New Beginnings

New Beginnings

ASIN: B0001NIRO2

Track Listings

1. Shirodara

2. Child of Light

3. Suite for Jazz Orchestra I. Proclamation

4. Suite for Jazz Orchestra II. Meditation

5. Suite for Jazz Orchestra III. New Beginnings

6. Crystal Palace

7. Space Race

8. Voice of the Wind

New Beginnings,Ed Sarath,London Jazz Orchestra,Timescape Records,Hard Bop,Post-Bop,The world class LONDON JAZZ ORCHESTRA plays an innovative set of Ed Sarath's large ensemble compositions that combine lyrical melodies with infectious odd-meter rhythmic grooves such as 13/8 and 27/8.

Average customer rating:

A great feel-good album ! The master is back !

Lovely beginning

sweet!

SICK SICK SICK

New Beginnings Indeed

New Beginnings
Gerald Albright
Manufacturer: Peak Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Jazz | Styles | Music
Smooth Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music
General | R&B | Styles | Music
General | Adult Contemporary | Pop | Styles | Music
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ASIN: B000E5N67A
Release Date: 2006-03-28

Tracks:

We Got The Groove
New Beginnings
Deep Into My Soul
And The Beat Goes On
Georgia On My Mind
Take Your Time
I Want Somebody
You Are My Love
Last But Not Least
I Need You
Big Shoes
Georgia On My Mind (Reprise)

Amazon.com

This CD finds the LA-born, smooth-jazz star Gerald Albright on a new label, with a new line of saxophones and a new home in Colorado. It's co-produced by some of his heavyweight contemporaries, including Jeff Lorber, Chuckii Booker, and Rex Rideout, and it features Albright's traveling band. All of the 12 tracks showcase Albright's assertive mix of Cannonball Adderley's bravura and Maceo Parker's funkiness--whether he's playing alto, baritone, tenor sax, or flute. His high school friend, Patrice Rushen, who let Albright steal the show with his burning solo on her 1982 single "Forget Me Nots," turns in a nice piano spotlight on the title track. The old Whispers hit "And the Beat Goes On" is reprised with that group's lead vocalists, and trumpeter Chris Botti's Milesiian trumpet leaves its footprint on "Big Shoes." Albright's rousing rendition of "Georgia on My Mind," shows why everybody, from Quincy Jones to Phil Collins, loves his sound. --Eugene Holley, Jr.

Customer Reviews:

A great feel-good album ! The master is back !.......2007-03-10

Veteran smooth jazz saxophone master Gerald Albright is no one-dimensional purveyor of musical wallpaper.
He has recorded seven successful solo albums for Atlantic when he wasn't busy, assisting an impressive, and mammoth, roster of popular R&B artists.Some of the more well-known artists Albright assisted during his career include Anita Baker, Quincy Jones, the Temptations, Phil Collins, Whitney Houston, and many, many more.
His excellent "NEW BEGINNINGS" collection is wide-ranging enough to cover a sultry version of "Georgia on My Mind" and a swaying, uptempo cover of the Whispers' disco-era hit "And the Beat Goes On", a compelling 80's style groove which features the Scott brothers (Whispers) on backing vocals.
The pianist Patrice Rushen makes a guest appearance on the album's title track, and Albright's colleague Jeff Lorber performs on cuts including the velvety "We Got the Groove" and the sinuous "Take Your Time".
Other guest artists are Chris Botti on trumpet,Paul Jaxkson jr. on guitar,Rex Rideout and Chuckii Booker as arrangers.
The uptempo cut "Big Shoes" is a flowing number.
Listen also to the slower "Last But Not Least".
Albright is quite capable of providing a five-star masterpiece, which "New Beginnings" is not. Nonetheless, this 2006 release with Peak Records has more pluses than minuses -- and it is certainly superior to "Dream Come True", "Bermuda Nights", and some of the other duds he recorded for Atlantic in the '80s and '90s.
This is a very strong selection of Smooth Jazz grooves that mixes in Funk and Fusion.
As usual, Gerald's playing is soulful, smooth and fluid.And very enjoyable.
You will love this feel-good album.
Enjoy !

