Just Like Me

Just Like Me

ASIN: B000BC8TFU

Track Listings

1. Harvey Headbanger

2. Two Deaf Lice

3. Sozinho

4. Real Gone

5. Partido in Mar Vista

6. Everything I Have Is Yours

7. That's Earl, Brother!

8. Jay

9. Other Steps

10. JB's Waltz

11. Shalabunga

Editorial Reviews
Product Description
Los Angeles based jazz trumpeter Jeff Kaye, who spent the last 19 years playing with Ray Charles, is joined by a group of renowned LA jazz musicians including George Harper on Sax, John Campbell and Josh Nelson on Piano, Isla Eckinger on Bass, and Paul Kreibich on Drums. Jeff's debut CD provides a variety of flavors that will please all straight ahead jazz fans.
"Jeff Kaye's "Just Like Me" is a CD that very much reflects his life. His sidemen are some of his best friends, the music is the type of jazz and blues that he loves, and his trumpet playing throughout is enthusiastic, creative and swinging. In 1984 Jeff joined the Ray Charles Orchestra, taking Johnny Coles' spot. He played regularly with Charles through 1992, gigged occasionally with the Genius of Soul during the next nine years, and was back with the band from 2001 until Charles became ill in 2003. Jeff Kaye, who in the past has also worked with Lionel Hampton, The Clifford Jordon Big Band, Junior Cook, Diane Schuur, Bill Perkins and Pete Christlieb, in more recent times played on the soundtrack of the movie "Ray", and has performed with the Buddy Childers Big Band, Anthony Wilson, the orchestras of Bill Holman and Steve Huffsteter and the Jazz Coop."
Scott Yanow, author of 9 books on jazz including "Jazz On Film", "Trumpet Kings", and "Bebop"

Tracks:

Overture To 'Tannhauser'
Domna, Pos Vos Ay Chausida
We Don't Merely Use Instruments, We Play On Them. And They Play On Us.
Hungarian Dance No.7
The Violin Is One Of The Most Tender And Beautiful Instruments Ever Invented.
Violin Concerto In D Major (Adagio)
But For A Long Time It Was Seen As The Instrument Of The Devil.
The Soldier's Tale: Triumphal March Of The Devil
The Manipulative Seductiveness Of The Gypsy Violin.
Csardas Music
The Violin And The Initiation Of Nature
The Four Seasons (Spring, Mvt 1)
Birds Are Again Evoked In The Second Concerto, Especially Music's Natural Favourite.
The Four Seasons (Summer, Mvt 1)
Like The Devil, The Violin Is A Master Of Disguise.
Old Viennese Dance No.3 'Schon Rosmarin'
The Menacing Sensuality Of Ravel's Tzigane: A Very Different Side Of The Violin:
Tzigane
Do We Now Have The True Measure Of This Instrument? Not Just Yet.
Caprice No.24
The Many Effects Of The String Tremolando: Brandenburg Concerto No.4 (Last Mvt)/From Joy To Fright/Quartettsatz In C Minor/The String Tremolo Practically Spells The World Agitato.
Variations On A Theme Of Frank Bridge (No.7)
Prokofiev's Tremolo In Romeo And Juliet Should Not Be Heard Just Before Bedtime.
Romeo And Juliet: Act IV
Vivaldi Use It To Illustrate The Shivering Of Travellers Crossing The Ice.
The Four Seasons (Winter, Mvt 1)
The Violin Muted
Clair De Lune
The Gentleness Of Muted Strings Persists Even When A Whole Orchestra Plays.
Piano Concerto No.21 In C Major, K.467 (Slow Mvt)
The Pizzicato Violin
Pizzicato Polka
In Prokofiev's Second Violin Concerto, The Accompaniment Is Pizzicato.
Violin Concerto No.2 In G Minor (Slow Mvt)
Varieties Of Pizzicato: Colas Breugnon (The People's Feast)/Now A Drier, Leaner, Hungrier Pizzicato. There's Not A Lot Of Comfort Here./Capriol Suite (Tordion)/The Use Of Pizzicato As 'Percussion'/Romeo And Juliet (Act I)/Mahler Used Pizzicato...
The Planets (Mars - The Bringer Of War)
The Technique Of Double-Stopping Enables The Violin To Play Duets With Itself./Sonata No.3 In C Major For Unaccompanied Violin (Fugue)/Now A Later Example Of The Same Technique
Hungarian Dance No.4
Double-Stopping Is A Standard Feature Of A Lot Of Folk Music.
The Four Seasons (Autumn, Mvt 1)
Now The Same Technique, But The Sound Might Have Come From Another World.
Bolero
Double-Stopping Can Only Approximate The Sound Of A Real Violin Duet.
Cadenza To The Violin Concerto By Brahms
Now Compare That With A Real Violin Duet.
Forty-Four Duos (No. 1: Teasing Song)
Another Duo By Bartok, Demonstrating The Violin's Rich Lower Register
Forty-Four Duos (No.2: Maypole Dance)
And Now What May Be The Most Beautiful Accompanied Violin Duet In History
Concerto In D Minor For Two Violins (Largo)
The Soul Of The Violin Is In Song; But What About This Weird Passage?
Violin Concerto No.1 In D Major (Mvt 2)
The Use Of Harmonies In The Orchestra Can Be Both Magical And Unsettling.
Symphony No.1 'Titan' (Mvt 1, Opening)
Tchaikovsky's Use Of Harmonics In The Sleeping Beauty Is Both Strange And Darling.
The Sleeping Beauty (Act II, No.15: Entr'Acte)
Ravel's Harmonics In Mother Goose Effect A Magical Transformation.
Ma Mere L'Oye - Mother Goose (Beauty And The Beast)
Stravinsky's Harmonics In The Firebird Transport Us Almost Into Another World./The Firebird (Introduction)
The Natural Upper Notes Of The Violins Have A Unique Emotional 'Grab'.
Also Sprach Zarathustra (Of The Afterworldsmen)
Still In Their Upper Register, The Violins Unleash The Energy Of A Young Colt.
Variations On A Theme Of Frank Bridge (No. 4)
Elsewhere, Britten Uses The Same High Register To Create A Very Different Mood.
Four Sea Interludes (Dawn) From 'Peter Grimes'
To End This Outing With The Violins, A Charming Little Elfin Dance
Elfenreigen

Tracks:

Introduction To The Viola
Viola Concerto (Mvt 1)
Khatchaturian Gets A Very Different Sound From It: Fuller, Fruitier, More Exotic.
Gayane Suite No.1 (Armen's Solo)
Very Nearly The Whole Of The Violin's Upper Register Is Also Available To The Viola.
Passacaglia, Op.33b From 'Peter Grimes'
The Viola Can Bring A Special, Rich Twanginess To Pizzicato That The Violins Lack./Don Quixote/Berlioz Drew Sounds From It That Retain Their Metallic Strangeness Even Today.
Harold In Italy (Mvt 4)
The Muted Viola: Intimate, Gentle, Poignant In Dvork
Cypresses (No.9)
The Massed Violas Of The Modern Symphony Orchestra In Mahler
Symphony No.4 (Mvt 3)
The 'Period' Viola In Bach
Brandenburg Concerto No.6 (Last Mvt)
The Cello: A Voice Of Unique Nobility
Suite No.1 For Unaccompanied Cello (Prelude)
Brahms And The 'Soul' Of The Cello
Piano Concerto No.2 In B Flat Major (Mvt 3)
Most Orchestral Composers Tend To Emphasize The Cello's Lower Register.
Cantata 'Herz Und Mund Und Tat Und Leben', BWV 147 (Soprana Aria: Bereite Dir, Jesu)
In The Time Of Beethoven The Cello Remained As Fundamental As Ever.
Symphony No.3 'Eroica' (Finale)
But The Cello Is Not Condemned To Spend Its Life In The Basement.
Elfentanz, Op.39
Not Only In Recital Showpieces Like That Is The Cello Is Used In Its Highest Register.
The Protecting Veil (Opening)
A Cello With An Identity-Crisis: The Pizzicato Flamencan
Flamenco
Double-Stopping In The Lower Reaches Of The Cello's Range
Solo Suiet For Cello And Piano (Sardana)
It's In The Middle Register That The Cello Really Comes Into Its Own.
Oriental Dance, Op.2 No.2
It Was To The Cellos That Beethoven Gave Two Of His Most Famous Themes./Symphony No.5 (Mvt 2)/Still More Famous Than That Theme Is This One From The Ninth Symphony.
Symphony No.9 (Finale)
Introduction To The Double-Bass
The Carnival Of The Animals (The Elephant)
But The Double-Bass Can Be Intensely Expressive And Graceful.
Elegy No.1 In D Major
The Range Of The Double-Bass Is The Greatest Of All The String Instruments/Allegro Di Concerto, 'Alla Mendelssohn'/And It's Also Capable Of Very Considerable Virtuosity.
Capriccio Di Bravura
Double-Bass Solos In Orchestral Scores Are Rare But Often Memorable./Symphony No.1 'Titan' (Mvt 3)/In His Third Symphony Mahler Makes A Very Different Use Of The Instrument./Symphony No.3 (Mvt 1)
The Double-Bass Muted In Prokofiev/Lieutenant Kije Suite (Kije's Wedding)/In Another Work Prokofiev Uses The Double-Bass To Enhance The Winds./Romeo And Juliet (Act III)/And He Combines The Bass Clarinet With A Shivering Tremolo From The Double-Basses....
Symphony No.5 (Mvt 3)/So Much For The Strings/On Now To The Winds

