Recollections

Recollections

ASIN: B000244EXS

Editorial Reviews
About the Artist
David Garfield's mission statement is "I make music." And "make music" he does, as a world-renowned keyboard artist, producer, and composer. Be it jazz, rock, funk, or world beat -- he is the creative force behind the production of many internationally acclaimed recordings.

David started his career with jazz greats such as Willie Bobo, Freddie Hubbard, and Tom Scott in the 70s. After being on the LA scene for several years, he moved into the vast studio world during its heyday and earned a reputation for fine craftsmanship and versatility. This work eventually led to composing opportunities for television, film, and commercials (NBC/Disney/Nippon Television/RTL Germany).

During the 80s Garfield arranged and produced many top Japanese artists, and went on to produce his own projects for release in Japan. For the past 20 years, he has enjoyed continued popularity and success in that part of the world.

David's access to top studio musicians and state of the art equipment led him to start his own production company, Creatchy Productions. His Creatchy Records label soon followed.

His first international release on Creatchy, "Tribute to Jeff", featured 78 musicians and artists, including Don Henley, Eddie Van Halen, Michael McDonald, and Richard Marx, a virtual who's who of the music industry. Critically acclaimed worldwide, this project reached the top ten charts in Japan (Pop) and the U.S. (NAC). David quickly followed up "Tribute to Jeff" with "I Am The Cat…Man," which has also received critical success around the globe.

In addition to these solo endeavors, David frequently collaborates with guitarist Steve Lukather (Toto) in the band Los Lobotomys and drummer Vinnie Colaiuta (Sting) in the band Karizma. These two bands have released eight CDs under the Creatchy Records label and have toured the world extensively.

Garfield also has ongoing music relationships with George Benson (he is currently Benson's Music Director), Boz Scaggs and Natalie Cole. And over the years, he has recorded with Cher, Spinal Tap, The Rippingtons, and Larry Carlton and has performed live with Michael Bolton, The Blues Brothers, Brenda Russell, and Rick Braun.

"Giving Back" is David Garfield's brand new release, which once again features world-class musicians and artists. Recorded in both Los Angeles and New York, these 13 hot new tracks reflect a fresh direction for his West Coast Sound. He is enjoying extremely positive feedback from his international fan base and from the advance reviews of his U.S. industry contacts. With the release of this new CD, David is continuing a wide range of other activities. He is performing worldwide with his own band and as a guest artist with George Benson and others. In addition to his instructional videos and CDs, his new book, Pop and Rock Keyboards, will be available soon from Hal Leonard Publishing. He continues to produce other artists and groups including Oleta Adams, Flora Purim, and Los Lobotomys. And David is continuing to write and produce his own music, with several new projects due to be released in the coming year.

Product Description
Jazz standards and more. Features Abraham Laboriel, John Guerin, and Chuck Domanico. Includes "Englishman in New York".

Tracks:

Catch Me If You Can
The Float
Come Fly With Me - Frank Sinatra
Recollections (The Father's Theme)
The Airport Scene
The Girl From Ipanema -Stan Getz & Joao Gilberto feat. Antonio Carlos Jobim
Learning The Ropes
Father And Son
Embraceable You - Judy Garland
The Flash Comics Clue
Deadheading
The Christmas Song - Nat King Cole
A Broken Home
Doctor, Lawyer, Lutheran
The Look Of Love - Dusty Springfield
Catch Me If You Can (Reprise and End Credits)

Amazon.com

Steven Spielberg veered from the futuristic sci-fi flirtations of A.I. and Minority Report with this brisk, stylish period take on the career of teen con-man extraordinaire Frank Abagnale (Leonardo DiCaprio) and his dogged G-man pursuer/de facto extended family member Carl Hanratty (Tom Hanks). As always, the director's musical collaborator is John Williams, and the scoring legend uses the occasion of their 20th collaboration as a rewarding musical journey back to the days when he was known as Johnny Williams, ambitious young pianist for Henry Mancini on such early jazz scores as Peter Gunn. Informed by a half-century of subsequent achievement, Williams's return to the jazz idiom of his youth yields a smart, nervous score that evokes more than mere nostalgia. But with Dan Higgins's moody sax often leading the way, the veteran composer's work here seems more evocative reinvention than revisitation, yet another tribute to his uncanny ability to make any idiom his own. A handful of pop standards (including Sinatra's "Come Fly with Me," Getz and Gilberto's "Girl from Ipanema," "The Christmas Song" by Nat "King" Cole) deftly color both period and plot, but, as always, it's Williams who provides Spielberg's masterful imagery with its musical life's blood. --Jerry McCulley

Customer Reviews:

Outstanding!.......2007-04-04

John Williams does it again! This man is the best composer I have ever heard! The music fits the scenes in the movies so unblievably well that you will wonder how one man was creative enough to think of it!

Johnny's "Lost in Soundtrack".......2006-08-25

The opening theme is the coolest ever. It has that jazzy, suspenseful, space-age groove that takes you back to the early 60's era portrayed in the movie.

Once I discovered it was done by John Williams, things started to click. The arrangement and themes actually go back way before he was famous. Back to an era he may not want you to remember. Back when he was known simply as "Johnny" Williams.

First, notice the melody and pace of the creeping marimbas and bubbling flutes. Next, catch a repeat of the old Sci-Fi, TV Fairy-Tale known as "LOST IN SPACE." Listen for the incidental, suspense-scene music throughout. Did you catch the composer's name in the credits?

Bingo!(and still very cool)!

Excellent Mix of Jazz and Emotion.......2006-02-20

This is brilliant. You will have this theme ringing in your ears for a month after listening. I have collected around 25 to 30 J. Williams scores. This is wonderful like the rest...

