Orchestral Jazz

Orchestral Jazz

ASIN: B000059M43

Track Listings

1. Watch What Happens

2. I'm in the Mood for Love

3. My Melancholy Baby

4. All Alone

5. I Should Care

6. But Not for Me

7. Whistling in the Dark

8. Lush Life

9. Go Fly a Kite

10. Then I'll Be Tired of You

11. Miss Otis Regrets

12. Love

13. You Made Me Love You

14. You Must Believe in Spring

15. On the Sunny Side of the Street

Tracks:

When I Fall In Love
What'll I Do?
No Ordinary Love
My Romance
Let's Fall In Love
Cinema Paradiso
Someone To Watch Over Me
La Belle Dame Sans Regrets
Nearness Of You
How Love Should Be
Make Someone Happy
One For My Baby And One More For The Road
Time To Say Goodbye (Con te Partiro)

Amazon.com

This is not the typical example of an artist from another genre jumping on the crowded standards-and-ballads bandwagon. When I Fall in Love instead represents an instrumental stylist busting out of a box to find a much more suitable platform for his craft. These tracks are the fruits of an obvious labor of love for everyone from the featured musicians to the arrangers to the engineers. The arrangers, particularly Billy Childs and Gil Goldstein, give Botti's trumpet a broad-brushed orchestral backdrop that allows him to emerge from the swirling strings and bouncy horns with bold strokes of creative improvising. Some tracks are obvious nods to Gil Evans and the lush arrangements of 1970s CTI recordings. Even the guest vocalists, Sting and Paula Cole, let his trumpet sing first before their respective cues on "La Belle Dame Sans Regrets" and "What'll I Do." The only blemish here is the obvious attempt at smooth jazz airplay with Sade's "No Ordinary Love." --Mark Ruffin

Customer Reviews:

Soothing and relaxing.......2007-06-16

Beautiful music to soothe the soul...highly recommended!

beautifully romanic.......2007-06-13

Chris Botti is spectacular. What a great talent. This CD is so far my favorite, but then I still have not heard all of his. It is so romantic, peaceful, and happy. I love it.

Great music for that special relaxing mood !.......2007-06-13

I bought this CD for my husband (he is a big Smooth Jazz lover). After I heard it I thought the CD was so romantic and it just set the mood for a fine relaxing evening for the two of us. Guess I'm now a Smooth Jazz lover.

Botti's Best.......2007-03-09

A must have album for all Botti fans anyone that loves good music. In fact, I'm listening to the CD now for the 20th time. Buy it !

Music to live and love by........2007-02-13

Chris has a wonderfully romantic sound. I am writing this review the day before Valentines Day, You guessed it; I'll be playing the CD for the next couple of days.

Average customer rating:

Classijazz? Jazzical?
Spanish love song...
From Madrid w/ Love
Music to listen to at day's end
Gil Evans provides another dimension for the legendary horn player

Sketches of Spain
Miles Davis , and Gil Evans
Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Cool Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music

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Orchestral Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music
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ASIN: B000002AH7
Release Date: 1997-09-23

Tracks:

Concierto De Aranjuez (Adagio)
Will O' The Wisp
The Pan Piper
Saeta
Solea
Song Of Our Country
Concierto De Aranjuez (Part One)
Concierto De Aranjuez (Part Two Ending)

Amazon.com essential recording

Miles Davis's impact on jazz is almost incalculable. From his early days as a sideman for Charlie Parker, through his groundbreaking Birth of the Cool sessions, to his stunning small groups of the '50s and '60s, through to his electric renaissance, the trumpeter, bandleader, and composer has left a deep mark on all who came after. He is one of jazz's true giants. Sketches of Spain, though one of Davis's most commercially successful sessions, is also one of his most controversial. Re-teaming with arranger and composer Gil Evans, who played such a pivotal role in Davis's 1949 Birth of the Cool recordings, Davis recorded a series of large group albums beginning in the late '50s, including Porgy and Bess, Miles Ahead, and Quiet Nights. Sketches of Spain, with its emphasis on flamenco, rich orchestrations, and relaxed tempos, is certainly one of Davis's most mellow recordings (he even works out on fluegelhorn), and proved to have broad appeal. To some critics, however, the project was "elevated elevator music." An expanded version of the album, featuring alternative tracks and unreleased material, was issued in 1997 by Columbia Legacy. --Fred Goodman

Customer Reviews:

Classijazz? Jazzical? .......2007-07-02

Hey! This ain't jazz! This is Spanish-tinged classical! With a fanfare that seems fitting to introduce matadors (not a criticism, not a compliment) on "Saeta"! Yeah, that's right. Miles' eclecticism kicks in again, I suppose. It's a bit overrated, and it's controversial even by Miles' standards. I like it though. Other than "Concerto de Aranjeuz". That song, or work, or whatever fails to move me. Now, "Will o' the Wisp", aye, that be a different cup of tea. It really is moving, emotional, haunting, and so forth; so is "The Pan Piper", with an eerie flute melody. "Saeta" starts off like those two, but ends up doing the pompous fanfare thingy, but hey, at least it does it well. And the closing "Solea" is pretty good too! It sounds almost like the Hollywood version of traditional Spanish music, the kind you'd expect to hear when the charming Spanish swordfighter is having a duel in a ballroom, but again, it gets quite intense during its climax around nine minutes in. I like intense. This is easily the best Miles/Evans album. Just to warn you, though, it's quite rigid; as usual, Miles is put on a pedestal above the other guys. I mostly prefer him in a small-group setting. I do, however, recommend Sketches of Spain in spite of that.

