Tiger Man [Live]

Amazon.com
Even more than his "waist up" appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show, the "sit down" segment of Elvis's 1968 comeback special was by far his most powerful appearance on television. Proof that Elvis could still rock, it was also only his third live performance since 1957. This seminal rock & roll moment, with Elvis surrounded by Scotty Moore and DJ Fontana, was actually two separate sessions taped two hours apart. The first session, along with rehearsals, appears on Memories: The `68 Comeback Special. However, it's always been the second session, the 8 p.m. show, unreleased in its entirety until the appearance now of Tiger Man, that's lived in popular legend as one of the great undiscovered treasures of his oeuvre. An again confident Elvis really cuts loose here, launching into scorching versions of early classics. "That's All Right," "Heartbreak Hotel" (where he has to stop to catch his breath and remember the lyrics), and "Blue Suede Shoes" have all the fire that first made him such an arresting phenomenon. But it's the title cut, which was spliced into the TV special's second showing in August 1969, that is the showstopper. This disc instantly becomes one of the cornerstones of any Elvis collection. --Robert Baird

Tiger Man,Elvis Presley,RCA,Oldies,Pop,Pop/Rock,Popular Music,Rock,Rock & Roll,Rockabilly

Tiger Man [Live]

Average customer rating:

I was just a small boy at the time.
A secret weapon of the '68 comeback: the jam session!
Don't listen to the other reviews
LOVE ELVIS...DISLIKE THE BANTERING BAND & SCREAMING GIRLS!
Elvis Performing 'Unplugged' Accompanied by Screams

Tiger Man
Elvis Presley
Manufacturer: Bmg / Elvis
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Pop | Styles | Music

Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music

General | Oldies | Pop | Styles | Music

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Rockabilly | Oldies & Retro | Rock | Styles | Music

General | Live Albums | Rock | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Memories: The '68 Comeback Special
That's the Way It Is
From Nashville To Memphis: The Essential 60's Masters
Elvis - The '68 Comeback Special (Deluxe Edition DVD)
On Stage February, 1970

ASIN: B00000ADGA
Release Date: 1998-09-15

Tracks:

Heartbreak Hotel
Baby What You Want Me To Do
Introductions 8pm
That's All Right
Are You Lonesome Tonight?
Baby What You Want Me To Do
Blue Suede Shoes
One Night
Love Me
Trying To Get To You
Lawdy Miss Clawdy
Santa Claus Is Back In Town
Blue Christmas
Tiger Man
When My Blue Moon Turns To Gold Again
Memories

Amazon.com

Even more than his "waist up" appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show, the "sit down" segment of Elvis's 1968 comeback special was by far his most powerful appearance on television. Proof that Elvis could still rock, it was also only his third live performance since 1957. This seminal rock & roll moment, with Elvis surrounded by Scotty Moore and DJ Fontana, was actually two separate sessions taped two hours apart. The first session, along with rehearsals, appears on Memories: The `68 Comeback Special. However, it's always been the second session, the 8 p.m. show, unreleased in its entirety until the appearance now of Tiger Man, that's lived in popular legend as one of the great undiscovered treasures of his oeuvre. An again confident Elvis really cuts loose here, launching into scorching versions of early classics. "That's All Right," "Heartbreak Hotel" (where he has to stop to catch his breath and remember the lyrics), and "Blue Suede Shoes" have all the fire that first made him such an arresting phenomenon. But it's the title cut, which was spliced into the TV special's second showing in August 1969, that is the showstopper. This disc instantly becomes one of the cornerstones of any Elvis collection. --Robert Baird

Customer Reviews:

I was just a small boy at the time........2006-01-15

This is the complete June 27, 8PM "Sit Down" show. It is one of the two informal live shows that Elvis taped for the legendary '68 Comeback Special. Bits and pieces of the Sit Down shows were inserted into the Special. The premise of the Sit Down shows was Elvis having fun singing and playing with his buddies, while occasionally making a comment about his career. The music is great, although some people may be annoyed by the screaming females in the audience. It doesn't bother me, though. I love this stuff.