Lovely beginning .......2006-11-12

As the CD title would suggest that smooth jazz stalwart Gerald Albright has indeed moved to a new lable, moreover, it would appear that this move has not damppened his enthauism, as this particular CD moves from strength to strength. Although some would argue that the vocals detract from the instrumentals, which would appear to be a rather persistent argument amongst listeners of jazz; however, I suspect that Mr. Albright and his producers have in this project found the balance between the two such that the entire collection is appealing and worthy of anyone's smooth jazz collection.

sweet!.......2006-11-01

this is a really nice album. my favorite are "i want somebody" and "you are my love". definitely add this one to your collection.

SICK SICK SICK.......2006-07-07

This album is one that just has your head boppin' or you jumping up and down in your seat. This is a must play for the car. The hooks are simple and memorable from beginning to end. I especially love the "Georgia on my mind." Just adding another to my Albright collection.

New Beginnings Indeed.......2006-05-07

Gerald Albright hits the mark on this new CD. He is at the top of his game and you can feel the love that he put into this project. A new label and a new home for the Albright family must be perfect because this CD is going to be one of the hottest he has ever put out. Do yourself a favor. This is a must have.

Average customer rating:

Incredible Trumpet Jazz
A superstar in the making

New Beginnings
Terell Stafford
Manufacturer: Max Jazz Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Bebop General | Bebop | Jazz | Styles | Music

Hard Bop | Bebop | Jazz | Styles | Music

General | Jazz | Styles | Music

Modern Postbebop | Jazz | Styles | Music
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ASIN: B00009QG83
Release Date: 2003-06-17

Tracks:

Soft WInds
I Don't Wanna Be Kissed
He Knows How Much You Can Bear
Selah (New Beginnings Suite)
Le Maurier (New Beginnings Suite)
Berda's Bounce (New Beginnings Suite)
Blame It On My Youth
The Touch Of Your Lips
Kumbaya

Customer Reviews:

Incredible Trumpet Jazz.......2007-02-04

I second the earlier review. I heard Terrell play in St Louis with a quintet in early 2006 when I purchased this CD at the concert. A few months later, my son (a high school trumpet player) went to a jazz camp at U Missouri-KC with Bobby Watson & Terrell. Two of the nicest people you'll meet...

I play Kumbaya over and over again... creative, haunting, tasteful. The blend between the unison trumpet and sax is incredible. At the gig, Terrell played an incredible version of "Jesus Loves Me". Yes- "Jesus Loves Me". And-- similar to Kumbaya-- he took what is often a musical cliche and transformed it into something rare and inspiring. I'd give anything to have that on a recording.

A superstar in the making.......2003-06-25

Terell Stafford came up in Bobby Watson's late, great lamented postbop supergroup, Horizon. Not a bad training ground, by any estimation. And he learned his lessons well: a profound sense of the blues, a deep swing, an underlying melancholy albeit lightly worn.

His new disc, New Beginnings, marks a major step forward in his career. Following on the heels of the Maxjazz label's huge (and deserved) success of Mulgrew Miller's disc, Sequel, by his newly reconstituted group, Wingspan, New Beginnings presents Stafford in a very attractive setting. There's a similar attention to recording detail, a killer band featuring Miller himself on piano plus two players new to me, Derrick Hodge on bass and Dana Hall on drums, and an intriguing mix of originals, standards, and traditional material.

What sets this disc apart from Miller's is the addition of some fascinating guests on various saxes: Steve Wilson, Dick Oatts, and Jesse Davis on alto, and--here's the ringer--Harry Allen on tenor. The latter, especially, acquits himself brilliantly. I certainly wouldn't have thought of him on this kind of fluid post-modern session, but he comes through like a champ.

