What are you listening to?

[MichiganJ]

Loved this CD Kevin, especially the renditions of "Bim Bom", " Cançao de Amor" and the ultra-exciting "Chica Chica Boom Chic". Notwithstanding the foregoing, my favorite Bebel Gilberto album is her debut album which contains three of the best all time Bossa Nova-style songs I've ever listened to: "Tanto Tempo", "Samba de Bençao" and "So Nice-Samba de Verao", plus the excellent samba "Close Your Eyes".

The four Bebel albums are in high rotation. For some reason, I like them best as complete albums rather than specific cuts, they all sequence so seamlessly and always make me smile.

On the February playlist was Astrud's Beach Samba. It's an album full of warmth and sunshine. Worked well with all the snow and cold.

Have you listened to the album Elis made with Toots Thielemans? It's very good too.

The only Toots Thielemans albums I have are The Brazil Project and East Coast West Coast (one of my favorite jazz songs is Naima, particularly done by Mccoy Tyner, but Toots version is really great, too.) I'll certainly check out the album with Elis.

I also recommend Eliane Elias' albums and Maysà's (Matarazzo) albums, especially her rendition of "Meditaçao" (Meditation).

Don't have anything by either Eliane Elias or Maysa, so that's more music to look forward to! Thanks.

I've always liked the Beaux Arts Trio as well.

Menachem Pressler, founder and pianist of the Beaux Arts Trio is, IMO one of our greatest classical pianists.

In total agreement about the Beaux Arts Trio. I have a lot of their recordings. I really like their Ravel Piano Trios and the Schumann Piano Quintets.

[feaito]

Kevin,

Bebel is so gifted. She's the best current Bossa-Nova Brazilian -IMO- singer except for maybe Ms Elias, who's also a talented pianist. I also like quite much Maria Rita (Elis Regina's daughter), but her style is different and she doesn't sing in Bossa-Nova style.

Bebel is not only Joao Gilberto's daughter, but Miucha Buarque's daughter as well, Chico Buarque's niece and Astrud Gilberto's sort of step-daughter (although I understand that Mr. Gilberto married Miucha after he divorced Astrud).

Astrud Gilberto is another favorite of mine. Have you listened to her CD "The Silver Collection"? And to her contributions with Mssers Gilberto, Getz and Jobim?

The Regina-Thielemans album is titled "Aquarela do Brasil" and among its highlights are Barquinho and Wave. Nara Leao is another gifted Brazilian songstress and you should listen to Basia's music (who's an admirer of Astrud's music and even has a song named after her).

[MichiganJ]

Fernando,

My wife is a huge Stan Getz fan and we have many of his albums and collaborations, including the one with Gilberto. We also have many Gilberto collections (all of them beginning with Ipanema (oddly, I never tire of that song, but I must have it on a dozen different albums). Also love Joao Gilberto's Joao Voz E Violao.

I have a collection of Jobim, which includes many of his collaborations. I also really love Tide and Wave.

I already placed my order for Aquarela do Brasil. Can't wait.

[feaito]

Kevin,

I'm a HUGE Stan Getz fan, in fact, one of the very firts CDs I bought -which is one of my absolute favorites- was "Stan Getz The Girl from Ipanema-The Bossa Nova Years" which includes his collaborations with Joao and Astrud, Jobim, Charlie Byrd, Luiz Bonfa and María Toledo, Laurindo Almeida and The Gary McFarland Orchestra. It includes the albums: Jazz Samba, Big Band Bossa Nova, Jazz Samba Encore, Getz/Gilberto and Getz/Almeida.

Another Getz album I like and which is somewhat underrated is "The Best of Two Worlds" (1976) which features Joao Gilberto and by then wife, Heloisa Buarque de Hollanda, better known as Miucha Buarque. It includes versions of Aguas de Março and the awesome E Preciso Perdoar, a wondrous song that is also featured in "Red, Hot and Rio", as performed by no other than La Diva aux Pied Nus from the Cape Verde Islands, Césaria Évora, Caetano Veloso and Ryuichi Sakamoto! One of the most unique songs of the whole CD. That album also includes wonderful versions of Desafinado by Astrud and George Michael, Corcovado by Everything But the Girl, The Boy from Ipanema by Crystal Waters, How Insensitive by Sting and Jobim.

And since I love anything Bossa-Novish and Brazilian, I also recommend the soundtracks to the films "Woman on Top" and "Bossa Nova". Of Eliane Elias I recommend "Dreamer" and "Bossa Nova Stories". I'm also fond of the Bossa-Nova styled songs performed by Diana Krall and Jane Monheit in their albums and the 3 Brazilian themed albums that were released with the Diva Sarah Vaughan (fantastic, superb!).

Check also Basia's version of "Waters of March"

[MichiganJ]

I also recommend the soundtracks to the films "Woman on Top"

Thanks for reminding me about this album. It's been a few years since I've pulled it out and it really is a terrific collection. I love, too, how it ends with Xavier Cugat's version of Brazil. (The movie is pretty fun, too.)

Another soundtrack I can't seem to get enough of is Where the Wild Things Are. I don't know what inspired director Spike Jonze to approach Karen O of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs to do the soundtrack, but it was a truly inspired choice. It's hard for me to believe that a song like All Is Love or the heartbreaking Worried Shoes wasn't even considered for an Academy Award nomination. But I guess they all can't be It's Hard Out Here For a Pimp….

