Sid James

Album: Stanley Jordan (guitar) - Magic Touch
(Blue Note / Capitol, 1985)

A great guitar album, featuring West Coast style jazz with a twist. Stanley Jordan can play one guitar to sound like two! No overdubbing or anything like that, this is him doing literally what I said. Amazing to hear, with a mix of solo tracks and songs featuring the whole ensemble. A whole variety of songs, from originals to things by Miles Davis, Thelonious Monk, Jimi Hendrix and Lennon & McCartney.

Then more jazz guitar, comparing Wes Montgomery's more straight Mid-West style to Elek Bacsik's European style, both from the 1960's. A more free improvising approach from Montgomery, while Bacsik's style is very refined, with hints of the gypsy jazz feel of the great Django Reinhardt (who was a distant relative of Bacsik's!).

Round About Midnight (T. Monk)
Wes Montgomery, guitar & his quintet, featuring Johnny Griffin, tenor sax
(from their Paris concert, 1965, on Red X / LeJazz label)

Three to get ready (D. Brubeck)
So what (M. Davis)
Le saison des pluies (S. Gainsbourg / E. Bacsik)*
Elek Bacsik, guitar with Guy Pedersen, double bass; Daniel Humair, drums; *Maurice Vander, organ
(from Jazz in Paris series, Elek Bacsik - Guitar Conceptions on Gitanes / Universal label)

Brahms
Piano Quintet in F minor, Op. 34
Elisabeth Leonskaja, piano with the Alban Berg Quartet
Recorded live in Vienna, 1987
(from EMI 2 cd set, Piano Quintets)

A first listen to this quite expansive work & quite epic, for a chamber work. It came across as more complex than what I'm usually used to with Brahms, and kind of Baroque. The last two movements had some very vigorous moments, but I was also amazed at pianist Elisabeth Leonskaja's nimbleness and flexibility. An amazing work and excellent performance all round.

F. Couperin
Messe pour les paroisses (Mass for the parishes) (1690)
Gillian Weir, organ of Prediger-Kirche, Zurich (Switz.)
(Decca Eloquence, 2 cd set of Couperin's organ masses)

Then this rather relaxing and meditative organ music, composed by a young Francois Couperin, only in his early twenties then. This work is really about nuance and subtlety. The counterpoint is rather simple and the focus is on clarity and contemplation, but there are dancy bits.

This recording has the organ part, but the mass done in reality would include plain chant singing, upon which these melodies are based. The Benedictus is for me the emotionally most deep part of this work, while the contrasting Dialogue sur la voix humaine does come across as more down to earth, the organ sounding very much like the woodwinds of an orchestra and quite like vocal music too.

A great sounding recording as well, and the playing seems quite clear and direct.

Barber
Summer Music for wind quintet, Op. 31 (1955)
Jeanne Baxtresser, flute / Joseph Robinson, oboe / Stanley Drucker, clarinet / Judith Le Clair, bassoon / Philip Myers, horn
(EMI 2 cd set, Barber orchestral, instrumental, chamber music)

Finally a tribute to Samuel Barber on his birthday. This piece alternates between slow, kind of languid and dreamy sections and more spiky and vigorous dancy bits, reminiscent of Stravinsky and maybe jazz too. This is a very enjoyable virtuoso ensemble work in the modern style.

Eric Clapton, unplugged album (1992) on Reprise/Time Warner label.

A great album done live, Clapton's song Tears in Heaven - written for his son who died only four years old - was quite emotional. A varied set with some good blues numbers as well. Great in all.



Jehan Alain (1911-1940)
From Organ works, vol. 1
- Litanies
- Deux Danses a Agni Yavashita
- Monodie
Eric Lebrun, organ
(on Naxos label)

Alain's works are an interesting mix of many things, primarily Gregorian chant, but also Asian and kind of minimalist vibes. His showpiece Litanies is relatively well known, often played at recitals, but overall his works are more low key and have lots of low level activity, stuff going on under the surface. Amazing sounds garnered from the organ here, almost electronic at times.



Schubert
Piano quintet in A, 'The trout' D667
Elisabeth Leonskaja, piano with Alban Berg Quartet (on EMI)

A great work here played with real delicacy by both the pianist and the string players. Bubbly and effervescent, & a lot of fun to boot.