Stafford proves himself quite an accomplished composer, drawing on both the Bobby Watson post-bop repertoire and Victor Lewis' intriguing mix of funk and modernism. Indeed, the high point for me is his three-tune selection, "New Beginnings Suite." The first cut present an edgy, funk-tinged, modernistic number featuring the bubbly e-bass of Derrick Hodge and the groove-oriented drumming of Dana Hall. These two lay down a very appealing rhythmic foundation upon which Oatts, Stafford, and Miller brilliantly solo. Stafford, especially, weaves a very engaging open-trumpet solo steeped in the blues yet completely conversant with the latest developments in funk. Part two, "La Maurier," a slow bossa, is perhaps my favorite cut. Yes, I'm a sucker for this kind of thing, but they pull it off marvelously. Stafford displays his more lyrical side and plays some very engaging unison lines with Oatts, plus a very sensuous solo. The third part, "Berda's Bounce," switches gears totally. A burning boppish number, it features Steve Wilson reeling off what to these ears is his most engaging solo on record. Punctuated by some very tasty walking bass and drum fills, this cut stands out, especially for someone like me who tends to dislike this virtuoso-type approach. Strange to think three such different pieces could form a coherent suite, but they do. How? Each subtly works within and against tradition, forming an attractive new beginning. And it greatly helps that Stafford is all over his horn, especially on "Berda's Bounce," rocketing the proceedings into the jazz stratosphere. Plus, the inclusion of a killer drum solo by Dana Hall greatly enhances an altogether marvelous performance.

A word must be said about the traditional material. "Kumbaya," especially, strikes one as irredeemable. Yet with a smart, completely non-sentimental arrangement and clever reharmonization, the tune emerges as a compelling spiritual statement. To me, this is pure genius. I never would've thought this tune could've been salvaged, let alone presented in such a hip and thoughtful way. "He Knows How Much You Care," surely some Deep South spiritual classic, though unfamiliar to me, is similarly transformed. Opening with a glorious gospel/blues into, it gets transformed into a gently bossa-while still, miraculously, maintaining an underlying melancholy. To me, this is the most remarkable achievement of a disc full of wonderful surprises. Dick Oatts, someone whom I've never really liked or appreciated, seems to completely understand the esthetic of this number and delivers a very heartfelt and authentic-sounding solo. And Miller, for whom such material is probably second nature, responds with a gloriously dancing solo. But the highlight is the gently harmonized trumpet/sax outro, with Stafford sounding as mellow as any trumpeter I've ever heard.

Bottom line: This is an absolutely killer disc, featuring some of the best and most creative modern jazz to be found anywhere. We are certainly blessed with the continuation of perhaps the most amazing jazz renaissance of any year in memory

New Beginnings
Average customer rating:
New Beginnings
Morgana King
Manufacturer: Paramount
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Easy Listening | Pop | Styles | Music
General | Vocal Pop | Pop | Styles | Music
Traditional Vocal Pop | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music
ASIN: B000PDZOT4
Release Date: 2007-07-02

Tracks:

You Are the Sunshine of My Life
Jennifer Had
As Long as He Will Stay
Sands of Time and Changes
We Could Be Flying
Like a Seed
Song for You
Medley: Desert Hush/I Am a Leaf
All in All

Average customer rating:

Well done and interesting
Wonderful biography, needs more proportion in the music

Life & Works of Bach
Bach , Siepmann , and Shrapnel
Manufacturer: Naxos
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Instructional | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music

The Life and Works of Ludwig van Beethoven
Life & Works
The Life and Works of Frédéric Chopin
The Life and Works of Joseph Haydn
The Life and Works of Franz Schubert

ASIN: B0000666A8
Release Date: 2002-07-16

Tracks:

Family Background And Early Years
Music: Capriccio On The Departure Of His Beloved Brother
Bach And The Organ
Music Toccata And Fugue In D Minow, BWV 565
Bach In Trouble
Music: Trio Sonata In E Flat, BWV 525
Bach The Husband And Father
Music: Vivaldi/Bach: Concerto In A Minor For Four Harpsichords
Bach The Younger Composer
Music: Prelude And Fugue In A Minor, BWV 543
Bach In Weimar (And In Jail)
Music: Prelude In E Flat Minor (The Well Tempered Clavier, Book 1)
Bach Leaves Weimar
Music: Violin Concerto In E Major (Finale)