The recent passing of Alex Chilton also has me listening to Big Star: Keep An Eye on the Sky. It's a terrific collection. Interesting that along with the remastered original songs, demos and alternative mixes are inserted, maintaining the original running order of the albums. While this is viable and makes the demos and alt mixes stand out, you will definitely want to hold onto the SACD/DSD of the original two albums. The collection also includes Chris Bell's solo single I Am the Cosmos (mixed by Geoff Emerick!), which was recently covered by Pete Yorn and Scarlett Johansson on their album Break Up.

Chris, on the classical front I've been enjoying the Boccherini Cello Concertos.

[movieman1957]

Chris, on the classical front I've been enjoying the Boccherini Cello Concertos.

I play piano but only in the most mundane way. (Ask Nancy - knitwit.) One thing I would have done if I had it to do over was learn to play the cello. It has been a long time since I listened to Boccherini. A Beethoven Cello Sonata was on my stereo not long ago.

[knitwit45]

Nancy-Knitwit begs to differ! Chris has a wonderful talent, and I was privileged to be able to hear some of his music!

[movieman1957]

Nancy-Knitwit begs to differ! Chris has a wonderful talent, and I was privileged to be able to hear some of his music!

Aw, shucks.

Copland's Third Symphony. It is less about melodies than motifs. All interesting and then the surprise of his "Fanfare For The Common Man" inserted into the last movement. Orchestrated to include strings the fanfare doesn't sound as big but it finally comes as a counterpoint with another motif to lead energetically to the end. (Bernstein and the NY Philharmonic.)

[MichiganJ]

Copland's Third Symphony. It is less about melodies than motifs. All interesting and then the surprise of his "Fanfare For The Common Man" inserted into the last movement.

The Emerson, Lake and Palmer song? (Also used to intro the Stones in the Love You Live album, I believe.)

I love Copland. His music is so American. Rodeo, Billy the Kid, and my favorite, Appalachian Spring. Love how he uses traditional folk tunes and weaves them in and out of his own tremendous music. (I like how John Williams echoed Copland in the music Williams wrote for President Obama's inauguration. )

Years before I met her, my wife's first radio interview was with Copland. She tells me all that she remembers is shaking his hand, that he was very nice, and incredibly patient.

[movieman1957]

Though I enjoy many of Copland's works "Appalachian Spring" is my favorite as well. I am not terribly fond of his early works, too modern for me. I also like "Billy The Kid" and "A Lincoln Portrait." My favorite narrator of that work is Henry Fonda. Do you have a preferred version?

How wonderful, and I suspect terrifying, for your wife. I am sure I would not have moved past hello.

[MichiganJ]

While I've heard most of Copland's early work, I can't say I'm that familiar with them. I tend to listen to the ballet scores, but also love "El Salón México" and, of course, the "Third Symphony". I also really like his "Piano Sonata", but that's one I have to be in a particular mood to listen to.

Fonda is the probably the narrator I'm most used to doing "Lincoln Portrait", so it's hard not to hear him. I also have the James Earl Jones version, and he's no slouch.

I'm currently listening to Brazilian Rhapsody by one of my favorite pianists, Daniel Barenboim. It's a great album where Bossa Nova meets Classical meets Jazz. Highly recommended. (You're feet will be a-tapping!)

[movieman1957]

I have the "Lincoln Portrait" with Jones in my library. I like him too but he is close, for my taste, to being too big. I heard Peck do it once. I can't get through Katharine Hepburn's version.

I really like Barenboim. I am not familiar with the piece you mention but I have quite a few of his recordings as both performer and conductor. The Beethoven Cello Sonatas with Jacqueline du Pre and a recording of Brahms' Second Piano Concerto among others live at my house.

Someone at TCM posted a link to a work by Gorecki (I have heard his name but know nothing about him.) His 3rd Symphony. I usually don't care much for vocal music but this was just very moving. My local library has a a copy so I am going this week. (you might enjoy the video as well.)
[youtube][/youtube]

[movieman1957]

I attended the Baltimore Symphony's performance of Rachmaninoff''s 2nd Symphony. An exciting performance that was preceded by a short explanation of the work by the conductor, Marin Alsop. I was explaining to my bride on the way to the show that Eric Carmen pinched a primary melody from the work for his hit "Never Gonna Fall In Love Again" only to have it mentioned and a bit of Carmen's song for comparison purposes.

It is always nice to hear it live as there are subtle things that may go unnoticed on a CD. A fun evening.

[Ann Harding]

I hardly ever venture in this topic as my musical taste is terribly classical... But as I see that some people enjoy classical music, I post something to listen to and enjoy:
[youtube][/youtube]

This is Richard Strauss' first Vier Letzte Lieder called Frühling (Spring) [composed in 1948]. Here it's performed by one of my favourite singers ever, Romanian-German soprano Julia Varady. I was lucky enough to see her on stage several times. She is a brilliant musician and performer. Here is the text in English:

In dusky vaults
I have long dreamt
of your trees and blue skies,
of your scents and the songs of birds.

Now you lie revealed
in glistening splendour,
flushed with light,
like a wonder before me.

You know me again,
you beckon tenderly to me;
all of my limbs quiver
from your blissful presence!

(Hermann Hesse)

[movieman1957]

Several of us do like classical so post anytime you want. Thanks for the clip.