Tracks:

The Antiquity And Magic Of The Flute
Prelude A L'Apres-Midi D'Un Faune
The Versatility And Agility Of The Flute
Orchestral Suite No.2 In B Minor (Badinerie)
The Flute In Fifteenth-Century Spain
Sa'Dawi
Other Flutes: The Bass And Alto
Chamber Music No.II
The Piccolo - Aptly Named
La Naissance D'Osiris (Mvt 6)
From A Piccolo Of The Eighteenth Century To One Of Its Descendants In The Twentieth
Suite No.1 For Small Orchestra (Valse)
A Variety Of Techniques
Chamber Music No.II
Flutter-Tonguing. But Tchaikovsky Got There Eighty Years Before.
The Nutcracker (Act II, No.2: Scene)
From The Transverse To The Vertical: The Baroque Recorder
Recorded Suite In A Minor (Menuet II)
An Unfamiliar, Early Vision Of The Instrument
Naelden, Naelden
The Bachian Oboe
Cantata 'Ein Feste Burg Ist Unser Gott', BWV 80 (No.7: Duetto)
Introduction To The Cor Anglais Or 'English Born'
Symphony No.9 'From The New World' (Mvt 2)
The Loneliness Of The Cor Anglais
The Swan Of Tuonela
The Cor Anglais Joins The French Horn In Haydn.
Symphony No.22 'The Philosopher' (Opening)
Introduction To The Oboe D'Amore, Beloved Of Bach - But Also Of Ravel
Bolero
The Clarinet Family: Boxing The Compass, From The Depths Of The Bass Clarinet.../The Egyptian (Violence)/...To The Raucous And Squealy.../Taras Bulba (The Death Of Ostap)/...To The Shrill And Complaining...
Petrushka (No.8: Peasant With Bear)/...To The High Sprits Of A Playful Puppy./Symphonie Fantastique (Last Mvt)/And To The Downright Jazzy/Romeo And Juliet (Act II)
As The High Clarinets Tend To Be Loud, So The Bass Tends To Be Soft:
Gayane Suite No. 1 (Mvt 5)
The Bass Clarinet Is Used By Most Composers Mainly As A Colouring Agent.../Petrushka (No.4: The Blackamoor)/...But It Does Occasionally Get A Whole Tune To Itself./Iberia (Almeria).
The Range Of The Normal Clarinet Parts Goes Quite High...
The Snow Maiden (Scene 5: Melodrama)
...And Quite Low.
Peter And The Wolf (The Cat)
The Clarinet As Concerto Soloist
Clarinet Concerto In A Major (Rondo)
But That's Not The Instrument Mozart Wrote It For; This Is:
Clarinet Concerto In A Major (Rondo)
Introduction To The Saxophone
Hary Janos Suite (Mvt 4)
The Soprano Saxophone Has Quite A Different Feel To It.
L'Arlesienne Suite No.1 (Minuet)
The Little Sopranino Sax Goes Even Higher.
Bolero
The Most Famous Use Of The Saxophone Is In An Orchestration By Ravel.
Pictures At An Exhibition (The Old Castle)
The Saxophone Can Be Quite Contagiously Good-Humoured.
Sax-O-Phun
The Puffa-Puffa Image Of The Bassoon
Peter And The Wolf (Grandfather)
The Bachian Bassoon, In Accompanimental Mode
Cantata 'Weichet Nur, Betrubte Schatten' ('Wedding Cantata'), BWV 202 (Aria No.1)
Bizet Leaves The Puffa-Puffa Image Out, Allowing The Bassoon To Sing./Carmen Suite No.1 (Les Dragons D'Alcala)
And Ravel, Also In Spanish Mode, Does Likewise.
Bolero
The Bassoon As A Voice Of High Seriousness, Indeed Desolate Loneliness
Symphony No.3 (Opening)
The Eerie Bassoon In Its Highest Register
The Rite Of Spring (Opening)
Stravinsky Now Draws On Its Lowest Register, Lonely And Melancholy.
The Firebird Suite (1919, Berceuse)
The Bassoon As Concerto Soloist, Avoiding All Exaggeration
Bassoon Concerto In G Minor (Finale)
The Deep-Voiced Contra-Bassoon, As A Fairy-Tale Beast
Ma Mere L'Oye - Mother Goose (Beauty And The Beast)
The French Horn Under Its Woodwind Hat
Wind Quintet, Op.43 (Last Mvt)
Now A More Prominent Role, In A Woodwind Quintet From An Earlier Era
Wind Quintet In A Minor, Op.100 No.5 (Mvt 2)
The Horn In Harmonious Blend With Strings In Another Quintet
Horn Quintet, K.407 (Finale)

Tracks:

The Trumpet As Virtuoso Soloist
Brandenburg Concerto No.2 (Last Mvt)
The Special Brillance Of Paired Trumpets
Concerto In C For Two Trumpets, RV537 (Mvt 1)
The Ceremonial Trumpet
Fanfare For The Common Man
Trumpets And Drums - An Incomparable Alliance
Messiah (The Trumpet Shall Sound)
The Versatility Of The Trumpet, From The Most Public To The Most Lonely
Piano Concerto In F (Slow Mvt)
The Trumpet As The Voice Of The City/An American In Paris/The Trumpet As Recruitment Officer/The Soldier's Tale (The March)/The Trumpet As Swaggerer
Carmen Suite No.2 (Habanera)
The Trumpet As The Voice Of Strength And Courage
Carmet Suite No.2 (Toreador's Song)
The Trumpet Muted/Petrushka (No.4: The Blackamoor)/Lieutenant Kije Suite (Opening)/The Trumpet As The Voice Of Weariness
Billy The Kid
The Trumpet As Character Actor
Pictures At An Exhibition (No.6)
The Trumpet As The Voice Of God
Mass In B Minor ('Et Exspecto')
The Birth Of The Trombone
Aenmerckt Nu Hier
The Birth Of The Brass As A Family
Canzon 12 In Double Echo
The Trombone In The Eighteenth Century
Trombone Concerto In B Flat Major (Finale)
The Tone Of The Tenor Trombone/Romance For Trombone And Organ/The Memorable Voice Of The Bass Trombone/Requiem (Mvt 2)/But The Bass Trombone Is More Than An Instrumental Bullfrog.
Hosannah
The Trombones Become Part Of The Orchestra.
Symphony No.5 (Finale)
The Wagnerian Trombone:/Overture To 'Tannhauser'
The Trombone As Caricaturist
Pulcinella (No.19: Vivo)
The Trombone As Raspberry/Concerto For Orchestra (Intermezzo)
The Horn And The Hunt
Horn Concerto No.4 In E Flat, K.495 (Finale)
The Challenging Horn Of The Baroque
Abaris Ou Les Boreades (Menuet)
The Scarcity Of First-Rate Players In Handel's Time
Walter Music (Minuet 1)
The Horn As Magician/The Firebird Suite (1919, Finale)
Horns And The Sound Of Nobility
Overture To 'Tannhauser' (Opening)
The Special Sound Of The Horn In Its Higher Register
Mass In B Minor ('Quoniam Tu Solus Sanctus')
The Trumpet-Like Sound Of Massed Horns
Symphony No.3 (Mvt 1, Opening)
The Tuba - Unfairly Maligned?
Symphony No.6 (Mvt 3)
The Tuba Perfectly Cast By Ravel
Pictures At An Exhibition (Bydlo)

