AZAM ALI - From Night to the Edge od Day (2011) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

If you think you detect a bittersweet edge to the songs brought together on this collection of lullabies performed by Niyaz vocalist Azam Ali, you're right. Her interpretations of these melodies -- which come from a variety of cultural traditions -- are informed by her belief that lullabies are intended as much for the comfort of the adults who sing them as for the soothing of the infants and children to whom they are sung, and that they often communicate much about our attempts to deal with the harshness and sorrow of the world. None of this is to say that this album, which was conceived after the birth of her first child, is gloomy or difficult; it is somewhat dark at times, and to Western ears, it may frequently sound exotic and mysterious, but the songs are invariably tender and loving, even when they are simultaneously mesmerizing and mystical. When word got out among her friends that she was putting together this program, material came to her from several different directions: the great Palestinian oud player Naser Musa wrote the song "Faith" for her, and a friend shared with her the traditional Turkish song "Neni Desem." Others led her to songs of the Iraqi Kurds ("Lai Lai") and the Iranian Azeris ("Shirin"). Many of these songs have no regular rhythm, and most are accompanied by a motley assortment of strings, reed instruments, and percussion. None is less than lovely, and the variety of ways in which they are lovely is very impressive, as is Ali's voice itself. by Rick Anderson  

HENRY MANCINI - The Pink Panther [Music From The Film Score] BMG / 1964

The Pink Panther is another fine, early-'60s soundtrack from Henry Mancini. The title track became one of his most recognizable themes and kicks off a pleasant program of dreamy lounge cuts and Latin-tinged numbers. As he did on many other movie/TV albums (Touch of Evil, Peter Gunn, etc.), Mancini also includes some noirish, big band numbers, like "The Tiber Twist" and the main title. Along with these up-tempo songs, he balances out the mostly light material with the solidly swinging mambos "The Village Inn," "Something for Sellers" (as in Peter Sellers, the movies' star), and "It Had Better Be Tonight" (co-written by frequent partner Johnny Mercer and something of a minor vocal hit upon its release). The program's highlights, though, come from the kind of sublime (some might say cheesy) ballads he usually included on his soundtracks; the after-hours jazz tune "Royal Blue" stands out in particular, with its tasteful string arrangement and glowing trumpet solo. This is a great title for fans of Mancini's lounge/soundtrack material, but those more into his jazz material should consider either his Peter Gunn or Combo soundtracks. [The 2001 reissue by Buddha includes several bonus tracks: "Return of the Pink Panther," "The Greatest Gift (Instrumental)," "Here's Looking at You Kid," and "Dreamy."]  by Stephen Cook 

Tracklist

The Pink Panther Theme 2:35

It Had Better Be Tonight

 (Meglio Stasera) (Instrumental) 1:44

Royal Blue 3:09

Champagne And Quail 2:45

The Village Inn 2:34

The Tiber Twist 2:47

It Had Better Be Tonight 

(Meglio Stasera) (Vocal) 1:56

Cortina 1:52

The Lonely Princess 2:25

Something For Sellers 2:45

Piano And Strings 2:34

Shades Of Sennett 1:22

CBR320/scan

O Púbis da Rosa