Tracks:

Bach At Cothen
Music: Concerto For Two Violins (Largo Ma Non Tanto)
Bach And The Brandenburgs
Music: Brandenburg Concerto No. 5 In D (First Movement)
From Grief To Joy Through Faith
Music: 'Et Resurrexit' (B Minor Mass)
New Beginnings: Bach Remarries And His Family Grows
Music: Aria In G
Goldberg Variations And Anna Magdalena's Notebook
Music: Stolzel: Bist Du Bei Mir
Domestic Happiness And The Move To Leipzig
Music: Magnificat
Bach's Duties At Lepzig
Music: Cantata No. 80 (Duetto)
Bach The Teacher
Music: Sinfonia (Three-Part Invention) In E Flat
The Great Keyboard Works On Educational Agenda
Music: Italien Concerto
A Letter To The King
Music: Cantata No. 147 (Opening Chorus)

Tracks:

Bach Takes Up The Poet's Pen
Music: Partita No. 1 In B Flat BWV 825 (Courante)
Bach's Frustration At Leipzig
Music: Singet Dem Herrn, BWV 225
Frustrations Intensify
Music: St John Passion (Opening Chorus)
Bach's Efforts To Leave Leipzig
Music: Brandenburg Concerto No. 1 (First Movement)
The King Of Poland's Jubilee
Music: Suite No. 3 In D, BWV 1068
The Ernesti Affair
Music: Prelude In D Major, BWV 532
Adolf Scheibe's Scathing Views On Bach
Music: Concerto In C For Three Harpsichords (Finale)

Tracks:

Bach And Opera
'Coffee' Cantata (Excerpts)
'Peasant' Cantata (Excerpts)
The Twilight Years
Music: The Art Of Fugue
Bach's Visit To Frederick The Great
Music: The Musical Offering
Decline And Death
Music: Mass In B Minor

Customer Reviews:

Well done and interesting.......2005-02-22

This recording alternates extended selections of Bach's music (complete pieces or movements) with a narrated and sometimes dramatized biography of Bach. The music selections are excellent and the biography itself is well done and interesting. The lengthy accompanying booklet is also very nice.

My only reservation comes from a feeling that the music and the narration are not as well integrated as they could be. The narrator identifies the musical selections and may give a sentence or two of background for the selection but never really discusses it. Instead, the narration is focused almost entirely on the events of Bach's life. I would have preferred more of a "music appreciation" approach that discussed the music, and had trouble getting used to the bifurcated nature of production. The extended free-standing music selections do mean that the four discs are a sort of "best of Bach" anthology and you can re-listen to just the music by skipping every other track.

Naxos also produces a 2-disc set called An Introduction to Bach: Brandenburg Concertos Nos. 4 & 5 (ASIN: B0000666A9), also by Mr. Seipmann, which closely analyzes the actual music of these two concertos. I found that the two sets are complementary with no overlap, except for part of the booklets, and I would recommend getting both if you have an interest in Bach and are also interested in understanding what to listen for in his music. In addition (or as an alternative), I would also recommend the lectures by Robert Greenberg on "Bach and the High Baroque" produced by the Teaching Company, which are much longer, more detailed, and more focused on the "music appreciation" aspect. They are also much more expensive.

Overall, this item is very worthwhile and a good value, like most of Naxos's products.

Wonderful biography, needs more proportion in the music.......2002-08-21

Naxos continues to do a wonderful job with its "Life and Works" series. Quite some time ago, we had a Life/Works of Mozart, one of Chopin and then two more, Liszt and Beethoven. he latter are even better packaged than are the earlier sets, with a thick booklet that offers us essays on the historical background, the position of the composer in his time, a look at the major works, a listening plan, recommended readings, personalities, a calendar of the artist's life, a glossary, and a discography. This booklet is worth the price of the set alone.

