Steps

Editorial Reviews
About the Artist
Steps is an embodiment of composer and reed virtuoso Scott Hill's bold rejection of conventional ensemble practices in favor of an aggressive, pulse-based concept which unites interval sequences and tonal centers, substantially along the lines of work by Steve Lacy and Sam Rivers. Rather than adhering to the deadlines of diatonic harmony, the leader allows his imagination to run free, and the result is a propulsive, improvised music the likes of which is frequently lost on the highest levels of musical academia. Particularly on the title track, the rapport between the leader, Shifflett, and Amendola is astonishing, totally devoid of clichi, and greater than the sum of the parts. If there is a recording that literally defines musical dialogue, this is it. Contrasting pieces respectively featuring acoustic piano, accordion, and Turkish Saz, a Middle-Easten lute-like instrument, make this convention-flouting session among the best of the new millennium. by James D. Armstrong, Jr.

Album Description
The core of this group is an acoustic modern jazz trio of sax, bass, and drum. Their music explores free improvisation that is both melodic and contained, while also taking journeys into eastern european and middle eastern styles of composition with a mixture of the straight ahead piano quartet sound.

Steps, Music, Scott Hill, Eastern-influenced, post-bop chamber jazz.

Giant Steps
Average customer rating:

the album that leaps

more great jazz from coltrane.

Essential for any jazz collection

Essential, and very convenient for beginners.

Great album and "easy" for beginners to groove to...

Giant Steps
John Coltrane
Manufacturer: Atlantic / Wea
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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A Love Supreme

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Mingus Ah Um

ASIN: B000002I4S
Release Date: 1990-10-25

Tracks:

Giant Steps
Cousin Mary
Countdown
Spiral
Syeeda's Song Flute
Naima
Mr. P.C.
Giant Steps
Naima
Cousin Mary
Countdown
Syeeda's Song Flute

Amazon.com essential recording

Released in January 1960, John Coltrane's first album devoted entirely to his own compositions confirmed his towering command of tenor saxophone and his emerging power as a composer. Apprenticeships with Dizzy, Miles, and Monk had helped focus his furious, expansive solos, and his stamina and underlying sense of harmonic adventure brought Coltrane, at 33, to a new cusp--the polytonal "sheets of sound" that distinguished his marathon solos were offset by interludes of subtle, concise lyricism, embodied here in the tender "Naima." That classic ballad is a calm refuge from the ecstatic, high-speed runs that spark the set's up-tempo climaxes, which begin with the opening title song, itself a cornerstone of modern jazz composition. This exemplary reissue benefits from eight alternate takes of the original album's seven stellar tracks, excellent remastering of the original tapes, and an expanded annotation. --Sam Sutherland

Customer Reviews:

the album that leaps.......2007-04-18

The 1960 release of Atlantic's `Giant Steps' was the first album featuring Coltrane performing all original compositions. Listeners become absorbed into the marvelous sheets of sound he belted out with such professional ease. Speedy execution and marksman-like precision brought Coltrane the envy of both his peers and fans. Sweeping solos spout from Coltrane's horn on here, accomplishing what a lesser musician plainly could not. `Giant Steps' races to the borders of harmony while the ballad `Naima' slows the mood down and heats things up. This CD version includes bonus alternate takes which Coltrane had rejected in favor of those featuring Tommy Flanagan.

Personnel for the tracks `Giant Steps', `Cousin Mary', `Countdown', "Spiral', `Syeeda's Song Flue' and `Mr. P.C.' on the original LP:

John Coltrane (ts), Tommy Flanagan (p), Paul Chambers (b), Art Taylor (d).

Personnel for the track `Naima' on the original LP:

John Coltrane (ts), Wynton Kelly (p), Paul Chambers (b), Jimmy Cobb (d).

