Alegría

Alegría

ASIN: B00007LL7N

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
Following the release of the critically acclaimed Footprints Live!, this CD is saxophonist/composer Wayne Shorter's first studio recording as a leader since the Grammy-winning 1994 release, High Life. Shorter is joined by pianists Danilo Perez and Brad Mehldau, bassist John Patitucci, drummers Terri Lyne Carrington and Brian Blade, and percussionist Alex Acuna. Backed by a superb woodwind and brass ensemble, this project offers a comprehensive and sophisticated presentation of Shorter's music, from the Andalusian airs on "Vendiendo Alegria" by Antonio Molina to a reincarnation of "Capricorn II" from his mid-'60s Miles Davis days. Shorter's soprano and tenor playing is his most expressive in years, and producer Robert Sadin (who worked on Herbie Hancock's Gershwin's World and Kathleen Battle's So Many Stars) has provided Shorter with his most poignant sonic setting on record. --Eugene Holley, Jr.

Tracks:

Alegria
Vai Vedrai
Kalandiro
Querer
Irna
Taruka
Jeux D'enfants
Mirko
Icare
Ibis
Valsapena
Nocturne

Customer Reviews:

Au Dela Des Couleurs by Francesca Gagnon.......2007-05-16

If you like Francesca Gagnon's haunting voice on this Cirque du Soleil soundtracks check out her other CD Au Dela Des Couleurs

Beauty, Passion and Madness.......2007-03-22

This CD is a bacchanalia. It is ecstatic and blissful and alien and sad and insane. There are so many worlds contained in this music that it's hard to describe. I have to say I've loved this CD for more than a decade and it has been a source of constant agony and joy and ecstasy. It doesn't age. It is a classic. There are so many nuances in it, so much fantasy, madness, passion and creativity that it is truly one of a kind. Each song produces a peculiar state of mind. I don't know how else to describe this experience. I'd say my favorite experiences are Mirki, Vai Vedrai, Querer (awesome!) and Valsapena. Please buy it and take the time to listen ... REALLY listen to it and experience it.

An Amazing Journey To A World Of Joy And Wonder.......2005-07-09

Alegria means happiness in Spanish, and that't exactly what this CD delivers, a good dose of happiness and a nice escape route from the pre-packaged wasteland of FM radio in the 21st Century. Having bought the CD several years ago, I could hardly wait to compare the listening experience to the live performance that I saw earlier today, and I must admit, the CD was an excellent primer for the show.

The most likable characteristic was the way the vocals in the live show matched the vocals on the CD.

Listening to Alegria makes you feel as if you've entered a fantasy land full of benign and carefree elves, goblins, and other wondrous mischievous misfit creatures whose only job is to take you to the edge of enjoyment and to let you define what your own limits are. And while the visual effects of the live show are mesmerizing, they would be useless without this powerful sound track, which is worth listening to on its own merits.

The songs are all built on melancholy keys, with the arrangements designed to tug at your emotions and create a feeling of Bohemia and old Europe. And despite the expectations of anyone who has ever seen a Cirque show, they deliver just the right dosage of fantasy and escapism with enough versatility to favor a nice drive, a quiet evening at home, or background music for a good book or even working on a project.

My favorite song on the CD is Vai Vedrai, which is a trademark Cirque song, with the haunting vocal adding to the sentimental gipsy lament that it seems to be broadcasting.

Highly recommended for anyone who enjoys a good alternative listen, wants to share music with the entire family, or is interested in the Cirque du Soleil phenomenon. Also recommended is a visit to any live performance by this troop, as well as any other of their CD, or DVD/VHS products. They truly deliver the goods.

Superb!.......2005-06-09

I saw "Alegria" when it came to my area, and the show took my breath away. I have seen both "O" and "Dralion," and heard samplings of other Cirque shows, but "Alegria" has perhaps the most upbeat songs on it. Favorites include the title track, 'Vai Vedrai,' and 'Querer.'

Definitely worth your money, and it provides very ecclectic listening/mood music.

Very disappointed!.......2005-01-11

Despite the interesting and colorful jacket, the music is very disappointing. Most of the music sounds the same. This would not be a CD that I would recommend to others.