John Williams, Film Scores and Jazz all done to Perfection........2004-10-15

I loved the movie and now the music. I think it is one of the most original soundtracks that John Williams has ever done. The Jazz in this music is so peaceful and lighthearted. This soundtrack should be on any music lovers shelf. In my book, this music is a classic film score.

A Great "Catch".......2004-10-04

Steven Spielberg's 2002 film CATCH ME IF YOU CAN was a breezy crime caper movie based on the true-life story of Frank Abagnale, a real "phony" who nevertheless embarked on a three-year spree of writing bum checks adding up to millions during the 1960s. To capture that era's swinging mores, he had his great friend John Williams design one of that composer's quirkiest scores ever--very jazzy and redolent of the scores Henry Mancini devised for the "Pink Panther" films and Stanley Donen's 1963 classic CHARADE.

But for Williams, CATCH ME IF YOU CAN was very much a homecoming, as he started out in jazz and even worked quite closely with Mancini early on in Hollywood. The genuine jauntiness and mystery of the film's main musical motifs are balanced by moments of warm but not mushy sentimentality, and hit songs of that period by Frank Sinatra, Stan Getz, and Dusty Springfield round out this appealing collection.

CATCH ME IF YOU CAN was such an offbeat project for a composer and a director known for boldness, but it served as a challenge that Spielberg aced on the screen and Williams aced in his music. It is highly recommended for its sheer audacity in going back to the past and still remaining relevant to today.

Average customer rating:

Judy, You've Been On My Mind!
A Wonderful Trip Through Pure Folk Music WIth Judy Collins!
a wonderful collection

Recollections: The Best of Judy Collins
Judy Collins
Manufacturer: Elektra / Wea
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Contemporary Folk | Folk | Styles | Music

Singer-Songwriters | Contemporary Folk | Folk | Styles | Music

General | Folk | Styles | Music

Traditional Folk | Folk | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Singer-Songwriters | Pop | Styles | Music

Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music

General | Vocal Pop | Pop | Styles | Music

Traditional Pop | Oldies | Pop | Styles | Music

Folk Rock | Rock | Styles | Music

General | Rock | Styles | Music

4-for-3 Pop | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music

4-for-3 Rock | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music

4-for-3 All Music | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music

4-for-3 Folk | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music
Similar Items:

Wildflowers
In My Life
Judith
The Very Best of Judy Collins
Fifth Album

ASIN: B000002HB9
Release Date: 1992-06-30

Tracks:

Pack Up Your Sorrows
Tomorrow Is A Long Time
Early Morning Rain
Anathea
Turn! Turn! Turn!/To Everything There is A Season
Daddy You've Been On My Mind
Mr. Tambourine Man
Winter Sky
The Last Thing On My Mind
The Bells Of Rhymney
Farewell

Customer Reviews:

Judy, You've Been On My Mind!.......2002-11-05

I own practicallly everything Judy Collins ever recorded, either on LP, tape or CD. I recently had a hankering to hear her beautiful pure voice singing these early songs released over 30 years ago on the first album I ever bought of hers and purchased this CD. It was more beautiful than I remember. Here her haunting voice soars above the simple guitar accompaniment in songs simple and beautiful. Lots of good early Dylan songs here. She was better then, but then we all were but maybe wiser as well as older now.

No one I can think of sings Dylan's "Mr.Tambourine Man" with the beauty and pathos Ms. Collins renders. It's the best Dylan song she has ever sung.

So much about this CD to love and so much to love about the singer. I think many of us measure out our lives in Judy Collins songs. We could do a lot worse.

A Wonderful Trip Through Pure Folk Music WIth Judy Collins!.......2000-09-21

I remember seeing Judy in concert in the quite informal setting of Avaloch, a wonderful sylvan natural amphitheater that all the folk stars from Collins to Joan Baez to Kris Kristoferson to Tom Rush to James Taylor performed at in Lenox Massachusetts in the summers of 1970. Sadly, it is now the site of a ritzy set of summer condominiums for the New York summertime Berkshires crowd. Yet I can still recall hearing Judy with that magical soaring voice of hers warming up on stage with "Amazing Grace" as we filed onto the grass, and the song so echoed and reverberated over the warm humid airwaves that the older folks at Tanglewood, some six or seven miles way, complained about the noisome interruption. It became an inside joke that Collins, Baez and others would playfully aggravate when performing for the very mellow crowd of counterculture fans. I recall a certain sweet aroma wafting through the air, too, and it wasn't the smell of cotton candy.

Of course, it probably goes without saying that I love most of the songs on this reprise of her favorite folk songs that weren't necessarily hits, yet were songs she often included when touring. From her terrific covers of Bob Dylan's "Pack Up Your Sorrows" and "Tomorrow's Is A Long Time" to a wonderful interpretation of Gordon Lightfoot's classic "In The Early Morning Rain", Judy showcases her amazing folk voice and acoustic guitar skills to advantage here. I also really love both her version of Pete Seeger's "Turn! Turn! Turn!" as well as her superb treatment of Dylan's "Mr. Tambourine Man", her magical voice gliding along the verses of the song in its unique way. I love her amazing vocal work in two of the final songs on the CD, "Last Thing On My Mind", and "Farewell', and one can feel the rush of heart-felt emotion in the songs as she advances through them. This is an early retrospective look at a number of traditional folk songs sung by one of the titans of modern American folk music, taken just as she reached the peak of her awesome vocal and collaborative talents. It is one sure to please the most discriminating of well-trained folk ears, and one I am sure you will come to treasure as much as I do. Enjoy.

a wonderful collection.......2000-07-24

This album goes back to my youth. I was living in Alaska at the time and this was one of the few tapes in the cabin. This album includes some very fresh interpretations of folk standards. A great treat.

