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Formed in 2000 from the remnants of a handful of Raleigh, North Carolina bands, Between the Buried and Me was principally the brainchild of guitarist Paul Waggoner and vocalist Tommy Rogers. And while the group has gone through a number of personnel changes, the band's current incarnation features not only Waggoner and Rogers, but also... Read More »

Am Ende der Welt. Photo by Per-Einar Einarsen - Used with permission Weserbergland is a project led by Norwegian composer Ketil Vestrum Einarsen. He's deeply rooted in classical music, progressive rock, and experimental electronic composition. Their newest release, from Apollon Records, is Am Ende Der Welt. Compared to their previous release, it pushes farther, goes... Read More »

BRAHMS: Hungarian Dances, WoO 1; Waltzes, Op. 39. Marco Schiavo and Sergio Marchegiani, pianists. Decca 481 7812.  TT: 71.20. Downloads: classical-music-download.com (FLAC); over-blog.com (320 kbps mp3); prestomusic.com (mp3, FLAC, hi-res FLAC); qobuz.com; wattpad.com (mp3, OGG, FLAC) The short review: gleaming, limpid performances of delightful, well-wrought music, in excellent sound. Get it. Some of you may want to know... Read More »

Personally, I consider this to be one of the more memorable musico-poetic explorations that John Marks has done. He of  The Tannhauser Gate ambushes us with not one, but two allusions, both of which left me bemused. May they do you as well as they did me! Dr. David W. Robinson, Ye Olde Editor An... Read More »

"First Press" ("1st Press") is a term used to describe LP releases. It is used to describe the earliest editions of a given title. This is a difficult topic and collectors specializing in it are usually focused on some part of the publishing market. But it is very similar with Compact Discs—below we will discuss... Read More »

Electrond, photo by Trond Gjellum. Used with permission Trond Gjellum is a Norwegian multi-instrumentalist best known for his work as the leader and drummer for Panzerpappa, an instrumental progressive rock band, and Suburban Savages, which is more song-based. He's worked on a number of other projects, including The Samuel Jackson Five, and +Ingelrii+. Earlier this... Read More »

In this Covid 19 pandemic, where many have suggested songs with either soothing or suggestive lyrics to wade through this difficult period, I chose instead to focus on five selections geared more towards escapism, dance and anxiety abandonment. So do yourself a favor, for the next 40 minutes or so, shut off the news, give... Read More »

O Brother, Where Art Thou. A twenty-year old movie soundtrack, with music written a century ago, is once again relevant today. What a World It is gray out, but the birds are singing and my children are sleeping soundly during these early hours of a Sunday morning. I am watching steam lazily rope out of my... Read More »

This edition of my Perfect Song series is sub-titled: The Coronavirus Edition. Many of us find ourselves self-isolating, or social distancing. We have been told the only way to flatten the curve is to stay at home, because we're "safer at home." For someone like me, a cancer survivor and lung surgery survivor, it makes... Read More »

Photo by John Marks The above photo was not taken in Ireland, but it perhaps could pass; and in any event, it will have to do. For St. Patrick's Day, here are Nathaniel Rosen (cellist), Doris Stevenson (pianist), and Arturo Delmoni (guest violinist) playing Fritz Kreisler's trio arrangement of "Londonderry Air," also known as "Danny... Read More »

The Berlin Philharmonic has just made a really classy move:  in view of the coronavirus pandemic, they have removed the paywall on their archived content. To put it another way, you can now binge-watch exceptional classical music performances for free. While hunkering down under the electric blanket and waiting for the wine-store delivery person to... Read More »

This is an ongoing project by Claude Lemaire of Soundevaluations 126. Zoot Sims and Al Cohn with Cecil Collier, Either Way. Fred Miles – FM-1 (1961), Classic Records JP 1006 (1998) 33 1/3 rpm. Genre: jazz, small combo swing, cool jazz, West Coast, jump blues. Tenor saxophonists Zoot Sims and Al Cohn head a cool swinging rhythm... Read More »

In April 1997, jazz magazines published numerous ads of the re-edition of Verve Records, bearing the common name "Verve Master Edition:" HIGHER STANDARD "Verve Master Editions" - the ultimate sound quality and releases for serious collectors. "Verve Master Editions" are new releases of the groundbreaking Verve discs from the 1950s and 1960s, using the best... Read More »

MAHLER: Des Knaben Wunderhorn; Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen* Lucia Popp, soprano; Bernd Weikl, baritone; London Philharmonic Orchestra/Klaus Tennstedt; *Thomas Allen, baritone; English Chamber Orchestra/Jeffrey Tate. EMI Red Line 7243 5 69862 2 0.  TT: 70.08 This issue is now quite venerable—the EMI Classics labels, including the low-priced Red Line, disappeared after the company's 2013 acquisition by Warner... Read More »

"Hey Danny, are you familiar with Hemiolia Records?" asked Kerry St. James, YG's formidably friendly European sales director late last year. "No," I replied. "Well, you should and I'll put you in touch with them, I know you love tape and they have some really cool stuff out that I think you'll dig." Fast forward... Read More »

Our good audio brother John Marks, he who shepherds his site, The Tannhauser Gate, sends along another smoke signal about a fine recording of a nowadays-obscure composer, Louise Farrenc. I have not yet found a single recommendation of John's that wasn't very worthwhile.  To borrow and adapt John's phrasing, "pause and listen." Amen! Dr. David... Read More »

The Thelonious Monk Quartet, Monk's Dream. Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab UD1S 2-011, Columbia 19075930421, Limited Edition, SuperVinyl, Box Set (2019, Sept.), # P001 of 6000. Originally released on Columbia – CS 8765 (1963, March). Ratings Global Appreciation: 9.9 Music: A+ (10) Recording: 9.6 Remastering + Lacquer Cutting: 10 Pressing: 9.8 Packaging: Deluxe Category: jazz, mostly cool with... Read More »

By now, readers of this series have realized that it's a means for me to discuss songs I really like. In previous articles, these are songs that send a shiver down my spine, and I have outlined many times what I mean by that. I've also discussed the fact that these songs aren't "favorite" songs,... Read More »

Here's the latest from our good audio friend and brother who writes and edits at The Tannhauser Gate, John Marks. He draws our attention to a very promising stereo/multichannel SACD from BIS. I have found John's recommendations to be trustworthy always, and have thus already ordered mine from Amazon. You can do the same! David... Read More »