Average customer rating:

All the best song from Cirque du Soleil
Cirque as always
Like a bowl of magical soup
Not exactly "Le Best"
Absolutely Breathtaking Music

Le Best of Cirque du Soleil
Cirque du Soleil
Manufacturer: Cirque Du Soleil
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Alegría
Cirque du Soleil - Midnight Sun
Cirque du Soleil - Lovesick
Cirque du Soleil - Solstrom - The Complete Series
Cirque du Soleil - Alegria (Live in Sydney)

ASIN: B0002VYQDO
Release Date: 2004-09-21

Tracks:

Egypte
Alegria
Pokinoi
Querer
Kumbalawe
Ombra
Reveil
Nostalgie
Vocea
Stella Errans
Gamelan
Liama

Customer Reviews:

All the best song from Cirque du Soleil.......2007-02-19

You could listen to all the best songs from Cirque du Soleil! Even you never watch its shows, you will be attracted to buy the tickets once you listen it the songs!

Cirque as always.......2006-03-10

Cirque always has the most magnificent musicians. Always outstanding! This cd takes some of the best from different programs and combines them into one experiance. It is a great compilation that has been done in the wonderfully unique Cirque way!

Like a bowl of magical soup.......2005-12-25

This is NOT the full course dinner, but an opening course, a little tease for your taste buds, or in this case, your imagination. This is like magical soup where each spoonful is a different flavor and sometimes, well it is a combination of the otherworldly and the worldly. Sometimes it is just the right spice for that right moment. This is great music and deserves respect for the creativity that fueled its construction. Like any good chef, it is personal, quirky and eclectic. Enjoy! If you want the full course, go to a live production and be ready to be a glutton.

Not exactly "Le Best".......2005-12-06

I was going to give this 4 and a half stars, but I can't. Literally. Anyway, there are some great tracks on this CD. Even Alegria, where the singer sounded like she lost her voice. Some of the songs are on my iPod right now. But I wish they put more. This isn't enough. Do you have how much music you can load on a CD? Come on, Cirque, add more!

Absolutely Breathtaking Music.......2005-10-05

I didn't buy this cd off of Amazon, at a Borders Store actually. But anyway this cd is absolutely amazing with a 14 selection of absolutely breathtaking performances and compositions from the world renowned Performance Show known as Cirque Du Soleil. With spellbounding varieties of music on this cd from the show. It's an absolutely worthy CD to buy. Hands down--you'll love it! Just buy it and hear it for yourself!

Average customer rating:

Alegría
Cirque du Soleil
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Dralion
Le Best Of Cirque du Soleil
La Nouba
Cirque Du Soleil: Journey of Man
Mystere

ASIN: B000CQ97WY
Release Date: 2006-03-14

Tracks:

Alegr
Vai Vendrai
Kaland
Querer
Irna
Taruka
Jeux d'Enfants
Mirko
Icare
Ibis
Valsapena
Nocturne

Album Description

Lively, colourful music composed by Rene Dupere. Alegria draws on the rhythms of jazz, pop, tango and klezmer. Alegria evokes the sound and spirit of wandering minstrels through the use of various acoustic instruments including the accordion. Alegria is the best-selling Cirque du Soleil album to date.

Average customer rating:

Has lived in my player for weeks!
Title Tune is Reason Enough to Buy Alegria
some fun, eh?
Must buy
Experience The Passion

Alegría
Cirque du Soleil
Manufacturer: RCA
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Saltimbanco
Mystere
Quidam
Dralion
O

ASIN: B000003FRF
Release Date: 1994-10-11

Tracks:

Alegria
Vai Vedrai
Kalandero
Querer
Irna
Taruka
Jeux d'enfants
Mirko
Icare
Ibis
Valsapena
Nocturne

Customer Reviews:

Has lived in my player for weeks!.......2007-07-09

This is one of the better Cirque titles. Typically, Cirque de Soleil will produce excellent quality music, and I have not been disappointed yet. But for some reason, this disc stays in my CD player. I find the vocals on Alegria to be captivating, and maybe that's why I have been listening to it time and again.