A secret weapon of the '68 comeback: the jam session!.......2005-05-25

The two intimate jam sessions that compose this album may be the only spontaneous moments of Elvis Presley's carefully orchestrated 1968 television comeback special. In his prime at 33, Elvis reunites with his original backup band from '56 - guitarist Scotty Moore and drummer D.J. Fontana. The feeling is loose & limber and Elvis delivers some of his rawest singing ever. Just imagine Elvis hanging out in your living room, and he sees a guitar in the corner and asks "Mind if I play that?" You reply with a hearty "Yes!" and the King just starts wailing away.

The set list on "Tiger Man" emphasizes his very early hits. Elvis jumbles lyrics and rests in between songs for storytelling and joke making (of which his bandmates seem a little too eager to laugh at). There's some serious country-blues singing on the Jimmy Reed classic "Baby, Tell Me What You Want Me To Do". When Elvis finally performs the title cut (at that time a new song for him), he engages the tune with great energy, unleashing much eagerness for his recent material. His only bit of forced enthusiasm rises when he comments on the then-present rock 'n' roll scene of 1968, with compliments best described as faint praise. Sadly, one star gets stripped off this rating due to the almost incessant screaming from the teenage girls seated nearby (especially during "Are You Lonesome Tonight" and "One Night"). It really gets annoying after the first 5 minutes!

Elvis closes the album with the string-heavy romantic ballad "Memories", providing a hint of what direction his music was about to head into. No matter how overlooked it is, I believe this performance is the unheralded highlight of the '68 comeback special. A heavily recommended album for hardcore Elvis lovers, or anyone who gets off on stripped-down acoustic rock and blues.

Don't listen to the other reviews.......2004-06-22

If you are any kind of Elivs fan, and especially a musician like myself, then this is definitely a CD worth picking up. I never used to like Elvis until I went to Graceland (cheesy, I know), but I started buying some of his stuff and finally picked up the '68 Comeback Special. I loved the first disc, but it was disc 2 that really hit me. As a musician and having played countless shows, it's always refreshing to see a band you absolutely idolize and find out after playing with them that they are, in fact, very down-to-Earth people and quite genuine (most of them, anyways). That CD did just that for Elvis and I wanted more! It displayed his true personality and went beyond just the idol that was The King and let you into a person that could have very well been your next-door-neighbor.

Tiger Man, to me, picks up where the Comback Special disc 2 left off. It's the whole 8 p.m. show stright through and is, quite simply, amazing in all respects. Many of the people who posted previous reviews griped about all the on-stage banter and the other musicians yelling while Elvis is performing, well, don't forget they are ALL performing, not just Elvis. Until you've been onstage and have been totally wrapped up in the music and completely forgetting the audience sitting around you, you'll never understand. This CD picks up on the rawness of a true "live" show and exemplifies just how great a performer they all were, not just the King. To be this rock-solid after all those years of not performing live is a true testament to all of them.

In short - Buy this. It's so much more real than anything else I've ever heard (although I'm still a huge fan of Comeback Special disc 2) from Elvis, especially his studio work. You can do take after take in the studio until you get it right... but it's a live performance that is a true test of a musician's skills. I'm happy to say that Elvis, Scotty, DJ Fontana and the rest of the crew get a solid A+!!

LOVE ELVIS...DISLIKE THE BANTERING BAND & SCREAMING GIRLS!.......2004-03-12

I love this album because I believe that this is the TRUE Elvis. He shows his charisma, charm and awesome voice. He is truly THE BEST! There are only two things wrong with this album, the screaming girls in the background, and his chattering band. They are very annoying, but who could blame them? I would have more than likely done the same thing if I were there! (Screamed that is) More annoying and distracting than the girls are the, "awwww, get its!" and "awww yeahs!" and "one mo time's" of his band while Elvis is singing. I wish there were a way to delete or muffle them. If that were possible, this would be a truly outstanding album because NO ONE can sing like THE KING. It is a shame because their constant need to make noise detracts from his beautiful voice and guitar playing. If you can totally focus on just Elvis and ignore the the girls and his band, then you will love this album because his voice and song selections are awesome!

Elvis Performing 'Unplugged' Accompanied by Screams.......2003-10-20

Great energy and rawness from Elvis. Great hearing performing with his old gang and with simple,effective music accompanement. However, Elvis' screaming fans can be distracting in listening to this CD. Heed the advice of Music Fan who authored 'Essential Elvis Fans'- if a more professional, live performance is desired, one may wish to look elsewhere.