Many of the alternate takes that never made their way on the album feature Cedar Walton on piano and Lex Humphries on drums.

more great jazz from coltrane........2007-02-15

to live a proper life you will of course need lots of john coltrane music. this album is an absolute must. from the saxophone pyrotechnics on the title track and the jazz lightning of "mr p.c.," on through to the great melodics of "cousin mary" and "syeeda's song flute," this is pure jazz magic. "naima" is a another standout; a piece of beauty, another coltrane classic. this was my first coltrane album, way back at the tender age of 20 (up to 45 now, i am), and it was the start of something very good in my life. coltrane's music has been a big part of my soundtrack ever since. life has been a richer journey for it, too.

Essential for any jazz collection.......2006-11-30

When people who are just getting into listening to jazz ask me which albums they should start with, I always recommend "Kind of Blue", and "Giant Steps". While this may not be Coltrane's most pure recording, it nonetheless is one of the finest jazz albums ever recorded. I'm not going to go into the specifics of his "sheets of sound" approach, other than to say that when he really gets going such as on the title track, his playing is absolutely breathtaking. It is important to mention however that aside from Coltrane's exceptional chops and phrasing, I find his tone on this disc to be one of warmest sounding I've ever heard on the instrument. If you don't own this CD, buy it!

Essential, and very convenient for beginners........2006-11-08

In this Coltrane's classic record, three songs help us to put it in perspective. First, "Naima", a sont that will be played by Coltrane all his career long, showing his deep feeling in a melodic way, easy to approach for the beginner and to compare with the many versions of it recorded by him. Second, "Giant Steps", where the long 'sentences' and the armonics still remind the be-bop days, as if Coltrane were leaving that period. And third, "Mr P.C", where Coltrane shows his future 'shaken' way of playing, using a structure of two consecutive notes, high and low, up and down, each of them following a diferent line but, by this 'lateral playing', opening between those two lines an empty and free space where the melody is heard without being played. This is the Coltrane what will be found later in his marvellous album "My Favourite Things".
As well, in this record, Coltrane is forgetting that 'deadpan' jazz who followed the cool period. Always without falling in sentimentality, Coltrane starts to fill that free and open space of his music with feelings. What is trully amazing is how love made him rebellious, and how it showed him the way to push modern jazz out of its ensconced position.
To finish: don't miss "Countdown", a burst of technical power.

Great album and "easy" for beginners to groove to..........2006-11-06

I noticed that a lot of hardcore jazz folks have written extensively about the arcane virtues of this album, so I just want to chime in that this is also really fun and accessible music! a few reviewers have warned that it might be "difficult" to listen to-- as a fairly UNsophisticated listener who knows nothing about music theory, I'd have to strongly disagree.
The album features Coltrane playing original compositions in his mature style, but the songs are catchy and concise, with very infectious hooks. It's the perfect first Coltrane record for anyone who's just getting into modern jazz and wants a representative example of his work-- comparable to Miles' "Kind of Blue" and Brubeck's "Time Out".

Average customer rating:

A Legendary Singer.
Lorraine Hunt Lieberson's Bach: The mind of God revealed!!
Glorious singing to treasure for decades
Lorraine Hunt-Lieberson (1954-2006), supreme Handelian
The Stellar Hunt Lieberson

Lorraine Hunt Lieberson: Handel Arias

Manufacturer: Avie
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B00022LZW8
Release Date: 2004-08-10

Tracks:

Ah! Whither Should We Fly...
...As With Rosy Steps The Morn
O Bright Example Of All Goodness!...
...Bane Of Virtue, Nurse Of Passions
The Clouds Begin To Veil The Hemisphere...
...Defend Her Heav'n!
Lord, To Thee Each Night And Day
She's Gone, Disdaining Liberty And Life...
...New Scenes Of Joy
Cantata
Cantata
Cantata
Cantata
Cantata
Cantata
Cantata
Cantata
Se Bramate D'amar, Chi Vi Sdegna
Frondi Tenere E Belle...
...Ombra Mai Fu