Title Tune is Reason Enough to Buy Alegria.......2007-05-15

It's OK to read the other reviews. I more or less agree -- depending on the review. What I don't think is emphasized enough, though, is just how special the title tune, "Alegria" is. Francesca's style and this great sentimental tune have a great synergy. You may love eggnog and you may like a nice oily aromatic nutmeg. Put the two together and you now can add that item to your list of something that's just too good. It's not an exact analogy, though. Francesa's voice is not the nutmeg or the eggnog; neither is the tune. Yes, synergy is all I'm getting at. But my "nutmeg and eggnog" makes that somewhat dry notion of synergy more palpable. And THAT is what Alegria is like: palpable. The first exposure to this song and you will find it quite beautiful. So much so that I thought it was Bel Canto singing style. Maybe, but probably not. But like someone who is truly a good person as well as a person you love, you love this song more when you see how repeated exposure can still bring such delight. Of course anything can be overdone. So there are a couple of other good tunes and plenty of atmospheric sounds on the CD. But when you do go back to Alegria again, you will again find it such a special song. It is like there is a profundity to be found in its sentimentality. I can't say I know of any other song like that. Songs are substantive in fun (like the Unicorn, or Herb Alpert's Whipped Cream Album) or substantive in joy or substantive in sadness (plenty of those!), but I don't believe I have ever come to believe in profundity in a song because it was dripping with sentimentality. Incidentally, the CD has excellent sound quality. So why not 5 stars? I guess I feel I've been doing "star inflation" -- especially on music. Or maybe it was the super Egmont overture by Beethoven I recently listened to. Talk about profundity! (Yeppers, I've reviewed several Egmont recordings; have a look.) Anyway, the title tune is so very special: it is a beguiling mix of profundity, sentimentality and Francesca's unusual voice. It's an almost addictive synergy (like nutmeg and eggnog).

some fun, eh?.......2006-10-06

Hey, can you imagine, a musical review inspired by anti-histamines? Way cool! Those Quebecois think of everything!

Must buy.......2006-10-02

If you want to experience how music control your emotion, you must buy this CD

Experience The Passion.......2006-07-10

If you are not familiar with the rising cult status of Cirque du Soleil, you may not understand the passion and dedication those who have seen a performance give to these productions. By far, this is the most passionate "I've Lost Love on European Streets in the Autumn Rain" songs you will ever encounter, and make for some intense love-making sessions. Highly recommended, this is a necessity for any contemporary musician's collection. "Alegria: There is a spark of life shining... Alegria: I hear a young minstrel sing... Alegria: There is a love in me waiting... Alegria: A joyous, magical feeling." Experience the passion. Flow with the emotions in the months that follow.

Average customer rating:

Flamenco from Spain

Corren Tiempos de Alegria/Teatro Real
Diego el Cigala
Manufacturer: Sony / Bmg Import
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Undebel
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ASIN: B0002FR1CS
Release Date: 2004-02-16

Tracks:

Esperanza de Volar
Carmen La Canastera [Buleria]
Monarcos y Republicanos [Alegria]
Ana, Dolores y Aurora
Gitanos de La Cava [Buleria]
Hay Azules Que Se Caen de Moraos [Tanguillos]
Sedel Aire
Loba [Siguiriya]
Corren Tiempos de Alger[Buleria]
Amar y Vivir
Fuente de Bebo [Buleria]
Cadencia Inesperada [Nana]

Tracks:

Fuente del Conocimiento [Solea]
MOscura Que La Noche [Cante de Levante]
No Me Dejaron Ni Verla
Tientos del LimTientos/Tangos]
Abriendo La Ma
DQue Yo Me Muera [Fandangos Naturales]

Album Details

Double CD Set of the Flamenco Singer's Albums "Corren Tiempos De Alegria" and "Teatro Real".