Average customer rating:

Very Nice
Eh... it's okay for the young.
Almost perfect...
okay
Almost Perfect!!!!

Classical Hits

Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

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Requiems | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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Classical Instrumental Music | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music

Opera & Vocal | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music
Similar Items:

Pure Classics
Best of the Millennium: Top 40 Classical Hits
Russell Watson · The Voice
The Andrew Lloyd Webber Collection
Josh Groban

ASIN: B00005NNNC
Release Date: 2001-09-11

Tracks:

Pie Jesu from Requiem
Ave Maria, "Ellens Gesang III"
Duel Of The Fates from Star Wars Episode 1: The Phantom Menace
Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again from Phantom of the Opera
Rose
Nella fantasia
Pavane for Guitar and String Orchestra
'O mio babbino caro (from Gianni Schicchi)
Jesus, bleibet meine Freude (Jesus, Joy of Man's Desiring)
'O sole mio
Maria from West Side Story Suite
The Second Waltz (Music from the motion picture Eyes Wide Shut)
Now We Are Free (from the Original Motion Picture Soundtrack of Gladiator)
The Eternal Vow from Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
'O Fortuna from Carmina Burana
Theme From Braveheart (from the Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
The Prince of Denmark's March
Spring - I. Allegro
Appalachia Waltz
Nessun dorma! (from Turandot)

Customer Reviews:

Very Nice.......2006-08-12

I must say I enjoyed pretty much all of the songs on this album. "Victory" by Bond was the only thing they shouldn't have included, since it doesn't quite qualify as "classical" and wasn't what I would call a hit, anyway. True, it was instrumental, but real classical music is of a higher caliber. ("Now We Are Free" isn't quite classical either but it's not 'commercialized' like "Victory.") I really liked "Duel of the Fates," "Maria," "Now We Are Free," and "O Fortuna." Those were my favorites out of a great selection of songs. I would recommend this to anyone who doesn't really care for full-blown classical.

Eh... it's okay for the young........2006-02-03

I bought this cd when it first came out, as my first real taste of anything even remotely classical. And for that purpose, it works. For someone getting into classical seriously though, I'd start somewhere else.

Almost perfect..........2005-09-17

aside from the second track (Bond-Victory) and the title track from the movie Braveheart, this is a decent classical album. The Bond-Victory selection is embarrassing commercial crap.

okay.......2002-11-08

This is a perfect album for someone who doesn't like classical music. It's almost like classical crib notes. The mix is great for dinner or party music but I was left wanting more. I'm not sure of it, but it felt like each song was shortened some how.

Almost Perfect!!!!.......2002-01-17

This album contains many of contemporary classic music's finest songs sung by many of the finest singers in the world. Bocelli, Brightman, Fleming, Watson, just to name a few. The problem here is with the opener, where the song is sung by the execrable Charlotte Church. Its a mystery to everyone I know who has heard this CD why this song is not sung by Sarah Brightman who did the original and defining version. The rendition by Church simply demonstrates her lack of vocal control and emotion. Even a cover by Renee Fleming is far superior to that of Church's. The only thing I can think of here is that since the album is put out by Sony, and Charlotte is owned by Sony, they had to find some place for her songs after paying her so much money.
If not for Church poisoning the well on track 1, this album is an absolute 5-star

Percy Grainger: The Complete Piano Music

Average customer rating:

Every last note...

Percy Grainger: The Complete Piano Music

Manufacturer: Nimbus Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Dances | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Waltzes | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Fantasies | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

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Noels | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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Boccherini: Clavier Quintets (Complete)
Couperin: 4 Livres de pièces de clavecin [Box Set]
Bach: Complete Works - 155 CD Box Set

ASIN: B0000037AX
Release Date: 1997-11-18

Tracks:

Handel In The Strand
Bridal Lullaby
English Waltz
Mock Morris
To A Nordic Princess
In A Nutshell-Ste: I. Arrival Platform Humlet
In A Nutshell-Ste: II. Gay But Wistful
In A Nutshell-Ste: III. Pastoral
In A Nutshell-Ste: IV. 'The Gum-Suckers' March
Peace
Saxon Twi-Play
Andante Con Moto
Children's March
The Immovable Do
Sailor's Song
Colonial Song
Walking Tune
Harvest Hymn
In Dahomey

