How Sweet It Is

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With the proliferation of earthy rock chicks such as Vanessa Carlton and Michelle Branch, it might seem like an opportune time for Joan Osborne, who gathered Grammy nominations for her triple-platinum 1995 debut Relish and its breakthrough single "One of Us," to revive her flowing blues-and-folk roots. Rather than take the anticipated path, however, he New York singer offers a twist. Taking a page from Ally McBeal's resident torch singer Vonda Shepard, Osborne turns in an album of stylish covers of contemporary R&B classics. She wraps her husky voice around a supper-club version of Otis Redding's "These Arms of Mine," underscores the message behind Edwin Starr's "War" at a funeral pace, and gives James Taylor a shudder with her lush, Eastern-tinged take on Marvin Gaye's "How Sweet It Is." Most unexpected. --Aidin Vaziri

How Sweet It Is,Joan Osborne,Compendia,Adult Alternative Pop/Rock,American Trad Rock,Pop,Rock,Rock/Pop

How Sweet It Is

Average customer rating:

dreck
not a bad cover in the bunch
Can't Get Enough of Joan
favorite album to get me moving!
Like a good hotel lounge singer

How Sweet It Is
Joan Osborne
Manufacturer: Compendia
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Righteous Love
Pretty Little Stranger
Relish
Breakfast in Bed
Early Recordings

ASIN: B00006GNQF
Release Date: 2002-09-17

Tracks:

I'll Be Around
Think
How Sweet It Is
Smiling Faces Sometimes
Love's In Need Of Love Today
These Arms Of Mine
Only You Know And I Know
War
Why Can't We Live Together
Axis: Bold As Love
The Weight
Everybody Is A Star

Amazon.com

With the proliferation of earthy rock chicks such as Vanessa Carlton and Michelle Branch, it might seem like an opportune time for Joan Osborne, who gathered Grammy nominations for her triple-platinum 1995 debut Relish and its breakthrough single "One of Us," to revive her flowing blues-and-folk roots. Rather than take the anticipated path, however, he New York singer offers a twist. Taking a page from Ally McBeal's resident torch singer Vonda Shepard, Osborne turns in an album of stylish covers of contemporary R&B classics. She wraps her husky voice around a supper-club version of Otis Redding's "These Arms of Mine," underscores the message behind Edwin Starr's "War" at a funeral pace, and gives James Taylor a shudder with her lush, Eastern-tinged take on Marvin Gaye's "How Sweet It Is." Most unexpected. --Aidin Vaziri

Customer Reviews:

dreck.......2007-06-07

Now I love Joan, she can sing like a ringing a bell, but this album stinks. It's one thing to perform your take on a classic song, but these tracks are producer updated with fake drums and other instrumentation that doesn't fit the legacy of these songs. NG for no good.

not a bad cover in the bunch.......2007-01-05

Some people like cover tunes, other don't. For me, a cover tune is great when the new artist puts a unique spin on the orginal "classic". Given that, I say that this disk is a top-ten favorite in a very large CD collection. Joan molds each of these songs into her own, yet the quality of the orginal "hit" is still to be found. I wish more artists would focus on re-doing some of the excellent songs that are already out there, rather than feeling like they should penning original tunes (most of which are average or below). BUY THIS CD!

Can't Get Enough of Joan.......2005-11-15

It's difficult to write a review of Joan's work because I'm rather biased about this woman. You see, the sound of her voice weakens my knees and causes me to smile uncontrollably. I could listen to Joan sing the phone book and still be be reduced to weak-kneed smiling fool. What a voice! What an artist!

favorite album to get me moving!.......2005-07-02

I find it impossible to believe that this album is getting any poor reviews. I play this in the car, and can't keep from dancing in my seat! I play it when I'm down and need a lift. Great arrangements, and her version of "War-What Is It Good For," should be playing on every radio station in the country.

Like a good hotel lounge singer.......2005-04-16

I recently bought this CD after hearing (and liking) "I'll Be Around" on the radio. I was impressed by Osborne's earthy vocal style on her "Relish" CD a few years back, so I figured an album of classic soul covers by her might be pretty good. Sad to say, I found this CD somewhat disappointing overall.

To my ears, Osborne's delivery on this CD sounds like that of a good hotel lounge singer--technically competent but emotionally superficial. Too often, she sounds like she is coming from outside the songs (i.e., performing them), rather than from inside (i.e., living them). The worst examples are "Think" (delivered in a passionless rapid-fire monotone) and "The Weight" (delivered awkwardly, as if she doesn't even understand, much less feel, the lyrics).

To Osborne's credit, she gives several of the tunes new readings that give fresh life to the material. She slows down "How Sweet It Is" and gives it a touching plaintive quality. Her pop song reading of Jimi Hendrix's trippy "Axis: Bold As Love" is totally unexpected and amusing. Her Bill-Murray-lounge-lizard reading of the Vietnam-era anti-war song "War" is so surreally campy that it forces you to pay attention to the words.

There are several solid covers here, including "I'll Be Around," "Smiling Faces," and "Why Can't We Live Together." However, "These Arms of Mine" probably best captures both the strengths and weaknesses of this CD. The opening verses are gorgeous, with Osborne's soft, aching vocal commanding your attention over a spare musical background. But when the song gets to the bridge, which demands that the vocalist build to a big emotional climax, Osborne fails to deliver. She never lets herself go, and the song just peters out.

I notice a number of prior reviewers rave about Osborne's "soulful" vocals here, and I have no doubt that these people are sincere. I think it boils down to a matter of taste and cultural background. If you like music with the rough edges sanded off, Osborne's interpretations may help you appreciate some classic soul songs you would otherwise ignore. If, however, you are a serious fan of R&B, you will likely find this a pale imitation of the real thing.

Broadway - The American Musical (PBS Series)

Average customer rating:

Fabulous for any Broadway-lover
Top Shelf
TERRIFIC CD'S
Great Collection of Broadways greatest Songs
Great Compilation!

