IGOR STRAVINSKY : Le Sacre du Printemps · Pétrouchka (Chicago Symphony Orchestra · Sir Georg Solti) (1995) APE (image+.cue), lossless

This immensely powerful and incandescent performance by The Rite of Spring (recorded in excellent stereo in 1974) is definitely one of Solti's great performances with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra (and even better than the one recorded live in the 90s with the Concertgebouw). The director draws a relentless forward momentum at a fast-paced pace and, at the same time, vividly highlights all the details of the score. It is a direct performance where music takes an incredible life with vigor and primeval force, thanks to the excellence of the strings, winds and metal sections.
Some of the above temperament can be applied to the original version (1911) of the Petrouchka ballet, recorded in the mid-1990s by the same performers, although now savage primitivism is aptly tempered by the greater refinement of a more dancing-style.
In any case, a sensational disc with a shocking sound that would have deserved editorial content equal to the performances (without informative notes of the works or exact dates of recording). Amazon    Tracklist & Credits :

VARÈSE : The Complete Works (Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra · Asko Ensemble · Riccardo Chailly) 2CD (1998) FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

Wonderfully performed by the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, the Asko Ensemble, dir. Riccardo Chailly. At long last, the complete work of this brilliant composer, including the original version of "Amériques," as well as several previously unpublished works. The entire project was assembled with the assistance of composer Chou Wen-Chung, who had worked directly with Varèse. This massive undertaking includes the following works: "Tuning Up," "Amériques," "Arcana," "Poème Électronique," "Nocturnal," "Un Grand Sommeil Noir" (in both the original and orchestral versions),"Offrandes," "Hyperprism," "Octandre," "Intégrales," "Ecuatorial," "Ionisation," "Density 21.5," "Déserts," and "Dance for Burgess." Gene Tyranny
EDGAR VARESE (1883-1965)
1.1 *
Tuning Up 5:00
Score Editor [Reconstruction and editing by] – Chou Wen-chung
Amériques (Original Version) 24:38
Score Editor [Performing edition prepared from the original manuscript by] – Chou Wen-chung
24:38
Poème Électronique 8:02
Transferred By [Transfer from the original master by] – Kees Tazelaar, Konrad Boehmer
Arcana    18:22
Nocturnal 10:25
Score Editor [Edited and completed by] – Chou Wen-chung
Un Grand Sommeil Noir 4:08
Orchestrated By – Antony Beaumont
2.2 **
Un Grand Sommeil Noir (Original Version) 2:46
Piano – François Kerdoncuff
Soprano Vocals – Mireille Delunsch
Offrandes
Soprano Vocals – Sarah Leonard
Hyperprism 4:18
Score Editor [Revised by] – Richard Saks
Octandre
Score Editor [Revised and edited by] – Chou Wen-chung
Intégrales 10:18
Score Editor [Revised and edited by] – Chou Wen-chung
Ecuatorial 11:27
Bass Vocals – Kevin Deas
Score Editor [Corrections from the original manuscript by] – Chou Wen-chung
Ionisation    5:51
Density 21.5 4:05
Flute – Jacques Zoon
Déserts    
Dance For Burgess 1:48
Score Editor [Completed edition by] – Chou Wen-chung

Conductor – Riccardo Chailly
Orchestra – Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra
Ensemble – Asko Ensemble

SCRIABIN : The Complete Works (2015) 18CD Box-Set / APE (image+.cue), lossless

ALEXANDER SCRIABIN 1872-1915

The Complete Works

The First Complete Edtition                                         

Including 64 Newly-Recorded Tracks

 

Works for piano solo                             

CD1 Opp. 1-5

 

CD2 Opp. 6-8

CD3 Opp. 9-14

CD4 Opp. 15-23

CD5 Opp. 25, 27, 28, 30-35

CD6 Opp. 36-53

CD7 Opp. 56-59, 61-65

CD8 Opp. 66-74

CD9 Works without opus number

Chamber & Orchestral Works

CD10  

Variation on a Russian Theme

Andante and Scherzo for strings

Symphonic poem, Wo0 24

Piano Concerto • Rêverie

CD 11

Symphony No. 1

CD 12

Symphony No. 2

CD 13

Symphony No. 3 "Le Divin Poème"

 

CD 14

Le Poème de l'extase

Prométhée : Le Poème du feu

 

CD 15-17

Nuances, orch. Nemtin

Preparation for the Final Mystery, realised Nemtin

BONUS CD

(CD 18)

Scriabin across the generations - 

Performances by legenday pianists

and artists of the younger generation

 

Soloists and Conductors include:

Pierre-Laurent Aimard · Vladimir Ashkenazy

Gordon Fergus-Thompson · Valery Gergiev

Benjamin Grosvenor · Vladimir Horowitz

Yevgeny Kissin · Valentina Lisitsa

Lorin Maazel · Ivo Pogorelich

Sviatoslav Richter · Roberto Szidon

Daniil Trifonov

 

