Barbara Jahn
PROKOFIEV: Romeo & Juliet, Op.75; Cinderella, Opp.95 & 97; 3 Pieces for Piano, Op.96
Frederic Chiu, piano
Harmonia Mundi 907150 (CD only). 1996. Brad Michel, eng.; Robina G. Young, prod. DDD. TT: 64:22 If you've always considered the piano to be a percussion instrument, then this disc will make you think again. Admittedly Prokofiev made these transcripts and was a stunning pianist with a reputation for "steel fingers, steel wrists, steel biceps, [and] steel triceps" that wasn't totally unfounded, but you'll find none of this here. Frederic Chiu is living…
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Robert Levine
ROSSINI: Gugliemo Tell
Sherrill Milnes, Tell; Lucinao Pavarotti, Arnold; Mirella Freni, Matilde; Nicolai Ghiaurov, Gualtiero; others; Ambrosian Opera Chorus, National Philharmonic Orchestra, Riccardo Chailly
London 417 154-2 (4 CDs only). 1978-79. James Mallinson, Michael Haas, prods. ADD. TT: 3:54:44 It doesn't get much better than this: Rossini's final stage work in all its glory (albeit in Italian translation---only the fussy and the French would complain), recorded in 1978-79, when all the principals were at their peak. The sound is big and roomy (as is the…
ROSSINI: Gugliemo Tell
Sherrill Milnes, Tell; Lucinao Pavarotti, Arnold; Mirella Freni, Matilde; Nicolai Ghiaurov, Gualtiero; others; Ambrosian Opera Chorus, National Philharmonic Orchestra, Riccardo Chailly
London 417 154-2 (4 CDs only). 1978-79. James Mallinson, Michael Haas, prods. ADD. TT: 3:54:44 It doesn't get much better than this: Rossini's final stage work in all its glory (albeit in Italian translation---only the fussy and the French would complain), recorded in 1978-79, when all the principals were at their peak. The sound is big and roomy (as is the…
Wes Phillips
JAMES BROWN: Live and Lowdown at the Apollo, Vol.1
Solid Smoke 8006 (LP). 1962 AAA.
A banner stretching across the bottom of the Solid Smoke reissue (my King original was nearly totally flayed of its grooves through constant play more than 20 years ago) proclaims this to be the greatest live show ever recorded. Who am I to argue?
JAMES BROWN: Live and Lowdown at the Apollo, Vol.1
Solid Smoke 8006 (LP). 1962 AAA.
A banner stretching across the bottom of the Solid Smoke reissue (my King original was nearly totally flayed of its grooves through constant play more than 20 years ago) proclaims this to be the greatest live show ever recorded. Who am I to argue?
From the MC's exhortation of the crowd ("Now, ladies and gennlemen, national and international known as the hardest working man in show bidness...") to the final audience accolade, this record re-creates the excitement and superlative…
Richard J. Rosen
JOHN COLTRANE: My Favorite Things
John Coltrane, soprano & tenor saxes; McCoy Tyner, piano; Steve Davis, bass; Elvin Jones, drums
Atlantic 1361 (LP). Nesuhi Ertegun, prod.; Tom Dowd, Phil Iehle, engs. AAA. 1961. TT: 41:26
JOHN COLTRANE: The Heavyweight Champion---The Complete Atlantic Recordings
Rhino/Atlantic R1/R2 71984 (12 LPs, 7 CDs). 1995. Nesuhi Ertegun, prod.; Joel Dorn, compilation prod. ADA/ADD. TT: 4:78:34
The title track of My Favorite Things is easily one of my fav---well, you know. Who else could take such an unlikely, sickly-…
JOHN COLTRANE: My Favorite Things
John Coltrane, soprano & tenor saxes; McCoy Tyner, piano; Steve Davis, bass; Elvin Jones, drums
Atlantic 1361 (LP). Nesuhi Ertegun, prod.; Tom Dowd, Phil Iehle, engs. AAA. 1961. TT: 41:26
JOHN COLTRANE: The Heavyweight Champion---The Complete Atlantic Recordings
Rhino/Atlantic R1/R2 71984 (12 LPs, 7 CDs). 1995. Nesuhi Ertegun, prod.; Joel Dorn, compilation prod. ADA/ADD. TT: 4:78:34
The title track of My Favorite Things is easily one of my fav---well, you know. Who else could take such an unlikely, sickly-…
Chip Stern
DUKE ELLINGTON: Duke Ellington and his Famous Orchestra, Fargo, North Dakota, November 7, 1940
Duke Ellington, piano, arranger; Rex Stewart, cornet; Wallace Jones, Ray Nance, trumpets; Joe "Tricky Sam" Nanton, Juan Tizol, Lawrence Brown, trombones; Barney Bigard, clarinet; Johnny Hodges, alto sax; Otto "Toby" Hardwick, clarinet, alto sax; Ben Webster, tenor sax; Harry Carney, baritone sax; Freddie Guy, guitar; Jimmy Blanton, bass; Sonny Greer, drums; Ivie Anderson, Herb Jeffries, vocals
VJC-1019/20-2 (2 CDs only). 1940/1991 Jack Towers, eng. AAD TT: 2:34:38 Hey, while…
DUKE ELLINGTON: Duke Ellington and his Famous Orchestra, Fargo, North Dakota, November 7, 1940