Tracks:

Introduction. And We Begin With A Bang.
Fanfare For The Common Man/The Bass Drum On The Battlefields/Wellington's Victory, Op.91 (Opening)
At The Opposite Extreme Is The Triangle.
Piano Concerto No.1 In E Flat (Scherzo)
Categories Of Percussion: Tuned And Untuned. The Side Drum
Overture To 'La Gazza Ladra' - The Thieving Magpie (Opening)
The Side Drum In An Effective But Unexpected Role/Clarinet Concerto (Mvt 1)
The Tambourine. One Of The Oldest Instruments In The World
Den Hoboecken Dans
Even Older Is The Originally Oriental Gong.
Ma Mere L'Oye - Mother Goose (Laideronette)
No Single Instrument Can Match The Gong In Evoking The Breaking Of Waves./Passacaglia, Op.33b From 'Peter Grimes'/But Gongs Don't Have To Be Struck To Be Effective.
Gymnopedie No.2
The Cymbals Are Generally Discovered Early In Life./The Sanguine Fan/And They Do More Than Clash Together Loudly. They Can Be Clashed Together Softly./Studio Example: But They Needn't Be Clashed Together At All/Studio Example: They Can Be Lightly...
Other Untuned Percussion Instruments Include The Whip.: Piano Concerto In G Major (Opening)/And Here Are No Fewer Than Twenty, Cracked By Tchaikovsky: The Nutcracker (Act I, Scene 5)
More Versatile Than The Whip Are The Wood Blocks.../Studio Example/...Which Crop Up All Over The Place In Twentieth-Century American Music.
Rodeo (Hoe-Down)
Related To The Wood Blocks, By Sound, Are The Castanets./Jota Aragonesa/But The Castanets Were Also Used By Monteverdi Back In The Seventeenth Century.
Scherzi Musicali (Damigella Tutta Belle)
A Still Earlier Example From Fifteenth-Century Spain
Yo M'Enamori D'Un Aire
The Birth Of The Bongo
Symphonic Dances From 'West Side Story'
From The Streets Of New York To The Blacksmith's Shop/Il Trovatore ('Anvil Chorus')
Desert-Island Decibels: Grand Canyon Suite (On The Trail)/Arcana
From One Vegetable To Another: The Humble Squash, Or Marrow/Huapango
Onwards To The Tuned Percussion. First, The Timpani
Also Sprach Zarathustra (Introduction)
But The Drum Roll Can Be More Effectively Frightening Than The Big Bang.: Symphony No.2 'Resurrection' (Mvt 3)
Not One Drum Roll, But Many/Grand Canyon Suite (Sunrise)/Symphonie Fantastique (Last Mvt)
Taking Advantage Of Tunability
Music For Strings, Percussion And Celeste (Mvt 2)
The Russian Composer Rodion Shchedrin Takes A Downward Turn./Carmen Suite (Changing Of The Guard)/Tuned, Yes; But For The Truly Melodic We Must Look Elsewhere.
Introducing The Glockenspiel/Carmen Suite (Carmen's Entrance And Habanera)
Saint-Saens And The Xylophone
The Carnival Of The Animals (Fossils)
Ravel And The Xylophone
Ma Mere L'Oye - Mother Goose (Laideronette)
Introducing The Marimba/Carmen Suite (First Intermezzo)
Introducing The Vibraphone
The Treasure Of The Sierra Madre (Narange Dolce)
The Vibraphone Goes Russian.../Carmen Suite (Carmen's Entrance And Habanera)/...And Is Joined By The Marimba./Carmen Suite (Carmen's Entrance And Habanera)
Introducing The Hungarian Cimbalom
Folk Dances
The Cimbalom And The Symphony Orchestra
Hary Janos Suite (Mvt 3)
Introducing The Tubular Bells
Hary Janos Suite (Viennese Musical Clock)
A More 'Up-Front' Approach From Rodion Shchedrin
Carmen Suite (Introduction)
But The Bells Can Also Make The Sinister Even More Sinister./Symphony No.7 'Sinfonia Antartica' (Mvt 1)
Introducing The Celeste
The Nutcracker (Dance Of The Sugar Plum Fairy)
Magic, In The Use Of Collective Percussion
Miroirs (La Vallee Des Cloches)
Plucked Instruments: The 'Undercover Percussion'/Carmen Suite (Scene)
A Prime Case In Point Is The Harp, Irresistible To The Romantics./The Nutcracker (Act II, No.1: Scene)/The Non-Solo Harp As An Integral Part Of The Orchestra/Hungarian Rhapsody No.1
The Traditionally Subservient Role Of The Harpsichord In The Baroque Orchestra
Brandenburg Concerto No.2 (Slow Mvt)
The Piano: King Of The Tuned Percussion/Symphony No.3 'Organ' (Mvt 3)/And A Quarter Of A Century After That:
Petrushka (Russian Dance)
The Anti-Romantic Piano As An Integral Part Of The Orchestra
Music For Strings, Percussion And Celeste (Last Mvt)

Tracks:

Keyboard Instruments In The Orchestra - The Most Powerful Of Them All:
Symphony No.3 'Organ' (Finale)
But Things In Handel's Day Were Very Different.
Organ Concerto In B Flat, Op.4 No.3 (Last Mvt)
The Organ Is Difficult To Classify.
An Unexpected, Organ-related Guest
Concerto Pour Zampogna (Last Mvt)
Peasant-Fancying... And A Touch Of The Roaming Cowboy
Les Miserables (Drink With Me)
Outside Artefacts And The Power Of Association
Mahler's Sleighbells
Symphony No.4 (Opening)
A Roll-Call Of Some Unusual Guests/The Typewriter/Parade
Chains, And More/Integrales/An American In Paris/Sandpaper Ballet
Purpose-Built Oddities: Wind Machines/Symphony No.7 'Sinfonia Antartica' (Opening)
Don Quixote (Variation VIII)
National Calling Cards: The Guitar For Spain/Concierto De Aranjuez (Finale)
And The Guitar's Poor American Relative, The Banjo/Washington Breakdown
And Poorer Still, The Mouth Organ/The Treasure Of The Sierra Madre (Packing Up)
The Balalaika For Russia/Romeo And Juliet (Act II: No.14)
The Maracas For Mexico/The Treasure Of The Sierra Madre (El Desayuno)
The Bongos And Congas And A Whole Wealth Of Other Drums For Africa And Central America/Studio Example
The Sitar Of India/Evening Raga: Bhapoli
The Accordion For France (Especially Paris)/Paris Canaille
The Zither For Vienna/The Third Man (Theme)
The Cimbalom For Hungary/Folk Dances
The Guitar As An Integral Part Of The Orchestra/Rondena
There Are Whole Orchestras Of Balalaikas./Sveit Mesiats
The Effect Of The Wordless Human Voice, Used Purely As An Instrument/Symphony No.7 'Sinfonia Antartica' (Mvt 1)
Nocturnes
Instruments And the Imitation Of Nature. The Clarinet As Cuckoo
The Carnival Of The Animals (The Cuckoo)
The Flute As An All-purpose Aviary
The Carnival Of The Animals (The Aviary)
The Oboe As Duck
Peter And The Wolf (The Duck)
The Recording Of Reality. Does It Work As Well?
The Pines Of Rome (The Pines Of The Janiculum)
The Recording Of Reality Electronically Reborn In New Guises
Cantus Articus - Concerto For Birds And Orchesra (Mvt 2)
Beethoven Turns Avian: Cuckoo, Nightingale, And Quail
Symphony No.6 'Pastoral' (Andante Molto Mosso)
Some Improbable Casting: The Violin As Braying Donkey
The Carnival Of The Animals (Persons With Long Ears)
A Truly Orchestral Hee-haw To Be Reckoned With
Overture To 'A Midsummer Night's Dream'
A Thunderstorm In A Million
Symphony No.6 'Pastoral (Allegro-Allegretto)
the Instrumental Depiction Of A Silent World
The Carnival Of The Animals (The Aquarium)
Saint-Saens' Menagerie Takes A Curtain Call.
The Carnival Of The Animals (Finale)

