell you how impressed of this artist and the recording and the ability of these speakers to reproduce all that it there...oh did I mention to go get this now!! aa

Gord_Toronto · « **Reply #63 on:** 22 Mar 2009, 02:35 pm »

I'll be sure to pick up copies of 'The Hunter' & 'Round Midnight' soon.

In the mean time I've found my new love in Eva Cassidy's 'Time After Time'. It came out posthumously in 2000. I picked up her 'Live at Blues Alley' a couple of weeks ago that I liked and need to listen to again, (which am doing now).

Saw 'Time After Time' and thought I would give it a try. The delivery and performance just pull you right in. The ST's shine and there is nothing more that you could want. I just want to hear it over and over again, but am restraining myself. Highly recommend Time After Time as a must have

rahimlee54 · « **Reply #64 on:** 22 Mar 2009, 02:41 pm »

Quote from: Gord_Toronto on 22 Mar 2009, 02:35 pm

I'll be sure to pick up copies of 'The Hunter' & 'Round Midnight' soon.

In the mean time I've found my new love in Eva Cassidy's 'Time After Time'. It came out posthumously in 2000. I picked up her 'Live at Blues Alley' a couple of weeks ago that I liked and need to listen to again, (which am doing now).

Saw 'Time After Time' and thought I would give it a try. The delivery and performance just pull you right in. The ST's shine and there is nothing more that you could want. I just want to hear it over and over again, but am restraining myself. Highly recommend Time After Time as a must have

Good call on the Eva Cassidy, I took some when I auditioned the STs, and of course it sounded excellent.

Jared

adydula · « **Reply #65 on:** 22 Mar 2009, 02:57 pm »

Gee Gord,

So you left ole 'Jennifer' by the side if the road for a new found love!!!

Kool....

I will get the Eva Cassidy cd's and let you know how I like them!!

Jared,

Its getting CLOSER!!

The HT2's look really nice on the HT2 post....

Alex

S Clark · « **Reply #66 on:** 22 Mar 2009, 04:18 pm »

The amazing thing about Jennifer Warnes' "The Hunter" is that the music is not just a reference recording, it would be one of my favorites even if the recording was lousy. The music is just so listenable, I don't get tired of it. Personally, I think that it is vastly better than Famous Blue Raincoat.

adydula · « **Reply #67 on:** 22 Mar 2009, 10:11 pm »

The Hunter is very much a reference recording, but I never thought so until I listened to it via the Salk ST's. It truly is a joy to listen to and your comments about it being so 'listenable' is right on...It has moved to my top 2 or 3 cds of all times.

Nuance would agree with your "if its a lousy recording" he still would love it for the sake of the material..the good news in The Hunter we have both stellar material and stellar recording!!

Alex
aa

Art_Chicago · « **Reply #68 on:** 23 Mar 2009, 01:20 am »

Well, I own maybe 10-12 "demo Cd's", but speaking of female vocals, Madeleine Peyroux stands out allright! "Careless love" is probably one of the best recordered CD in my modest collection. There are 3-4 catchy songs including Leonard Cohen's "Dance me to the end of love", which she takes to a completely different level. It is a close microphone recording, the instruments "look" huge, a piano takes a half of my family room. Just great jazzy-bluesy CD with incredibly sensitive female voice!

P.S. check it out http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SsK40HcxxsE&feature=related

Russell Dawkins · « **Reply #69 on:** 23 Mar 2009, 08:18 am »

Yes, the piano is unnecessarily wide on the Madeleine Peyroux track, I would have placed it between centre and left to balance the guitar, but the sound is very pleasant and realistic at the same time on all the other instruments - easy to listen to. Nice sound on her voice. Nothing "hi-fi" about this, and that's always a relief.

Most importantly, good music!

Thanks for the link, Art.

Gord_Toronto · « **Reply #70 on:** 24 Mar 2009, 01:22 am »

I picked up a 3rd album by Eva Cassidy "Imagine". Another stellar album. It's a double bonus when I can find something soulful that my wife can get into as well. Her rendition on Track # 5 of John Lennon's "Imagine" was so beautiful and touching that I had to restrain myself from tearing up. And I had only had one glass of wine.

I can't believe that I spent this many years in the dark and without owning a pair of ST's. I'm discovering so much that was previously hidden

S Clark · « **Reply #71 on:** 24 Mar 2009, 01:44 am »

Quote from: Gord_Toronto on 24 Mar 2009, 01:22 am

I picked up a 3rd album by Eva Cassidy "Imagine". Another stellar album. It's a double bonus when I can find something soulful that my wife can get into as well. Her rendition on Track # 5 of John Lennon's "Imagine" was so beautiful and touching that I had to restrain myself from tearing up. And I had only had one glass of wine.