Now we have two more entries in this amazing series, again written and narrated by Jeremy Siepmann: "Pyotr Il'yich Tchaikovsky" (8.558036-39) with a playing time of 4 hrs. 5 min. and "Johann Sebastian Bach" (8.558051-54) with a playing time of 4 hrs. 34 minutes. (Please see my comments for the Tchaikovsky on that webpage.)

In direct contrast to the tortured personality of Tchaikovsky, we have the life-loving J.S. Bach, he who lost his temper only when he ran up against ineptitude. Again, the biographical details are fascinating. But also again, the musical examples are far too few--especially for this prolific composer--and some are simply far too long. We do not really need a complete rendition of the famous "Toccata and Fugue" and certainly not of the "Prelude and Fugue in A minor" to which is devoted a 13 minute track.

Here the voice of Bach is supplied by actor John Shrapnel, with Trevor Nichols, Ruth Sillers and David Timson in supporting roles. So 5 stars for the biography, somewhat less for musical examples.

New Beginnings
Average customer rating:

Plenty Soul

New Beginnings
Henry Johnson
Manufacturer: Heads Up
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Jazz | Styles | Music
Soul-Jazz & Boogaloo | Jazz | Styles | Music
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Organic

An Evening At Sea

ASIN: B000004AZ6
Release Date: 1996-02-15

Tracks:

The River
Andrea
Creepin'
Sambalea
Please Send Me Someone To Love
Flying Fish
Lush Life
Tell Me A Bedtime Story
Happiness Is Now
In The Wee Small Hours Of The Morning
The Point

Customer Reviews:

Plenty Soul.......2006-08-05

Henry Johnson is one of those versatile, virtuosic musicians whose prolific talents may be his biggest nemesis. As George Benson discovered, it's best to pick a winning horse and stay with it to the end. Johnson has monster chops, practically on the same level as Benson or Wes Montgomery. He can play funk, new age, burning bebop, compose, and sing. And he does it all on this album.

I'm not much of a smooth jazz fan, so the favorites would have to be Johnson's own "Flying Fish," which features dazzling solos by both Freddie Hubbard and Henry, along with some headspinning exchanges between the two. The other stand-outs are "Lush Life," permitting Johnson to demonstrate he's as proficient with chorded as octave solos, and "In the Wee Small Hours," done as a pure, totally unaffected and unmannered vocal accompanied only by piano. Both numbers reveal that underneath all the technique and musical mastery lies the honest soul of a true musician.

Beginnings. . . The New Vocal Collective

Average customer rating:

Brownvcljazz is vindictive
A mediocre amateur vocal group
A mediocre amateur vocal group

Beginnings. . . The New Vocal Collective

ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Classical | Indie Music | Stores | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music
ASIN: B00005TS69
Release Date: 2001-10-15

Tracks:

Introit and Kyrie
Offertory - Hans Stafford, Baritone
Sanctus - Howard Hill, Violin Solo
Pie Jesu - Cara Virostko, Soprano
Agnus Dei
Libera Me - Hans Stafford, Baritone
In Paradisum
Ubi Caritas - Renlausen
A Jubilant Song - Norman Dello Joio
Water Night - Eric Whitacre
A Nightingale Sang In Berkeley Square - Arr. Gene Puerling - Ed. Phil Mattson
Little Potato - Malcolm Dalglish - arr. Carol Barnett
Pilgrim's Hymn - Michael Dennis Browne/Stephen Paulus
You Must Come In Through The Door- Wallace Cheatham
Make Our Garden Grow - Richard Wilbur/Leonard Bernstein - arr. Robert Page
Christmastime Is Here - Lee Mendelson/Vince Guaraldi - arr. Kirk Young

