Wednesday, 19 December 2012

Brahms - Violin Concerto and Hungarian Dances - Joseph Swensen · Scottish Chamber Orchestra
FLAC 96kHz / 24bit (Studio Master) | Stereo | Linn Records CKD 224 [2004] | 1.40 GB | 3% RAR

Another triumphant success for director Joseph Swensen and the Scottish Chamber Orchestra. Under Swensen's powerful command the orchestra gives a fantastically spirited performance: a thoroughly appealing disc

Brahms wrote the Violin Concerto op. 77 in the summer of 1878 while holidaying in the idyllic setting of Pörtschach in the Styrian Alps, the place where, a year earlier, he had written his Second Symphony. Immediate parallels can be drawn between the two works: both are in D major, have a first movement in triple time with a triadic first subject, and are pervaded by the new-found self confidence and inner calm that manifested itself in Brahms’s writing following the completion of his long-awaited First Symphony.

http://www.filefactory.com/f/43a77f2b58010590

The guitarist who—along with tenor saxophonist Stan Getz—brought bossa nova to the U.S. in the ‘60s, breathes new life into the feel-good, balmy, breezy music genre with The Bossa Nova Years, one of Charlie Byrd’s most popular Concord recordings. All of your Brazilian favorites—from “Corcovado” to “The Girl from Ipanema,” to “Wave”—are performed with passion and expertise by the master of bossa nova. Add to Byrd’s inimitable guitar artistry the simpatico, silky smooth clarinet and tenor saxophone of Ken Peplowski along with an extraordinarily cohesive rhythm section, and it’s no wonder that this recording instantly became a Charlie Byrd classic.

http://www.filefactory.com/f/7990a2e014adc408

Schola Cantorum has through the last decade proved themselves to be one of the finest chamber choirs in Norway. The choir was founded by the composer and conductor Knut Nystedt in 1964, and has given valuable musical experience to generations of Norwegian musicians. Affiliated with the University of Oslo, Department of Musicology, the choir recruits most of their singers from this institution, and the Norwegian Academy of Music. The repertoire consists of a mix of contemporary and older choir music, as well as folk music arrangements. In recent years the choir has increasingly focused on commissioned works from young Nordic composers. In 2007 Schola Cantorum won the prestigious "Let the Peoples Sing" EBU-award.

FLAC 24/96

http://www.filefactory.com/f/5525aa1cf423b940

Tuesday, 18 December 2012

Narciso Yepes was one of the finest virtuoso classical guitarists of the twentieth century, generally ranked second after Andrés Segovia. Despite a strong interest in music from the Baroque period, his overwhelming preference was for the serious compositions of Spanish composers from the early twentieth century, though he also showed interest in flamenco music. He displayed a special fondness for the works of Joaquín Rodrigo and was instrumental in the rediscovery of many previously neglected Baroque compositions.
(Robert Cummings - AllMusic Guide)

The four movements were based on six short dances for solo guitar by the 17th century Spanish composer Gaspar Sanz, taken from a three-volume work (1674, 1675, 1697) now commonly known as
Instrucción de música sobre la guitarra española (Musical Instruction on the Spanish Guitar). Most of the movements retain the names that Sanz originally gave them. Rodrigo expanded on
Sanz's themes to produce a work lasting more than 20 minutes. Rodrigo composed the concerto in 1954 at the request of guitarist Andrés Segovia, who evidently was
the gentilhombre referenced in the title.

http://www.filefactory.com/f/e2acfcc3e1f7ee46

All of a sudden, George Benson became a pop superstar with this album, thanks to its least representative track. Most of Breezin' is a softer-focused variation of Benson's R&B/jazz-flavored CTI work, his guitar as assured and fluid as ever with Claus Ogerman providing the suave orchestral backdrops and his crack then-working band (including Ronnie Foster on keyboards and sparkplug Phil Upchurch on rhythm guitar) pumping up the funk element. Yet it is the sole vocal track (his first in many years), Leon Russell's "This Masquerade" -- where George unveiled his new trademark, scatting along with a single-string guitar solo -- that reached number ten on the pop singles chart and drove the album all the way to number one on the pop (!) LP chart. The attractive title track also became a minor hit single, althoughGabor Szabo's 1971 recording with composer Bobby Womack is even more fetching. In the greater scheme of Benson's career, Breezin' is really not so much a breakthrough as it is a transition album; the guitar is still the core of his identity.