Broadway - The American Musical (PBS Series)

Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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The Best of Broadway - The American Musical (PBS Series)
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ASIN: B00064ADMK
Release Date: 2004-10-19

Tracks:

Give My Regards To Broadway- Joel Grey
Swanee- Al Jolson
When The Moon Shines On The Moonshine- Bert Williams
A Pretty Girl Is Like A Melody- John Steel
My Man- Fanny Brice
Fascinating Rhythm- Fred Astaire, Adele Astaire
If You Knew Susie (Like I Know Susie)- 78rpm Version Eddie Cantor
Someone To Watch Over Me- Gertrude Lawrence
Bill- 78 rpm Version Helen Morgan
Ol' Man River- Paul Robeson
Ain't Misbehavin'- Louis Armstrong & His Orchestra
Ten Cents A Dance- Ruth Etting
Body And Soul- Libby Holman
Brother, Can You Spare A Dime- Bing Crosby
Night And Day- Fred Astaire
Heat Wave- Ethel Waters
Smoke Gets in Your Eyes- Tamara
You're The Top- Ethel Merman
Summertime- Anne Brown
September Song- Walter Huston
My Heart Belongs To Daddy- Mary Martin
It Never Entered My Mind- Shirley Ross
Bewitched, Bothered, Bewildered- Vivienne Segal
Oh, How I Hate To Get Up In The Morning- Irving Berlin
Oh, What a Beautiful Mornin'- Alfred Drake

Tracks:

New York, New York- Cris Alexander,Adolph Green,John Reardon
If I Loved You- John Raitt,Jan Clayton
Come Rain Or Come Shine- Ruby Hill,Harold Nicholas
There's No Business Like Show Business- Ensemble
How Are Things In Glocca Morra? From "Finian's Rainbow"- Ella Logan
Once In Love With Amy- Ray Bolger
Wunderbar- Alfred Drake,Patricia Morison
Some Enchanted Evening- Ezio Pinza
Lost In The Stars- Todd Duncan
Diamonds Are A Girl's Best Friend- Carol Channing
Luck Be A Lady- Robert Alda,Guys
Getting To Know You- Gertrude Lawrence
Who Cares?- Jack Carson,Betty Oakes
Stranger In Paradise- from " Kismet" Doretta Morrow,Richard Kiley
Ballad Of Mack The Knife- Gerald Price
Hey There- from "The Pajama Game" John Raitt
Whatever Lola Wants- Gwen Verdon
I Could Have Danced All Night- Julie Andrews
Standing On The Corner- from "The Most Happy Fella, 1956" Shorty Long,John Henson,Alan Gilbert
The Party's Over- Judy Holliday
Glitter And Be Gay- Barbara Cook
Tonight- Larry Kert, Carol Lawrence

Tracks:

Seventy-Six Trombones- Robert Preston
I Enjoy Being A Girl- from "Flower Drum Song, 1958" Pat Suzuki
Everything's Coming Up Roses- Ethel Merman
My Favorite Things- from "The Sound Of Music" Mary Martin
Put On A Happy Face- from "Bye Bye Birdie" Dick Van Dyke
Try To Remember- Jerry Orbach
Camelot- from "Camelot" Richard Burton
Love Makes The World Go 'Round- Anna Maria Alberghetti
I Believe In You- Robert Morse And Co.
The Sweetest Sounds- Diahann Carroll,Richard Kiley
Comedy Tonight- Zero Mostel
What Kind Of Fool Am I?- Anthony Newley
As Long As He Needs Me- Georgia Brown
Hello, Dolly!- Carol Channing,Cast
People- Barbra Streisand
Anyone Can Whistle- from "Anyone Can Whistle" Lee Remick
If I Were A Rich Man- Zero Mostel
Night Song- Sammy Davis, Jr.
The Impossible Dream- Richard Kiley
If My Friends Could See Me Now- Gwen Verdon
Open a New Window- from Mame Voice

Tracks:

Willkommen- from "Cabaret" Joel Grey
Let The Sunshine In- James Rado,Lynn Kellogg,Melba Moore,Cast
I'll Never Fall In Love Again- Jill O'Hara,Jerry Orbach
The Ladies Who Lunch- from "Company" Elaine Stritch
Tea For Two- Roger Rathburn,Susan Watson
I'm Still Here- Yvonne De Carlo
I Don't Know How To Love Him- Yvonne Elliman
We Go Together- Adrienne Barbeau,Barry Bostwick,Walter Bobbie,Cast
Corner Of The Sky- John Rubinstein
Send In The Clowns- Glynis Johns
Ease On Down The Road- Stephanie Mills,Tiger Haynes,Ted Ross,Hinton
One- from "A Chorus Line" Cast
All That Jazz- Chita Rivera,Ensemble
Tomorrow- Andrea Mcardle
Don't Cry For Me Argentina- Patti Lupone
Come Follow The Band
Lullaby Of Broadway- Jerry Orbach
And I'm Telling You I'm Not Going- Jennifer Holliday
The Bells Of St. Sebastian- Raul Julia

Tracks:

Memory- Betty Buckley
I Am What I Am- George Hearn
Move On- Bernadette Peters,Mandy Patinkin
Do You Hear The People Sing?- Michael Maguire,Cast
The Music Of The Night- Michael Crawford
You're Nothing Without Me- James Naughton,Gregg Edelman
The American Dream- Jonathan Pryce,Cast
Doctor Jazz- Gregory Hines,Company
With One Look- Glenn Close
On Broadway- Adrian Bailey,Frederick B. Owens,Ken Ard,Victor Trent Cook
Le Jazz Hot- Julie Andrews,Ensemble
Seasons Of Love-
Hakuna Matata- Max Casella,Tom Alan Robbins,Scott Irby-Ranniar,Jason Raize
I Wanna Be A Producer- Matthew Broderick,Ensemble
Dancing Queen- Louise Plowright,Jenny Galloway
Good Morning Baltimore- Marissa Jaret Winokur
Movin' Out- Michael Cavanaugh,Band
I Go To Rio- Hugh Jackman,Company
Defying Gravity- Kristin Chenoweth,Idina Menzel

Customer Reviews:

Fabulous for any Broadway-lover.......2007-01-30

Packs into 5 CD's a sampling of Broadway tunes from the 20's thru (almost) today, mostly from original cast recordings. Includes not just well-known hits, but also some lesser-known gems. Sound quality is first rate, booklet is informative too. Have given this as a gift to several friends with rave reviews.