Customer Reviews:

Flamenco from Spain.......2006-04-08

Diego "El Cigala" is one of the of the foremost current proponents of flamenco music coming from Spain. This double disc finds him in fine form.The first twelve songs on the track listing are studio recordings found on disc 1 and the last six make up disc 2 which was recorded live from theTeatro Real in Madrid one summer day in 2002. There is plenty of variety as is indicated by the track listing of bulerias , tangos etc. Essentially it is the full spectrum of flamenco but with a mix of tradition and contemporary flavors. Take for example the buleria "Gitanos de la cava" where the jazz trumpet and bass lines create a nuevo flamenco sound that mixes perfectly with "El Cigalas" mournful vocals. The beautiful and lively guajira "Senor del aire" features Cuban pianist Bebo Valdes playing a prominent part of the song on the ivory keys for a great song dedicated to Juan Valderrama. Valdes is featured on several other songs most notably on the bolero "Amar y vivir" that has a Cuba meets Spain feel to it. "La fuente de Bebo" is a happy buleria that has a rhythmic interchange between "El Cigala" and Valdes that is similar to the fine disc the two recorded entitled "Lagrimas Negras" which is also recommended.The use of flute infuses a jazzy Middle Eastern flair to many of the songs which results in more nuevo flamenco meets old school flamenco. The chorus and palmas(hand clapping )can be find throughout the disc often in exuberant fashion. The live from Teatro Real disc 2 is pure flamenco and features the only solea on both discs entitled "Fuente de conocimiento" where the guitar is pure and compliments "El Cigalas" voice.The fandango closing out the disc entitled "El dia que yo me muero"is dedicated to matador Curro Romero much to the delight of the audience for a fitting ending to a nice double disc. A pleasing addition to any flamenco collection , this CD is pure flamenco with only hints of nuevo flamenco. Recommended for the flamenco afficionado of today.

Average customer rating:

Alegria
Marcos Witt
Manufacturer: Sony International
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Dios Es Bueno
Top 25 Alabanzas Para Hoy
Dios de Pactos
Recordando Otra Vez
Enciende Una Luz

ASIN: B000IONLFE
Release Date: 2006-10-31

Tracks:

Introduccion
Mira Nomas
Aclama A Dios
Alegre, Muy Alegre
Solo En Ti
Tu Eres El Gozo
Dios De Mi Salvacion
Tomame En Tus Brazos
Presentacion
Cristo, Amante De Mi Alma
Fuente De Vida
Tu Me Haces Tan Feliz
Con Todo El Gozo
Vive Tu Alegria
Poema De Salvacion

Average customer rating:

Simply awesome
Abel is the best DJ these days - and this CD is better than most
Great, but the 1st Alegria was much better...
Starts off weak, gets better, never quite peaks....
Without any words.....

Alegria Musica
Abel
Manufacturer: Tommy Boy
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Danceculture

ASIN: B000B9EYGQ
Release Date: 2005-10-11

Tracks:

The Entrance To Alegria! - Abel
Con La Musica - Ralphi Rosario
Tropicana - Penn
Will I (Discover Love) (Mediterranean Vocal Mix) - DJ Chus
Ya Salio (Scientific Soul Macumba Mix) - Havana Funk
Sun Rising Up (Sharp Boys Eclipse Remix) - Deux
Gattaca Grooves (Main Mix) - Jerome Isma-Ae
Stand Strong - Jeanie Tracy
I Am Tha 1 - Inaya Day
Help Me (Peter Presta Apple Jaxx Mix) - Sven Vorsako
Outro Lugar (Tony Moran & Warren Rigg Anthem) - Salome De Bahia

Tracks:

Alegria Drama Switch! - Abel
Design (Richie Santana Soul Penetration Mix) - Origene
Return To The Latin X-Press - Tony Moran
Tribal Groove (Redkone Analog Remix) - Di Paul
Ghost (Original Mix) - DJ Mendo
Rhythm Intoxication - Rosabel
Amp - Dario Nunez
Ralphi Rosario Presents El Tigre Feat Valerei Vix - Ralphi Rosario
Dream Catcher - Jaimy
Give It To You - The Tribal Collective
No Surrender Not Retrait (Original Version) - D-Formation
The Untitled Works Vol.2 (Re2 One Mix) - Julian Poker

Customer Reviews:

Simply awesome.......2006-12-04

Wow Abel, another good one. Just bought it and all my friends love it. I have only heard this mans spin once, but he is definitely at the top of my list. If you have never been to an Alegria event, this will definitely make you want to go see what fuss is all about. Simply awesome....