Amazon.com

If you think you've heard Handel's "Ombra mai fu" (known as his "Largo") so often, and in so many different arrangements, and sung by so many different voices, that you can no longer be moved or surprised by it, think again. This CD of Handel arias, mostly from his Theodora or the cantata La Lucrezia, ends with "Ombra mai fu," and as sung by Lorraine Hunt Lieberson, it is so tender, so beautiful, so impeccably shaded, that you'll think you're hearing it for the first time. But that's only four of this disc's 67 minutes---a follow-up to Hunt Lieberson's extraordinarily successful CD of Bach cantatas. There's not a dull or disinterested moment to be heard anywhere. As the violated Lucrezia, Hunt Lieberson alternately rages against the man who raped her and turns her grief inward; the former is terrifying in its intensity, the latter makes us almost feel as if we're eavesdropping. The five arias for Irene, Theodora's friend, confidante, and the upholder of Christian beliefs are all magical prayers or statements of faith, and from Hunt Lieberson, they become real, with each word honestly conveyed and colored. The voice itself is unfailingly beautiful---warm, lush, never forced, agile when necessary---and her breath control is stunning. She is backed ideally by Harry Bicket and The Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, and the string soloists in the ensemble---the viola da gamba player, lutenist, etc.---are as gifted as she is. If you want proof that Handel was a great dramatist with a special gift for communicating emotion, all while listening to sublime sounds, this CD is a must. --Robert Levine

Customer Reviews:

A Legendary Singer........2007-03-07

I simply don't have the heart to review Mrs. Lieberson's works.
If we call Ms. Bartoli a 'great' singer, then the description of 'legendary' more aptly depicts Mrs. Lieberson.
If ever a truly good artist lived, Mrs. Lieberson is one such.
The only singer that could be recalled singing in such style is Teresa Berganza; but still, they are different.
This is one of my favourite interpretators of Haendel. Having been 'treated' by those coloraturas of arias of Haendel's period by Ms. Bartoli and others, I find the singing of Lorraine Hunt Lieberson a great relief - at last, this is what Haendel would want it to be. And I equally enjoy the singing of soprano arias by Mrs. Lieberson - the timbre is warmer, but still with all the shimmer - so different from the dark mushy tones of other celebrated 'lyrical soprano' around.
Don't want to say more. Mrs. Lieberson's leaving last year is too heavy a news for me.

Lorraine Hunt Lieberson's Bach: The mind of God revealed!!.......2007-01-06

These deeply felt performances of two of Bach's most moving cantatas show this transcendent singer's combination of emotional honesty and profound musicality, all combined to reveal the very mind of God through divine redemption from suffering. The disc is to be treasured even more in light of the Ms. Lieberson's recent untimely death from cancer. I'm an agnostic, but this music makes me envious of those who can believe. Roy in Pope Valley, California

Glorious singing to treasure for decades.......2006-07-11

By any measure, America's Lorraine Hunt Lieberson is at least the equal of Italy's premier diva, mezzo-soprano Cecilia Bartoli, although she does not have the same superstar status. It is difficult to recall past mezzos with clearer enunciation of English text, (as favoured in nine excerpts from Theodora), the richness of voice, displayed in full-throated fortissimo and sharply contrasted pianissimo of utmost delicacy, evokes fondest memories of the tragically doomed Kathleen Ferrier. Masterfully chosen to display every facet of Hunt Lieberson's consumate command of Handel's dauntingly difficult music, the disc's repertoire - recitatives and linkig arias from the operas Theodora and Serse, and the cantana La Lucrezia - is stunning. An unsung mezzo who makes the senses tingle!

Lorraine Hunt-Lieberson (1954-2006), supreme Handelian.......2006-07-06

I have never heard a voice purer of tone, more flexible in phrasing, and so gorgeously produced in a homogeneous column of sound such as this artist in Handel's repertoire. It is very tastefully sung (unlike a certain person whose name begins with R and ends with enaaay Fleming) and so dramatically touching that one could not help but feel that this repertoire finally has found its instrument. And how sad it is to know that this instrument has passed away two days ago. Lorraine Hunt-Lieberson died two days ago in her home in Santa Fe, New Mexico of breast cancer. It is such a huge loss to the opera world, as she is an artist who is still experiencing the prime of her career. The voice is just so beautiful, the tone so pure, that I lament that we can no longer hear any great roles from this artist. She will be missed.