Album Description

The New Vocal Collective has just released its first full length Compact Disc. The debut album, entitled simply "Beginnings..." is highlighted by the Faurè Requiem and features single works by Renè Clausen, Norman Dello Joio, Eric Whitacre, and many more 20th Century composers. The New Vocal Collective is currently a choir of 22 voices. Our goal is to become a professional world class ensemble that is focused on the exploration of 20th Century choral art form. The demographic is not limited to the Mount Washington Valley, NH, area as we have a membership that stretches from Sandwich, NH to Bridgton and Saco, ME. For more information, see our web site at newvocalcollective.org

Customer Reviews:

Brownvcljazz is vindictive.......2005-06-18

The only reason for writing such a caustic review is because of some personal connection to this group (the reviewer in question only wrote 1 review submitted twice - not a person who comments on much of the professed music about which they know so much). Certainly, this is an amateur group which shouldn't preclude them from having their "Beginnings..." begin somewhere. The second year of this particular group produced recordings that were quite splendid, but were never pressed for sale. The ensmeble is still performing today, although with not the same professional aspirations as before.

Yes, the album is amateur. You will not find sparkling renditions here and the orchestra is certainly make shift. However, you will find some diamonds in the rough. Certainly, a good effort from a group with lots of potential. Brownvcljazz needs to lighten up. I was connected to some of the performers in this effort and I applaud this effort to try and create something special in an area of New England where efforts like this are rarely seen.

A mediocre amateur vocal group.......2002-08-01

Speaking from my wide exposure to many top-quality professional vocal groups, the "New Vocal Collective" is composed of obviously amateur singers lacking good vocal technique directed with mediocrity. The actual pieces performed include some of my most favorite vocal arrangements and compositions (the reason for my purchase of the CD). Unfortunately, the renditions on the CD don't exhibit the brilliance, beauty and originality inherent in the scores.

A mediocre amateur vocal group.......2002-08-01

Speaking from a wide exposure to many top-quality professional vocal groups, the "New Vocal Collective" is composed of obviously amateur singers lacking good vocal technique directed with mediocrity. The actual pieces performed include some of my most favorite vocal arrangements and compositions (the reason for my purchase of the CD). Unfortunately, the renditions on the CD don't exhibit the brilliance, beauty and originality inherent in the scores.

Tracks:

Soft Breezes
The Revolution
A Child Is Born
New Beginnings
Primal Scream
Ode To Trane

Average customer rating:

Pullen's ultimate ode to life
Don Pullen, a 20th century master
new beginnings blew my mind
Don Pullen Trio
Excellent

New Beginnings
Don Pullen
Manufacturer: Blue Note Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Avant Garde & Free Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music

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Random Thoughts
Evidence of Things Unseen
Ode to Life
Live...Again
Kele Mou Bana

ASIN: B000005HF4
Release Date: 1990-10-25

Tracks:

Jana's Delight
Once Upon A Time
Warriors
New Beginnings
At The Cafe Centrale
Reap The Whirlwind
Silence=Death

Customer Reviews:

Pullen's ultimate ode to life.......2006-08-05

"New Beginnings" is probably Don Pullen's most accomplished release. While avant-garde jazz tends to be inaccessible, "New Beginnings" manages to somehow find the perfect balance between cutting-edge inventiveness and accessibility. The melodies and compositions are highly compelling while the improvisation is explosive. Indeed, Pullen's break-neck solos blaze with concussive power. 'Warriors' for example is a musical assault. 'Once Upon A Time' sounds strangely familiar to Phish's 'Oh Kee Pah Ceremony.' Unlike Pullen's work on Hamiet Bluiett's "Resolution," this jazz is 'out there' but it seldomly goes too far. With the exception of 'At the Café Centrale,' "New Beginnings" doesn't have the Latin feel of the African-Brazilian Connection; this is straight jazz that leans heavily into the avant-garde. Most songs have uplifting and politically liberal themes. The liner notes are written by none other than Stanley Crouch. All in all, "New Beginnings" may be Don Pullen's ultimate ode to life.

