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CANDY STORE BLUES: THE SINGLES & ALBUMS COLLECTION

Its style falls a good distance from the historical niceties of our modern era’s historically informed performance standards, but yet it still lands squarely in the most enjoyable listen category. Sir Colin Davis is near the beginning of his brilliant career to come when this Glyndebourne Festival live 1960 production of Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte was staged. He leads a cast including Richard Lewis, Pilar Lorengar, Heather Harper, Geraint Evans and Hungarian bass Mihaly Szekely as Sarastro, whose formidable presence on opera house stages had been overwhelming audiences since the 1920s.

REVIEW:

The contents of this set are identical to RCA’s previous Previn RVW reissue, and the discs do not appear to have been remastered. André Previn’s Vaughan Williams symphony cycle arguably is the best such offering on the market today, particularly given the difficulty of finding the similarly fine Handley and Slatkin sets domestically (or at all!). In contrast to Boult’s famous EMI set, where his all-knowing conducting (he was a lifelong friend of the composer) occasionally takes on a relaxed and autumnal air, Previn’s consistently vibrant renditions reflect his fresh encounters with the music.

Not to say that he’s always faster–Boult is noticeably quicker in many instances–yet, especially in the case of Nos. 3 and 5, Previn sounds more energized and involved despite his slower tempos. Previn also has at his disposal the London Symphony, which provides exceptionally robust playing throughout. Case in point: compare the LSO’s playing in Previn’s potent and dramatic No. 6 with Boult’s generally listless London Philharmonic in the same work.

Previn’s gripping Sinfonia Antarctica and his profoundly atmospheric A London Symphony rank among the finest versions available. However, Previn must yield to Boult in A Sea Symphony, where Boult’s grandiose vision and EMI’s ravishing recording make a tremendous impression. RCA’s sound, except for a dry and edgy No. 8 (did the master tape deteriorate?) is generally clear and well-balanced, with plenty of impact. Factor in the bonus works–the Violin concerto “Concerto accademico”, the Tuba Concerto, and the “Three Portraits” from The England of Elizabeth–and you’ve got a handsome package of memorable, recommendable performances. The bargain price makes it all the more irresistible.

-- ClassicsToday (Victor Carr, Jr.)

Classical Music

Get Up! Saw Ben Harper team up with legendary Blues musician Charlie Musselwhite for a collection of songs that blend gospel, roots, country and R&B to create a record that is considered a Modern Blues classic. Upon it's release in January of 2013, the album charted at Number 1 on the Billboard Blues Album Chart and number 27 in the Billboard 200. It went on to win the Grammy for Best Blues Album in 2014. The song "You Found Another Lover (I Lost Another Friend)" has gone on to be certified Gold. Standard Black Vinyl

There is a tradition among the Greek peoples of the singing of carols ('Kalanda') on Christmas Eve. This album is a set of carols newly composed by Greek-Cypriot composer Cilia Petridou. As musical works they also qualify as art-song in fine performances by three excellent sopranos. For those who love Christmas music but want something new, this album will fit the bill. The three sopranos each take a number of solo carols and form a trio for the last two; Lesley-Jane and Alison have both worked with the composer for some time and also made several highly-praised recordings for Divine Art and Metier. Cilia Petridou was an accomplished pianist until her career was ended by major surgery since when she has concentrated on composition. Moving with her family to the UK after the Turlish invasion of north Cyprus which destroyed their home town of Famagusta, her music is often informed by that political tragedy, but her Kalanda are bright and full of joy.

PREACH SISTER, PREACH showcases award-winning Katherine Jolly's "agile, bright lyric soprano" voice (The New York Times) on a series of pieces that are distinctively individual in their inspiration while cohesively united by the passions of their composers. Collaborating with pianist Emily Yap Chua, Jolly evokes the passion and curiosity of Emily Dickinson's poetry in Evan Williams' Emily's House, a collection of ten poems in which she communicates the lyrics such that one could imagine the voice being that of the poet's herself. A keen observer, Dickinson used images from nature, religion, and science to probe universal themes: the wonders of the natural world, the identity of the self, death and immortality, and love. Together Jolly and Chua breathe incredible new life into these ideas, delivering a personal and profound performance while transporting modern audiences to another place and time. Jolly turns to inspiration of a more contemporary and crucial nature on Absent an Adjustment in which her voice, ominous and purposeful, floats above and around the strings, frequently in a dissonant duet with the clarinet, heightening the intense spirit of the piece. The acrobatic coloratura vocal line, use of repeated motives and text, combined with the highly rhythmic ensemble in Katherine Bodor's Absent an Adjustment, support it's message of urgency in the face of ecological disaster. Acclaimed composer Evan Mack was inspired by the energy of the first women's march to craft Preach Sister, Preach, a song cycle which explores and celebrates the voices of ten powerful women such as Lucille Ball, Mae West, Simone de Beauvoir, Tina Fey, and Ellen DeGeneres. The intricate collaboration of Jolly and Chua succinctly portrays the power of the quotes from these women and, in doing so, offers both musical and lyrical insights into the women themselves.

Billy Harper (b. 1943) is one of the most prominent figures in today’s jazz scene. He rose to his stardom through his stints with Gil Evans’ Orchestra, Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers and the Thad Jones- Mel Lewis Orchestra. Harper started leading his own group in the late 70s and has been touring all over the world with his group since. Of this New York studio recording Chinyére Nealé wrote in the linernotes, “Nils Winther of SteepleChase has wanted to record Billy for fifteen years. Finally, destiny has made this recording possible.” French magazine COMPACT described this CD as “a real treasure which will bring you pleasure till the last day of your life.” 180g Audiophile Vinyl

Live On Tour In The Far East, Vol. 2

Winard Harper is one of the most dynamic drummers in jazz today. His sound melds traditional jazz with exotic African instruments pushing the boundaries of jazz with COME INTO THE LIGHT, his latest album. Recorded live at Cecil's, the newest jazz hangout in the Metro-New York area, featuring jazz standards and original tunes.

Live On Tour In The Far East, Vol. 1

Destiny Is Yours

Classical Music