EAST OF EDEN — Armadillo (2000) Two Version | FLAC (image+.tracks+.cue), lossless

 Tracklist :
1.    Armadillo (Nicholson) 7:08
2.    Spiral Dance (Caines / Nicholson) 7:53
3.    Chaquina (Nicholson) 5:13
4.    Bamboo City (Caines / Nicholson) 5:10
5.    1934 (Caines) 5:21
6.    Slunk (Nicholson) 7:07
7.    Casezudos (Caines) 6:39
8.    Petite Afrique (Caines / Nicholson) 7:06
9.    Saffire (Arbus / Nicholson) 5:00
10.    Linear Bop (Caines / Nicholson) 4:17
11.    Choisy Le Roi (Caines) 4:03
Credits :
Bass, Drum Programming, Guitar,    Synthesizer– Geoff Nicholson
Alto Saxophone Soprano Saxophone    Tenor Saxophone – Ron Caines
Viola, Violin – Dave Arbus

EAST OF EDEN – Graffito (2005) Two Version | FLAC (image+.tracks+.cue), lossless

The world has now caught up with East of Eden, a band whose dizzying musical excursions in the late '60s/early '70s were so far ahead of their time, they entranced an entire generation of prog fans, while simultaneously signposting the path to world music and jazz fusion. Graffito is Eden's third album since their re-formation in 1997, and while continuing to blaze a trail through a thicket of genres, it sounds thoroughly contemporary. Where once the band had roamed virgin pastures, it now escorts listeners through crowded paddocks, so pervasive have jazz crossovers and world hybrids become. And perhaps it's this crowded terrain that has provoked Eden into sharpening their focus and curtailing their wilder musical journeys, which are reflected in the zippy track descriptions, an impossibility in the past. No longer does the band range far and wide within a single song. Instead each piece is a thorough expedition of a theme. "The Cloud," for instance, delves deep into funk, albeit in a free-form jazzy way, while "Jump the Gun" bridges the gaps between bebop, funk, and reggae. "Hotel Ceramic" captures the ambience of its Parisian hotel namesake in subtle swing style, while "Southern Hemisphere" less successfully attempts to do the same for South Africa, but it's a lovely song nonetheless. With the bulk of the tracks clocking in at over five minutes, Eden have plenty of time to explore the nuances of mood and atmosphere, perhaps too much so for those who prefer an edgier sound and less free-form meanderings. Regardless, Eden continue to push at the stylistic edges of world/jazz music, and while no longer the breathtakingly innovative band of yore, they continue to offer up music in quite fascinating form. Jo-Ann Greene  
Tracklist : 
1.    Sensible Shoes 5:25
Written-By – Geoff Nicholson
2.    Noir 5:02
Written-By – Geoff Nicholson
3.    Zizanie 6:02
Written-By – Geoff Nicholson, Ron Caines
4.    Jump The Gun 5:11
Written-By – Geoff Nicholson
5.    Graffito 3:36
Written-By – Ron Caines
6.    Hotel Ceramic 6:07
Written-By – Geoff Nicholson, Ron Caines
7.    Almazán 6:10
Written-By – Geoff Nicholson, Ron Caines
8.    The Cloud 5:32
Written-By – Geoff Nicholson
9.    Mantra 2:50
Written-By – Ron Caines
10.    Southern Hemisphere 3:19
Written-By – Ron Caines
11.    Curves 5:52
Written-By – Ron Caines
12.     Hymnal 3:29
Written-By – Ron Caines
Credits :
Guitar [Guitars], Drum Programming, Guitar Synthesizer, Bass, lustration – Geoff Nicholson
Tenor Saxophone, Alto Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone – Ron Caines
Violin – Dave Arbus
Guest, Congas – Frank Dymore (tracks: 3, 11)
Guest, Double Bass – Roger Harding (tracks: 2, 5, 7)
Guest, Drums [Additional] – Joe Ospalla (tracks: 1, 2, 7, 8) 

YMA SUMAC — Mambo! (1954-1996) MONO | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Capitol got on top of two '50s fads at once by issuing an album of Sumac tackling mambo. Yma (characteristically) held nothing back, and the result was one of her more enjoyable LPs, with respectably swinging mambo grooves crafted by Billy May. "Five Bottles Mambo" is one of her most astonishing vocal workouts, dropping into guttural growls that are downright bestial, and making one wonder how exactly they got away with that in the conservative milieu of the 1950s. Richie Unterberger
Tracklist :
1 Bo Mambo 3:17
Composed By – Moisés Vivanco
2 Taki Rari 1:47 
Composed By – Moisés Vivanco
3 Gopher 2:14
Composed By – Moisés Vivanco
4 Chicken Talk 3:03 
Composed By – Moisés Vivanco
5 Goomba Boomba 4:12 
Composed By – Moisés Vivanco
6 Malambo No. 1 2:53 
Composed By – Moisés Vivanco
7 Five Bottles of Mambo 2:49 
Composed By – Moisés Vivanco
8 Indian Carnival 2:04 
Composed By – Moisés Vivanco
9 Cha Cha Gitano 3:48
Composed By – Moisés Vivanco
10 Jungla 2:25 
Composed By – Moisés Vivanco
11 Carnavalito Boliviano 2:05
Composed By – Moisés Vivanco
Credits :
Orchestra – Rico Mambo Orchestra
Conductor, Arranged By – Billy May
Voice – Yma Sumac

