Blue Guitar

Editorial Reviews
Album Description
Steel string acoustic guitar instrumentals.

Tracks:

Don't Know Why
Seven Years
Cold Cold Heart
Feelin' The Same Way
Come Away With Me
Shoot The Moon
Turn Me On
Lonestar
I've Got To See You Again
Painter Song
One Flight Down
Nightingale
The Long Day Is Over
The Nearness Of You

Amazon.com

It is not just the timbre of Norah Jones's voice that is mature beyond her 22 years. Her assured phrasing and precise time are more often found in older singers as well. She is instantly recognizable, blending shades of Billie Holiday and Nina Simone without sounding like anyone but herself. Any way you slice it, she is a singer to be reckoned with. Her readings of the Hank Williams classic "Cold Cold Heart" and Hoagy Carmichael's "The Nearness of You" alone are worth the price of the CD. Jones's own material, while not bad, pales a bit next to such masterpieces. They might have fared better had she and producer Arif Mardin opted for some livelier arrangements, taking better advantage of brilliant sidemen such as Bill Frisell, Kevin Breit, and Brian Blade; or if the tunes had simply been given less laconic performances. Jones has all the tools; what will come with experience and some careful listening to artists like J.J. Cale and Shirley Horn is the knack of remaining low-key without sounding sleepy--sometimes less is not, in fact, more. --Michael Ross

Amazon.com

Norah Jones Photos (by Danny Clinch)

More from Norah Jones

Not Too Late
Feels Like Home
The Little Willies

Customer Reviews:

one of the best CDs I own.......2007-07-25

Other reviewers have gone into a lot of depth about this CD already, so I'll keep my endorsement short and to the point. The CD is fantastic and is one of the best that I own. You will never get tired of listening to this one.

Simply addictive!.......2007-07-12

This is her best album!
Her voice is unbelievable, the delivery is amazing and the lyrics are stunning!

Haunting sounds.......2007-07-06

For 3 months, my Norah Jones CDs have taken over my car stereo. This woman is very talented!

The phenom Ms Jones.......2007-06-27

This is such an outstanding production, so much better than the later(I think) CD. Miss Jones should be careful which guitar players back her up. She should stick to Bill Frizell or maybe she should try Mark Knoffler, if she can get him away from Emmy Lou.

Glad i bought it ( Part II )...!.......2007-06-20

I knew that Nora Jones was good music but i had no idea just how good...My sister-in-law bought me this CD for Father's Day...i have listened to it 3 times today. The way i would describe her lyrics and delivery is equal to "Musical Rose Petals". So smooth and so inviting is her voice. I really love the Piano work also. Her birth name being "Geethali",Nora Jones along with the likes of Michael Buble have added a nice,new,fresh selection of music to today's currently enemic sound. This album made her only the second artist ever to sweep the "Big Four" being Album,Song,Record,& Artist of the Year at the Grammy Awards in 2003. Standouts for me include: "Come Away With Me","Don't Know Why", and i really like her rendition of Hank Williams SR.'s "Cold,Cold Heart". With her throw back to Billie Holiday/Roberta Flack days voice coupled with a very welcomed piano based style, Nora Jones can take me away anytime! If you've waited to give her a listen ,as did I, do yourself a favor and don't wait any longer.

Average customer rating:

I wish more stars were available...
Ridiculous Good
IT STILL MAKES ME CRY
The Second Best Album of All Time
yes siree... a MASTERPIECE to say the least!

Astral Weeks
Van Morrison
Manufacturer: Warner Bros / Wea
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Moondance
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ASIN: B000002KAT
Release Date: 1990-10-25

Tracks:

Astral Weeks
Beside You
Sweet Thing
Cyprus Avenue
The Way Young Lovers Do
Madame George
Ballerina
Slim Slow Slider

Amazon.com essential recording

Never mind that Van Morrison is one of the most indelible songwriters of the 20th century--take each album on its own terms. On 1968's seminal Astral Weeks, a twentysomething Van Morrison can be found belting his gospelly, bluesy vocals in just as fine a form as he would be 20 years hence. In the sociopolitical context of the times, the album cried out about such ubiquitous '60s themes as cultural oppression and social upheaval. But it is Morrison's vocal dexterity and passion that maintains such timeless appeal. Take tracks like "Madame George" or "Cyprus Avenue" and you'll find such beautiful mourning, it'll be clear why modern songwriter Sinéad O'Connor once publicly exclaimed: "Van Morrison should be friggin' canonized." --Nick Heil

Customer Reviews:

I wish more stars were available..........2007-07-21

Moondance has always been one of my favorite CDs. Why it took me so long to buy Astral Weeks I'll never know. I can't stop listening to this album (and I've had it for almost a year now). I think it's one of the most honest albums I've ever heard. Van puts his all into every single line. Later on in his career it's almost like he stopped caring and just "talks" through the lines live. Here there is actual emotion and it's so precisely captured that every song takes you to a place that you feel like you've been before. The liner notes mention that there are no noticeable "singles" here, but I think every song works great in the context of the work as a whole and also stands on it's own admirably. This is in my top ten.

Ridiculous Good.......2007-07-03

Half the songs on here give me goosebumps. Astral Weeks is probably my favorite Van Morrison album, granted Tupelo Honey and Moondance are a lot more fun, Astral weeks is transcendental. In this album Van seems very in love, nostalgic, or sentimental. Key tracks (really all of them) include:
Astral Weeks- Strong and solid,
Sweet Thing- The strings in this are awesome
Cyprus Avenue- More like familiar Van Morrison
Madame George- It's long, and good. Again and as usual, an awesome arrangement. (for David Gray fans, this is where part of "Say Hello, Wave goodbye comes from)

The other tracks on here are all good, no real dancing numbers, but all the songs are beautiful, the kind you put on a mix CD for a new (or not so new) love. Anyone who considers themselves a Van fan had better own this.

IT STILL MAKES ME CRY.......2007-06-21

I think it came out in '68 when I was a sophomore in high school...shy, insecure, just moved to a new school. These songs became part of my very being, and they will always be a part of who I am. There was just something about Van: the words, the stylings, the chord progressions. His music made my soul scream, and it felt so good.

The Second Best Album of All Time.......2007-06-13

FREE FORM VOCAL STYLINGS

This album rates very highly on many critics list of the all time best. It routinely comes up in the top ten. About 10 years ago, Rolling Stone magazine voted it the second best album of all time, behind the Beatle's Sargeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band.

Released in 1968, this is Van Morrison's second solo album. It is 46 minutes long and the sound quality is good, although the music is mixed a little thin.

The Way The Young Lovers Do is the only thing on this album that is anything close to pop song along the lines of Brown Eyed Girl. I am not a big pop music fan, but I like this song. The rest of the album is something completely different.

The rest of the album is some nice music with some interesting playing, mixed really low. It is a mixture of jazz and folk with a little blues thrwon in. There are some interesting bits on flute, vibes and keyboards. But, the music remains just a back drop and is mixed in at a very low volume. The CD comes with a fold out cover that tries to give a historical perspective of the album. Intrestingly, it is pretty subdued and does not rave about the album like the critics do.

Morrison's wild and unstructured vocals are mixed loudly on top of the music. He seems to be always riffing and jamming. He'll be singing along and then he'll jump into a repeated riff, such as "you breath in, you breath out, you breath in, you breath out, you breath in, you breath out, you breath in, you breath out".

I know people are going to get mad at me, insult me and call me names, but I have to admit that I just don't get it. I don't think this is a personal, emotional album, and I don't think it has interesting stories. It comes off to me as an experimental album that didn't quite work.

Music is a very personal thing. People can get really mad when you don't agree with them on music that they really love. They take a low review on thier favorite album as a personal attack. They say nasty things about the reviewer.

To get even, people will mark a review as "hot helpful", like that evens things up. But, a review like this is helpful to buying public that might not know much about this ablum and are thinkging about buying it because of all the rave reviews (that is why I bought it).

Just because certain people love it doesn't mean everyone will. In fact, many people did not like this album. It is the only Van Morrison album not to chart. And you might wonder why Morrison did not do anything like this again. He certainly still had the artistic freedom to do what he wanted, because he had a pretty lose contract from Warner Brothers. What he came up with next, is Moondance, which was completely different. In later albums, Morrison did incorporate some of the Astral Weeks vocal stylings on some songs, but it was much more controlled.

Van Morrison started out in a group called Them. Them had a minor hit with Baby Please Don't Go, and bigger hit with Gloria, written by Morrison. Them was going through changes, so Morrison retired from music for a few years, before coming up with Brown Eyed Girl, and his first ablum, Blowin' Your Mind. He did not approve of the album and withdrew. His manager died, freeing him from his contract, so he was able to sign with Warner Brothers, have much more artistic freedom and came up with this.

yes siree... a MASTERPIECE to say the least!.......2007-05-23

Years and years from now, if the world is still in one piece and the human race hasn't made itself extinct, people and history books will hopefully have long forgotten these vapid, celluloid dolts of today (i.e. see Brittany Spears, Paris Hilton, Justin Timberlake, et al...) and remember and revere such artists as Van Morrison. Well... I guess one can always dream, right? Damn, I am one naive, lost soul! I still believe that it is 1982 and I am asleep, dreaming this all, waiting patiently to wake up. This really has to be some kind of joke right? Anyway, back to the reasons why this CD deserves five stars (actually I would put this one in that rare six-star category if I could).

This saintly, little genius from Belfast has produced some of the most beautiful music ever, in the history of beautiful music. Like Bob Dylan, Van wasn't blessed with a voice a la Sinatra or Tony Bennett. He was a very good guitar player, but he's not even in the same league as say a Jimi Hendrix or a Wes Montgomery or a Al DiMeola, et al... And lastly, his lyrics can't compare with that of Dylan's or even Simon and Garfunkel for that matter. All that being said (and I know that these are some bold words I'm about to pen), I can't think of any one musician that has had as long and as productive of a career as Van Morrison (besides Louis Armstrong of course, but it isn't fair to compare anyone to Pops when it comes to contributions to American music). This cat is something else for sure! I love Miles, and Duke, and Sinatra, and the Glimmer Twins, and I highly respect and enjoy quite a bit of Dylan, Paul Simon, McCartney, et al... But this guy is still doing it and hasn't missed a beat in over forty years now! All I have to say is un-friggin-believable! He hasn't really slowed down since he first started in the early 60's belting out such enjoyable songs as "Baby Please Don't Go", "Gloria", and "Here Comes the Night" to name a few. However, in 1967 after leaving the band "Them" he started getting really serious and his second solo album in 1968 'Astral Weeks' is, to put it mildly, sublime, and magical, and totally unique, unlike anything you have ever heard before or since. A true genius is almost always an artist who is way ahead of their time, and Van was (and still is) a true genius. This album is his crowning achievement, his greatest work which is saying a lot when you consider just how many great albums he has produced for going on five decades now - AMAZING!

I know, I know, this is only one man's opinion, and you may even consider the author of this review a bit... as my Italian relatives would say... PAZZO! However, any lover of good music (no matter what your favorite genre is) should really enjoy this. Van merges jazz, blues, rock, r&b, folk, and a little bit of Celtic music into this one and the results are outstanding. He sings and plays his guitar beautifully. Every song contains placid, poetic lyrics that will melt your heart, especially with the solitary way in which Van belts them out with such ardent fervor and emotion. The other great thing is the band behind the man, the men who helped Van create such magnificent music on this masterpiece are the following jazz greats - Jay Berliner (guitar), Richard Davis (bass), Connie Kay (drums), John Payne (flute, soprano sax), and Warren Smith, Jr. (percussion and vibraphone). They all sound inspired, and it's very difficult to pick out one performance over the others because each one is top-notch. I usually don't like writing no-brainer reviews, but this album has a real special place in my heart. Enjoy!

Average customer rating:

This album is for musicians
Four of the Best (before the 2 Pacos)
This is where my flamenco journey began
For all lovers of true Flamenco
RAW, hard core, Flamenco Guitar!!!

Masters of Flamenco Guitar
Various Artists
Manufacturer: Blue Note Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Spanish Guitar Music

ASIN: B000005HA9
Release Date: 1997-11-25

Tracks:

Zapateado - Sabicas
Taranta 'Camino De Linares' - Sabicas
Bulerias 'Con Un Clavel' - Sabicas
Alegrias 'Salero Gaditano' - Sabicas
Farruca 'El Albacin' - Sabicas
Siguiriyas 'Serrana Juncal' - Nino Ricardo
Fandangos 'Martisma De Hueiva' - Nino Ricardo
Soleares 'Gitana Gaditana' - Nino Ricardo
Malguena 'Velez-Malaga' - Nino Ricardo
Zapateado - Nino Ricardo
Pregon 'Liego El Frutero' - Manolo De Huelva
Fandangos Por Solea 'Yo No Me Hubiera Perdido' 'Ruegale A Dios Por Salud' - Manolo De Huelva
Malaguena 'No Te Hagas Ilusiones' - Manolo De Huelva
Fandangos 'Ese Me Gusto Seria'/'Ni Hermosa Ni Dinero' - Manolo De Huelva
Bulerias - Melchor De Marchena
Tanguillos De Cadiz - Melchor De Marchena
Sevillianas - Melchor De Marchena
Penteras - Melchor De Marchena
Serranas - Melchor De Marchena
Soleares - Melchor De Marchena

Amazon.com

Many subtly varied kinds of music fall under the rubric of flamenco, which is a style of singing, dancing, and even living, as well as playing the guitar. This collection presents a good guitar selection, highlighted by the polished technique of Sabicas, the profundity of Manolo de Huelva, and the sheer brilliance of Melchor de Marchena. There is a drastic change of atmosphere in the transition from track 10 (a zapateado played by Nino Ricardo) to track 11: Manolo de Huelva accompanying the voice of Manuel Vallejo. Suddenly we are in a cuadro, the natural environment of flamenco, with a group of participants clapping, stamping their feet, and shouting encouragement to the musicians. No longer is it just a man sitting alone on a stage or in a studio, playing the guitar fluently and flawlessly; this is cante hondo, the heart of flamenco, intense and astringent, and the best of this disc's many flavors. --Joe McLellan

Customer Reviews:

This album is for musicians.......2007-05-21

I am a big fan of flamenco, but I am not a musician. I still like and appreciate the music in this album, but I think it is for musicians who can understand the skill.

Four of the Best (before the 2 Pacos).......2007-03-28

This is a high quality recording of four of the best Flamenco Guitarist predecessors to Paco Peña and Paco de Lucia.

This is where my flamenco journey began.......2006-09-08

Not only is this CD flamenco puro at its best, It almost defines flamenco puro. The performers are all famous (sabicas, nino ricardo, manolo de huelva and Melchor de Marchena). The performances are old (40-50 years +) and are true to the spirit of flamenco puro.

I listened to other flamenco guitar performances, but not until I listened to this CD several times did I fall in love with the flamenco guitar.

For all lovers of true Flamenco.......2002-04-12

With all the 'Neuvo Flamenco' and its accompaning popularity. It is nice (and a relief) I might add, to hear the flamenco guitar in its purist form. Not only does this cd contain Sabicas and Nino Ricardo. It also contains four very rare perfomances by Manolo de Huelva. Which are difficult to find anywhere. Also included are Melchor de Marchena performing six pieces. This is truly Pure Flamenco at its best.

RAW, hard core, Flamenco Guitar!!!.......1999-07-28

If you are looking for something along the lines of Gypsy Soul (HIGHLY recommend it) or Gypsy Passion (also wonderful music), which I was, this most likely is not one for you.

This is R-A-W & hard core Flamenco guitar without much, if any, other vocal or instrumental accompaniment. I guess, the title says it all.

The masters can sure "pick'em".

Tracks:

Chitlins Con Carne
Mule
Soul Lament
Midnight Blue
Wavy Gravy
Gee Baby, Ain't I Good To You
Saturday Night Blues
Kenny's Sound
K Twist

Amazon.com

Kenny Burrell's music is a wonderful blend of elegance and conviction, musical inventiveness and thoughtful restraint. On this 1967 session, the guitarist is joined by regular associates--tenorist Stanley Turrentine, conga drummer Ray Barretto, bassist Major Holley, and drummer Bill English--and together they concentrate on the subtlest and deepest hues of the blues, combining strong rhythmic grooves with a feeling of late-night reflection. There's never a misstep or a superfluous note, from the funky Latin hit "Chitlins Con Carne" to Burrell's deeply felt solo "Soul Lament" and the concentrated swing of "Gee, Baby, Ain't I Good to You." The result is a masterpiece, and the 24-bit remastering by the original engineer, Rudy Van Gelder, adds to the spaciousness and intimacy that have always been hallmarks of the session. --Stuart Broomer

Album Description

Alfred Lion considered this his favorite production and well he should have. Without piano, Burrell, Stanley Turrentine and company get a clean open sound and a deep groove on such now classic compositions as the title tune and "Chitlins Con Carne", which has become a blues band staple.

This RVG Series compact disc also includes extra photographs and 2 bonus tracks.

Customer Reviews:

One of Burrell's best.......2007-05-06

Kenny Burrell is a great jazz guitarist, but he really shines on blues. This set is a quartet setting with bass, drums, guitar and tenor, and it's all blues in various forms. Stanley Turrentine really shines on this CD, too. If you love great blues, you will love this CD.

Simply-Great!.......2006-10-28

Having first a strong love for blues guitar, it was easy to love this album. This was also my first Kenny CD, and I've bought many since then. Kenny has also become my overall favorite jazz guitarist and that's from serious competition from Wes, Johnny Smith, Joe Pass,Tal Farlow, and other top players. Kenny's approach is just cool, his tone great, and it's also what he doesn't do that makes him great! This album says it all for me.

Blindingly Brilliant All-Time Classic!!!!!.......2006-08-04

The pairing of Kenny Burrell and Stanley Turrentine makes for music that is as hot as a fire cracker! Without a doubt, some of Kenny's finest moments are found here. Stanley Turrentine lends his talent to cook up those grooves.

The opener, "Chitlins Con Carne", is one of Kenny's best-known sizzlers. "Soul Lament" is both gently and deeply touching. The title song, "Midnight Blue" has a care-free and easy feel. "Saturday Night Blues" features Stanley Turrentine at his best. "Gee, Baby, Ain't I Good To You" highlights Kenny Burrell at his inspired and awesome finest. There is also a bonus cut, "K Twist" that was not included in the original album.

Kenny Burrell touches music afficienados from all generations. His guitar portrays a subtle exuberance that most musicians envy. Inspired, artistic, and soulful, Kenny Burrell is timeless! Kenny's flawless sound is ageless and color-blind.....his music is world class.

Evocative.......2006-02-01

The real beauty of "Midnight Blue" is the cohesiveness of the whole package. I heard "Chitlins Con Carne" on Pure Jazz on the Sirius Satellite Radio and was smitten and had to check out the recording. So few recordings actually achieve what Kenny Burrell does here which is deliver a group of very distinct, individually excellent pieces that are all quite interesting on their own, but stunning in their totality. The guitar work sizzles, but never stings. Wonderful stuff.

Classic Blues.......2005-12-11

Classic blues with Stanley Turrentine on sax.
Of particular note, "Soul Lament", with Burrell playing
solo guitar. "Midnight Blue", a nice, upbeat number.
Burrell has a very nice chord solo on
"Bee Baby, Ain't I Good To You".
Both Burrell and Turrentine really cook on the
up tempo numbers "Saturday Night Blues" and "Kenny's Sound".

Average customer rating:

Words to live by today
I really wanted to rate it higher
Heartwarming thoughts of childhood
fighting fission with fusion
Worth it for "Power" alone

No Nukes
Various Artists
Manufacturer: Elektra / Wea
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000002H48
Release Date: 1997-10-21

Tracks:

Dependin' On You - The Doobie Brothers
Runaway - Bonnie Raitt
Angel From Montgomery - Bonnie Raitt
Plutonium Is Forever - John Hall
Power - The Doobie Brothers
The Times They Are A-Changin' - James Taylor
Cathedral - Graham Nash
The Crow On The Cradle - Jackson Browne
Before The Deluge - Jackson Browne
Lotta Love - The Doobie Brothers
Little Sister - Ry Cooder
A Woman - Sweet Honey In The Rock
We Almost Lost Detroit - Gil Scott-Heron
Get Together - Jesse Colin Young

Tracks:

You Can't Change That - Raydio
Once You Get Started - Chaka Khan
Captain Jim's Drunken Dream - James Taylor
Honey Don't Leave L.A. - James Taylor
Mockingbird - James Taylor
Heart Of The Night - Poco
Cry To Me - Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers
Stay - Bruce Springsteen
Devil With The Blue Dress Medley - Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band
You Don't Have To Cry - Crosby, Stills & Nash
Long Time Gone - Crosby, Stills & Nash
Teach Your Children - Crosby, Stills & Nash
Takin' It To The Streets - James Taylor

Amazon.com

In addition to raising public consciousness about the dangers of nuclear power, the 1979 series of star-studded anti-nuclear concerts at Madison Square Garden were a significant event both musically and historically. The shows were immortalized in a feature film and on this 2 CD set. Among those featured on the album are such '70s soft-rock icons as Jackson Browne, Bonnie Raitt, James Taylor, Carly Simon, the Doobie Brothers, and Crosby, Stills and Nash, along with Bruce Springsteen, Tom Petty, Ry Cooder, and Gil Scott-Heron for a token dose of grit. Inevitably, Springsteen's "Devil with the Blue Dress Medley" steals the show, but otherwise No Nukes doubles as both a handy '70s-rock sampler and a historical keepsake. --Scott Schinder

Customer Reviews:

Words to live by today.......2007-03-09

Given the state of the Earth today, the sentiments of many of these songs are still current. This is an amazing collection of artists and songs - no matter how old you are!

I really wanted to rate it higher.......2006-07-12

I really liked this when it came ut on vinyl, but in retrospect, it was the cause, not the music. B. Raitt is grand, G Nash with an excellant Cathedral, J C Young, and the highlight to me We Almost Lost Detroit by the great Gil Scott-Heron. But the second disc is second rate. Edit the filler and it rates higher.

Heartwarming thoughts of childhood.......2005-09-15

As a child of the 70's who grew up in a very "no nukes" home this album was on the turn table every night. What a great find for me all these years later as I start my own family. "Power" is one of the nicest, smoothest, most heartwarming songs every performed.

The geniune love, care and respect these artists had for each other and mostly the earth and it's future generations pours through on every note.

fighting fission with fusion.......2005-03-23

I suppose just about anyone could find a reason to give a listen to the 'No Nukes' recordings. For many, some of the earliest and most blistering live tracks from Bruce Springsteen, still on his career ascent, which are offered here are reason enough to own these discs, even if he shares CD space with Chaka Khan. Others may find their appeal in the workmanlike presence of Graham Nash, Jackson Browne, James Taylor, and The Doobie Brothers, who perform solo and are all over the place singing duets and background for other performers willing to ante-up in the fight against fission. Despite my own appreciation for Crosby, Stills and Nash, what really caught my eye here was what amounts to a cameo appearance by Gil Scott-Heron, offering up one of his finest moments (and as a Detroiter one I can readily identify with) on the ominous yet funkified 'We Almost Lost Detroit'. Next to 'Johannasburg' this is my favorite Gil Scott-Heron composition. Unfortunately, it appears on a wonderful, but unreleased CD Scott-Heron produced in 1977 with Brian Jackson, 'Bridges'. It tells a slightly overblown tale about a malfunction at one of the two Fermi nuclear plants near Detroit. While the mishap could have theoretically progressed into a full-blown meltdown, the generator was quickly shut down and catastrophe was readily averted. So while it didn't come close to producing a Chernobyl, it did produce one funky protest song, and Scott-Heron gives it an inspired treatment on 'No Nukes'

1979 was a strange, transitional year in music. Disco was all but dead, yet it's brief success had ushered in a retreat from the expansive progressive rock that had enshrined the late 1960's and early 1970's. Something new had to be on the horizon, even with Bruce Springsteen assuming the role of heir apparent to those who would proclaim (along with Neil Young) that "rock and roll will never die". No one could have predicted, however, that even for Neil Young, the 1980's would plunge rock and roll even deeper into an abyss of ill-employed synthesizers, and open the door for a reborn Michael Jackson and the birth of a Madonna as the dominant forces on vinyl and cassette.

So 'No Nukes' offers one last gasp for the faithful few from the golden age of rock and roll who had somehow weathered the disco storm. Virtually all of the performers are in their prime, and some, such as Nicolete Larson, Raydio, Tom Petty, and even Bonnie Raitt, are able to truck in some pretty recent hit material. The Doobie Brothers, who open and close the set presented here, are in top form as well. The Crosby, Stills and Nash tracks sound a bit dated, even though they are preceded by Springsteen's covers of four songs that pre-date anything CSN offer up. There is more crowd noise on the softer tracks than one would wish (why would anyone even want to unleash a two-fingered whistle in the middle of a song like 'You Don't Have To Cry' anyway?). But the boys do serve up an edgy 'Long Time Gone', whose lyrics settle well with the MUSE (Musicians United for Safe Energy) theme. Some of the tracks, such as CSN's closer, 'Teach Your Children', and Jesse Colin Young's Youngblood's classic 'Get Together' are marred by the dreaded audience sing-a-long... a nice one-time experience for the audience, but torture for the owner of the recording who must listen to a mass of amateurs singing like a tone-deaf choir over and over and over...

While everyone can find something to like on 'No Nukes', it's also likely that it's wide range of artists and genre's will guarantee there is something you won't like. While most of the tracks were either hits (consider James Taylor and Carly Simon belting out a live version of 'Mockingbird') or the main attraction on studio LP's (Jackson Browne's 'Before the Deluge'), some out-of-the-mainstream material also appears, such as John Hall's 'Plutonium Is Forever', which lends a sarcastic twist of the knife into the nuclear power industry's back. Predictably some tracks that look good on paper come across uninspired, such as the James Taylor-Carly Simon-Graham Nash take on Dylan's 'The Times They Are A-Changin' and Ry Cooder's 'Little Sister', which you keep waiting to take off but just keeps circling the tarmac.

The liner notes are extensive, but oriented toward an indoctrination for the 'No Nukes' agenda rather than commentary and anecdotes surrounding these Madison Garden concerts. If this was all the information you had, you would undoubtedly conclude Jimmy Carter was a fool for not installing a line of windmills along the Continental Divide, and a massive array of solar panels covering the southwestern U.S. Oh, well, at least it gave some of these soon-to-be-out-of-work artists one last excuse to fuse their talents before they turned out the lights on the 70's (pun intended). Four stars 'cause Stephen plays some wicked guitar, but I may be straining my credibility.

Worth it for "Power" alone.......2004-01-10

The other reviewers are right...but, the best tune on this set is "Power" a collaboration of friends making great music. I had the original lp and now am getting the cd... I just love the harmonies here... don't miss this.

Average customer rating:

The multi-channel mix is awful.
Cd Music
This version should be pulled.
Poor Example of SACD
I love this young lady...

Come Away With Me
Norah Jones
Manufacturer: Blue Note Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Dark Side of the Moon 30th Anniversary Edition
The Girl in the Other Room
Concord Jazz Sampler Vol.2
Avalon
Concord Records SACD Sampler 1 (Multichannel Hybrid SACD)

ASIN: B00008WT49
Release Date: 2003-06-10

Tracks:

Don't Know Why
Seven Years
Cold Cold Heart
Feelin' The Same Way
Come Away With Me
Shoot The Moon
Turn Me On
Lonestar
I've Got To See You Again
Painter Song
One Flight Down
Nightingale
The Long Day Is Over
The Nearness Of You

Amazon.com

Norah Jones Photos (by Danny Clinch)

More from Norah Jones

Not Too Late
Feels Like Home
The Little Willies

Customer Reviews:

The multi-channel mix is awful........2007-07-12

As noted in another review, the multi-channel is absolutely awful. It's as if the bass is eq'd out of the mix. Honestly, it's completely unlistenable in my opinion. Thankfully the two channel SACD mix is fine. For that reason, I'm still glad that I bought it because I enjoy this album quite a bit.

Cd Music.......2007-04-06

I was really looking forward
to this cd, but unfortunatally
I didnt receive it.

This version should be pulled........2004-12-02

One of the requirements of SACD releases, as set forth by Sony and Phillips, is that there be at least an SACD (DSD) stereo layer. The surround DSD and hybrid Red Book PCM CD compatible layers are optional. As the previous reviewer mentioned, the stereo DSD layer on this release was taken from the Red Book 16/44.1 PCM master used to make the CD layer. So Blue Note skirted a basic requirement of the format they were releasing on by deceptively scamming consumers into thinking they were getting a true SACD. As far as anyone knows, however, the surround SACD layer was taken directly from the 2 inch multitrack and sampled to DSD, then remixed and mastered to the SACD surround layer. I haven't heard anything to the contrary. As it stands right now, I agree with Fremer that Blue Note should simply apologize, pull the current release, rerelease a proper SACD, and give past purchasers a free exchange. I listened to the surround layer at my parents house in Oregon and was pleased at the music and sound quality. I do think it is overall a bit emotionally monotonal and placid though, as the recent SNL (or was it Mad TV) spoof parodied. But I think people who buy it are looking for that. Still enjoyable.

Let me clear up some of the misconceptions floating around:

Keep your universal DVD player set up internally for 5.1 channel with all channels on at fixed volume (usually max output), set to large, and your reciever/preamps on Surround Direct Analog with no digital conversion...then pray that you have a DVD player and reciever that doesn't do anything else funky. All of the older Denon universal units really messed with the sound. If you're still not getting good bass, then you need full range speakers. Never ever have speakers turned off or set to small in your DVD player when listening to SACD's. In fact, you shouldn't even do this with stereo CDs, since you'll mess up the dynamic range that the outputs are working at.

Most universal players use the original Sony DSD chip, which has a little port that connects to the DAC. Contrary to popular belief, SACD is not converted to DVD-Audio (PCM as opposed to the PWM of DSD) when it goes into that little port. That just sends the analog signal to the filter stage to lop off the high frequency noise. The only conversion that will ever occur is if you try and do bass management, which will kick the Sony converter chip into what's called Wide-DSD...a euphamism for a form of very high frequency PCM, also called Narrow PCM. It's still PCM, it's just that Sony doesn't like to call it that. So, keep everything On, Large, and Fixed in the player and Pure Analog Direct after it gets out and you'll probably be fine. Do volume changes in the reciever in the analog domain.

I also wouldn't trust the new players that convert everything to SACD internally to do bass management. It's another form of Wide-DSD. Why? Because you can't do computations with a 1-Bit format. You can't mix in SACD or produce in that format until you either convert it to analog or PCM. You can only record/master live to each descrete 1-Bit DSD channel, then you're stuck with it as is. All the SACD recording consoles are actually this psuedo-DVD-Audio format internally, though they likely sound quite good. To get true DSD through and through you either record/produce to analog tape, or you mix live, which is probably why Telarc likes the format so much.

PCM has good points and bad. PWM has good points and bad, too. They're both very low noise, but PCM tends to sound a bit artificial and lacking in that organic body of analog. PWM is hella organic and analog-like (probably due to its psuedo-analog 1-bit nature), but embeds subtle quantization noise within the signal permanently, often leaving it sounding not quite as transparent and Oh-My-God-clear and pristine as DVD-Audio at 192khz. Some engineers claim that the high frequencies are inferior in transient response to even normal Red Book CD, but transients are so difficult to measure, Red Book so rife with other problems, and DSD does so well in all the other departments (including other characteristics of its highs) that I find it to be a non-issue. At least you get SACD on all the channels in 5.1, definitely as good or better than 24/96. The last thing you want is conversion back and forth between the two formats internally; then you get the worst of both worlds. Remember that DSD was invented for archival purposes to permanently store the Columbia Records inventory. The archival format's actually twice the bitrate of consumer SACD, so it likely sounds as lovely as is claimed.

Poor Example of SACD.......2004-11-13

My rating of 2 stars applies to the SACD version of this record and not the CD. I consider the CD to be a 5 star recording. After carefully listening to both the two channel SACD mix and the CD stereo versions I could not discern an audible difference. I enjoyed the 5.1 mix and found the rear surround to be tasteful and subtle, not at all distracting, but, again, no significant improvement in detail except that created by spreading the sound around to five channels. A recent article on the "Stereophile" website suggests that the SACD mix in fact shares the same 16 bit lineage as the CD, which would explain why the two channel mix and the CD mix sound identical. Norah's label has cheated its customers with this one and should go back and do an actual DSD mix and replace these "CDs" for free or give us our money back. There is no reason to purchase this SACD in addition to or in lieu of the CD unless you are interested in listening to a standard resolution 5.1 mix.

I love this young lady..........2004-02-27

I have to agree with the others - the SACD analog mix in 5.1 was a blunder(4 stars). I borrowed this from a friend for a test run. I have the same content on DVD/video - Very nice... - When I choose to listen only - I just turn off the TV and listen to a very good 5.1 DD/EX version. I admit it is not quite the quality of SACD but very good nonetheless. Spyro Gyra has 2 SACD's available and they are the standard for SACD comparison - absolutely flawless... Waiting for 2 of my all-time favorites on SACD - Eat a Peach and Live at the Fillmore from the ABB... SACD is just a small notch above DVD-Audio - although with DVD-Audio you can also listen on most any DVD player that supports DTS, DD-5.1 and DD-Stereo. SACD's are more dicriminating - I bought the Onkyo DVSP-800 specifically because of the SACD and DVD-Audio discrete analog and outstanding DVD-progressive scan video capabilities...

Average customer rating:

Successful crossing over from East to West
One of the best solo guitar albums I have ever heard
Virtuoso playing and an unusual repetoire

Si ji (Four Seasons)

Manufacturer: Gsp Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music
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Romance de Amor
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ASIN: B000AXWHEY
Release Date: 2005-09-13

Tracks:

Wang Huiran: Yi Dance
He Luting: Shepherd Boy with Flute
Dietmar Ungerrank: Intonation & 4 Sound-and-Image Compositions - Intonation
Dietmar Ungerrank: Intonation & 4 Sound-and-Image Compositions - Long Out-stretched Pier with its Shadows
Dietmar Ungerrank: Intonation & 4 Sound-and-Image Compositions - Wind on The Hill
Dietmar Ungerrank: Intonation & 4 Sound-and-Image Compositions - Waiting for Guests
Dietmar Ungerrank: Intonation & 4 Sound-and-Image Compositions - Land Circus
Traditional - Heavenly Bird
Tradional - Lantern Song
Traditional - Mayila
Evan Hirschelman: Meditation No.2
Evan Hirshelman: Meditation No.1
Stephen Goss: The Blue Kite
Stephen Goss: Yellow Earth
Stephen Goss: Farewell My Concubine
Carlo Domeniconi: I Ching - 1 T'ai
Carlo Domeniconi: I Ching - 3 Lin
Carlo Domeniconi: I Ching - 4 T'ung len
Carlo Domeniconi: I Ching - 5 Huan
Carlo Domeniconi: I Ching - 6 K'uei
Carlo Domeniconi: I Ching - 7 Chieh
Stephen Funk Pearson: South China Sea Peace
Thierry Rougier: Four Seasons - Spring
Thierry Rougier: Four Seasons - Summer
Thierry Rougier: Four Seasons - Autumn
Thierry Rougier: Four Seasons - Winter

Customer Reviews:

Successful crossing over from East to West.......2007-07-06

Nowadays many classical musicians move to 'cross-overs' between Western classics to exotic works, and Chinese musicians and composers pioneer in cross-overs from Chinese music to Western.
Alas, not all attempts are successful. Either there has not been enough nurturing in the Chinese repertoire, or the western playing style has not yet been fully developed.
Ms. Yang is a young classical guitarist. Gathering from what she said in her own introduction to this disc, she is a musician with a great ambition. It is true that the classical guitar may not have a substantial repertoire as other western instruments like the violin and piano. Hence drawing materials from other culture in a guitarist's repertoire is both a necessity and an endeavour.
A guitarist from Beijing, Ms. Yang is familiar with classical Chinese instruments like the gu qin, the zheng and the pipa. These ancient Chinese instruments are like the guitar- all are played by plucking strings set on wooden surfaces. So as Ms Yang herself noted - the guitar originated from the Middle East, a 'cross-over' area of Eastern and Western culture.
In many of the modern works recorded in this disc, Ms Yang played the guitar to the effect of those ancient Chinese instruments, and this is quite stunning. Her familiarity with the Eastern musical style is fully demonstrated, adding the requisite flavour of authenticity to her interpretation. There are a number of great compositions of the gu qing, the zheng as well as the pipa, and I truly look forward to Ms Yang's transcriptions of those to the guitar in due course.
A highly recommended recording for guitar players, guitar lovers and Chinese music fans alike.

One of the best solo guitar albums I have ever heard.......2006-10-06

One of the most original CDs I've ever heard. This CD is full of incredible music. Yang XueFei plays with sensitivity, creativity and passion.
When I played this CD for my guitar teacher, he commented that it was rare for him not to have heard at least one piece on any particular classical guitar CD, yet all these pieces were new to him. Carlo Domeniconi (who wrote the masterpiece "Koyunbaba") has composed an outstanding suite based on the I Ching. The 3 pieces by Stephen Goss, which are based on Asian films, are themselves cinematic: "The Blue Kite" is a work of minimalist beauty. There are many other talented composers lending their gifts to this CD. Most of the selections are either composed for Yang Xuefei or are arrangements by her. All are inspired by Chinese culture and music. My favorite piece is "Long Outstretched Pier with its Shadow" (by Dietmar Ungerrank); it is elegantly written and the execution is sensual and rich.
Yang XueFei's technical agility, especially the right hand, (as in "Yi Dance") goes beyond that of her contemporaries. As impressive as this is, the passion she imbues into each work is what connects her to the songs and ultimately to the audience. Technique is there to help her express what is inside of her. It is as if the guitar is her lover. This just isn't a great guitar album; it is a great album period. Its emotional complexity deepens with each listening. Buy it!
I've also purchased "Romance de Amor" which is extremely good as well (listen to her version of "Requerdos de la Alhambra" as compared to one of her heroes, John Williams on "The Guitarist"), but "Si Ji" is totally unique. Don't miss it.
As an aside, If you do end up buying and enjoying this CD, you might listen to Lily Afshar. The influence of her Persian heritage is similar in effect to "Si Ji" by Yang XueFei. Both artists have breathed life into the modern repertoire of guitar music.

Virtuoso playing and an unusual repetoire.......2005-10-26

I am a classical guitar student, and an over-the-top consumer. So I have a lot (many dozens) of classical guitar CDs. They are for the most part quite good, but they tend to blend. I might be able to distinguish Tennant's Rodrigo or Barrueco's Scarlatti, but too many guitarists play an awful lot of the same repetoire, and they play it quite similarly.

This CD is quite different. The pieces are all Asian in flavor and by composers I had never heard of. And they are quite beautiful. Ms. Yang appears to be quite young, so this could be the start of a long and interesting career. But at least one of the pieces was written for her, so she has already apparently developed a solid reputation.

Average customer rating:

Funky atmospheric jazz
Trippy
Wonderful, Chill Music
Refreshing
Every album just gets better

End of the World Party (Just in Case)
Martin & Wood Medeski
Manufacturer: Blue Note Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Acid Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music

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Friday Afternoon in the Universe
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Uninvisible
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Shack Man

ASIN: B0002QO4B8
Release Date: 2004-09-07

Tracks:

Anonymous Skulls
End Of The World Party
Reflector
Bloody Oil
New Planet
Mami Gato
Shine It
Curtis
Ice
Sasa
Midnight Poppies/Crooked Birds
Queen Bee

Amazon.com

With each successive album, Medeski Martin & Wood have become harder to pin down. Having long ago transcended their soulful organ-groove basics to enter a more expansive world of snappy beats and backbeats, eerie atmospheric effects, post-lounge riffing, and the occasional jazz overture, they occupy their own category. Produced by the Dust Brothers' John King (Beck's Odelay, the Beastie Boys' Paul's Boutique), End of the World Party (Just in Case) is an agreeably varied effort, ranging from the spacey effects and Middle Eastern taint of "Bloody Oil" (on which bassist Chris Wood lays down the lumber) to the sassy electric funk of "Sasa" (one of four tracks featuring guitarist Marc Ribot) to the wordless voice effects of the jaunty title track. As ever, John Medeski is equally at home referencing post-bop piano aces like Herbie Hancock, getting down on churning Hammond organ, and making like Stevie Wonder with his "Superstition"-style synth. Unlike some MMW records, this one wastes not: all 12 tracks clock in at around the four- or five-minute mark, and they flow together with consummate ease. --Lloyd Sachs

Customer Reviews:

Funky atmospheric jazz.......2007-04-17

Having heard snippets of M&WM before I was intrigued by their sound but not enough to shell out for a disc. I came across a used copy at the local thrift shop(usually not a good sign)and bought a copy at the reduced price. Someone discarded it for a reason I thought but I couldn't resist being the audio junkie that I am. It took me several listens to warm up tho the music, mostly because of the spacey nature of the disc. The spacey atmospherics are enticing and inviting , the music teases and hints at what could be but unfortuantely doesn't quite fully deliver. The songs give you the feeling of being on a desolate landscape where suddenly urban groovesters appear. Take a listen to "New Planet" and you'll get my drift. The keyboards of John Medeski are enough to hook you in, sometimes jazzy, sometimes funky but always pulling you in. Richard "Groove" Holmes or Jimmy Smith he's not but then again who is? The title track, " End of the World Party" is a funky mix of jazz that projects gloom and happiness at once. I think that is part of what I don't like much about this disc, it has a sad lack luster appeal. "Ice" creates a nice balance between jazz and funk reminiscent of Herbie Hancock back in the day. The songs are sometimes outright jazz like on the excellent "Mami Gato," unfortuantely their are not enough songs like this as they spend most of their time trying to create a new niche in the jazz idiom. One of the best tracks that mixes elements of electronica, atmospheric jazz and funk is "Midnight Poppies/ Crooked birds" that has a bit of a Latin groove mixed in for good measure. If you like atmospheric jazz that is out there you might like this disc. For my tastes it just doesn't quite deliver but rather promises with moments or songs that have more than just a hook. If you like funky-atmospheric-jazz than this will be for you. However if you like traditional jazz you might stay away from this one. Not a great disc but it does promise enough to maybe keep an eye on their future development on future discs. In the end I would give this a 3.5 for taking the old and trying to create something new.

Trippy.......2006-12-12

I bought this CD before going to see MMW (with John Scofield) for the first time at First Avenue in Minneapolis Dec 7, 2006. I had never heard of them before and liked the clip on the venue's website. So I bought a ticket and wanted to get "Out Louder", which I knew they were going to play, to familiarize myself, but the store I was at was out of it. So I bought "End of the World" instead. While some of it was a little too spacey for my liking at first, I still liked the overall funkiness of it all.

THEN....I saw them PLAY. You MUST see them PLAY!! I didn't ever want it to end! I immediately wanted to see them again! It's less than a week later and I have 2 more CD's ("Out Louder" and Scofield's "A-Go-Go" which they "back" him on) and 4 more on the way from amazon as I'm writing this. I'm like an ADDICT now! I HAVE to have them on in the car and in the house. I get back in the car after having been in a store or whatever and they're on and all is right with my world again.

I must say I like "Out Louder" and even "A-Go-Go" better than "End of the World", but only slightly. It IS trippy with the synth and the other guest players, and I do like it better after a few listens. I just prefer MMW with less guest musicians.

Wonderful, Chill Music.......2006-07-04

This is possibly one of the greatest cd's to turn on and enjoy the music while studying or just having friends over. I thoroughly enjoy this album.

Refreshing.......2006-05-10

Very interesting, a bit of a departure from the other albums they have. It is getting hard to put a label on their music, but thats what makes it so good. I have not purchased any new music for quit a while, so last week I picked up several albums this being one of them, along with Spicehouse and Zero7. I must say I love this CD, I have been playing every day in the car. The sound quality is fantastic, especially in headphones. This New York band has always been experimenting and building on their sound. I think they have come to a peak on this one. One thing is for sure, the musicianship is always top notch on all their albums, this is no exception. They have a more modern sound here Kind of Hip Hop - Trip Hop, whatever, but it sounds great. This album starts off with the strange "Anonymous skulls" and then moves into the great title track. The rest of the album seems to move in and out of trippy groves, experimental jazz and some interesting electronica. Some of my friends who are great people, but can't get out of their tiny musical worlds actually like this when I play it. It is nice to hear some fresh new music.

Every album just gets better.......2006-03-09

MMW are a band that I feel epitomizes what a band should do: Get better with each album. This installment into their already stellar catalogue is one of great proportion. I saw MMW live twice during their tour for this album, one of which was at the Orange Peel in Asheville, NC (one of my favorite venues of all time), and the performance combined with the infectious grooves made me dance like I've never danced before. All three do a fantastic job of not overplaying just to impress. Medeski probably overplays some live, but Chris Wood on bass is too expressive to just capture on disc. At any rate, this album has my vote for #1 MMW album so far, and I own them all. As an additional note, to get the true effect of this trio, see them live. Billy Martin is right up there with Duduka da Fonseca as far as best trap players in the entirety of Western music, and you only get to see just how excellent he is when he plays live. During an intermission at one show, it was just him on stage while the other M and the W took a break. His improv solo playing is just as musical as anything with tonal character. Alright, that's the end of the rambling. Buy this album!

Average customer rating:

Down home jazz
What a great sounding CD
84117
Awesome!
Jimmy You were the Greatest!!! RIP

Back at the Chicken Shack
Jimmy Smith
Manufacturer: Blue Note Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Bebop General | Bebop | Jazz | Styles | Music

Hard Bop | Bebop | Jazz | Styles | Music

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Midnight Special
The Sermon!
Root Down
Idle Moments
Midnight Blue

ASIN: B000005H4M
Release Date: 1990-10-25

Tracks:

Back At The Chicken Shack
When I Grow Too Old To Dream
Minor Chant
Messy Bessie
On The Sunny Side Of The Street

Amazon.com

This is the kind of nasty, back-alley music that makes you wince in ecstasy. With Stanley Turrentine's tenor and Kenny Burrell's guitar sharing solo space, the Hammond master digs in with a blues-drenched shovel. While certainly fluent in the bop idiom, Smith's organ work maintains a direct emotional peg that reflects the swing and jump blues of a previous generation. Turrentine, a relative newcomer at this point (1960), proves a perfect foil for Smith's funky ideas, forgoing flashy bop runs in favor of soulful, expressive passages. Even on chestnuts such as "When I Grow Too Old to Dream" and "On the Sunny Side of the Street," the foursome boils the melodies down to their barest bluesy core. Back at the Chicken Shack is the prototypical soul-jazz recording. --Marc Greilsamer

Customer Reviews:

Down home jazz.......2007-02-07

Jimmy Smith (1925-2005) recorded this classic for Blue Note on April 25, 1960, popularizing the Hammond B-3 electric organ in the process. This is soul-jazz funk music, with its strong relationship to the blues and gospel music. The sidemen on this recording are: Stanley Turrentine (tenor sax), Kenny Burrell (guitar) and Donald Bailey (drums).

"Back at the Chicken Shack" was recorded during the same session that the famous "Midnight Special" came out of. The title track on this release is immersed heavily in the blues, made clear by the accent on Jimmy's organ. Track two, "When I Grow Too Old to Dream", showcases Stanley Turrentine reworking a classic Romberg and Hammerstein II title.

Track three, "Minor Chant", is an original composition by Turrentine that swings really hard. The track first appeared on Turrentine's album "Look Out" recorded earlier for Blue Note. Smith gets plenty of solo time to share with Stanley's heated solos. Track four, "Messy Bessie", is another heavily blues influenced excursion, this one showcasing Turrentine, Smith and Burrell with respective solos. And track five, the standard "On the Sunny Side of the Street", Smith & Co. execute this one with precision and finesse.

This is a well produced, well executed, incredibly enjoyable album from Smith's extensive career. Not owning this album leaves a giant whole in your jazz collections. Digitally transferred by Ron McMaster, this session is crisp and alive. Jimmy Smith's ""Back at the Chicken Shack" easily earns itself five stars in my opinion.

What a great sounding CD.......2005-09-26

If you like jazz organ you will love Jimmy Smith's playing. I highly recommend this CD - ruggedthug.com

84117.......2005-05-22

i bought this for a friend a long time ago, and then bought myself a copy some time after that. it has an awsum cover and is just really enjoyable to listen to, especially in the summer months. a long time ago i thought it was a sequel or something, but it's not.

Awesome!.......2005-02-21

I agree 100% with Guy from New Haven. And even though I don't possess all of Jimmy's albums, this has to be his best... Maybe the the best jazz album ever!!! Never heard anything so groovy; it's B3 organ, Tenor Sax and good rhythm galore!!!

I don't know which track is best because they're all stunning but to name a few, maybe "Minor Chant" by Stanley Turrentine (who brilliantly plays the sax throughout the album), stands out a little... not by much though. "When I grow too old to dream": what a sweet melody!... Messy Bessie (by Jimmy) is so good, I would have appreciated a finale instead of the fade-out we got (but that's okay). And technically, the 1960's Blue Note pure, clear, and no-fuss analog recording sounds flawless.

If you're jaded with the traditional organ-drums-guitar formation, check this out because tenor saxophone truly adds a uniquely elegant and amazingly powerful dimension to Jimmy's already great sound! This will put a smile on your face and make your head bounce!

Jimmy You were the Greatest!!! RIP.......2005-02-11

It's a sad day for me today because I just heard that the great Jimmy Smith passed away 2 days ago at his home near Phoenix. He was far and away THE GREATEST HAMMOND B3 PLAYER WHO EVER LIVED!!!
I can't think of anyone else who had such an impact and defined the classic jazz blues sounds of the 50's and 60's like he did!
As for this album, Back at the Chicken Shack, I agree with previous reviewers who consider this and Midnight Special as his two best! I like them both equally!
And one final note, I was lucky to see Jimmy three times, most recently three years ago at the Del Mar Fairgrounds in Southern California, and he graciously signed my vinyl album cover of "Chicken Shack" which also has the autographs of the late great saxaphonist Stanley Turrentine and guitarist Kenny Burrell! I am very proud to own this album and hope to be able to perhaps donate it to a Jazz museum for future generations to see. Jimmy, thanks for all the incredible music! Rest in Peace.

Average customer rating:

Unalloyed Pleasure.
Simply the Best
A good intro to Indian classical music; but there are better
A great introduction to Indian classical music
A Priceless Must for lovers of Instrumental music

Call of the Valley
Shivkumar Sharma , Brijbushan Kabra , and Hariprasad Chaurasia
Manufacturer: Blue Note Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Similar Items:

Rag Madhuvanti / Rag Misra Tilang
The Valley Recalls, Vol. 1
Raga Darbari Kanada/Dhun in Raga Mishra Pilu
The Sounds of India
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ASIN: B000005H0H
Release Date: 1995-08-01

Tracks:

Ahir Bhairav/Nat Bhairav
Rag Piloo
Bhoop
Rag Des
Rag Pahadi
Ghara-Dadra (Bonus Track 1)
Dhun-Mishra Kirwani (Bonus Track 2)
Bageshwari (Bonus Track 3)

Customer Reviews:

Unalloyed Pleasure........2007-05-15

A real 'find' this one. I bought this via its inclusion in "1001 Albums To Hear Before You Die" and its discovery, alone, justifies the purchase of the book.

Although unmistakably Indian in origin(and is indeed classified as Indian classical music), the music is, nonetheless, instantly appealing in a way that reaches beyond national boundaries. Most people would be familiar with the Indian music of Sitar and Tabla. So perhaps the most immediately striking thing is the prominence of the Kashmiri Santoor(a hammered dulcimer) and flute which, along with Guitar and Tabla weave their, at times complex and at others simple, but always gorgeous patterns together.

The music is beautifully soothing and relaxing but never threatens to fall into muzak territory, rather it has a gentle intensity which focuses the listeners attention while allowing them to be carried off to some other place...It is also very engaging and never 'difficult'.

I certainly don't consider myself any sort of an expert on Indian classical music and some will tell you that there are greater works and finer examples of the form but most people would agree that this is an excellent introduction to the genre. But regardless of category It is certainly some of the most incredible music I have heard in a long time.

Simply the Best.......2003-11-02

I am an ABCD. I used to think my parents were crazy when they tried to get me to listen to Classical Music. At the time I would have much rather listen to Hip Hop. But this one, I've been listening to everywhere, since I was in highschool. Its great car and study music. But the best part is, it prompted me to learn more about classical music, and develop my own tastes. Now I listen to original classical music, as well as fusion and remixed.

A good intro to Indian classical music; but there are better.......2003-03-10

The fourth star in this rating is as much for the historical importance of this album. Recorded in 1968, it was for many people the first introduction to Indian classical music, other than Ravi Shankar. In particular, it made Shivkumar Sharma and Hariprasad Chaurasia, then aged about 30 and on the cusp of great international careers, better known to audiences outside of India.

I find the album itself to be enjoyable enough; however, it is not the first CD I reach for when I wish to enjoy quality Indian music. The problem for me is that Indian classical music at its finest sees the musicians improvising and exploring a Rag to its logical ends. A performance of a single Rag can easily last for at least an hour or more, but none of the tracks on this CD last for more than 12 minutes. Indeed, the original album was less than 40 minutes long, owing to the technological limitations of the day. In other words, the subtleties and complexities of the classical Rag cannot be given their due in a 6 to 12 minute performance.

That being said, I still believe the perfomances are top notch and deserve listening. However, do not consider this to be the last word in Indian music.

A great introduction to Indian classical music.......2003-02-10

If you are a newbie and planning to explore Indian classical music, then start with this album!

This recording, released in 1968, is the best selling Indian classical music album ever released in India. The choice of Ragas - which represent a shepherd's journey from morning to evening - is just excellent. The three instruments - the hundred-stringed Santoor that gives sounds of water flow, the soul-stirring Flute, and the innocent Hawaian Guitar - blend seamlessly and each artist gets equal 'musical space'. Indian classical music is steeped in spirituality and this album gives a quick but very effective introduction to the ocean of Indian music, especially to the uninitiated.

In addition to the five original tracks, this CD also has three more bonus solo tracks, one for each of the three musicians, as follows:
Mishra Kirwani Dhun - Shivkumar Sharma
Bageshree - Hariprasad Chaurasia
Gara Dhun - Brijbhushan Kabra

The most interesting thing about "Call Of The Valley" is that it marked the beginning of extremely successful musical journeys for three of India's greatest instrumentalists. And each of these musicians is a pioneer in his own instrument to the extent that their names have become synonymous with the respective instruments. Shivkumar Sharma and Hariprasad Chaurasia (Shiv-Hari) have produced major Santoor-Flute duets like "Jugalbandi", "The Valley Recalls (I & II)", "Rasadhara (I & II)", as well as more than 100 solo albums each!

HPR

A Priceless Must for lovers of Instrumental music.......2003-01-28

All morning Raagas, taking you in the serenity of the mountains, to be specific the Himalayas. Best heard at the crack of dawn.

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