Moscheles: Piano Concertos Nos. 4 & 5; Recollections of Ireland

Average customer rating:

URBANE
Another Gem In The Series

Moscheles: Piano Concertos Nos. 4 & 5; Recollections of Ireland

Manufacturer: Hyperion UK
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

Classical | Imports | Stores | Music
Similar Items:

Nápravník: Concerto symphonique; Fantaisie russe; Blumenfeld: Allegro
Moscheles: Piano Concertos Nos. 1, 6, 7
Herz: Piano Concertos Nos. 1, 7 & 8
Rubinstein: Piano Concerto No. 4; Scharwenka: Piano Concerto No. 1
Delius: Piano Concerto in C minor; Ireland: Piano Concerto in E flat major; Legend

ASIN: B0007NLHMK
Release Date: 2005-04-12

Tracks:

Allegro Maestoso
Adagio
Rondo: Allegretto-Tempo Di Marcia
Allegro Moderato
Adagio Non Troppo
Allegro Vivace
Fantasia: Allegro Moderato
The Groves Of Blarney: Andante Sostenuto Espressivo
Garry Owen: Allegro
St. Patrick's Day

Customer Reviews:

URBANE.......2005-05-20

Moscheles was a contemporary of Weber and Schubert who outlived Berlioz. Among his pupils was Mendelssohn, but his concertos here are still to Mozart's full-scale plan in their first movements before Mendelssohn introduced his simplifications. The liner-note seems to me right in seeing the influence of the 4th concerto on Chopin's E minor, and you can hear the same kind of piano-writing again in the Fantasia from the Recollections of Ireland suite.

Otherwise you won't find anything startling or radical here, although there are no cadenzas in the concertos. The musical personality that comes across is outgoing and pleasant, and the inspiration seems to me genuine if not exactly a thing of wonder. Everything is polished and professional. There may be a suggestion of Weber here and there in the orchestral scoring, but the piano writing doesn't recall Weber to me, nor Beethoven come to that, and I'm quite ready to believe that Moscheles had something original of his own to contribute to 19th century music in that respect. The concertos make no demands on the listener, and none on today's players either, but it would be a little unfair to call them lightweight, although the concluding rondo of the 4th features The British Grenadiers. As a filler there is also a 4-movement suite Recollections of Ireland based on Irish melodies such as the one we now usually know as The Last Rose of Summer. This is popular in style without being tawdry or cheap, and there is an entertaining account in the liner-note of a performance that the composer failed to give to a badly-behaved London audience in 1826. Moscheles was not exactly pleased, but he handled the situation with ingenuity. He was probably grateful even to be alive - his diary records a terrifying crossing from Holyhead to Dublin for the visit that these Recollections recollect, and there is no reason to think his fears exaggerated - in my lifetime a modern steamer was sunk by a storm in those waters while attempting the short crossing from Stranraer to Larne.

I hope it will be taken as the intended compliment if I say that the performances are characterised by tact and sense of proportion. This is not meant as faint praise but to indicate good judgment and perfect taste in the way the performers go about the works. The technical demands of the solo part are nothing to Howard Shelley, or he makes them sound to be nothing to him. His touch seems to me to have the exactly right weight, and he communicates a real affection for the music, something it well deserves - I am fond of the pieces already. They felt there was no role for a separate conductor and the result suggests they were right about that. Mozart used to direct from the keyboard, so do certain other moderns, and you might be surprised to learn (I was) that even Michelangeli did things this way at times.

The recorded quality is admirable. Whether I have been quite motivated to collect the companion discs in this series I'm not sure, but I commend this one wholeheartedly.

Another Gem In The Series.......2005-05-02

With this release, Hyperion has completed its recordings of the Moscheles Piano Concerti, save for #8 (of which only the piano part exists.) As with the two previous releases, this disc is a delight.

Moscheles was one of the top virtuosi of his era, and his writing for piano in these works shows it. While the style is of the virtuoso, this music is far from mere glitter over substance. The final movement of Concerto #4 has 'The British Grenadiers' as the subject for a rondo. Even if you can't place the name of this tune, chances are you'll recognize it when you hear it.

Concerto #5 is more than a good listen, with a brilliant piano part. 'Reflections of Ireland' is a piece Moscheles wrote for his tour of Ireland that incorporates Irish melodies. You'll recognize one of these melodies for sure too!

The Tamanian Symphony Orchestra sounds very good, and the pianist Howard Shelley plays these pieces with grace, wit, pearly tone and conviction. All the more remarkable when it's discovered that he conducted the orchestra from the keyboard also!

Well done! Highly recommended!

Average customer rating:

All the Evie Fans should have
Evie sings Mirror Mirror
Recollections
Simplicity of Excellence
Simplicity of Excellence

Our ReCollections
Evie
Manufacturer: Word -- Word --
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Christian & Gospel | Styles | Music

General | Christian & Gospel | Indie Music | Stores | Music
Similar Items:

Hall of Fame Series
Duets
The Best of Andrae
Facing the Giants (Widescreen)

ASIN: B00000IWQ1
Release Date: 1996-05-21

Tracks:

Special Delivery
Live For Jesus
Mirror
Step Into the Sunshine
Give Them All to Jesus
Born Again
Pass It On
Never the Same Again
Clean Before My Lord
Broken Up People
Say I Do
Praise You Just the Same
Unfalling Love
Praise the Lord He Never Changes
The Blood Will Never Lose Its Power
Hold On
Just Because I Asked
My Tribute

Customer Reviews:

All the Evie Fans should have.......2007-06-20

I was thrilled to be able to find these Evie songs in a CD. Out of high school, I first saw a video of Evie singing "Born Again" on the Ross Bagley show. I then began buying old albums and new, as soon as they came out. I even got to see Evie in concert on a front row seat. It was a slice of Heaven! She had the warmest, most personal touch I'd ever seen with an audience. This CD collection holds great memories for me. They have packed it with classics: Live for Jesus, Born Again, Unfailing Love, and many more. I just wish there would be a Volume II. I'd volunteer to select the songs. If you loved Christian Comtemporary music, especially from the late 70s and early 80s, buy this collection. I guarantee you'll love it and get a blessing!