Duke Ellington, piano, arranger; Rex Stewart, cornet; Wallace Jones, Ray Nance, trumpets; Joe "Tricky Sam" Nanton, Juan Tizol, Lawrence Brown, trombones; Barney Bigard, clarinet; Johnny Hodges, alto sax; Otto "Toby" Hardwick, clarinet, alto sax; Ben Webster, tenor sax; Harry Carney, baritone sax; Freddie Guy, guitar; Jimmy Blanton, bass; Sonny Greer, drums; Ivie Anderson, Herb Jeffries, vocals
VJC-1019/20-2 (2 CDs only). 1940/1991 Jack Towers, eng. AAD TT: 2:34:38 Hey, while…
Steve Stoner
CLIMAX BLUES BAND: FM Live
Sire SAS-2-7411 (2 LPs only, nla). 1973. Richard Gottlehrer, prod.; Jim Price, eng. AAA. TT: 74:14
As one of the most underrated English blues bands from the '70s, you'd have been hard pressed to find a harder-working group than the Climax Blues Band; seemed like every time a major rock band was coming to town, CBB was the opening act. Although they released a fair number of studio albums during their career, FM Live---recorded live in 1973 at the Academy of Music in New York and broadcast live on WNEW-FM---shows CBB doing what they did…
CLIMAX BLUES BAND: FM Live
Sire SAS-2-7411 (2 LPs only, nla). 1973. Richard Gottlehrer, prod.; Jim Price, eng. AAA. TT: 74:14
As one of the most underrated English blues bands from the '70s, you'd have been hard pressed to find a harder-working group than the Climax Blues Band; seemed like every time a major rock band was coming to town, CBB was the opening act. Although they released a fair number of studio albums during their career, FM Live---recorded live in 1973 at the Academy of Music in New York and broadcast live on WNEW-FM---shows CBB doing what they did…
Michael Ullman
CHICO FREEMAN: Chico
Chico Freeman, tenor sax, flute, bass clarinet; Richard Abrams, piano; Cecil McBee, bass; Steve McCall, drums; Tito Sampa, percussion
India Navigation IN 1031 (LP/CD). 1977. AAA/ AAD. I might have chosen Chico Freeman's late-'70s recording Spirit Sensitive, which has been reissued by Analogue Productions; or Freeman's more recent India Navigation disc, Still Sensitive. What Chico offers here is a more wide-open framework for improvisation, beginning with his long duet with bassist Cecil McBee on "Moments." Freeman's tenor sax is clear and…
CHICO FREEMAN: Chico
Chico Freeman, tenor sax, flute, bass clarinet; Richard Abrams, piano; Cecil McBee, bass; Steve McCall, drums; Tito Sampa, percussion
India Navigation IN 1031 (LP/CD). 1977. AAA/ AAD. I might have chosen Chico Freeman's late-'70s recording Spirit Sensitive, which has been reissued by Analogue Productions; or Freeman's more recent India Navigation disc, Still Sensitive. What Chico offers here is a more wide-open framework for improvisation, beginning with his long duet with bassist Cecil McBee on "Moments." Freeman's tenor sax is clear and…
My last visit to Planet Halcro transformed my audio life. All but the newest readers will recall that the Australian dm58 power amplifier was Stereophile's Amplification Component of the Year and overall Component of the Year for 2002. To this day, I have yet to hear any amplifier that equals the dm58's combination of complete neutrality, harmonic generosity, lightning reflexes, and a sense of boundless power that is difficult to describe. Though some others have come close, the dm58 shines as a singular beacon of excellence among power amplifiers.
After designing an amplifier…
It was a total gas to listen through the Halcro to such highly complex sound collages as Manu Chao's Esperanza (CD, Virgin 10321 21), Future Sound of London's The Papua New Guinea Translations (UK CD, Jumpin' and Pumpin' CD TOT52), and Porcupine Tree's Voyage 34: The Complete Trip (UK CD, Delirium DELEC CD074). Such recordings are painstakingly constructed assemblages of multiple interlocking layers. When a component cuts through the murk as thoroughly as did the dm10, not only the details themselves but the spatial, timbral, and temporal relationships of all of those details come together…
Sidebar 1: Steel Cage Death Match, or Four Front Ends Considered
During the period I was reviewing the Halcro dm10, VTL TL-7.5 Reference, and BAT VK-51 SE preamplifiers, John Atkinson decided it would be enlightening to have me listen to these state-of-the-art contenders in comparison to the venerable Mark Levinson No.32 Reference (reviewed by Jonathan Scull in January 2000). How, we wondered, would the new boys stand up when compared not only with each other, but also with a long-term resident of Class A of "Recommended Components"? So, over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend, I did just…