Abel is the best DJ these days - and this CD is better than most.......2006-03-13

Nothing can compare with the live atmosphere of a party and the music mixing in with the scene, but this CD has great mixes that can be heard over and over again, making ABEL stand out as one of the hottest DJ on the house dance scene today. This album's second CD has party type mixes that rival the sounds heard in clubs where Abel spins, and is more rewarding than his previous CD release.

Great, but the 1st Alegria was much better..........2005-12-31

Disc 2 is consistent of the progressive style of the 1st Alegria CD, which we expect from Abel. Disc 1 is more laid back, Ibiza Tribal Jazz, then transitions to Vocal Circuit music. Lots of complex percussions throughout, but does not compare to the energy of the previous CD. Compared to other mix CD's released this year, this is one of the best.

The best live set I've heard from Abel, or any dj for that matter, was at Alegria on Black Party weekend 2005. I wish he included the songs he played that night.

Starts off weak, gets better, never quite peaks...........2005-10-25

I'll start off by saying, if you're looking for 2 hours of peak hour diva anthems for your next big party, look elsewhere. This is much more club-oriented music, but there are a couple of stand out gems to be found.

Disc 1 isn't your usual disc full of circuit anthems. The first half is mostly soft house and Latin house with little vocal. Finally, at track 6, we get something more progressive and big club oriented. Seven is a hard tribal track, and for me, the party finally starts on track 8-rosabel teams up with jeanie tracy again. I'm a little disappointed in the mix though, it's a fairly stripped down tribal mix, so I'm hoping a CD single is released with a fuller, more anthem-style mix...sort of like the perfection that is the next track, "I Am Tha 1" featuring club diva Inaya Day. This song is filled with hard-edged attitude. The track that follows has only a sample of vocal, but it has a groove that will keep you moving. The final track on disc 1 is a hard-hitting Latin vocal track with a "na na na" or "la la la" repetition that's so catchy it's annoying after a while.

Disc 2 opens with the hard, tribal Richie Santana mix of "Design" by Origene, a moody, track with an alternative rock vocal sound. Tony Moran and crew give us a bangin' tribal chant track with "return to the latin x-press". What follows is a series of hypnotic grooves, rhythms and sounds that immerse you in a club experience-if you close your eyes and sway back and forth to the beat, you can practically feel like you're there. Only problem is...this goes on for pretty much the rest of the disc, and eventually it becomes indistinguishable, and you're pretty much waiting for a huge peak hour anthem to come in and save the day. The dark and hard "give it to you" does the trick, but it's just way too late in the game with only 2 tracks remaining.

With some moments of the true club-goers experience, this two disc set really could have benefited from more peak hour anthems. Track times:

CD1
1. The entrance (2:40)
2. con la musica (5:56)
3. Tropicana (6:33)
4. Will I (6:41)
5. Ya Salio (6:35)
6. Sun rising up (7:44)
7. Gattaca groove (5:27)
8. Stand strong (8:40)
9. I am tha 1 (5:12)
10. Outro lugar (6:43)

CD2

1. alegria drama switch (:54)
2. Design (7:49)
3. Return to the latin x-press (5:21)
4. Tribal groove (6:29)
5. ghost (6:14)
6. Rhythm intoxication (8:28)
7. amp (5:14)
8. El tigre (6:06)
9. Dream catcher (6:58)
10. Give it to you (4:44)
11. no surrender not retrait (5:13)
12. untitled works 2 (6:26)

Without any words............2005-10-16

...I can describe this outstanding release by DJ Abel. This man - together with Ralphi Rosario - is just light years ahead from any other DJ / artist in creating deep pumping electronic house beats! This is simply the best non-stop mix house CD I heard in my music life! 10 stars are not enough for it.....

Average customer rating:

Super Montoya recording

Carlos Montoya, Guitarist
Carlos Montoya
Manufacturer: Allegretto
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Art of Flamenco
Flamenco Direct
Masters of Flamenco Guitar
Flamenco
Flamenco on Fire

ASIN: B000001KAD
Release Date: 1992-11-04

Tracks:

Malaguena
Variaciones
Toque de lavarte
Bolero
Alegria
Variaciones
Farruca
Zambrilla
Chufla
Bulerias
Soleares - Sevillanas - Ritmos de cadiz
Seguiriya - Tientos

Customer Reviews:

Super Montoya recording.......2000-06-25

Classical Montoya recording. I still have a hard time believing it is just one person playing. If you have any interest in Flamenco guitar, at it's best, then you'll be delighted with this recording.

