Music recommendations

[Sue U]

While keyboard artists are almost never first on my list of things to listen to, there are some who demand attention, and Hiromi is one of them. She seems to have worked with everybody in the jazz/fusion world while bringing her particular musical vision to life. Apart from her sheer virtuosity, I find her more recent explorations of soundscapes -- with a highly variable array of accompanying musicians -- to be truly impressive and endlessly fascinating.

This video is from a decade ago with drummer Simon Phillips (himself a legend) and 6-string bassist Anthony Jackson (no slouch either) in a more traditional piano trio format, playing her composition Alive:

[Jarlaxle]

90s music is nostalgic now. Crap, I'm OLD.

[Burning Petard]

An attempt to distract our focus from the Doom of politics and climate change.

I just purchased a Deutsche Gammophon CD Of Rachmaninoff orchestra pieces transcribed for two pianos--the performance was in the Vienna Concert Hall in May of last year. It used two very different pianos, a Steinway D274 and a Bosendorfer 280VC. The pianos were arranged on the stage so they were pointed away from each other with the piano benches permitting each piano player to see the other. The lids for both pianos were completely removed. The 'liner notes' indicate the pianos were recorded so the Steinway is right and the Bosendorfer on the left via your stereo speakers.

I am not a musically sophisticated and my ears are substandard. But is this stereo separation a technical gimmick, 'do it because we can'? Would a listener in the hall actually hear the two separate pianos, or would the sound bouncing around the room have blended it all together?

thanks. Snailgate.

[Sue U]

I am not a musically sophisticated and my ears are substandard. But is this stereo separation a technical gimmick, 'do it because we can'? Would a listener in the hall actually hear the two separate pianos, or would the sound bouncing around the room have blended it all together?

Assuming there is a difference in the tonal qualities of the pianos (I am not a piano aficionado) you'd certainly hear it in the concert hall, too, but through both ears, although the closer you are to the pianos the more you could distinguish left and right; the stereophonic recording lets you separate the instruments even more between left and right ears as if you were standing between them. You could do the same thing with the Bach double violin concerto. Stereo has always been something of a gimmick when sound is exclusively channeled to one side or the other; nobody hears like that in the real world. To my mind, the beauty of a duet is hearing the instruments weaving together to create a single effect, rather than separating them into two independent streams of sound.

[Burning Petard]

Recently came across a literary reference that the most difficult piano performance is the Ravel: Piano Concerto in G; Gaspard de la Nuit

Any body confirm or deny?

snailgate.

[BoSoxGal]

Classic FM says it’s the second most difficult:
https://www.classicfm.com/discover-musi ... d%E2%80%9D.

[Burning Petard]

Thank you BSG. My local library has two version of the Ravel. I am looking for the Liszt. Snailgate.

[Jarlaxle]

Hank Jr. and Kid Rock.

[Sue U]

It doesn't get any more delightful than Magic Flute, and these two (Huw Montague Rendall and Elisabeth Boudreault) are just adorable doing Papagena/Papageno. Would love to see this pair in a full production. Take two and a half minutes to smile and brighten your day:

[Jarlaxle]

First new release in 30 years...

[BoSoxGal]

In case you haven’t seen this video already:

[Burning Petard]

Thank you BSG, for that video. The song was on the only vinyl record I wore out. As it began, I wondered if my youngest grandchild, who will graduate with his BS in Engineering next spring, would recognize any of the symbolism? But it soon morphed into more recent events. I looked at the bed sheet with the words "They Can't Kill Us All" and wondered if that was even true now. Will it ever be the age of Aquarius?

snailgate.

[MajGenl.Meade]

Recommend The Outlaw Tour. Saw it all at Blossom last night.

Recommend: arrive late and miss the opening act and John Mellencamp. Enjoy Dylan's set. Leave before Willie Nelson.

I've never heard an artist reworking his own material in such different and interesting ways over the years. And kudos to Lukas Nelson on the old harpoon (and he was good with dad too)

Rainy Day Women #12 & 35
Shooting Star
Love Sick
Little Queenie (Chuck Berry cover)
Mr. Blue (The Fleetwoods cover)
Early Roman Kings (with Lukas Nelson)
A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall - this was bitchin' !
Under the Red Sky
Things Have Changed
Stella Blue (Grateful Dead cover)
Six Days on the Road (Paul Davis cover)
Can't Wait
I'll Be Your Baby Tonight (with Lukas Nelson)
Simple Twist of Fate (with Lukas Nelson)
Soon After Midnight (with Lukas Nelson)
Ballad of a Thin Man

[Sue U]

Recommend The Outlaw Tour. Saw it all at Blossom last night.

Sounds like a great show. I missed it when it came through these parts early in the summer and now I'm even more sorry (although I couldn't have made it anyway); at that time the lineup was Willie Nelson & Family, Bob Dylan, Robert Plant & Alison Krauss, and Celisse Henderson.

[MajGenl.Meade]

Wish I'd had a chance to see the 1st series. Plant and Krauss rather than Mellencamp. Celisse rather than Southern Avenue. But still - a privilege

[ex-khobar Andy]

Thanks for that video of 'Teach Your Children' BSG. I recall not thinking much of the song when I first heard it as a CSN (no Y, yet). I had been a Graham Nash fan since his Hollies days and (especially) 'Stay' - but although the tune was catchy it didn't mean much. Obviously as time went on it became far more meaningful.

The best modern version (IMO) of it is the 'Playing for Change' production with Tula.



Playing for Change also did a version of the Robbie Robertson (as in The Band) song The Weight.



Those are two songs which I hope will survive for hundreds of years.

[Jarlaxle]

I'd prefer dental work to Dylan. Would love to see Willie Nelson live.

Billy Joel is coming to this area. (Mohegan Sun.) Unfortunately, tickets are $350+ each, so that gets a hard pass.

[Sue U]

Playing for Change also did a version of the Robbie Robertson (as in The Band) song The Weight.

Okay, that was fucking amazing.

[PMS Princess]

I have been following Look Mum No Computer for years. He has started focusing more on his music than refurbishing Furbies into things. He just finished a pipe organ which he programs from a gameboy. Love his music. Yesterday I stumbled across Joe Bonamassa's Scarlet Town video while looking for Grimes.Rezz came up with Can You See Me? and Nightmare on Rezz Street. It seems she gets better and better. Watching Red Rocks now and she had it packed! I have been listening since yesterday and I have gotten so much shit done around the house and you can't help but move to it. I think Look Ma No Computer should work with Rezz because he is pure analog and she is pure computer/mix. They both have very complex shit in their heads and they work well with other musicians. A last note is 21 Pilots. Really enjoy them.

[BoSoxGal]

Thanks, Bruce.