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Steely Dan, "Two Against Nature." Rock Album of the Century.
This question is an attempt to quickly take the pulse of audiophile music tastes this month: What music have you just bought?
Strange you should ask, as I just got back from the Montreal audio show and I managed to pick up a truckload of new music, both on vinyl and CD. I found the Classic LP of Lester Young's "Laughing to Keep from Crying," Chesky's LPs of Johnny Frigo's "Debut of a Legend" and Reiner/CSO's "Scheherazade," the JVC XRCDS of Bill Evans' "Waltz for Debbie," Bennie Wallace's "The Old Songs," and Terry Evans' "Puttin' It Down." All of them sound great, definitely money well spent.
The CD I purchased most recently was "32 More Gems From 32 Jazz". This two CD set has excellent selections (for example: Grant Green, Sonny Stitt, Hank Jones and Nat Adderley to name just a few). Although the literature does not disclose the technology used in making this compliation, the sound is very good. This collection is like having your own (high-end)radio station without commercials or "hosts".
Just one?!? CDs include Brahms' cello sonatas (Gerhard and Groh on Harmonia Mundi), French Piano Duets (Fromentin and Plancade on EMI Debut), Clerambault's Iris (Les Concert Spirituel on NAXOS), DJ Sasha, Ibiza (Global Underground 013), Sasha + John Digweed, Northern Exposure III, and Mouse on Mars, Niun Niggung. LPs include My Fair Lady (original broadway cast), Marlene Dietrich (concert recorded in London in '51 includes a spoken introduction by Noel Coward), Debussy Preludes performed by Walter Gieseking, and a collection of arias sung by Caruso. I bought the LPs for 25 cents each. I should probably take the money I saved and put it in an account for a new turntable.
Who only buys one CD at a time? Especially if they love classical, as I do? My last purchase included the Op.50 string quartets of Haydn by the Kodály Quartet, which are, like the rest of the series, excellent (audiophile sensibilities be damned). I also bought a good disc of a couple Malcolm Arnold symphonies, and an excellent disc of Stravinsky's "The Rite of Spring" and "Petrouchka," conducted by Pierre Boulez. I rounded out the shopping trip by buying some works for string quartet by Dutilleaux and Dusapin as played by the Arditti Quartet. Difficult but rewarding stuff. Oh yeah, I also got the Mobile Fidelity remastering of Duke Ellington's "Jazz Party." I will soon be out shopping again. After all, I just bought a Naim CD 3.5I need more music!
Oumou Sangare 'Worotan' Patricia Barber 'Companion' Big Sugar 'Heated' R. Desjardins 'Boom Boom' Ali Farka Toure' Talking Timbuktu' Duke Robillard 'Strethin'out live' Billy Bragg & Wilco 'Mermaid Avenue' Cecilia Bartoli 'Vivaldi Album' These are last mounth purchases, a mix bag as usual.
Cannonball Adderley (w/Miles Davis), "Autumn Leaves" b/w "Allison's Uncle" (Classic Records, 45rpm single)a significant improvement over the Blue Note reissue of the "Somethin' Else" LP. I'll probably pick up the Classic reissue of whole record, but "Autumn Leaves" is my fave cut on the album, so having it on 45 is a treat. 45 rules!
I just bought the latest releases from Morphine, Steely Dan, and Santana (Supernatural). Sometimes you just have to buy the music, enjoy it, and try not to bitch about compression or other audiophile quality defects, etc. Or you could simply listen to "audiophile recorded" music that you personally hate. Your choice.
Reference Recordings HDCD63, "Big Band Basie." Highly recommended for anyone who likes large-ensemble jazz. All the RR stuff sounds great, especially the HDCDs. I just wish there were portable (Discman-style, to go with my Etymotics ER-4s) and car HDCD players. I've got about 20 RR CDs and HDCDs. Five left from my last order from www.referencerecordings.comorder three for $13 each.