Dancer

Mike Daly, The AGE, Melbourne, Australia
"Dancer, produced by the redoubtible Donal Lunny, adroitly balances tunes ancient and modern, filling the new with past cadences and the old with contemporary cues. . . . a formidable ensemble that moves easily between folk, contemporary and classical genres . . . irrisistible. . . enchanting. " --This text refers to the Audio CD edition.

Product Description
Celtic contemporary and traditional songs. --This text refers to the Audio CD edition.

Dancer

Dancer,Maireid Sullivan,Lyrebird Music,Adult Alternative,Celtic/Irish,Int'l & World Music,Pop

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Average customer rating: Welcome to "alternative" classical music! It's Yo-Yo so it's Exquisite Love it- great for weddings Stellar album **Superb**

Appalachia Waltz / Ma, Meyer, O'Connor Manufacturer: Sony ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Chamber Music | Forms & Genres | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Ma, Yo-Yo | ( M ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by O'Connor | O'Connor, Mark | ( O ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Country | Styles | Music General | Bluegrass | Country | Styles | Music Contemporary | Bluegrass | Country | Styles | Music Traditional Folk | Folk | Styles | Music Classical Instrumental Music | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music Sony | Computers Brands | Computers Features | Electronics | Desktops | Monitors | Networking | Notebooks Similar Items: Appalachian Journey Heartland: An Appalachian Anthology Uncommon Ritual Short Trip Home The Telluride Sessions ASIN: B000002C0Y Release Date: 1996-09-24

Tracks:

1. The Green Groves of Erin - The Flowers Of Red Hill
2. Appalachia Waltz
3. Chief Sitting In The Rain
4. Mama
5. Butterfly's Day Out
6. Druid Fluid
7. First Impressions
8. Etienne Et Petunia
9. F.C.'s Jig
10. College Hornpipe
11. Pickles
12. Old Country Fairytale
13. Schizoozy
14. Star of the Country Down
15. Speed The Plow Medley
16. Fair Dancer Reel

Customer Reviews:

Welcome to "alternative" classical music!.......2007-02-19

It's wonderful to hear three such talented musicians put together a collection of non-classical music on revered instruments. This is not "The Yo-yo Ma Show" with two other guys! The music is varied but the performances are great and -- in some cases, e.g. Appalachia Waltz -- fantastic. I was driving the first time I heard the title piece and immediately started sobbing and had to pull over; it was that beautiful! This would be a good CD choice for children to listen to, as it gives a fine exposure to the amazing sounds that the three instruments can make when in the right hands.

It's Yo-Yo so it's Exquisite.......2007-02-12

Yo-yo Ma has never been content to stick with the standard cello classics. Of course he has recorded the classics - the magnificent Bach Cello Suites (incredible and the visual DVD only enhances the effect), Vivaldi, Beethoven, Faure, Dvorak, etc. His evolution as an artist is an on-going process, thus there's Yo-Yo playing Tango (Astor Piazzolla), Yo-Yo playing Jazz (Claude Boling), Yo-yo playing Brazilian music or John Williams. And now we have the Apalachia Waltz, a beautiful, virtuoso and haunting piece.
I, too, found many of the sounds unique. For a real experience, listen in a darkened room with a pair of superior earphones - the things you pick up will shock. I literally turned my head several times, convinced that the artist was in the room.

As one reviewer noted, this is not supposed to be the rustic sound one might imagine or (the reverse) simply an intellectual exercise. The artist (with able assistance) seems to draw on some kind of inner reserve and literally pour his soul into his newest project. I, for one, applaud this widening of the boundaries between genres and hope that it continues.
Let's not forget the other artists, particularly Meyer. Many times the celebrity saps all the attention leaving a wake of sore feeling in their wake. Ma has always been one to give credit where credit is due and in this case it is due to those who ably assisted him. My grade - A

Love it- great for weddings.......2007-01-24

I used this and Appalachian Journey for my wedding music. I used Track 2 (Appalachian Waltz) as my entry music. The rest I just had playing on a cd player as background music while my guests were waiting on me. It was perfect for our outdoor Fall wedding. Hearing track 2 always brings the memory of our beautiful day flooding back.

Stellar album.......2006-11-10

This disc is top-notch in all respects. The playing is great by Ma and O'Conner for sure, but the bass work is awesome. Meyer is as good a player as there is in the world at the present time in my opinion. I am a cellist and bassist and find it difficult to believe that some of the things he does are possible. If you like top quality string playing, order this album today.

**Superb**.......2006-07-19

I absolutely love this album -- the music resonates with one's soul. Even if you don't have a cello fetish as I, you can't go wrong with this album. It offers a wonderful range from adagio to allegro.....A true musical feast. I especially enjoy Butterfly's Day Out and First Impressions. Dolce...