The Stellar Hunt Lieberson.......2006-03-19

Simply put, Lorraine Hunt Lieberson is one of the very best classical singers alive. She combines vocal elegance and purity with an emotional delivery that raises her above the crowd of technically proficient singers who just don't possess her depth of musical understanding or emotional commitment. Hunt Lieberson is a true artist who resists easy classfication except to say she is perfect in what she does.

Average customer rating:

Springtime for Liberals
Capitol Steps
Manufacturer: Capitol Steps
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music

General | Comedy | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music

I'm So Indicted
Four More Years in the Bush Leagues
Between Iraq and a Hard Place
Unzippin' My Doo-Dah
Papa's Got a Brand New Baghdad

ASIN: B000RMJ5P2
Release Date: 2007-07-10

Tracks:

Springtime For Liberals
Everything's Run By Pelosi
Polonium 209
George Bush Speaks To the Nation
Ain't No Rumsfeld
Stand By Japan
A Leader Like Barack
If I Were a Rich Mensch
Lust In Space
Juan Nation
FEMA
Congress, It Is A-Changin'
TSA Investigation: Moist And Dangerous
Viagra
Still Crazy
Hole In the Ozone
Depends On NASA
Loonies Of the Right
Shamlet
Bein' Pope
Old Man Rumsfeld
Aristocrats From the Cradle
Glory, NSA
Lirty Dies: Cremodats, Peerublicans, And the Lorious Glandslide Of Soo-Thousand Tix

Album Description

"They're the best. There's no one like them, no one in their league." -- Larry King, CNN

"The Capitol Steps make it easier to leave public life." -- Former President George Bush Sr.

"#@!*! you guys are funny!" -- Tom Clancy

"The troupe has become a favorite on the Washington social circuit. Its political satire brings chuckles ... rave reviews ... guffaws ... and bipartisan grins all around. The satire hits the mark." -- Wall Street Journal

As seen on NBC, CBS, ABC, and CNN, and heard on public radio! 2005 Washington Post Readers Choice Best Bets winner for Best Live Theater. The Capitol Steps are in the midst of their 25th anniversary!

Album Description

Unique political satire from the only group that attempts to be funnier than Congress. The Capitol Steps puts the "mock" in democracy

Average customer rating:

More Parody Fun
Hysterically Funny Up-to-Date Comedy
Loved it!

I'm So Indicted
Capitol Steps
Manufacturer: Capitol Steps
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Four More Years in the Bush Leagues
Papa's Got a Brand New Baghdad
Between Iraq and a Hard Place
One Bush, Two Bush, Old Bush New Bush
Springtime for Liberals

ASIN: B000FLGB02
Release Date: 2006-07-11

Tracks:

Here's To You, Reverend Robertson
George Bush Speaks
I'm So Indicted
What A Difference Delay Makes
Three Little Kurds From School
Goverment Lessons For Little Children: Chicken Little
Can't Get To Church
GOP-BS
Sam Alito
How Do You Solve A Problem Like Korea
In The Metro
Rolling Kidney Stones
Dubai Dubai Doo
This Is The House That Jack Bribed
FU Airlines
Living Will
Old Finger
Rafael Palmeiro's Greatest Hits
John Bolton Goes To The U.N.
Michael Brown
Deep Throat
When I'm 84
God Bless My SUV
Lirty Dies

Product Description

Here's to You, Reverend Robertson, George Bush speaks, I'm So Indicted, What a Difference Delay Makes, Three Little Kurds from School, Government Lessons for Little Children: Chicken Little, Can't Get to a Church, GOP-BS, Sam Alito, How Do You Solve a Problem Like Korea?, In the Metro, Rolling Kidney Stones, Dubai Dubai Doo, This is the House that Jack Bribed, FU Airlines, Living Will, Old Finger, Rafael Palmeiro's Greatest Hits, John Bolton Goes to the U.N., Michael Brown, Deep Throat, When I'm 84, God Bless My SUV, Lirty Dies: Ecret Sagents, Ack Jabramoff, Chick Daney, Yubble-Doo and the Storrible Horm