FLAC 24/96

http://www.filefactory.com/f/9b21344d8e01f4e3

Transferred from 1961 RCA 4-track tape originally produced by Richard Mohr, this Beethoven Ninth celebrates its 50th anniversary in spectacular fashion, led as it is by the fervently intense conductor Fritz Reiner (1888-1963) whose intelligent athleticism easily rivaled Toscanini for propulsion and nervous excitement. Several chats with soprano Florence Kopleff (b. 1924) at Georgia State University’s music department exploded the typical myth of Reiner’s gruff inaccessibility, Kopleff recalling with ardent glee invitations to Reiner’s home and the hospitality of his wife, Charlotte. Kopleff spoke of the less familiar aspect of Reiner’s repertory, such as his thorough fondness for the Berlioz Romeo and Juliet Symphony. The Beethoven Ninth confirms the repute Reiner achieved for tonal clarity and rhythmic flexibility in his responsive CSO, the leadership of which he assumed in 1953. Both harmonically captivating and almost martially audacious, the first movement moves with inexorable vigor, the woodwind and brass definition a model of its kind. A demonic fury often seizes the polyphonic procession, almost grinding in its passion and writhing torment. The Molto vivace that follows extends the mania for spasmodic inflection, singularly fixated on rhythmic steadiness even as the metrics disjoint willfully, clash, and wince at the entries of the tympani. The oboe--Ray Still--part still weaves a subtle magic in the trio section after 50 years, while the lower strings hint at worlds from whose bourn no traveler has ever completely returned. The da capo interplay of bassoon, clarinet, and tympani remains a remarkable testament to orchestral discipline in its own right. That Reiner could impose a taut line on Beethoven’s double-theme and variations Adagio suggests what he might have achieved in the music of Bruckner, which Reiner seems not to have explored on record. After the aggressively feral first two movements, the degree of tranquil intimacy Reiner elicits rather startles our wound-up senses, which soon pass on to another world entirely. One might impose a rubric on this devout reading and call it Reiner’s “will to belief.” The whirlwind finale proves quite expansive, given the powerful thrust of the martial opening and subsequent orchestral recitative. Rarely have the basses sounded so fraught with despair in their search for a thematic vehicle to carry Beethoven’s heroic message. A lyrical mortality runs through the melody itself, even though Reiner’s literal aural swansong would come in the form of the Haydn C Minor Symphony No. 95. A gentle tolerance pervades McCollum’s invocation to cease the former, instrumental tones in favor of a higher expression of mankind’s innate brotherhood. Kopleff immediately sails above the vocal quartet, the tympani resonating underneath the swirl of intricate figures that soar in desperate harmony to convince us of humane possibilities. The “scherzo” in janissary terms features a spirited Donald Gramm, playful and buoyant, a step away from Wagner’s Mime. The ensuing fugato, muscular and eminently clear in detail, churns with an implacable sense of pulsation, hurtling us to a feverish climax, a Herculean statement of Joy’s dominion. The “seid umschlungen” plays like the Tuba mirum or Offertory from the Requiem Mass, the antiphonal effects in Chicago Symphony Hall reverberant in their tragic piety. The four corners of the world seem to coalesce in the exalted hymn that wishes to embrace all Mankind with a kiss of benediction. The rising figures at “Tochter aus Elysium” dance and shimmer with an evanescent fury, the magic” of love’s alchemy surging and whispering in a concerted invitation to Earthly bliss. The last quartet ensemble assumes a gesture like Hopkins’ “The Windhover,” a pantheistic meditation that erupts into one last janissary frenzy of faith and humanity in a world otherwise gone mad. You have to supply the missing audience hysteria and applause yourself.
( Gary Lemco - Audiophile Audition )