Average customer rating: Instruments of the Orchestra - Great Reference Material! Beginner or Expert Very Informative and Enjoyable Frank's view Excellent Intro for Those Not Familiar with the Orchestra

Instruments of the Orchestra Various Artists Manufacturer: Naxos ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music Hungarian National Philharmonic Orchestra | ( H ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music London Philharmonic Orchestra | ( L ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra | ( M ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music National Philharmonic Orchestra London | ( N ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Rap & Hip-Hop | Styles | Music General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music General | Instructional | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music Blowout Box Sets | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music More Titles at Least 20% Off | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music All Classical Music Blowout | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Hungarian National Philharmonic Orchestra | ( H ) | Performers, A-Z | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music London Philharmonic Orchestra | ( L ) | Performers, A-Z | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra | ( M ) | Performers, A-Z | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music National Philharmonic Orchestra London | ( N ) | Performers, A-Z | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Instrumental | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Similar Items: Britten: Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra Op34; Simple Symphony Op4 The Mahler Symphonies: An Owner's Manual (includes 1 CD) The Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra (Book & CD) Study of Orchestration, Third Edition What to Listen for in Music ASIN: B00006O0NT Release Date: 2002-12-03

Tracks:

1. Overture To 'Tannhauser'
2. Domna, Pos Vos Ay Chausida
3. We Don't Merely Use Instruments, We Play On Them. And They Play On Us.
4. Hungarian Dance No.7
5. The Violin Is One Of The Most Tender And Beautiful Instruments Ever Invented.
6. Violin Concerto In D Major (Adagio)
7. But For A Long Time It Was Seen As The Instrument Of The Devil.
8. The Soldier's Tale: Triumphal March Of The Devil
9. The Manipulative Seductiveness Of The Gypsy Violin.
10. Csardas Music
11. The Violin And The Initiation Of Nature
12. The Four Seasons (Spring, Mvt 1)
13. Birds Are Again Evoked In The Second Concerto, Especially Music's Natural Favourite.
14. The Four Seasons (Summer, Mvt 1)
15. Like The Devil, The Violin Is A Master Of Disguise.
16. Old Viennese Dance No.3 'Schon Rosmarin'
17. The Menacing Sensuality Of Ravel's Tzigane: A Very Different Side Of The Violin:
18. Tzigane
19. Do We Now Have The True Measure Of This Instrument? Not Just Yet.
20. Caprice No.24
21. The Many Effects Of The String Tremolando: Brandenburg Concerto No.4 (Last Mvt)/From Joy To Fright/Quartettsatz In C Minor/The String Tremolo Practically Spells The World Agitato.
22. Variations On A Theme Of Frank Bridge (No.7)
23. Prokofiev's Tremolo In Romeo And Juliet Should Not Be Heard Just Before Bedtime.
24. Romeo And Juliet: Act IV
25. Vivaldi Use It To Illustrate The Shivering Of Travellers Crossing The Ice.
26. The Four Seasons (Winter, Mvt 1)
27. The Violin Muted
28. Clair De Lune
29. The Gentleness Of Muted Strings Persists Even When A Whole Orchestra Plays.
30. Piano Concerto No.21 In C Major, K.467 (Slow Mvt)
31. The Pizzicato Violin
32. Pizzicato Polka
33. In Prokofiev's Second Violin Concerto, The Accompaniment Is Pizzicato.
34. Violin Concerto No.2 In G Minor (Slow Mvt)
35. Varieties Of Pizzicato: Colas Breugnon (The People's Feast)/Now A Drier, Leaner, Hungrier Pizzicato. There's Not A Lot Of Comfort Here./Capriol Suite (Tordion)/The Use Of Pizzicato As 'Percussion'/Romeo And Juliet (Act I)/Mahler Used Pizzicato...
36. The Planets (Mars - The Bringer Of War)
37. The Technique Of Double-Stopping Enables The Violin To Play Duets With Itself./Sonata No.3 In C Major For Unaccompanied Violin (Fugue)/Now A Later Example Of The Same Technique
38. Hungarian Dance No.4
39. Double-Stopping Is A Standard Feature Of A Lot Of Folk Music.
40. The Four Seasons (Autumn, Mvt 1)
41. Now The Same Technique, But The Sound Might Have Come From Another World.
42. Bolero
43. Double-Stopping Can Only Approximate The Sound Of A Real Violin Duet.
44. Cadenza To The Violin Concerto By Brahms
45. Now Compare That With A Real Violin Duet.
46. Forty-Four Duos (No. 1: Teasing Song)
47. Another Duo By Bartok, Demonstrating The Violin's Rich Lower Register
48. Forty-Four Duos (No.2: Maypole Dance)
49. And Now What May Be The Most Beautiful Accompanied Violin Duet In History
50. Concerto In D Minor For Two Violins (Largo)
51. The Soul Of The Violin Is In Song; But What About This Weird Passage?
52. Violin Concerto No.1 In D Major (Mvt 2)
53. The Use Of Harmonies In The Orchestra Can Be Both Magical And Unsettling.
54. Symphony No.1 'Titan' (Mvt 1, Opening)
55. Tchaikovsky's Use Of Harmonics In The Sleeping Beauty Is Both Strange And Darling.
56. The Sleeping Beauty (Act II, No.15: Entr'Acte)
57. Ravel's Harmonics In Mother Goose Effect A Magical Transformation.
58. Ma Mere L'Oye - Mother Goose (Beauty And The Beast)
59. Stravinsky's Harmonics In The Firebird Transport Us Almost Into Another World./The Firebird (Introduction)
60. The Natural Upper Notes Of The Violins Have A Unique Emotional 'Grab'.
61. Also Sprach Zarathustra (Of The Afterworldsmen)
62. Still In Their Upper Register, The Violins Unleash The Energy Of A Young Colt.
63. Variations On A Theme Of Frank Bridge (No. 4)
64. Elsewhere, Britten Uses The Same High Register To Create A Very Different Mood.
65. Four Sea Interludes (Dawn) From 'Peter Grimes'
66. To End This Outing With The Violins, A Charming Little Elfin Dance
67. Elfenreigen

Tracks:

1. Introduction To The Viola
2. Viola Concerto (Mvt 1)
3. Khatchaturian Gets A Very Different Sound From It: Fuller, