king ubu

Yeah, I wondered a bit about all the Sinatra hype, too ... after a few spins, I like the new one plenty - the man has no voice, but after all, he can sing ... he hits the notes and some of it sounds pretty daring for what one would except from him. But thinking of Sinatra only is definitely taking a few short cuts - but don't music critics love 'em? would be more work to check out the whole tin pan alley vs. singer/songwriters of the sixties and all that stuff ... I like the idea of ol' Bob paying his tributes to some other great songwriters that were of an era he helped to bring to an end.

Same here! I had one totally unplayable disc in the EMI Ciccolini box. Return window had long been closed, but eventually I received a second (full) set from amazon (and didn't need to return the first - shipping costs would have been more expensive than what I had paid for the box in the first place, speak of craziness of our times! Instead I gave the box to a friend whom I knew would appreciate it). Other than that and the wrong disc in the Toscanini box (for which I got a replacement straight from Sony/BMG Germany), and a missing disc in a small(3CD), brand-new and sealed set from Supraphon (for which I got the missing disc via vendor), I was lucky so far. Oh, and a wrong sleeve in the Solti Wagner box (one sleeve is repeated, but the disc included is the right one). On the topic of CD players, after many years of using cheapo discmen hooked up to an amplifier, I've bought an Onkyo for about 300 (does it matter which currency right now? not really, as long as we're discussing real money) and have been very happy with it ever since. No more of the rattling noise and stuff the cheapo players always brought with them.

So this is the old BN set with the two Elektras added - those two were part of the lone batch of Elektrreissues BN did, c. 2000.

re: the Biddulph Szigeti disc, I have the Brahms and the Bartók (and their great "Kreutzer" sonata as well), but not the Bach, aaargh!

They seem to keep their website pretty much up to date indeed, yes. They operate out of the corner around Basel, so they ship from Germany, France or Switzerland, depending on where you live (do they offer free shipping globally? I think I never paid anything for shipping, though I've not ordered from them for a few years since they did cut down on much of the stuff I found there at attractive prices, including some Japanese releases).

Go ask him and then tell me the night of your upcoming gig in Zurich

Hey Moms, sorry, no time and energy for a reply last night, and now I'm back in the mill again and don't have my stuff with me ... anyways, I know you weren't posting in bad spirits, of course (do I sense some fatherly silly me, motherly of course! concern? ) - and yeah, point is, I am very much interested in tracing how performances evolved over time, so I have the big Heifetz box and love much of the music it contains, regardless of its datedness (and yeah, of course I'd wish for more fringe repertoire, too, but if you look closer, there is some of that included as well) or "validity" as of today. However, I have indeed explored plenty of more recent Bach performances in the meantime, i.e. Hélène Schmitt and Isabelle Faust's great takes on the solo violin works. Queyras' cello suites are on the pile but as of yet unheard (in things old, the Mercury ones by Starker just arrived as well). Regarding orchestral pieces, indeed I've bought the Café Zimmermann box quite a while ago (but never reported that in this very thread, I assume, must have mentioned listening to it several times in the listening-thread though). And I don't think I've heard performances of these works that I enjoyed more. But allow one question re: Szigeti - what Bach recordings do you actually enjoy of his? I've got the Vanguard 2CD set and love it, if there's better, I guess I need it! (What I love most of his though, is probalby the stuff with Bartók, followed by the Beethoven sonatas cycle w/Arrau and the Mozart sonatas with Horszowksi - again I gather the approach taken there might no longer make much sense here - and re: Mozart I have the Podger/Cooper set on the way right now - but I just love those recordings for what they are ... same goes for Gould/Rose, can't help loving those!)