GATO BARBIERI with LONNIE LISTON SMITH — Bolivia (1973-2001) JAZZ! Series | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

In 1973, Argentinean saxophonist Gato Barbieri contemplated a move to a more commercially viable, accessible sound, one that appealed to both North and South American audiences. He moved from the jazz vanguard toward it's exotic center (and finally into the commercial world altogether) with a number of records, including this one, which explored the various rhythms, melodies, and textures of Afro-Cuban and Latin American sounds. Bolivia features Barbieri immediately prior to his Impulse recordings that resulted in the celebrated four-chapter Latin America series. Utilizing the talents of musicians as diverse as guitarist John Abercrombie, pianist Lonnie Liston Smith, drummer and percussionists Airto Moreira, M'tume, Bernard "Pretty" Purdie, Gene Golden, and Moulay Ali Hafid, as well as bassists Stanley and J.F. Jenny Clark. Barbieri's musical reach is everywhere here. There's the bolero-like romp of "Merceditas," where his normally raw-toned, feeling-centered playing is kicked up a couple notches into a frenetic, emotional tidal wave, and the haunting "Bolivia," full of shimmering percussion and pianistic glissandi courtesy of Smith. Barbieri's loping, spare playing is reminiscent of Coltrane stating of the melodic frames in "India." There is also the melody of the traditional "Eclypse" wedded to a gorgeous, sensual Cuban son-like melody "Michellina" (for Barbieri's Italian born wife). The final two of the album's five tracks are based in Argentinean folk forms associated with the tango, but are less formal, more open, and modally charged. Setting both "Ninos" and "Vidala Triste" in minor keys with open modal themes, improvisation happens -- á la Ornette Coleman -- in the heart of the melody, despite the intricate nature and complex time and key changes inherent in both tunes. Ultimately, Bolivia is a sensual, musically adept, and groundbreaking recording, which offered Barbieri a chance to come in from the avant-garde before heading back to the fringes with the Latin America series. A fine effort that is finally getting the notoriety it deserves.  
-> This comment is posted on Allmusic by Thom Jurek, follower of our blog 'O Púbis da Rosa' <- 
Tracklist :
1 Merceditas 9:04
Composed By – Gato Barbieri
2 Eclypse / Michellina 6:21
 – Traditional
Composed By [Michellina] – Gato Barbieri
3 Bolivia 7:43
Composed By – Gato Barbieri
4 Ninos 7:11
Composed By – Gato Barbieri
5 Vidala Triste 5:30
Composed By – Gato Barbieri, Michelle Barbieri
Credits :
Acoustic Guitar – John Abercrombie (tracks: 4 to 6)
Bass – J.-F. Jenny-Clark (tracks: 1 to 3), Stanley Clarke (tracks: 2 to 4, 5, 6)
Drums – Pretty Purdie (tracks: 1)
Electric Guitar – John Abercrombie (tracks: 1)
Percussion – Airto Moreira, Gene Golden (tracks: 2), James M'tume (tracks: 1, 3 to 6), Moulay "Ali" Hafid (tracks: 5)
Piano, Electric Piano [Rhodes] – Lonnie Liston Smith
Tenor Saxophone, Flute, Vocals – Gato Barbieri

EDDIE PALMIERI — Vamonos Pa'l Monte (1971-2010) RM | Fania Original Remastered Series | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Eddie Palmieri's 1971 LP Vamonos Pa'l Monte moves easily from the nearly avant-garde trumpet-battle opener "Revolt/La Libertad Logico" into the new-era-meets-old "Caminando," complete with an excellent electric-piano solo by Palmieri himself. He also takes the lead on the seven-minute title-track jam, this time with organ (backed by brother Charlie), backed by a strong vocal chorus (Justo Betancourt, Santos Colon, Yayo el Indio) and the rugged timbales playing of Nick Marrero. Above and beyond the irresistible arrangements and intricate playing, Vamonos Pa'l Monte benefits from one of the best recording jobs of any early-'70s salsa record, each section -- and practically each musician -- vigorously separated with clear stereo. Though many fans consider it a transition record toward the compositional brilliance of The Sun of Latin Music, it's actually a much better record for fans of traditional salsa. John Bush
Тracklist :
1. Revolt/La Libertad Logico (5:24)
 Eddie Palmieri 
2. Caminando (3:53)
 Charles Camilleri / Charlie Palmieri 
3. Vamonos Pa'l Monte (7:07)
 Eddie Palmieri / Ismael Rivera 
4. Viejo Socarron (6:10)
 Luis Griñan / Luis Martinez Griñan 
5. Yo No Se (4:14)
 (D.R) Pending
6. Comparsa de los Locos (7:24)
 Alfredo Armentereos / Eddie Palmieri)
Credits :
Eddie Palmieri - Band Leader
Ismael Quintana - Vocals
Bob Vianco - Guitar
Jose Rodriguez - Trombone
Alfredo Armentereos, Victor Paz, Charles Camilleri - Trumpets
Ronnie Cuber - Baritone Saxophone
Pere Yellin - Tenor Saxophone
Nick Marrero - Timbales, Bongo
Eladio Perez Perez - Conga
Arturo Franquiz - Clave, Coro
Monchito Munoz - Bombo
Chorus:
Santos Colon, Justo Betancourt, Marcelino Guerra, Vayo El Indio, Elliot Ramero, Mario Munoz (Papaito)

WILLIE COLÓN & RUBÉN BLADES — Siembra (1978-2010) RM | Fania Original Remastered Series | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

The high point of Willie Colón's ongoing collaboration with Rubén Blades (and close to a career peak for both artists), Siembra exploded on the salsa scene in 1978 and has never been forgotten by fans. Beginning with a minute of playfully deceptive quasi-disco arrangements, Colón and his band slip into a devastating salsa groove for the opener, "Plástico," on which Blades first criticizes America's throwaway society and then brings all of Latin America together with a call to unity. Blades wrote all but one of the songs on Siembra, and shines on all of them; his extended high-tenor salsa scatting lifts "Buscando Guayaba," his tender side comes across on the love song "Dime," and he outlines a devastating life-in-el-Barrio exposé with "Pedro Navaja" (Peter the Knife). For the latter, Colón and Luis Ortiz's tight arrangement adds immeasurably to the song, using street noise and sirens, breaking into an ironic "I like to live in America!," and punching the statement home with a four-trombone line. Reflecting the tough times but optimistic attitude of el Barrio during the late '70s, Siembra joined Cosa Nuestra as one of Willie Colón's career landmarks. John Bush  
Tracklist :
1. Plático 6:37
 Rubén Blades 
2. Buscando Guayaba 5:43
 Rubén Blades 
3. Pedro Navaja 7:21
 Rubén Blades 
4. María Lionza 5:27
 Rubén Blades 
5. Ojos 4:50
 Johnny Ortiz 
6. Dime 6:59
 Rubén Blades 
7. Siembra 5:21
 Rubén Blades 
Personnel :
Rubén Blades - Lead Vocals, Chorus Ensemble
Willie Colón - Trombone, Chorus Ensemble
José Torres - Piano, Fender Rhodes, Electric Piano
José Mangual Jr. - Bongos, Maracas, Chorus Ensemble
Jimmy Delgado - Timbal
Adalberto Santiago - Percussion, Chorus Ensemble
Eddie Montalvo - Tumbadora, Percussion
Bryan Brake - Drums
Salvador Cuevas, Eddie Rivera - Bass

PAQUITO D'RIVERA -special guest artist- ARTURO SANDOVAL — Reunion (1991-2004) Two Version | FLAC (image+.tracks+.cue), lossless

Reunion was the first time that Paquito D'Rivera and trumpeter Arturo Sandoval recorded together since D'Rivera's defection in 1980; Sandoval had recently left Cuba himself. The co-leaders are joined by a superb band: pianist Danilo Perez, acoustic guitarist Fareed Haque, bassist David Finck, drummer Mark Walker, and Giovanni Hidalgo on conga. The group mostly performs originals plus a couple Chucho Valdes songs, "Body and Soul" (a showcase for Sandoval) and Dizzy Gillespie's "Tanga." Plenty of fireworks occur on this consistently heated Afro-Cuban jazz set and the co-leaders clearly inspire each other. When will they have their next reunion? Scott Yanow

Tracklist :
1. Prologo: Mambo Influenciado 0:27
 Chucho Valdés 
2. Reunion 4:59
 Paquito D'Rivera 
3. Tanga 9:19
 Dizzy Gillespie 
4. Claudia 7:09
 Chucho Valdés 
5. Friday Morning 6:33
 Danilo Pérez 
6. Latin American Suite 5:29
 Fareed Haque / Antonio Lauro 
7. Body & Soul 3:48
 Frank Eyton / Johnny Green / Edward Heyman / Robert Sour 
8. Caprichosos De La Habana 4:07
 Arturo Sandoval 
9. Epilogo: Mambo Influenciado 0:21
 Chucho Valdés 
Credits :

Paquito D'Rivera - Saxophone

Arturo Sandoval - Trumpet

Giovanni Hidalgo - Percussion

Danilo Perez - Piano

Mark Walker - Drums

David Finck - Bass

Fareed Haque - Guitar 

PIERRE BOULEZ — Boulez Conducts Mahler : Complete Recordings (2013) 14CD BOX-SET | FLAC (tracks), lossless

Between 1994 and 2011, Pierre Boulez recorded the symphonies and songs of Gustav Mahler for Deutsche Grammophon, and for many listeners these recordings are high points in his catalog, while others regard them as idiosyncratic recordings for specialists. The basis of both views stems from Boulez's meticulous conducting and exacting performance standards, which produce music of extreme lucidity and precision, yet which can also seem overly cerebral and dispassionate. Boulez's approach to Mahler may seem clinical, and this is a reasonable assessment of the way he treats details, textures, timbres, dynamics, and rhythms as indicated in the score, clearly and cleanly, without adding personal touches or interpreting the music through Mahler's biography or his own mythology. In short, Boulez goes back to what Mahler actually wrote and avoids the distortions of post-Romantic tradition and the exaggerated choices of superstar conductors. If this means Boulez is out of the mainstream of, say, Leonard Bernstein, Georg Solti, or Herbert von Karajan, his zeal for exactitude is often matched by his contemporaries, Claudio Abbado, Michael Tilson Thomas, Benjamin Zander, Jonathan Nott, and Jaap van Zweden. The sound of these recordings varies slightly from disc to disc, but Deutsche Grammophon's high standards are consistently met. Blair Sanderson 

Gustav Mahler (1860-1911) 
Vol. 1 - Symphony No. 1 Titan, Totenfeier
Vol. 2 - Symphony No. 2 Resurrection
Vol. 3 & 4 - Symphony No. 3, Das klagende Lied
Vol. 5 - Symphony No. 4
Vol. 6 - Symphony No. 5
Vol. 7 - Symphony No. 6
Vol. 8 - Symphony No. 7
Vol. 9 & 10 - Symphony No. 8 Symphony of a Thousand
Vol. 11 - Symphony No. 9
Vol. 12 - Des Knaben Wunderhorn, Symphony No. 10 Adagio
Vol. 13 - Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen, Ruckert-Lieder, indertotenlieder
Vol. 14 - Das Lied von der Erde
Credits :
Orchestras – Wiener Philharmoniker, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, The Cleveland Orchestra
Soprano Vocals – Juliane Banse, Dorothea Röschmann, Adriane Queiroz, Erin Wall, Violeta Urmana, Christine Schäfer 
Mezzo-soprano Vocals – Magdalena Kožená,  Michelle DeYoung,  Anne Sofie Von Otter, Violeta Urmana
Contralto Vocals – Anna Larsson, Simone Schröder
Baritone Vocals [Pater Ecstaticus] – Hanno Müller-Brachmann, Christian Gerhaher
Bass Vocals [Pater Profundus] – Robert Holl, Thomas Quasthoff
Tenor Vocals – Johan Botha,  Michael Schade
Chorus – Wiener Singverein, Wiener Sängerknaben, Frauenchor Des Wiener Singverein,
Chorus Master – Johannes Prinz, Gerald Wirth 
Violin [Solo] – William Preucil

JOHN ADAMS — Road Movies (2004) Two Version | FLAC (image+.tracks+.cue), lossless

Composer John Adams' album Road Movies contains five pieces that Adams' considers "travel music, (...) passing through harmonic and textural regions as one would pass through on a car trip." Indeed, during Leila Josefowicz's spirited and appropriately brusque reading of the "40% Swing" movement from the title work, one hears what sounds like a passing auto in the left channel. Is it mere coincidence or the album concept channeling onto the master tape?

Three of the pieces here appear on recordings for the first time, Road Movies for violin and piano (1995), Hallelujah Junction for two pianos, and American Berserk for piano (2001). The balance is given to the already familiar China Gates and Phrygian Gates played by pianists Nicolas Hodges and Rolf Hind, respectively, who join forces in the four-hand work. Actually, it's been a long time since there was a whole disc made up of chamber and/or keyboard works from Adams, who has been concentrating on orchestral music and pieces for ensembles. As such, this is a real treat -- the playing is expert on all counts, and the newer pieces sit comfortably side by side with the older ones, which are given a fresh perspective in these new recordings. While it may not be the album that never leaves your car stereo -- American Berserk is raucous enough that it could prove quite distracting during a traffic jam -- Road Movies is an immensely enjoyable collection that never runs out of gas. Uncle Dave Lewis 

JOHN ADAMS (b. 1947)
1-3.     Road Movies
Piano – John Novacek
Violin – Leila Josefowicz
4-6. Hallelujah Junction
Piano – Nicolas Hodges, Rolf Hind
7. China Gates 4:28
Piano – Nicolas Hodges
8. American Berserk 6:00
Piano – Nicolas Hodges
9-11. Phrygian Gates
Piano – Rolf Hind

SCHOENBERG : The Piano Music = Das Klavierwerk = L'Œuvre Pianistique (Maurizio Pollini) (1975) RM | 20th Century Classics Series | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Without an understanding of Schoenberg's concentrated language and intensity of expression, performances of his piano music can suffer either from cerebral dryness or confused murkiness. On this CD, Maurizio Pollini strikes a fine balance between analytical and emotionally demonstrative approaches to produce a lucid yet passionate result. Pollini's interpretations change appopriately from piece to piece, revealing that these keyboard works are as varied as the stages of Schoenberg's career, from the Post-Romanticism of his early years to the liberating innovations of his maturity. The enigmatic, ambivalently chromatic Three Piano Pieces, Op. 11, and the more adventurous, atonal Six Little Piano Pieces, Op. 19, signify the development of a new language, perhaps similar in mood to late Scriabin, but free of old mannerisms. The Five Piano Pieces, Op. 23, benefiting from Pollini's clarity and concentration, sound spare and aphoristic. In the 12-tone Suite, Op. 25, Pollini brings out the wit and fluid elegance that run throughout the work, which approaches Neo-Classicism in both form and wry detachment. The Two Piano Pieces, Op. 33a and 33b, are free-standing and integral expressions, despite their brevity. Deutsche Grammophon's high-quality sound is clean, with only minimal tape hiss. Blair Sanderson

Arnold Schoenberg (1819-1896)
1-3.  Drei Klavierstücke Op. 11  (13:36)
4-9.  Sechs Kleine Klavierstücke Op. 19  (5:10)
10-14.  Fünf Klavierstücke Op. 23 3 (10:12)
15-21.  Suite Für Klavier Op. 25  (14:16)
22.  Klavierstück Op. 33a. Mässig (2:06)
23.  Klavierstück Op. 33b. Mässig Langsam (3:31)
Credits :
Design [Cover] – Holger Matthies
Piano – Maurizio Pollini

