Library

Genere: Folk

Durata:

Dischi: 1

Produttore:

Trama:

Genere: Jazz

Durata: 61:56

Dischi: 1

Produttore:

Trama:

Genere: Jazz

Durata:

Dischi: 1

Produttore:

Trama:

Genere: Jazz

Durata:

Dischi: 1

Produttore:

Trama: The talented Norah Jones came to New York and got famous in spectacular, multi-platinum fashion. So it's inevitable that recordings she made before she hit it big are starting to come to the fore--case in point, this CD by lyricist, songwriter and guitarist Peter Malick. Malick recorded these tunes with Jones in 2000 (when she was just 21), along with four other singers (Jess Klein, Kirsten Proffit, Antje Duvekot and his daughter Mercy). Stylistically, Malick's music is a radio-friendly blend of country and pop, with just a tinge of jazz, the same kind of genre that launched Jones on her Blue Note debut <i>Come Away with Me</i>. <p> The material is mostly about love, longing and big city life. While all of the singers have basically the same style, the six tracks with Jones stand out. Except for the slow blues number, "All of Your Love" and the organ-fuelled up-tempo rocker "Deceptively Yours," the rest of the guitar-centric music is mid-tempo. And, yes, Jones sounds the same on the quirky "Strange Transmissions" and the Nashville-nuanced "Heart of Mine" as she does now. Kudos to Mr Malick for being in the right place and the right studio at the right time. <I>--Eugene Holley, Jr</I>

Genere: Country

Durata:

Dischi: 1

Produttore:

Trama:

Genere: Jazz

Durata:

Dischi: 1

Produttore:

Trama: ONE OF THE GREATEST VOCAL GROUPS OF ALL TIME, THE MANHATTAN TRANSFER, CELEBRATE THEIR 4OTH ANNIVERSARY WITH THE RELEASE OF THEIR LONG AWAITED STUDIO ALBUM - THE CHICK COREA SONGBOOK THIS GROUNDBREAKING AND AMBITIOUS PROJECT IS SURE TO REKINDLE THE ENTHUSIASM OF THEIR COUNTLESS FANS AND ONCE AGAIN WIN CRITICAL AND POPULAR ACCLAIM WITH A STELLAR PERFORMANCE THAT WILL RE-AFFIRM THE REASON WHY THE MANHATTAN TRANSFER IS AN INSPIRATION AND THE STANDARD BEARER FOR VOCAL GROUPS ALL OVER THE WORLD. THE CHICK COREA SONGBOOK FEATURES FRESH AND EXCITING VOCAL INTERPRETATIONS OF SOME OF THE CLASSIC, POPULAR AND BRILLIANT CHICK COREA COMPOSITIONS, AND INCLUDES A NEW COMPOSITION, "FREE SAMBA" WHICH HAS BEEN WRITTEN SPECIALLY FOR THIS ALBUM BY CHICK COREA. THE ALBUM ALSO FEATURES GUEST APPEARANCES BY SOME OF THE FINEST MUSICIANS IN THE WORLD INCLUDING CHICK COREA, AIRTO, ALEX ACUNA, CHRISTIAN MCBRIDE, FRED HERSCH, EDSEL GOMEZ, LOU MARINI......TO NAME A FEW. IN THE COURSE OF THEIR LONG AND SUCCESSFUL CAREER MANHATTAN TRANSFER HAS SOLD MILLIONS OF ALBUMS IN NORTH AMERICA ALONE, AND HAVE WON MULTIPLE GRAMMY AND OTHER MAJOR AWARDS.

Genere: Jazz

Durata:

Dischi: 1

Produttore:

Trama:

Genere: Jazz

Durata:

Dischi: 1

Produttore:

Trama:

Genere: Jazz

Durata:

Dischi: 1

Produttore:

Trama:

Genere: Pop

Durata:

Dischi: 1

Produttore:

Trama:

Genere:

Durata: 1:14:19

Dischi:

Produttore:

Trama:

Genere: Reggae

Durata:

Dischi: 1

Produttore:

Trama: With this, his major-label debut, Bob Marley not only became an international superstar, so did reggae itself. The world of music would never be the same after the burning, classic tracks of "Stir It Up," "Slave Driver," and "Concrete Jungle." Everything about this 1973 platter is seminal--Marley's lyrics are political, but never preaching; there's not a dud track on the entire disc; the accompaniment of Peter Tosh and Bunny Livingston is unbeatable; and while this is classic reggae, it never sounds clichéd. This is, quite simply, as timeless as music gets. With great packaging, this deluxe edition gathers the original album and the unreleased Jamaican version. The Jamaican disc features a different mastering and sequence, and two additional tracks that show Marley's softer side--"Hide Tide or Low Tide" and "All Day All Night." <I>--Jason Verlinde</I>

Genere: Reggae

Durata:

Dischi: 1

Produttore:

Trama: Even as greatest hits packages go, this is an utter gem. Every song is inspired, in a class of its own, whether the real version of "I Shot the Sheriff," the hymnlike "No Woman, No Cry," or the sheer joy of "Jamming." Even allowing that Marley never wrote any bad material, then <I>Legend</I> is still the crème de la crème, the heart and soul of the Jamaican people packed into one five-inch compact disc. He was unique, and the message of this record, more than any other, is that he died far too soon. <I>--Chris Nickson</i>