Customer Reviews:

More Parody Fun.......2007-06-18

While others may argue the point, I would think that the Capitol Steps have a harder time coming up with songs these days because they don't have as rich a source of material with W. as they did with Slick Willie. Unfortunately, they still have plenty to work with and they do a pretty good job with the materials at hand. The house and senate help of course, as do the foibles of business and personalities.

Like all Capitol Steps releases, this one is dated as soon as it is produced. The parodies reflect items that are still in the news at the time that the song is written. That will not harm the enjoyment of anyone who is a political junkie but I have found it to leave some wondering "what was that all about?"

This is not their best but it is certainly worthy.

Hysterically Funny Up-to-Date Comedy.......2007-01-12

I was given this CD as a Christmas gift, and can't stop laughing over such numbers as "God Bless My SUV". I've shared this wonderful collection of political satire and parody with many folks, and have bought a few copies to give as gifts as well. I am sure that my friends in Ireland - who closely follow US politics - will chuckle as well, as these clever artists poke fun at our government and its foibles in such inventive ways.

Loved it!.......2007-01-06

It was a gift for my husband so my rating is based on 2nd hand information: He loved it and will listen to it again

Average customer rating:

Two Steps from the Blues
bobby bland's best.
Two Steps From the Blues - Bobby "Blue" Bland
A Terrific Singer
There's NOTHING bland about Mr Bland

Two Steps From the Blues
Bobby "Blue" Bland
Manufacturer: Mca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Together for the First Time...Live
The Anthology

ASIN: B000059T1U
Release Date: 2001-02-27

Tracks:

Two Steps From The Blues
Cry, Cry, Cry
I'm Not Ashmed
Don't Cry No More
Lead Me On
I Pity The Fool
I've Just Got To Forget You
Little Boy Blues
St. James Infirmary
I'll Take Care Of You
I Don't Want No Woman
I've Been Wrong So Long
How Does A Cheatin' Woman Feel
Close To You

Amazon.com

Bobby Bland could both comfort and chill, sometimes in the same song. He does so on this undeniably classic album's "Lead Me On," which begins with the line "You know how it feels, you understand / What it is to be a stranger in this unfriendly land" and ends softly two minutes later with the promise "I'll follow you." Such drama, coupled with a mellow soulfulness, is the norm on Two Steps. Bland has been called "the Sinatra of the blues" more than once, and this album is the best explanation ever for that appellation. --Rickey Wright

Customer Reviews:

Two Steps from the Blues.......2007-04-04

Hearing Bobby Bland sing these real blues numbers was like a trip back into the past when Blues lyrics were pure and sung totally from the heart. I will treasure this CD and encourage my kids and grandkids to listen and learn what real blues was all about. I was pleased to learn that these selections were the original recordings as I remembered them from back in the fifties and sixties. Bland's rendition of "St. James Infirmary" is the best in my opinion. If anyone wants to experience the authentic Bobby "Blue" Bland, then this is the CD to purchase.

bobby bland's best........2007-03-17

in music, albums generally regarded as classics are pretty darn dependable. they are almost always outstanding. i wish that was the case with books (where classics are far from dependable). this album by bobby bland is regarded as a classic in the world of rhythm and blues, and once again those music folks have gotten it right. this is a great recording. from beginning to end the material is top notch, and mr bland's sonorous vocals are exceptional and elegant throughout. the horn section is terrific, too; with plenty of powerful saxophone to top things off. and nobody in blues handles a ballad any better than bobby bland. the top track here might very well be the old new orleans dirge "st james infirmary," which is chilling. this album came out in 1961 and the proximity to the 50's shows in a few spots, as there are occasional hints of doo-wop influence, without the doo-wop backup singers. this cd is a must for any collection of blues/soul music. rock and roll fans should pick it up as well. great stuff.