HONEGGER : Pacific 231 • Symphony No.2 • Rugby • Mouvement Symphonique No.3 • Pastorale D'été • Monopartita (David Zinman) (1999) FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

DOHNÁNYI : Piano Quintet; Sextet (András Schiff, Takács Quartet) (2010) FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

RADU LUPU - Complete Decca Solo Recordings (2010) 10CD / FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

It takes only 10 discs to contain the complete solo Decca recordings of Radu Lupu, one of the great pianists of the late 20th century. It's also amazing that these few recordings stretch over a quarter of a century, from 1971 to 1995, making Lupu one of the most infrequently recorded of the great pianists; even Argerich and Michelangeli have outdistanced him. Yet even that is not the most amazing thing about this collection; it is the performances themselves, some of which are among the greatest ever made. Has any pianist ever topped Lupu's heroic account of Brahms' F minor Sonata, or his poetic readings of the composer's late piano works? Has any ever equaled, much less surpassed, his deeply inward performances of Schubert's Moments musicaux or his two sets of Impromptus? Has any account of Beethoven's "Moonlight" Sonata ever glowed brighter, or any reading of the "Waldstein" Sonata ever been more ecstatically serene? And has any pianist ever caught the uncanny mixture of the playful, the romantic, and the diabolical in Schumann's Kreisleriana? Anyone interested in great piano playing should avail themselves of these superlative performances at their earliest possible opportunity. by James Leonard  
All Tracks & Credits

PROKOFIEV : Janine Jansen (2015) FLAC (tracks), lossless

Dutch violinist Janine Jansen has made some unorthodox recordings (check out her Vivaldi Four Seasons sometime), but here, in a work in which proportion and technique are exquisitely balanced, she plays it straight with impressive results. Prokofiev's Violin Concerto No. 2, composed in 1935 just before his return to the Soviet Union from France, has always been a popular repertory item, but Jansen's reading, ably accompanied by the London Philharmonic Orchestra under Vladimir Jurowski, has a pearly quality throughout, a kind of bright ease, that comes only at the highest levels of technique. Also notable is the combination of the concerto, not with the usual and unnecessary second repertory violin-and-orchestra piece, but with violin works of Prokofiev from roughly the same period. The program as a whole gives not only an added dose of the composer's unusually idiomatic violin writing, but also a slice of his life: the other two pieces are later than the concerto and represent further stages of his compositional life. The rarely heard Sonata for two violins in C major, Op. 56, is a spare and very attractive work that bears some relationship to the genesis of the concerto. The Violin Sonata No. 1 in F minor, Op. 80/1, on the other hand, is a Prokofiev work of the late 1930s, after the grim ramifications of Stalinism for creative artists (not to mention just about everybody else) had begun to sink in; it's one of the few Prokofiev works with an emotional content similar to the sense of menace in much of Shostakovich's output. Jansen gets this tone, always a tricky proposition for a non-Russian, and her playing throughout is both perfect and vibrant. If there's a complaint it's with the sound; the duo sonata is closely and harshly miked, capturing the experience of sitting on a piano bench next to the performers rather than that of hearing them in an acoustically well-planned hall. The concerto and the violin-and-piano sonata are better, but no great shakes. by James Manheim
Tracklist :
Violin Concerto No. 2 In G Minor, Op. 63 (27:02)
Conductor – Vladimir Jurowski
Orchestra – The London Philharmonic Orchestra
Violin – Janine Jansen

Sonata For 2 Violins In C Major, Op. 56 (16:29)
Violin – Boris Brovtsyn, Janine Jansen

Sonata For Violin And Piano In F Minor, Op. 80 No. 1 (29:26)
Piano – Itamar Golan
Violin – Janine Jansen

LEE RITENOUR & DAVE GRUSIN - Amparo (2008) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