Genere: Reggae

Durata:

Dischi: 1

Produttore:

Trama: Bob Marley's second live album, 1978's <I>Babylon by Bus</I>, had to be pretty damned good to match the incandescence of 1975's <I>Live!</I>. But with glorious performances on songs like "Punky Reggae Party," "Jamming," and "Is This Love?" Bob Marley and the Wailers came close to equaling <i>Live!</i>. Maybe there wasn't quite the same amount of inspiration, but the Wailers had matured into a tight unit, and Marley was a charismatic performer, as this set captured only too well. And with Marley still at the height of his writing powers, there definitely wasn't a dud song in the bunch. Not so much bus travel as limousine listening, this specially remastered edition makes the glory of the original release even clearer. <I>--Chris Nickson</I>

Genere:

Durata: 55:25

Dischi:

Produttore:

Trama:

Genere: Jazz

Durata: 1:03:40

Dischi: 1

Produttore: Branford Marsalis

Trama: There was no doubt that when Jeff "Tain" Watts left the Branford Marsalis Quartet in 2009, they would take some time to regroup. They recruited then 18-year-old drummer Justin Faulkner, confusing many fans. But Marsalis knew what he was doing. Faulkner makes his BMQ debut on the no-nonsense Four MFs Playin' Tunes. The program features seven originals and two covers, recorded over a couple of days in 2011. There isn't any conceptual bent to what's here; the definition is in the humorous title -- four jazzmen investing themselves fully in a set of diverse compositions, focusing on the details of collective conversation, interplay, harmony, and improvisation. Faulkner has a fine balance of skills: he's physical, he possesses a forcefulness that drives this group, but he can also dance with real finesse. Joey Calderazzo's sprightly "The Mighty Sword," which has a slightly tropical Latin tinge, features excellent dialogue between Marsalis' soprano and the pianist in the high register. Faulkner pushes from the outside with frenetic snare, cymbal, and tom-tom work as bassist Eric Revis swings like mad underneath. Another highlight is the bassist's nearly mystical ballad "Maestra," which moves from speculative to an outright flow of elegance and emotion without ever losing its restraint. The cover of Monk's "Teo" is more about rhythmic dialogue than anything else. There is little harmonic revelation here, but the joy the group displays in playing its changes and the slippery series of extra and syncopated beats Faulkner slides in make it delightful. Marsalis' "Whiplash" is exactly what it claims to be: a driving, knotty hard bop tune with excellent tenor, piano, and drum solos. There's also a longer reprise of Calderazzo's "Endymion" from his and Marsalis' 2011 duet album, Songs of Mirth and Melancholy. With labyrinthine lyric exchanges by the pianist and Marsalis' tenor, the rhythm section -- in a dazzling intricate display of its own -- moves it beyond its classical leanings and into more adventurous terrain. Revis' bass here is so illustrative that Calderazzo could have gone off in any direction from the wide-angled melody. The saxophonist's "Treat It Gentle" is given gorgeous, straight-ahead blues ballad treatment with tasteful, lightly swinging solos; it stretches to over nine minutes. Four MFs Playin' Tunes is a solid return by the BMQ. Rather than offer anything new, they instead focus on re-introducing the band as a creative unit whose capacity for musical excellence is undiminished.

by Thom Jurek
allmusic.com

Genere: Jazz

Durata:

Dischi: 1

Produttore:

Trama:

Genere: Jazz

Durata:

Dischi: 1

Produttore:

Trama: For his debut on this label, <I>Magic Hour</I>, Wynton Marsalis gets back to basics with a small combo. Taking a break from his large-ensemble works such as <I>Blood on the Fields</I> and <I>All Rise</I>, the trumpeter leads a quartet consisting of bassist Carlos Henriquez, pianist Eric Lewis, and drummer Ali Jackson. Labelmates Bobby McFerrin (who recorded with the trumpeter on the early 80s LP, <I>The Young Lions</I>) and Dianne Reeves join Marsalis on "Baby, I Love You" and "Feeling of Jazz." "Big Fat Hen" is peppered by a New Orleans-meets-Brazil second-line samba, while "Skippin'" is a Monkish riff tune with stop time. The title track, dedicated to the time when kids go to sleep, includes a melodic nod to "The Flight of the Bumblebee," a mid-tempo groove, a ballad and the Cuban <I>clave</I>. With the sterling production by younger brother Delfeayo, Wynton Marsalis starts off on the good foot. <I>--Eugene Holley, Jr, Amazon.com</I>

Genere: Jazz

Durata: 65:33

Dischi: 1

Produttore:

Trama:

Genere: Jazz

Durata:

Dischi: 1

Produttore:

Trama:

Genere: Jazz

Durata:

Dischi: 1

Produttore:

Trama:

Genere: Jazz

Durata:

Dischi: 1

Produttore:

Trama: As the title to WYNTON MARSALIS's fifth Blue Note release indicates, He and She is about that eternally compelling and most elemental of subjects: the relationship between a man and a woman. The Pulitzer Prize-winning composer, trumpeter, and band leader, however, hasn't merely crafted a love story, but a life story -- a bittersweet rumination about the evanescence of life as well as the elusiveness of romance. Time is very much at the heart of He and She: the swift passage of time over the course of one's life, the mood-altering shifts of time within the duration of a song. It's an ambitious effort, combining spoken word and music, and Marsalis has given his quintet some formidable charts. The album is tempered with dashes of humor and plenty of swing. There's ease and elegance and more than a little wisdom in these grooves.

Genere: Jazz

Durata:

Dischi: 1

Produttore:

Trama:

Genere:

Durata:

Dischi:

Produttore:

Trama:

Genere:

Durata:

Dischi:

Produttore:

Trama:

Genere: Jazz

Durata: 52:13

Dischi: 1

Produttore:

Trama:

Genere: Pop

Durata:

Dischi: 1

Produttore:

Trama:

Genere: Jazz

Durata:

Dischi: 1

Produttore:

Trama:

Genere: Rock

Durata:

Dischi: 1

Produttore:

Trama:

Genere: Rock

Durata:

Dischi: 1

Produttore:

Trama:

Genere: Country

Durata:

Dischi: 1

Produttore:

Trama: Kathy Mattea's lovely, strong vocals, coupled with uplifting arrangements, make <i>Good News</i> an especially rich and deep spiritual testament. "There's a New Kid in Town" is the highpoint of this 1993 outing, but "Christ Child's Lullaby" and the title track really showcase the soulful and smart Mattea. In time, this might prove to be a seasonal country classic. <i>--Martin Keller</i>

Genere: Country

Durata:

Dischi: 1

Produttore:

Trama:

Genere: Country

Durata:

Dischi: 1

Produttore:

Trama:

Genere: Country

Durata:

Dischi: 1

Produttore:

Trama:

Genere: Rock

Durata:

Dischi: 2

Produttore:

Trama: Like a lot of his jam-band compatriots, Dave Matthews's personality can come off as muted in the studio, but really spreads out live--which makes this a must-have for fans who don't already have the bootleg, or nineteen more from the same period. But absent a hits sampler, <I>Live at Red Rocks</I> could also be the best Matthews album for more tentative listeners. It draws heavily from the <I>Under the Table and Dreaming</I> material, as well as from the then-upcoming <I>Crash</I>. "All Along the Watchtower," previously only available on an indie EP, ends the set. <I>--Gavin McNett</I>

Genere: Jazz

Durata: 36:51

Dischi:

Produttore:

Trama:

Genere: Country

Durata:

Dischi: 1

Produttore:

Trama: Few country artists of the 1990s have been able to meld a pronounced pop sensibility with the core elements of classic country as effectively as Miami's Mavericks. Their 1992 major-label debut displays a band mature well beyond its years, one not afraid of either tantalizing melodies or country music history. Here the Mavericks reprise four tunes from their eponymous indie debut and toss in four new Raul Malo originals along with covers of Hank Williams (a lacklustre "Hey Good Lookin'") and Buck Owens (a much more engaging "Excuse Me"). Their deft mix of old-school honky-tonk, Orbisonesque sob stories, and punchy modern country-rock serves notice of a band with enormous commercial and artistic potential. <i>--Marc Greilsamer</i>

Genere: Blues

Durata:

Dischi: 1

Produttore:

Trama:

Genere:

Durata:

Dischi:

Produttore:

Trama: With 'Out Here', premier bassist Christian McBride introduces his latest working group, a trio, perhaps the most essential and meaningful postulation of jazz history. Pianist Christian Sands and Drummer Ulysses Owens, Jr - both younger, emerging artists have been performing with McBride's smallest group for about three years, honing their trio conception to a fine point of expressive depth and nuance with select performances around the world.

Genere: Country

Durata:

Dischi: 1

Produttore:

Trama: Martina McBride's fourth RCA album may not be her best work, but it remains a state-of-the-art '90s pop-country album, filled with insouciantly catchy melodies, flawlessly smooth production, and some genuinely memorable material. The 1997 set is balanced between earnestly romantic tunes like "Here in My Heart," midtempo acoustic songs like "Be That Way," and quasi-feminist numbers like "A Broken Wing," which rivals "Independence Day" for her most focused, soulful performance to date. The album might have benefited from more judicious editing: the cutesy opening snippet, the superficial "Keeping My Distance," and the gooey "Valentine" feel out of place on this mostly well crafted, emotionally sung work. <I>--Roy Kasten</I>

Genere: Country

Durata:

Dischi: 1

Produttore:

Trama:

Genere: Rock

Durata:

Dischi: 1

Produttore:

Trama:

Genere: Blues

Durata:

Dischi: 1

Produttore:

Trama: All those young up-and-comers who think they know how to sing R&B and soul should really get themselves a dose of Mighty Sam McClain. The man waited years to record any albums (though there were a few singles in the 1960s), but it's been worth the wait. <I>Blues for the Soul</I> is McClain's first for Telarc Records, and it's a near-perfect debut. The slower, lazier songs are ideal for the heat of summer, but one could just as easily imagine listening to McClain in a dark, smoky nightclub in November. His voice is strong, but so smooth that at first you don't notice, and his backing band knows exactly how to support him; they're tight and on the money, but never overwhelming. McClain's perspective is quirky, yet mature, as exemplified by "Jesus Got the Blues" and "Sweet Lady" (in the latter, he sings the praises of smart women--recognizing that beauty's a transient thing, but brains last a lifetime). While there's no doubt he's passionate about his music, McClain's solid record is all the more appealing for its unassuming presentation. <I>--Genevieve Williams</I>