Average customer rating:

Alegria is Happiness
VERY Disappointed...
A Return to Joy in Dance Music
not all it's pumped up to be
I don't know about album of the year...but.....

Abel: Alegria
Abel
Manufacturer: Tommy Boy
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B00024I2XG
Release Date: 2004-06-08

Tracks:

Intro - Jeanie Tracy
Don't You Want My Love (Abel's Unreleased Alegria Edit) - Rosabel
Cha Cha Heels (Rosabel Big Room Mix) - Rosabel
Wicked Fortress (Chus & Ceballos Tekiberican Remix) - Toby Holguin
Waiting For Alegria (Tony Moran & Ric Sena Remix) - Zhana Saunders
Love Song (DJ Paulo Remix) - Ophra Haza
Soultani (Club Mix) - Casa Macca
La Puta 2004 (The Abel vs Ralphi Cat Fight Mix) - Abel
From Apes To Humans - Sergio Perez Fernandez
Push The Feeling On (Rosabel Club Antherm) - Nightcrawlers

Tracks:

Alegria Intro - Abel
Time (Peter Rauhofer Timeless Club Mix) - Adon Oliver
Casa Bulga (Original Mix) - Adon Oliver
Move Yo - Matthew Dekay
Pony Club (Hess & Nick Dem Q Remix) - Saucy
Dub Dub - Tedd Patterson Persents Tone 7
Exchange Your Soul - Muzzaik
That Sound (Rosabel Unreleased Tribal Mix) - Rosabel
Yet Yeat Deva - Ramirez Tejada
Discoteca - Steve Smooth
Sanctuary (Tony Moran & Warren Rigg Remix) - Origene
KGB (Laurent Wolf Remix) - Kozak

Customer Reviews:

Alegria is Happiness.......2005-08-16

Although Abel is not my favorite DJ, I purchased this album for Rosabel's "That Sound" unreleased tribal mix. This is one of the best and well blended circuit party mix I've ever heard. Abel does a great job transforming the world of sound with this 2 CD pack. The mood changes, the sound changes, the rythum changes and you don't even notice it, very well mixes here. He uses Rosabel's vocals throughout, specially in the "Exchange Your Soul". I recommend this CD, but you can clearly see where in the album he spend the most time on. Nevertheless again, this album flows better than most I've heard.

VERY Disappointed..........2005-08-14

I was expecting some good tribal house music - similar to Tony Moran's Tour De Beats or like Peter Rauhofer's Liva @ Roxy 4... bought it recently coz i couldn't decide if the cd's are worth it... Well now i know they aren't! Almost no vocals in most of the tracks, tracks are so repetetive and boring... how can i say it... out of words really, u wont find any good anthems on this cd's (buy Tony Moran's Tour De Beats instead - great mixes of deborah cox and deborah cooper). I tried to find sth good on those 2 cd's - i found only 2 tracks worth listening: Nightcrawlers - Push The Feeling On (Rosabel Club Anthem) on CD1 and Origene - Sanctuary (Moran/Rigg Remix) on CD2. Rest sounds lets say not special. I really wanted to have Ofra Haza - Love Song (DJ Paulo's Mix) on WAV format but this track from the CD sounds worse then the full mix on MP3 i got... [Listened to the cd's only once - not going to waste any more time] [Tested on Creative Gigaworks S750]

A Return to Joy in Dance Music.......2005-07-11

I started going to dance clubs back in the early 70s (BEFORE they were called discoteques) and kept dancing till disco died around '79. I skipped all the cicuit parties in the 80s and 90s: way too dark, automatous and joyless for me. A friend dragged me to an Alegria party in December '04 and I'm hooked on Abel. He's revived the old joyful, relentless kick that's been missing for a couple of decades. All the other DJs in America I've heard don't get it. (Tony Moran comes close.) This CD totallly captures what Abel does in clubs and is well worth it. Buy this CD: you'll be glad you did. Or better yet, get your ass to a club he's spinning at: if you've been around as long as I have, you'll feel like you've come home too.