http://www.filefactory.com/f/e9793c9a81061999

Friday, 14 December 2012

Guitar Man, George Benson's second offering for Concord stands in contrast to 2009's Songs and Stories, though is not an about face. While the earlier album focused on Benson's proven, decades-long formula for pop and smooth jazz -- a group of of easy grooving tunes featuring his silky voice and shimmering guitar work -- this set focuses (primarily) on Benson as a contemporary jazz guitarist. While slickly produced by John Burk, this full-length is an ambitious but readily accessible collection with lithe, languid grooves and stellar playing. Primarily arranged by musical director/keyboardist David Garfield, Guitar Man contains eight instrumentals, which include beautiful solo readings of the standards "Tenderly," which opens the disc, and "Danny Boy." There is a lush, balladic, string-laden arrangement of the Beatles' "I Want to Hold Your Hand" -- a consciously chosen reminder of Benson's work at A&M. Another highlight is his very contemporary but digified reading of John Coltrane's "Naima," which is simply gorgeous. It begins largely solo before the band enters halfway through, led by Harvey Mason's empathic drumming. The reading of "Tequila" here is warm, funky, and fun, with fine piano work by Joe Sample and percussion by Lenny Castro. Likewise, the reading of Arlen's and Harburg's "Paper Moon" displays beautiful interplay between Benson and Sample. Of the vocal tunes, the cover of Stevie Wonder's "My Cherie Amour" is the standout, but "My One and Only Love," with a long solo guitar intro, is very fine too. The set ends with two vocal tunes that contrast nicely. First is a very soulful treatment of the Buddy Johnson nugget "Since I Fell for You," with his voice and guitar accompanied only by Garfield's piano. Guitar Man finishes with Ronnie Foster's Latin-tinged groover "Fingerlero." Sample, Mason, and Castro star on the tune and Benson scats in trademark tandem with his guitar lines, sending it off in a contemporary jazz mode. As a guitarist, Benson is still at the top of his game; his musical eclecticism and his on-target accessibility are refined and equally reflected here.

FLAC 24/96

http://www.filefactory.com/f/8dc3bd431770d66c

There is no other album like Bat Out of Hell, unless you want to count the sequel. This is Grand Guignol pop -- epic, gothic, operatic, and silly, and it's appealing because of all of this. Jim Steinman was a composer without peer, simply because nobody else wanted to make mini-epics like this. And there never could have been a singer more suited for his compositions than Meat Loaf, a singer partial to bombast, albeit shaded bombast. The compositions are staggeringly ridiculous, yet Meat Loaf finds the emotional core in each song, bringing true heartbreak to "Two out of Three Ain't Bad" and sly humor to "Paradise by the Dashboard Light." There's no discounting the production of Todd Rundgren, either, who givesSteinman's self-styled grandiosity a production that's staggeringly big but never overwhelming and always alluring. While the sentiments are deliberately adolescent and filled with jokes and exaggerated clichés, there's real (albeit silly) wit behind these compositions, not just in the lyrics but in the music, which is a savvy blend of oldies pastiche, show tunes, prog rock, Springsteen-esque narratives, and blistering hard rock (thereby sounding a bit like an extension of Rocky Horror Picture Show, which brought Meat Loaf to the national stage). It may be easy to dismiss this as ridiculous, but there's real style and craft here and its kitsch is intentional. It may elevate adolescent passion to operatic dimensions, and that's certainly silly, but it's hard not to marvel at the skill behind this grandly silly, irresistible album.

FLAC 24/96

http://www.filefactory.com/f/50efb663019f78f6

He's been in the business for over 40 years, but Rod Stewart has never recorded a holiday album until Merry Christmas, Baby, his 2012 seasonal celebration that also doubles as his debut for Verve. Given that Stewart has spent the better part of the past decade singing standards, it's not a surprise that he sticks to the standards here -- "White Christmas," "Blue Christmas," and "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" are present and accounted for -- but he bends the rules enough to find space for "When You Wish Upon a Star" and "Auld Lang Syne" as well as "Red-Suited Super Man," which also features Trombone Shorty. That's just one of the guests here; also joining Rod for his Christmas party are Mary J. Blige, Cee-Lo Green, Dave Koz, Ella Fitzgerald, Chris Botti, and Michael Bublé (who also appears on another 2012 Christmas album by Blake Shelton).

FLAC 24/96

http://www.filefactory.com/f/4f63b92b25af66ca

Thursday, 13 December 2012

Whereas most great live rock albums are about energy, At Fillmore East is like a great live jazz session, where the pleasure comes from the musicians' interaction and playing. The great thing about that is, the original album that brought the Allmans so much acclaim is as notable for its clever studio editing as it is for its performances. Producer Tom Dowd skillfully trimmed some of the performances down to relatively concise running time (edits later restored on the double-disc set The Fillmore Concerts), at times condensing several performances into one track. Far from being a sacrilege, this tactic helps present the Allmans in their best light, since even if the music isn't necessarily concise (three tracks run over ten minutes, with two in the 20-minute range), it does showcase the group's terrific instrumental interplay, letting each member (but particularly guitarist Duane and keyboardist/vocalist Gregg) shine. Even after the release of the unedited concerts, this original double album (single CD) remains the pinnacle of the Allmans and Southern rock at its most elastic, bluesy, and jazzy.