Genere: Jazz

Durata:

Dischi: 1

Produttore:

Trama: Wow! What an amazingly powerful voice McClain has. Makes the current trend of blues teen upstarts and young guns sound like slightly slower versions of N'Sync, Britney Spears or Destiny's Child. If anyone listens to this cd and doubts that Mighty Sam has had some woes to overcome in his life, they probably also believe the earth is flat.These are all exceptionally well-crafted, slower blues numbers with a significant gospel and soul influence, along with a touch of R&B to boot. More than most recent blues performers, McClain focuses on the vocals a bit more than the instruments. As a blues fan who started out listening to hard rock a few decades ago and who still prefers guitar-oriented music, I wasn't sure how well I would like this CD when I first purchased it, but even though the blues guitar work is a bit sparing, it is a very subtley satisifying compliment to the piano, horns and Sam's great singing. Don't be put off by the slightly gospelish and soulful sound either - this still comes across as a blues album first and foremost. The highlight of this album is the title track. I first heard this album as a demo cd at a car stereo dealer and I liked Give It Up to Love so much I searched every record store in town until I found it. I have used this particular song to test several stereos and its highs, lows, great vocals and build up to a enlightening crescendo makes it a perfect test cd. In fact, when I was comparing compact stereos at several national retailers for a stereo for my office, two pimply-faced, teenage Blink 182 fans working as sales assistants liked this song so much they wrote down the name of the artist and the album for a future acquisition; one of these kids wasn't even working in the stereo systems department and just wandered over from another part of the store to inquire about the song.All in all, this is an outstanding album that features such great singing and songwriting that it is timeless. Mighty Sam deserves far more acclaim at this point in time than some of the so-called blues legends who have been merely going through the motions for the last fifteen years or so; I hope one day soon Sam receives the recognition that he deserves.

Genere: Country

Durata:

Dischi: 1

Produttore:

Trama:

Genere: Country

Durata:

Dischi: 1

Produttore:

Trama: The latest from Reba starts out with the hit "If You See Him, If You See Her"--on which she teams up with tour buddies Brooks and Dunn--and never stops touching your heart. Her poignant lyrics cascade over strong country-pop musical arrangements, and Reba displays power, passion, and vulnerability in her songs, a combination that has garnered her millions of fans worldwide. This new release will continue her momentum. The duet with Linda Davis, "Face to Face" has two woman with one man in common meeting for the first time, and when Reba picks the "Wrong Night" to fall in love, you will be up on your feet, dancing the night away. <I>--Paula Ghergia</I>

Genere: Country

Durata:

Dischi: 1

Produttore:

Trama:

Genere: Country

Durata:

Dischi: 1

Produttore:

Trama: Few artists have sung about marital infidelity as often as Reba McEntire, and she returns to the theme on her triumphant <i>Read My Mind</i>. No moment better illuminates what a marriage is really made of than the moment when a wife confronts a cheating husband, and McEntire returns to that showdown again and again. On "I Won't Stand in Line," McEntire addresses a husband who is quite nice to her when she's around but equally nice to lots of other women when she's not. On "I Wish That I Could Tell You," McEntire plays the wife in a lifeless marriage who wishes she could make it easy for her husband to go. "Till You Love Me" and the album's title track are both straightforward love songs with juicy melodies, and McEntire opens up her enormous, gospelish voice on them as if she were Nashville's Whitney Houston-- another big-throated singer with an instinct for the emotional jugular. <i>-- Geoffrey Himes</i>

Genere: Country

Durata:

Dischi:

Produttore:

Trama:

Genere: Country

Durata:

Dischi: 1

Produttore:

Trama:

Genere: Jazz

Durata:

Dischi: 1

Produttore:

Trama:

Genere: Jazz

Durata:

Dischi: 1

Produttore:

Trama:

Genere: Folk

Durata:

Dischi: 1

Produttore:

Trama: Their previous album, the fine but underappreciated <I>Love Over and Over</I>, had found the McGarrigles nodding cautiously toward more explicit pop and rock accents, but their cult-sized audience was likely hoping for a return to the more acoustic atmosphere of earlier records. At first listen, then, <I>Heartbeats Accelerating</I> is a modest shock, laced with coproducer Pierre Marchand's (Sarah McLachlan) moody synthesizers and a slightly chillier feel to the album's overall sound. Yet those modern elements ultimately work, underlining the songs' more fatalistic perspective, especially on the set's bittersweet zenith, "I Eat Dinner." In her inventory of a divorced mother's solitary meal, Kate McGarrigle captures no less than the death of romance, her very restraint making its dry-eyed contemplation of life after love quietly devastating. <I>--Sam Sutherland</I>

Genere: Rock

Durata:

Dischi: 1

Produttore:

Trama:

Genere: Rock

Durata:

Dischi: 1

Produttore:

Trama:

Genere: Rock

Durata:

Dischi: 1

Produttore:

Trama:

Genere: Rock

Durata:

Dischi: 1

Produttore:

Trama: Maria McKee's voice--equal parts Dolly and Aretha--had frequently been great, one song at a time, but it wasn't until <I>You Gotta Sin</I> that this former Lone Justice singer was perfect start to finish. McKee's best batch of songs ever are complimented here by the twisted guitar of Jayhawk Gary Louris, which matches McKee, scream for scream, especially on the closing title track where Maria sends packing the guy she's been chasing all along. She's all over the place--"I'm Gonna Soothe You" is soul, "Only Once" honky-tonk, "I Can't Make It Alone" hard-edged pop--but it all works because McKee has finally reconciled her spirituality with her need for the sensual, over-the-top anthem. <I>--David Cantwell</I>

Genere: Jazz

Durata:

Dischi: 1

Produttore:

Trama: This live recording from 1980 matched fusion guitar heavyweights Al DiMeola and John McLaughlin with Spanish guitar whiz Paco DeLucia. The result, a dazzling technical display, also earned jeers as the international summit of world-class finger-wigglers by critics who felt it was long on chops and short on heart. John McLaughlin's importance to the development of the jazz fusion scene can't be overestimated: as the guitarist on Miles Davis's seminal <I>Bitches Brew</i> and <I>A Tribute to Jack Johnson</i>, he was the first significant guitarist of the electric jazz era; on his own, he brought power rock, spiritualism, and lush orchestration to the scene via his Mahavishnu Orchestra. DiMeola, the most commercially successful next-generation fusion guitarist, achieved stardom with Chick Corea's group Return to Forever and on his own records. DeLucia, virtually unknown in the U.S., is a fine flamenco guitarist, and it is that orientation more than anything that colors <I>Friday Night</i>: even when playing straightforward non-flamenco compositions, the phrasing and sensibility lurks behind every note. Still, the passion of the music is frequently marred by the participants' inability to play at anything but the most breakneck pace. <i>--Fred Goodman</i>

Genere: Jazz

Durata:

Dischi: 1

Produttore:

Trama:

Genere: Jazz

Durata:

Dischi: 1

Produttore:

Trama:

Genere: Folk

Durata:

Dischi: 1

Produttore:

Trama:

Genere: Rock

Durata:

Dischi: 1

Produttore:

Trama: Brought to the attention of Columbia Records by a fluke--John Mellencamp was friends with the artist's father, noted author Larry McMurtry--James McMurtry proved himself more than worthy of a record deal, despite such family and industry connections, with his debut album. He backed up his keen sense for lyrical detail with deft, sturdy musicianship, whether picking through delicate numbers such as "Crazy Wind" and "Song for a Deck Hand's Daughter" or delivering anthemic roots rockers such as "Painting by Numbers" and "I'm Not from Here." With an appropriately desolate, deadpan vocal delivery, McMurtry tells tales of desperate small-town characters, painting a vivid picture of an America that lurks far from the bright lights and big cities. <I>--Peter Blackstock</I>

Genere: Jazz

Durata:

Dischi: 1

Produttore:

Trama:

Genere: Jazz

Durata:

Dischi: 1

Produttore:

Trama: It's possible to admire Medeski Martin and Wood's craft and guile in pushing against stylistic restraints while recognizing that their music isn't quite as much fun as it once was--or that this hugely popular trio may think it is. Full of shaggy cross-textures, plummy grooves, and spooky electronic underpinnings, <I>Uninvisible</I> is a lively sonic stew. Once a universe unto themselves, keyboardist John Medeski, drummer Billy Martin, and bassist Chris Wood continue to smartly expand their jam-band base, here featuring a brash five-piece horn section from the Brooklyn-based Antibalas Afrobeat Orchestra, turntablists DJ Olive and DJ P Love, and, for a spoken-word number, craggy-voiced Southern rock eccentric Col. Bruce Hampton. When Medeski is riding that Hammond organ and the group is taking its patented soulful detours, as on "Pappy Check" and the Booker T-ish "Smoke," all is right with the world. But even with Medeski dabbling on a roomful of other instruments, including the Mellotron, mini-Moog, and Arp, the songs don't have a lot of variety. And crowded with effects, the music can bog down in its own abstract logic--though there's no resisting the ping-pong game being played on "Off the Table." The chief rewards of <I>Uninvisible</I> are in the details. Until further notice, a headphone advisory is in effect. <I>--Lloyd Sachs</I>

Genere: Jazz

Durata:

Dischi: 1

Produttore:

Trama: Prodigious technique, an emphasis on harmonic impressionism and delicately strung arpeggios, a preference for the high-wire austerity of piano, bass, and drums: if jazz pianist Brad Mehldau sounds like he's grooming himself as the next Bill Evans, his second album only heightens the comparisons, right down to its deadly serious title. Happily, Mehldau pulls it off on this critically-acclaimed 1997 release, which finds his luminous touch bringing fresh power to standards (including the opening "Blame It on My Youth," "I Didn't Know What Time It Was," and a lovely reading of the Beatles' "Blackbird") and some equally strong originals. Drummer Jorge Rossy and bassist Larry Grenadier prove sympathetic partners, but it's Mehldau who transcends mere technical cuff-flashes to let the underlying lyricism carry the day. <i>--Sam Sutherland</i>

Genere: Jazz

Durata:

Dischi: 1

Produttore:

Trama: This live set, recorded at New York's Village Vanguard in the summer of 1997, presents pianist Brad Mehldau with bassist Larry Grenadier and drummer Jorge Rossy, the same personnel as on <I>The Art of the Trio, Volume One</I>. This is hardcore jazz, with tunes by Cole Porter, Thelonious Monk, Jerome Kern, Henry Mancini and Johnny Mercer, and John Coltrane. Mehldau hasn't yet earned a place in the highest rank of the jazz pantheon, but if he keeps making recordings of this caliber, he'll blow away a lot of the opposition. He doesn't wear his influences on his sleeve but, with the support of Grenadier and Rossy, executes harmonic reconstructions of standard texts. <I>--Stanley Booth</I>

Genere: Jazz

Durata:

Dischi: 1

Produttore:

Trama: <i>Art of the Trio Volume 3</i> was easily the finest rainy-day album of 1998. Moody, pensive, and hopelessly romantic, Brad Mehldau's fifth album as a leader staked out a deeply personal, strikingly handsome territory. Aided by sympathetic playing from bassist Larry Grenadier and drummer Jorge Rossy, <i>Art of the Trio</i> may not be the most exciting jazz album of the year, but it is certainly the most gorgeous. Mehldau's take on Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart's "Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered" is offered with as much feeling as his cover of Nick Drake's "River Man," and both show the range of his influences. --<I>S. Duda</I>

Genere: Jazz

Durata:

Dischi: 2

Produttore:

Trama: Nonesuch Records releases 'Highway Rider' a double-disc of original work by pianist and composer Brad Mehldau on March 16, 2010. The album is his second collaboration with renowned producer Jon Brion and features performances by Mehldau's trio, drummer Jeff Ballard and bassist Larry Grenadier as well as drummer Matt Chamberlain, saxophonist Joshua Redman, and a chamber orchestra led by Dan Coleman. Mehldau also orchestrated and arranged the album's 15 pieces for the ensemble.

In a Nonesuch Store Exclusive, orders of the album through nonesuch.com include as a bonus track a demo Mehldau recorded for Brion early on in the album's development, in which Mehldau explains how he'd like for the title track to unfold and offers a run-through on piano. Also included, as with almost all orders in the Nonesuch Store, is the complete album as audiophile-quality 320 kbps MP3's.

Although Brad Mehldau is best known as a jazz composer and improviser, he has written several long-form compositions and songs, including an orchestral piece called 'The Brady Bunch Variations' for the Orchestre National d'Île-de-France and two Carnegie Hall commissions: 'Love Songs' for mezzo-soprano Anne Sofie von Otter and 'Love Sublime' for soprano Renée Fleming.

'It's so exciting to write something and have it in your head and then hear it for the first time being played by these magnificent musicians,' he says. 'It s really an emotional experience. I'm still reeling from it.'

'For me, the biggest challenge was the orchestration; which notes to assign to what instruments. I've been studying lots of orchestral scores for a while now-Strauss, Brahms, Tchaikovsky; a lot of big romantic stuff in particular. But while I was writing, I was also listening closely to modern orchestrators and arrangers, and there are two who have made an impact on me especially François Rauber in his work with Jacques Brel, and Bob Alcivar in his work with Tom Waits.'

Jon Brion also produced Mehldau's 2002 album 'Largo,' and Mehldau had been hoping to work with him again since then. 'I knew from working with Jon on 'Largo' that he was the guy who would find a way to put all the pieces together for this project. It was really quite a beast sonically at some points-two drummers playing at the same time, bass, sax, and piano, and then the orchestra on top of that. I wanted to record everything live whenever possible but wasn't sure if we could do it. The first conversation with Jon about the music, that was for him a done deal it had to be live, with the orchestra and the jazz group playing together. Jon had the foresight during the recording, and then a great deal of craft during the mixing, to bring it all together and sound like it does. And we were able to avoid what the conductor Dan Coleman jokingly referred to as 'disco strings' that is, adding the orchestra onto the jazz group's performance after the fact.'

'Largo' was a step in a new direction for the pianist, incorporating horns, strings, vibes, and electronic instruments as well as Brion's unique production touches. As Brion points out, though, 'This time around, having done these classical things of late, and these different commissioned pieces he's had to write was a completely different thing. It s like, 'OK, I know what I learned from doing that last one. This time I have a specific angle.''

Genere: Jazz

Durata:

Dischi: 3

Produttore:

Trama: 'Live In Marciac,' a two CD/one DVD set, is pianist and composer Brad Mehldau's second collection of live solo recordings, joining 'Live In Toyko' in his Nonesuch catalogue. This engrossing set, from a summer festival in Marciac, France, features both Mehldau originals and his ruminative explorations of material from such artists and writers as Nick Drake, Radiohead, John Lennon and Paul McCartney, and Kurt Cobain, along with American Songbook classics from Cole Porter ('It's All Right With Me') and Rogers and Hammerstein ('My Favorite Thing').

The accompanying film offers a beautifully rendered, piano's-eye view of Mehldau from this French performance, an extraordinarily up-close opportunity to observes his hands-and mind-at work. As London's Telegraph has noted, 'He's a pianist who has it all, technically speaking, and he also has a fabulously well-stocked brain that can mingle different musical traditions. He can turn a standard with consummate musicianship and real swing, he can mine the depths of a blues chord sequence, he can summon a rock-anthem ecstasy. And lurking in the background is a fascination with classical music, revealed in the way inner parts surge and pluck at the main melody.'

The release of this live set caps a remarkable year for the pianist, who just celebrated his 40th birthday in August. Mehldau was awarded the prestigious Richard and Barbara Debs Composers Chair at Carnegie Hall for the current season, in recognition of his 'sensuous, cerebral, and incandescent' work. Through spring 2011, he is serving as an artist in residence at Carnegie Hall, programming concerts-including the recent live premiere of his latest original work, 'Highway Rider'-and conducting master classes, as well as collaborating with other artists, such as mezzo soprano Anne Sofie von Otter, with whom he will perform an expanded version of his 'Love Songs.' This honor marks the first time the chair has been given to a jazz artist and, as New York magazine put it, 'not just any cat-a pianist with broad influences and a cerebral style.'

'Highway Rider,' released on Nonesuch, has been universally acclaimed. Naming it one of the best jazz releases of 2010, NPR declared, 'With producer Jon Brion lending a hand, Mehldau has put forth a double album of entirely original music that shows how much he's grown as a composer, and not just a renowned pianist.' The Los Angeles Times concurs: 'Full of unexpected twists and lush, evocative detours, 'Highway Rider' is most definitely a trip, and one well worth taking.'

Genere: Jazz

Durata:

Dischi: 1

Produttore:

Trama: Pianist Brad Mehldau's so-so excursion into atmospheric pop production, <I>Largo</I>, may be proving to be a worthwhile experiment after all. Having gotten that out of his system, at least for the moment, he sounds looser in the pocket than he has in a long time in returning to the ruminative piano trio format with which he made his reputation. In applying some of his quirkiest personal touches to jazz and pop standards, he also sounds--no offense intended--more awake. Hooking up with his longstanding rhythm mates, bassist Larry Grenadier, and drummer Jorge Rossy, Mehldau offsets his patented lyrical touches with antic minimalist strokes, bold vamps, and high-stepping two-hand strategies. Alternately spiky and seductive, his unaccompanied playing on an initially languid "Get Happy" is a winning case of the left hand pretending not to know what the right hand is doing. Reharmonizing Charles Chaplin's "Smile" with dense harmonic clouds, he properly obliterates that hoary melody. There's another sighing Radiohead treatment, "Everything in its Right Place," and an attempt at enlivening Paul Simon's "Still Crazy (After All These Years)," but it's his happy time with Thelonious Monk's "Skippy" that tells us his best may be yet to come. <I>--Lloyd Sachs</I>

Genere: Jazz

Durata:

Dischi: 2

Produttore:

Trama: On this lengthy two-CD set (over two hours), pianist Brad Mehldau, bassist Larry Grenadier, and drummer Jorge Rossy further explore the art of the jazz trio before a live audience. Mehldau, of course, is the main voice, exhibiting a lyrical touch and a wide, encyclopedic knowledge of the jazz piano. Although Bill Evans is obviously the primary influence, one can hear echoes of Chick Corea, Keith Jarrett, and Hank Jones, as well. Mehldau has absorbed his influences well, sounding neither imitative nor radical, and though solidly in the tradition of conventional jazz piano, he is adding his own verve, vitality, and intelligence to the genre. From jazz standards ("The More I See You" and "It Might as Well Be Spring") to pop kitsch ("Cry Me a River" and "How Long Has This Been Going On") to hipster originals ("Dream's Monk" and "Sublation"), Mehldau and crew demonstrate that they have listened well to their progenitors, following the well-traveled path of using familiar melodic material as a means to investigate mood, texture, and dynamics. <I>--Wally Shoup</I>

Genere: Jazz

Durata:

Dischi: 1

Produttore:

Trama:

Genere: Jazz

Durata:

Dischi: 2

Produttore:

Trama:

Genere: Jazz

Durata:

Dischi: 1

Produttore:

Trama:

Genere: Rock

Durata: 15:00

Dischi: 1

Produttore:

Trama:

Genere: Rock

Durata:

Dischi: 1

Produttore:

Trama:

Genere: Rock

Durata:

Dischi: 1

Produttore:

Trama: You pretty much know what to expect from a John Mellencamp album at this point in time, and <I>Cuttin' Heads</I> certainly won't disappoint the Midwest rock troubadour's diehard fans. In fact, Mellencamp's 18th album is arguably his most engaging, and coincidentally timely, since 1989's <I>Big Daddy</I>. "Peaceful World," a beautiful folk-rocker featuring guest vocalist India Arie, takes on a more poignant and ironic tone in light of the tragedy of September 11, 2001. Public Enemy's Chuck D contributes a fabulous rap on the opening title track, which, like "Peaceful World," addresses American racism. Elsewhere, Mellencamp offers up typical fare, including several love tunes (Trisha Yearwood duets on "Deep Blue Heart"), the calypso-like "Crazy Island," and a lyric on "Women Seem" that's ornery enough to still merit the Little Bastard nickname he once gave himself. It's not <I>Scarecrow</I>, but it's still a fine effort. <I>--Bill Holdship</I>

Genere: Rock

Durata:

Dischi: 1

Produttore:

Trama: The heartland rocker's first album of all-new material in more than five years finds John Mellencamp in full anthem mode. This is his State of the Union address, with guitars that chime like the Byrds heralding sentiments that recall the socially-conscious 1960s, yet sound all the more pertinent today. Balancing the desolate landscape of "Ghost Towns Along the Highway," the hell-on-earth of "Rural Route," and the tolls demanded on the title track's "Freedom's Road" are the embrace of brotherhood on "Someday," the Everyman populism of "The Americans," and the soaring transcendence of "My Aeroplane." Within the context of the album's song cycle, the "Our Country" centerpiece sounds richer and more powerful than it has as a truck commercial--like a roots-rocking sequel to Woody Guthrie's "This Land Is Your Land." Mellencamp enlists Joan Baez for a duet on the protest ballad "Jim Crow," while saving his most blistering political commentary for the unlisted bonus track, "Rodeo Clown." <i>--Don McLeese</i>

Genere: Rock

Durata:

Dischi: 1

Produttore:

Trama:

Genere: Rock

Durata:

Dischi: 1

Produttore:

Trama: For the multinomenclatured John(ny) (Cougar) Mellencamp, falling into loping historical pace as the "poor man's Springsteen" has been a blessing in disguise. If you're perpetually second best, to whose expectations do you ultimately answer? Certainly not your audience's--they're prepared for so-so songwriting. It's a win-win situation in which even your most lackluster material appears "Thunder Road" brilliant. Follow this train of thinking and you might hear Mellencamp's eponymous album (and first for Columbia) as something of a minor masterpiece. The self-dubbed Li'l Bastard is pushing himself stylistically, adding exotic flavors (sitar, tabla, organ) and high-tech ones (tape loops, synths) to his bass-guitar-violin foundation. This provides for some intriguing moments, such as the rhythm-tracked shuffle "I'm On My Way" and the hip-hop-scratchy exercise "Break Me Off Some." The uninitiated, however, will observe a far less sensational situation: the Hoosier's nonchalant reliance on his trademark Cougar-isms--Biblical metaphors, "Jack and Diane"-ish one-dimensional characters, and the simple, chirrupy jangle of a trusty six-string acoustic. Somewhere between the two extremes lies the artistic truth. Mellencamp is kicking desperately at his gate, and that's a good thing. But his corral remains relatively small and limited. There aren't any <i>Ghost of Tom Joad</i>s in his immediate future. <i>--Tom Lanham</i>

Genere: Rock

Durata:

Dischi: 1

Produttore:

Trama:

Genere: Rock

Durata:

Dischi:

Produttore:

Trama:

Genere: Rock

Durata:

Dischi: 1

Produttore:

Trama: Though the comparison has often been applied to him unfairly, it's fair to say that <i>Scarecrow</i> is to John Cougar Mellencamp what <i>Born in the U.S.A.</i> is to Bruce Springsteen: a hugely popular hit that solidified both his fan base and his critical reputation. The one important difference is that <i>U.S.A.</i>'s message was largely misinterpreted (Ronald Reagan co-opted the title song in a manner that's tragically ironic), while <i>Scarecrow</i>'s ode to Mellencamp's native Indiana comes through loud and clear. Shortly after the release of this album, Mellencamp got involved in the Farm Aid benefit-concert series, and his concern for that lifestyle is evident on songs like "Small Town," "Rain on the Scarecrow," and "Rumbleseat"; other songs ("Lonely Old Night," "R.O.C.K. in the U.S.A.") are straight from the heart(land). <i>--Randy Silver</i>

Genere: Rock

Durata:

Dischi: 1

Produttore:

Trama:

Genere: Rock

Durata:

Dischi: 1

Produttore:

Trama: <I>The Lonesome Jubilee</I> continued <i>Scarecrow</i>'s stylistic and thematic examination of the rustic and rural. While it's not quite the knockout its predecessor was, the album does find Mellencamp and band in an undeniable groove. It's also hard to dispute the details of vignettes such as "Cherry Bomb" or treatises like "Paper in Fire." <I>--Rickey Wright</I>

Genere: Rock

Durata: 15:20

Dischi: 1

Produttore:

Trama:

Genere: Country

Durata:

Dischi: 1

Produttore:

Trama:

Genere: Jazz

Durata:

Dischi: 1

Produttore:

Trama:

Genere: Jazz

Durata:

Dischi: 2

Produttore:

Trama: Guitarist Pat Metheny gets to play with the big boys on this spirited double album. Having made a string of well-received albums with his young band, featuring keyboardist Lyle Mays, Pat Metheny (a former Gary Burton sideman) had graduated to the front rank of youthful jazz and fusion guitarists. A warm player with a harmonically sophisticated approach to soloing, Methany's breezy compositions made him easily approachable for casual listeners, but belied the complexity of much of the music. <i>80/81</i> is Metheny's musical bar mitzvah: a chance to step up and be counted among the men of the congregation. Instead of his usual band of contemporaries, Metheny opts to work out with four of jazz's most respected graybeards: bassist Charlie Haden, drummer Jack DeJohnette and saxophonists Dewey Redman and Mike Brecker. That both Haden and Redman are long associated with Ornette Coleman is represented by a cover of Coleman's "Turnaround", a surprising move that augured Metheny's own future collaboration with the alto legend (on <i>Song X</i>). Still, in the final analysis, Metheny is the leader and the band plays his music. <i>--Fred Goodman </i>

Genere: Jazz

Durata:

Dischi: 1

Produttore:

Trama:

Genere: Jazz

Durata: 1:05:45

Dischi: 1

Produttore:

Trama: