Ali

Editorial Reviews
Music Connection Magazine, October 21, 2004
"I Miss You" sets the tone...with an acoustic ensemble whose sensitive playing is perfect for this performer's soothing voice."

About the Artist
What inspires *funky*sexy*guitar*girl* Ali Handal to roll out of her Los Angeles area queen-size bed every morning? Well, when it's not her cat Indy meowing loudly in her ear, it's the opportunity for her to spend another day expressing her passions through her guitar.

Ali quit taking piano lessons to pick up the guitar when, in 7th grade, she got her first taste of Led Zeppelin. Blown away by Jimmy Page's explosive riffs and the band's carnal grooves, Ali was determined to become involved in... read more

Album Description
With her newest CD, "Breathing Underwater," Ali Handal continues to explore themes of passion, sex, and the inner battle between fearless independence and the longing for companionship that defines both Ali Handal the person and Ali Handal the recording artist. This album is an acoustic-guitar driven collection of songs, sparsely arranged and produced by Ali and her co-producer Tim Bomba. Ali plays all of the guitars on the CD, and is accompanied by Wes Wehmiller on bass (of touring bands Duran Duran, Missing Persons, Lisa Loeb) & David Leach on percussion (of Ben Harper's Innocent Criminals).

Ali treats the familiar theme of love lost in her uniquely bittersweet way, as well as writing several atypical love songs for various members of her family (although nothing close to her funky feline love song "Indy" from her first CD - there are no sampled cat meows on this whole record!).

Ali's music has been featured both in films and many TV shows, including Sex in the City, Joan of Arcadia, Life As We Know It, Dawson's Creek, and several shows on MTV & VH-1.

Ali

Talking Timbuktu
Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • This is the blues Dream Team
  • Cool music
  • AFT at his best
  • Fabulous Music
  • Gorgeous, happy, relaxed music.
 Talking Timbuktu
Ali Farka Touré , and Ry Cooder
Manufacturer: Hannibal
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Similar Items:
  1. In the Heart of the Moon
  2. Savane
  3. Spiritchaser
  4. Ali Farka Toure
  5. Niafunke

ASIN: B00000062H
Release Date: 1994-03-29

Tracks:

  1. Bonde
  2. Soukora
  3. Gomni
  4. Sega
  5. Amandrai
  6. Lasidan
  7. Keito
  8. Banga
  9. Ai Du
  10. Diaraby

Amazon.com

Talking Timbuktu is a groundbreaking record that vividly illustrates the Africa-Blues connection in real time. Ali Farka Toure, one of Mali's leading singer-guitarists, has a trance-like, bluesy style that, although deeply rooted in Malian tradition, bears astonishing similarity to that of John Lee Hooker or even Canned Heat. It's a mono-chordal vamp, with repetitive song lines cut with shards of blistering solo runs that shimmer like a desert mirage. Toure may be conversant with some blues artists, but it is unlikely that artists like Hooker or Robert Pete Williams ever heard these Malian roots, which makes the connection so uncanny. Ry Cooder, well versed in domestic and world guitar styles, is the perfect counterpoint in these extended songs/jams, his sinewy slide guitar intertwining with his partner's in a super world summit without barriers or borders. --Derek Rath

Customer Reviews:

4 out of 5 stars This is the blues Dream Team.......2007-07-20

"Talking Timbuktu" is one of those CDs where you have an aha moment. Oh yes, you have heard this music before and yet, not quite. Ry Cooder and Ali Farka Toure play beautifully together and truly bring the Mali's music straight to us. This is an extremely listenable CD and well worth the price.

4 out of 5 stars Cool music.......2007-05-13

This is really good music. A combination of blues, African, something I cannot put a description to. Each person has to experience this to see what it means to him (her).

5 out of 5 stars AFT at his best.......2007-04-03

As usual, this is another spectacular disc, only made better by the addition of Ry Cooder.

5 out of 5 stars Fabulous Music.......2007-03-26

This CD is just fabulous and everyone who hears it wants a copy. Very sophisticated yet original music,
soothing and exciting sound.

5 out of 5 stars Gorgeous, happy, relaxed music........2007-03-25

This will make you want to dance. Standouts for me:


"Lasidan" - Gets in your head. It's possibly my favorite song on the album. Touré's voice resonates in the mind for days.

"Banga" - Ali Farka Touré is incredible here on the njarka. The combination of this beautiful instrument, the congo, and the calabash is breathtaking.

"Diaraby" - A fitting end. Lovely.

It's an all-around beautiful disc.


Side note: If you like this album, you should really check out Ali Farka Touré's son, Vieux Farka Touré.
In the Heart of the Moon
Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • Another classic
  • Good Album very "West African"
  • Refreshing change
  • Beautiful African Mali Masterpiece
  • sheer,rapturous beauty
 In the Heart of the Moon
Ali Farka Touré , and Toumani Diabate
Manufacturer: Nonesuch
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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  1. Talking Timbuktu
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ASIN: B000AQ69DG
Release Date: 2005-09-13

Tracks:

  1. Debe
  2. Kala
  3. Mamadou Boutiquier
  4. Monsieur Le Maire De Niafunke
  5. Kaira
  6. Simbo
  7. Ai Ga Bani
  8. Soumbou Ya Ya
  9. Naweye Toro
  10. Kadi Kadi
  11. Gomni
  12. Hawa Dolo

Amazon.com

Ali Farka Toure fans expecting to hear another fiery electric blues effort from the African John Lee Hooker are in for a big surprise. Toure's first album after a six- year hiatus is mostly an acoustic duo with kora master Toumani Diabate that draws upon Malian and Guinean folk style from the 1950s and '60s called Jamana Kura, which grew out of the Mande griot music tradition. Both musicians were children at the time this music was popularized and a yearning sentimentality flavors many of the songs, particularly "Hawa Dolo," one of three Toure tunes rerecorded here in that older style. Other surprises abound as well: there are only two vocal tracks from the deep-voice Toure, and much of the soloing is actually handled by the flittering Diabate. Minus a few overdubs by guests like Ry Cooder, the music here were first takes from a jam session in which the two musicians would improvising over the basic structures. Nonetheless, this loose approach matched with the stunning beauty of the playing makes it a treasure worth holding on to. --Tad Hendrickson

Album Description

In the Heart of the Moon is a summit meeting between two world music giants, guitarist Ali Farka Toure and master of the kora-the 21-string gourd harp-toumani Diabate. It is the first newly recorded work from either artist in five years and their first album-length collaboration. More an eloquent, in-depth dialogue than a jam session, In The Heart Of the Moon was recorded during three unrehearsed, improvisatory two-hour sessions at the Hotel Mande, on the banks of the Niger river, in Bamako, Mali.

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Another classic.......2007-06-27

Need I say more-this album is a keeper. Might not be as catchy as Talking Timbuktu. Nonetheless, beautiful and powerful.

5 out of 5 stars Good Album very "West African".......2007-05-16

West Africans will not deceive you with their music FROM ANOTHER world Ismael Lo; Toure Kounda.They are one of kind Ali Farka Toure is one of this Musician who will take you somewhere else.This album is good for driving for a quiet night with your friends at your place.You will not be sorry to have it in your collection.

5 out of 5 stars Refreshing change.......2007-05-13

Well chosen selections provide a refreshing change from the ordinary. It doesn't matter that I didn't understand the language, I could understand the music. Bluesy ballads with gutsy rythmns.

5 out of 5 stars Beautiful African Mali Masterpiece.......2007-05-04

I'm really baffled by the few who trashed this CD. It has no "three chord progressions". The truth is worse than that. All the songs are two chord progressions except the last piece which would be a three chord progression if it weren't for a bridge. True Ali Farka Toure's other CD's can get tiring pretty fast, he is on this CD to basically provide a rhythmic background to Toumani Diabate's Kora. So much so, I can't believe it's even considered a Toure album. This is Toumani Diabate's music all the way and he leaves little doubt that he is by far the finest Kora player ever. I found it anything but bland. Maybe their stereo isn't operating properly. Maybe it's critics threw it on and went in another room and lost all that high end flurry of notes that come blazing across the rhythm section. In the end, maybe it's just the different way people listen to music. I have 3 other Farka Toure CD's and this one leaves the others in the dust. An excellent CD for anyone with a taste for the music of Mali.