It's a good thing that you weren't working on your third glass or you would have been crying like a little girl.

Every Eva album I have is excellent. What a style!

oneinthepipe · « **Reply #72 on:** 24 Mar 2009, 01:57 am »

Quote from: S Clark on 24 Mar 2009, 01:44 am

It's a good thing that you weren't working on your third glass or you would have been crying like a little girl.

No, no, you'll cry like a baby. Even more than during the ending of the Mighty Ducks movie.

Eva Cassidy has the most beautiful voice. I listen to a lot of female singer/songwriters and vocalists. Alyssa Graham is a great singer, IMO. Some others that I have been listening to recently are Allison Moorer (Shelby Lynne's sister), Shelby Lynne, Rachel Loshak, Dusty Springfield (not the best recordings on CD), Dionne Warwick (getting a good recording on CD is impossible), Vienna Teng, Leslie Feist, Erin Bode, Rachel Yamagata, and the brilliant Martha Wainwright.

Bob in St. Louis · « **Reply #73 on:** 24 Mar 2009, 02:09 am »

Another vote for Eva.
I'll just put her on "shuffle" and let fate decide the playlist, so as a result, I don't know which songs or albums are my favorites. In fact, I can't recall having to skip past any sings I didn't like.
As far as her being "Outstanding Demo CD" material, well, that one remains to be seen as there's better sound quality out there, but you'd be hard pressed to find a more beautiful voice.

It's a shame she left us at such a young age.

My greed and selfishness is strongly showing through in that thought, but I want more from her and never will....

Bob

adydula · « **Reply #74 on:** 24 Mar 2009, 02:35 am »

Ok you guys are killing me!! Another Amazon order!!

I will pick up Careless Love, Time After Time and Imagine.

Thanks so much for the wonderful choices....

Gord...glad your liking those SongTowers, they are truly wonderful!!!

Thanks to Bob, oneinthepipe, Russell, Art and to any I might have missed!!

Alex

Gord_Toronto · « **Reply #75 on:** 25 Mar 2009, 12:56 am »

Quote from: oneinthepipe on 24 Mar 2009, 01:57 am

Quote from: S Clark on 24 Mar 2009, 01:44 am
It's a good thing that you weren't working on your third glass or you would have been crying like a little girl.

No, no, you'll cry like a baby. Even more than during the ending of the Mighty Ducks movie.

Eva Cassidy has the most beautiful voice. I listen to a lot of female singer/songwriters and vocalists. Alyssa Graham is a great singer, IMO. Some others that I have been listening to recently are Allison Moorer (Shelby Lynne's sister), Shelby Lynne, Rachel Loshak, Dusty Springfield (not the best recordings on CD), Dionne Warwick (getting a good recording on CD is impossible), Vienna Teng, Leslie Feist, Erin Bode, Rachel Yamagata, and the brilliant Martha Wainwright.

I'm looking forward to seeing Dionne Warwick this Saturday at Casino Rama. "Comp" tickets I got for signing up for Player Points while I was there to see George Thorogood a couple of weeks ago. George did a great show for 2 sold out nights

adydula · « **Reply #76 on:** 27 Mar 2009, 01:48 am »

Gord,

I just got the Imagine cd by Eva Cassidy and it is indeed wonderful!!

Alex

Gord_Toronto · « **Reply #77 on:** 27 Mar 2009, 02:04 am »

have been haunting several of our local libraries lately. Thousands of CD's to go through in kind a random order. I've always found flipping through albums to be very relaxing and I'm finding all kinds of stuff.

I just re read this tread so that I could get more ideas for when I'm there next. Upon re reading it I've found that I coincidentally already picked up 2 that posters had listed and brought them home today. Cowboy Junkies "Trinity Revisited" and Diana Krall " The Girl in the Room".

Double bonus is I also picked up not only a 4th Eva Cassidy CD "Somewhere" and one of Jim's demo CD's Ray Charles "Genius Loves Company". These last 2 I just listened to and of course Eva was delightful, Ray was brilliant

And now onto Diana

Thanks for starting this thread Alex. So much music, so little time

adydula · « **Reply #78 on:** 27 Mar 2009, 02:29 am »

bzaggie · « **Reply #79 on:** 30 Mar 2009, 08:48 pm »

I dont know if anyone else has seen this but a few nights ago Corinne Bailey Rae performed on Austin City Limits. Im glad I put it on the dvr because its an amazing performance and really shows off the ht2's, one of my new reference materials for sure.