Victor Borge - Caught in the act album (CBS vinyl record)

Then the hilarious Victor Borge, breaking down pretensions of classical music and sending up anything he can get his hands on. Everything's a target here, from the cliches of Mozart's operas to Liszt's Liebestraume. He also does a medley of tunes that is more Borge by far than the things he plays. Someone said that Horowitz should have been banned from playing the piano for the liberties he took, well Borge took many more but in the name of fun of course. Many true and not plastic laugh out loud moments in this live performance from I'd guess the 1950's or '60's.

Prokofiev
Sonata for two violins, Op. 56 (1932)
Veronika Jaruskova and Eva Karova, violins
(Supraphon cd)

I enjoyed the vigorous & muscular counterpoint in this work, as well as those special vibes of Prokofiev's music, which he managed to capture with only two instruments.



To finish, some Irish music for St. Pat's day.

Bill Whelan (arr. Field) - Riverdance & American Wake from Riverdance The Show
From album: Nostalgica by Saffire, The Australian Guitar Quartet - Antony Field, Slava Grigoryan, Karin Schaupp, Gareth Koch on guitars
(ABC Classics cd)

Album: Moody Blues - Sur la mer
Justin Hayward, guitars, keyboards, vocals; John Lodge, bass, keyboards, vocals; Graeme Edge, acoustic drums; Patrick Moraz, keyboards (compositions by Hayward & Lodge)
(Polygram, 1988)

Some great drum playing here, I thought, and all in all a relaxing album. It reflects the vibe of the painting on the cover, done by Nicholas de Stael in 1955.



Britten - The Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra (Variations & Fugue on a theme by Purcell)
Sean Connery, narrator / Royal PO / Antal Dorati
(Belart / Decca - Children's Classics album)

A favourite work of mine which in my younger years introduced me to the modern orchestra. After the introduction, each section of the orchestra plays it's own variations on it, and then the final fugue weaves together both Purcell's and Britten's themes. The narrator here, a young Sean Connery, was kind of charming but natural.



J.S. Bach - Chaconne from Partita for solo violin #2 in D minor, BWV1004
Ruggiero Ricci, vln.
(Decca Eloquence)

An amazing cathedral in sound this, and a memorial to Bach's first wife who'd just died when he wrote this. Very emotional, and a young Ruggiero Ricci certainly does not hold back in that regard.

Some Spanish music, the salon like refinement & whimsy of Sarasate contrasted with the more gritty & serious feel of the de Falla songs. Both very popular and great music to listen to, those unique Spanish harmonies.

Sarasate
- Habanera, Op. 21 #2 *
- Playera, Op. 23
- Spanish Dance, Op. 26 #8
- Malaguena, Op. 21 #1 *
- Caprice Basque, Op. 24 *
- Romanza Andaluza, Op. 22
- Zapataedo, Op. 23
* Arr. by Francescatti
Itzhak Perlman, vln. / Samuel Sanders, pno.
(EMI)



de Falla
7 canciones populares espanolas (7 popular Spanish songs) - arr. by Miguel Llobet & Manuel Barrueco
Ann Monoyios, soprano / Manuel Barrueco, guitar
(EMI)

A nice wide ranging selection of discs there, SJ (referring to items posted today 26 March 2012). Moody Blues - Sur la mer reads quite interesting. There are one or two clips at youtube. It certainly does sound very 80's sound. Even I can recognise so!

Yes, the Moody Blues Sur la mer album did have that 8o's sound as you say, quite melodic and optimistic. They are still going strong, they are in their sixties now, roughly. I plan to get into more of their music given time. I enjoyed this album, their playing was really professional (I think at least one of them is classically trained, & this seems to be the case with some of the "old rockers" & some of the younger ones as well).

Tommy Emmanuel - Can't get enough album
(Capitol, 1996)

A great album, featuring Nathan East on bass (he was Eric Clapton's bass player) and Chet Atkins on guitar. Tommy Emmanuel is one of Australia's best guitarists, a big influence for him early on was Wes Montgomery, but this album came across as a mix of things, from jazz, to rock, classical & flamenco. Compositions here mainly by Emmanuel himself, but also others, eg. the last track being Fields of Gold by Sting.

