Records To Die For

Ravel: The Complete Edition
Various artists
Decca 478 3725 (14 CDs). 2012. Various prods.; various engs.

If I'm going to die for records, or take them to a desert island, I might as well get my money's worth. For less than $4 per CD, you can pack this superb collection of everything Maurice Ravel composed into a small carry-on. Spanning virtually the entire stereo era, with a global collection of artists and terrific sound, plus all of the vocal texts in a 183-page book, there are no weak links. Organized by type—three discs of piano works, two of chamber music, and so on—you can immerse yourself in all aspects of this greatest of French musical craftsmen.

John Coltrane: The Complete 1961 Village Vanguard Recordings
John Coltrane, tenor, alto saxophone; Eric Dolphy, alto saxophone, bass clarinet; McCoy Tyner, piano; Jimmy Garrison, Reggie Workman, bass; Elvin Jones, Roy Haynes, drums; Ahmed Abdul-Malik, oud; Garvin Bushell, oboe, contrabassoon
Impulse IMPD4-232 (4 CDs). 1997. Bob Thiele, original prod.; Michael Cuscuna, reissue prod.; Rudy Van Gelder, eng.; Erick Labson, remastering eng.

On November 1, 1961, John Coltrane began the first of four nights at the Village Vanguard. With a quintet that expanded and contracted across sets, it was as if the band was actually standing on the deck of a Star Trek transporter. Simultaneously moving into the future with tunes such as "India," Coltrane and his band also swung hard on standards such as "Softly, as in a Morning Sunrise." Rudy Van Gelder, who didn't do too many location recordings, tries to fit things into his formula, and mostly the sound is outstanding. I agree with Fred Kaplan's earlier assessment: This is "some of the most ecstatic jazz ever recorded." (Vol.21 No.3)

The Brandt Brauer Frick Ensemble: Mr. Machine
Ketan Bhatti, gong, cajon; Boram Lie, cello; Matthias Engler, marimba, cowbell, wooden table, percussion; Daniel Brandt, drums, percussion, piano; Gunnhildur Einarsdóttir, harp; Jan Brauer, Paul Frick, piano
!K7 K7286LP (LP). 2011. Daniel Brandt, Jan Brauer, Paul Frick, prods.; RashadBecker, Axel Reinemer, engs.

German percussion troupe Brandt Brauer Frick upends the often standardized world of percussion concertos with extreme dynamic levels, Stockhausen-inspired playfulness, and massive groove. You can dance to Mr. Machine or simply listen in awe of its complex rhythmic interplay and cerebral sense of humor.

Duke Ellington And His Orchestra: Ellington Indigos
Jimmy Woode, bass; Sam Woodyard, drums; Duke Ellington, piano; Harry Carney, Jimmy Hamilton, Johnny Hodges, Paul Gonsalves, Russell Procope, saxophones; Britt Woodman, John Sanders, Quentin Jackson, trombones; "Cat" Anderson, Clark Terry, "Shorty" Baker, Ray Nance, Willie Cook, trumpets
Columbia CL 1085 (LP). 1958. Irving Townsend, Michael Brooks, prods.

The beautiful sonorities and exquisite solo voices of the Duke Ellington Orchestra in its prime is rare terrain, unequalled in jazz, and timeless. Duke and Billy Strayhorn's artistry finds its voice in nine compositions that practically stop time with their slow, measured tempos, blissful harmonies, and resounding dynamics. If you can only own one Ellington, Indigos is the easy choice.

Ann Leaf & Gaylord Carter: The Mighty Wurlitzer—Music For Movie-Palace Organs
New World Records NW227-2 (CD). 1977. Michael Moore, prod., eng.

Silent films were rarely totally silent. In their heyday, large, first-run theaters in major cities often had a full orchestra accompanying the action on the screen. Smaller venues couldn't afford that luxury. A theater organ, while hardly cheap, was far more affordable. Thousands of them were built and installed prior to the advent of the talkies. In addition to a basic organ foundation, they could simulate conventional instruments plus a wide range of other sounds to complement a silent film.