The careers of these two jazz legends have diverged wildly since they celebrated a lifetime of friendship and collaborations with their critically acclaimed, Grammy nominated classical excursion Two Worlds in 2000. While Ritenour has kept up a busy recording pace with gems like Smoke 'N' Mirrors and his all-star tribute productions A Twist of Marley and A Twist of Motown, Grusin was largely MIA from the original recording realm, popping up only briefly in 2004 with Now Playing: Movie Themes -- Solo Piano, featuring acoustic interpretations of his best film score pieces. No doubt Grusin's fans would still love a return to the pop/jazz realm, but there's no shortage of brilliance from either performer on their classical sequel Amparo, a worthy follow-up to the first project. On the original, they took a very traditional approach, exploring the works of Bach, Bartók, and Villa-Lobos, among others, but on Amparo, the greatest surprise is the wider ranging multi-culturalism. Grusin himself composed the hypnotic opening suite of "Three Latin American Dances," which roll from a spritely "Tango en Parque Central" to percussive and dramatic swings through "Danzon de Etiqueta" and "Joropo Peligroso." The lone holdover guest from the first project is opera great Renée Fleming, whose wordless transcendence blends magically with violinist Joshua Bell on a dreamy Gabriel Fauré piece. The duo then goes folky to pleasing effect on the graceful, charmingly lyrical and orchestra enhanced "English Folk Song Suite," which they cap with "Since I First Saw Your Face," a bright slice of 17th century English romance delivered sweetly by guest vocalist James Taylor. Before returning to tradition via the rich string arrangement on Ravel's "Mother Goose Suite," Grusin and Ritenour lovingly recall their mid-'80s Brazilian-influenced jazz project Harlequin by tapping into Jobim's passionate "Olha Maria (Amparo)" with the sweetening of Bell's violin. The thoughtful Rit original "Echos" is followed by two wonderful showcases for one of the 2000s most popular trumpeters, Chris Botti, who is perfectly at home bringing beauty and brilliance to "Adagio in G Minor" and Handel's lively "Rinaldo, Duetto," which he performs as a cheery, then pensive, then happy again narrative duet with Fleming's world-renowned vocal prowess. The sheer artistry of Amparo will make fans of all of the artists involved hope that the dynamic duo won't wait till 2016 before enchanting them again with this kind of welcome excursion. by Jonathan Widran  
Tracklist :
Three Latin American Dances   
1    I. Tango En Parque Central 4:39
Composed By – Dave Grusin
2    II. Danzon De Etiqueta 4:51
Composed By – Dave Grusin
3    III. Joropo Peligroso 6:19
Composed By – Dave Grusin
4    Pavane, Op. 50 5:51
Composed By – Gabriel Fauré
Soprano Vocals – Renée Fleming
Violin – Joshua Bell
5    English Folk Song Suite - My Bonny Boy 5:04
Composed By – Ralph Vaughan Williams
Percussion – Luis Conte
6    Since First I Saw Your Face 3:33
Composed By – Anonymous
Flute [Wooden] – Dan Higgins
Vocals – James Taylor
7    Olha Maria (Amparo) 4:37
Composed By – Antonio Carlos Jobim
Violin – Joshua Bell
8    Ma Mère L'Oye (Mother Goose Suite) 4:50
Composed By – Maurice Ravel
9    Échos 5:56
Composed By – Lee Ritenour
Percussion – Luis Conte
10    Adagio In G Minor 5:37
Composed By – Tomaso Albinoni
Trumpet – Chris Botti
11    Duetto: Scherzano Sul Tuo Volto From "Rinaldo" 3:58
Composed By – George Frideric Handel
Soprano Vocals – Renée Fleming
Trumpet – Chris Botti
Credits :
Arranged By – Dave Grusin, Lee Ritenour (faixas: 9)
Guitar – Lee Ritenour
Piano – Dave Grusin