Spanish love song..........2007-06-20

Miles Davis working with arranger and composer Gil Evans put together an album that ranked 356 on Rolling Stones Top 500 albums of all time. It is probaly one of his most accessible albums and the tight compositions take you to the Spanish bullfight and quiet burning passion of a long, hot Spanish summer day. Not the the hardblowing, improvisational jazz that everyone associates with Miles but the arrangements and tight composition makes for a very relaxing, enjoyable listen.

From Madrid w/ Love.......2007-05-13

I'm listening to Miles here in Madrid. We've just done the tapas crawl after seeing a bullfight. No kidding. Now, the ipod is playing Sketces....and I've got to tell you that Miles and Gil Evans got it right. In fact, everything they collaborated on was so fantastic. And Miles is Miles. Here, a little more sophisticated than in his "Kind of Blue" phase but, still Miles. The one and only.

Music to listen to at day's end.......2007-02-01

This is a nice disc to listen to after a long day doing just about anything. It is just that soul-reaching and calming. I feel like this CD is a slice of jazz wrapped in a blanket of Mediterranean sunshine. No vocals are needed thanks to the melodic tunes of Miles' horn.

Gil Evans provides another dimension for the legendary horn player.......2006-12-23

While it doesn't have much to do with the music in this review, in 1995 I obtained Tears For Fears' "Raoul and the Kings of Spain" . This was one of the best albums of the 1990s, namely because of the Spanish musical influence that was infused into a mainstream music sound. One of the songs on "Raoul and the Kings of Spain" was an album called "Sketches of Pain". "Sketches of Pain" was an outstanding song because of the use of classical Spanish guitar and percussion. Part of the reason for the title of that Tears For Fears song was a play on the famous Miles Davis album, "Sketches of Spain", which was Davis' album that had music with a Spanish influence. While Miles Davis is basically a household name, I cannot say that I was familiar with a lot of his music. When I realized there was a connection in how Tears For Fears' "Sketches of Pain" related to Davis' Spanish Themed album, I became more curious about checking out this recording. Without doing much research, I assumed this album would be a jazz album with a classical Spanish influence. Instead, I was pleasantly surprised to discover a more classical music sound that would have the Spanish theme infused.

"Sketches of Spain" is a collaboration between Miles Davis and Gil Evans. Davis and Evans had begun a partnership in 1957 that saw Davis contribute his trademark horns (Trumpet and Flugelhorn) while Evans focused on the arrangements and conducting of the music. Prior to "Sketches of Spain" there were two efforts. The first was 1957's "Miles Ahead" that saw Davis and Evans engage in a big band/jazz feel. The second was 1958's "Porgy and Bess" which was an arrangement of songs from George Gershwin's opera, "Porgy and Bess". "Porgy and Bess" also saw the combination of Davis ane Evans move toward something that had more of a classical feel to it. I'm sure this provided a lot of the impetus for the duo to do something more in the classical space.

"Sketches of Pain" has its roots around Spanish Classical music. The original 1960 release consisted of five tracks - two are covers of existing Spanish Classical works and the other three were original compositions by Evans. The Spanish works that are covered are Joaquin Rodrigo's 16+ minute masterpiece "Concierto de Aranjuez" and Manuel de Falla's "Will o' the Wisp". Those familiar with Spanish classical music will know the names of Rodrigo and de Falla. This collection was re-released in 2000 and consists of three additional tracks including another original composition by Evans as well as a full alternative take and alternative ending of "Concierto de Aranjuez".

The cover songs, "Concierto de Aranjuez" and "Will o' the Wisp" are going to have less of a reliance on Davis' horns. While Davis' horns can be clearly held throughout the near 20 minutes of music that make up these songs, there is going to be a heavy reliance by the other musicians that contribute to these tracks. When you get into the four original tracks that were composed by Gil Evans, you will hear a big difference. The music is going to focus heavier on the trumpet and flugelhorn of Miles Davis. As you listen to the original tracks, it is amazing how Evans was able to integrate the sound to give the entire "Sketches of Spain" album a very homogenous feel - i.e. the sound of Spanish classical music. In particular the track, "Solea" proves to be as strong as the work by the legendary Rodrigo and de Falla. Listen for the Spanish military-flair in the song that is the result of some terrific percussion work.

Another thing that really stood out was that even though this collection has very much as Spanish Classical music feel. However there are many segments that could have easily been used as soundtrack info for a feel such as a James Bond movie. While it wouldn't be the hard-rocking sound of Paul McCartney's "Live and Let Die", I could see parts of these tracks in James Bond films. A prime example of this comes from the classical "Concierto de Aranjuez" piece itself. You can also hear the "soundtrack" sound from some of Evans' original work such as "Song of Our Country".

One thing that's worth noting is that while this is a Miles Davis album, much of the credit does need to go to Gil Evans. Davis does a superb job at playing the horns, but as mentioned above, it is Evans who finds a way to give this album the homogenous sound. It is also Evans that finds another avenue for Davis to deliver his sound. "Porgy and Bess" opened the doors for something besides his trademark jazz sound. "Sketches of Spain" helped take Davis to another dimension. The music shows outstanding musicianship. My only minor beef with this collection is that it really isn't going to make you "get up and dance". It almost has a calm and somewhat somber quality to it.

This collection includes an outstanding collection of liner notes that will provide additional insight into the band. This includes the original liner notes that appeared on the back of the album cover that were written by Nat Hernoff who was a co-editor of "The Jazz Review". Phil Schaap provides an additional write-up (on the re-release) that discusses "The Making of Sketches of Spain". The liner notes also include production and musician credits. Overall, this is not going to be the place to hear classic Miles Davis jazz, however it is going to be a place to hear some outstanding Spanish-infused classical music. This is going to provide some high quality music and if you have an appreciation for music, this is going to be something worth investing in.

