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Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab reissue MFSL 2-479 (Sept. 2017). Originally released on Atlantic – SD-8227 (Aug. 1969). Category: soul, southern soul, R&B, blues, black gospel and spiritual roots, churchy. Format: Vinyl (2x180 gram LPs at 45 rpm). Rating Global Appreciation: 9.6 Music: A+ (9.5) Recording: 9.3 Remastering + Lacquer Cutting: 9.7 Pressing: 10 Packaging: above... Read More »

SAINT-SAËNS: Cello Concerto No. 1 in A minor; LALO: Cello Concerto in D minor; MILHAUD: Cello Concerto No. 1, Op. 136; OFFENBACH: Les larmes de Jacqueline; MASSENET: Thaïs: Méditation. Hee-Young Lim, cello; London Symphony Orchestra/Scott Yoo. Sony Classical S80425C.  TT: 75.40 The Korean cellist Hee-Young Lim has a lot to offer. Her tone is dark and full-bodied,... Read More »

Every once in while an artist comes along who rocks my musical apple cart, challenges my perceptions, and reignites my excitement about a given genre. Listening to the Yuko Mabuchi Trio (Live) Vol. 1 and 2 release had this effect on me. I love it when this happens, and I love sharing these newfound gems... Read More »

I apologize for the long time between review articles and for the briefness of these: As I pass age 80, I am becoming more modest about the worth of what I have to say and am also beginning to play the age card. Hee-Young Lim, cello; London Symphony Orchestra. French Cello Concertos of Saint-Saëns, Milhaud,... Read More »

What can I possibly say about John Coltrane that hasn't already been said? Every jazz lover worth their salt knows John Coltrane was a player and band leader of unparalleled depth, creativity, and skill. With Craft Recording's new box set Coltrane '58: The Prestige Years the question is less about Coltrane and more about whether... Read More »

Reference Recordings RR-145, SACD and HDCD™ Price:  $19.98; high-resolution download file, $24.98 While I don't do music reviews on a regular basis, there are times when a particular album really strikes me, and I have to say something…usually brief, but definite. This is one of those times. I just received a new SACD from my... Read More »

Yuko Mabuchi Plays Miles Davis, Yarlung Records, YAR88171, multiple formats. Recorded live in the Brain and Creativity Institute’s Cammilleri Hall on April 25, 2018. Executive Producer: Randy Bellous. Associate Producers: Billy Mitchell & Elliot Midwood. Recording Engineers: Bob Attiyeh & Arian Jansen. Sound Consultants: Brad Michel & Ricardo Ryan. Mastering Engineers: Steve Hoffman & Bob... Read More »

Vladigerov: Piano Music. Victoria Terekiev, piano. Da Vinci Classics C00134.  TT: 69.01. Classique et romantique, Op. 34; Choumene, Op. 29; Episodes, Op. 36; Aquarelles, Op. 17. Downloads: amazon.com, play.google.com, qobuz.com (mp3) The music of Bulgarian composer Pancho Vladigerov (1898-1978) has already appeared on an earlier album, Wind from the East (Gega New GR 31), on which Victoria Terekiev,... Read More »

Wojtek Karolak & Adam Czerwiński, In a Sentimental Mood.  The album In a Sentimental Mood by leading jazzmen Wojtek Karolak and Adam Czerwiński, is one of the best vinyl records of recent years—both when it comes to music and sound. The text below is about how it was recorded and released, as well as what it... Read More »

Youth Fountain (formerly Bedroom Talk) is a 2-piece emotional pop-punk outfit from Vancouver. After a long time, the band has finally released their first full-length. And I'll be the first to say, it may have not been worth the wait. Letters to Our Former Selves is a collection of 12 songs, comprised of five new... Read More »

Sometimes I have no idea how I find music. It's a weird combination of factors that go into the discovery of new music. Sometimes I just have to be in the right place at the right time, in the right mindset. 花冷え。(Hanabie) is no exception to this case. The way I discovered this band, which... Read More »

Analog Record Collection, Universal Music LLC  Stereo Sound SSAR-028~029 There are some albums that for some reason stay in use in the industry "permanently." We can hear them at many shows, we find in our friends' collections—well, usually even we have at least one version of such titles on our shelf. They are almost always... Read More »

Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab UD1S 2-008, Motown B0026761-01, Limited Edition, SuperVinyl, Box Set (2019, Jan.), # 6140 of 7500 Originally released on Tamla – TS-310 (1971, May) Category: soul, jazz and spiritual undertones Format: Vinyl (2x180 gram LPs at 45 rpm) Rating Global Appreciation: 9.9 Music: A+ (10) Recording: 9.5 Remastering + Lacquer Cutting: 9.9... Read More »

FAURÉ Orchestral works. Seattle Symphony/Ludovic Morlot. Seattle Symphony Media SSM1004.  TT: 70.29. Masques et bergamasques. Fantaisie for Flute (orch. Talmi; with Demarre McGill, flute). Pelléas et Mélisande: Suite. Berceuse for Violin and Orchestra (with Alexander Velinzon, violin). Élégie for Cello and Orchestra (with Efe Baltacigil, cello). Dolly (orch. Rabaud). Pavane (with Seattle Symphony Chorus). Full disclosure: I haven't... Read More »

The musical form I had the most commercial success in (as a classical-music record producer and label owner), was the string quartet. Granted, my remarkably successful string-quartet recordings consisted of quartet arrangements of sacred and traditional Christmas music. But those recordings are a lot more "classical" in character than "crossover" in character. In other words,... Read More »

Telarc Stereo TEL00005. 33.3 RPM, 180 gram vinyl. Retail $24.98. Robert Shaw conducts the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra & Chorus for this recording of Stravinsky's Firebird Suite paired with Borodin's Polovetsian Dances. Igor Stravinsky The Firebird:  Introduction The Firebird:  The Firebird and Her Dance The Firebird:  Round Dance of the Princesses The Firebird:  Infernal Dance of King Kastchei The Firebird:... Read More »

Courtesy www.maritasolberg.com; photo credit Felix Broede. Marita Sølberg: Opera Arias. Opera arias by Catalani, Mozart, Gounod, Bizet, Leoncavallo, Puccini, Bellini, Rachmaninoff, Dvořák, Verdi, and R. Strauss. Norwegian National Opera Orchestra. John Fiore, conductor. CD Simax Classics PSC1336 Say "Hello" to Marita Sølberg! Marita Sølberg's name was unknown to me when I stumbled upon her upcoming new release (which came out in 2016, which... Read More »

Roberta Invernizzi, soprano; Auser Musici/Carlo Ipata. Glossa GCD 922905.  TT: 59.30. Astianatte: Se la Grecia s'armerà. L'oracolo del Fato: Qui ti scrivo o nome amato; Se non canti più per me. Il Ciro: Nell'orror della procella. Bajazette: Par che mi nasca in seno. Sinfonia. Il Tamerlano: Svena uccidi; Cor di padre. Santa Eufrosina: Qui dal porto. Amleto:... Read More »

Here are some LPs that I've gotten in recently and I want to bring to your attention. Espresso, Bob James Trio, EVLP023, from Tappan Zee Records. 2018, Featuring Bob James, Billy Kilson, and Michael Palazzolo. $32.99. Tracks Recorded by Ken Freeman, KFP Studios, Bethlehem, PA. Tracks Recorded at Stagg Studios, Van Nuys, CA.. Assisted by Josh Frank. Mastered by Steve Vavagiaskis for Bang... Read More »