Top Shelf.......2007-01-04

This is THE definitive collection of Broadway hits. I have other collections, and none of them measure up. A great deal of care was obviously taken in compiling and presenting this box set. It covers a lot of ground, starting with some long-forgotten but still very enjoyable hits from the days of yore, and finishing with present-day favorites. To the best of my knowledge, the recordings are by those who made them famous. You won't be disappointed.

TERRIFIC CD'S.......2006-03-23

THESE BROADWAY MUSICALS CD'S ARE A BROADWAY LOVERS DREAM. WITH EACH SONG, MEMORIES COME FLOODING BACK. BOTH THE FAMILIAR AND THE FORGOTTEN SONGS ARE A TRUE LISTENING PLEASURE. IF YOU LIKE BROADWAY, YOU'LL LOVE THIS SET.

Great Collection of Broadways greatest Songs .......2005-06-14

This Collection was perfectly made it has almost all the most famous Broadway songs on this 5 cd set. The Music is great and has Broadways greatest treasures like "Memory""People""With One Look""Give my regards Too Broadway" just to name a few of this numerous cd set with over 100 songs. This is a great buy if you like musicals or The music of Broadway

Great Compilation!.......2005-01-17

If you are a fan of the Broadway Musicals, this is a collection that you should purchase. Since I got the 5 disc set I've enjoyed listening to it. The majority of the songs are done by the original singers. The collection is priceless considering that you will have over 100 songs from popular musicals since the beginning of Broadway

How Sweet the Sound: Spirituals & Traditional Gospel Music

Average customer rating:

Chanticleer, with Bp. Flunder: INDEED - How Very Sweet The Sound
Crystalline
Best Chanticleer CD Yet
How Angry the Sound?
This CD is the bomb!

How Sweet the Sound: Spirituals & Traditional Gospel Music
Chanticleer
Manufacturer: Teldec
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Sing We Christmas

ASIN: B00029CZPW
Release Date: 2004-09-14

Tracks:

Jesus Hits Like An Atom Bomb
Surely God Is Able
Amazing Grace
Medley: Soon One Mornin' - What You Goin' Do When The World's On Fire? - You Can't Hide - Run On For A Long Time
Didn't It Rain
Sit Down Servant - Plenty Good Room
Keep Your Hand On The Plow (Hold On)
My Soul Is A Witness
There Is A Balm In Gilead
Medley: Sometimes I Feel Like A Motherless Child - Poor Pilgrim Of Sorrow - Walk In Jerusalem
Be Still And Know That I'm God

Amazon.com

Chanticleer's repertoire ranges through many centuries. On this recording, the group again proves its infinite versatility in a program of gospel music and spirituals. The singing is so authentic that one feels like a participant in a gospel meeting, swaying to the rhythm with the crowd. Contributing greatly to the impact is Chanticleer's guest, Yvette A. Funder. Possessor of a voice remarkable for its range, power, and flexibility, she brings to the music the empathy and authority of one born and raised in the tradition, whether leading call-and-response, engaging in improvisations that soar high above the chorus, crooning softly in meditation, or shouting in ecstasy. (She is also an active Bishop ministering to the poor and afflicted, and the founder of various social service agencies in California.) Several songs include soloists drawn from the chorus as well, most notably a tenor, a countertenor and a bass who provides a rhythmic ostinato. The program, designed for maximum variety of tempo, mood, character and texture, includes many favorite songs and spirituals, such as "Amazing Grace," "There is a Balm in Gilead," "Sometimes I Feel like a Motherless Child." The arrangements by Joseph Jennings, Chanticleer's Music Director for 20 years, are admirably simple and very good; only a few are marred by awkward modulations or overly sophisticated, Hollywood-inspired effects. Most of them are for a cappella voices. Jennings also contributes a new original composition: "Be still and Know that I'm God." Repeating these words like an invocation, it builds a cumulative drama with increasingly wild, elaborate improvisations in call-and-response between soloist and chorus; supported by a prominent piano part that includes solos, chordal and running passages, it ends with a rousing climax. --Edith Eisler

Customer Reviews:

Chanticleer, with Bp. Flunder: INDEED - How Very Sweet The Sound.......2006-02-10

On this standard red book 16-bit CD we are offered that rare and special invitation: Come now, pilgrim - take yet another good step forward in gospel praise or supplication. How can we progress in our individual and collective spiritual journeys towards whatever transcendent glories ground us, revive us, and lead us on despite life's challenges, unless we sing?. Are you having set backs? This CD is good medicine, and it is both a worthy addition to the gospel music shelf and perhaps just the sort of musical medicine that turns out to be good for you, on more than one level of body, mind, and soul. Not a bitter root aftertaste, nor a nagging fishy oil payback in any of this welcome elixir. I guess that is why we call it, Good News.

The arrangements of new and old gospel standards have been set by counter-tenor Joseph Jennings - a leading Chanticleer member of long standing - intently drawing upon both the florid improvisations of the soloists and gospel groups climbing ever so dazzlingly into the fiery chariots that sacred texts say carried off the prophet; and yes, rooted as well in the impeccably crafted close harmonies and inwardly solid strength of gospel quartets and ensembles like Fisk University's Jubilee Singers and many other exemplars.

So, when you listen to this one you will be immediately surrounded by that amazing and great, gathering could of witnesses. The messages are familiar: Keep your hands on the plow. Surely God is able. There is a balm in Gilead.

Like the famous vocal work by Ralph Vaughan Williams, his Serenade to Music as written for a star-crossed group of well-known British soloists of the era; so this gospel outing brings the small male ensemble Chanticleer to the fore - both as a vocal group and as a fabulous collection of solo voices who are prodigiously gifted vocal stars in their own rights. Capping off Chanticleer as an embarrassment of riches is a guest turn by San Francisco's own Bishop Yvette Flunder. She is the real deal, too, as both an ordained minister whose leadership in black churches has blazed fireworks in celebration of melding religion with social justice, and a Jen-U-Wine good news singer who can preach and pray and moan with the best of them.

Only the superhumanly perfected intonation of their cappella group singing, as well as the superb blend and polish of the Chanticleer dozen, will remind a listener than this group is as famous for its Flemish medieval polyphony or its unerring Purcellian clarity, as any other ensemble of twelve voices now appearing before us.

So, forget all the categories and musicology boxes which would seal off gospel music from pre-Bach cathedral masters of polyphony. With this CD we can just revel in the mysteries of good music, regardless. Yeah, Josquin, I'm talking bout you - Sit down servant, there's plenty good room.