Average customer rating:

pure genius
Another great Yo-Yo Disc
first disc great- second a flop
Encore
The Versatile Yo-Yo Ma

The Essential Yo-Yo Ma

Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000A7Q29G
Release Date: 2005-08-16

Tracks:

Prde from Suite No. 1 in G Major for Cello, BWV 1007
II. Largo from "Winter", Op. 8, No. 4, RV 297 from the Four Seasons
Jesus, bleibet meine Freude (Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring), BWV 147
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IV. Rondo alla Zingarese. Presto from Quartet No. 1 in G minor for Piano and Strings, Op. 25
III. Finale. Allegro moderato from Concerto in B minor for Cello and Orchestra, Op. 104

Tracks:

Cristal
A lenda do caboclo
Chega de Saudade Live
Wapango Live
Libertango
Appalachia Waltz Solo Cello Version
Butterfly's Day Out
1B
Pickin' from Three Pieces for Solo Cello
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Gabriel's Oboe
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The Eternal Vow from Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
The Cellist of Sarajevo - A Lament in Rondo Form for Solo 'Cello, Op. 12
Chi passa per'sta strada
Mido Mountain (Chinese Traditional)
Mohini (Enchantment)
Baroque in Rhythm from Suite for Cello and Jazz Piano Trio
Anything Goes Instrumental
I Could Have Danced All Night Extended version

Amazon.com

Here are three dozen pieces of music, all played by Yo-Yo Ma, culled from his extensive discography. Aside from the technical mastery and beautiful tone that are absolutes in all of his playing, one is dazzled by his curiosity and ability to adapt to so many forms and types of music. His Bach and Vivaldi are pellucid and played with non-sentimental crispness, his tango music gritty and rhythmically pungent, his jazz seemingly spontaneous, the "Meditation" from Thais simply ravishing, "Anything Goes" a romp, and the Appalachian music performed with both respect and a great twang, while the traditional Chinese music is fascinating. It's really a matter of how much Ma loves whatever he plays here, how entirely he becomes involved in it, and what a fine partner he invariably is to other musicians. This collection is a doozy--it is truly "essential." --Robert Levine

Customer Reviews:

pure genius.......2007-05-21

No instrument asks more from the soul of an artist as the cello does.
Yo Yo Ma shows to be master of the instrument and his interpretations en technique are pure genius. Everyone should have this album in his (or hers of course) basic classical collection

Another great Yo-Yo Disc.......2007-05-15

The set-up with the classical pieces on the first disc and the other on the second is excellent.

first disc great- second a flop.......2007-04-12

the first disc is awesome. the second disc is weird and boring.

Encore.......2007-03-31

Incredible. My young cellist (son) loves it. Beautiful music. The album is well organized and each song transitions nicely.

The Versatile Yo-Yo Ma.......2007-03-29

I've found this collection to be extremely delightful! It gives you a sense of the versatility of Yo-Yo Ma like no other, with one disc being dedicated more to his classical side, while the other explores jazz and world music venues. Not your typical "greatest hits" collection.

Average customer rating:

At The Movies by Andre Rieu
very beautiful
Refreshing Music
from texas--AND FROM A MUSIC LOVER
Andre Rieu - Music for the masses

At The Movies

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ASIN: B0001HAGPG
Release Date: 2004-03-23

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My Heart Will Go On - Titanic
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Heigh-Ho - Snow White
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Romance - The Gadfly
Main Title - Once Upon a Time in the West

Customer Reviews:

At The Movies by Andre Rieu.......2007-05-20

Andre Rieu brings a warmth and pop-like aire to his music.Here he plays popular music with a classical orchestra and adds his special ingredients to it ie:humor (musical jokes for the serious listener),fun,light-heartedness.It's a band of very talented musicians having alot of fun as is evident in the playing and especially if you've seen them in concert.I can "hear" the smiles on their not serious faces by their style of playing...less staccato and with more feeling.Andre and company swing and dance through every track climaxing on Ravel's Bolero from the movie "10".

very beautiful.......2007-01-09

This cd is very beautiful. It captures the songs wonderfully. The orchestra does a fine job.

Refreshing Music.......2006-11-03

Andre Rieu presents wonderful songs in a very inspirational way. They are to be enjoyed as "dinner music" or just for times when the TV is off and you need some "quiet time". It is a great grouping of melodies.

from texas--AND FROM A MUSIC LOVER.......2006-08-30

ANDRE RIEU TAKES US ON A WONDERFUL TRIP BACK IN TIME TO THE MOVIES YOU CAN=T FORGET AND THE MUSIC THAT MADE THEM CLASSICS. DO BUY IT. IT IS A TREASURE...

Andre Rieu - Music for the masses.......2006-08-10

Sometimes you just want enjoyable music as a backdrop to the job at hand. I turn to Andre to get me through these events. Probably not a glowing endorsement, but if you know of Mr. Rieu's feelings about music, he would just smile and nod his head. This is music to just enjoy for the sake of music - and that is a good thing.

