Delius: On Hearing The First Cuckoo In Spring, Etc
Naxos
CD
$19.99Mar 01, 2004
This is an excellent Delius collection, as interesting for the repertoire as for the high quality of the performances. There are some real novelties here, including the American Rhapsody (later to become Appalachia in its expanded version) and the first recordings of Three Small Tone Poems, only one of which--Summer Evening--is at all well known. Sleigh Ride appears under its original title, Winter Night, as the centerpiece of the triptych, while Spring Morning wasn't even published until the late 1980s. So what we wind up with is three quarters of a Delian Four Seasons, with Spring Morning a wholly characteristic essay in the composer's early "Grieg meets Debussy" style.
As for the remaining items, The Walk to the Paradise Garden receives a beautifully flowing, ecstatic reading from Lloyd-Jones, while Two Pieces for Small Orchestra ("On Hearing the First Cuckoo in Spring" and "Summer Night on the River") benefit from fine wind playing and tempos that never let the music meander excessively. A Song before Sunrise and Delius' last completed (with Eric Fenby's help) orchestral work, Fantastic Dance, complete this well-planned, career-spanning collection. Naxos' sonics rank with the finest work on the label, as is usually the case with its Glasgow recordings. Strongly recommended both for the novelties as well as for the more popular items. --David Hurwitz, ClassicsToday.com
Dave Grusin's musical career has been distinguished by a mastery over a diverse range of styles, counterbalanced by a touch at the piano which makes his keyboard signature totally unique. His award-winning film scores include ON GOLDEN POND, TOOTSIE, THE FABULOUS BAKER BOYS, GOONIES, and more, along with tributes to the music of George Gershwin, Henry Mancini and Leonard Bernstein. His first jazz-related release in seven years, AN EVENING WITH, features Patti Austin, Jon Secada, Monica Mancini, Gary Burton, Arturo Sandoval, Nestor Torres, Sammy Figueroa and the 75-piece Mancini Orchestra.
Japanese pressing. 60 masterpieces from the prestigious American jazz label CTI Records (including sub-labels KUDU and SALVATION) are now being released all at once. All titles come with a luxurious booklet that reprints the liner notes from the original Japanese LP releases. King. 2025.
Double 180gm vinyl LP pressing in gatefold jacket. Newly discovered live performance by the Bill Evans Trio, featuring Eddie Gomez - bass and Eliot Zigmund - drums. The previously unreleased concert took place on June 20, 1975, at Oil Can Harry's, Vancouver, BC. Captured for radio host Gary Barclay, it was aired on his popular CHQM jazz show. For nearly half a century, the tapes lay forgotten - until now. Thanks to audio restoration by Plangent Processes and mastering by Paul Blakemore, it sounds just as fresh today as it did in 1975.
