From our archives: Jazz editor Tony Andrews writes: Around 12 years ago I got involved in sorting out a tour for a very talented female Jazz Singer from The US. The person who was in charge of the project had got it into such a mess that it was destined to failure and so I […]
Q and A: Music
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I’m going to review records in my collection, and you’ll be able to decide if they’re worthy of your collection. These records are what I consider “must haves” for any jazz aficionado, and would be found in their collections. I wont review any record that’s not on CD, nor will I review any record if […]
“When I was discovering jazz as a student, Thelonious Monk seemed to epitomise the artistic originality, indifference to rules and guileless eccentricity (he liked weird hats, and was given to shuffling dances onstage) that I loved about the music. Monk’s piano solos clanged with dissonance, bumped along in hopping runs or glowered with baleful silences, […]
Writing the liner notes for the Columbia/Legacy single-CD anthology Robert Johnson: King of the Delta Blueswas a great pleasure, since I’ve loved and admired Johnson’s music since the 1960s. I’ve listened to Robert Johnson so much – along with his contemporaries Son House, Willie Brown, and others – that this music feels ingrained on my soul. Recently […]
To continue my ramblings about past and present Jazz Singers that need more recognition my next featured artist was described as “The High Priestess of Hi-Fi” by the US Hi-fi Industry after the release of her CD Cafe Blue, have you guessed who she is? Patricia Barber is a very talented Pianist who has […]
“Jazz and rock audiences, at their core, often expect two very different things when they attend a live performance. Jazz audiences thrive on the journey and in-the-moment magic that’s created as a one-time-only occurrence…” MORE
It is crucial, with Callas, to allow the strengths ascendancy over the technical frailties. It was her genius, for example, that restored Bellini to us and rescued Lucia from ridicule. By Andrew Porter Continues HERE
Today we welcome Rosie Purdie our latest addition to our team. She is our Opera Editor and lead writer on all things operatic The issue of opera and its appeal to a wide and diverse audience is one that opera makers are painfully aware of. It’s no secret that nowadays the majority of audiences who […]
“Following the overwhelming popularity of our lists of the 50 greatest Mozart, Bach, Chopin and Handel recordings, we have now gathered 50 of the finest recordings of Beethoven’s music – Gramophone Award-winning albums, Recordings of the Month and Editor’s Choice discs, from legendary performers like Artur Schnabel and Otto Klemperer to modern masters like Isabelle […]
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Harrison Boyle (composer) replies …… In terms of music as music – apart from some of the social/political afflatus mentioned in the answers so far – the major candidates for controversial in terms of the actual notes (or absence thereof) are probably, from oldest to most recent: Stravinsky Rite of Spring Schoenberg Pierrot Lunaire George […]
And continuing our thought from a recent post, only this time in reverse, isn’t it obvious that just because something has all the right stuff it doesn’t necessarily qualify as great itself? And doesn’t this observation help explain one of the age old mysteries in audio about how something can measure great and sound poor? […]
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Tony Besgrove writes: How on earth can someone play like that? – just count the notes. Technique is out of this world, though the end result lacks a wee bit in the emotional stakes.
If you have a mono recording is it best to listen on a dedicated mono speaker or is a stereo speaker adequate? Watch HERE
We are – as always – indebted to our friend Tony Besgrove for this terrific recommendation. He writes – “Great guitar intro and band mix – feedback just in time..”
In the late sixties, earning their spurs at the legendary Grande Ballroom in Detroit alongside The Stooges as a house band, the MC5 blasted their way into my affections, producing some of the loudest, baddest, heavy rock music ever heard at that time. Having given their support to a left wing, anarchist movement called the […]
What can one say about Jimi Hendrix that hasn’t already been written? This man died in London in September 1970 – that’s 44 years ago – yet you will still find his face on the front cover of dozens of music magazines every year where his life story, his music, his guitars, are documented in […]
We are – as always – indebted to our friend Tony Besgrove for this terrific recommendation. He writes – “Shed a tear for Tom. Great keyboard solo in the middle – Stevie Nicks helping out. 7.4 million views and counting.”
Every few years, the music and guitar magazines run their ‘best guitar solo’ poll, and every year it is topped by either Dave Gilmour’s ‘Comfortably Numb’ or Don Felder’s & Joe Walsh’s ‘Hotel California’ solos – all magnificent pieces of guitar artistry. However, here’s one that seems to have been forgotten, but in my view […]
The Church were (and still are) a relatively unknown Australian band – at least outside of their home country. In 1981 they released their debut album, ‘Of Skins And Heart’. One track on that album became their first Australian top ten 45 – ‘The Unguarded Moment’. The Los Angeles Times described the band’s music as […]