Evie sings Mirror Mirror.......2006-12-04

Remember Evie singing Mirror Mirror, and Give them all to Jesus, Praise the Lord He never changes? Well here is your chance to have her in your home again. This CD is a hard to find item, but I remember hearing Evie LIVE when she first came out and was performing way back when. She has a wonderful voice and just to hear her sing, I think would make even the Angels wonder how she got away from the choir. Her vocal range is awesome! Anyone that can remember EVIE will remember how easy it was to sing along with her, she just has the voice to capture even the youngest hearts. Sit back, close your eyes and let Evie's voice bring back all the fond memories of music that is a joy to listen to and sing yourself. Children that are young will enjoy some fine music such as Evie. She touched our hearts and now it is time for us to share her again with our little ones.

Recollections.......2006-01-30

Evie was/is one of the greats in Christian music. Whenever I go to a music store, I search for a chance happenstance on one of her CD's. And, now, thanks to Amazon, I have the best one!!! Thanks to whoever put this CD together, we have a CD that actually has all of Evie's greatest hits in one place! Each song is better that the last until it starts all over again. For those of you who love Evie, this CD is a MUST; for those of you who've never heard of Evie, oh, you've got to listen to her! She's great!

Simplicity of Excellence.......2002-10-24

Good clean revival, soul cleansing music, no extreme showcasing
or loud music, the best in relaxation in an evening with the creator, giving one time to communicate and meditate with the lord in thought and presence.

Simplicity of Excellence.......2002-10-24

Recollections: The Very Best of Rick Wakeman (1973-1979)

Average customer rating:

The perfect RW sampler for fans and beginners
Killer Keyboards
WARNING: HEAVY MELODIC CONTENT !
Update
A Long-Awaited Wakeman Sampler

Recollections: The Very Best of Rick Wakeman (1973-1979)
Rick Wakeman
Manufacturer: Fontana a&M
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

General | New Age | Styles | Music

General | Rock | Styles | Music

Progressive Rock | Progressive | Rock | Styles | Music

Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

The Six Wives of Henry VIII
Journey to the Centre of the Earth
Return To The Centre Of The Earth
Heritage Suite
Sea Airs

ASIN: B00004ZDVM
Release Date: 2000-10-17

Tracks:

Catherine Of Aragon
Anne Boleyon/'The Day Thou Gavest Lord Hath Ended'
Catherine Howard
The Journey/Recollection (Excerpt)
The Battle (Excerpt)
Arthur
Merlin The Magician
The Prisoner
White Rock
After The Ball
Statue Of Justice
Crime Of Passion
Chamber Of Horrors
The Palais

Customer Reviews:

The perfect RW sampler for fans and beginners.......2007-02-18

For the fans, included are these rare to CD RW recordings...
Statue Of Justice, Crime Of Passion, Chamber of Horrors- side 1 of the out of print "criminal record"
The Palais is from the great underrated Rhapsodies

For the uninitiated- Included are the best works from his first 3 solo albums.
Good compilation, does not dissapoint

Killer Keyboards.......2002-11-19

I have mixed emotions about a "Best of" Rick Wakeman. Having a "Best of" Rick Wakeman is like having a "Best of" Beethoven or Bach or Handel or any of numerous other classical artists. Rick Wakeman wrote albums, and selecting a part of any album takes away from the point behind the album, as each was a fully formed concept album. Sort of like the awful excerpts of "Thick as a Brick" by Jethro Tull. I'm sorry, but sometimes it's all or nothing.

Yet, after all my complaints, these excerpts of Rick's albums retain a goodly character and flavor of Rick's skill and creativity. I was worried that the juxtaposition of selections would be uneven and lose something in the translation from the albums. I was WRONG (third time this year!). The selections actually fit pretty well together.

I suppose I should stop complaining, after all, I did rate this CD five stars, but once you have this collection then you want the albums that they came from, and I don't think they are all in release. The albums are definitely better. I only have "Journey to the Center of the Earth" and a much newer work, "Return to the Center of the Earth", but I've borrowed his albums from friends, and the albums tell an entire story, if only musically.

After the generally negative comments above, I'll finish with all the positives.

The sound quality on this CD is dynamite. Period. Incredibly fantastic compared to the vinyl, and much better than many remastered tapes from the 70s. Whoever did this CD really knew what he or she was doing. The sound is full and clear, some of the best quality I've ever heard for progressive rock, which often has quiet places where hiss, wow or flutter (I know, that's vinyl-speak) would show up like doggy-doo on the living room carpet.

Would I buy this CD again had I to do it over again? YES YES YES! I still want to buy all the albums, but this CD has to be a substitute until then. Rick Wakeman had strong classical leanings to his progressive rock, away from the pop overtones of The Moody Blues' progressive rock, and from King Crimson's metal, jazz, and whatever else they could throw in progressive rock, and even dissimilar to Yes' progressive rock, which, while heavily influenced by Rick, was also in its own class.

It's nice to know that rock music can encompass just about everything you can throw at it and still be rock. Progressive rock is the melting pot of musical styles. If you like classical, rock, Yes, The Moody Blues, and Rick Wakeman, buy this one.

WARNING: HEAVY MELODIC CONTENT !.......2002-01-12

Back in the days of eight-tracks and mood-rings, a form
of entertainment called Melodic Music ran through these
lands.
This thing called Melody was nursed and cared for by some
people gifted with the ability to compose their own mater-
ial.
Furtherly, these people could play musical instruments and
did not require assistance from the Creature That Sampled.

This 'RECOLLECTION' is a testament to those people, and as
many that waited patiently for the CD to emerge like the
phoenix.

Savor this 'Iscariot'-less feast.