CLARA SCHUMANN : Pièces Pour Piano (Hélène Boschi) (1987) RM | Two Version | FLAC (image+.tracks+.cue), lossless

Clara Wieck Schumann (1819-1896)
1-3. Trois Préludes Et Fugues Op.16
4-6. Trois Romances Op.21
7. Variations Sur Un Théme De Robert Schumann Op.20    10:25
8. Pièce Fugitive Op.15 N.3    5:45
9. Romance En Si Mineur    5:25
10-12. Trois Romances Pour Piano Op.11
13-15. Trois Romances Pour Violon Et Piano Op.22
Piano – Helene Boschi
Violin – Annie Jodry
Credits:
Piano – Hélène Boschi Boschi

RACHMANINOV : 24 Preludes (Steven Osborne) (2009) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

While there is much to admire in Steven Osborne's 2009 Hyperion recording of Rachmaninov's complete preludes, some fans of the composer may ultimately find themselves dissatisfied with his performances. Osborne is clearly a virtuoso with a wonderfully varied color palette and a way of balancing melody and harmony for maximum effectiveness There are some strong elements; his fleet fingers in the A flat major Prelude, his sumptuous sonorities in the C sharp minor Prelude, his galloping rhythms in the G minor Prelude, or his rolling left hand arpeggios in the B flat major Prelude, in addition to his overall command, control, and technique. Other listeners may question Osborne's feel for Rachmaninov's music. The restless melancholy of the B minor Prelude, the volatile passion of the F minor Prelude, and the spooky atmosphere of the G sharp minor Prelude are here, but to nowhere near the same degree as in other accounts of the pieces by veteran Rachmaninov pianists such as Vladimir Ashkenazy, where the music's hyper-Romantic emotional content is superbly expressed in wholly idiomatic performances. Hyperion's digital sound, though clear and colorful, is surprisingly a bit thin and a tad distant. James Leonard

Sergei Rachmaninov (1873-1943)
1. Prelude In C Sharp Minor Op 3 No 2 (Lento) 4:51
2-11. Ten Preludes Op 23 (35:56)
12-24  Thirteen Preludes Op 32 (37:38)
Credits :
Piano – Steven Osborne
Front Illustration : Water Lilies (1895)] – Isaac Ilyich Levitan

RACHMANINOV — Preghiera : Rachmaninov Piano Trios (Kremer · Dirvanauskaité · Trifonov) (2017) FLAC (tracks), lossless

This group of Rachmaninov piano trios was released in celebration of the 70th birthday of Latvian violinist Gidon Kremer. One might have expected something that placed Kremer more in the spotlight than chamber music, and perhaps something devoted to the enormous influence he has had in reviving neglected Baltic and Eastern European repertory. On greater reflection, though, the decision is typical: Kremer has always been one who guides rather than one who takes the spotlight himself, and he has recorded a great deal of Russian music, often in fresh ways. So it is here with Rachmaninov. His two "trios élégiaques" are both youthful works; the Trio élégiaque No. 2 in D minor, Op. 9, was composed when he was 21, and the person being given the elegy was the late Tchaikovsky, whose own piano trio also had a set of variations for its central movement. The trios give priority not to the violin, but to the piano, and for chamber music partners Kremer chooses a mix of his own generation -- cellist Giedré Dirvanauskaité -- and the new one, Russian pianist Daniil Trifonov. It's an effective constellation overall, with Trifonov getting the virtuoso parts and the two older players putting in commentary. This isn't top-drawer Rachmaninov (the Trio No. 2 is a bit sprawling), but the group captures its mood of bravado and interiority. Another bonus is the rarely heard Preghiera, the slow movement of the Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor, Op. 18, arranged for piano trio by none other than Fritz Kreisler. Sample this, for it introduces the fresh balances that are the distinctive feature of this recording. Deutsche Grammophon's sound, from the wooden and gentle Trifolion hall in Echternach, Luxembourg, is idiomatic to the music and exceptionally pleasant. James Manheim

Sergei Rachmaninov (1873-1943)
1. Preghiera (Adagio Sostenuto From Piano Concerto No. 2) 5:24
Arranged By – Fritz Kreisler (1875-1962)
2-4. Trio Elégiaque No. 2 In D Minor, Op. 9
5. Trio Elégiaque No. 1 In G Minor    12:01
Credits :
Gidon Kremer - Violin
Geidré Dirvanauskaité - Cello 2-5
Daniil Trifonov - Piano

PENDERECKI — Orchestral Works Vol. 1 : Symphony No. 3 • Threnody (Antoni Wit) (2000) Two Version | WAV + FLAC (image+.tracks+.cue), lossless

The Polish composer, Krzysztof Penderecki, established a reputation as one of the most revolutionary composers of the 20th century, his early scores gaining a cult status among modernists. The deeply disturbing Threnody for the Victims of Hiroshima of 1960 has become one of his best known orchestral scores. In the mid-1960s Penderecki returned to a more traditional style of composing. In the Third Symphony, written during 1988–1995 he has produced a work consciously related to the great symphonies of the past century, yet clearly of the present era. naxos

Krzysztof Penderecki (1901-1999)
1-5.     Symphony No. 3    (44:24)
6.    Threnody For The Victims Of Hiroshima For 52 Stringed Instruments    8:56
7.    Fluorescences For Orchestra    14:52
8.    De Natura Sonoris II For Orchestra    8:59
Credits :
Conductor – Antoni Wit
Orchestra – National Polish Radio Symphony Orchestra (Katowice)
Painting [Cover Painting "Kerala"] – Stasys Eidrigevičius

PENDERECKI — Orchestral Works Vol. 2 : Symphony No. 1 & 5 (Antoni Wit) (2000) Two Version | WAV + FLAC (image+.tracks+.cue), lossless

The Polish composer, Krzysztof Penderecki, established a reputation as one of the most revolutionary composers of the 20th century. The mid-1960s saw his style become more conventional yet the First Symphony, dated 1973, has sonorities which are still modern. Symphony No. 5 was composed in 1992 and is notable for the strongly-drawn contrast between slower and faster sections which give it a compelling dynamic charge. naxos

Krzysztof Penderecki (1933-2020)
1.    Symphony No. 5    (37:37)
2-5.    Symphony No. 1    (30:27)
Credits :
Conductor – Antoni Wit
Orchestra – National Polish Radio Symphony Orchestra (Katowice)
Painting [Cover : Doskonałość (Perfection)] – Stacys Eidrigevičius

PENDERECKI — Orchestral Works Vol. 3 : Symphony No. 2 & 4 (Antoni Wit) (2000) Three Version | WAV + FLAC (image+.tracks+.cue), lossless

The Polish composer, Krzysztof Penderecki, established a reputation as one of the most revolutionary composers of the 20th century, his early scores gaining a cult status among modernists. The deeply disturbing Threnody for the Victims of Hiroshima of 1960 has become one of his best known orchestral scores. In the mid-1960s Penderecki returned to a more traditional style of composing. In the Third Symphony, written during 1988–1995 he has produced a work consciously related to the great symphonies of the past century, yet clearly of the present era. naxos

Krzysztof Penderecki (1933-2020)
1-5.     Symphony No. 2    (34:25)
6.10.    Symphony No. 4    (30:42)
Credits :
Conductor – Antoni Wit
Orchestra – National Polish Radio Symphony Orchestra (Katowice)
Painting [Cover Painting "Zaćmienie (Eclipse)"] – Stasys Eidrigevičius

THE JAMAICA BOYS — J Boys (1990) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Although marketed in rap circles, The Jamaica Boys were really more of a fusion trio with composer/multi-instrumentalist Marcus Miller, drummer Lenny White, and singer Mark Stevens combining forces. They made pleasant music, and occasionally Miller would come up with an inspired riff. But the most distinctive thing about this album in retrospect was the fact that Stevens was Chaka Khan's brother. Ron Wynn 
Tracklist :
1.  Move It! 5:25
Written-By – Lenny White, Marcus Miller, Mark Stevens
2.  Shake It Up! 4:10
Voice [Party, Additional] – Adam Dorn, Billy "Spaceman" Patterson, Karen Anderson, Lisa Tesoro, Maria Marshall
Written-By – Bernard Wright, Lenny White, Marcus Miller
3.  You've Got A Friend  7:04
Written-By – Carole King
4.  Serious  6:00
Written-By – Bernard Wright, Dinky Bingham, Lenny White, Marcus Miller
5.  Pick Up The Phone  4:27
Voice [Girl's] – Jennifer Ingle
Written-By – Howard King, Mark Stevens
6.  Hold On (I'm On M'y Way)  5:48
Written-By – Lenny White, Marcus Miller
7.  Somebody Like You  5:41
Written-By – Lenny White, Marcus Miller
8.  The Jungle Comes Alive  2:42
Written-By – Lenny White, Marcus Miller
9.  That's Deep 5:46
Voice [Additional] – Bruce Miller, Cliff Braithwaite, Jason Miles, Paul Angelli, Rich Hilton, Ron McQuaig, UE Nastasi
Written-By – Bernard Wright, Lenny White, Marcus Miller
Credits :
Bass, Keyboards, Vocals, Producer – Marcus Miller
Drums, Percussion – Lenny White
Guitar – Billy "Spaceman" Patterson (tracks: 2, 6, 7 
Keyboards, Lead Vocals – Dinky Bingham
Keyboards, Vocals [Additional] – Bernard Wright
Percussion [Additional] – Steve Thornton (tracks: 4) 
Programmed By [Synthesizer] – Jason Miles, Lenny White, Marcus Miller
Voice [Additional Party Voices] – Adam Dorn (tracks: 2), Billy "Spaceman" Patterson (tracks: 2), Karen Anderson (tracks: 2), Lisa Tesoro (tracks: 2), Maria Marshall (tracks: 2) 
Voice [Additional] – Bruce Miller (tracks: 9), Cliff Braithwaite (tracks: 9), Jason Miles (tracks: 9), Paul Angelli (tracks: 9), Rich Hilton (tracks: 9), Ron McQuaig (tracks: 9), UE Nastasi (tracks: 9) 
Voice [Girls Voice] – Jennifer Ingle (tracks: 5) 

BOBBI HUMPREY — Dig This! (1972) RM | Two Version | Blue Note, The Masterworks Series | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Dig This, recorded and released in 1972, is the second of Bobbi Humphrey's seven Blue Note albums; it is also her sophomore recording. The album was produced by then-label president George Butler. He had signed Humphrey and helmed her debut, Flute In, the previous year. Recorded at A&R Studios, the young flutist was teamed with bassists Ron Carter and Wilbur Bascomb, Jr., powerhouse drummer Alphonse Mouzon, guitarists David Spinozza and William Fontaine, and keyboardists Harry Whitaker and Paul Griffin. While the album’s formula didn’t deviate that much from her debut -- an easy, tasty balance of soul, pop, and jazz tunes -- the material, production, and Humphrey’s confidence all stand out here. Check her reading of Bill Withers' “Lonely Town, Lonely Street,” as she stretches the melody to meet Bascomb's and Spinozza’s funky grooves. While strings swoop and hover, threatening to overtake the mix, her plaintive style goes right at them with meaty, in-the-pocket phrasing. Her version of Whitfield and Strong’s “Smiling Faces Sometimes” is well-known in pop culture for the sample that appeared on Common’s “Puppy Chow,” but taking the tune in full, Humphrey’s gift as a soloist is revealed in full, as she winds around and through funky clavinets, Rhodes, strings, guitars, and Mouzon’s popping snare. The reading of Stevie Wonder's “I Love Every Little Thing About You,” with its bubbling basslines and Humphrey’s understatement of the melody, make this a bright, shining jazz-funk number. “El Mundo de Maravillas (A World of Beauty),” is one of two fine Mouzon compositions to appear here, this one commences with a cello in a spacy, soulful ballad that showcases Humphrey’s classical chops before it moves into funk terrain and then back again. The set closer is a souled-out reading of Kenny Barron's “Nubian Lady,” with chunky guitars, Bascomb’s Fender bass, shuffling drums, and Humphrey adding air and space to the knotty groove. While Dig This is not the revelation that Blacks and Blues is (it appeared two years later), it is nonetheless a stone killer example of jazz-funk in its prime, and should be considered an essential part of the canon.

-> This comment is posted on Allmusic by Thom Jurek, follower of our blog 'O Púbis da Rosa' <- 
Tracklist :
1. Lonely Town, Lonely Street 4:35  
(Bill Withers) 
2. Is This All? 3:43
(Henry Johnson) 
3. Smiling Faces Sometimes 6:19
 (Barrett Strong-Norman Whitfield) 
4. Virtue 4:28
(Alphonse Mouzon) 
5. I Love Every Little Thing About You 4:19
(Stevie Wonder) 
6. Love Theme from "Fuzz" 3:47
(Dave Grusin) 
7. Eo Mundo de Maravillas (A World of Beauty) 7:31
 (Alphonse Mouzon) 
8. Nubian Lady 4:47
(Kenny Barron) 
Credits :
Bobbi Humphrey - Flute
George Marge - Oboe, English Horn
Seymour Berman, Paul Gershman, Irving Spice, Paul Winter - Violin
Julian Barber (Viola), Seymour Barab (Cello), Eugene Bianco (Harp)
Harry Whitaker (Electric Piano), Paul Griffin (Electric Piano, Clavinet)
William Fontaine, David Spinozza - Guitar
Ron Carter - Bass
Wilbur Bascomb Jr. - Electric Bass
Alphonse Mouzon - Drums, Bell Tree, Arranger
Warren Smith (Percussion)
Wade Marcus, Horace Ott - Arranger

HERBIE MANN — The Beat Goes On (1967-2014) RM | Jazz Best Collection 1000 – 10 | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Herbie Mann was quite unpredictable in the 1960s -- from one album to the next, you never knew if he would embrace hard bop, bossa nova, Latin jazz, soul-jazz, or whatever else he was in the mood for. He could be commercial one minute, esoteric and experimental the next. One of Mann's more commercial LPs from that period, The Beat Goes On, is a generally funky, groove-oriented soul-jazz effort with strong Latin leanings. Much of the material brings to mind Pucho and the Latin Soul Brothers, and comparisons to Pucho are unavoidable on cuts that range from Mann's "More Rice Than Peas, Please" to a version of Sonny & Cher's "The Beat Goes On" and a Latin boogaloo interpretation of Joe Liggins' "The Honeydripper" (which features King Curtis on tenor sax). Afro-Cuban rhythms are a high priority, although Mann gets into more of a bossa nova groove on vibist Dave Pike's "Dream Garden." Jazz purists hated this release, but let them say what they will -- this LP is full of highly infectious grooves and makes a great party album. Regrettably, The Beat Goes On has long been out of print -- so if you're a lover of Latin-flavored soul-jazz and come across a copy somewhere, grab it immediately. Alex Henderson
Tracklist :
1. No Matter What Shape 3:25 
Written-By – Granville Burland / Arranged By – Jimmy Wisner 
2. More Rice Than Peas, Please 3:30 
Written-By – Herbie Mann / Arranged By – Jimmy Wisner 
3. Hey Ho 2:45 
Written-By – Herbie Hancock / Arranged By – Jimmy Wisner 
4. The Honeydripper 2:45 
Written-By – Joe Liggins / Arranged By – Jimmy Wisner 
5. The Beat Goes On 2:50 
Written-By – Sonny Bono / Arranged By – Jimmy Wisner 
6. Swingin´ Shepherd Blues 3:05 
Written-By – Kenny Jacobson, Moe Koffman, Rhoda Roberts / Arranged By – Jimmy Wisner 
7. West African High Life 2:40 
Written-By – Herbie Mann / Arranged By – Rene Hernandez
8. Dream Garden 4:37 
Written, Arranged By – Dave Pike
9. Soul Montuno 2:58 
Written-By – Rene Hernandez / Arranged By – Jimmy Wisner 
10. Is Paris Burning? 2:37
Written-By – Maurice Jarre / Arranged By – Jimmy Wisner 
Credits :
Alto Flute, (tracks: 8), Flute (tracks: 1, 2, 9, 10) – Herbie Mann
Bass – Jack Six (tracks: 8), Reggie Workman (tracks: 1 to 3)
Concertmaster [String Section] – Gene Orloff (tracks: 1 to 3)
Congas – Carlos "Patato" Valdes (tracks: 1 to 3)
Drums – Bobby Thomas (tracks: 8), Bruno Carr (tracks: 1 to 3)
Guitar – Attila Zoller (tracks: 8)
Piano – Don Friedman (tracks: 8), Jimmy Wisner (tracks: 1 to 3)
Tenor Saxophone, Soloist – King Curtis (tracks: 4)
Trumpet, Soloist – Clark Terry (tracks: 7)
Vibraphone – Roy Ayers (tracks: 1 to 3)  

KRONOS QUARTET · TERRY RILEY — Requiem for Adam (2001) Two Version | APE + FLAC (image+.tracks+.cue), lossless

This may be the single most powerful piece of music that the Kronos Quartet has ever recorded, and perhaps that Terry Riley has ever written. This is because Requiem for Adam is so personal, so direct, and experiential. Requiem for Adam was written after the death of Kronos violinist David Harrignton's son. He died, in 1995, at the age of 16, from an aneurysm in his coronary artery. Riley, who is very close to the Harringtons and has a son the same age, has delved deep into the experience of death and resurrection, or, at the very least, transmutation. Requiem for Adam is written in three parts, or movements. The first, "Ascending the Heaven Ladder," is based on a four-note pattern that re-harmonizes itself as it moves up the scale. There are many variations and series based on each of these notes and their changing harmonics, and finally a 5/4 dance as it moves to the highest point on the strings. The drone-like effect is stunning when the listener realizes that the drone is changing shape too, ascending the scale, moving ever upward and taking part in the transmutation of harmony. There are no blustery passages of 32nd notes only gorgeous arco phrases shimmering away as the harmonics transform the piece of music form an ascent to a near pastoral acceptance of the highest realization linguistically. The second movement, "Coretejo Funebre en el Monte Diablo," is full of electronic music, horns, bells, and percussion that slam around in the background. This is a sampled soundtrack for the quartet, but it is integral in moving the focus of movement panoramically, expanding it across vistas instead of making it a vertical relationship between soul and the divine. It is cacophonous and almost celebratory. Riley refers to it as funeral music that might be heard in New Orleans, and he's almost right. Still there are classical canonical funereal figures here, like a Deus Irae that is somehow kinked up, offbeat, sideways, but nonetheless very present. In title movement, number three, plucked strings move against sliding harmonics and two long pulse notes stretch into almost impossible duration and intensity. These give way to funky dance figures, almost bluesy as a coda that moves toward an ever more frenzied articulation of theme and variation of the coda. There are graceful lines tacked on, almost as cadenzas for the strings to come back to themselves and their dovetailing roles, but they just take off again in search of that 7/8 polyrhythmic cadence again which gives way to a high register harmonics and finally a statement of the two-note pulse found at the beginning of the piece. It's the most complex quartet Riley has yet composed, and easily his most satisfying. The disc closes with "The Philosopher's Hand," a solo piano piece played by Riley. Riley was asked by Harrington to improvise a piece while thinking of Pandit Pran Nath, Riley's musical and spiritual teacher who passed in 1996. Riley claims that Pran Nath had come to Adam's funeral and held David Harrington's hand, which, Harrington remarked, was the softest hand he'd ever felt. The piece reflects all of these: the softness, the deep regret of Adam and Pran Nath's passing, and most of all of Riley's remembering, which is filtered through the anguish and beauty of the human heart. It's more than a whispering close to an already astonishing recording: it's the end of the world, and the beginning of the next, or at least the evidence that music can almost deliver this much.
-> This comment is posted on Allmusic by Thom Jurek, follower of our blog 'O Púbis da Rosa' <- 
TERRY RILEY (b. 1935)
Requiem For Adam
Cello – Jennifer Culp
Ensemble – Kronos Quartet
Viola – Hank Dutt
Violin – David Harrington, John Sherba
1.    Ascending The Heaven Ladder    13:24
2.    Cortejo Fúnebre En El Monte Diablo 7:05
Engineer – Craig Silvey
Engineer [Assistant] – Bob Levy
Sampler [Ensoniq Ts-12] – Terry Riley
3.        Requiem For Adam    21:18
4.        The Philosopher's Hand 5:57
Piano – Terry Riley
Notas
"Requiem for Adam" was commissioned for the Kronos Quartet by Sydney and Frances Lewis, Margaret Lyon, and Jim and Jeanne Newman.