Two Steps From the Blues - Bobby "Blue" Bland.......2007-01-03

Excellent Christmas Gift for a friend. Really enjoyed the CD.
bj

A Terrific Singer.......2006-02-10

Because I think of Bobby Bland as a Blues artist, I was a bit jarred when I heard this the first time. When I think of Blues from this period, I think of people like Buddy Guy, Magic Sam, Little Walter, Muddy Waters. For the most part, the style here is one I recognize more as R&B and sometimes Soul. But after a few listens, that initial surprise didn't matter any more.

This is an outstanding collection of songs, mostly written by Deadric Malone, along with several other standards. More importantly, Bobby Bland puts his all into every one of these songs, delivering definitive versions. His emotional range is almost unbelievable. You can pinpoint the emotion being delivered without even listening to the words, he's that good. I've heard Bland called "the Sinatra of R&B" and, although that sounds a bit patronizing, it fairly captures this singer's ability.

The opener "Two Steps From The Blues" immediately shows off Bland's vocal prowess in a very delicate song. "Cry Cry Cry" is a more traditional Blues with Bland wringing evry bit of emotion out of the song without any trace of being overwrought. "Lead Me On" sound so much like a Sam Cooke song that I had to check the songwriting credit (it's Malone). And so the album goes, it's uniformally excellent all the way through.

The one downside is the fidelity. Although the remastered sound is good - all of the instruments can be distinctly heard - the bass is often too far back in the mix. Too bad, because the bass playing is great. On some songs, notably "I'm Not Ashamed", there's audible distortion on the vocal track. So, although this is an outstanding album, if you're not accustomed to listening to recordings made without the benefit of modern studio technology, the sound might put you off. But, for some of the greatest male R&B singing you're ever likely to hear, this is highly recommended.

There's NOTHING bland about Mr Bland.......2005-09-15

And this is not just the finest recording of either the blues or soul genere but of ANY genre.

There's not a dull track and Mr Bland who classes Perry Como and Tony Bennet as his influnce is outstanding throughout. He's not known as the Sinatra of the blues for nothing.

This was ahead of Stax by a couple of years and was laid down in Houston, Texas. Deardic Malone is the posedeom for Don Robey,the same way that Joe Josea and Jules Taub was for the Bahari Brothers at Modern Records.

This easliy ranks among the great 60's recordings of Otis Redding , James Carr and Howard Tate. It has carisma and charm that's lacking in todays music in a big way.

To echo the two others reviewers, THEY SADLY DON'T MAKE RECORDINGS LIKE THIS ANYMORE. BEYOND ESSENTAIL.

Average customer rating:

poor recording
Travel to the Old Vienna
Only Kreisler Can Play Kreisler *****
Perfection
disappointing technical quality

Fritz Kreisler Plays Kreisler

Manufacturer: RCA
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Heifetz Showpieces
Kreisler plays Kreisler
The Kreisler Album
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The Kreisler Album

ASIN: B000003G1K
Release Date: 1997-01-14

Tracks:

Liebesfreud
Liebesleid
Tambourin chinois, Op.3
Caprice viennois, Op.2
Chanson Louis XIII And Pavane
Variations On A Theme Of Corelli
Rondino On A Theme By Beethoven
Schon Rosmarin
The Old Refrain - Wiener Volkslied - Le vieux refrain
Andantino
Berceuse romantique, Op.9
Aubade provencale (In The Style Of Couperin)
Apple Blossoms: Who Can Tell?
Toy Soldiers' March
Aucassin And Nicolette (Medieval Canzonetta)
Shepherd's Madrigal - Altdeutsches Schafermadrigal - Madrigal du berger
Gypsy Caprice - Zigeuner Capriccio
Polichinelle
La precieuse (In The Style Of Couperin)
La gitana
Marche miniature viennoise
The King Steps Out: Stars In My Eyes
Viennese Rhapsodic Fantasietta

Customer Reviews:

poor recording.......2007-04-30

Besides the bacground hiss, I found I had to turn the volume up to max just to hear it. So when you play more than one CD the others will be normal volume but when Kreisler starts you hear nothing and have to turn the volume all the way up to have it at low normal levels. So I recommend passing on this one.

Travel to the Old Vienna.......2006-01-26

Sometimes the author isn`t the best performer of his own works. That`s not the case. I completely agree with the previous reviewer: yes, only Kreisler can play Kreisler.
While listening to this music you so wounderfully feel the spirit of the old Vienna, that most technically perfect record couldn`t compare with this impressions. Treat surface noise of the records made in 1912-1946 as the scent of that distant time (by the way, nearly the age gone) - and you would be completely satisfied, because the playing by Kreisler is so scincere and soulful. So if you like Kreisler - don`t think twice. This is CD for you.

Only Kreisler Can Play Kreisler *****.......2005-05-08

What can I say? Only Kreisler can play Kreisler. Get a discography of Fritz Kreisler and start hunting down everything you can find by this man. You can compare violinists; Heifetz has astounding technique, Milstein's always wonderful, Oistrakh is a favorite of many, Kogan can play anything, etc., etc., etc.. But Kreisler... is a unique personality of the violin. Yehudi Menuhin said of him in his autobiography, there are many great violinists with perhaps greater technique in this area or that; but "Kreisler mystifies me." Bruno Walter, the great conductor, said of Kreisler, "He did not play the violin; he BECAME the violin." and this is true. There is something special about Kreisler that transcends violin playing itself. Something heavenly is communicated by him with his instrument. Transfers from old disks are always of varying quality. Kreisler lived a long time ago and recording techniques were very primitive; but Kreisler even seems to rise above the pops and the clicks. Other artists are drowned out by them but Kreisler soars above them and makes one forget they are there. You're focused on the beauty and the background noise seems to disappear entirely. Other violinists have tried
to play Kreisler and perhaps get the notes right, most notably among them, Zino Francescatti (who plays Kreisler better than any other man except Kreisler), but only Kreisler can play Kreisler.
If you want to hear it best, put up with the background hiss. It's worth it. If you want a modern recording, see if you can find Francescatti's tribute album to Fritz Kreisler. it's OOP, but an LP in mint condition sometimes appears on an online auction service. Why the Francescatti album ever went OOP I do not know. He is the only modern violinist that ever really tapped into the soul of 'Fritz' when he plays Kreisler. If the disk is ever again released, snap it up before it goes OOP again. In the final analysis, modern violinists, at most, will give you a representative selection of only about 16 tracks and usually you get the worn chestnuts over and over again. Enough of Kreislers own recordings are still available that you can still get the whole gamut of his discography if you just look. Do so!

Perfection.......2004-03-08

No crap...really? OF COURSE THIS RECORDING IS A TRANSFER! YOU THINK THEY HAVE DIGITAL RECORDING TECHNOLOGY BACK THEN???? Man, that review from Delaware annoys me.

Go with the first review. This recording is a must. It is one of the great violin recordings. Even my old violin teacher advise me to play some of Kreisler stuff to improve techniques. Kreisler is a legend. Lesson and appreciate the beauties of the violin.

disappointing technical quality.......2000-08-29

I realize that this cd was a transfer, but I have other music that was transferred from old recordings, and they sound much better than this. The disappointing technical quality of the sound on this CD disturbs me. In fact, it sounds worse than the vinyl I already own. Very loud hissing, some popping. The music doesn't actually sound like it's been recorded in a tunnel, but the sound is not as full as I had hoped.

On the other hand, I bought this after comparing Kreisler's performance with Joshua Bell on the samples; and I find I always prefer Kreisler. With no disrespect to Mr. Bell, I find I prefer the composer performing his own music.

Sixty Six Steps
Average customer rating:

Forget The Whiny Naysayers! This is GREAT Music!

Wow, AMAZING album! But, don't buy it because it's Sony DRM. Period. Sorry, Mike!

Amazon review right on, but spotlight's got it wrong

Five stars for the music. No stars for the virus.

Brilliant CD; ignore the foo-foos.....

Sixty Six Steps
Leo Kottke & Mike Gordon , Leo Kottke , and Mike Gordon
Manufacturer: RCA Victor
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Contemporary Folk | Folk | Styles | Music
General | Folk | Styles | Music
Traditional Folk | Folk | Styles | Music
General | Rock | Styles | Music
Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Clone

6- and 12-String Guitar

Best of Leo Kottke

Try and Stop Me

Shine

ASIN: B000A2APV2
Release Date: 2005-08-23

Tracks:

Living In The Country
The Grid
Oh Well
Rings
Cherry County
Sweet Emotion
The Stolen Quiet
Balloon
Over The Dam
Can't Hang
From Spink To Correctionville
Ya Mar
Twice
Invisible

Album Description

Sixty Six Steps--the second collaboration between guitarist Leo Kottke and erstwhile Phish bassist Mike Gordon--is both an homage to and an experiment loosely involving island rhythms. "There are these syncopations within Leo's guitar playing that twist around in a way that remind me of calypso," explains Gordon. "So this album took form as an experiment in my mind to see whether Leo's unique style of playing could be mixed with this kind of music I discovered and really loved when I was younger. And it worked far beyond my expectations." "Mike was the first to notice that aspect in my playing, and I think I'd forgotten it was in there," says Kottke. "No one else had done that. He's very intuitive that way."

The pair had already successfully tested the waters as collaborators with the album Clone, released in 2002. When they crossed paths in 2004 at a music festival, Gordon told Kottke that he really wanted to do an island experiment as his first project following the Phish era. Rehearsed in Costa Rica and recorded in the Bahamas, Sixty Six Steps is seasoned with the buoyant rhythms and freewheeling spirit of the tropics. It is not literally a calypso album but one that uses the calypso feel as a touchstone for a set of performances by two of the most imaginative and mold-breaking musicians on the planet.

Sixty Six Steps is a mixture of originals and interpretations performed in ways that are vaguely familiar yet largely without precedent. For instance, you'll find a cover of Aerosmith's "Sweet Emotion" sung in a deadpan monotone and performed on baglama (a Turkish banjo/mandolin-type instrument), guitar and bass. Then there's a pastoral Pete Seeger composition ("Living in the Country") given a spritz of equatorial light and air. A twisted Mike Gordon original ("Stolen Quiet") professes mock gratitude for a partner's exodus from their shared abode: "The sheer amount of surface space increased around here/With your diet soda gone, there's more room for my beer." An equally offbeat Leo Kottke original ("Balloon") features such lines as "When the raccoon steals the cheese behind Pandora's other box/Or the one you love is shopping for a helmet made of rocks/Balloon, balloon, balloon..."

Incidentally, the title Sixty Six Steps is taken from a sign at the base of a staircase leading to what is reputedly the highest point on the island. The steps curve around and go to the top of the hill, which is a great spot from which to view the sunset. In its own way, Sixty Six Steps winds and ascends to a point from which the listener can savor some truly unique musical vistas.

Customer Reviews:

Forget The Whiny Naysayers! This is GREAT Music!.......2007-07-21

If you play music in your car, your boombox, or your home audio system, you will love this CD! If you're part of the "new" generation of whiny, self-indulgent, music-should-be-free clowns who makes multiple copies and believes there is nothing wrong with stealing music, then you'll be crying like an ex who got the credit cards cut off!

Leo Kottke has been giving his fans aural pleasures for decades and this CD is no different. His impeccable musicianship, arrangements, and songwriting skills will keep you enthralled from the opening track. I wasn't familiar with Mike Gordon before this CD but the two of them mesh harmoniously and give an updated sound to Kottke's music.

Wow, AMAZING album! But, don't buy it because it's Sony DRM. Period. Sorry, Mike!.......2007-06-16