not all it's pumped up to be.......2005-04-19

There are some diva anthems, often slowed down by repetitive instrumentals. There is yet another mix of the Nightcrawlers track from back in 1992. It includes some "previously unreleased" mixes of some big dance songs, but those mixes are never really too much of a stretch from the commercially available mixes. And I realized upon relistening to the disc that most of the standout tracks are songs I already have on singles with few hidden gems to be discovered. This isn't Abel's most pumping set, he's definitely done better, which is a shame, especially considering this is two full discs full of mostly mediocre to boring tracks. track times are:

CD1:

1. intro (2:13)
2. Don't U Want My Love (5:24)
3. Cha Cha Heels (9:36)
4. Wicked Fortress (7:39)
5. Waiting for Alegria (7:00)
6. Love Song (7:14)
7. Soultani (6:38)
8. La Puta 2004 (7:52)
9. From Apes to Humans (4:11)
10. Push the Feeling On (6:56)

CD2:

1. Alegria intro (1:45)
2. Time (5:29)
3. Casa Bulga (6:37)
4. Move Yo (7:15)
5. Pony Club (3:00)
6. Dub Dub (3:45)
7. Exchange your Soul (5:44)
8. That Sound (6:42)
9. Yet Yeat Deva (4:57)
10. Discoteca 5:54)
11. Sanctuary (7:08)
12. KGB 5:41)

I don't know about album of the year...but............2004-12-23

The set is definatly good. I'm not one of those reviewers that gives everthing a 5 Star rating and these discs don't deserve it...but if I had to do it all over again..I would still want this in my collection.

Average customer rating:

Alegria
Dissipointing foray into contemporay classical/spanish pop
A return to form ... and the studio.
Great art by one of the best jazz composers and performers
I wonder what comes next

Alegria
Wayne Shorter
Manufacturer: Verve
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Similar Items:

Footprints Live!
Beyond the Sound Barrier
High Life
1+1
Footprints: The Life and Work of Wayne Shorter

ASIN: B00007LL7N
Release Date: 2003-03-25

Tracks:

Sacajawea
Serenata
Vendiendo Alegria
Bachianas Brasileiras No.5
Angola
Interlude
She Moves Through The Fair
Orbits
12th Century Carol
Capricorn II

Amazon.com

Following the release of the critically acclaimed Footprints Live!, this CD is saxophonist/composer Wayne Shorter's first studio recording as a leader since the Grammy-winning 1994 release, High Life. Shorter is joined by pianists Danilo Perez and Brad Mehldau, bassist John Patitucci, drummers Terri Lyne Carrington and Brian Blade, and percussionist Alex Acuna. Backed by a superb woodwind and brass ensemble, this project offers a comprehensive and sophisticated presentation of Shorter's music, from the Andalusian airs on "Vendiendo Alegria" by Antonio Molina to a reincarnation of "Capricorn II" from his mid-'60s Miles Davis days. Shorter's soprano and tenor playing is his most expressive in years, and producer Robert Sadin (who worked on Herbie Hancock's Gershwin's World and Kathleen Battle's So Many Stars) has provided Shorter with his most poignant sonic setting on record. --Eugene Holley, Jr.

Customer Reviews:

Alegria.......2006-01-30

Wayne Shorter
Alegria
Verve Records 314543558-2
www.ververecords.com
Studio technology gets better and better. On "Sacajawea," which opens this new 10-song jazz release, it's used to make saxophone sound like "Mississippi saxophone," better known to most readers as "harmonica." It's weird, but it's innovative. It's weird, but it works, and isn't that part of the mission statement of a true jazz act, anyway?
During the second listen, themes begin to take shape. Gradually, subtly, it becomes apparent that this is an instrumental jazz opera, maybe not to the satisfaction of real opera buffs, but to the extent that Tommy and Jesus Christ, Superstar were rock operas or even that Porgy and Bess was some sort of hyphenated opera. Because it is instrumental, plot and characters are rather difficult to explain, for the story uses rhythm rather than romance and melody rather than melodrama in its development. Shorter once said, recalling his days with Miles Davis, "With Miles, I felt like a cello, I felt viola, I felt liquid, dot-dash . . . and colors really started coming."
On this deep, rich release, color arrives for Shorter and his listeners alike. The flirtation with gypsy music is particularly effective and will be remembered as a cornerstone of "world jazz" as that sub-genre develops.