With the switch to film sound, most such organs fell into disrepair—or into landfills. But some remained, and over the years they were updated and refurbished. This stunning 1977 recording (originally released on vinyl; I auditioned it on the still-available CD) brings together two theater-organ virtuosos and three carefully preserved Wurlitzers. (Wurlitzer was the biggest and best-known maker of these instruments.) The tracks here include classic numbers such as "Strike Up the Band," "You Were Meant for Me," and "My Romance," plus longer compilations with evocative names such as "The Son of the Sheik," "Orphans of the Storm," "The Phantom of the Opera," and "Intolerance." It's pure fun, beautifully recorded, and includes an excellent, informative booklet on the history of such organs and the artists performing here.

Loreena Mckennitt: Nights From The Alhambra
Loreena McKennitt, voice, accordion, harp, piano; Brian Hughes, guitars, oud, Celtic bouzouki; Caroline Lavelle, cello; Hugh Marsh, violin; others
Verve B0009459-00 (2CD + DVD). 2007. Loreena McKennitt, prod.; Jeff Wolpert, eng.; Bob Ludwig, mastering eng.

Loreena McKennitt is a superb vocalist, a quality strikingly evident in this 2005 concert set in Spain's Alhambra. Backed up by a skilled ensemble of musicians playing modern and period instruments, the results are stunning. If you're in the mood for sweet, warm, often wistful songs, heard in a ravishing acoustic environment, this box set is irresistible. All of the songs were written and/or arranged by McKennitt.

The audio is uniformly excellent on this boxed set's two CDs and the 2-channel track on the included DVD (the latter LPCM 48kHz, 24-bit—a 5.1 channel option—is lossy Dolby Digital). The DVD includes everything that's on the two CDs plus video of the stunning venue, McKennitt's spoken song introductions (which aren't on the CDs), and closeups of the period instruments. The DVD's adequate, standard-definition video helps clarify the lyrics (not included in the printed materials), sometimes obscured by McKennitt's Irish brogue. The latter, oddly, is rarely evident in her speaking voice on the DVD.

Miles Davis: A Tribute to Jack Johnson (Soundtrack)
Miles Davis, trumpet, arr.; Billy Cobham, drums; Michael Henderson, Fender bass; John McLaughlin, electric guitar; Herbie Hancock, organ; Steve Grossman, saxophone; Miles Davis, trumpet; Brock Peters, voice
Columbia 30455 (LP). 1971. Teo Macero, prod.

If you have never experienced this staggeringly creative moment in Miles Davis's (and producer Teo Macero's) art played loud, with absolute clarity and unfettered transient-prowess, you might have only a partial understanding of what a god-walking-the-earth Miles Davis was. I am currently obsessed with this delirious musical construction because it reminds me that in order to make art at the highest levels, one must first give oneself permission to emancipate and explore the uncharted.

"I'm Jack Johnson, heavyweight champion of the world. I'm black. They never let me forget it. I'm black all right. I'll never let them forget it."

Antonio Vivaldi: Gloria
Giovanni Pergolesi: Magnificat
Elizabeth Vaughan, soprano, Janet Baker, contralto, Ian Partridge, tenor, Christopher Keyte, bass; the Choir of King's College, Cambridge; the Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields, Neville Marriner, leader; Roger Lord, oboe obbligato; Kenneth Heath, cello obbligato; John Langdon, organ; Noel Mander, chamber organ; Andrew Davis, harpsichord; David Willcocks, dir.
Argo ZRG 505 (LP). 1966.

The sound quality of this Decca-made recording is at the perfect-to-sublime level. This hyper-vivid sound serves the divine purpose of drawing the listener into the spatial realms of the Chapel of King's College, Cambridge. It shows the listener the chapel's cubic volume, the stone-and-glass walls, and a crystalline illusion of performers.

Most important for me though is how Vivaldi's Gloria is an ordinary mass that, with the help of the Choir of King's College (and David Willcocks), distills the essence of human faith, mystic vision, and universal spirituality. This Gloria is my Church.