FLAC 24/192

http://www.filefactory.com/f/505df87447fe9bd2

more images

Aerosmith ‎– Get A Grip

Genre:

Rock

Style:

Alternative Rock, Southern Rock, Hard Rock

Year:

1993

Notes:

Album Sales: 7,000,000
First Release Date: April 1993

The eleventh studio album by Aerosmith. "Get A Grip" became Aerosmith's best-selling studio album worldwide, achieving sales of over 20 million copies, and is tied with "Pump" for their second best-selling album in the United States, selling over 7 million copies as of 1995. This also made it their third consecutive album with US sales of at least five million. "Get A Grip" won the band two Grammy Awards for Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal.

"Get A Grip" topped the Billboard Top 200 and produced seven singles:
"Livin' On The Edge"
"Eat The Rich"
"Cryin'"
"Amazing"
"Fever"
"Shut Up And Dance"
"Crazy"

FLAC 24/96

http://www.filefactory.com/f/18da3065d0499267

Right in the middle of celebrating his 79th birthday, Clark Terry went into the studio for several days to record 14 duets with a different pianist on each track, with many of them being veterans of many record dates and/or concerts with him. Terry remains one of the most easily identifiable trumpeters and flügelhorn players in jazz, so much so that more than one critic has claimed the ability to identify him after just one note. Each track is dedicated to a great performer of the past, though no attempt is made to copy famous recordings, of course. Terry’s brilliant flügelhorn swings mightily along with Monty Alexander on the surprising dedication to Nat King Cole of “L.O.V.E.,” which was a hit for him after Cole had all but quit playing piano and enjoyed even greater success as a popular singer. The choice of Lil Hardin Armstrong’s “Just for a Thrill” is also an interesting one, versus her better known “Struttin’ With Some Barbecue”; Terry’s fat tone on his big horn is well complemented by Geri Allen. Terry scats an imitation of brushes on cymbals to introduce “Swingin’ the Blues” with Junior Mance before switching to muted trumpet. Old friend Marian McPartland works with Terry to produce a mesmerizing rendition of “Skylark.” Also present are Sir Roland Hanna, Kenny Barron, John Lewis, Barry Harris, Tommy Flanagan, Don Friedman, Billy Taylor, Benny Green, Eric Reed, and Eric Lewis. There is not one performance that rates less than excellent within this very highly recommended CD. ~ AllMusic

http://www.filefactory.com/f/570ceff4dda6f622

Wednesday, 12 December 2012

While somewhat overshadowed by his more famous brother James, Livingston Taylor is a fine singer-songwriter in his own right--superficially, his voice recalls that of his sibling, but Liv is less moody, more folk-like. INK is a "tribute" album of sorts--instead of paying homage to a particular artist, Taylor interprets hit songs by various writers from several eras, leaning a bit toward classic R&B/soul hits. Songs made famous by Ray Charles, the Jackson Five, and Stevie Wonder are re-imagined via the gentle, genial imagination of Livingston Taylor.

JD162 CHESKY RECORDS

FLAC 24/96

http://www.filefactory.com/f/6934388be36b691d

Tuesday, 11 December 2012

William Carter - "La Calme" - Linn Records

A renowned master of the lute and baroque guitar, William Carter here brings his considerable musical understanding and virtuosity to the later works of Fernando Sor. With his extensive of knowledge of historical performance practices (particularly those used for the lute), Mr. Carter performs this music, like his previous release of Sor's early works, using bare fingertips, the same technique employed by Sor himself, as opposed to picking with the fingernails, which method has been dominant since the beginning of the 20th century.
The music, mostly written as studies, couldn't be lovelier; tuneful and subtle, even the simplest theme over open bass string structures have a complete, song-like quality and serve as a reminder of the power of a memorable melody.
Mr. Carter's playing is, as usual, of the very highest quality, with a flawless technique and deep understanding of the music that manages to bring both emotion and precision to these often under-appreciated compositions.
Kudos also to Philip Hobbs, who produced and engineered this project; the recorded sound has a "live" quality that is clear, clean and gimmick-free.
"La Calme" by William Carter is a virtual must-have for guitar students and fans, chamber music aficionados, and anyone interested in the music of the most important guitarist/composer of the pre-modern era.

CKD 380 LINN RECORDS

FLAC 24/192

http://www.filefactory.com/f/842a9a298c15b2f2

Antonio Vivaldi - Concerti Opus 8 including 'The Four Seasons'

The Avison Ensemble, Pavlo Beznosiuk (director & violin)

CKD 365 LINN RECORDS

FLAC 24/192

http://www.filefactory.com/f/f8c0c1ada50cf90e

Vivaldi’s most famous work, Le Quattro Stagioni (The Four Seasons), contains some of the most instantly recognizable music ever composed and is today viewed as a pinnacle of musical art. In their second release on Linn Records the Avison Ensemble explores the rich diversity and delights of all twelve concertos in Vivaldi’s Opus 8. Pavlo Beznosiuk, directing this refreshing performance, states: ‘The Fours Seasons are well-known, well-loved and great fun to play, but let us not forget how richly characterful the other eight concerti are also. Throughout the set Vivaldi’s musical energy vibrates within us, connecting us to him in an irresistible, celebratory collection’. 2 CD set on Linn Records.

BBC Radio 3 CD Review Disc of the Week, 19th November 2011

"... a recording of Vivaldi I've really enjoyed ... Here's a disc that presents those four famous concertos in context. The seasons are fine but there are so many joys in the rest of the concertos. Lovely, warm colourful playing."Andrew McGregor, BBC Radio 3 CD Review

Marquise Knox - Here I Am

"While it is difficult to imagine how he does it, Knox is making music as fully vivid and expressive as any of the blues icons he so obviously worships. ... Knox at 19 has recorded as strong a blues record as any released in (2011). He is going to be a major force in this music for a long time to come." 4.5/5 stars — Steve Pick, About.com

"Listening to blues guitarist Marquise Knox play on Here I Am, his third album, you can imagine what it was like first hearing B.B. King back in the early 1950s...A guitarist of extraordinary skill, tone, and phrasing as well as a strong, emotionally powerful vocalist, Marquise Knox is a bluesman you're going to want to keep an eye on." - Rev. Keith A. Gordon, Blues Revue

"...every note and every word sounds as if it's coming from deep within his heart...there can be little doubt about Knox himself: he's the real deal, and he can only get deeper and better with age." - David Whiteis, Living Blues, October 2011

"We have had the pleasure of having Marquise Knox's Here I Am release at our station for several months now in our current rotation. We really love it, a great disc that has been one of my personal favorites of the year." - Leroy Alvarez, Blues Music Director, WNMC 90.7 FM Traverse City, Michigan

Marquise Knox is a once-in-a-generation type of talent. And, man, are traditional blues lovers lucky he's decided to pursue straight-up real blues. Marquise has the voice, the songwriting talent, the guitar chops, the showmanship and the determination to very likely be a success in any number of styles of music. But for Marquise, it's nothing but the blues. Not the guitar hero, pyrotechnic licks blues. Not the gimmicky, tired, "Sweet Home Chicago" meets "Mustang Sally" predictable blues. No, Marquise almost seems to be literally channeling the certain-something energies and nuances of a Howlin' Wolf or Muddy Waters or Lightnin' Hopkins. In fact, when you listen to Marquise - 19 years old when he recorded this title - you get the sense that this is what those masters must have sounded like as young men. Marquise's blues are so transparent and bare. It's so easy to feel his music as totally legitimate. That's above all what makes it so appealing. That's what makes Marquise Knox special. He's the whole package. A throwback blues master on the rise. Anybody believe in reincarnation?

As you'd expect from somebody still so young, Marquise's talents have matured immeasurably since his 2009 APO debut,Man Child, recorded when he was 16. And that was a really good record. On Man Child, Marquise shared the guitar duties with Michael Burks, a fiercely explosive and powerful guitarist. For his new record, Marquise doesn't need the guitar help, and Here I Am doesn't want for even a little power and punch. Marquise's guitar skills have improved tenfold. Seriously. And his voice is, well, three years richer. To say that this record sounds unlike anything any other 19 year old is releasing in 2011 is undisputable. To say that it may be unlike anything anybody is releasing in 2011 might also be true.

When Man Child hit the market in 2009, blues lovers freaked out partly because of how young Marquise was to be sounding like such an aged veteran. Well, he's still awfully young, but this time around, the focus ought to be entirely on just how incredible a bluesman Marquise Knox is, age aside.

CAPO 2024

FLAC 24/192

http://www.filefactory.com/f/c8ba3f8dfc6d2e80

Sunday, 9 December 2012

This one is for those of you who hate MP3 and iTunes.
Long Live FLAC!