Average customer rating:

Yo-Yo Ma and Bobby McFerrin
Yo-Yo keeps on experimental
This is no "Don't Worry, Be Happy"
Excellent CD!
My 1st introduction to Bobby McFerrin (3.5-4 stars)

Hush

Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Play

ASIN: B0000027VR
Release Date: 1992-01-28

Tracks:

Grace
Concerto In D Minor For 2 Mandolins: Andante
The Legend Of Tsar Saltan: Flight Of The Bumblebee
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Amazon.com

The idea here was to put two masters together--one classical cellist, one improvisational singer/sound-effects performer--and voilà! instant amazing, unique, hip--and, hopefully, hit--record. The intriguing setup was to see what would happen when each led the other through the unfamiliar territory of his own specialty. The success of this recording lies not so much in the music or even in the overall performances, but in the fascinating and fun opportunity to sit in on the musicians' good-natured, respectful give-and-take, to witness an uncommon form of artistic chemistry that allows each performer to expand his vision and even his technique. On one hand we get Bobby McFerrin's impressionistic, improvisatory jazz/pop; on the other we enjoy Yo-Yo Ma's highly refined, formalized musicianship. Originally planned as a disc for children, Hush goes far beyond its initial premise, with each of the 13 tracks demonstrating these musicians' unique gifts and showing that, whether it's Vivaldi or jazz, it's all music and it's all a lot of fun. --David Vernier

Customer Reviews:

Yo-Yo Ma and Bobby McFerrin.......2007-05-12

This CD is one of my favorites. I give it away and buy another. Playful and fun as well as great music. It never fails to make me laugh. A joy. If you aren't a little silly, don't bother. Kids love it, too.

Yo-Yo keeps on experimental.......2006-03-04

One of the best parts of a genius is to try out of his layers. In this case Yo-Yo tried to go out from the classic, and with a very good singer, in a easy say, as Bobby. They make a very special music between classic and jazz, with some elements of pop.
It's an incredible fusion of strings and vocal strings, in some moments it is not possible to separate them, some times is like a big keyboard directed by a single musician. In a word, they experiment, and the result was incredible.

This is no "Don't Worry, Be Happy".......2005-10-23

Have never been a big Bobby McFerrin fan, probably due to that god-awful, "Don't Worry, Be Happy." But I am a classical music junkie and one day listening to our local classical station I heard a selection that I thought was the most beautiful thing I had ever heard. What a shock when I learned that it was McFerrin and Yo-Yo Ma doing Vivaldi's Andante!

Honestly, I could do without the non-classical pieces on this CD...although I enjoy them.

But the classical interpretations are some of the most heavenly, wonderful, beautiful, awe-inspiring things that I have ever heard, on any CD, in any genre! Yes, that good!

McFerrin uses his voice as the perfect instrument and accompanient to Ma's cello. They were made for each other.

Listen to the samples of the classical pieces if you're a doubter...

Excellent CD!.......2005-09-22

While I admit to being a newbie in my connoisseurship of the classical music genre, not only do I think that this disc is a good collection of some of the best classical music ever written, it is actually FUN sometimes, with silly bits thrown in by Bobby and Yo-Yo Ma every now and then! These guys make great music and have a great time making it.

Bobby uses his voice as a fantastic sounding 'instrument' to sing notes much like an instrument playing a duet with Yo-Yo; sometimes his voice sounds so much like a real instrument that you even forget that you are hearing vocals--I don't even know what other vocalist could pull this off. It is a fascinating experiment. I recommend it highly!

My 1st introduction to Bobby McFerrin (3.5-4 stars).......2005-05-29

I think I kinda heard this back in elementary school (maybe like in the 2nd, 3rd, 4th grade or so, I get kinda mixed when I say that), it's like sumthin I never heard be4, A guy who sings, scats and does it all goes by the name Bobby McFerrin and a cellist by the name of Yo Yo Ma. I'd have follow thru his work as a cellist/string player from various TV apperances, shows, movies, etc. and he does sounds good 2 this day, believe me.

Anyway as I was gonna say this was the 1st album I got introduced a bit by Bobby McFerrin. Not SIMPLE PLEASURES nor SPONTANEOUS INVENTIONS. Just this 1. I hope to hear more from him and collect all of his albums incl. Yo Yo Ma's. They still sound good. No doubt.

Average customer rating:

music so good you'll cry
This is one for everybody
should be accepted by any rational person as strong evidence for God's existence.
Fill in your blank slate with some innovative music...
Modern classical music that is beautiful

Tabula Rasa
Dennis Russell Davies , Keith Jarrett , Gidon Kremer , Stuttgart State Orchestra , Tatiana Grindenko , Alfred Schnittke , and Twelve Cellists of the Berlin Philharmonic
Manufacturer: Ecm Records
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Fratres
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Amazon.com essential recording

This seminal disc now almost seems like the manifesto for a whole new strain of minimalism that has found an enormously receptive audience. It represented a breakthrough for Estonian composer Arvo Pärt, whose music--like that of his European colleagues John Tavener and Henryk Górecki--pursues an austerely beautiful simplicity that suggests spiritual illumination. Fratres, given here in two versions, one for piano and violin and the other for 12 cellos, repeatedly intones a sequence resembling chant to convey a sensibility that seems at once archaic and beyond time. Violinist Gidon Kremer, for whom Pärt wrote the exquisitely contemplative and hypnotic title work, grasps the music's koan-like idiom, allowing an inner fullness to resonate through the most fragile, ethereal wisps of tone against the mysterious clangings of prepared piano. The tolling of the tubular bells in Cantus in memory of Benjamin Britten is an emotionally charged lament, based on a simple minor descending scale, that introduces Pärt's fascination with what he calls "tintinnabulation": the literal and metaphorical sound of ringing bells. This recording is also famous for the acoustically warm presence produced by ECM's Manfred Eicher, which magnificently captures the mystical simplicity of Pärt's sound world. --Thomas May

Customer Reviews:

music so good you'll cry.......2007-04-21

I first heard one of the songs playing in a Starbucks and had to ask them what it was... I couldn't hear it very well, but I knew I needed to hear more. After I got home and listened to the previews on Amazon, I was hooked.

There is so much depth and sweetness to this music. It has literally brought me to tears. If you're looking for an album of chamber music that truely goes beyond the normal lulling sound and into the realm of true artistic expression, this is one to own. It is one of the prizes of my collection.