Five stars. Highly recommended.

Crystalline.......2005-04-08

I'm not a huge fan of gospel, because I find it to be led by emotion, and musically undisciplined. Rousing, yes - but a little goes a long, long way. I've also found most gospel recordings to be sonically challenged. Almost as if microphones were incapable of capturing the music with clarity. None of this holds true for "How Sweet the Sound." This is a beautifully recorded cd, and every tune is both musically precise, and emotionally resonant. It is, however, a little hard to listen to in one sitting because of the "sameness" of the arrangements. That's a small quibble - who says any cd has to be experienced all at once - and "There is a Balm in Gilead," alone is worth the price of admission.

Best Chanticleer CD Yet.......2005-02-01

This is the Best Chanticleer CD yet. I have listened to it dozens of times. Money well spent. I have even given copies to several of my friends.

How Angry the Sound?.......2005-01-02

My daughter gave me this CD, because, while I'm not religious, I'm a long time fan of gospel music. The first pass through the record, I found myself wandering off to other tasks. So, the second time I put it on the player I forced myself to sit completely through the record. I'm not familiar with Chanticleer, so I had no idea whey she thought I'd like it, but she's is right more often than not. This would be one of the "not" times.

I guess this as an attempt to make gospel music "hip." With songs like "Jesus Hits Like An Atomic Bomb" and "What You Gon' Do When the World's On Fire?" the lyrics are like walking a American urban street being threatened by strangers. Far from being uplifting, the songs are decidedly unfriendly. The feel of the music reminded more of the howling noises I suffered as a forced member of my parent's Kansas Methodist Church than the sweet, honest sounds of real gospel music. That intangible thing I get from listening to gospel music that is heartfelt and painfully honest, even if deluded, was nowhere to be heard in "How Sweet the Sound." Instead, the music is chant-like, monotonous, and cold.

I would not recommend this record to anyone outside of the Midwest. If you miss the sterile sounds of a Midwestern protestant church in full howl, this might be your cup of weak wine. If gospel music is what you're looking for, look elsewhere.

This CD is the bomb!.......2004-11-28

From "Jesus Hits Like an Atom Bomb" to "Amazing Grace", this CD is packed with glorius gospel spirituals and terrific talent. Highly recommend to music lovers of all faiths!

Average customer rating:

Handel: The Masterworks (Box Set)

Manufacturer: Brilliant Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B00062FLI8
Release Date: 2004-11-30

The Essential Leontyne Price: Spirituals, Hymns & Sacred Songs

Average customer rating:

The Price Club
A living legend
not your daddy's old timey spiritual
Immaculate Vocals of Leontyne Price
Great Gospel Stuff

The Essential Leontyne Price: Spirituals, Hymns & Sacred Songs

Manufacturer: RCA
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000003FWE
Release Date: 1997-01-14

Tracks:

Ev'ry Time I Feel The Spirit - Various Artists
Let Us Break Bread Together On Our Knees - Various Artists
His Name So Sweet - Various Artists
'Roun' About The Mountain - Various Artists
Swing Low , Sweet Chariot - Various Artists
Sit Down, Servant - Various Artists
Were You There - Various Artists
He's Got The Whole World In His Hands - Various Artists
Deep River - Various Artists
Honor! Honor! - Various Artists
My Soul's Been Anchored In De Lord - Various Artists
On Ma Journey - Various Artists
A City Called Heaven - Various Artists
Ride On, King Jesus - Various Artists
I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel To Be Free - Various Artists
Sinner, Please Don't Let This Harvest Pass - Various Artists
Sweet Little Jesus Boy - Various Artists
There Is A Balm In Gilead - Various Artists
Let Us Cheer The Weary Traveler - Various Artists
Ev'ry Time I Feel The Spirit - Various Artists
My Way Is Cloudy - Various Artists
Nobody Knows The Touble I've Seen - Various Artists
I Couldn't Hear Nobody Pray - Various Artists

Tracks:

Holy, Holy, Holy - Leontyne Price
Lead, Kindly Light - Leontyne Price
Blessed Assurance - Leontyne Price
Ave Maria - Leontyne Price
What A Friend We Have In Jesus - Leontyne Price
Amazing Grace - Leontyne Price
The Lord's Prayer - Leontyne Price
Pass Me Not, O Gentle Savior - Leontyne Price
The Church's One Foundation - Leontyne Price
Bless This House - Leontyne Price
I Need Thee Every Hour - Leontyne Price
Schlesische Volkslieder: Fairest Lord Jesus - Leontyne Price
I Wonder As I Wander - Leontyne Price
Ave Maria - Leontyne Price
Porgy And Bess: Summertime - Leontyne Price
America The Beautiful - Leontyne Price
Lift Ev'ry Voice And Sing - Leontyne Price
A Mighty Fortress Is Our God - Leontyne Price
Battle Hymn Of The Republic - Leontyne Price

Customer Reviews:

The Price Club.......2005-04-28

"I am here," said Leontyne Price when interviewed as she opened the new Metropolitan Opera with Samuel Barber's underrated ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA, "and you will know that I am the best and will hear me. The color of my skin or the kink of my hair or the spread of my mouth has nothing to do with what you are listening to." Back in the 1960s Price was one of the greatest divas in all of opera, and it wasn't just her voice but her magnificent stage presence, combined with her social activism. All of the above come into play in this collection of secular songs and ditties, some of them traditional plantation chanties and others, art songs and a scattering of pop music. And some of them, like Gershwin's "Summertime," cross the ever-permeable boundaries between Broadway and classical. These recordings were made at different times in Price's career, and her voice, while always angelic, has different shadings and reaches a different range of timbre in each separate recording date, but there is no question that, as time goes by, she is able to impart a richness of life experience noticeably absent from some of her earlier work.

"Ave Maria" sounds heavenly no matter which way you slice it, and as for "I Wonder As I Wander," it brings tears to your eyes. If you have a heart that's beating you will be moved by this rendition. "Ein feste Burg" is pretty strong, but Price seems more comfortable with the traditional spirituals, though perhaps it is the slightly off-kilter sounds of the Ambrosian Singers (what a name) who back her up on many of these tracks, that detract slightly from the experience. Compare "Lead Kindly Light" for a clear sense of what constitutes authority vs. what is a wee bit overproduced. If you had this compilation, and perhaps one of Leontyne Price's Christmas albums, you could attain nirvana any time you wanted to, just flip a switch and close your eyes, let her lift you up on wings of song.

A living legend.......2005-03-10

Leontyne Price (still alive) and already passing into immortality amongst vocal artists, both classical and popular. Leontyne Price stands at the pinnacle of her classical art, but those who only know her work in La Forza del destino or the Verdi Requiem are in for a heart rending treat with this album where Leontyne Price goes home to her roots in Mississippi and gives an unabashed account of the classic spirituals she sang as a young woman. Like John Mc Cormacks rendering of Irish songs there is a personal longing and devotion expressed here that reveals a side of the artist not known in the bulk of their "classical" repetoire. A sense of going home like Citizen Kane's rosebud, or as Dorothy Gale observes at the end of the Wizard of Oz "everything I could ever have wanted was right in my own backyard "

not your daddy's old timey spiritual.......2004-06-23

Agreed this is a good cd for a beautiful voice, but this is not, repeat not, for someone who wants to hear that old-timey religious fervor that you think of when you've been to a Black Baptist hand-clapping, standing, swaying, and singing service.

Immaculate Vocals of Leontyne Price.......2003-12-31

IMMACULATE, SUPERB vocal range and style! There's no other words that can complement Miss Leontyne Price's vocal arrangements. Miss Price's voice is strong, and shrills very nicely to the instruments played on many songs listed on this double CD which is a joy to treasure; every song listed are songs I was raised to hearing and singing. Miss Price is the reason why many of these songs remain in popularity and presently used. Miss Leontyne Price has been incredible in many of her past performances. This is my fourth CD of Miss Price and I am glad to own this particular CD forever and ever. Many thanks to the executors who found this remarkable album and upgraded it to a CD format! **Angi**

Great Gospel Stuff.......2001-04-12

This is a great CD. The only problem I have with it is that on some of the selections there is a boy's choir screaming in the background, and this takes away (a bit) from her performance. That said, her best selections are those that are either unaccompanied or those where her voice is not buried. Songs that strike me are - His Name So Sweet, He's Got The Whole World, Were You There, I Wonder as I Wander, Lift Every Voice and Sing, and my all time favourite Summertime. Enough said.

Average customer rating:

Good
Listen to "kids' music" without going MAD! This is tops.
This is SO Laughable.... lol lol lol lol
Another fine CD by the Sugar Beats "gang"!

How Sweet It Is
Sugar Beats
Manufacturer: Sugar Beats
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Pop | Styles | Music

General | Children's Music | Styles | Music
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ASIN: B000009SEW
Release Date: 1999-12-14

Tracks:

How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You)
We Got The Beat
(Lime In The) Coconut
Last Train To Clarksville
Walking On Sunshine
Jive Talkin'
Sugar Sugar
Stand
It's A Beautiful Morning
Land Of A Thousand Dances
Walk Like An Egyptian
Nobody But Me
Our House

Amazon.com

The Sugar Beats prove on How Sweet It Is that they were retro before retro was cool, mining mostly the '70s and some of the '80s with cuts like the old Go-Go's hit "We Got the Beat" and the Archies' "Sugar Sugar." Flush with equal amounts of pure bubble-gum pop and some enduring and endearing soul classics such as the Rascals' "It's a Beautiful Morning," the proud classic "Nobody but Me," and the timeless "Land of a Thousand Dances," the set seems to miscue only a couple of times with "Our House" and the novelty tune "(Lime in the) Coconut" (done better by the Muppets, truth be told). Still with esteem-building rockers such as "Walking on Sunshine" and the old Sly Stone civil rights anthem "Stand," who wouldn't want these rethreaded retro tunes blasting in their house? --Martin Keller

Product Description

Fresh remakes that will please both adults and children. 1. How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You) 2. We Got The Beat 3. Coconut, (Lime In The) 4. Last Train To Clarksville 5. Walking On Sunshine 6. Jive Talkin' 7. Sugar Sugar 8. Stand 9. It's A Beautiful Morning 10. Land Of A Thousand Dances 11. Walk Like An Egyptian 12. Nobody But Me 13. Our House Manufacturer: New Sound Music

Customer Reviews:

Good.......2002-06-28

The CD is good, and I enjoy a lot of the songs on it, especially 'We Got The Beat' among all the others with lead vocals by children. Jesse McCartney, for an eleven year old, has a sweet pure voice in Sugar Sugar.

However, the adult lead vocals tend to get annoying and shrill. I bought this CD for the childrens vocals and I hope that in the future the Sugar Beats will do more songs with the actually kids in them.

Listen to "kids' music" without going MAD! This is tops........2002-02-08

The "How Sweet It Is" Sugar Beats CD is well worth the investment. The disc offers great songs (with a few exceptions) remade excellently well for kids and they haven't ruined the tune or the words for those of us who know them already. My 3-year old knows ALL of the words after only a few times through! We play our CD's in the kitchen where my daughter can bop around to her heart's content while Mommy gets a little work done and enjoys the music, too. If I put the disc on to shuffle with others on our big CD player, my child calls out, "NO! MY music!" whenever another "non-Sugar Beats" CD plays.
We have taken our discs on long car trips and to Grandma's house to enjoy. My too-cool teenage brother admits this is a good thing. I remind him that it could be that large purple dinosaur crooning and he cringes!
If you're looking for music your whole family can enjoy, take a listen. These discs are wonderful and showcase some really talented kids (and adults).

This is SO Laughable.... lol lol lol lol.......2001-08-10

OK, this CD deserves 1 star for being good for LITTLE (WAAAAAAAAAAAAAY LITTLE) kids and the other star is just cuz jesse McCartney from Dream Street sings Sugar, Sugar on it.

Another fine CD by the Sugar Beats "gang"!.......1999-03-02

Babyboomers are sure to love this! As with all of their CD's, this one will have you singing and dancing!! Your kids will love it and so will you!! The woman singing in the group is Carole King's daughter. So you know there's real talent there!!! A must have for young and old! Get all of their CD's!

How Sweet It Is! The Jackie Gleason Velvet Brass Collection

Average customer rating:

Most enjoyable......
Gleason's Best Music Recording
This music is a class act!
One of Gleason's BEST Albums!
95% GREAT-5% WRECKING CREW

How Sweet It Is! The Jackie Gleason Velvet Brass Collection
Jackie Gleason
Manufacturer: Razor & Tie
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Jazz | Styles | Music

General | Easy Listening | Pop | Styles | Music

Orchestral Pop | Easy Listening | Pop | Styles | Music
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ASIN: B000002ZAI
Release Date: 1996-06-18

Tracks:

You're Driving Me Crazy
Skyliner
But Not For Me
The Man I Love
Cherokee
Me And My Shadow
Take The 'A' Train
By The Beautiful Sea
Am I Blue?
What's New?
Girl Of My Dreams
My Buddy
I Can't Believe That You're In Love With Me
September Song
Out Of Nowhere
Chinatown, My Chinatown
Melancholy Serenade
One Of These Days
I Had But 50 Cents
To A Sleeping Beauty

Customer Reviews:

Most enjoyable.............2007-01-11

All of Jackie Gleason's music is THE BEST! This particular CD is a great 'time-out' relaxer.........especially during a very busy day.

Gleason's Best Music Recording.......2006-04-18

I bought this CD almost 10 years ago and still enjoy it. Jackie selected some of his favorite big band hits and assembled a then modernized big band. Note the electric guitar in the mix. It adds a really warm sound. Plus, the drums are up front instead of pushed in the back as with older big band arrangements. The musicians are all hand picked by the Great One. Listen to this recording keeping in mind that this was all recorded live in a studio with no overdubbing.

The online clips don't do justice to how good this CD sounds. This CD reissue was created using the original 3 track stereo (left-center-right) master tape and it brings back the music in all it's glory.

This CD contains my favorite version of "Cherokee". It has a nice 1950's jazz feel with the big band sound. Superb!

I do, however, agree that the bonus tracks have no place on this CD. They don't have any musical connection what-so-ever with the original music tracks. At least they are easy enough to skip.

This music is a class act!.......2001-01-13

WOW is all I can say! The only other Gleason album I have is the 12" LP of "Music For Lovers Only". My family played it all the time when I was growing up (I was born in 1963) and we NEVER grew tired of the album. I took a chance on buying this CD and was not disappointed. The brass sound really takes your breath away! The music will grow on you the more you play it. "Moonlight Serenade" has so many memories for me since I remember the old "Jackie Gleason Show" on CBS. I'm glad to see Mr. Gleason's work being revived on CD, and I hope this is part of a greater trend of a revival of this type of music. If you're starving for some grace and class these days, light the fire in the fireplace, pour yourself a drink, put your feet up and enjoy this music!

One of Gleason's BEST Albums!.......2000-07-02

This album holds ALL of Gleason's trademarks: unusual arrangements that leave you spellbound, incredible musicians, and wonderful selections. The brass floats along, and the ENTIRE album is at long last released.This was only the THIRD album recorded in STEREO by Capitol. It was put out in a modified form in mono for it's first general release. For the FIRST time, we have ALL the stereo tracks that were recorded -- SEVENTEEN!The remastering is tops, giving us a peek into that vacuum tube era of '50s recording that many of us love. Unfortunately with modern remastering that quality is lost on most transfers, but not this one. You can hear the album as it was meant to be heard. Truly fantastic! YES, the CD does come with five BONUS tracks, like "Meloncoly Seranade" which was the theme for the HONEYMOONERS, and a few comic tracks by Gleason. That fact is great, and does NOT deter from the fact that the entire stereo album, with great remastering is here for us all to enjoy! GRAB THIS!

95% GREAT-5% WRECKING CREW.......1999-07-08

I have the original GREAT recording on LP and thought how wonderful to have the CD. Unfortunately, and not disclosed is 15 minutes of the loud mouthed television Gleason which runins a magnificent album. How can I play the CD without hearing his shouting? I would return it but have played it. On the back cover there is small wording of "BONUS TRACKS" which a person takes to mean ..more music. No reflection on AMAZON . COM but in my business we file for misrepresentation on the recording studio!..See my positive comments on Jazz Concert Carnegie Hall 1938..WOW! CWF

Average customer rating:

A Composition that Missed the Mark
I generally admire Tan Dun, but this project was a misstep
Dark depths and bright voices, a shock, a whimsy
A Music Collage
Mind Opening

Bitter Love

Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Modern & 20th Century | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Operettas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Opera & Vocal | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music
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ASIN: B00000JWBU
Release Date: 1999-08-17

Tracks:

Against Time Of Desire
I Once Dreamed
Moist With Sweat
NChiCa
Gentle Showers
How Sweet This Incense!
It Is A Ghost!
Your Solemn Vow
Can It Be True
This Is My Fear
To Come
At Peony Pavilion
Stir My Belt Ornaments
Secrecy Departing

Amazon.com

When he was a youth in his native China, Tan Dun spent a period as a fiddle player for a Beijing opera troupe. His intimate familiarity with the great Chinese epic opera The Peony Pavilion from the 16th century (produced during the 1999 Lincoln Center Festival) is evident in his own work of the same name, for which Peter Sellars collaborated as stage director. Bitter Love is a self-contained fusion of music and poetry that draws from Tan's larger opera score. The traditional love story of The Peony Pavilion--which bears some striking similarities to the Orpheus myth--comes through in floating, dreamlike fragments that reflect Chinese poet Tang Xianzu's lucid imagery like a smoky moon against water. As in his earlier and fascinatingly experimental opera Marco Polo, the New York-based Tan creates an eclectic collage of styles that mix East and West, old and new, as well as classical purity and pop energy, all with audacious imagination. This is, after all, a composer who has written music for water and stones, and he exhibits an almost childlike delight in the sensuous appeal of sounds here, in the overlay of traditional Chinese instruments such as pipa with synth beats, cross rhythms, and a panoply of percussion. Soprano Ying Huang gives Tan's fluttering threads of melody a silver sheen. However tempting it might be to label Tan's project as "crossover," it displays a depth and artistic integrity not usually associated with the term. --Thomas May

Customer Reviews:

A Composition that Missed the Mark.......2007-06-15

'East meets West' appears to be the hallmark for this work of avante garde Chinese composer Tan Dun.
Well, I love Chinese music, been listening to large volumes of Chinese operatic recordings and performances for more than 40 years - from the southern Cantonese to the north-western Qin and Yu operas, and even more the Eastern Kun operas and Huang Mei lyrics.
What is being achieved in this album? I would hesitate to call it East meeting West.
Fine, it is original. Fine again, that Miss Huang Ying is a lyrical soprano with a good voice and sound technique.
But please do not mistook the work as having any lineage with the Chinese operatic tradition: it has virtually none of such.
The choice of singer alone reveals that there is no regard to the authentic Chinese operatic tradition: a Western lyrical soprano is UNABLE to bring out the style and sonics in Chinese traditional-styled melodies. For such performer, go for the celebrated Chinese soprano Miss Wu Bixia instead, the pioneer of fusion of Chinese and Western vocal styles.
Very much unlike the more recent work of Tan "The First Emperor", this album endeavours to present music that is off the beaten track. However, the result is that it is off track. The stuff here, I dare say, accounts for more than half of the adverse criticism of that opera, a much more valid work in all respects but for these 'grey area' elements.
Chinese operatic arias are much more than wailing and whining. Musical lines are more melodious, harmonics much clearer.
The blurred effects here are not authentic Chinese style.
I envy those who are able to enjoy this album.

I generally admire Tan Dun, but this project was a misstep.......2006-03-28

BITTER LOVE is a selection of songs from Chinese contemporary composer Tan Dun's 1998 version of the classic Chinese opera "Peony Pavilion". Soprano Ying Huang has the spotlight, with the New York Virtuoso Singers and the NChiCa-Orchestra performing and the composer himself conducting. The staging of the opera, produced by Peter Sellars, was toured around the world, but no video recording was made. These fourteen songs are all we have, but make a conveniently concise single-disc presentation.

Tan Dun's updating is drastic, maintaining the text (in English translation by Cyril Birch) but with totally new music. The traditional music of "Peony Pavilion", of which "Hang the Curtain Down" might be the most well-known, is nowhere to be heard here even in brief quotation. Instrumentation consists of pipa (a Chinese flute), percussion, several midi instruments, electronic sampler, and water gong. The rhythms, the scat singing, and the electronics make this work quite outside both the Western and Chinse traditions, and lovers of chillout projects such as Thievery Corporation may find this CD to their liking. Ying Huang's singing, however, displays the mannerisms of Beijing opera, so the work is a real fusion of styles.

Were this the only work by Dun, it might seem fresh and admirable, but it compares poorly to some of his recent works like THE MAP and the WATER PASSION. Some novel ideas, such as the mix of Chinese and Western instrumentation and the use of water for sound are present, but all in all the musical material here is very limited and repetitive. Perhaps it would be another matter entirely if I were watching a live performance where the orchestra is meant to accompany action onstage, but on its own the music isn't rich enough. Furthermore, Sony's packing of the material, with very unhelpful liner notes, makes it look as if Tan Dun's talent is being used to advance some mission of world music crossover gimmickry. I regrettably cannot recommend this like I can other works by Tan Dun, who is generally one of the most interesting living composers.

Dark depths and bright voices, a shock, a whimsy.......2004-05-24

This piece of music either creeps up on you out of nowhere - like a tarantula imitating a meteor streaking out of outerspace - or it "conveys" itself to you like a waiter extending to you a glass of dark wine - or a film that seeks to shock you with an unexpected silence and a pagan cry. You must be the judge. But if you are faint hearted - quick to flee sexuality in all of its forms - you should go nowhere near this piece. And and if you are bold and brazen and hot for simplistic outrages you should probably bury your head in the sand. This work is for mature listeners only. By "mature" I mean a listener who is willing to cast to the side - as if she or he is flinging to the wind cherry blossoms in autumn - all grotesque fundamentalisms of ANY KIND. The music begins with a luminous voice slowly moving out of darkness. The voice wanders around in the dark over a deep abyss but I do not sense that the abyss is strong enough to terrify that wondrous voice. And the full piece, as it develops, may be best called "The Complicated Tales Of Incandescent Bliss". This piece of music is hideously subversive. I say that with a tongue in my cheek and a fart in my belly. The mere "subversive" is hideously dull. For a century now we have lived with a million, billion artists who wished - desperately wishing to canonize their egos - to "subvert" things. "Bitter Love" is horribly subversive. It is horribly subversive because it does not aim to be "subversive". Its power comes from a source that is not easily described. I am not a witch, but I would like to pretend that I am a witch gazing with my dark-gold eyes into a blasphemously kitsch crystal ball. I would say, gazing into profound fires, that I see a century of struggling, sick, twisted artists striving to catch up to "Bitter Love". It is dark without that pretentious quality that defines the run-of-the-mill Goth. It is bright without protestatiing itself before the blasphemously sentimetality of movies like "The Sound of Music". It plays havoc with our senses without toadying up to the most stupid features of the avant-guard. "Bitter Love" will shock you even while it consoles you.

A Music Collage.......2003-12-01

A soprano; a tenor; a monk; a baritone chorus; an infant; unconventional Chinese orchestration mixed with bits and pieces of Peking Opera; folk tunes; lots of percussions, these are the sounds with which the story of Peony Pavilion is musically revealed. Rather than an opera, it is a musical dream or a conception. Chinese traditional culture is always a rich resource for musicians (especially Chinese musicians) to tap into, and Tan Dun is one of those who know exactly where to get his inspirations. The work is a collage of various individual and seemingly disparate elements of West and East, ritual and sensual, ancient and modern, only that Tan displays them with a sense of assimilation at times, and antithesis at others. As always, Tan's unique music perspectives, distinctively modern though they are, are fulfilled by returning to the original purity and simplicity of the basics and down-to-earth folk music elements.

Ying Huang's pure soprano displays the poetry of the music beautifully. With sensuous approach, her singing is well attuned to the music's aura of longing and exotic beauty. The fabulous baritone chorus from The New York Virtuoso Singers gives a touch of the western opera and provides an indispensable layer to the otherwise rather thin orchestration.

But the music is not for everyone, nor for everyday. Despite its depth and range, it could be a strange land for the ears not tuned to its novelties and diversities, and as for that matter, one may wonder how much of the profound emotions Tan meant to deliver has actually reached the audience at general level.

Mind Opening.......2002-04-24

If you're unfamiliar with Chinese Opera this album may be shocking. But, once you take the time to listen this is a beautiful experience. Tan Dun's blend of eastern and western musical traditions is brilliant. Ying Haung's voice is clear with tones "razor sharp."