5 out of 5 stars sheer,rapturous beauty.......2007-05-04

Another "tour(e)" de Force from the Lord's favorite guitarist and if that wasn't enough we are treated to the exquisite sounds of Diabate's kora.
This is music I want to spend eternity in.
It is Heaven to the ears.
Five stars aren't enough-5 million stars might not be enough to give this music the "rating" it deserves.
I feel like I have found the music I've been searching for all my life.
I understand how George Harrison felt when he discovered Ravi Shankar and Hindustani classical music in general-the rapture of his soul.
This music is the soundtrack of my DNA.
TO label it "essential" is like calling the air we breathe "essential".
Let God bless you and get this CD ASAP!
Savane
Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • Hard core Toure
  • A man at peace with himself
  • Probably His Best
  • Nice album
  • "It's my best album ever. It has the most power and it is the most different".
 Savane
Ali Farka Touré
Manufacturer: Nonesuch
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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  1. Boulevard de l'Independance
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  5. Vieux Farka Touré

ASIN: B000G1R3BW
Release Date: 2006-07-25

Tracks:

  1. Erdi
  2. Yer Bounda Fara
  3. Beto
  4. Savane
  5. Soya
  6. Penda Yoro
  7. Machengoidi
  8. Ledi Coumbe
  9. Hanana Soko
  10. Gambari
  11. Banga
  12. Njarou

Amazon.com

Savane, the great African guitarist and bluesman Ali Farka Touré's final solo studio album, was recorded in his native Mali toward the end of his life, when the artist knew his days were numbered. He spent his last years in his home village of Niafunké, concentrating on farming and family matters, jamming with local musicians of an evening. This impassioned, roots-drenched, mostly acoustic valedictory finds the Maestro's stalking rhythms and high-noon-at-the-crossroads, dusty desert-to-delta vocals in no less than life-summing form. "Soya" (track 5) seems to stand still in a million directions, while "Hanana Soko" (track 9) features a searing njarka fiddle spinning delirious circles around its throaty accompanying percussion. Pee Wee Ellis (sax) and Little George Sueref (harmonica) each manage to make strong impressions while adhering to the groove at hand. Afel Boucoum, a talented younger musician who has been mentioned as Touré's most likely successor (as if such a thing were possible!), graces "Njarou," the last tune. The other players are also at the top of their game, as fluttering ngoni (a West African spike lute) riffs weave in and out and airy female vocals float like a breeze off the river Niger. There are reports that Touré senior sat in on his son's upcoming album and scads of archival material will undoubtedly materialize. But his unsentimental, voluptuously masculine, spirit-guided magic is captured at its best, for all time, in this magnificent farewell. --Christina Roden

Album Description

Toure recorded Savane in the Malian capital of Bamako, as part of a three-disc project dubbed the Hotel Mande Sessions, after the studio in which the albums were cut. Savane is the last, perhaps most eloquent, installment. In concept and execution, the sessions recall teh magical combination of spontaneity and virtuosity that marked the debut releases from the Buena Vista Social Club. Toure offers reverberating, incantatory vocals to accompany his lean, hypnotically repetitive guitar lines.

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Hard core Toure.......2007-05-28

I love the hard cut sound compared to lots of other Malian musicians. Highly recommended if you like the blues. Slaves came from Africa and the region of West Africa in particular...blues came from slaves. Its interesting to see the massive musical similarities between the two styles.

5 out of 5 stars A man at peace with himself.......2007-05-10

Ali Farka Toure looks and sounds like a man at peace with himself on this his final recording. The man who turned his back on the popular Afrobeat rhythms of his day, also turned his back on Western recording studios, returning to his roots in Mali, where he set up his own farm and recording studio, nurturing a village and a new generation of musicians. Savane, like Niafunke before, is a straight forward album, accompanied by local musicians, with a guest appearance by Pee Wee Ellis on two selections, and drawing on a wellspring of traditional Malian rhythms. In his music Ali Farka Toure demonstrated the connection between traditional West African music and the Delta Blues. Numerous comparisons were drawn to artists like John Lee Hooker and Lightnin' Hopkins, but he had a sound all his own, and at his peak was a towering figure in the world music industry, inspiring numerous Western as well as African musicians, resulting in the annual Festival in the Desert, which was captured in a 2003 recording on CD and DVD. Ali Farka Toure was also featured in Martin Scorsese's The Blues. For those who would like to sample some of his earlier recordings, I would suggest the recently released boxed set Red & Green.

5 out of 5 stars Probably His Best.......2007-04-30

I guess this is the album that makes people draw comparisons between Ali Farka Toure and John Lee Hooker, because he most closely sounds like him on this CD, but with a West African feel to the music. This is just a fantastic recording, and if you were to buy just one Toure CD, I guess this owuld be the one. I like all his music, but this one stands out more than the others.

4 out of 5 stars Nice album.......2007-03-09

This is a very nice album from Ali Farka Tour. Songs are strong and unique. Highly recommended.

4 out of 5 stars "It's my best album ever. It has the most power and it is the most different"........2007-03-06

If ever an artist embodied the struggle between staying true to his roots and musical exploration, it was the late, great Ali Farka Touré. It would have been easy for him to become a fixture on the international stage playing with anyone he chose and the financial rewards would have been considerable. Instead, he turned his attention to expressing his own culture and exploring the links between it and the surrounding cultures. In doing so he became a local hero and a powerful symbol of national unity.
Although we usually think of `fusion' as a mix between something traditional and something Western, one could argue that Ali was permanently engaged in the twin processes of fusing and distillation most of his life -- although his attention rarely wandered far from West Africa.
"Savane" was a work in progress for several years, but it was mainly recorded at the now legendary Hotel Mande sessions in Bamako, which saw the recording of his sensational collaboration with Toumani Diabate "In the Heart of the Moon" as well as Toumani's own "Symmetric Orchestra sessions", which has just been released.
Every note of Ali's guitar and every sung word on "Savane" could come from no other artist. And yet, this is an album unlike any of previous albums.
There is an unusually international ensemble of musicians including JB horn man Pee Wee Ellis (who has been on most World Circuit albums of late) and Fain S. Dueñas of Radio Tarifa plus ngoni musicians Bassekou Kouyate and Mama Sissoko and Dasy Saré.
Now let's be under no illusions, each piece is bent to the will of Ali Farka Touré but under his distinctive canopy all kinds of interesting and surprising things are going on.
The title song has a ska-like backbeat for the distinctive guitars to spring off and the opening track "Ewly" features bold bluesy guitar offset by harmonica making the blues connection even stronger.
Famously, Ali Farka Touré always maintained he was not influenced by American blues musicians, he was just playing his traditional music. Attempts by musicologists to untangle this tale of origins have mostly come unstuck. One could see this album as a way of stating the external influences in his music or even an attempt to reach out but I think both interpretations are wrong and completely out of character.
Carefully, meticulously and imaginatively Ali reclaims the entire African diaspora music for the people of Africa and in doing so he plants his flag on the entire 20th Century music catalogue.
It would be, in short, an enterprise of lunatic megalomania except that it works and can therefore be described as nothing less than genius.
The Undisputed Truth
Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • The genuine positive proof
  • The Undisputed Truth - Bro Ali
  • Not really feelin it.
  • Wishing upon a star
  • Not Shadows, but Shadows....
 The Undisputed Truth
Brother Ali
Manufacturer: Rhymesayers
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000NQR7QG
Release Date: 2007-04-10

Tracks:

  1. WHATCHA GOT
  2. LOOKIN AT ME SIDEWAYS
  3. TRUTH IS
  4. THE PUZZLE
  5. PEDIGREE
  6. DAYLIGHT
  7. FREEDOM AINT FREE
  8. LETTER FROM THE GOVERNMENT
  9. HERE
  10. LISTEN UP FEAT. WHIPPER WHIP
  11. TAKE ME HOME
  12. UNCLE SAM GODDAMN
  13. WALKING AWAY
  14. FAHEEM
  15. EAR TO EAR

Album Description

In the year 2000, Brother Ali joined the Minneapolis powerhouse Rhymesayers Entertainment with a self-produced demo called "Rites of Passage". Three years later Ali took the underground by storm with an undeniable stage presence and his critically acclaimed debut full-length "Shadows On the Sun". The impact was unquestionable and that next year Ali solidified his place amongst the independent hip hop elite with the release of 2004's "The Champion" ep.

Like deja vu, here we are three years later and Ali is ready to take the world by storm with his latest creation. After struggling through a series of personal roadblocks, from parting ways with his wife of 10 years, becoming homeless and trying to secure custody of his only son...Brother Ali along with Atmosphere producer and Shadows & Champion collaborator Ant, present the long awaited sophomore full-length album "The Undisputed Truth". Personal, political and more powerful than ever, simply put, the truth is here.

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars The genuine positive proof.......2007-06-22

As a greatful owner of every release by the man (misc. songs included), I could write an 80 page essay on what there is to love about Brother Ali, but I'll state it like this to save everyone's time: If you don't like Brother Ali, you don't have a soul.

This record just further carves out the path to, well, to the undisputed truth. Ali Boombiayyeeeeeee!!