Tracks:

The Grouping Of Instrumental Families. An Additive Approach. First, Two Violins
Forty-Four Duos (No.4)
A Great Contrast, Of Both Pitch And Character: Violin And Viola
Duo For Violin And Viola In B Flat Major, K.424 (Finale, Vars 1 & 2)/Studio Example
Arrival Of The Standard String Trio: Violin, Viola, And Cello
String Trio In B Flat (Menuetto)
The String Quartet: Two Violins, Viola, And Cello
String Quartet In F, Op.18 No.1 (Mvt 3)
The String Quintet - When The Extra Instrument Is A Second Viola
String Quartet No.5 In D, K.593 (Adagio)
The String Quintet - When The Extra Instrument Is A Second Cello
String Quintet In C (Mvt 3)
The String Sextet: Two Violins, Two Violas, And Two Cellos
String Sextet In B Flat (Mvt 2)
The String Octet: The Standard String Quaret Times Two
Octet In E Flat, Op.20 (Mvt 1)
Double The String Octet: A Fully Fledged String Orchestra
String Symphony No.2 (Finale)
The Massed Strings Of A Symphony Orchestra
Fantasia On A Theme Of Thomas Tallis
Contrasts Of Pitch And Instrumental 'Colour' In The Woodwind Section
Wind Quintet In A Minor, Op.100 No.5 (Theme)
In The First Variation It's The Horn That Gets The Lion's Share.
Wind Quintet In A Minor, Variation 1
In Variation Two The Torch Is Handed To The Bassoon.
Wind Quintet In A Minor, Variation 2
In Variation Three The Oboe Leads.
Wind Quintet In A Minor, Variation 3
Variation Four: Conversation Before Returning To A Solo-dominated Texture
Wind Quintet In A Minor, Variation 4
And Variation Five is Dominated By The Clarinet.
Wind Quintet In A Minor, Variation 5
The Next To Be Featured Is The Virtuoso Flute.
Wind Quintet In A Minor, Variation 6
Individual Farewells And A Closing Chorus
Wind Quintet In A Minor, Variation 7
A Mixed Group: Clarinet, Bassoon, Horn, String Quartet, And Double-Bass
Octet In F (Mvt 3)
The Early Classical Symphony Orchestra Of Haydn And Mozart
Symphony No.29 In A, K.201 (Finale)
Strings, Wind, But No Brass. What Haydn And Mozart Never Knew
Canzon 28
Beethoven's Fifth: Two Horns, Two Trumpets, And Three Trombones Join The Team.
Symphony No.5 (Finale)
From Beethoven To The Massive Orchestras Of Berlioz, Wagner, And Mahler
Beethoven Changed The Face Of The Symphony And The Orchestra Forever
Symphoy No.6 'Tragic' (Mvt 1)
The Cult Of Orchestral Elephantiasis Reaches Its Peak.
Symphony No.1 'Gothic' (VI: Te Ergo Quaesumus)
When Large Doesn't Necessarily Mean Loud: Debussy
Images (Gigues)
A Crisis Of Confidence; The Orchestra's Survival Hangs In The Balance, But It Still Develops. The Ondes Martenot:
Turangalila Symphony (Chant D'amour 1)
The Advent Of The 'Early Music' Movement Brings A New Vitality And Freshness.
Balle De Xerxes (Gavotte En Rondeau)
Computer And Synthesiser: Friends Or Foes?
Concerto In D Minor For Two Violins (Largo)
A Speculative Look Ahead/Mass In B Minor ('Dona Nobis Pacem')

Customer Reviews:

Instruments of the Orchestra - Great Reference Material!.......2007-04-04

This set lends itself to greatly enhancing one's knowledge of the orchestra, instruments in it, and their usage. I am a huge music buff, and I still picked up a great deal I previously did not know. I highly recommend this for all who wish to understand the origin of music, as well as the processes that are employed to create music!

Beginner or Expert.......2007-03-12

This CD is excellent for the beginner or expert! To be able to haear the instrumets separately and then together really provides a good education. and/or refresher. The book thaty comes with the CD is alomost worth the price by itself!

Very Informative and Enjoyable.......2006-11-20

Whether you're a music novice or pro, "The instruments of the Orchestra" is a very worthwhile purchase. The 7 CDs, with a total of 8 hours, are expertly narrated by Jeremy Siepmann. He's a great speaker, very much like the late Leonard Bernstein was. Mr. Siepmann takes you on an unforgetable musical journey covering the origins and use of the various orchestral instruments throughout musical history. The balance between his narration and a wealth of musical examples, which range from snippets to entire movements, is superb. The comprehensive enclosed booklet is excellent and faithfully follows the 7 CDs in content. Even with my 40+ years of music training I still learned new things from this wonderful collection. Considering the excellence of the content, and a cost that translates to about $5 per disc, this collection is a great value. Grab it, you won't regret that you did. Five solid stars!

Frank's view.......2006-08-19

This boxed set of CD's with booklet achieved all I had hoped that it would. There are good samples of individual instruments and well done commentary on each. The only drawback was that some of the samples were too brief and could have been longer, hoiwever I guess this fits in with time constraints of the medium. It has given me a lot of clues as to future purchases of CD's for listening to individual instruments. Altogeth a satisfactory purchase and a welcome addition to my collection.

Excellent Intro for Those Not Familiar with the Orchestra.......2003-11-08

I've listened to classical music for years and am interested in composition. I bought this CD set to learn how an orchestra and its instruments work. I thought the CDs would be a nice but boring lecture. They aren't! Not only are they FUN but they are informative as well. I learned a huge amount from each CD and couldn't wait to listen to the next one.

The narrator and writer is a great speaker and holds your attention well. He is definitely knowledgeable. He provides musical examples for each point he makes, so you get to "hear" what he just talked about. I'd say the CDs are about 65% music and 35% narration. You'll learn about the range of instruments, some history, different ways to play them, how they sound, and how they are used in the orchestra. This CD set was a great learning experience and is sold at such a low price!

I recommend this CD for those who want to learn about classical music and those who know about it but are interested in learning more about the inner workings of an orchestra. You'll learn much useful information. For instance, the Rite of Spring (with that eerie start) is written for bassoon! I never knew a bassoon could sound like that but now I do.

Tracks:

Guide Me O Thou Great Redeemer (CWM Rhondda) - Caerphilly Make Voice Choir
Land of My Fathers - Caerphilly Make Voice Choir
Dies Irae
Men of Harlech
You'll Never Walk Alone
Cadwyn O Emyn Donau Cymreig: Joanna (Trad./Elfion Wyn)/Crugybar (Trad.
Old Folks at Home
Il Liza Jane
Faust/Soldier's Chorus - Caerphilly Make Voice Choir
Vergine Degli Angeli
Ballard of Rourke's Drift - Cwt-Y-Collen Choir
My Hero
God Bless the Prince of Wales - Caerphilly Make Voice Choir
German Mass/Gloria
German Mass/Sanctus
Misbles/Master of the House/On My Own/Drink with Me/Empty Chairs at
All Through the Night - Caerphilly Make Voice Choir
Arwelfa
Invictus
Softly as I Leave You

Tracks:

Diolch l'R L
Hine E Hine (Maori Lullaby)
Pererin Wyf (Amazing Grace)
Tribute to the USA: America the Beautiful (Ward/Bates)/God Bless ...
Memories of Martha
I Lombardi/The Crusaders' Chorus - Treorchy Male Choir
Myfanwy - Treorchy Male Choir
Tales of Hoffman/Barcarolle
Creation's Hymn
In the Spirit!
Shall We Gather at the River
Nos a Bore
Very Best Time of Year
Soon Ah Will Be Done
Thanks Be to God
Flower That Shattered the Stone
Rhys - Treorchy Male Choir
Where Shall I Be?
Bywyd y Bugail
Lord's Prayer

Tracks:

Ave Maria
Pearl Fishers/Divine Brahma
She Was Beautiful (Cavatina) - Treorchy Male Choir
Cymru Fach
Nidaros
Jacob's Ladder - Treorchy Male Choir
Watching the Wheat
Pan Ddaw y Saint (When the Saints Go Marching In)
Misbles/Stars
Rachie
Pirates of Penzance/With Cat-Like Tread - Treorchy Male Choir
There Is a Balm in Gilead
Rise Up Shepherd and Foller
My Lord, What a Mornin'
Bryn Myrddin
Jesus Christ Superstar/Medley: Jesus Christ Superstar/Hosanna/The Last
Finnish Forest (Suomen Salossa)
Nabucco/The Glory of Israel
Ride the Chariot
Tydi a Roddaist - Treorchy Male Choir

Tracks:

Y Nefoedd
Phantom of the Opera/Think of Me
Morte Christe (When I Survey the Wondrous Cross)
By Babylon's Wave
I'm Gonna Sing
Where Could I Go But to the Lord?
Holy City - Treorchy Male Choir
Mefistofele: Ave Signor, Degli Angeli
Senzenina (Zulu Chant)
That's All I Want from You
Deep Harmony - Treorchy Male Choir
Give Me Jesus
Just a Closer Walk with Thee
My Wish for You
Jeptha/Waft Her Angels
Mose in Egitto/Prayer
Be Still My Soul (Finlandia Hymn)
God's Choir in the Sky
Floral Dance - Treorchy Male Choir
Smilin' Through

Tracks:

Calon Lan
True Love
Mor Fawr Wyt Ti (How Great Thou Art)
Aberystwyth
Comrades in Arms
Cats/Memory
They Led My Lord Away
State Fair/It's a Grand Night for Singing
When I Fall in Love
Let's Face the Music and Dance
Windmills of Your Mind
How Soon
Non Nobis Domine
Rhythm of Life
Kalinka
Sound an Alarm
Neapolitan Trilogy: It's Now or Never (Di Capua/Schroeder/Gold)/Mo ...
Turandot/Nessun Dorma
Christus Redemptor
Ann Evening's Pastorale

Album Details

Choirs Include the Morriston Orpheus Choir, the Pontadrddulais Male Voice Choir, the Caerphilly Male Voice Choir, the Cwrt-y-gollen Choir, the Treorchy Male Choir and the Lucknow Male Voice Choir.

Average customer rating:

Disney
Wonderful Orchestrals
under the sea
under the sea
I believe!

The Magical Music of Disney

Manufacturer: Telarc
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Disney Spectacular
Heigh-Ho! Mozart
Bibbidi Bobbidi Bach: More Favorite Disney Tunes
Wishes! ~ Walt Disney Presents
Disney's Happiest Celebration on Earth

ASIN: B000003D0K
Release Date: 1995-04-18

Tracks:

Suite From The Lion King: This Land-Circle Of Life
Suite From The Lion King: I Just Can't Wait To Be King
Suite From The Lion King: Hakuna Matata
Suite From The Lion King: Be Prepared
Suite From The Lion King: Can You Feel The Love Tonight
Suite From The Lion King: King Of Pride Rock
Suite From Aladdin: Arabian Nights
Suite From Aladdin: One Jump Ahead
Suite From Aladdin: Friend Like Me
Suite From Aladdin: A Whole New World
Suite From Aladdin: Prince Ali
Suite From The Little Mermaid: Introduction
Suite From The Little Mermaid: Part Of Your World
Suite From The Little Mermaid: Under The Sea
Suite From The Little Mermaid: Poor Unfortunate Souls
Suite From The Little Mermaid: Les Poissons
Suite From The Little Mermaid: Kiss The Girl
Suite From The Little Mermaid: Happy Ending
Suite From Beauty And The Beast: Prologue
Suite From Beauty And The Beast: Belle
Suite From Beauty And The Beast: Be Our Guest
Suite From Beauty And The Beast: Gaston
Suite From Beauty And The Beast: Beauty And The Beast

Customer Reviews:

Disney.......2004-11-30

This cd is really good, i love all the songs. Ariel has always been my favourite disney classic. I only have one problem, the singers arn't the actual singers that were in the films, and thats abit of a dissapointment for me. I would recommend this cd but not to people who actually want to listen to the actual people.

Wonderful Orchestrals.......2002-02-11

What's best about Disney's animated features, is that they contain amazing orchestral scores and songs. With this CD, one can hear the nuances of the full orchestral scores of 4 of Disney's most popular features, as played and by a full symphony and chorus.

under the sea.......2000-04-30

I have all ways loved UNDER THE SEA. Now I have found it, and I can allways lisson to it. thanks a lot!

under the sea.......2000-04-30

I have all ways loved UNDER THE SEA. Now I have found it, and I can allways lisson to it. thanks a lot!

I believe!.......2000-01-29

This music, is indeed filled with magic. Your heart soars with every song,your mind flashing the most vivd flashes through your skull. You find that as your heat sings, it already knows all the words. An album, reminding you of the all consuming joy, when you once beleved, in magic.

DRG 25th Anniversary Show Stopping Performances

Average customer rating:

Great compilation
A disappointment

DRG 25th Anniversary Show Stopping Performances

Manufacturer: Drg
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ABC (Adler, Bock, Coleman)
The Drowsy Chaperone (2006 Original Broadway Cast)

ASIN: B00005Q6IN
Release Date: 2001-10-23

Tracks:

A Day In Hollywood A Night In Ukraine: Just Go To The Movies - Priscilla Lopez/David Garrison/Frank Lazarus/Stephen James/Peggy Hewett/Kate Draper
Babes In Arms: I Wish I Were In Love Again - Christopher Fitzgerald Jessica Stone
Pal Joey: Bewitched, Bothered And Bewildered - Patti LuPone
Gentlemen Prefer Blondes: Diamonds Are A Girl's Best Friend - KT Sullivan
Nunsense: I Just Want To Be A Star - Christine Anderson
Louisiana Purchase: Wild About You - Debbie Gravitte & New York Voices
Oil City Symphony: Beaver Ball At The Bug Club - Mike Craver/Mark Hardwick/Debra Monk/Mary Murfitt
Falsettoland: The Baseball Game - Michael Rupert/Chip Zien/Faith Prince/Janet Metz/Heather MacRae/Stephen Bogardus
Very Good Eddie: Isn't It Great To Be Married? - Virginia Seidel/Spring Fairbank/Charles Repole/Nicholas Wyman
The Fantasticks: A Perfect Time To Be In Love - Harvey Schmidt
Call Me Madam: You're Just In Love - Tyne Daly/Lewis Cleale
Taking My Turn: Fine For The Shape I'm In - Margaret Whiting/Marnie Nixon/Cissy Houston
A Party With Betty Comden & Adolph Green: The French Lesson - Betty Comdon/Adolph Green
The Madwoman Of Central Park: Better - Phyllis Newman
Greenwillow: Never Will I Marry - Anthony Perkins
Song Of Singapore: I Can't Remember - Loretta Swit & Company
Tintypes: Elite Syncopation/I'm Goin' To Live Anyhow, 'Til I Die - Lynne Thigpen
I Love My Wife: Someone Wonderful I Missed - Joanna Gleason/Ilene Graff
The Good Companions: The Pleasure Of Your Company - Malcolm Rennie/Christopher Gable
Forbidden Broadway 20th Anniversary: Liza One-Note - Christine Pedi
Meet Me In St. Louis: The Trolley Song - Donna Kane & Ensemble

Tracks:

4 Guys Named Jose...And Una Mujer Named Maria!: Feel It - Philip Anthony/Henry Gainza/Allen Hidalgo/Ricardo Puente
Fame - The Musical: There She Goes!/Fame - Natasha Rennalls & Ensemble
Do Re Mi: What's New At The Zoo? - Heather Headley/The Animal Girls
High Society: Once Upon A Time/True Love - Melissa Errico/Daniel McDonald
Tenderloin: Artificial Flowers - Patrick Wilson
State Fair: Driving At Night/Our State Fair - Company
Kiss Me, Kate: Were Thine That Special Face - Brian Stokes Mitchell
Black And Blue: Black And Blue - Linda Hopkins/Ruth Brown/Carrie Smith
The Green Bird: O Foolish Heart - Company
Out Of This World: From This Moment On - Marin Mazzie/Gregg Edelman
The Boys From Syracuse: This Can't Be Love - Davis Gaines/Sarah Berry
Snoopy!!!: Poor Sweet Baby - Pamela Myers
SeesawNobody Does It Like Me - Michele Lee
March Of The Falsettos: I Never Wanted To Love You - Michael Rupert/Stephen Bogardus/Alison Fraser/Chip Zien/James Kushner
Lunch: Perfectly Alone - Carol Burnett
3hree: Foolish Dreamin'/Something Beautiful/Real Enough To Change My Mind - Jessica Molaskey/Will Gartshore/Rachel Ulanet
Lucky In The Rain: Love Me As If There Were No Tomorrow - Barbara Cook
Godspell: All Good Gifts - Sal Sabella & Company
The Act: Walking Papers - Liza Minnelli & Company