Tracks:

b flat Pno Con (Opening)
Cradle-Song
Love Walked In
Second Pno Con (3rd Movt)
Now, O Now, I Needs Must Part
Nimrod
Ramble On The Last Love-Duet
Chinese Melody-Beautiful Fresh Flower
Paraphrase On The Flower Waltz
Lullaby From 'Tribute To Foster'
American Song-The Rag-Time Girl
'Blithe Bells'
Fugue In a
The Man I Love

Tracks:

Country Gardens
The Merry King
Molly On The Shore
Irish Tune From County Derry
Knight And Shepard's Daughter
The Nightingale And The Two Sisters
Jutish Medley
Sussex Mummers' Christmas Carol
The Rival Brothers
Near Woodstock Town
Will Ye Gang To The Hielands, Lizzie Lindsay
The Brisk Young Sailor
One More Day My John (Easy Version)
Rimmer And Goldcastle
Spoon River
The Widow's Party
The Hunter In His Career
My Robin Is To The Greenwood Gone
Died For Love
Scotch Strathspey
One More Day My John (Complex Version)
Bristol Town
Hard-Hearted Barb'ra Helen
Mo Ninghean Dhu
Lisbon (Dublin Bay)
Stalt Vesselil
O Gin I Were Where Gowrie Rins
Shepard's Hey

Tracks:

Four Irish Dances: I. A March-Jig
Four Irish Dances: II. A Slow Dance
Four Irish Dances: III. The Leprechaun's Dance
Four Irish Dances: IV. A Reel
Nell
Apres Un Reve
Pno Con, First Movt
Tiger-Tiger
Air And Dance
Hornpipe
Toccata And Fugue in d
Lullaby From 'Tribute To Foster' (Easy Grainger)
Angelus Ad Virginem
Klavierstuck in E
Eastern Intermezzo
The Bigelow March
Pno Con, First Movt
At Twilight
Klavierstuck in a
Klavierstuck in B Flat
Klavierstuck in D

Tracks:

Children's March: 'Over The Hills And Far Away'
Up-Country Song (Colonial Song)
English Dance
Ye Banks And Braes O' Bonnie Doon
'Spoon River'-American Folk Dance
Train Music
Zanzibar Boat-Song
Paganini Varations, No.12
Green Bushes-Passacaglia On An English Folksong
William Byrd's Air And Variations For The Virginals 'The Carman's Whistle'
'A Dance Rhapsody'
Girl Crazy: Embraceable You
The Warriors-Music To An Imaginary Ballet

Customer Reviews:

Every last note..........2006-06-14

A super budget 5 CD collection of all of Grainger's Piano music.
Every last note!
The shipping alone would be $17.00+ for the 5 individual Cds.
Englishman Martin Jones plays these as if he wrote them. He is thoroughly inside this music.
I think his best work to date.
He is joined on CD #5 by Richard Mcmahon and Phillip Martin. Where they rollick in various combos and trios on 1, 2 and 3 pianos. This is exhilerating. Especially on an truly uplifting version of Green Bushes.
The entire set is strongly idiomatic and given a clear, crisp, warm and spacious recording. FIRST CLASS sound.
There are too many highlights to single out, but the In A Nutshell Suite and Green Bushes are especially GOOD!
There is not a bad note or "vibe" on any of these CDs.
Highly recommended for Granger fans and fans of English Piano Music.

Average customer rating:

The Andre Kostelanetz Touch

The Kostelanetz Touch

Manufacturer: Asv Living Era
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

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The Ultimate Collection
Ultimate Collection

ASIN: B00006357L
Release Date: 2002-04-23

Tracks:

With a Song in My Heart
Tiger Rag
Swamp Fire
Fascinating Rhythm
'S Wonderful
Bugle Call Rag
Music of Jerome Kern (Medley): Smoke Gets in Your ...
Estrellita
Dancing in the Dark
Turkey in the Straw
Po
Liebestraum
Manhattan Serenade
Blues in the Night
My Sombrero
Night and Day
Flamingo
Coubacaban
When Day Is Done
I'll See You Again

Customer Reviews:

The Andre Kostelanetz Touch.......2002-05-31

If you were born before 1950, you will like this CD. I bought it because I have long admired Andre Kostelanetz. He was accomplished in leading both popular and classical orchestras. The recordings on this CD are monaural and were recorded in the late 30's to mid 40's. I don't think Tiger Rag, Bugle Call Rag and Turkey in the Straw complement the other selections. The remainder, however, are lush and romantic.