4 out of 5 stars The Undisputed Truth - Bro Ali.......2007-05-24

I was extremely impressed by the video and lyrics to Uncle Sam..., consequently I bought each CD. I returned all but The Undisputed Truth. Please keep in mind as you read this that I am a 51 year old woman and it is quite unusual for me to buy anything even resembling rap nowadays. I find Brother Ali refreshing and believe him to be a man with a strong social conciousness. I was not always impressed with the beats or rhythms in this CD...some sounded choppy to me... but I truly appreciated his lyrics.

1 out of 5 stars Not really feelin it........2007-05-23

Brother Ali is a good lyricist. If you reminise back to Scribble Jam, it shows him battling pretty well. But him as an MC droppin an album, it doesn't fit him. I guess everybody has their own perspective taste in hip hop. He brings up good concepts but his rhythm attraction really lacks. His beats is just terrible. You don't have to have a phat beat to have a good song but I don't think anybody would sound good spitting to these beats. If you're that type looking for the deep ill rhythm blending in real soul instrumentals, this album is not for you. Rhymesayers is full of talented emcees but this one im not feeling. An emcee that I highly recommend (Not from Rhymesayers) is RODAN - Theophany: The Book Of Elevations. After listening to this album you'll definetly know what im talking about. OnE............

1 out of 5 stars Wishing upon a star.......2007-05-18

This guy means well, and is a pretty good lyricist, but thats as far as this album goes, i give him credit for choosing to have different content than the usual rappers lately, but then again, he don't have much choice, he's white. He basically has 2 songs on the whole album, and then each of those songs are done about 7 times, to slightly different beats, which are garbage, i never understood how artists can release albums with beats like these, don't they listen to them before hand? maybe its because he's a lyricist and so he's too wrapped up in himself to understand a good beat. Of all the songs, he has 1 that is worth having on your ipod "here", but other than that, if he wants any kind of success, he needs real production and he needs to learn that an album shouldn't be one giant rhyme battle, it should be an album, with different tones, different voice perspectives. There is a reason eminem is the only successful white rapper, he understands the difference between making songs for an album and battling, that and he has always had Dr. Dre to show him what is and is not a good beat, in Dre's case, a great beat.

4 out of 5 stars Not Shadows, but Shadows...........2007-05-15

Not Shadows on the Sun, but Shadow's might be the best rap album ever made. This is a VERY strong follow-up, a very introspective journey, and a very strong rap album. I first bought it on Itunes, then found out about the bonus DVD and bought that as well, it's that good...pick up a copy.
Masters of Classical Music (Box Set)
Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
  • masters of classical music
  • A good basic collection
  • An excellent introduction to classical music
  • Very Beautiful!!!!!1
  • Still Stuck on Beethoven
 Masters of Classical Music (Box Set)

Manufacturer: Delta
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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  1. 25 Classical Favorites
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  3. The Top 100 Masterpieces of Classical Music, Vol. 6-10
  4. 25 Romantic Classics
  5. Best of the Millennium: Top 40 Classical Hits

ASIN: B000001VU5
Release Date: 1990-10-25

Tracks:

  1. Eine kleine Nachtmusik: Allegro - Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus
  2. Piano Concerto In A Major, K 488: Adagio - Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus
  3. Flute Concerto In D Major, K 314: Allegro - Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus
  4. Symphony No. 40 in G minor: Molto allegro - Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus
  5. Clarinet Concerto KV 622: Adagio - Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus
  6. Serenade, K 375: Menuetto - Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus
  7. Turkish March - Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus
  8. Violin Concerto, K 216: Allegro - Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus
  9. Divertimento, K 334: Menuetto - Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus
  10. Horn Concerto, K 447: Allegro - Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus
  11. Cassation, K 99: Allegro - Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus

Tracks:

  1. Overture No. 4 In Major: Rejouissance - J.S.Bach
  2. Overture No. 3 In D Major: Air - J.S.Bach
  3. Brandenburg Concerto No. 2 In F Major: I. Allegro - J.S.Bach
  4. Jesu, Joy Of Man's Desiring - J.S.Bach
  5. Overture No. 2 In B Minor: Menuet & Badinerie - J.S.Bach
  6. Prelude In C Major - J.S.Bach
  7. Toccata And Fugue In D Minor - J.S.Bach
  8. Prelude In C Minor - J.S.Bach
  9. Overture No. 1 In C Major: Passepied - J.S.Bach
  10. Brandenburg Concerto No. 1 In F Major: II. Adagio - J.S.Bach
  11. Kommst du nun, Jesu vom Himmel herunter, Chorale - J.S.Bach
  12. Brandenburg Concerto No. 3 In G Major: II. Allegro - J.S.Bach
  13. Violin Concerto In E Major: I. Adagio - J.S.Bach
  14. St. Matthew Passion: Finale Chorus: 'Wir setzen uns mit Tranen nieder' - J.S.Bach

Tracks:

  1. Symphony No. 5: Allegro con brio - Ludwig Van Beethoven
  2. Fur Elise - Ludwig Van Beethoven
  3. Violin Romance No. 2 - Ludwig Van Beethoven
  4. 'Moonlight' Sonata: Adagio sostenuto - Ludwig Van Beethoven
  5. Minuet - Ludwig Van Beethoven
  6. Symphony No. 8 In F Major: Allegretto scherzando - Ludwig Van Beethoven
  7. Coriolan: Overture - Ludwig Van Beethoven
  8. Piano Concerto No. 2: Adagio - Ludwig Van Beethoven
  9. Symphony No. 5 In C Minor: Allegro - Ludwig Van Beethoven
  10. Egmont: Overture - Ludwig Van Beethoven

Tracks:

  1. Die Fledermaus: Die Fledermaus (Excerpts) - Johann Strauss
  2. Wine, Woman And Song - Johann Strauss
  3. Tritsch Tratsch Polka - Johann Strauss
  4. The Blue Danube - Johann Strauss
  5. The Gypsy Baron: Introduction - Johann Strauss
  6. Annen Polka - Johann Strauss
  7. Vienna Blood - Johann Strauss
  8. The Gypsy Baron: Einzugsmarsch - Johann Strauss

Tracks:

  1. Tannhauser: Overture - MASTERS OF CLASSICAL MUSIC
  2. Die Meistersinger von Nurnberg: Dance Of The Prentices - MASTERS OF CLASSICAL MUSIC
  3. Die Meistersinger von Nurnberg: Prelude Act 3 - MASTERS OF CLASSICAL MUSIC
  4. Die Meistersinger von Nurnberg: Aufzug der Meistersinger - MASTERS OF CLASSICAL MUSIC
  5. Der fliegende Hollander: Overture - MASTERS OF CLASSICAL MUSIC
  6. Lohengrin: Prelude - MASTERS OF CLASSICAL MUSIC
  7. Tristan und Isolde: Prelude And Liebestod - MASTERS OF CLASSICAL MUSIC
  8. Tannhauser: Arrival Of The Guests At Wartburg - MASTERS OF CLASSICAL MUSIC

Tracks:

  1. Piano Concerto No. 1: Allegro non troppo - Peter Tchaikovsky
  2. String Serenade: Waltz - Peter Tchaikovsky
  3. Violin Concerto: Andante - Peter Tchaikovsky
  4. The Sleeping Beauty: Introduction - Peter Tchaikovsky
  5. The Sleeping Beauty: Pas d'action - Adagio - Peter Tchaikovsky
  6. The Sleeping Beauty: Waltz - Peter Tchaikovsky
  7. Capriccio italien Op. 45 - Peter Tchaikovsky
  8. Swan Lake: Ballet Suite: Scene No. 10 - Peter Tchaikovsky
  9. Swan Lake: Ballet Suite: Waltz - Peter Tchaikovsky
  10. Eugene Onegin: Polonaise - Peter Tchaikovsky

Tracks:

  1. The 4 Seasons: Concerto No. 1 In E Major: Spring - VIVALDI, Antonio
  2. Siciliano - VIVALDI, Antonio
  3. Concerto In D Minor:: (Allegro Assai) Cologne Concerto - VIVALDI, Antonio
  4. The 4 Seasons: Concerto No. 2 In G Minor: Summer - VIVALDI, Antonio
  5. Oboe Sonata In B Flat Major, RV 34: Adagio - Allegro - Largo - Allegro - VIVALDI, Antonio
  6. The 4 Seasons: Concerto No. 3 In F Major: Autumn - VIVALDI, Antonio
  7. Oboe Concerto: Allegro non tasto - Largo - Allegro non molto - VIVALDI, Antonio
  8. Concerto In D Minor: (Largo e spiccato) Cologne Concerto - VIVALDI, Antonio
  9. The 4 Seasons: Concerto No. 4 In F Minor: Winter - VIVALDI, Antonio

Tracks:

  1. Scherzo No 1 In B Minor, Op. 20 - Frederic Chopin_
  2. Three Nocturnes, Op. 9: No 3 In B Major - Frederic Chopin_
  3. Twelve Etudes, Op. 10: No 5 In G Flat Major - Frederic Chopin_
  4. Twelve Etudes, Op. 25: No 10 In B Minor - Frederic Chopin_
  5. 24 Preludes, Op. 28: No. 13 In F Sharp Major - Frederic Chopin_
  6. 24 Preludes, Op. 28: No. 14 In E Flat Minor - Frederic Chopin_
  7. 24 Preludes, Op. 28: No. 15 In D Flat Major 'Raindrops' - Frederic Chopin_
  8. 24 Preludes, Op. 28: No. 16 In B Flat Minor - Frederic Chopin_
  9. 24 Preludes, Op. 28: No. 17 In A Flat Major - Frederic Chopin_
  10. 24 Preludes, Op. 28: No. 18 In F Minor - Frederic Chopin_
  11. Scherzo No. 2 In B Flat Minor, Op. 31 - Frederic Chopin_
  12. Waltz In E Flat Major, Op. 18 - Frederic Chopin_
  13. Nocturne In C Sharp Minor, Op. Posth. - Frederic Chopin_
  14. Four Mazurkas, Op. 24: No. 3 In A Flat Major - Frederic Chopin_
  15. Four Mazurkas, Op. 24: No. 4 In B Flat Minor - Frederic Chopin_

Tracks:

  1. Ave Maria - Franz Schubert
  2. Impromptu In E Flat Major - Franz Schubert
  3. Standchen - Franz Schubert
  4. Trout Quintet: Tema con variazioni - Franz Schubert
  5. 'Rosamunde': Entr'acte No. 1 - Franz Schubert
  6. Moment Musical In A Flat Major - Franz Schubert
  7. 'Rosamunde': Entr'acte No. 2 - Franz Schubert
  8. Moment Musical No. 3 In F Minor - Franz Schubert
  9. 'Rosamunde': Ballet Music No.2 - Franz Schubert
  10. Symphony No. 8 In B Minor 'Unfinished': Allegro moderato - Franz Schubert

Tracks:

  1. Nabucco: Overture - Verdi, Giuseppe
  2. Nabucco: Va pensiero, sull'ali dorate - Verdi, Giuseppe
  3. Aida: Prelude - Verdi, Giuseppe
  4. II Trovatore: Verdi! le fosche notturne (Gypsies' Chorus) - Verdi, Giuseppe
  5. II Trovatore: Or co' daddi, ma fra poco (Soldiers' Chorus) - Verdi, Giuseppe
  6. Aroldo: Overture - Verdi, Giuseppe
  7. La Traviata: Prelude - Verdi, Giuseppe
  8. La Traviata: Noi siamo zingarelle - Verdi, Giuseppe
  9. La Traviata:: Libiamo ne' lieti calici - Verdi, Giuseppe
  10. La Traviata: Di Madride noi siam mattadori - Verdi, Giuseppe
  11. La forza del destino: Overture - Verdi, Giuseppe

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars masters of classical music.......2007-03-26

A nice collection for the classical listener. Great variety of composers and the music quality of the cds are very good.

5 out of 5 stars A good basic collection.......2006-11-10

With selections from numerous composers, it is an easy way to familiarize oneself with some of the most popular classical works and excerpts. A pleasant listen for the initiated too.

5 out of 5 stars An excellent introduction to classical music.......2006-10-18

This is an excellent introduction to classical music. Well performed and presented.

5 out of 5 stars Very Beautiful!!!!!1.......2006-10-05

If you are a fan of classical music then you better get this set. Not only is it very cheap, 10 Discs for about 2$ per disk. Now where are you gonna find a deal like this. I actually found mine chaper, $20.00 even and the music is outstanding. If you had a very bad day and very stressed out, just put in one of these cds, lay down, dim down the lights and just relax. It really helped me out.

5 out of 5 stars Still Stuck on Beethoven.......2006-08-22

I just recently started listening to classical music so I'm certainly not one to compare or critique the quality of this set. However, I do have a few comments...

My interest started in this genre of music because I'm researching my ancestry in Prussia and this is the music of those times. Never mind my ancestors were poor peasants who probably never got the chance to hear such wonderful music... when listening to these CDs, I'm taken back in time... to a royal court in Europe... to another place in time. The music is inspiring, relaxing, invigorating.

I have yet to listen to all the CD's in the set. I'm stuck on Beethoven! Wasn't he AWESOME!?!

I think this set is a wonderful introduction to classical music!!!!!




Elysium for the Brave
Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • Mystical journey into the desert
  • World music - folk rock from the middle east
  • Pure and captivating.
  • Wonderful
  • Mystic, Mesmerizing, and Beautiful
 Elysium for the Brave
Azam Ali
Manufacturer: Six Degrees
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

GeneralGeneral | International | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Middle East | International | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | New Age | Styles | Music
MeditationMeditation | New Age | Styles | Music
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Similar Items:
  1. Portals of Grace
  2. Niyaz
  3. Feast of Silence
  4. In the Garden of Souls
  5. Sunyata

ASIN: B000FTBK9G
Release Date: 2006-07-25

Tracks:

  1. Endless Reverie
  2. Spring Arrives
  3. In Other Worlds
  4. Abode
  5. Forty One Ways
  6. The Tryst
  7. From Heaven To Dust
  8. I Am A Stranger In This World
  9. In This Divide

Amazon.com

For this, her second solo album, Azam Ali, lead vocalist of Vas and Niyaz, takes her patented polycultural blend of ancient and contemporary influences even farther beyond the stratosphere. That she is now a veteran of numerous film scores, including Children of Dune, Earthsea, and Matrix Revolutions, perhaps explains her present more cinematic direction. Born in Iran, reared in India and the US, and gifted with a voice of improbable tonal breadth, flexibility, and beauty, she is backed by collaborators like Trey Gunn (King Crimson), Chris Venna (Nine Inch Nails), Turkish DJ/composer Mercan Dede, the Japanese ensemble Kodo, and Grateful Dead drummer/world percussion enthusiast Mickey Hart. One of the more interesting conundrums inherent in Ali's work is that no matter how much electronic technology she employs, her immersion in her heritage unfailingly comes across loud and clear. Whether she is singing in English, which predominates on these sessions, Farsi, or another language, a prayerful sensuality informs every note. It's as though a sexy Tanagra temple figurine or silk-clad court lady from an antique parchment were to suddenly turn her lovely head and step daintily into the modern world, unfurling precisely the kind of voice one expected but never could have imagined. --Christina Roden

Album Description

"Elysium For The Brave", Azam's second solo album, signals a new turn in her musical evolution. The album, her most ambitious work to date, brings together musicians from varied musical backgrounds performing in diverse permutations. The result is a highly coherent body of work that seamlessly weaves together all of Azam's cultural and musical influences into a haunting tapestry of atmospheric rock, electronic, and global sounds. Singing predominantly in English for the first time, the songs are based on lyrics written by Azam herself and reveal a poetic lyricism heard only in glimpses in her previous work.

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Mystical journey into the desert.......2007-06-07

Azam Ali is an amazing New Age diva. She's more soulful than Enya, and her lyrics show a depth and mysticism not often found in relaxing New Age music. It's also not surprising that Azam Ali contributed the electrifying "Inama Nushif" to the "Children of Dune" soundtrack.

The opening track,"Endless Reverie",evokes vast desert spaces. It seduces the listener into a spiritual journey. "Spring Arrives" is a musical oasis. "Abode" sounds ancient and modern at once,in which Azam Ali sings of longing for her homeland of Iran. "Forty One Ways" has an urgency driving it forward, with its haunting opening "forty one ways to die,one strong will to live. " "The Tryst" is at once spiritual and erotic; Azam Ali sings of her own sin&being unworthy to enter her lover's garden (which almost sounds like Christian rock-yet it's not)."I am a stranger in this world" is unearthly,expressing desire for union with the eternal.

Azam Ali's spirituality shines in her songs. She does not resort to hoary,sappy cliches. It's as if Teresa of Avila's "The Interior Castle" or John of the Cross' "Ascent of Mount Carmel" were given sonic life. Azam Ali has had an amazing career so far;she headed Vas,now she fronts Niyaz.The best is yet to come.

4 out of 5 stars World music - folk rock from the middle east.......2007-05-12

If you are looking for music similar to "Dead can dance" with real words this album is it, but the more traditional instrumented tracks are more moving.

5 out of 5 stars Pure and captivating........2007-04-24

Azam Ali was born in Iran, raised in India, and currently resides in the USA and she blends her polycultural influences beyond what the human mind can imagine. Known for her collaborations with a vast array of musicians, including members from Nine Inch Nails, the guitar virtuoso Buckethead, the Turkish world music composer Mercan Dede, and the Grateful Dead drummer Mickey Hart, she also fronts two amazing bands: Vas and Niyaz. Elysium for the Brave is her second solo statement, which she has co-produced with Carmen Rizzo (Niyaz) and sees her taking her already amazing style several steps further.