Don Pullen, a 20th century master.......2006-07-09

This CD occupies a special place in my collection. It is one of my favorite CDs and Don Pullen's 1988 "masterpiece". When I first heard this music, I was so excited I played it over and over, discovering something new each time. Many jazz musicians were rediscovering and reinterpreting the classics during this decade. Mr. Pullen was making classics. His unique and innovative piano style/composition bridges the gap between avant garde and mainstream jazz. This CD, along with 1990s "Random Thoughts", deserves a place alongside classic recordings by Duke Ellington, Art Tatum, Thelonious Monk and Bud Powell. His aggressive and arabesque percussive technique sometimes weaves in and out of the melody with ease and, at other times, deconstructs it. But, and this is the key to Pullen's success, he never looses the listener, unlike Cecil Taylor (Pullen's idol). Pullen, Peacock (bass) and Williams (drums) fit together so seamlessly that the listener exalts in their orgasmic synergy! I can't say enough good things about this CD. You'll understand why when you listen. Again, as with Ellington's "Far East Suite", it is a crime this CD is currently unavailable. Beg, borrow or steal!

new beginnings blew my mind.......2004-04-06

and saved my soul.

happened to hear this title track on wbgo.org at one of the most pivotal moments of my life - it reduced me to tears, and ultimate redemption.

extraordinary beautiful artist > excited to discover Don fully, and find hidden recordings w. his touch.

Don Pullen Trio.......2004-02-13

Don Pullen was under-recorded during his too-short life, and now after his death it is even more of a shame to see his major works go out of print. Such seems to be the case with "New Beginnings," a trio date featuring veterans Gary Peacock on bass and Tony Williams on drums recorded in 1988. Pullen recorded with a variety of bands (with Mingus, the George Adams/Don Pullen quartet, solo, and with his latter-day Afro-Brazilian Connection), but he really shines in the trio format where his playing gets center stage. This album -- arguably Pullen's best -- along with "Random Thoughts" (also worth picking up) represent the only trio dates that he recorded.

Anyway, the music... Pullen is known for his ability to stretch into free-spirited explorations within songs, while usually staying connected with, or eventually returning to, the melody. His excursions typically include percussive and dissonant cluster attacks, rolling runs up and down the keyboard, and tinkling trills and glissandi. He therefore often gets compared to Cecil Taylor, though Pullen is clearly more rooted in the melody and therefore much more accessible. This album contains healthy doses of all his stylistics with characteristic Pullen-treatments featured heavily on each of the tracks. Many of these have Pullen stating a theme, then reformulating it over and again, each time with more embellishments -- kind of like laying down bricks layer by layer to build a wall, and then tearing the whole thing to pieces. His energy and joyous enthusiasm give him a unique voice and tracks like "Once Upon a Time" and "Warriors" really rock. "Reap the Whirlwind" gets pretty frenetic, approaching Cecil Taylor territory, but once again never quite cutting the tethers to earth. Peacock and Williams provide excellent back-up, but really leave Pullen in the spotlight throughout. The CD bonus track "Silence=Death" is a beautiful, mostly straight-ahead unaccompanied ballad. Great stuff and deserving of wider recognition and re-release.

Excellent.......2003-06-01

This is an excellent cd, I had the privilege of seeing him play once. He has an unusual playing style I've never heard anyone play the piano like don pullen, he uses the keys in way's that are unreal but sounds fantastic! On this particular cd his playing style is aggressive and free, he seems to explore different sounds and styles and it sounds wonderful, this is one of my favorite jazz cd's, a must have in anyones music collection, all the songs are good especially "Janas delight". Well worth 5 stars!

Average customer rating:

American Classic Fantastic!

Manufacturer: Pro Organo
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

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ASIN: B0000AVHB0
Release Date: 2003-08-26

Musica Femina: Celebrates Women Composers

Average customer rating:

Musica Femina: Celebrates Women Composers

Manufacturer: Lilac Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Baroque (c.1600-1750) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Italian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
ASIN: B00008FB7Q
Release Date: 1997-10-14

Jazz Music:

Jazz Music

Jazz Music