This is one for everybody.......2006-08-30

I'm not completely dug on classical and contemporanean music, ECM stuff included. Lygeti, Xenakis they make me sense, all along american minimalists like Reich or Cage. Electro-acustic is more ear-friendly for me (Ferrari, Parmegiani) but... All this speech just to say that thsi is one ECM record I own - the 1977's Tabula Rasa. The great Gidon Kramer (check out "Silence" from Nonesuch who has another version of tabula rasa) is here with all his magic, even the world-piano-star K. Jarrett plays piano, and everything makes sense. The music is so cold and complex, ethernal yet listenable for the common of mortals. Give a try, i did and i'm inloved with.

should be accepted by any rational person as strong evidence for God's existence........2006-06-20

arguably, it was THIS music by THIS composer that Manfred Eicher's label, ECM, was meant for. If an album was released on ECM, no doubt it sounds lovely, but when purpose is paired so perfectly with sound, even ECM attains something angelic and beyond. Arvo Part's non-modulating approach to harmony, great care and attention with so few notes, and the reverent spirit that carries through his efforts encompasses a catalogue of works so great and beautiful I'm not sure any 20th century composer can remotely compare.

This ECM disc is possibly the best of all. _Tabula Rasa_, first and foremost, is a masterpiece. A violin concerto of sorts, it flows through static haze and torrid whorls, with ghostly sounds of strings punctuated by the bell- and chime-like intonations on sounds of prepared piano. Divine and without momentum, this piece forever hovers between being and nothing. _Fratres_, performed in two versions here (for violin and piano, and for 12 cellos), features a chorale-like figure recurring over an ethereal drone. Radiant and simple, not a sound is out of place. the _Cantus_ is based on rich chords arranged in a variety of rhythmic patterns, so beautiful one kind of wishes it would last longer.

this is an excellent introduction to one of the best composers of the 20th century. i would really encourage you to hear this.

Fill in your blank slate with some innovative music..........2006-01-03

This CD started it all. In 1984 it introduced the then little known Arvo Pärt to a new western audience. Pärt had long before made his "tinntinnabulation" discovery (around 1976). Before this pivotal epiphany, the majority of Pärt's work fell into the serialist category. His early work shows all of the grinding atonal experimentation of the 1950s. It thus lies in stark contrast to his later work as presented on this CD (he shares this same evolutionary path with the Polish composer Górecki).

"Tabula Rasa" introduced a new music and a new style to the west. This music doesn't follow traditional harmonic or melodic forms. Listening to Pärt differs from listening to Sibelius or Stravinski. In Pärt, environment and setting are everything. The melodies and harmonies function to set a mood rather than to follow a path or a harmonic progression leading to an ultimate resolution. Subsequently, one experiences rather than listens to Pärt's work. The notes merely provide the structure. In this way Pärt's pieces represent frameworks for music (which probably explains, as related in the CD booklet, why the members of one orchestra asked "where is the music" upon seeing the score for "Tabula Rasa"). So Pärt not only presents beautiful and moving music but also helps listeners conceive of it in new ways.

The tracks on this CD provide the perfect showcase for Pärt's work. Beginners should start here. Two versions of the meditative "Fratres" appear, but each utilize such different arrangements that they sound like two separate works. "Cantus" remains one of Pärt's most moving compositions. It sounds like a slowly exploding wall of catharsis. The nearly half hour "Tabula Rasa" features incredible violin work and prepared piano (a la Cage). Overall, the mood of each piece on this CD veers strongly toward the meditative, mystical, and ethereal. As such it serves as a great introduction to the "late" Pärt and as a showcase of incredible musicianship.

Pärt remains more of a phenomenon on CD than in the concert hall. The lush rich sound of this CD, which will have your cochleas swimming, provides some evidence as to why. Not only that, the amount of quietude and silence utilized by Pärt must create difficulties for orchestra hall performance. Pärt's music, intimate and close, probably plays best in seclusion or in small venues. For the maximum experience, put on some headphones and listen to this CD. In this way listeners can experience all the subtle harmonics and nuances that make up the music of Arvo Pärt.

Modern classical music that is beautiful.......2005-10-23

Too many modern classical composers have sacrificed beauty for virtuosity and expermintality. Not so Part. This Baltic composer writes melodic music of outstanding lyricism and profound beauty. He has succesfully managed to write in the classical format while not sounding like a repetition of the great artists of yore. The music is melancolic, but not tragic, pensive but not unpenetratable. I had the great honour to listen to a live perfomance of works by Part by the Hilliard Ensamble at the Royal Festival Hall in London, UK. It was one of the few times I know of that the audience gave a standing ovation, and just did not want to stop. Mr Part was present and he almost started crying.
Part has contributed music to films as diverse as Les Amants du Pont-Neuf and Fahrenheit 9/11.

16 Most Requested Songs of the 1950's, Vol. 1

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Song's of the great 50's

16 Most Requested Songs of the 1950's, Vol. 1
Various Artists
Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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16 Most Requested Songs of the 1950's, Vol. 2
Big Hits of the 50's
Chart Toppers: Romantic Hits of the 50's
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The Ultimate Rock & Roll Collection: The 50's

ASIN: B0000026ST
Release Date: 1989-05-26

Tracks:

My Heart Cries For You - Guy Mitchell
Because Of You - Tony Bennett
Jezebel - Frankie Laine
The Little White Cloud That Cried - Johnnie Ray
Delicado - Percy Faith And His Orchestra
Istanbul (Not Constantinople) - The Four Lads
Secret Love - Doris Day
Let Me Go Lover - Joan Weber
Mambo Italiano - Rosemary Clooney
The Ballad Of Davy Crockett - Fess Parker
The Yellow Rose Of Texas - Mitch Miller And The Gang
Moments To Remember - The Four Lads
Just Walking In The Rain - Johnnie Ray
Singing The Blues - Guy Mitchell
'S Wonderful - Ray Coniff And His Orchestra
Chances Are - Johnny Mathis

Customer Reviews:

Song's of the great 50's.......2000-06-11

I've heard and played all of these song's from back in the 50's on this CD. Some of the greatest music of all time's came from that era. I am looking for the song's "Love Walked Right In" & "Hernandoes Hideaway" from that era. The Singer's I can't remember. If you can be of help, I am Larry F. Rees "E" mail - lfr@ee.net Thank You

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pure composition magic...
One of the most startling beautiful and quintessential version of Porgy and Bess
Porgy and Bess and Miles/Gil Evans
Pull a chair between the speakers and let this one wash over you
Edit your own CD

Porgy and Bess
Miles Davis , and Gil Evans
Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Sketches of Spain
Miles Ahead
Porgy & Bess
Milestones
Kind of Blue

ASIN: B000002AH6
Release Date: 1997-03-25

Tracks:

Buzzard Song
Bess, You Is My Woman Now
Gone
Gone, Gone, Gone
Summertime
Oh Bess, Oh Where's My Bess
Prayer (Oh Doctor Jesus)
Fishermen, Strawberry And Devil Crab
My Man's Gone Now
It Ain't Necessarily So
Here Come De Honey Man
I Loves You, Porgy
There's A Boat That's Leaving Soon For New York
I Loves You, Porgy (Take 1, Second Version)
Gone (Take 4)

Amazon.com

Take George Gershwin's Porgy & Bess, add Miles Davis and arranger Gil Evans, and what do you get? A classic jazz album that--despite the fact that the material has been rendered almost overly familiar due to countless interpretations--still sounds remarkably fresh four decades after its initial release. Miles' soft yet piercing trumpet style is perfectly suited to Gershwin's melancholy melodies, Evans' musical direction of his 18-piece orchestra is impeccable, and their version of "Summertime" may well be the finest ever waxed. Davis and Evans teamed up for several recordings after this one (including the landmark Sketches of Spain), but Porgy & Bess still stands as one of their most successful collaborations. --Dan Epstein

Customer Reviews:

pure composition magic..........2007-06-20

The pinnacle of Gil Evans and Miles Davis working together. This is by far the definitive recording of Porgy and Bess as far as I'm concerned. I've listened to it a thousand times and it still blows me away. I wish I had the words to do this recording justice. Just listen to GONE and how it segues into GONE, GONE, GONE and how that in turn segues into SUMMERTIME. My goodness, the trumpet practically speaks to you, you can feel the pathos, the rage and the desire of the story. SUMMERTIME is the quintessential Miles. moody, full of passion, magical. Enough said. Get it. Listen to it. Enjoy it. over and over and over again.

One of the most startling beautiful and quintessential version of Porgy and Bess.......2007-04-30

While "Porgy and Bess" nas been attempted by many an artist from popular standard artists to jazz giants, for me, this IS the quintessential version. For me, better than Ella and Louis or Ray Charles and Cleo Laine's versions.

It is emotionally direct and startling in it's beauty. Miles was at the height of his powers and he conveys the sentiment of the pieces so directly that I was moved and transfixed.

This, of all the Gil Evans/Miles Davis collaborations is the best. Some might argue in favor of others but this one features arrangement that are essential and never, not once, do they encumber, obscure or step all over the soloist. Gil provides a perfect setting for Miles and Miles makes the most of it, with that unique vibratto-less tone.

Never sappy, nor even conventional. I can only imagine what the reactions were when this recording was released. Mind you, Gil never arranged in the traditional voicings or instrumentations of the traditional big band. No four or five sax/five brass, four trombone, piano, bass and drums for this man. The instrumentation and voicings are unique. Often the horns covney the soft lushness of strings on ballads but without any syrup at all.

This simply one of the best Miles Davis recordings in his career, bar none! He effectively conveys the longing, romance, sadness and joy I presume Gershwin intended.

Upon acquiring a CD player back in the eighties, this was one of the very first recordings I purchased. Never old or dated. It's timeless, it transcends eras.

A must have for me.

Porgy and Bess and Miles/Gil Evans.......2007-01-03

Phenomenal material to begin with. The treatment was exceptional due to an amazing collaboration. I am very pleased to have it in my collection.

Pull a chair between the speakers and let this one wash over you.......2006-10-31

Let me start by saying that I'm a long-time analog music lover. I still spin a lot of vinyl, and have found digital music to be, at times, disappointing.

That being said, this remastering of "Porgy and Bess" is one of the most gorgeous things I've ever heard. The placement of the instruments across the spectrum is almost holographic, and out of this space the subtlety of Gil Evans' work can truly be appreciated. There are long, languid sections of Miles' horn noir, punctuated by bursts from Evans' "brass orchestra." The layers, the barely heard accents, it's just brilliant work, and this amazing remaster truly does it justice.

As to the music, I'll simply paraphrase another reviewer here who said that he knew of no music more beautiful than this. Amen, brother.

Edit your own CD.......2006-03-19

I think I understand why some listeners take exception to the Miles-Evans version of Porgy and Bess and wonder what all the fuss is about and why it's a "classic" if they've never heard the original vinyl release on Columbia. In the digital era, in the attempt to give listeners more content and fill up cd space, record companies sometimes include extra tracks that were never on the original and should have been left off later. For me that track is "I Loves You, Porgy," which comes near the end of the entire album and has a way of spoiling the sonic magic that came before. It's not that it's a terrible track; it's just not that good or necessary when compared to the others, and, again, was never on the original in the first place. Furthermore, the last track was never on the original either, and can be done without as well, imo. Sometimes less is better. After all, a classic album is one where the listener finds it unnecessary to skip tracks, and the later cd release inadvertently violates this principle because of the two reasons I've mentioned. For my own use, I've burned an edited version off my own commercial copy without the last two tracks, and I recommend others do the same if they wish to recapture the spirit of the original and the marvelous effects this music can create, as Miles' tone was never more luscious, dark and brooding...just gorgeous. And I think Gil Evans was right when he said that Miles Davis reinvented the sound of the trumpet and flugelhorn, especially on Sketches of Spain and Porgy and Bess.

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The last Gasp of the Big Band Era
What ELSE is on this CD? Who really cares?
Diminuendo in Blue and Crescendo in Blue
Gonsalves Flirts With Woman in Audience
A legendary performance burnished

Ellington At Newport 1956
Duke Ellington
Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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The Complete Atomic Basie
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First Time: The Count Meets the Duke
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Birth of the Cool

ASIN: B00000IMYA
Release Date: 1999-05-11

Tracks:

Star Spangled Banner
Father Norman O'Connor Introduces Duke & The Orchestra/Duke Introduces Tune & Anderson, Jackson...
Black And Tan Fantasy
Duke Introduces Cook & Tune
Tea For Two
Duke & Band Leave Stage/Father Norman O'Connor Talks About The Festival
Take The A Train
Duke Announces Strayhorn's A Train & Nance/Duke Introduces Festival Suite, Part I & Hamilton
Festival Suite: Part I - Festival Junction (Live)
Duke Announces Soloists; Introduces Part II (Live)
Festival Suite: Part II - Blues To Be There (Live)
Duke Announces Nance & Procope; Introduces Part III (Live)
Festival Suite: Part III - Newport Up
Duke Announces Hamilton, Gonsalves, & Terry/Duke Introduces Carney & Tune (Live)
Sophisticated Lady (Live)
Duke Announces Grissom & Tune (Live)
Day In, Day Out (Live)
Duke Introduces Tune(s) And Paul Gonsalves Interludes (Live)
Diminuendo In Blues And Crescendo In Blue (Live)
Announcements, Pandemonium (Live)
Pause Track

Tracks:

Duke Introduces Johnny Hodges
I Got It Bad (And That Ain't Good) (Live)
Jeep's Blues (Live)
Duke Calms Crowd; Introduces Nance & Tune
Tulip Or Turnip
Riot Prevention
Skin Deep
Mood Indigo
Studio Concert (Excerpts)
Father Norman O'Connor Introduces Duke Ellington/Duke Introduces New Work, Part I, & Hamilton
Festival Suite: Part I - Festival Junction
Duke Announces Soloists; Introduces Part II (Production)
Festival Suite: Part II - Blues To Be There
Duke Announes Nance & Procope; Introduces Part III (Production)
Festival Suite: Part III - Newport Up (Production)
Duke Announces Hamilton, Gonsalves, & Terry/Duke Introduces Johnny Hodges (Production)
I Got It Bad (And That Ain't Good) (Production)
Jeep's Blues (Studio)
Pause Track

Amazon.com essential recording

When Duke Ellington took his orchestra to the Newport Jazz Festival in 1956, the band was in need of an uplift, some humongous event that would revitalize its image in the wake of bebop, hard bop, and so many more jazz currents. Ellington got the lift he needed when he called "Diminuendo in Blue" with set-closer "Crescendo in Blue" tacked on the end. Tenor saxophonist Paul Gonsalves got the nod from Ellington to segue from "Diminuendo" to "Crescendo," and he blew doors. With one rousing 27-chorus solo, Gonsalves blew a fever into the crowd and jump-started Ellingtonia for another generation. Trouble with all this is that the living document of the Newport show is almost fully manufactured, recorded in a studio with crowd madness dubbed in. So this two-CD historical correction is an awesome addition to the centennial-era reissues on Columbia (including Anatomy of a Murder, Such Sweet Thunder, First Time: Count Meets the Duke, and Black, Brown and Beige). The producers revisited the Newport gig after four decades because they discovered an extant Voice of America tape--the one whose microphone Gonsalves blew his solo into, and the VOA tape catches the whole Newport set in its organic glory. Alternately tender with layers of brushstroke orchestration and blazing with the band's well-seasoned tightness, this new Newport is one for the generalist and the Ellington completist. It's got the revived original gig as well as the original commercial release. And they make great siblings, illustrative of the live-event charm and the music industry's dogged labors in reinventing it on record. --Andrew Bartlett

Customer Reviews:

The last Gasp of the Big Band Era.......2007-06-27

Perhaps that isn't a totally fair statement but rock and roll meant the end of the big band era. Here the Ellington band got back together after a short hiatus and produced some great music. I like the Newport Suite and the standards. Jimmy Hamilton, an underrated clarinetist, is very impressive. And of course, Johnny Hodges, Harry Carney, Clark Terry and Britt Woodman contribute great solos. Diminuendo in Blue and Crescendo in Blue is exciting but the solo by Paul Gonsalves has always been overrated. If you want to hear a great extended tenor sax solo in concert, listen to Rahsaan Roland Kirk on Perdido with Charles Mingus at Carnegie Hall. This aside, there is much to like here and things were never the same again.