This time around, she is supported by King Crimson's Pat Mastelotto whose amazing percussion work on the opening song "Endless Reverie", blended with Ali's impossibly beautiful vocals, is like the perfect combination of tribal beats and electronics, something we've never heard from Ali before. Another Crimson member, Trey Gunn, also appears on the album, and even co-wrote the mood-intensive piece "The Tryst", employing minimal guitar effects that underlie Ali's vocal lament. Her velvet vocals convey sensuality and heartfelt emotion, and are carefully placed atop an ethereal guitar theme. It is amazing to hear Ali sing in English -- her older fans know how moving she can get when she sings in Persian and Indian, but to see that she is actually capable of applying her talents to more "straightforward" pieces is nothing short of astounding. Unlike her works with Vas and Niyaz, there are a few non-Eastern songs on this album, such as the album opener and this one, where you'll get lost in the beauty of forlornly ringing guitar notes and dark mysticism.

That said, while the titles are in English, not all of them are sung in this language. Ali still uses lots of Persian and Indian lyrics in her songs. Her artistic strength mostly lies in crafting unique Middle Eastern pieces highlighting her vocals and it is hard to capture the intensity without using the region's language and instruments (as on the Indian dirge "Abode"). Her voice is so vulnerable and beautiful I don't even know how to describe it. Having discovered her on Mercan Dede's Breath album where she does her unique Persian-styled vocal melodies mostly going for wordless harmonies, I felt compelled to seek everything she participated in and was absolutely thrilled she experiments with the same style on songs like "I Am a Stranger in This World", which she co-wrote with Loga Roman Torkian, her partner in Niyaz; and the mesmerizing "From Heaven to Dust", an atmospheric elegy drenched in western beats and Indian percussion. "In Other Worlds" is one of the darkest songs on the CD -- it contains strummed acoustic guitars that slowly disappear under a wall-of-sound keyboards that blanket everything but Ali's wonderful voice. Though there is a vague Persian sadness incorporated into the song, this is yet another attempt to branch out and explore new territories.

The production and sonic quality of the album are mindblowing. An incredible amount of nuance and coherent body of work serve to heighten the unmatched emotional power of Ali's voice and compositional skills to a higher level. She has now proved that she is so much more than just a singer with a great voice; her understanding of melody, rhythm, and vocal arrangement leaves me speechless. Check this disc out even if you're remotely interested in world music that is unafraid to infuse electronics and minimalism into its tapestry.

4 out of 5 stars Wonderful.......2007-03-14

This is like listening to a movie soundtrack, only you get to make the movie up in your own mind. If you like Natacha Atlas, world music, middle eastern music, heck, if you just like music, get this albumn.

5 out of 5 stars Mystic, Mesmerizing, and Beautiful.......2007-03-11

If you are a fan of last year's "Niyaz" album, then you'll swear that "Elysium for the Brave" sounds like its sequel. It's no surprise since "Niyaz" musicians Logan Ramin Torkian and Carmen Rizzo accompany Azam Ali for the second time on this new album. "Elysium for the Brave" features a diverse cast of artists to give the album a very global and diverse sound. Classical Persian violinist Kiavash Nourai makes an appearance to add rich ethnic depth, while film composers Tyler Bates and Jeff Rona contribute to create atmospheric and cinematic soundscapes. As mentioned on Azam Ali's website, it's very interesting to learn that Jeff Rona is well known for his collaborations with Dead Can Dance.

What makes "Elysium from the Brave" stand out from Azam Ali's previous work is that she sings 6 out of 9 tracks in English (the remaining three are in Farsi). The mystical lyricism, which was written by Azam Ali herself, is hauntingly beautiful and reminds us about our personal quests for Elysium. Some of the lyrics however, are difficult to make out, but this didn't bother me at all because it's not so much about digging up words, but LISTENING and EXPERIENCING the MUSIC. Those who are familiar with the band "Cocteau Twins" (one of my favorite bands) and the lead singer, Elizabeth Fraiser, shouldn't be bothered by not being able to hear the lyrics since the "Cocteau Twins" are known for their indecipherable lyrics.

Everyone wants to escape their sorrows and hardships, everyone wants to feel Loved, everyone wants to be happy; these universally shared human longings are what unite us as a species. Unlike the hoards of hip-hop and pop music out there that exploit our animalistic nature, Azam Ali's voice is cry for a return to the human spirit. It would not be inaccurate to say that many humans are out of touch with their spiritual nature, and I am not sure who the blame goes to, but I believe attracting the population through an appealing form of art, such as music, is a powerful way to help promote and encourage spirituality. "Elysium for the Brave" features powerful and thought-provoking lyrics voiced by a divinely gifted woman who sings over stimulating modern day beats and rhythms, which make this album a unique blend of the ancient and the new.

My favorite tracks are:

1. Endless Reverie, 3. In Other Worlds, 5. Forty One Ways, 7. From Heaven to Dust (a nice BASS track) 8. I am a Stranger in this World, 9. In This Divide (the instrumentation is amazing)
Cecilia Bartoli ~ Opera Proibita (Handel · Scarlatti · Caldara) / Les Musiciens du Louvre · Minkowski
Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • Only one diva, only Bartoli.
  • Amazing disc
  • Beautiful Music, but vocally unmusical.
  • Not to my taste
  • Exciting, moving, beautiful, energetic, heart-felt, fantastic...
 Cecilia Bartoli ~ Opera Proibita (Handel · Scarlatti · Caldara) / Les Musiciens du Louvre · Minkowski
Cecilia Bartoli , George Frideric Handel , Alessandro Scarlatti , Antonio Caldara , Marc Minkowski , and Les Musiciens du Louvre
Manufacturer: Decca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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  5. Lamento

ASIN: B000A6T1HC
Release Date: 2005-09-13

Tracks:

  1. All'arme si accesi guerrieri (Aria dell Pace)
  2. Mentre io godo (Aria della Speranza)
  3. Un pensiero nemico di pace
  4. Vanne pentita a piangere
  5. Sparga il senso lascivo veleno
  6. Caldo Sangue
  7. Come nembo che fugge col vento
  8. Ecco negl'orti tuoi...Che dolce simpatica
  9. Qui resta...L'alta Roma
  10. Lascia la spina cogli la rosa
  11. Ahi qual cordoglio...Doppio affetto
  12. Si piangete pupille dolente
  13. Ahi quanto cieca...Come foco allo splendore
  14. Disserratevi oh porte d'Averno
  15. Notte funesta...Ferma l'ali

Amazon.com

Cecilia Bartoli's new CD features a collection of music that could not be heard in her native Rome at the start of the 18th century due to Papal censorship. Theaters, the Church felt, were places of evil and corruption and operas led people to immorality. But some music-loving senior members of the priesthood asked composers to write oratorios and cantatas--indeed, operas without staging, essentially--for their own private entertainment. Call it what you will, the music is sensational--by turns virtuosic, gentle, and playful--and always expressive: just right, it seems, for Cecilia Bartoli's temperament. The opening aria on the CD, a call for peace in the name of Jesus, is, in fact, a dazzling martial air with trumpets blaring and the voice going through an amazing array of coloratura fireworks. It shows Bartoli at her most aggressive. The listener is practically hurled back from the speakers when she begins, with rapid-fire runs and trills and cascades of notes, all perfectly in place. Showy arias are offset by several tender ones ("Lascia la spina" from Handel's Il trionfo del Tempo e del Disinganno returns in the composer's Rinaldo, four years later, as the now-famous "Lascia ch'io pianga"), and Bartoli exhibits again, her many, many levels of pianissimo and sensitive phrasing. Marc Minkowski and his Musiciens are just right for this repertoire and back Bartoli up superbly. This is a fascinating project, rivetingly performed and presented. --Robert Levine

Album Description

Limited Australian pressing. An extraordinary album of dramatic arias written in Rome at a time when opera performance was forbidden by the Church, and female singers were forbidden from singing in public. Decca. 2005.

Customer Reviews:

4 out of 5 stars Only one diva, only Bartoli........2007-06-19

Just like Farinelli was the opera phenomenon of his time, fast-forward to the 21st century, Bartoli gives once again this music of the Italian settecento a breath of new life in all its splendor and glory.

In Opera Proibita, Bartoli's repertoire not only reflects on her as a consummate vocal artist but also as the ultimate scholar. Rarely an opera singer would dig this dip and go that far to unearth great scores from total obscurity. Even more uncommonly a singer would take the challenge of singing these arias without the risk of ridiculing herself, but to the contrary establishing a new record and precedent.

Her execution of the Handel arias is truly astonishing in coloratura and melismas probably not heard for three hundred years when only the best castrati commanded the virtuosity to tackle these arias. Also surprising and refreshing was to hear works by Handel that show his wild side.

Bartoli brings this album to a high climax with the arias from Il Trionfo del Tempo e del Disinganno. This is really her realm and true medium. Her vocal runs in "Un pensiero nemico di face" sound like a first violin, and as if this was not difficult enough she ornaments the da capo melismas in tempo from allegro to presto molto vivace, and transitions into a note crescendo with great ease and certainty. Wonderful!

5 out of 5 stars Amazing disc.......2007-03-03

This disc has all the elements needed for an amazing disc. The conductor, orchestra, and music are all top notch. Bartoli's singing is amazing. I find this album energizing and a testament to how exciting baroque music can be. However, if you don't like Bartoli's voice in previous recordings, you probably won't change your opinion because of this disc.

3 out of 5 stars Beautiful Music, but vocally unmusical........2007-02-09

I owned over a dozen of Bartoli solo albums, plus other operatic albums of hers. From the early days of 'Arias Antique' I got impressed by her beautiful singing and her outstanding technique.
Alas, starting from her Vivaldi Album, I do not find her singing that beautiful any more. True, the songs picked there are technically very challenging, used to be sung by male castrato singers. The songs picked here are even more difficult.
BUT - is singing just about technique?
There are some songs in the Vivaldi Album that have the vocal musical lines broken in places. Here in Opera Proibita, almost every song has this problem, even the slow ones of Caldara. Compare her singing in the earlier part of her career, her early Mozart operas, I could not help but wonder if Ms. Bartoli has taken the correct turn in her career: her forced high notes, though squarely hit, do not sound at all pleasing; her runs and trills, though taken accurately at great tempi, is no longer truly musical. Compare her singing with the other two great baroque mezzo-sopranos Bernarda Fink and the tragically short-lived late Lorraine Hunt Lieberson, you would understand what I mean.

With the latest turn in Ms. Bartoli's singing, I am being forced to admit that this is a singer of great technical brilliance and enormous fame, but not at all pleasing to the ear.

1 out of 5 stars Not to my taste.......2006-11-05

Cecilia Bartoli has her fans, no doubt, as the other reviews on this site demonstrate, people who love her warmth of tone and her impassioned interpretations. These vocal qualities may suit the performance conventions of the nineteenth-century repertoire; however in this anthology of eighteenth century sacred arias the result is an unhappy imbalance. The problem is, in my opinion, one of clashing calls for attention, whose affect is to distract the listener from attention to the music itself. True, the god of the counter-reformation was to be worshipped ecstatically. And true, also, that I am an anti-romantic listener, who grew up with those early music performances which valued detached purity of tone. This was vaunted as the ideal means of interpretation of the rediscovered seventeenth and eighteenth-century repertoire (it protested too much its rightness, and alienated people- but I like it). However to return to the subject at hand- I find Bartoli's readings of these crypto-erotic arias overblown and self-indulgent. I guess that this sort of coloratura always offered a chance for a bit of ego to be let loose, even in church- however when the performance goes so far as to insist on attention to itself rather than deflecting attention to the music, I stop enjoying the music. This recording does not find the balance between the big romantic personality and eighteenth-century performance conventions, which, after 30 or 40 years of self-critique, have some authority. I disliked it very much. I am a great admirer of Mark Minkowski's opera interpretations, which I think find a perfect balance between these opposing impulses of warm and cool- a binary we can trace throughout aesthetics and through the ages. Here there's an overbalance in favour of warm (hot, in fact), which the performers might argue is just the sort of vivification that Baroque performance needs. Not for me. I gave it to a friend (she's still a friend).

5 out of 5 stars Exciting, moving, beautiful, energetic, heart-felt, fantastic..........2006-09-02

What more can I add?

Cecilia Bartoli just "does it" for me almost every time. She is just fantastic in my books. I love her dearly. She can give one an adrenalin rush with her bravura singing and then break one's heart with her pathos.

This is a superb collection of Baroque arias from "almost" operas! ;-))
I also liked the cheeky and none-too-subtle references to La Dolce Vita on
cover and the images inside the disc. Nice to see an opera singer with a playful sense of humour!

I am listening to this disc as I write this review and all I can say is that I love this disc and it is clearly one of the best Signorina Bartoli has released, although I like all of her recordings. Listen to track 12 and you will buy this disc.

More, please!

PS: How about DECCA getting Cecilia Bartoli and Andreas Scholl together for a musical project? I'd love to see two of my favourite singers together on the one disc.
PSPS: If you like Opera Proibita, buy Andreas Scholl's Arcadia and Arias for Senesino, too!


The Prayer Cycle
Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • soul stirring-true gift of music
  • wonderful
  • this here is some good music
  • Something Old, Something New
  • heavenly music
 The Prayer Cycle

Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B00000ICMK
Release Date: 1999-03-23

Tracks:

  1. Movement 1: Mercy
  2. Movement 2: Strength
  3. Movement 3: Hope
  4. Movement 4: Compassion
  5. Movement 5: Grace
  6. Movement 6: Innocence
  7. Movement 7: Forgiveness
  8. Movement 8: Benediction
  9. Movement 9: Faith

Amazon.com

It is with primitive urgency and lustrous clarity rising like flickering embers from a fire that Jonathan Elias's ambitious Prayer Cycle is given voice. Woven together like knotty wool, silk, and fine strands of silvery water, the disparate yet complementary voices of the late Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Alanis Morissette, Yungchen Lhamo, Ofra Haza, the American Boychoir, Salif Keita, and others intertwine in multiple languages with the superb English Chamber Orchestra and Chorus. Prayers of supplication, gratitude, and longing build in layers, one on top of and 'twixt and 'tween the other, as movements titled "Mercy," "Grace," "Innocence," "Compassion," and the like. Remarkably, Elias's Prayer Cycle eloquently captures the ecstasy, pain, grief, and sublime beauty of humanity--as he simply and poignantly writes in his liner notes, "The world we live in is both joyous and cruel." --Paige La Grone

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars soul stirring-true gift of music.......2007-02-24

...a very few meaningful words are added to enhance the sound and voice on this eloquent and moving gift of music. It has become my favorite disc to share as a gift of love with friends and colleagues.

4 out of 5 stars wonderful.......2007-02-15

Lovely CD, only problem is the artists all thought they had to do their own prayer cycle, so each piece rises in volumne and crescendo. Not the best for sleep time, but nice for yoga and cooking time.

5 out of 5 stars this here is some good music.......2007-02-01

music is beautiful, the lyrics are gloomy and depressing. luckily most are sung in another language so you don't have to worry about that part.

5 out of 5 stars Something Old, Something New.......2007-01-17

Every now and then, along comes a piece of music that truly moves me. Even more seldom, along comes a piece of music that makes the musician in me sit up and take notice. Jonathan Elias' "The Prayer Cycle" has done both.

"Prayer Cycle" is a choral symphony in nine movements, but it is also a piece of world music. The English Chamber Orchestra and Chorus is joined by a stellar array of vocal solo talents. Distinctive western voices such as Alanis Morissette, James Taylor, and Linda Ronstadt are joined by equally distinctive eastern vocalists like Israeli Ofra Haza, Tibetan Yungchen Lhamo, Pakistani Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, and Salif Keita of Mali. Sadly, Ali Khan and Haza (one of my favorite vocal talents) passed away shortly after the production of this recording, leaving this performance as one of their last collaborations. It is a fitting memorial to two great voices.

Elias' music itself is a wonder. It is both ethereal and earthly, filled with slow ostinato and vibrant treble tones, and it fulfills its title by quietly guiding the ear and mind to a place of introspection, meditation, and revelation. The mix of languages lets us concentrate on the timbre of each voice, from Ronstadt's lyrical soprano to Morisette's anguished and near-tribal clarity, from Ali Khan's woody tenor to Yungchen's flute-like descant. The music is not thematic, but atmospheric, providing no melodies to hum after hearing the piece. Rather, each movement provides a distinct sphere of serenity in which we can slow down, listen, and enjoy the tug and play of the music.

5 out of 5 stars heavenly music.......2007-01-11

I've been listening to this CD for a few years now, and I never tire of it.
The music is ethereal at times, and really does present God as being in all the world. It has a seamless flow, uniting all the songs into one offering. Truly amazing music with a deeply spiritual base.
Shadows On The Sun
Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
  • ONE OF THE BEST ALBUMS....EVER
  • I bow down to Brother Ali....
  • WOW
  • VICTORY
  • 4 stars.....
 Shadows On The Sun
Brother Ali
Manufacturer: Rhymesayers
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B00009W2IX
Release Date: 2003-05-27

Tracks:

  1. Room With A View
  2. Champion
  3. Star Quality
  4. Prince Charming
  5. Win Some Lose Some
  6. Pay Them Back
  7. Blah Blah Blah feat. Slug
  8. Shadows On The Sun
  9. Prelude
  10. Forest Whitiker
  11. Bitchslap!
  12. Back Stage Pacin'
  13. When The Beat Comes In
  14. Missing Teeth
  15. Dorian
  16. Soul Whisper
  17. Picket Fence
  18. Victory! (Come Forward)

Product Description

1. Room With A View
2. Champion
3. Star Quality
4. Prince Charming
5. Win Some Lose Some
6. Pay Them Back
7. Blah Blah Blah - (featuring Slug)
8. Shadows On The Sun
9. Prelude
10. Forest Whitiker
11. Bitchslap!
12. Back Stage Pacin'
13. When The Beat Comes In
14. Missing Teeth
15. Dorian
16. Soul Whisper
17. Picket Fence
18. Victory! (Come Forward)

Format: CD

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars ONE OF THE BEST ALBUMS....EVER.......2007-03-13

Minneapolis is a hip hop hotbed of Talent and iam proud to say iam born and raised, SOUTHSIDE!!!!

We have the best rappers in the nation and its easy to see that with this CLASSIC release from "BIG..BAD" Brother Ali. This is one of the best debut albums ever. Every song on this album is full of feeling and emotion and pure skill.

Ali can spit with ferociousness and he can come soft on a serious tip. Its early to put him up there with Rakim and L but the man is on track to become one of the best rappers of all time. Ive actually met the man a few times now and all i can say is the man is humble as hell. I talked with him about his new album and he told me the "UNDISPUTED TRUTH" is completely done by ANT once again and it would come out soon( I gave him some crap about the long break in between LP's)

I could say a million words about this album but ill only say a few

BUY THIS ALBUM, YOU WILL NOT BE ABLE TO PUT IT DOWN

5 out of 5 stars I bow down to Brother Ali...........2006-12-13

This guy is phenominal. I first heard him on "Champion", the track "Rain
Water" to be exact. I was floored. I could'nt get "Rain Water" out of my
head. I was like a crack fiend. I purchased "Shadows on the Sun" and my
respect for Ali only grew. He has crazy flow and some deep lyrics. If you
want to hear about spinners and bling you'll be dissappointed. Brother Ali is like nothing you've ever heard before. Buy the damn cd and give
props to the one and only, BROTHER ALI

5 out of 5 stars WOW.......2006-09-14

I've been sleepin on him for a minute now. I copped this awhile back and never really listened to much of it. I was missin out. I went to his show last night, he opened up for the GOD (RAKIM) and he killed it. So ever since then I've been playin his record and it takes me right back to his ill performance I witnessed a night before. Heads should really check him out I really think you'll enjoy it.

5 out of 5 stars VICTORY.......2006-08-09

Brother Ali is victourious in dropping one the best debuts since Illmatic. Yes I said it Illmatic. From start to finish this album has it all sick rhymes and the beats..ohh dont get me started on these gems that are produced by a genius who goes by the name of ANT. "I can handle this, if my man Ant would just,give me a chance to splatter some antics across his canvass: "Star Quality" track 12. Indeed Ali does splatter his antics across these Gems. Ants soulful production mixed with the wise words of Ali seem to be overwhelming at first. In this day in age its hard to comprehend great music when your not used to hearing it often. Rhymesayers is definetly in the house. Tracks like "Forrest Whitaker" and "Picket Fence" really help you understand where Alis coming from. These tracks all have heart and character and these songs stick with you days after listening to them. Ali holds it down for most of the album with some help from fellow Rhymesayer Slug on the hilarious "Missing Teeth" and "Blah Blah Blah" When these two get together with Ant on the boards, ladies and gentlemen you have yourself some hip-hop magic. I was fortunate to see these two live in Ali's first ever LA performance and they were able to recreate that magic on stage,now those are true emcees. To sum it up this album is definitely on the Top 10 list of my all time favorite albums. Please bless your ears with this album and look out for the new Ali album dropping August 2006 produced by non other than ANT.

4 out of 5 stars 4 stars............2006-05-07

As ive spoken in the past, Minnesota's underground hip-hop scene is just as dominant as the New York scene. Emcees rip each other apart in vicious rap battles and dominate the underground. Of course, the most famous record label from Minnesota has to be Rhymesayers. Atmosphere, Eyedea, and the entire cadre of superstars on their roster have released excellent albums, and have yet to displease us from what ive heard.

In 2003, a new star arose from the Rhymesayers, white-emcee Brother Ali. After releasing a variety of EPs and appearing on other albums by Rhymesayers emcees, he finally released his long-awaited debut album Shadows on the Sun. The real question is, would this album be yet another LP in the string of hits given to us by the Rhymesayers? Or would this be their first flop? Patience, the answers are coming...



Track List & Rating

1. Room With A View (5 Stars)
2. Champion (4 Stars)
3. Star Quality (4 Stars)
4. Prince Charming (5 Stars)
5. Win Some Lose Some (3 1/2 Stars)
6. Pay Them Back (5 Stars)
7. Blah Blah Blah f/ Slug (3 Stars)
8. Shadows On The Sun (5 Stars)
9. Prelude (NOT RATED)
10. Forest Whitiker (5 Stars)
11. B*tchslap! (3 Stars)
12. Back Stage Pacin' (4 Stars)
13. When The Beat Comes In (5 Stars)
14. Missing Teeth (5 Stars)
15. Dorian (5 Stars)
16. Soul Whisper (4 Stars)
17. Picket Fence (5 Stars)
18. Victory! (Come Forward) (5 Stars)




Shadows on the Sun is kicked off properly with the debut track "Room with a View", and excellent opening album. The production is a hammering and thumping beat, giving the song an epic feel, thus giving the album an epic beginning. Featuring some soul background vocals, thumping bass, and slamming trumpets are perfect for the lyrics of Brother Ali. Brother Ali begins by telling us about his childhood, his father's abandonment, his neighborhood, and his former friends, and growing up. Brother Ali speaks in an angry tone of voice, loudly stating that he sees all of this from the desk where he writes his rhymes, spitting lines like "I try to block it out with a bed sheet the moonlight's as a curtain, 'Cause I'm not comforted by red and blue lights when I'm hurtin', Mommy loves you yeah I knew but I wasn't certain, 'Cause the lenses through which she views life wasn't workin'". This is an epic, and excellent way to start out Shadows of the Sun.

Skipping past the venomous battle raps "Champion" and "Star Quality", we get to the one of the most unique tracks from this album: "Prince Charming".

On this track, Brother Ali switches his flow a bit, taking a more pimp-ed style of lyricism, rapping to a female the variety of reasons why she should go out with him. He gives us a successful attempt at a love song, but sort of switches it up on the third verse, talking about the girl leaving him. His lyrics are tight, but nothing groundbreaking. Then again, his lines are what makes the song interesting. The chorus is catchy, and the beat is nice, featuring a variety of memorable guitar licks. Brother Ali's voice goes to a more southern tone, i guess to match with the country-styled instrumental supplied for the song. Still, its a great track.

Skipping ahead we get to "Pay Them Back".

This track is an introspective view into the mind of Brother Ali as he gives us his opinion on coming up in hip-hop music, sort of laying down some disses towards rookie rappers who immediately decide to sell-out to commercialism, then rips them down, telling them to respect the past and the underground. The track, though short, is excellent. Besides the excellent, complex lyricism that Brother Ali injects into the fold, the production is a unique melancholy beat with violins, R&B samples, and a completely slamming bassline, pretty much stripped down and simplistic, but very nice to listen to.

"Blah Blah Blah" with Slug has a lot of potential, due to Slug and Ali's lyrical skills, but over-done, over-produced and unlistenable production takes down the track heavily. Not to mention the fact that the track is completely out of order. This is one of those songs youd have to listen to yourself to see if you like it. I just think its average.

The title track "Shadows of the Sun", is next, and a great improvement. Brother Ali spits very well-written punchline-driven rhymes about a variety of subjects, including introspective street poetry, some classic old-school braggadiocio, and some opinions on hip-hop music and the direction that its heading to. Brother Ali's lyrics are very well-written on here, loaded with a good vocabulary. The production is equally good, featuring a keyboard / piano medley, drums, and some synthesized steel drums, giving it a speedy sort of feel to it, with some jazz influences.

"Forest Whitiker" is a unique view from Brother Ali about himself. Brother Ali describes the fact that he is overweight and his albinism. He somewhat disses himself, sort of taking himself and comparing himself to what commercial rap sees to sell, which is some muscular idiot who can only rhyme "cat" and "bat" on his lines. Brother Ali speaks deeply with amazing lyrics, as he raps about looking deep within yourself and not letting anybody call you ugly, and that he doesn't care what people think because he is a beautiful person. Brother Ali's intelligent and choice of topic is excellent on here, and it makes me smile proudly. Check out these lines: "You might think I'm depressed as can be, But when I look in the mirror I see sexy-a** me, And if that's somethin that you cant respect then that's peace, My life's better without you actually, To everyone out there, who's a little different
I say damn a magazine, these are gods fingerprints, You can call me ugly but cant take nothing from me, I am what I am doctor you ain't gotta love me". The production is also excellent, with a very gospel feel, giving us drums, bass, and some synthesized church organ music.

The next track, "B*tchslap" has unlistenable production, so loud that its impossible to hear the lyrics at times, which is a shame cause the lyrics are tight. Therefore i usually skip it.

"Back Stage Pacin", though an excellent battle rap, is only a preview of the even better "When the Beat Comes In". The lyrics are venomous on this track, as Brother Ali gives us highly advanced and complex braggadiocio, mixed with some well-timed disses towards weak emcees. Brother Ali's delivery is angrier and more forward on this track, as he perfecty adapts a multi-syllable flow, and hits us with heavy punchlines after punchlines of witty and clever rhymes, in which he plays with his voice a lot more and gives us a more Eminem-esque track, with comedy and vocal trickery. The production is a banging synthesized track with some keyboard, drums, and bass. This is one of my favorite tracks on the album and makes it very good. "Missing Teeth" continues this idea with harsh, hardcore lyricism. Definetely two bangers, back-to-back.

Brother Ali gives us a patented storyteling track with "Dorian", as he raps about a young kid who abuses women, fights people, and is completely out of control. He tells the tale of the kid being abused all his life, until he reaches to Brother Ali when he takes him off face-to-face, leading into a fist-fight which is described by Brother Ali in a tight narrative. The saxophone-driven track is perfect for the introspective, sort of light-hearted encounter with the twist ending. It teaches a lesson about doing the right things, at the wrong time, which is a genius idea.

Retrospection and Intelligent are the key-words for "Picket Fence".

Brother Ali gives us a trip back in memory lane as he describes his troubling childhood, including verbal and physical abuse, touching on the fact that he was abandoned by his natural father and how his father abused his childhood, including his sadness. Brother Ali's well-written, retrospective lyrics give sympathy, warning parents about this problem that is occuring constantly, with the lack of love in a person's childhood and the lack of a loving family. Brother Ali's metaphors are as clever and passionate as his delivery, which is on-point. The production is sad and fitting for the track, giving us a mix of high-key and low-key pianos, with bass, drums, and some background R&B vocals.

"Victory (Come Forward)" is an awesome way to end Shadows on the Sun, with a display of Brother Ali's skill.

Shadows on the Sun is a tad-bit overrated. Ive heard from many hip-hop fans and assiosiates that this is the best album of 2003 thus-far, however id have to doubt that due to the fact that it has some bad production on more than one song. However, the album is still an excellent release from Rhymesayers this year. Brother Ali has impacted hip-hop, or at least, me, with his great potential, giving us a great debut. I look forward to seeing much more music from this artist, as well as the rest of the Rhymesayers crew, but until then, ill enjoy Shadows on the Sun, and suggest you do too.

4 Stars...
Portals of Grace
Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • A journey back in time...
  • An enchanting album
  • Beautiful
  • Ali shines like never before
  • Mystical journey through a make-believe land
 Portals of Grace
Azam Ali
Manufacturer: Narada
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

GeneralGeneral | International | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | New Age | Styles | Music
MeditationMeditation | New Age | Styles | Music
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ASIN: B000069JJN
Release Date: 2002-07-30

Tracks:

  1. Lasse Pour Quoi
  2. La Serena
  3. Breton Medley
  4. O Felix
  5. Ben Pode Santa Maria
  6. O Quanta Qualia
  7. Sackpipslat
  8. Aj Ondas
  9. A Chantar M'er
  10. Inna-Malak
  11. El Rey De Francia

Amazon.com

Azam Ali, who was born in Iran and raised in India, also sings lead for Vas. Given her background, her attraction to Western medieval traditions (she cites the German abbess-composer Hildegard von Bingen as a major influence) makes perfect sense. After all, European early music was largely built on the Middle Eastern sounds and instruments brought home by returning crusaders. At times, Ali's vocals recall the great Spanish mezzo Montserrat Figueras, who explored the same connection but in a more earthbound, sensual manner. By comparison, Ali is an ethereal force, soaring white-winged and untouched over pungent period strings and percussion. She is equally at home in Latin, French, Ladino (the lingua franca of the Judeo-Spanish tradition), Galician (from Northern Spain and closely resembling Portuguese), and Arabic. This eclectic set will definitely thrill fans of ambient, new age, and world music, but adventurous classical listeners might also want to give it a try. --Christina Roden

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars A journey back in time..........2007-07-18

This is a great cd, lost songs from Medieval Europe are resurrected by the genius artist Azam Ali. When I purchased this cd a couple months ago I didn't know it would be one of my favorite cds in my collection. Azam's vocals are perfect - that is the only word I can use to describe them. Her haunting tunes get stuck in your head with only one listen, and beg to be listened to again and again. All the songs are well produced, well recorded, and provocative. My favorite is the haunting "Inna I Malak" an Arabic song from the Byzantine period. I'm glad that someone is recording this music for the general public to listen to. Highly recommended!

5 out of 5 stars An enchanting album.......2006-12-01

I'm relatively new to Azam Ali. I first discovered her through Vas's recent album. Awhile ago I came across her debut solo album "Portals of Grace" at my local library and I immediately picked it out. I immediately fell in love with "Portals of Grace". The comparisons to Lisa Gerrard of Dead Can Dance is obvious. Azam has a powerful voice that is quite similiar to Lisa's especially when she is simply expressing herself via vocalizations. The mix of mediavel and Portugese music is quite lovely. One of my favorite tracks on the album is "Breton Medley" which reminds me quite a bit of Loreena McKennitt minus Loreena McKennitt, with its Celtic melodies. I get the goosebumps when I listen to "O Felix". Azam really gets to showcase her voice on this particular track. Her voice takes front and center while the instruments remain in the background. The only minor flaw I could find with Azam Ali's music is the eerily similiarities to Lisa Gerrard. Azam might want to try to create a more distinct sound of her own but overall I love her music. I'll take Azam Ali than any of pop artist out there today.

4 out of 5 stars Beautiful.......2006-07-07

Beautiful Midiaeval European/Middle Eastern Music and Voice.
If You like this CD I highly recommend "Kingdom of Heaven", which
is definitely as good and maybe slightly better.

5 out of 5 stars Ali shines like never before.......2006-06-25

Azam Ali has come along, presenting herself for those of us who longed for something of the same calliber and style as Dead Can Dance or Lisa Gerrard as a solo act. While recording with her bandmate Greg Ellis for Vas, her voice shined through with so much possibility but, alas, the music that backed her just lacked a certain something for me.

Enter "Portals of Grace", and we have found it. This album is a bit more straight forward than anything from Lisa Gerrard, to whom Ali is often compared, but it is stunnng none the less. The stark backdrops of sound that surround Azam Ali on this record support her perfectly. I have to say that the second track, "La Serena" has got to be one of the most beautiful recordings I have heard. The deep orchestral arrangements and rolling percussions that enter the track as Ali begins her wail of despair.... Breathtaking.

5 out of 5 stars Mystical journey through a make-believe land.......2006-06-22

Azam Ali is an Iranian born singer and musician who grew up in India and later immigrated to the United States. World music fans know her as the Yin half of the band Vas, which Azam Ali founded with another talented musician - Greg Ellis.

"Portals of Grace" is the solo debut of Azam Ali, although Greg Ellis was heavily involved in the making of this album and is responsible for many musical arrangement featured on "Portals of Grace." On this album Azam Ali reinterprets medieval European melodies, giving them a strong Middle Eastern flavor of her own heritage, and creating surprisingly balanced compositions of exceptional beauty. Azam Ali's super natural voice, a magnificent instrument in its own right, is accompanied by mostly Middle Eastern musical instruments, such as duduk, riq, dumbek, oud, daf and tombac. The material used by Azam Ali ranges from Sephardic songs, to Provençal trobairitz poems, to Swedish and Breton melodies. The final result of this seemingly unnatural combination of Middle Eastern sound and Medieval European compositions is a mystical journey through a medieval make-believe land located somewhere along the borders of Persia, Byzantium, Moorish Spain, and Catholic France. You will not find this place on a map or a history textbook, but this place exists, even if it exists solely in the songs of Azam Ali.

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Music:

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  4. Bed
  5. Best of Excello Gospel
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  7. Better Live Than Dead [Live] [Original recording remastered]
  8. Blind Soul Lottery
  9. Boxcar Sky
  10. Christmas Caravan

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Stravinsky: Danses Concertantes; Mozart: Symphonie KV 551

Swan Lake and Nutcracker suites

Vinyl 45

From Here to There [Import]

The World of Private Music, Vol. 1

The Way You Look Tonight

Tchaikovsky: Symphony No.4

The Bucket, Pt. 1 [CD-single] [Import]

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Que Chulos Ojos

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Celebrating Sinatra