Customer Reviews:

Great compilation.......2002-05-10

I don't actually own this particular compilation, however, since I own nearly every recording represented on these discs...I think I'm qualified to comment. This is a wonderful representation of the high quality of work that DRG Records does.
The previous review is way off the mark. This is definitely not a waste of time or money. This is 25 years of preserving Broadway shows, Off-Broadway shows, studio recordings (mostly from the city center concerts), etc. So what if they "aren't as good as the original", DRG is preserving many recordings and artists that other mainstream labels don't or won't. You have wonderful recordings from Brian Stokes Mitchell, Nathan Lane, Debbie Gravitte, Tyne Daly, Anthony Perkins, Joanna Gleason, Marin Mazzie, Carol Burnett, Heather Headley, Patti LuPone, Barbara Cook, etc., and many of these are from Original Cast Recordings just as they appeared on Broadway. This is an excellent sampler of the work going on at DRG. No...I'm not an employee...just an avid listener and collector of theatre recordings.

A disappointment.......2001-12-15

There's a reason you've probably never heard of most of the songs and shows on this album, not to mention most of the artists. This is a second-rate collection of second-rate numbers performed by mostly second-rate artists. In the case of the shows that were revivals, the performances on the original cast recordings were better. Don't waste your money.

Average customer rating:

Music from Humphrey Bogar Movies
Simply the original
not the stuff dreams are made of

Music from Humphrey Bogart Movies

Manufacturer: The Sound Track Facto
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Casablanca: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
Stardust Melody
Hoagy Sings Carmichael
A Portrait of Hoagy Carmichael

ASIN: B00006CFHZ
Release Date: 2002-08-08

Tracks:

As Time Goes By [From Casablanca] - Elliot Carpenter, Dooley Wilson
Am I Blue/Hong Kong Blues/The Rhumba Jumps/How Little We Know [from To - Hoagy Carmichael, , Andy Williams
And Her Tears Flowed Like Wine [From the Big Sleep] - Lauren Bacall
Petrified Forest
My Melancholy Baby/I'm Just Wild About Harry/It Had to Be You/In a ...
High Sierra
Maltese Falcon - Jo Stafford
Baila Bailando/Too Marvelous for Words [From Dark Passage]
Treasure of the Sierra Madre
Moanin' Low - Claire Trevor
African Queen
Oh, Give Me Time for Tenderness [From Dark Victory] - Vera Van

Album Description

Full title - Music From Humphrey Bogart Movies. Includes music from the classics, 'Casablanca' (1942), 'The Big Sleep' (1946), 'Key Largo' (1948), 'To Have & Have Not' (1944), 'The Petrified Forest' (1936), 'The Roaring Twenties' (1939), 'High Sierra' (1941), 'The Maltese Falcon' (1941), 'Dark Passage' (1947) & 'The African Queen' (1951). Highlights include, Dooley Wilson & Elliot Carpenter Trio 'As Time Goes By', Andy Williams 'Little We Know' & Lauren Bacall 'And Her Tears Flowed Like Wine'. Slipcase. 2002.

Customer Reviews:

Music from Humphrey Bogar Movies.......2007-06-27

I was disappointed. I thought I would be getting a CD of full length themes from his movies but the CD is exactly what it says. It is from the actual films, in sections and pieces. I can't say it was misrepresented so I guess I was at fault. But I am sorry I bought it.

Simply the original.......2007-06-19

As the previous reviewer rightly pointed out, these are the original recordings from the era the films were made. And yes, the sound is completely different from what we are used to hear when we are turning the CD player on: it's mono, it's partially unsteady and some of the pieces suddenly fade. BUT, it's the REAL thing and it transports the charms and the charisma, inherent to the original ONLY.
Those who prefer the flawless technical perfection of a re-recording better should save their money. But for those who love the movies and their genuine sound, should be perfectly pleased with this release.

not the stuff dreams are made of.......2007-01-03

most of the tracks on this cd are available elsewhere, but what prompts me to give this a low review is the quality of the recording. some of them sound like they were taped off of a tv set showing a warbly print. you can do better elsewhere.

Average customer rating:

Loved this CD
I LOVE this CD!
Costello Partners with Hubris and Yields Variable Results
what's so funny about peace, love, and understanding?
No life in her (pop) art

For the Stars
Anne Sofie von Otter , and Elvis Costello
Manufacturer: Deutsche Grammophon
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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North
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ASIN: B00005A46I
Release Date: 2001-04-10

Tracks:

No Wonder
Baby Plays Around
Go Leave
Rope
Don't Talk (Put Your Head On My Shoulder)
Broken Bicycles / Junk
The Other Woman
Like An Angel Passing Through My Room
Green Song
April After All
You Still Believe In Me
I Want To Vanish
For No One
Shamed Into Love
Just A Curio
This House Is Empty Now
Take It With Me
For The Stars

Amazon.com

At a time when popular music has been micro-marketed to the far side of ad nauseam, Declan MacManus, a.k.a. Elvis Costello, has traded on his reputation as the brightest songwriter to emerge from the new wave era to foster any number of delightful, cross-genre/generation musical surprises, including soundtracks and collaborations with the Brodsky Quartet, Paul McCartney, jazz artist Roy Nathanson, and songwriting legend Burt Bacharach. The latest fruit of that generous, insatiably curious artistic spirit is this elegant partnership with Swedish mezzo-soprano Anne-Sofie von Otter. Though an admitted pop novice, Otter couldn't have picked a better confederate than Costello, an artist whose taste in songs has seldom been tainted by trend.

Together, they weave material from disparate sources--including a slate of compelling Costello material, a pair of Brian Wilson's evocative "Pet Sounds" confessionals, a Tom Waits song from Francis Ford Coppola's One from the Heart (oddly, though effectively, coupled in medley with McCartney's "Junk"), an Abba song, and the Beatles' "For No One"--into a musical tapestry of stately power and grace. Costello sparingly uses his voice as seasoning throughout, though his masterful touch is everywhere. Otter's novice pop singing reveals an easy knack for jazz phrasing that should tempt further explorations and a warmth that belies the rigidity that's so often a byproduct of classical training. Most gratifying of all, this album ultimately achieves what's become one of the loftiest plateaus in Pop music: common ground. --Jerry McCulley

Customer Reviews:

Loved this CD .......2006-06-13

Who would pair Costello and an opera singer?? Elvis, and somehow it works. I really love the tone and moodiness of it and lyrics that talk about love and life, failure and success. It's soulful, in a contemplative way, music for those tucked away, rainy days .

I LOVE this CD!.......2005-09-01

Finally, an opera singer who knows how to channel her Classical training into a sound that is, as one critic aptly described it, "what pop singers would sound like if they could actually sing"! Although Elvis Costello does not join Ms. von Otter very often in the vocals, when he does they harmonize beautifully. With great melodies (some beautiful, some catchy) and sensitive (but not sappy) lyrics, this album makes a fine addition to any CD collection.

