What are you listening to right now?

I'm loving Mark Lettieri's new one "Dragonfly"

 

Hours of AT&T on hold light jazz with piano. It must be the same music they play in Hell's lobby.

 

Great tune/album/set! Never heard of this Blue Note. Art sounds fantastic. Two surprises:

• Early sideman date for Potato Valdez. Never heard him in a straight jazz date
  
• And Stanley Turrentine played post-bop style in 1960! Didn't know that

Will have to get this one.

 

I’m going to change my name to Potato.

 

Did you check the garage?

 

Reminds me of every crazy ex at once. Makes me want to start dating again.

 

Concierto de Aranjuez - 30th Anniversary Remastered
Paco de Lucía / Orquesta de Cadaqués




So, let’s talk about this for a sec. The original record is a historical artifact, with Paco at the height of his powers and having finally met in Cañizares a partner who could help him through this crazy idea of recording what is perhaps the most beloved concert for classical guitar… but with an unmistakable Flamenco twist. The recording is pretty good for its time (recorded in 1991 or so).

Here we are with a very, very competent remaster. It’s a product of modern time - the volume is louder, like everything else, but at least the silences are cleaner and there is no incompetent loudness. The end result increases proximity to the work without modern vices.

Haven’t seen CDs or Vinyl in the US (you can find them at Amazon, but from importers — the new booklet is full of interesting stuff, alas, in Spanish). You can’t buy it digitally on Qobuz but you can stream a 24/96.

If you’ve never listened to this performance, I urge you to do so. As a bonus, you get three more tracks taken from the Suite Iberia and arranged for guitar - a feat that would encourage Cañizares to record the whole thing later, another gem.

 

Epic write up - clear, concise, and not eccentric like so many paean's to the introverted hagiography of the classical world. You should copy and paste it in the classical thread.

 

That’s kind of you to say.

I’ve cross-posted:

 

rock and roll will not die

 

Pablo Casals - The Complete HMV Recordings
Warner Music 2023



By virtue of being the first to record Bach’s Cello suits, Pau Casals is credited with bringing attention and interest to the work. You owe it to yourself to experience his performance - even if rightfully so you’ve committed Yo Yo Ma’s 2018 to memory as your reference. This 2023 release comes with a lot more than the six suites: Beethoven, Dvorak… what I’d be tempted to call “today’s Cello student’s canon”.

Some of the recordings date back to the 1920s, but Casal’s interpretations are so timeless that you will ignore some of the unavoidable artifacts. There seems to be nothing new in this collection in terms of remastering or cleanup in the transfers, and that is in no way a negative.

 

"'Cause I feel good when I am in New York"

 

Stompin' Tom Conners The Hockey Song (youtube.com)

 

having an esoteric krautrock kind of evening

 

that shit is good.