Average customer rating:

Great renditions
excellent representation of an unknown 20th century master

Rebecca Clarke: The Cloths of Heaven

Manufacturer: Guild
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

Classical | Imports | Stores | Music
Similar Items:

Rebecca Clarke: The Complete Choral Music
Rebecca Clarke: Chamber Music
Rebecca Clarke: Midsummer Moon, Passacaglia, Rhapsody etc.

ASIN: B0000542IP
Release Date: 2005-01-17

Customer Reviews:

Great renditions.......2004-11-10

The execution on this CD is excellent from all participants. Extremely musical, well thought out, just gorgeous, understandable from all perspectives.

excellent representation of an unknown 20th century master.......2004-02-24

From www.rebeccaclarke.org
The songs on this disk represent a wide range of Clarke's output, from the earliest mature songs ("Tears," "The Cloths of Heaven," ca. 1912) to her last completed work ("God Made a Tree," 1954, according to the catalogue by her estate manager, Christopher Johnson), and music both published (some from the 1994 collection reprinted by Boosey & Hawkes) and still unpublished ("Tears," "Tiger, Tiger" and "The Donkey"). 53 songs by Clarke survive (mostly for solo voice and piano, and also several other combinations including the songs arranged for voice and violin).

John Masefield was not yet Poet Laureate of Great Britain when Clarke met him in 1925 to discuss her settings of his writings. "June Twilight" and "The Seal Man" both evoke undulating scenes of nature, but there the similarities end. "June Twilight" is rapturous in its joy of a country scene, wistful only at the temporal finiteness of that beauty. A prose text from Masefield's A Mainsail Haul, Clarke set "The Seal Man" in 1922. Based on the Celtic myth of the seal who takes on the form of a man in order to lure women to their death in the sea, the legend reverses the genders of the Greek myth of the Siren. This declamatory prose setting is one of which she always spoke of as being one of her favorites.

W. B. Yeats was a favorite poet of composers of Clarke's generation. She dedicated "Shy One" "The Cloths of Heaven" to the famous English tenor Gervase Elwes, who was one of the first to champion her music, and who sang her music in New York City just days before his 1921 death in a Boston train accident. Clarke's setting of "Shy One" is warmly tinged with modal flavor and a strongly profiled melody; yet the Musical Times attacked its use of dissonance.

With its imagery of flowers and romance, Anna Wickham's poem "The Cherry Blossom Wand" might at first glance seem to be cheerful, but closer reading reveals a dark cynicism. The poem was widely read when it was first published in 1915, but although labeled "To be set to music" (Wickham herself trained as a singer), Clarke's is the only setting. Clarke knew the poet through their mutual friend, cellist May Mukle.

Clarke would go on to set three more works by women poets to music, the resulting songs a small but distinct part of her output. Ella Young, an Irish poet and novelist, settled in California in 1925. Clarke's setting of Young's "Greeting" is a small but strongly chiseled lyrical expression. Starting with rolling waves and buoyant melody, the mention of a lost love darkens the mood and leads to harmonic twists and shifts of texture.

The poet of "God Made a Tree," Katherine Kendall, is unknown in literature and was a British friend of Clarke, and a devout Catholic. Rebecca and her siblings were raised "in the strictest irreligion," as one of her nieces recalls, but did gain an informal interest in western religion and Christianity as shown by her Psalm settings of the early 1920s, and this setting of the Kendall text, and also the setting of Chesterton's wry but profound Palm Sunday text, "The Donkey"; interestingly, none of these religious-themed works were published. Clarke dedicated "The Donkey" to the Danish dramatic soprano Povla Frijsch in 1941. Frijsch had long championed Clarke's songs, naming her in a Musical America interview as among her favorite American composers. Frijsch's release of "Shy One" on a recording, the first of Clarke's music, may have motivated the dedication.

Clarke's setting of Psalm 63 was one of the works she showed to Gustav Holst in 1921 in order to receive his opinion and advice. It reveals the influence of Ernst Bloch, as well as Clarke's exposure to Jewish chanting through her London friends the Bentwiches.
While many of Clarke's British contemporaries set texts from A. E. Housman's early publication A Shropshire Lad, Clarke was the first to turn to his Late Poems, from which "Eight O'Clock" is drawn. Clarke illustrates the concise text in a work of devastating impact.

The anonymous poem "Tears" (labeled by Clarke as "Old Chinese Words") reveals Clarke's fascination with the Far East, which had grown since encountering a Javanese Gamelan at the World Exposition in Paris in 1900. The spacious span of its opening, and its use of wholetone scales create an austere and exotic atmosphere.

"Come, O Come my Life's Delight" offers a rapturous view of love. Based on words set by the seventh-century Thomas Campion, Clarke based this 1924 song on her own earlier choral setting. Claude Flight, author of "The Aspidistra," was an artist and friend of Clarke's. Parodying the conventions of the Victorian Parlour, "The Aspidistra" is a bold statement in its outrageous humour.

The Blake settings "Cradle Song" and "Infant Joy," evoke the traditional maternal position. Since Clarke had no children, these works might be understood as a musical expression of her perceived feminine role. "Cradle Song" employs clarity of structure and rhythm, and accessible poetic scansion; these are enriched by the impressionist vocabulary of chordal parallelism. Also a Blake setting, "Infant Joy" is a gem, a radiant outburst of devotion. Clarke also wrote several instrumental lullabies, with one for violin and voice included here.

"Tiger, Tiger" also sets Blake, a text that Benjamin Britten would turn to in the 1960s in his much more reserved setting. Clarke's work is her darkest song, with swirling chromaticism bordering on the expressionist, matching the text's evocation of the erotic and the unknowable subconscious realm. Clarke probably wrote "Tiger, Tiger" with John Goss in mind, as she relentlessly revised it during her romantic entanglement with him (ca. 1929-1933); she was also discouraged by a publisher's rejection of the work; they no doubt preferred lighter fare, especially from women. The disturbing power of "Tiger, Tiger" suggests that Clarke deserves consideration as a major composer of twentieth century song.

Like most violists, Clarke started on the violin as a child, switching to the viola while at the Royal College, and at the suggestion of Stanford. Yet, she sometimes still played the violin, in family or informal settings, or in her role as a versatile freelance musician. A former teacher and suitor, Percy Miles, died in 1922 leaving Clarke a Stradivarius violin, which she occasionally played in subsequent years.

"Midsummer Moon" was dedicated to Adila Fachiri, with whom Clarke often performed in ensemble concerts in England. "Starting a fiddle piece using some old scraps," she wrote of the work in February of 1924, a vivid description reflecting Clarke's hobby as an avid sewer. The Musical Times noted the brilliance of the work, while determined to consider it only as representative of the "'new' woman composer."

The arrangements of Old English Songs, and Irish Folk Songs for voice and violin were among Clarke's most popular pieces, which she sometimes played for pleasure as well as in concert settings. Their folk and traditional themes remind us that Clarke should be squarely placed in the mainstream of the English Musical Renaissance, since they both suggest her influence by Holst's settings of the same unusual combination, and her possible influence on Vaughan Williams who would write for voice and violin in 1928.

Tracks:

Fanfare For The Common Man
Midnight In Moscow
Duke Elington Medley
Dacing In The Dark
Casbah Shuffle
New York City Ghost
Sweet Georgia Brown
Mold, Mold
Humpback Boogie
Tiger Rag
Souvenir De Puerto Rico
Requiem
Buglers' Holiday
Take Me Out To The Ballgame
Also Sprach Zarathustra

Customer Reviews:

This is DEFINITELY worth a listen!.......2007-01-16

I am a sax player as well as a music teacher and have found this CD to be well worth the money! Not only do you get a wide variety of styles, but you also get to hear one of the rare saxophone orchestras who use uncommon instruments. You can tell that these players have a lot of fun together, which makes it all the more enjoyable to listen to as well as teach with. There are slight intonation problems on the occasion, but when you think about all of the things they are doing - I think I'll let that one slide! Don't miss out on this unique and enjoyable group! My personal favorite track is Casbah Shuffle. I hope you enjoy!

DO NOT BUY THIS CD!!!.......2005-09-18

What a major disappointment. Has this group ever heard of intonation, vibrato, or articulation? There are several spots on this CD where the "ensemble" is just not even close to being together. I don't know what these other reviewers are talking about. Don't buy this CD "just to hear the contrabass sax." I have heard better sounds from my lawn mower running over tree branches. The Nuclear Whales should pull this recording off the market to avoid any more embarrassment. I will not buy any more of their recordings, and urge you to do the same. Save your money for gas.

Totally enthralling!.......2000-09-30

If you only have one saxophone ensemble CD, it should be from the Whales. And if you don't like saxophone, buy this anyways--you will still like it. Good music is music that sounds good, right?

This CD starts, appropriately enough, with a fanfare (Fanfare for the Common Man), which makes great use of the soprano lead. The lower voices are gradually layered in, but they don't bring out all the horns until the second track, which rotates the leads among all the players, including Don Stevens on the Contrabass.

To put it mildly, the Contrabass sax is more than a bit unusual, and there are only a few in existence. Stevens' horn was fortuitously discovered in a New Jersey warehouse just before demolition. The difference between a more standard quartet and this orchestra is the addition of 50% more players and additional voices. The Whales always supplemented the standard 4 saxes (soprano, alto, tenor, and bari) with sopranino and bass. Adding the contrabsss makes this pure magic. Nobody can listen to a contrabass sax without cracking a smile.

I'm a sucker for Ellington, so when it is played by a talented group of musicians like this--especially a sax ensemble--its irresistable to me. The Ellington medley is exquisite, with a tearful interpretation of "Come Sunday" immediately followed by a novel rendition of "Caravan."

The contrabass totally rocks on "Casbah Shuffle". That thing just kind of thwops-it is almost percussive, which makes a great effect in conjunction with the tabla (the Indian drum that goes `dweep, dweep, dweep') and tam tam. With a soprano lead, it has a real Don Ellis "Electric Bath" kind of feel. This is fun stuff-I can't imagine anyone not liking this.

No group located in a tree-hugging locale like Santa Cruz, CA would name themselves Nuclear Whales if they didn't have a sense of humor, but a novelty number like "Shuffle" is immediately followed by a completely serious number, "New York City Ghost," which is so haunting it gives me goose bumps. Interestingly, they don't identify the soloists, and I'm not sure which of the 3 soprano-players does the lead in this one. For the most part, they arrange their own stuff, but this one is arranged by Lennie Niehaus.

Back to another upbeat number; "Sweet Georgia Brown" must have been written with the saxophone in mind. This is the thwoppiest chart for the contrabass. It's followed by an original vocal piece by baritonist Ann Merrell called "Mold, Mold" that would be perfect for some of the Louis Jordan-inspired swing bands that were popular a couple years back.

The rest of the album is more of the same, alternating grit, swing & jazz with Richard Strauss and Louis Gottschalk. This group can play anything, and it sounds great.

Much Larger Than Whales!!.......1999-04-07

Folks, this is simply ensemble sax at it's finest! It don't get much better!

Being a lover of Bass Sax, the Contrabass only added more musical jucies to my ears and pulled untold watts from my system!

UNBELIEVABLE arrangements! GENIUS! More genius are the artists! You have no idea what takes as a musician to get to this plateau, and beyond that, get THIS many together as a group and WHALE away!

The NW are the Canadian Brass, only with reeds! And MORE! A MUST if you are an audiophile! If you are a reed player, you already own it. If not, GET IT!

From Dixieland to Classical and everything inbetween, they have it all. The campiness of various tunes exude artististic virtuosity and push the creative envelope!

You MUST hear this on a high end system as I have. Bozak 310-B Concert Masters do very fine with this range of frequences. (28 cycles required--minimum, to hear it all!).

CRANK IT! You will feel things you never felt before! The arrangements are spectacular!!!

A VERY good HIGH quality recording. No limiters or balonery! Just a PURE sound without distortion.

I can't say enough. Simply the best stuff I have heard in YEARS!

I'm in Milwaukee. If you are near or get by here, look me up and HEAR this correctly!

That's how strongly I feel about the Nuclear Whales! Simply a joy and acts as auricle viagra!

Greg Kalkhoff

Call me: 1-414-447-7500 Let's talk Whales!

You will NOT be dissapointed!