LEE RITENOUR & DAVE GRUSIN - Two Worlds (2000) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Forging a unique creative relationship, Lee Ritenour and Dave Grusin's mutual professional history extends back some two decades. Ritenour was a core artist on Grusin's label, GRP, throughout the 1980s and early '90s; in 1986, they first collaborated on the Grammy Award winning Harlequin, a critically-acclaimed, Brazilian-themed recording. Ritenour also appeared on many of the pianist/composer's film scores and solo recordings, and the two jammed together on GRP Super Live in 1987. Two Worlds, the classical-oriented labor of love that reunites the two legends, is more than simply a beautiful creative departure from their usual jazz-oriented projects. A blend of original compositions and respectful reworkings of timeless classics from Bach, Bartok, Villalobos, Mompov, and Segovia, the collection -- which features stellar guest performances by opera star Renee Fleming, violinist Gil Shaham, and cellist Julian Lloyd-Webber -- finds Ritenour and Grusin joyously reconnecting with their rich classical roots. Among the highlights are the lush, highly percussive Vivaldi/Bach piece "Bach Concerto, featuring a twenty-piece string section; "Bachianas Aria," a piece from Brazilian composer Villalobos, provides a showcase for opera diva Renee Fleming. As for the original compositions, there's the haunting, melodic "Elegia," which Grusin composed many years ago for his late father, a violinist, featuring Gil Shaham; "Lagrima (Lee's Prelude)," a graceful Ritenour original led by the classical guitar; "River's Song," Grusin's clever medley adaptation of the folk songs "The Water Is Wide" and "Shenandoah," featuring Fleming on vocals and "Canto," an Italian-styled "winter song" which Grusin originally wrote for a Ritenour project in the late '70s. Timeless yet contemporary, Two Worlds is beautiful reunion of these musical soul mates. by Jonathan Widran  
Tracklist :
Concerto for 4 harpsichords, strings & continuo in A minor (after Vivaldi, RV 580), BWV 1065    
1     1. Allegro 4:34
Johann Sebastian Bach
Transcription By – Dave Grusin
Bachianas Brasileiras No. 5, for voice & piano, A. 390    
2     Aria (Cantilena) 5:05
Heitor Villa-Lobos
Transcription By – Dave Grusin
Featuring, Soprano Vocals – Renée Fleming
Sonatina for guitar in A major    
3     2. Andante 4:32
Federico Moreno Torroba / Moreno Federi Larrega Torroba
Percussion – Luis Conte
Transcription By – Dave Grusin, Lee Ritenour
Elegia, for 2 violins ("A Henri")    
4     Introduction and Epilogue from "Liebesleid" 3:22
Dave Grusin
Featuring, Violin – Gil Shaham, Ralph Morrison
Music By [Introduction & Epilogue from "Liebesleid"] – Fritz Kreisler
Suite Populaire Espagnole, for violin & piano (arr. from "Popular Spanish Songs" by Kochanski)    
5     3. Cancion 3:59
Manuel de Falla
Arranged By – Dave Grusin
6     Prelude for guitar No. 8 in A minor "Lágrima" 4:19
Lee Ritenour / Francisco Tárrega
7     River Songs (The Water Is Wide/Shenandoah) 7:01
Traditional
Adapted By (Text), Arranged By – Dave Grusin
Featuring, Soprano Vocals – Renée Fleming
Romanian Folk Dances (6) (Román népi táncok), for piano, Sz. 56, BB 68    
8     Stick Dance - Sash Dance - Stamping Dance - Horn Dance - Romanian Polka - Fast Dance 6:45
Béla Bartók
Transcription By – Dave Grusin
Featuring, Violin – Gil Shaham
Suite compostelana, for guitar    
9     3. Cuna 4:26
Federico Mompou
Transcription By – Dave Grusin, Lee Ritenour
Suite Populaire Espagnole, for violin & piano (arr. from "Popular Spanish Songs" by Kochanski)    
10     1. El Pano Moruno 3:18
Manuel de Falla
Arranged By – Dave Grusin
Bass – Tom Kennedy
Drums, Percussion – Alex Acuña
Featuring, Flute – James Walker
Sonata for flute & keyboard in E flat major, BWV 1031    
11     Siciliana 2:13
Johann Sebastian Bach
Featuring, Cello – Julian Lloyd Webber
Transcription By – Dave Grusin
12     Canto Invierno, for guitar & piano 3:59
Dave Grusin
Credits :
Adapted By [Strings], Arranged By [String] – Dave Grusin (faixas: 6, 9), Jorge Calandrelli (faixas: 6, 9)
Bass – Ed Meares
Cello – Cecilia Tsan, Christina Soule, Paula Hochhalter, Steve Erdody
Contractor [Orchestra] – Debbi Datz-Pyle, Patti Zimmitti, The Music Team
Viola – Carole Castillo, Carole Mukogawa, Carrie Holzman-Little, Jennie Hansen, Karen Elaine Bakunin, Keith Green, Mathew Funes, Renita Koven, Roland Kato, Scott Haupert, Victoria E. Miskolczy
Violin – Amy Hershberger, Clayton Haslop, Frances Moore, Gary Kuo, Henry Gronnier, Julie Gigante, Karen Jones, Kathleen Lenski, Lesa Terry, Leslie Katz, Liane Mautner, Lily Ho Chen, Lisa Sutton, Marc Sazer, Margaret Wooten, Mario DeLeon, Michelle Kim, Natalie Leggett, Phillip Levy, Rachel Purkin, Richard Altenbach, Roger Wilkie, Sara Parkins, Susan Rishik, Tamara Hatwan
Violin, Concertmaster – Margaret Batjer, Ralph Morrison

JERI SOUTHERN - The Very Thought of You : The DECCA Years 1951-1957 (1999) FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

Whether Jeri Southern was a jazz singer or simply a jazz-influenced pop singer has been debated. To be sure, many of her '50s recordings were heavily arranged and devoid of improvisation -- and if you believe that improvisation is a key element of jazz, you have to believe that much of her output was essentially pop. But however you categorize her, Southern was among the finest female singers of her era. This 21-song collection, which came out in 1999, underscores the excellence of her '50s output for Decca. Southern's accompaniment ranges from lush string orchestras to the trio of guitarist Dave Barbour (who was best known for his work with Peggy Lee), and on some selections, she is heard on piano. You could argue that Southern's piano solo on "I Hadn't Anyone Till You" is a jazz solo, but on most of these recordings, pop considerations prevail over jazz considerations. Blessed with a smoky, warm voice, she brings a great deal of charm and vulnerability to "The Very Thought of You," "My Ship," "I Remember You" and other standards. It's such a shame that Southern chose to retire from recording and performing in the early '60s, when she was only 36 -- quite possibly, she could have continued to record first-class pop for another 20 or 25 years. But thankfully, listeners still have fine collections like The Very Thought of You to savor. by Alex Henderson  
Tracklist :
1 You Better Go Now 3:00
Irvin Graham / Bix Reichner
2 The Very Thought Of You 3:04
Ray Noble
3 It's Delovely 2:06
Cole Porter
4 Dancing On The Ceiling 3:08
Lorenz Hart / Richard Rodgers
5 All In Fun 2:34
Oscar Hammerstein II / Jerome Kern
6 When I Fall In Love 3:04
Edward Heyman / Victor Young
7 I Hadn't Anyone Till You 2:50
Ray Noble
8 Remind Me 3:11
Dorothy Fields / Jerome Kern
9 I Don't Know Where To Turn 3:09
Ray Hutchinson / Jeri Southern
10  He Was Too Good To Me 3:42
Lorenz Hart / Richard Rodgers
11 If I Had You 2:29
Jimmy Campbell / Reginald Connelly / Ted Shapiro
12 I Remember You 3:26
Johnny Mercer / Victor Schertzinger
13 Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye 3:16
Cole Porter
14 My Ship 3:55
Ira Gershwin / Kurt Weill
15 An Occasional Man 2:32
Ralph Blane / Hugh Martin
16 Someone To Watch Over Me 3:49
George Gershwin / Ira Gershwin
17 Smoke Gets In Your Eyes 2:37
Otto Harbach / Jerome Kern
18 Close As Pages In A Book 3:03
Dorothy Fields / Sigmund Romberg
19 No Moon At All 2:32
Redd Evans / Dave Mann
20 You're Nearer 4:06
Lorenz Hart / Richard Rodgers
21 Nobody's Heart 3:25
Lorenz Hart / Richard Rodgers 

BEVERLY KENNEY - Sings for Playboys (1958-1999) RM / FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

Beverly Kenney had a tragically brief life, committing suicide in 1960 when she was just 28, probably over a broken love affair. A subtle improviser with a haunting voice and a real skill for interpreting lyrics, she had six albums released during her lifetime. Sings for Playboys, despite its lightweight title, is one of her finest efforts. Accompanied by just pianist Ellis Larkins (who doubles on celeste) and bassist Joe Benjamin, Kenney digs into a dozen songs, only five of which could qualify as standards. While she brings new life to such tunes as "A Woman's Intuition" and "Try a Little Tenderness," she performs definitive versions of such forgotten numbers as "You're My Boy," "Life Can Be Beautiful," and "It's a Most Unusual Day." The music alternates between ballads and lightly swinging pieces with Larkins being a perfect accompanist for Kenney, who is heard throughout at her most expressive. The Japanese have rediscovered Beverly Kenney during the past decade; she's long overdue for American recognition. by Scott Yanow
Tracklist :
1. Do It Again 2:38
Buddy DeSylva / George Gershwin
2. A Woman's Intuition 3:33
Ned Washington / Victor Young
3. You're My Boy 3:00
Sammy Cahn / Jule Styne
4. Mama,Do I Gotta? 2:07
Manny Kurtz / Victor Mizzy
5. What Is There To Say 3:56
Vernon Duke / E.Y. "Yip" Harburg
6. A Lover Like You 3:30
Otis Clements / Lester Judson
7. A Summer Romance 3:08
Lester Judson / Raymond Taylor
8. Life Can Be Beautiful 2:59
Harold Adamson / Jimmy McHugh
9. It's Magic 2:30
Sammy Cahn / Jule Styne
10. A-You're Adorable (The Alphabet Song) 2:32
Buddy Kaye / Sidney Lippman / Fred Wise
11. Try A Little Tenderness 3:14
Jimmy Campbell / Reginald Connelly / Harry Woods
It's A Most Unusual Day 1:47
Jimmy McHugh
Credits :
Bass – Joe Benjamin
Piano – Ellis Larkins
Vocals – Beverly Kenney

BEVERLY KENNEY - Born to Be Blue (1959- 1999) RM / FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

Born to Be Blue captures Beverly Kenney at her most intimate and compelling. Created in collaboration with arrangers Hal Mooney and Charles Albertine, the music channels the emotional depth of the blues with startling clarity, employing Kenney's deep, commanding vocals to vividly poignant effect. Mooney and Albertine forgo excess and sentimentality in favor of stark simplicity, architecting taut modern jazz contexts that shift the spotlight squarely on Kenney's vocals. Her readings of familiar songs like "For All We Know" are forged from both resiliency and vulnerability, articulating an emotional depth matched by few singers of her era. by Jason Ankeny
Tracklist :
1. Born To Be Blue 3:28
Sid Robin / Charlie Shavers
2. Isn't It A Pity 2:30
George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin
3. For All We Know 3:06
J.Fred Coots, Sam Lewis
4. It Only Happens When I Dance With You 2:41
Irving Berlin
5. Again 3:15
Orchestrated By – Hal Mooney
Written By – Cochran, Dorcas, Lionel Newman
6. I Walk A Little Faster 2:50
Carolyn Leigh, Cy Coleman
7. Go Away, My Love 2:30
Orchestrated By – Hal Mooney
Written By – Jay Livingston, Ray Evans
8. Beyond The Next Hill 2:51
Orchestrated By – Hal Mooney
Bob Haymes, Bobby Woeth
9. It's A Blue World 2:18
Bob Wright, Chet Forrest
10. Vanity 2:56
Orchestrated By – Hal Mooney
Written By – Bierman, Manus, Wood
11. Somewhere Along The Way 3:02
Kurt Adams, Sammy Gallop
12. Where Can I Go Without You 2:24
Orchestrated By – Hal Mooney
Written By – Peggy Lee, Victor Young
Credits :
Orchestrated By Charles Albertine (tracks: 1, 6, 9, 11, 13), Hal Mooney (tracks: 2-5, 7, 8, 10, 12)
Piano – Ellis Larkins
Trumpet – Charlie Shavers (tracks: 3, 4, 10)
Vocals – Beverly Kenney

BEVERLY KENNEY - Like Yesterday (1959-1999) RM / FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

With Like Yesterday Beverly Kenney updates a series of pop standards with a formula rooted in the archly modern sound of Eisenhower-era jazz—experienced decades after the fact, the album boasts a timelessness that renders its basic conceits of time and place moot, especially given that the fierce intelligence of Kenney's phrasing and the sultry depth of her vocals contrast so sharply with the Doris Day stereotypes associated with the period in question. Backed by a small but exemplary supporting cast including guitarist Chuck Wayne and reedist Jerome Richardson, Kenney eschews embellishment and excess in favor of lean, taut arrangements that emphasize emotional context—her readings of familiar songs like "More Than You Know" and "A Sunday Kind of Love" possess a startling intimacy. by Jason Ankeny
Tracklist :
1.  Undecided 2:11
Bass – Bill Pemberton
Drums – Ed Shaughnessy
Guitar – Chuck Wayne
Piano – Stan Free
Tenor Saxophone – Al Klink
Trombone – Eddie Bert
2. Sentimental Journey 2:05
Bass – Bill Pemberton
Drums – Ed Shaughnessy
Guitar – Chuck Wayne
Percussion – Johnny Rae
Piano – Stan Free
Vibraphone – Johnny Rae
3. I Had The Craziest Dream 2:21
Bass – Bill Pemberton
Drums – Ed Shaughnessy
Guitar – Chuck Wayne
Piano – Stan Free
Tenor Saxophone – Al Klink
Trombone – Eddie Bert
4. And The Angels Sing 1:44
Bass – Bill Pemberton
Drums – Ed Shaughnessy
Guitar – Chuck Wayne
Piano – Stan Free
Trumpet – Stan Free
Woodwind – Jerome Richardson
5. More Than You Know 2:39
Bass – Bill Pemberton
Drums – Ed Shaughnessy
Guitar – Chuck Wayne
Piano – Stan Free
Woodwind – Jerome Richardson
6. The Dipsy Doodle 1:44
Bass – Bill Pemberton
Drums – Ed Shaughnessy
Guitar – Chuck Wayne
Piano – Stan Free
Woodwind – Jerome Richardson
7. What A Difference A Day Made 2:17
Bass – Bill Pemberton
Drums – Ed Shaughnessy
Guitar – Chuck Wayne
Percussion – Johnny Rae
Piano – Stan Free
Vibraphone – Johnny Rae
8. Somebody Else Is Taking My Place 2:01
Bass – Bill Pemberton
Drums – Ed Shaughnessy
Guitar – Chuck Wayne
Piano – Stan Free
Tenor Saxophone – Al Klink
Trombone – Eddie Bert
9. A Sunday Kind Of Love 2:30
Bass – Bill Pemberton
Drums – Ed Shaughnessy
Guitar – Chuck Wayne
Piano – Stan Free
Tenor Saxophone – Al Klink
Trombone – Eddie Bert
10.  Any Old Time 1:34
Bass – Bill Pemberton
Drums – Ed Shaughnessy
Guitar – Chuck Wayne
Piano – Stan Free
Woodwind – Jerome Richardson
11. Happiness Is A Thing Called Joe 2:18
Bass – Bill Pemberton
Drums – Ed Shaughnessy
Guitar – Chuck Wayne
Percussion – Johnny Rae
Piano – Stan Free
Vibraphone – Johnny Rae
12. Tampico 2:00
Bass – Bill Pemberton
Drums – Ed Shaughnessy
Guitar – Chuck Wayne
Percussion – Johnny Rae
Piano – Stan Free
Vibraphone – Johnny Rae 

PEGGY LEE - Black Coffee With Peggy Lee (1956-1999) RM / FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Peggy Lee left Capitol in 1952 for, among several other reasons, the label's refusal to let her record and release an exotic, tumultuous version of "Lover." Lee was certainly no Mitch Miller songbird, content to loosen her gorgeous pipes on any piece of tripe foisted upon her; she was a superb songwriter with a knowledge of production and arrangement gained from work in big bands and from her husband, Dave Barbour (although the two weren't together at the time). The more open-minded Decca acquiesced to her demand, and watched its investment pay off quickly when the single became her biggest hit in years. Black Coffee was Lee's next major project. Encouraged by longtime Decca A&R Milt Gabler, she hired a small group including trumpeter Pete Candoli and pianist Jimmy Rowles (two of her favorite sidemen) to record an after-hours jazz project similar in intent and execution to Lee Wiley's "Manhattan project" of 1950, Night in Manhattan. While the title-track opener of Black Coffee soon separated itself from the LP -- to be taught forever after during the first period of any Torch Song 101 class -- the album doesn't keep to its concept very long; Lee is soon enough in a bouncy mood for "I've Got You Under My Skin" and very affectionate on "Easy Living." (If there's a concept at work here, it's the vagaries of love.) Listeners should look instead to "It Ain't Necessarily So" or "Gee, Baby, Ain't I Good to You?" for more examples of Lee's quintessentially slow-burn sultriness. Aside from occasionally straying off-concept, however, Black Coffee is an excellent record, spotlighting Lee's ability to shine with every type of group and in any context. [When originally recorded and released in 1953, Black Coffee was an eight-song catalog of 78s. Three years later, Decca commissioned an LP expansion of the record, for which Lee recorded several more songs. The 2004 Verve edition is therefore a reissue of the 1956 12-song LP.] by John Bush  

Tracklist :

1 Black Coffee 3:09
Sonny Burke / Paul Francis Webster
2 I've Got You Under My Skin 2:31
Cole Porter
3 Easy Living 2:47
Ralph Rainger / Leo Robin
4 My Heart Belongs to Daddy  2:11
Cole Porter
5 It Ain't Necessarily So 3:26
George Gershwin / Ira Gershwin
6 Gee, Baby, Ain't I Good to You? 3:26
Andy Razaf / Don Redman
7 A Woman Alone With the Blues 3:16
Willard Robison
8 I Didn't Know What Time It Was 2:21
Richard Rodgers
9 (Ah, The Apple Trees) When the World Was Young 3:21
Johnny Mercer
10 Love Me or Leave Me 2:10
Walter Donaldson / Gus Kahn
11 You're My Thrill 3:26
Sidney Clare / Jay Gorney
12 There's a Small Hotel 2:48
Lorenz Hart / Richard Rodgers
Credits :
Bass – Max Wayne
Drums – Ed Shaughnessy
Piano – Jimmy Rowles
Trumpet – Pete Candori
Vocals – Peggy Lee

SAINT-SAËNS : Piano Concertos Nos. 2 & 5 (Thibaudet-Dutoit) (2007) Mp3

The combination of artist and repertoire represented on this disc seems inevitable in retrospect. Jean-Yves Thibaudet, surely the most coruscating French pianist of his generation, had already proven his worth in numerous recordings of French solo piano music for Decca, and turning to French works for piano and orchestra was only a matter of time. And choosing Charles Dutoit, the most accomplished French conductor of his generation, as his accompanist was likewise inevitable. Having already recorded the orchestral works of Berlioz, Franck, Ravel, Debussy, and Saint-Saëns, he was uniquely qualified to support Thibaudet. Indeed, they get along together like oil and vinegar, joining and separating as best serves to accent the pungent flavors of these savory works. The vivacious tunes of Saint-Saëns' Second Concerto's Presto Finale have rarely sounded so light footed and high spirited, and the antique scales and exotic colors of his "Egyptian" Concerto's Presto Finale have never sounded so evocative and weirdly compelling. Nor has the blazing virtuosity of Franck's Variations symphoniques often been so brilliantly articulated as under Thibaudet's strong but supple hands. Old timers might look back fondly on Rubinstein's aging recordings of the Saint-Saëns, but while contemporary listeners will be impressed by the older performances, they are likely to be blown away by these. Decca's digital sound is crisp, clear, and, as suits the music, vividly colorful. by James Leonard  

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MITSUKO UCHIDA : Mitsuko Uchida Plays Schubert (2004) 8xCD Box-Set / FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

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HINDEMITH : Orchestral Works (San Francisco Symphony · Herbert Blomstedt · Gewandhausorchester Leipzig) (2003) Serie Trio 3 CDs | FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

CD1 previously released on Hindemith – San Francisco Symphony, Herbert Blomstedt - Mathis Der Maler • Symphonic Metamorphosis • Trauermusik

CD2 previously released on Hindemith, Geraldine Walther, San Francisco Symphony, Herbert Blomstedt - Nobilissima Visione / Der Schwanendreher / Konzertmusik Op. 50

CD3 previously released on Paul Hindemith, Gewandhausorchester Leipzig, Herbert Blomstedt - Symphonia Serena - Die Harmonie Der Welt

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POULENC : Concertos; Orchestral & Choral Works (2007) 5xCD / FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

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RAVEL : Orchestral Works; Piano Concertos; L'Enfant et les Sortilèges; Shéhérazade (Dutoit-Rogé) (2005) 4xCD / FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

For listeners who prefer their Ravel lushly textured, luminously colored, and luxuriantly impressionistic, this four-disc set of his orchestral music performed by Charles Dutoit and the Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal will be just the thing. Recorded between 1981 and 1995 in warmly opulent Decca sound and including all the canonical works plus the two piano concerts and the opera L'Enfant et les sortiléges, Dutoit's approach to Ravel is decidedly sensual, even tactile. One can feel the excitement in the closing "Dance générale" of Daphnis et Chloé, sense the energy in La Valse, smell the sea in Une barque sur l'océan, and touch the dancer's flushed skin in Boléro. This is not to say that details are lost in Dutoit's performances -- with the superlative playing of the Montreal orchestra, one can assuredly hear everything in the scores. Nor is this to say that Dutoit neglects the music's clear shapes and lucid forms -- with a decisive beat and a clean technique, Dutoit's interpretations are models of clarity. But it is assuredly to assert that, for sheer aural beauty, these recordings cannot be beat. With the very virtuosic and very French playing of Pascal Rogé in the two piano concertos plus very characterful singing in L'Enfant, this set will be mandatory listening for all those who love Ravel. by James Leonard 

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BRAHMS, SCHUMANN - Violin Concertos (Joshua Bell) (1996) APE (image+.cue), lossless

In his early thirties, Bell is already a big-name violinist. Hearing him in these two works affirms the correctness of that coveted status. He has technique, a gorgeous, if slightly icy, tone, and a mature interpretive sense. In short, he has all the tools necessary to continue the rise to the top of his trade.
Bell's reading of the Brahms may not be revelatory (whose of late has been, though?), but neither will it detract from his meteoric ascent. This is a fine account, with intelligent phrasing, scrupulous attention to detail, a subtle, well-judged use of portamento, and a technique that can summon both a feline finesse for moments of delicacy and a lean, lionesque attack for assertive passages. The cadenza (Bell's own devising) is surprisingly interesting and expectedly well-played (track 1; beginning at 17:24). The delicious swagger in Bell's rendering of the double-stopped theme in the finale is another highlight here. Recent recordings of some merit in the Brahms have been the Zukerman/Mehta (RCA) and Mullova/Abbado (Philips). I've had a predilection for the Kremer/Bernstein (DG) from the early digital era.
But the Schumann ... This may be the primary reason to purchase this disc. As the reader may know, this work from 1853 languished in obscurity, unperformed until 1937, owing to the artistically myopic vision of Joseph Joachim, whose violinistic virtuosity was surpassed only by his musicological stupidity in surpressing the work after Schumann's incarceration in an insane asylum where the composer spent the last two years of his tragic life. Luckily Joachim didn't destroy or lose the score poor Schumann had written for him, but placed it instead in the Prussian State Library from where his great-niece, violinist Jelly d'Aranyi, rescued it in the 1930s. It has steadily grown in popularity over the years and is now rightly entering the standard repertory.
Bell declares his special affinity for this work in a note included in the album booklet, and his committed playing corroborates his strong feelings. He catches those elusive, emotionally neutral elements in the first movement with the appropriate classical grace and muscle. He renders the beautiful second movement with tenderness, and never succumbs to any tendency to overstate the main theme's sweetness with too much vibrato or other affectation. Bell reads the finale with energy and wit, but doesn't skirt the quirkiness (vague hints of the composer's insanity shortly to come or just typical Schumann?).
I don't want to make it sound as though this disc is strictly Bell's show. Christoph von Dohnanyi leads the Cleveland Orchestra with an insightful baton throughout. He draws crisp, powerful playing from his Clevelanders in the Brahms and just as alert and incisive support in the Schumann. And, oh, how he so beguilingly reads the the opening orchestral crescendo of the Schumann, teasing out neurotic indecision, mystery, beauty--all in just four measures! This is a moment to savor! Good notes and excellent sound by London. Recommended. by Robert Cummings