Dissipointing foray into contemporay classical/spanish pop.......2005-05-23

I will give Shorter one thing, he is hard to catagorize. He went from possibly being one of the top 10 composers of the 60's to this. Wayne Shorter, like Billy Strayhorn, are amazing composer with such a high batting average because of the relative small of amount of compositions available from them. Wayne Shorter's "Nightdream", "Juju", "The All Seeing Eye", and "Footprints" are 5 star masterpieces from 60's second wave of avant garde. This record, which the exception of a few tracks (ie. Orbits and Capricorn II) is throwaway material. Some songs start of nice then, bam contemporary cheese. What really sucks is that this is to far out for contemporary cheese buyers and to cheese for avant garde/free bop fans of his earlier work.

A return to form ... and the studio........2004-05-16

Wayne Shorter's triumphant return to acoustic jazz on his Grammy nominated live album, Footprints, set the stage for this forward thinking and unique item in his discography. An almost orchestral album in scope, Alegria finds Wayne Shorter revisiting both classic pieces made famous during his stay in the Miles Davis quintet along with more obscure traditional fare.

There is one new tune present however, the opening cut "Sacajawea," which is rhythmically based on a driving boogaloo back beat. Shorter's overdubbed dual soprano lines complement his frenetic linear tenor solo on this cut. A fabulous opening to an intriguing album to be sure. The overall mood of Alegria is predominantly one of cool contemplation. Fortunately, the orchestration never becomes overwrought, opting for a "less is more" approach, exemplifying Shorter's compositional mastery.

Two classic 60's era compositions that were conceived during Shorter's tenure with Miles Davis, "Angola" and "Orbits," make radically updated appearances here. "Angola" is driven along with an almost tribal African rhythm, which is a trait shared by quite a few of the tracks on this release. There is an almost world music like patina to these proceedings. "Orbits" initially takes a more relaxed approach, which is undercut by the mysterious multiphonic solo that Shorter delivers throughout the song. Never one to lack for interesting material, there is a traditional waltz, a choral piece and a 1930's flamenco tune all adapted for inclusion.

Another highlight is an absolutely gorgeous interpretation of Villa-Lobos' "Bachias Brasieiras No.5". Hand percussion provides the foundation for cello and tenor sax to gently prod the piece along in a satisfying and wholly organic manner.

Despite the fact that a mere third of the tunes on this album are stripped down quartet tracks, the sporadic and tasteful appearances of a few string players and a small horn section give the album a more intimate feel than one would expect with such a large ensemble.

For those who've been waiting for Shorter to return to the studio to do an all acoustic recording, this should certainly satisfy. It's not the rough and tumble recording that Footprints was, but this certainly adds a new wrinkle to the Shorter legacy. Stylistically alternating between the rich orchestration of "Serenata" and the free form tenor and drum dialogue of "Interlude", Alegria is a welcome return to the sort of diverse album that made Wayne Shorter required listening in the first place.

Great art by one of the best jazz composers and performers.......2004-05-04

Wayne Shorter, throughout his career, has continued to astound everyone in the jazz world and this album is by no means away from that path. Alegria is a step in several different landscapes and times of music. From Villa-Lobos to English Carols, Wayne can do it all and continue to keep up his relevance and freshness that his atonality to harmony brings. This was voted as Jazztimes #1 Album of 2003, so why wouldnt you buy it?

I wonder what comes next.......2004-02-01

In this follow up to his highly-acclaimed 2002 come-back album "Footprints Live!" Shorter has his first all acoustic studio recording since 1967. With shifting personnel and group size (from 4 to 14 pieces) Shorter presents reconstructed originals from his days with Miles Davis and new gorgeous arrangements of classical pieces. Whether seen as a subtler more sophisticated reprise of "Footprints Live!" or on its own, "Alegria" shows a side of Shorter that has been hidden for too long.

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