Dvorak Piano Quintet in A, Op. 81
Rudolf Buchbinder, piano with the Alban Berg Quaret (EMI)

A work here imbued with Czech folkishness, esp. the famous slow movement called Dumka, with its alternating slow & lyrical passages with fast & vigorous ones. Not easy to play by the sounds of it, and I enjoyed this recording.

Milhaud Service Sacre - Sabbath Morning Service (1947), with additional prayers for Friday evening (1947-50)
Yaron Windmueller, baritone / Rabbi Rodney Marriner, reader / Prague Philharmonic Choir / Czech PO / Gerard Schwarz (Naxos)

This is an optimistic work that speaks to universal values. Stylistically it combines many things, from Milhaud's trademark rhythmic and tonal flexbility, with music coming from both the Jewish and Christian traditions. It's quite a moving work, and Rabbi Rodney Marriner (an Australian) speaks in a natural way but with reverence. This is the first and only recording of the whole work uncut, with the prayers for Firday evening included, & its a joy to hear.

William Bolcom Cabaret Songs (text, poems of Arnold Weinstein)
Measha Brueggergosman, soprano / BBC SO / David Robertson (DGG)

To finish, a guy who Milhaud actually taught, master of American song William Bolcom. These songs, both whimsical and profound, are basically about people who are outsiders. From the old man who reminisces about his younger days in the 1930's in Black Max, to the girl who is a source of irrepressable joy in this often bland world in Amor, to the drag queen who is welcoming of strangers and pays the ultimate price for it in George. These songs were orchestrated by the composer for Canadian soprano Measha Brueggergosman, and she shines in these, showing not only her vocal agility but also ability to act, which is essential for cabaret.

Album: Stevie Wonder - In Square Circle
Written, produced & arranged by Stevie Wonder - Digitally recorded & mixed at Wonderland Studios (Motown Records cd, 1985)

Quite an upbeat album here, even the last song which has an anti-Apartheid theme was more light than dark, except for the war cries of Zulu warriors. Overall it had the lyricism I associate with Stevie Wonder's music.

From album: Edith Piaf - 20 'French' hit singles
- Johnny tu n'es pas un ange (Paul - Lemarque)
- La goulante du pavre Jean (Rouzard - Monnot)
- Milord (Moustaki - Monnot)
- Non, je ne regrette rien (Dumont - Vaucare)
- Exodus (Gold - Marnay)
Edith Piaf on vocals with various groups (EMI)

The very emotional voice of the little sparrow, Edith Piaf, one of the great masters of French chanson here. She covers all emotions in these, from whimsy to tragedy to humanity. Great arrangements too, featuring not only the typically French button accordion, but also vocal & orchestral backing, and even the harpsichord!

Milhaud La Creation du monde (Genesis), Op. 81
Orchestre National de France / Leonard Bernstein (EMI)

This work starts and ends with a rather solemn quote from Bach's St. Matthew Passion, played on sax. The chamber group, with piano, winds, brass, strings, percussion reflects the lineup of bands which Milhaud heard in Harlem, New York. The rhythms and moods change constantly, with some very groovy vibes throughout.



We also compared the same tango (#7, Corcovado) from the two versions of Saudades do Brasil on this cd. With Milhaud conducting it was more lean and pared down (eg. using a smaller orchestra), while Bernstein's - 30 seconds longer - had more contrasts in dynamics and tempo (eg. a few touches of rubato), it was more Romantic in mood, more sweeping and emotional like the tango itself.

Satie (from Cabaret Songs)
- L'Omnibus automobile *
- Je te veux **
Measha Brueggergosman, soprano / *with Willaim Bolcom on piano / **with BBC SO & David Robertson conducting - orchestrated by Bolcom
(DGG)

Two cabaret songs of Satie, the first presenting an image of a bus laden with bags of concrete going like a juggernaut through the streets of Paris, mowing people down, obviously representing the senselesness of war. The second a pretty down to earth love song. Both show Satie's anti- Wagnerism - eg. the repetition, banality, sense of the absurd, lack of thematic development, etc. - which were to prove highly influential long after Satie's death.