What ELSE is on this CD? Who really cares?.......2007-04-29

I've owned this record ("record" - what an old-fashioned word!), in some form or another, for about thirty-five years. And today is Duke's birthday anniversary, and Diminuendo and Crescendo was on the radio, and I listened. And the goosebumps came, and the tears of joy and emotion still flowed. The sense of occasion is matched by the magnificence of the performance - one of the greatest ever performances by the greatest band of all time. And, by the way, a masterpiece composition which did not receive its due on the original recording. What is NOT great here? Some of the highpoints: Jimmy Woode's pedal points in Diminuendo, Hodges' fills in Crescendo, the strutting Trombone section of Woodman, Jackson and Sanders - a miracle of section playing. Duke's jabs and fills (of course!), Woodyard in what is possibly the highpoint of his career, Cat Anderson taking us home at the end. Oh - and Paul Gonsalves! This performance is the apotheosis of everything from the wildest New Orleans Street Parade to the wailingest Albert Ayler collective avant-gospel freakout - and all what is in between. If you don't have this...well, why DON'T you have this?

Diminuendo in Blue and Crescendo in Blue.......2007-01-29

Specially, I like the long solo of Bud Gonsalves. It's really swings.

Gonsalves Flirts With Woman in Audience.......2006-05-08

There is so much wonderful writing on this release already, so I will make it quick. On Ken Burns History of Jazz, George Wein talks about this marvelous concert. He said that a very attractive blonde woman was dancing in an isle to Diminuendo in Blue/Crescendo in Blue. Gonsalves was "playing to this woman" and it caused quite a stir in the audience. Ellington then spurred Gonsalves to continue on and on. A great historical anecdote that makes the recording even more special. The fact that this performance is reputed to have rekindled Ellington's career makes it all seem more fun!

A legendary performance burnished.......2006-04-01

In the reviews that I read (not all), I did not see a mention of what an excellent job Columbia did in the remastering. I owned the LP when it was first issued and it has been a lifelong favorite; so it was a very pleasant surprise to hear how much the sound was improved on this release. (The whole series of recent Columbia remasterings is excellent.)

A legendary performance? Oh yeahhh, the missing Voice of America tape, Philly Jo Jones driving the band (apocryphally) with a rolled up newspaper, and the Dancing Blonde In The Black Dress who got the crowd on their feet and roaring during the Gonsalves solo. The Time cover, and the renaissance of the band. And a performance that easily supports the weight of the legends...

The format of this release, complete and with the studio recordings appended, is very interesting; it corrects and completes the historical record. It's good to hear the studio recordings, now seeming oversmooth and plump, in comparison to the real thing.

I consider it an essential recording.

Average customer rating:

Sweet Compilation
Inconsistency at its finest
Poor quality of recordings is distracting
Crackle for ambience, Ellington forever
The Great Duke Ellington!

The Very Best of Duke Ellington
Duke Ellington
Manufacturer: RCA
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000050G83
Release Date: 2000-11-07

Tracks:

Take The 'A' Train
Warm Valley
Cotton Tail
Jack The Bear
Concerto For Cootie
Black And Tan Fantasy
East Saint Louis Toodle-O
The Mooche
Mood Indigo
Rockin' In Rhythm
Creole Rhapsody, Part 1
I Got It Bad (And That Ain't Good)
Don't You Know I Care (Or Don't You Care To Know)
Chelsea Bridge
Work Song
Caravan
Perdido
Isfahan
Blood Count
Come Sunday

Customer Reviews:

Sweet Compilation.......2006-02-24

An excellent variety of Duke Ellington's music which includes both vocals and instrumentals. While the quality of each recording is not perfect, the imprefections add to the ambience associated with listening to the originals on the radio.

Inconsistency at its finest.......2005-03-02

This CDs recordings span 40 years, and that should account for some of the difference in sound quality. However, I have some of these same records in my collection, which sound better and cleaner than the transfers here. "Warm Valley" is particularly disappointing; there is substantial swish and crackle throughout which could have been minimized very easily. Some of the work is wonderful, some is awful. I would expect better from BMG.

Poor quality of recordings is distracting.......2004-11-06

I sought out this disk as an intro to Duke Ellington's work and to acquire a recording of "Take the 'A' Train." "'A' Train" is without vocals on this disk, which was disappointing for me. Guess I'll have to look elsewhere for a vocal rendition of that piece. ("I Got It Bad...", "Don't You Know...", "Come Sunday" all have excellent vocals on this disk)

Also dissapointing is the quality of many of the recordings. Perhaps this is as good as it gets in terms of what survives today. If so, that's a shame. Hiss and scratches are prominent, particularly in "Mood Indigo" and "Creole Rhapsody." Also, many of the solo instruments seem overdriven (I might even say too loud for their respective mixes), causing distortion in the early songs on the disk -- "Warm Valley", "Jack The Bear", and "Rockin' In Rhythm" in particular. In general, sound quality does improve as you get deeper into the CD and encounter the more recent recordings.

My Duke Ellington knowledge is limited, but if asked if I would recommend this disk as a way of introduction, I would say no. There must be something better out there.

Crackle for ambience, Ellington forever.......2003-12-05

There's some slight crackling on this disc, but it's not bad at all, just enough to add some extra ambience to all those freezing winter evenings spent at home on your couch under the toasty glow of Duke Ellington and His Famous Orchestra. The recordings on this compilation date from between 1928 and 1966, so the sound quality varies, but it's never annoying. As for the Duke's music, if you ever get tired of "Take The 'A' Train", "Cotton Tail", or "Isfahan", you're nuts.

The Great Duke Ellington!.......2003-05-17

Once again, I am back with a Duke review. And I say, "SUPERB!" My favorite is, "Take the A train" among others. The level of the bass on this song must have been heart pounding when heard live, judging from this CD; I'd say it was very noticeable. There was a hint of old recording crackling in the background when heard through earphones, but the recordings really were very clear. I could listen to this CD all day long. Another great CD I recommend.

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