Costello Partners with Hubris and Yields Variable Results.......2005-05-08

Having just heard Elvis Costello's masterful collaboration with Burt Bacharach, "Painted from Memory", for the first time this past month, I had high hopes for this equally unusual partnership with mezzo-soprano Anne Sofie von Otter released in 2001. This time, however, Costello acts as arranger and producer, and it is von Otter who is front and center on vocals. She is among the most revered of singers on the opera and recital stages, and she has impressed me in the past, in particular, with her Dejanira in the 2002 Marc Minkowski-led performance of Handel's "Hercules", among many other roles she has embodied. Here she is called upon to be a pop chanteuse, and while the beauty of her voice is inarguable in any setting, her ability to interpret the diverse lyrics in these songs is far more debatable. This is where a Marianne Faithfull, a Blossom Dearie or even a Joni Mitchell could capture more of the underlying feeling with a fraction of the vocal power von Otter can provide but with twice the nuance. There is a rather sterile sameness to the performances here, somewhat jazz-inflected in a cocktail lounge manner at times and at other times, rather morose and dirge-like.

Take, for example, her rendition of Brian Wilson's "Don't Ask (Put Your Head on My Shoulder)" from the legendary "Pet Sounds" album. It moves so glacially that it actually extricates the romantic subtext almost surgically. The same can be said for Jessie Mae Robinson's "The Other Woman", which has at least Magnus Persson's vibraphone to provide relief from the tedium. She's better on the other "Pet Sounds" classic, "You Still Believe in Me", where she cannily soars with the chorus, though Costello damages it by adding some odd, muffled rapping in the background. Ironically, it is on the Costello compositions where the recording most noticeably flails. The opener "No Wonder" starts as a "Greensleeves"-like madrigal and then turns into Beatlesque pop; "Baby Plays Around" seems to suffer from exhaustion by all parties; the two Fleshquartet collaborations, "Rope" and "Just a Curio", sound somewhat like extraterrestrial hymns done in a series of minor keys; and the closing title track, "For the Stars" includes peppy, Beach Boys-sounding harmonies which escape her grasp. In fact, "Just a Curio" would have been a more appropriate title for this entire recording.

On the other hand, the Gallic flavor of Benny Andersson's accordion effectively informs her rendition of Tom Waits' "Broken Bicycles", which melds perfectly with Costello's vocal on Paul McCartney's "Junk". Speaking of Andersson, a fellow Scandinavian, von Otter admirably covers a piano-led ABBA ballad, "Like an Angel Passing Through My Room". She also displays a meticulously casual bounce on Lennon-McCartney's "For No One", though it stops rather abruptly. Von Otter acquits herself surprisingly well on the jazzy "Shamed into Love", written by another unlikely duo, Costello and Rubén Blades, and performed as almost a smokier variation of Bacharach's "Alfie". And speaking of Bacharach, she does a nice turn on the lovely "This House Is Empty Now" from the 1998 Bacharach-Costello disc. Costello and von Otter are masters of their craft, but I think some of the collaborations reflect simply irreconcilable differences. While Costello seems to have an insatiable desire to expand musically, his hubris here appears to constrain the often preternatural vocal skill von Otter displays on the opera and recital stage. Consequently, what we have here is a nice album, a generous one with eighteen tracks, that doesn't seem to capitalize on either contributor's talent fully.

what's so funny about peace, love, and understanding?.......2004-04-22

Nothing's funny about this boring duo. I picked this up FREE at my library and it didn't take me too many tracks to see why it was donated. The musical arrangements are hapless and dull, and her voice is Dion without the Vegas power finale. Come to think of it, the lyrics remind me of Dion; they are as saccharine as anything Dion has ever sung. I wasted a blank CD on this limp, sleepy pairing of two otherwise good artists.

No life in her (pop) art.......2004-03-15

I am a big fan of both artists and wanted very much for this combination to work. It avoids the traditional trap of "oversinging" the pop material. But a few years after its release, in these American Idol era, is that really such a terror for pop music any more? So-called oversinging seems pretty popular these days!

The big problem is that von Otter has not found a way to communicate any emotion in this scaled-down form of singing. All her classical techniques are stripped away, and there's nothing to replace them. Sure, her voice is gorgeous, but it sounds exactly the same no matter what the lyrical content. The songs could have been made up of nonsense syllables for all the emotional life she communicates.

Tracks:

Oh What a Beautiful Mornin'
Summertime
I Could Write a Book
It Never Entered My Mind
I Can Cook Too
Make It Another Old Fashioned, Please
If I Loved You
My Heart Belongs to Daddy
Thou Swell
I Left My Heart at the Stage Door Canteen
There's No Business Like Show Business
South American Way

Tracks:

Shall We Dance
Ohio
Luck Be a Lady
Mack the Knife
There's a Small Hotel
Once in Love with Amy
Yodel Blues
Lazy Afternoon
There Must Be Somethin' Better Than Love
You're Just in Love
Now Is the Time

Tracks:

Impossible Dream
Love Makes the World Go 'Round
Try to Remember
Put on a Happy Face
I Say Hello
Happiness
She Loves Me
What Kind of Fool Am I?
Shy
Consider Yourself
Poor Little Person

Tracks:

Magic to Do
They're Playing My Song
I Don't Know How to Love Him
I Won't Send Roses
Good Morning Starshine
Don't Cry for Me, Argentina
Hard Candy Christmas
Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend
Won't You Charleston with Me?
Applause

Tracks:

Phantom of the Opera
Memory
On My Own
Muddy Water
How Could I Ever Know
American Dream
I Know Him So Well
Dr. Jazz
Me and My Girl
Suddenly Seymour

Tracks:

Mamma Mia!
Popular
Seasons of Love
Oh, the Thinks You Can Think
Whatever Lola Wants
Crazy
How Deep Is Your Love
Stars
People Like Us
I Go to Rio

Average customer rating:

Bleah!
Sumi sings Broadway
Much Better than I Expected
Beautiful!
Unexpected voice

Sumi Jo - Only Love
Stephen Sondheim , Leonard Bernstein , Maury Yeston , Choi Kyung Sik , Jule Styne , Alban Gerhardt , Michael William Balfe , Claude-Michel Schoenberg , Ettore Stratta , and Sumi Jo
Manufacturer: Erato
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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French Coloratura Arias

ASIN: B00004GP1Z
Release Date: 2000-04-11

Tracks:

In His Eyes
Someone Like You
Beautiful World
Unusual Way
Losing My Mind
Once Upon a Dream
Only Love
Send In The Clowns
Just In Time
Dream With Me
I Dreamt I Dwelt In Marble Halls
I Still Believe

Customer Reviews:

Bleah!.......2007-07-02

I like Sumi Jo. The music is drek. Sondheim! Before I knew how Clowns fit into the plot I thought it was mildly enigmatic and heartbreaking (sniff). Now that I do know, I think it's a maudlin, bad attempt to conform to the plot of the show. Mind is just stupid, and the tune is pallid. ("Or were you just being kind..."?????) So much for Sondheim. He'll be forgotten soon enough. He's hardly a household word now. The rest of the songs have that peculiar, unpleasant modern sound that so many new Bway songs have. Kind of weird. It's "in". Monkey see, monkey do. I'm glad I bought it used and only wasted $5 + shipping on it. If you like this kind of tuneless, affected music, go for it. She's wonderful. She doesn't sound like an opera singer at all. Though she is a wonderful one. The arrangement of the Styne is slow and soothing, not that jouncy bouncy upbeat thing, the way it was written. I don't like either version, but if I were forced to be subjected to one, I'd take the slow one. I'm very disappointed. I should have expected as much from 2 Sondheims and that Styne. I wish she'd sung a better selection of songs.

Sumi sings Broadway.......2006-12-26

Coloratura soprano Sumi Jo's album "Only Love" again demonstrates why she is undoubtedly one of the greatest voices of recent times. On this album, Sumi Jo concentrates her talents on songs from the musical theatre world. Many opera singers do have trouble adapting and manipulating their precision-trained voices into another style, but Sumi Jo sings in a fresh, appealing way that makes these songs come alive, almost like they were written yesterday.

The crown jewels of the album are "Unusual Way" (from Maury Yeston's NINE), and the title track, "Only Love" (one of the more distinguishable ballads from Frank Wildhorn's otherwise-dreadful SCARLET PIMPERNEL score). Sumi effortlessly transforms herself into a Broadway diva on this album; instantly she's at home with the material. I heartily recommend this surprising about-face from opera singer Sumi Jo.