Tracks:

O Solitude - Nancy Argenta/Nigel North
Ah! How Sweet It Is To Love - Nancy Argenta/Richard Boothby/Paul Nicholson
Not All My Torments - Nancy Argenta/Nigel North/Paul Nicholson
Stripp'd Of Their Green - Nancy Argenta/Nigel North/Richard Boothby/Paul Nicholson
Tell Me, Some Pitying Angel - Nancy Argenta/Nigel North/Richard Boothby/Paul Nicholson
If Music Be The Food Of Love - Nancy Argenta/Richard Boothby/Paul Nicholson
Hark! Hark! The Echoing Air - Nancy Argenta/Nigel North/Richard Boothby/Paul Nicholson
The Fatal Hour Comes On Apace - Nancy Argenta/Nigel North
Incassum, Lesbia - Nancy Argenta/Nigel North/Paul Nicholson
Sweeter Than Roses - Nancy Argenta/Nigel North/Richard Boothby
Cupid, The Slyest Rogue Alive - Nancy Argenta/Nigel North/Richard Boothby/Paul Nicholson
From Silent Shades - Nancy Argenta/Nigel North/Richard Boothby/Paul Nicholson
Dear Pretty Youth - Nancy Argenta/Nigel North/Richard Boothby
From Rosy Bow'rs - Nancy Argenta/Nigel North/Richard Boothby/Paul Nicholson
Now That The Sun Hath Veil'd His Light - Nancy Argenta/Paul Nicholson
Beneath A Poplar's Shadow - Nancy Argenta/Nigel North/Richard Boothby
I Attempt From Love's Sickness To Fly - Nancy Argenta/Paul Nicholson
Let Us Dance - Nancy Argenta/Nigel North/Richard Boothby/Paul Nicholson
Fairest Isle - Nancy Argenta/Nigel North
O Solitude - Nancy Argenta/Richard Boothby

Tracks:

Nymphs And Shepherds - Nancy Argenta/Nicholas Robinson/Fiona Huggett/Trevor Jones/Richard Boothby/Nigel North/John Toll
Amidst The Shades And Cool Refreshing Streams - Nancy Argenta/Nigel North
Love In Their Little Veins Inspires - Nancy Argenta/Rachel Becket/Marion Scott/Richard Boothby/Nigel North
Fly Swift, Ye Hours - Nancy Argenta/Richard Boothby/Nigel North/John Toll
They Tell Us That Your Mighty Powers - Nancy Argenta/Nicholas Robinson/Fiona Huggett/Trevor Jones/Richard Boothby/Nigel North/John Toll
The Plaint: O Let Me Weep - Nancy Argenta/Pauline Nobes/Richard Boothby/Nigel North/John Toll
In The Black, Dismal Dungeon Of Despair - Nancy Argenta/Nigel North/John Toll
See, Even Night Herself Is Here - Nancy Argenta/Nicholas Robinson/Fiona Huggett/Trevor Jones
Why Should Men Quarrel? - Nancy Argenta/Rachel Becket/Marion Scott/Richard Boothby/John Toll
Seek Not To Know - Nancy Argenta/Paul Goodwin/Sophia McKenna/Richard Boothby/Nigel North/John Toll
Retir'd From Mortals' Sight - Nancy Argenta/Nigel North
To Arms, Heoric Prince - Nancy Argenta/Mark Bennett/Richard Boothby/Nigel North/John Toll
O Lead Me To Some Peaceful Gloom - Nancy Argenta/Richard Boothby/Nigel North/John Toll
Halcyon Days - Nancy Argenta/Paul Goodwin/Pauline Nobes/Richard Boothby/Nigel North/John Toll
Bid The Virtues - Nancy Argenta/Paul Goodwin/Richard Boothby/Nigel North/John Toll
Lord, What Is Man? (A Divine Hymn) - Nancy Argenta/Richard Boothby/Nigel North/John Toll
Music For A While - Nancy Argenta/John Toll
If Music Be The Food Of Love (1st Setting) - Nancy Argenta/Richard Boothby/John Toll
Sawney Is A Bonny Lad (A Scotch Song) - Nancy Argenta/Nigel North
When I Have Often Heard Young Maids Complaining - Nancy Argenta/Nicholas Robinson/Fiona Huggett/Richard Boothby/Nigel North/John Toll
Ah! Cruel, Bloody Fate - Nancy Argenta/Nigel North/John Toll
Thy Hand, Belinda... When I Am Laid In Earth - Nancy Argenta/Nicholas Robinson/Fiona Huggett/Trevor Jones/Richard Boothby/Nigel North

Customer Reviews:

Nice Collection.......2007-03-05

I have many collections of Purcell's Music. This collection stands up to them at half the price. Solid buy.

PERFECT!.......2006-10-26

There is only a word with which I can describe this set of discs: perfect!
The only flaw there is, is not related to the singing or playing: no text enclosed.

Great singing and excellent value for money.......2004-09-19

This is probably one of the best anthologies of Purcell songs around, and not just because it's two-for-one pricing means it contains twice as much music (CD1:74'24" & CD2: 77'41")! Nancy Argenta has an irrepressible sense of style and crystal clear diction. But unlike Emma Kirby, whose vocal purity can become tiresome, these renditions radiate warmth. She is also, I have found, more consistently involving than any one of the singers in Hyperion's three disc survey of Complete Secular Songs (recently reissued as a single set). One marvels at how she judiciously balances restraint and emotional forthrightness. The accompaniments (archlute, viola da gamba, harpsichord, and organ) are well judged and blend with the voice, all helped by an excellently defined recording acoustic. This is an absolute winner at any price!

More than two hours of beautiful 17th century 'ayres'.......2001-08-02

Two CDs, totaling more than 150 minutes of sparsely-arranged (never more than 3-5 instruments at a time), sweetly-sung, 350 year old 'ayres' (a typically English form of secular music). Nancy Argenta's soprano voice is lovely, silvery indeed as her name implies. The instruments are a discreet but friendly accompaniment to her solo voice. Perhaps the instruments are a little too discreet -- there are times when I wish they were a touch more prominent. But that is a very, very minor complaint. A beautiful collection, and quite well worth the money.