Update.......2001-06-22

This is an update to my previous review. Well, stupid me. I didn't read all the reviews last time. I didn't realize ALL of you are requesting the release of the first four recordings! Good job.

A Long-Awaited Wakeman Sampler.......2001-04-19

Rick Wakeman's solo career has been the stuff of legend for me, ever since I listened (as a kid) to my brother's copy of "Journey to the Center of the Earth". His music has always been different from his work with Yes; a bit mysterious, less vocal-oriented and more opaque than the relatively "commercial" (to the extent that prog rock is ever "commercial") output of his counterparts. I think that his solo eforts, particularly the first three albums, are ampong the great underappreciated influences of the progressive rock movement.

As a result, I was glad to see that this, the first "real" compilation of his career, was finally available. (I have looked in vain for something like it for many years). While it doesn't fully sample his prolific recording output, RECOLLECTIONS does provide a nice sampler of his 70's efforts.

Every song on this collection is strong, and there are a few truly amazing tracks. I'd certainly recommend this to any fan of prog music, but I also think that anyone who appreciates well-crafted keyboard music (with occasional vocals) will be just as delighted. Give it a listen!

Recollections
Average customer rating:

A wonderful wind ensamble

Outstanding performance; superlative sound quality.

Recollections
North Texas Wind Symphony , and Corporon
Manufacturer: Klavier
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music
General | Classical | Styles | Music
Classical | Indie Music | Stores | Music
Similar Items:

Sojourns

Symphonic Excursions

Tributes

Escapades

Memorials

ASIN: B0000649O9
Release Date: 2002-04-02

Tracks:

Ellerby: Paris Sketches
Grainger: Irish Tune from County Derry
Persichetti: Divertimento
Finney: Skating on the Sheyenne
Gillingham: Be Thou My Vision
Husa: Music for Prague

Customer Reviews:

A wonderful wind ensamble.......2006-04-19

This was my 1st time listening to this wind ensamble and I was amazed. The "divertimento" by Persichetti is so good, its one of those peices that will make you say yes and have a smile from ear to ear. "Paris Sketches" is also an awesome peice, the quality of sound and intonation is just jaw dropping the ring of the drums (bass in particular) is really good. The peice by Karl Husa strange but exciting its like listening to the "Rite of Spring" for the very first time but all in all this whole cd is amazing. If you're really into the symphonic band and wind ensamle setting I would really suggest getting this cd.

Outstanding performance; superlative sound quality........2002-08-24

This is one of those CDs that qualify for the "desert island" list, for wind symphony fans or just fans of classical music in general. Once again, Corporon and his ensemble have brought forth a brilliantly realized recording of a Percy Grainger classic. In addition to that, the rarely-heard gem by Persichetti and flourishes by Ellerby and Husa get their due, with solid intonation and a wonderful ensemble blend (hard to do in such works). Finney's work is not one of my personal favourites but it's a good piece, and we couldn't have asked for a better performance. If nothing else, however, the one work on this disc which makes it worth the cash is the Gillingham "Be Thou My Vision". (Do not confuse this with Mark Camphouse's similarly titled tunes.) This short piece is worth the emotional satisfaction of a few dollars; the beautiful chord work is excellently performed, as are the flute and saxophone solos; the brass are in a class by themselves; but the overall effect of the piece is nothing short of breathtaking. Let this piece wash over you. Let it take you where angels fear to tread. The journey is tear-inducing, sigh-bringing, and heart-rending. Dry your face and then hang on to your seat, because "Music for Prague" is next, and it's a thrill ride all its own. The sound quality is top-notch. On a good system you should be in the first half of the concert hall. Not too much reverb and a very natural ensemble sound. Put this in your CD player when you buy it and it will probably never see the shelf.

Average customer rating:

Where it all started
Carnage : "Dark Recollections"
"Dark" Death Metal
a swedish classic

Dark Recollections
Carnage
Manufacturer: Earache Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

General | Rock | Styles | Music

General | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music

Dawn of Possession
The Ten Commandments
Clandestine
Left Hand Path
Dreams of the Carrion Kind

ASIN: B00004TSAM
Release Date: 2000-07-18

Tracks:

Dark Recollections
Torn Apart
Blasphemies Of The Flesh
Infestation Of Evil
Gentle Exhuming
Deranged From Blood
Malignant Epitaph
Self Dissection
Death Evocation
Outro
Crime Against Humanity
Aftermath
The Day Man Lost
Crime Against Humanity
Aftermath
The Day Man Lost
Torn Apart
Infestation Of Evil

Customer Reviews:

Where it all started.......2004-10-10

Carnage today would be somekind of superband. Featuring Michael Amott(later in Carcass, Arch Enemy and Spiritual Beggars), Matti Karki, David Blomqvist, Fred Estby(now in Dismember) and Johnny Djordevic(later in Entombed). "Dark Recollections" has something from each band.

Imagine Entombed, Dismember and Carcass together, but with a crappy sound. The album was recorded at the beginning of the 90's, where everything was starting and then would become one of the greatest death metal scenes. So, the production (or lack of) it's understandable. Besides that, is a good album. 100% raw death metal (growls, fast guitars and drums, and grotesque lyrics and environment) and all these guys playing together. What else can you ask for?

Anyway, an album with a great symbolical value. Where it all began. Listen to the Swedish pioneers!

Carnage : "Dark Recollections".......2003-02-20

This is brutal and beyond....

Carnage are truly one of the most impressive Death Metal bands I've ever heard. I'm very into bands like Death / Entombed / At The Gates / Kreator / Massacre / Obituary / In Flames {old}/ and Carcass. I must say that this release "Dark Recollections" goes beyond anything theses bands have to offer as far as brutality is concerned.....

They sound like Entombed, and "Dark Recollections" is very similar to their classic release "Left Hand Path" IMO. It's a very, very nice piece of work. I think it's safe to say that this release is one, if not the most impressive piece of Death Metal ever. It's that good....