[Erato/Warner Music 8573802412]

Much Better than I Expected.......2006-08-03

Let me start off by saying that I adore opera and I adore musical theater. That said, I can think of very few opera singers who I like singing showtunes. Actually Dawn Upshaw is the one who readily comes to mind... Somehow the greatest opera singers, people like Renee Fleming and Kiri Te Kinawa have trouble "toning it down" enough to successfully sing a musical repetoire. Sumi Jo is an exception. Her voice is light enough to sing these pieces with a nice tone and a sense of ease. We know her extraordinary operatic ability from her previous work, but she wisely doesn't feel the need to prove it to us on these songs.

Given my high opinions of Sumi Jo, you might be wondering why I didn't give this album 5 stars. That's because I think she could have chosen better songs. I commend her for going with contemporary composers as opposed to the usual repetoir of Rodgers and Hammerstein, Lerner and Lowe, Jules Styne, with a bit of Bernstein and Sondheim thrown in for flavor. However comtemporary musical theater has exciting new voices from the likes of Jason Robert Brown, Adam Guettel, and Michael LaCuisa. Or, she could have gone with some Boubil and Schoenberg with some of Andrew Llyod Webber's better tunes thrown in. Instead, she went for a lot of Wildhorn. Thankfully she chose to embrace The Scarlet Pimpernel and Jekyll and Hyde- two of Wildhorn's best shows as opposed to total schlock. But songs like "In His Eyes" (a duet with herself) and "Only Love" aren't intersting. Her only nod to Boubil is "I Still Believe" from Miss Saigon (another duet). Duets usuallywork with two contrasting voices and viewpoints (especially duets like these- sung by two characters in love with the same man). Singing with yourself doesn't really create any tension o0r real interest. Sumi Jo is best on tracks like "Send In the Clowns" (A Little Might Music), "Losing My Mind" ("Follies") and other songs intended as solos.

I definately reccoment this disc to an opera fan interested in another side of Sumi Jo, or a musical theater fan in search of a good voice (or both). My only reservation is a few of the song choices.

Beautiful!.......2004-01-19

Proof that musicals can be sung without the "Belt-technique". Pure, beautiful and amazing! This is what I call crossover!

Unexpected voice.......2003-06-09

Anyone who knows Sumi Jo will be surprised at this album because she is not like an opera singer in this album. It is common that opera singers¡¯ cross-over albums sounds ridiculous because they do not give themselves up being the opera singer; they usually stick to their operatic way to sing. However, when one who has never heard Sumi Jo¡¯s other recordings listens to this cross-over album, he will not know that Sumi is an opera singer. It means that her interpretations are almost perfect. She knows how to sing cross-over songs and that the way to sing them is different from that of opera arias; but unfortunately some opera singers do not seem to know it. Maybe cross-over music is something that most opera singers want to try, but I have not seen one succeeded contentedly. Sumi¡¯s voice and her interpretations are almost perfect. All tracks are great, but particularly I recommend ¡°Unusual Way¡± and ¡°I still believe.¡± I remember Sumi Jo saying in an interview after finishing recording this album, that she finally made it. I agree with her that she eventually did a great job. I really pay a compliment on her impressive work. Very strongly recommend!

Offenbach: La Belle Hélène; Orpheus in the Underworld; La Vie Parisienne (Highlights)

Average customer rating:

Champagne Music!

Offenbach: La Belle Hélène; Orpheus in the Underworld; La Vie Parisienne (Highlights)

Manufacturer: Class. for Pleas. Us
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Johann Strauss II: Die Fledermaus; The Gypsy Baron (Highlights)
Léhar: The Land of Smiles; The Merry Widow; The Count of Luxembourg (Highlights)
Offenbach: Orpheus in the Underworld / Burgess, Watson, etc (Highlights)

ASIN: B00009KHY3
Release Date: 2003-09-02

Tracks:

Overture
The Happy Bride Never Stumbles
You've Gone Too Far!
May I Make Myself Known?
My Death Appears Divinely Smiling
When Diana Leaves The Mountains
To Arms!
When Jupy Feels The Inclination
Here Comes Orpheus
When I Was King Of The Boeotians
I Thought That I Felt On My Shoulder
What Heavenly Joy Is Mine
Minuet And Galop
Overture
How Sad We've Made The Marchioness
Well Isn't That Just Life All Over?
I'm The Guide For Every Tourist
I Am A Native Of Brazil
In This Enchanting Queen Of Cities
I Am A Dab At Carving Pork
We Have Seen Sights Since Eleven... I'm A Colonel's Widow
Dinner Is Served

Tracks:

Oh, Little Cloud
When She Goes Out... Her Petticoats Go Frou, Frou, Frou
Does He Know He's Splitting Down The Back
Nobody Would Call Me A Rover
I'll Have So Much To Say
It's Most Important You Should Show
Here You See The Place
My Friends, I'm Most Delighted To See You
In Songs And Shouts... Paris Blooms Like A Flower
Introduction
To Bow To Jupiter We Gather At The Shrine
We've Had A Night Out
On Mount Ida Three Great Ladies (The Judgement Of Paris)
March And Entry Of The Kings
Entr'acte
We All Begin By Truly Trying
It Is Her That Has Sent This Sweet Love Dream
Come Here, You Kings Of Greece
When All Of Greece Has Been Ravaged
Do You See?

Customer Reviews:

Champagne Music!.......2006-07-09

Thank goodness that these well filled CDs of selections from three of Offenbach's most entertaining and tuneful operettas are available. Exactly the thing to provide some hearty nourishment for Winter nights. Ideal also for a Summer barbecue. In both cases, a glass of champagne, or at least some other bubbly beverage, would be good to have at hand - everything here no doubt will call for a toast or several.

It is so nice to be able to hear in these translations the witty words, sung with welcome clarity and meaning by these admirable artists. As I recall, there were no microphones in sight, and perhaps not even used, when this production of Orpheus In The Underworld was brought to Australia, with a few cast changes but the same sparkle as shown here. Crisp diction and lively, often lovely, singing - a great recipe for enjoyable listening indeed.

The recording sounds a bit shrill here and there, but what a churlish quibble; to Hades with such curmudgeonly qualifications! This is music to raise the spirits, and not just those from Hades.

12 Songs From Call Me Madam (1950 Studio Cast) With Selections From Panama Hattie (1940 Original Cast Recording)

Average customer rating:

Ethel Deserved Better Than This

12 Songs From Call Me Madam (1950 Studio Cast) With Selections From Panama Hattie (1940 Original Cast Recording)
Ethel Merman , and Irving Berlin
Manufacturer: Decca U.S.
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Similar Items:

Call Me Madam
Annie Get Your Gun (1946 Original Broadway Cast)
A Connecticut Yankee
A Tree Grows In Brooklyn (1951 Original Broadway Cast)
Coco (1970 Original Broadway Cast)

ASIN: B000002OJO
Release Date: 2001-05-15

Tracks:

Call Me Madam: The Hostess With The Mostes' On The Ball
Call Me Madam: Washington Square Dance
Call Me Madam: Lichtenburg (Cosmo's Opening)
Call Me Madam: Can You Use Any Money Today?
Call Me Madam: Marrying For Love
Call Me Madam: The Ocarina
Call Me Madam: It's A Lovely Day Today
Call Me Madam: The Best Thing For You
Call Me Madam: Something To Dance About
Call Me Madam: Once Upon A Time Today
Call Me Madam: They Like Ike
Call Me Madam: You're Just In Love
Panama Hattie: My Mother Would Love You
Panama Hattie: I've Still Got My Health
Panama Hattie: Let's Be Buddies
Panama Hattie: Make It Another Old Fashioned, Please

Customer Reviews:

Ethel Deserved Better Than This.......2001-06-22

There may indeed be no business like show business. RCA was a major backer of this musical, and fully expected to record the original cast album. Decca, Merman's recording label, wouldn't allow her to appear. The solution the two compnaies decided on was an original cast album on RCA featuring Dinah Shore doing Merman's numbers, and this mediocre studio album.

Decca was never a winner when it came to modern recording techniques. Merman's voice has no echo or reverb to enhance her performance. The arrangements are by Gordon Jenkins, which fit Ethel's style like it was a dress bought in a bargain basement. It is a shame that in the later years of her life, Ethel didn't choose to revisit this score and re-record it, as she did with Annie Get Your Gun twice.

The selections from Panama Hattie are a nice rarity, but they are taken from scratchy shellac originals. There are several compilations that include these numbers with no annoying extraneous noise.

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