HutchFan

Brazilian Trio - Constelação (Motéma, 2012) MERRY CHRISTMAS to all who celebrate the holiday.

Masahiko Satoh - Pavane Lachrymae (Denon, 1978) solo piano with electric piano, harpsichord, and synthesizers added in various combinations

I like the music because it's groovy and soaring. I think it has a sort of "airiness" that's very appealing. (The titles reflect this up-in-the-air theme: "Flight Time," "Sky High" -- even the title of the album itself.) . . . It's sunny party music for the backyard on a Sunday afternoon rather than heavier stuff for a house party on Saturday night. In that regard, it lives in the same neighborhood as Roy Ayers' music. . . . Plus the Mizell Brothers don't take over the album like they often (usually?) did. It's still very much Byrd's record. . . . Lastly, I like how Byrd use voices for flavor on this album, rather than making them the focus of the music -- as on the Blackbyrds albums.

Wow. "Bleak" and "energy sapping" are not words one usually associates with Christmas music! I've been listening to some early-70s soul jazz, which is neither bleak nor energy sapping. Quite the opposite, in fact! and this again:

Now spinning: Nancy Wilson - Something Wonderful (Capitol, 1960)

Not sure whether this has already been posted . . .

Rush's final studio album from 2012. It's a slammin' HARD ROCK record, as much metal as it's prog. The band was very proud of it. They felt they'd made a record that compares favorably with their late-70s and early-80s classics. . . . And then it turned out to be their last.

Right on, Joe. That's a terrific record!

NP: Berigan made such a gorgeous, MASSIVE sound on the trumpet. . . . His Time-Life 3-LP set made me a Berigan convert. I just picked up this CD overview to supplement the Berigan LPs in my collection.

Excellent on both counts -- music and spirits.

Soooooo good. Wonderful. I'm with you, @jazzbo. Well said. . . . Ellington is a magnificent composer, but -- like Strayhorn said -- his instrument was his orchestra. So, for me, the greatest performances of his music will always be by his band. Then again, I freely admit my bias. If I'm taking ONE musician/composer/band to my desert-island (in any genre), it's Duke Ellington & His Famous Orchestra.

Just now finished listening to the first cut. You're right. It's fantastic. I love this band with Stenson, Jormin, and Hart. I have All My Relations and The Call. But I'd never gotten 'round to Canto. Glad I finally got it.

I'm taking some time off from work for the holidays. So this morning, I drove up to McKay's, a giant music & book store in Chattanooga. I spent the better part of the day there. I took my time, looked through a lot of stuff, including their bargain bins. Here's what I brought home: 22 CDs and 21 LPs. And the total -- out the door -- was less than $100. All of the classical LPs were one dollar each (!) -- including those six Philips LPs, all of which are in pristine condition. The Genesis Wind & Wuthering LP is a Charisma label UK import, also in NM- condition. W & W is one of my desert-island albums. I've already got the ATCO US vinyl and the CD. But I couldn't resist; it was the most expensive title of the day at $10.99. Reputedly, the Charisma is the best sounding version. We'll see. A nice Christmas haul, eh?

Yes. I was a huge Rush fan in high school and college. So I recently picked up Geddy's book, and I've really been enjoying it. It's also prompted me to go back to their music. And I'm loving it (still).

Really enjoying this. What a voice Valerie Simpson has!

Now spinning: This isn't bad. But it's not nearly as good as I would like it to be. The music strikes me as very "studio-y" and docile. Nobody ever lets loose. I suppose it's telling that this album never was issued in the U.S. . . . I pulled it off the shelf to see if I still felt the same way since my last listen, and I do.

The Land of FIRE and ICE!

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