Wes Phillips

<B>COPLAND: Piano Concerto</B><BR> <B>MENOTTI: Piano Concerto in F</B><BR> Earl Wild, piano; Jorge Mester (Menotti), Aaron Copland (Copland), Symphony of the Air<BR>Analogue Productions APC 029 (LP). Seymour Solomon, prod.; Jack Bryant, Ed Fiedner, engs.; Doug Sax, Gavin Lurssen, Ron Lewter. remastering engs. AAA. TT: 49:23<BR> <I>Also available on a spectacular CD transfer: Vanguard SVC-3.</I>

<B>Kevin Hayes: </B>Valve Amplification Company arose out of my dissatisfaction with the stereo gear I could buy. I've been an audiophile since before I knew what the word meant, going back to the mid-'70s. I had an epiphany when I first heard a piece of old tubed gear, a Fisher X101, that simply <I>blew away</I> a highly touted receiver that I happened to own. It was a 25W integrated amplifier, using 7591s on the output, and except for sustained organ-pedal notes, it was far better than what I had at that time.

<I>I love the sound of glowing glass,<BR> especially when I'm lonely.<BR> I love the nuances of emotion.<BR> It's nothing new, nothing new,<BR> The sound of glowing glass...</I> (with apologies to Nick Lowe)

<I>Stuff that works, stuff that holds up/</I><BR><I>The kind of stuff you don't hang on the wall/</I><BR><I>Stuff that's real, stuff you feel/</I><BR><I>The kind of stuff you reach for when you fall.</I>

The inspiration for this project came from <I>Stereophile</I>'s Gretchen Grogan and Erich Vollmer of the Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival. Music Festivals are perhaps the healthiest aspect of classical music making, allowing <I>ad hoc</I> ensembles to chart the farthest reaches of the repertoire, as well as retracing the familiar ground of the great works. Why not, they thought, capture a representative selection of works performed at the 1995 Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival? This would not only document some of the great performances to be heard, but also allow music lovers everywhere to participate in what has increasingly been recognized as one of the US's best summer music festivals.

<B>TERRY EVANS: <I>Puttin' It Down</I></B><BR> AudioQuest Music AQ-CD1038 (CD), AQ1038 (LP*). Joe Harley, Terry Evans, Jorge Calderon, prods.; Michael C. Ross, eng. AAD/AAA. TTs: 53:25, 46:03*

<B>KEITH JARRETT: <I>At the Blue Note: The Complete Recordings</I></B><BR> Keith Jarrett, piano; Gary Peacock, bass; Jack DeJohnette, drums<BR> ECM 1575-80 (78118-21575-2, 6 CDs only). Manfred Eicher, prod.; Jan Erik Kongshaug, eng. DDD. TT: 7:03:37