Carnage only lasted a very short time, and this is their only available release. The former memebers of Carnage also went on to form and join other bands likes of Dismember/Carcass/and Entombed. That should give you a very good idea of what to expect here.

It's a mixure of all three of those bands in one, and let me tell you, it's incredible to say the least. The vocals are straight from hell, and the musicianship is very good. I wish these guys would have stayed together longer. They would undoubtably be considered one of the best Death Metal bands ever IMO.....

This is pure brutality, and if you've never heard Carnage, you're in for a real treat. This is easily worth five stars IMO, and nothing I've heard comes close to this in comparison....

CARNAGE RULES!!!!!

"Dark" Death Metal.......2000-12-14

Yes, my fellow head bangers, if you like groups like Sufforcation, Obitutary,and Broken Hope, but preffur to listen to dark sounds such as the music of the Dark Metal band Sinister, then this is your album! It is a must have for your death metal library. So far it is the heaviest album that I own in the form of music and the lyrics don't fall too far behind. This album was one of my first albums purchased when death metal was on the rise, and to this day I have not found an album that yet has to compete with their tactical style. The group no longer exist in this format, so this is a collector's piece. The group Dismember is made of some of the members, such as the lead vocals, but you will not get the "crunch" from this set up that you will get from Carnage. This album will not disappoint you unless you are just a satanist, and/or you like your music to be just plain evil. This is the closest that you are going to get to "Satanic" Death Metal(Black/Dark Metal) without stepping over the line. BIG NUTT

a swedish classic.......2000-07-21

this ranks right up there entombed's left hand path as one of the godfather albums of swedish death metal, though it is not often named as such. much of carnage's members went on to become dismember. that there should clue you in on the sound. and speaking of sound, yes it has the "sunlight" sound on guitars. what else can you say... a classic.

Average customer rating:

Ellington at Top Form
ELLINGTON'S UNFORGETTABLE
The world's greatest band salutes its colleagues !!!

Recollections of the Big Band Era
Duke Ellington
Manufacturer: Atlantic / Wea
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Jazz | Styles | Music

Swing General | Swing Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music

Classic Big Band | Swing Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music

Contemporary Big Band | Swing Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music

Duke Ellington's Jazz Violin Session
The Ellington Suites

ASIN: B000002JJV
Release Date: 1990-10-25

Tracks:

Minnie The Moocher
For Dancers Only
It's A Lonesome Old Town When You're Not Around
Cherokee
The Midnight Sun Will Never Set
Let's Get Together
I'm Gettin' Sentimental Over You
Chant Of The Weed
Ciribiribin
Contrasts
Christopher Columbus
Auld Lang Syne
Tuxedo Junction
Smoke Rings
Artistry In Rhythm
The Waltz You Saved For Me
Woodchopper's Ball
Sentimental Journey
When It's Sleepy Time Down South
One O'Clock Jump
Goodbye
Sleep, Sleep, Sleep
Rhapsody In Blue

Customer Reviews:

Ellington at Top Form.......2006-03-03

In the vast body of music left behind by the late great Duke, there are highs and lows, indeed mountains and -- if never quite deserts -- some rather vast, dry spots. This is one of the high peaks --helped by the majestic late life view of a master looking back, and a big heart.

The Duke here plays the "signature songs" of all of the era's major big bands with verve and drive as if they were his own, as if he were still 40 and in hot contention to earn his place. Yet with a mellow golden edge and the patina of age. Further, as a late recording, it has the advantage of full stereo sound, very clean but also warm. Indeed, thankfully, the Duke laid these tracks down before the frigid promises of the All Digital World took over -- like few other recordings, this album will reveal what has been lost in that particular revolution, whatever the many gains.

For anyone who loves either jazz or American music, this is an essential part of your collection. Nobody did it better, and nobody else now will.

ELLINGTON'S UNFORGETTABLE.......2002-11-23

You likely won't believe I bought this CD - the equivalent of a double-album set - essentially for one cut. It's true, though - it was that leap of faith, that willing chance that you take at the prospect of reconnecting with a long lost but unforgotten love. And, for my money, it proved more than worth it.

The first thing that marks this CD as special, something different - look closely! - is that none of the tunes is "Ellington music." You'll notice familiar titles, yes ("Tuxedo Junction," "Ciribiribin," "Sentimental Journey," "Auld Lang Syne"), but none of these has ever been associated with the Ellington band. And that's the key to, and point of, this monumental set.

Superbly remastered from a handful of 1961-62 recording sessions (originally issued as two separate albums), RECOLLECTIONS OF THE BIG BAND ERA is a wonderfully evocative, dazzlingly executed homage to musical styles and giants of that decades-long time when dance bands ruled American pop culture. But, because this is Ellington, there's always something more - something classy, something creative, something challenging, and all issuing out of mutual love and respect. It's not ephemeral as the sound of one hand clapping, but there is a certain sly edge here of a one-sided cutting contest.

In his autobiography, GOOD MORNING, BLUES, Count Basie, another estimable big band leader himself, makes some half dozen awed references to Duke Ellington and his orchestra. ("The maestro ... Duke was the boss as long as he lived ... Ellington played a different kind of music, a special kind of music ... He played music that you could always listen to ...") And he notes that because Duke's band was so tight, swung so deceptively smooth, rival bandleaders might sometimes take restraint for sloth.

"Sometimes I've heard people saying, 'Duke ain't playing nothing tonight,'" Basie said, "and I always tell them he just don't want to get anybody yet.... Because when you try to take advantage of a situation like that, you're asking for it. Because when he comes back up there on the stand, the red-hot number you worked up to so you could bring the house down, will be the one that he'll use as his warm-up number! And he will play it for you as if to say, 'Oh, is this the tune you mean?' Or he can play your theme song with so much stuff in it that you don't want to touch it anymore that night.... Sometimes he's just holding his musicians back.... I know what he could drop on you, and if he put any of his really heavy stuff on you, damn if you could play your own things as well as you usually could, because instead of hearing yourself, you'd be up there hearing him."

That's the heart of the five-star attraction of this CD, the affectionate tribute in dedicating these songs to the musical greats recognized for them. The echelon's varied as Harry James and Quincy Jones--Whiteman, Herman, Guy Lombardo, the Dorsey brothers--including anthems such as Cab Calloway's "Minnie the Moocher" and Louis Armstrong's "When It's Sleepytime Down South." Ellington's covering the waterfront of American big band icons. This is also one of his vintage ensembles, featuring legendary soloists (Johnny Hodges and Harry Carney, Russell Procope, Lawrence Brown, Cat Anderson and Cootie Williams) and arrangers (such as Billy Strayhorn). They're making music to move you, whether you want to jitterbug or two-step, slow drag or just pat your feet.

A note about the "bonus tracks": These eleven cuts were originally issued as the album WILL BIG BANDS EVER COME BACK? - a part of my parents' (veritable children of the swing era) collection I played so much I knew it by heart - out of print since the 60s. (The only track omitted here is the Ellington band covering itself on "Don't Get Around Much Anymore.") Here's where you'll hear the band really cut loose: Check out, for instance, the closer, a swingingly symphonic version of Gershwin's classic, "Rhapsody in Blue."

However, my particular favorites are the climactic "One O'Clock Jump" (where you can see what Basie was talking about as the band gleefully romps through his own theme song; listen closely and you hear horn & brass sections "holdin' church," trading riffs in the call & response style of a spirit-swept preacher and testifyin' congregation) and, especially, Stan Kenton's "Artistry in Rhythm." The song title, just incidentally, says it all - what this CD is about, what makes it worthwhile - even as it features an ecstatic duet arcing over a shuffling drum-beat, like a smitten pulsebeat, between erstwhile trumpeter Ray Nance on violin and Cootie Williams on muted trumpet. Their exchange is like a conversation between lovers so poignant, so intimate, it spurs you to tears of joy or pain. This is the song, the performance, I remembered for more than half my life. That willing chance paid off, and if you're interested, I believe it will for you, too.

The world's greatest band salutes its colleagues !!!.......2002-11-18

My,my,my!!! Looks like big bands are here again !!! These extraordinary sessions were recorded between 1962 and 1963 by Duke and his band,and they salute 23 different big bands.Duke's orchestra is driven by the extraordinary drumming of Sam Woodyard (1925-1988),who was simply one of the greatest drummers in the history of jazz.As a big band drummer,Sam was simply as great as Jo Jones.And even if I was lucky enough to become a friend of Sam,in the last years of his life,when he was in Paris,I'm still amazed by the way he drives the band.How could such a small,even fragile man,play with such strength ,how could he make the band swing with such an authority ??? If you want to know what I mean,just listen to "One o'clock jump",and you'll discover some of the most incredible drumming of all times.
As I said before,each tune of this CD is dedicated to a specific band."Minnie the moocher",of course,is dedicated to Cab Calloway;"Tuxedo junction",to Erskine Hawkins;"One o'clock",to Basie;"Christopher Columbus" to Fletcher Henderson;"For dancers only",to Jimmie Lunceford....I think it's the only record made by Duke,in which he doesn't play one of his tunes.Of course,the band is here,with all of its stars: Cat Anderson,Cootie Williams,Ray Nance,Lawrence Brown,Russell Procope,Johnny Hodges,Paul Gonsalves,Harry Carney,Jimmy Hamilton.And even if the repertoire is astonishing,the result is perfect.Johnny Hodges' solo on "Goodbye" is another incredible marvel by this genius ."One o'clock jump" is one of the best versions ever recorded;etc,etc.The most interesting here is to discover Duke's band playing an unusual repertoire,which celebrates confreres by long forgotten,like the Casa Loma Orchestra,Charlie Barnet or Les Brown.All the tunes were arranged by Duke,except five,arranged by Strayhorn,Sy Oliver,Eddie Barefield or Dick Vance.A very atypical record in Duke's career,and surely an essential one.

Cecil Burleigh: Music for Violin and Piano

Average customer rating:

Cecil Burleigh: Music for Violin and Piano

Manufacturer: Naxos American
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

4-for-3 Classical | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music

4-for-3 All Music | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music
ASIN: B00006FI7T
Release Date: 2002-08-20

Tracks:

Impromptu
Winding Stream
Giant Hills
O'er The Meadow
Reapers
Legend
Over Laughing Waters
To The Warriors
From A Wigwam
Sun Dance
In Cotton Fields
Pickaninnies
A Log Cabin
Uncle Rastus
Mammy's Lullaby
Minstrel
Idyle
The Lament Of A Rose
Indian Snake-Dance
Spanish Serenade
Lullaby
Bolero
Early Morning
Fairy Sailing
Dew
Coloring
Woodbine
Yule-Tide
By The Wayside
Fairies Dancing
Tints
Spray
Hushed Woods
Pirating
Sweet Romance
In Haunted Shadows
Jim
Spanish Dance
Cradle Song

Average customer rating:

Not the best introduction to the music of Karel Husa, but a fine collection of his compositions for Wind Quintet nonetheless

Recollections

Manufacturer: New World Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

Classical | Indie Music | Stores | Music
ASIN: B00022LIBQ
Release Date: 2004-05-25

Tracks:

Deux Preludes (Prelude 1)
Deux Preludes (Prelude 2)
Five Poems (Walking Birds)
Five Poems (Happy Birds)
Five Poems (Interlude...With a Dead Bird)
Five Poems (Fighting Birds)
Five Poems (Bird Flying High Above)
Recollections (Largo)
Recollections (Andante)
Recollections (Adagio)
Recollections (Moderato)
Recollections (Vivace)
Recollections (Moderato molto)
Serenade (La montagne)
Serenade (La nuit)
Serenade (La danse)

Album Description

Karel Husa's (b. 1921) pliant style builds on and extends the traditional classical forms, assimilating elements of serialism, microtonality, and aleatoric techniques. Although the composition dates of these four works for wind quintet span three decades, the pieces bear striking similarities. All purposefully set out to stretch the traditional range of wind sonorities, and often leave rhythms and pitches loosely notated. Yet while all four works explore atonality, at root the tonal structure is easy to identify. All four works are emotional and virtuosic, challenging to play and sophisticated enough to reward repeated listenings.

The composer notes that, as with many of his works, in Deux Preludes (1966) he set out to explore unorthodox sonorities. The Five Poems (1994) are actually musical characterizations of birds, although Husa avoids imitating bird song directly. "I wrote Five Poems to express my admiration for birds, these wonderful creatures that embellish our lives so magically," he says. "If Messiaen hadn't already directly imitated bird song, I might have. I have done notation of bird songs in the past, which is difficult because they never exactly repeat themselves. And that was the effect I tried for in Five Poems—subtle varieties among the patterns."

The six movements of Recollections (1982) (wind quintet and piano) explore unusual sonorities and demand virtuosic technique. A sheet of paper under the pedal dampers of the low strings prepares the piano in some sections. Of the title, Husa notes that "recollections are vivid, but not exactly precise. The way we remember things is a mix of accuracy and fancy … There is so much to memory that it is impossible to describe it all. There are memories that are distant, some that are joyous, tragic, and melancholic. To accomplish all this, I wanted the composition to develop from simple tones and to return to them, all the while researching new combinations and sonorities in the quintet." Serenade (1963), for wind quintet, xylophone, harp, and strings, is a reworking of his Évocations de Slovaquie. It explores Slavic folk music, adding abrupt and irregular rhythms.

Husa's determination to explore new sonorities, to upset rhythmic regularity, and to challenge accepted notions of how wind instruments should interact, combine to create a bold and unmistakably identifiable personal signature.

Customer Reviews:

Not the best introduction to the music of Karel Husa, but a fine collection of his compositions for Wind Quintet nonetheless.......2007-02-13

The woes of the world are sometimes the opportunities of the individuals. Had the Nazis not invaded Czechoslovakia and closed down the engineering schools, Karel Husa might never have become a composer, out of the mere necessity to pursue studies in order to avoid deportation. Had the Communists not seized power in Prague in the early months of 1948 while the then 28 years-old musician was studying composition and conducting in Paris, he might have returned to his home country and remained, as he once remarked himself, a much more traditional composer, as he would not have been exposed to the turmoil of new compositional ideas and experiences that agitated Europe and the United States in the 50s and 60s. And finally, had the armies of the Soviet block not invaded Czechoslovakia in 1968, Husa would not have had the incentive to compose his Music for Prague 1968, which became one of the most often played piece of the contemporary music repertoire.

One more decisive change in Husa's life and compositional perspectives was of course the decision of Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, to invite him in 1954 to become composition professor. This is how Husa became yet another embodiment of the genuine American composer - one rooted in Old Europe, but whose establishment in the New World prods him to develop an original voice by devising his own, personal combination of the old and the new.

Indeed, one of the characteristic traits of Husa's compositional attitude is his constant striving to take on the newest ideas, techniques and playing modes, especially as pertains to the exploration of new sonorities, while never relinquishing his Czech roots and the search for expressivity and drama. If perhaps less cutting edge than composers like Lutoslawski (with whom he shares the use of aleatoric processes and sensuous orchestrations) or Ligeti (exploration of new sonorities and untraditional playing modes), he is less "abstract" than them (Husa doesn't shun programmatic music, and Five Poems in particular are musical characterization of birds, although they do not imitate bird songs directly) but by the same token more expressive in a quasi cinematographic way.

The works contained on this disc are all written for the instruments that make up the traditional Wind Quintet (the two Preludes are limited to flute, clarinet and bassoon, the others add oboe and horn), with the addition of the piano in the "Recollections", and String orchestra, harp and xylophone in the Serenade. They were composed between 1963 (Serenade) and 1994 (Five Poems). Beyond their common instrumentation, the works are diverse in overall mood and sonic outlook. Though in that period Husa was engaged into post-webernian, Darmstadt-inspired serialist music (witness his 1961 Mosaïques that could be found on a CRI CD which included another, composer conducted version of the same Serenade - see my review), the Serenade is the most traditionally oriented, harking back to Janacek, and to my ears the less personal. The two Preludes from 1966 are stark and almost overbearing. In the two next compositions more echoes can be heard of Janacek's compositions for the same kind of instrumental ensemble, like the "Youth" Sextet or Capriccio for piano and winds (the conjugation of high-pitched, nasal oboe and low-toned, gruff-sounding horn, the snappy rhythms, the whip-cracking piano chords) and sometimes of Bartok's Contrasts (the association of clarinet, piano and angular rhythms). The Five Poems are the most evocative and sensuous, and the six movements from Recollections the most advanced and fascinating in their exploration of new sonorities, extremes of dynamics, quarter-tone slides, aleatoric devices and unusual playing modes, with the piano using techniques that one associates with George Crumb, like placing a sheet of paper under the pedal dampers, producing an eerie metallic rattle.

This is rarely easy listening music (though often sensuous in the mysterious sound world it conjures), but it is rich in content and invention, engaging and rewarding. I wouldn't recommend it as a first introduction to the music of its composer (try the Marco Polo release with Fresque, Symphony No. 2 and Music for Prague instead - see my review) and this is why I have rated it only 4 stars, but anyone with a serious interest in Husa - he deserves it - can safely buy it.

Jazz Music:

Jazz Music

Jazz Music