Edwin Fischer is GREAT at Mozart, horrible in Bach, both stylistically and technically inapt... Casals does not stand up in any way except as part of the discography, not quite as odious as fucking Heifetz from the another thread (Heifetz = marketing & to buy that box instead of, say, 30-40 Naxos CDs of diverse repertoire ludicrous or just brand loyalty). Spare me Artie Grumiaux's 'lustrous tonal elegance' & that tinkly dink distant clavecin also, please. Performance practice has come a long way from St. Louis & both more 'authentic' AND jazzier than it's been for 300+ years, time to shuck these received hosannas for schlubs too arrogant to know from Dolmetsch or Duke. Helene Schmitt Carmignoloa + Marcon somewhat mean to take (and destroy) that newbie post of mine from back when ... will reply at more length later on. the one part that makes me scratch my head is, under Brandenburg Concertos/Orchstral suites: "(clearly room for more here!)" - you think those needn't be bothered with at all?

Interesting discussion here! And I agree that amplification sometimes spoils what might have been a good concert ... one of the most impressive concerts I've witnessed was acoustic (except for a bass amp): Lee Konitz, Paul Motian and Steve Swallow - must have been around 1996/97, pretty large venue, but Lee easily filled it with his tone ... and Motian was quite loud actually, yet the balance they achieved was good! On the other hand, one of the most - physically and also mentally - exhausting concerts I heard was the Brötzmann Chicago Tentet + 1 - and there, inspite of the wall of sound effect, I heard amazing riches of colours and variety - truly rich music. And I really don't think there was a quiet moment in their concert at all, yet nothing was missing, it was terrific and in its own way perfect.

there's this thematic (late works) compilation around ... I've not explored it any closer, as I went for the Frémeau intégrale, but for those who want to listen to some at budget price:

I think it depends on the situation. While critics have said that the legend of Kafka wanting everything destroyed and left unpublished is somewhat overblown, most people think that Max Brod did the right thing and didn't carry out Kafka's wishes. Well, maybe he did just what Kafka wanted ...

been exploring Hawkins lately ... tons of it ... starting out with the Mosaic and adding whatever else I've got (plenty, but not quite all there is) ... extremely impressed, though much of it has been familiar for a while!

Sad news!

"Dejeuner", yes - ordered from the label a while ago.

Not really sure, after some more rounds of checking website listings ... it might in fact be the seriEWOC one after all - I'd need to see a backcover of the original to say for sure. Anyway, sound is reasonably good and the music better than that!

That one's already out, got mine 10 days ago or so ... will have to order the Harriott soon, too!

Noah Howard Quartetto - Live at the Swing Club Torino Italy (Altsax Records, SNIR 25055) Is this really the 1974 original? weird to use "SNIR" for a label that's called "Altsax" ... but that's the info I could gather from the back cover and from discogs and other similar sites ... wasn't exactly cheap, but still a pretty nice find, I think!

Depending on where you order from, aDE's 35€ might be the better offer: http://www.amazon.de/gp/product/B00IOQSW7A/ I've eyed this, but I really know sh*t about the music it contains ... would it be of interest to someone (uhm, me) who prefers soul the raw southern (Stax) way?

I think we may have an answer! Hm, you really think they'd flat-out copy that? There's also that story, once told by Pujol, about how he acquired many tapes (supposedly ones not too far removed from the masters) and that he's working from those. No idea where the truth lies there ...

The actual "Jazz Mission to Moscow" was part of one of a Japanese EMI series a few years ago - pretty good. But I doubt I'll buy this double disc set (though Carmell Jones/Harold Land does sound good).

very good news!

Not that big on McLean's Prestiges either, I'm afraid ... but always found "Lights Out" pretty nice, what with Elmo Hope ... But I agree with JSngry's wish for a box set - would indeed be an interesting way to re-evaluate all of this material.

Sad news - only know him from some Woody Shaw album and from a few of his fine Steeplechase discs - the duo with Dyani is indeed very good.

Hm, okay ... the three Braxton Standards 4CD sets - tempting! Which one would be the most recommended if it shan't be all three?

Agree on the Nabatov/Nichols - bought it regularly last year ... not sure I'll go for the sale again, so many things pile up.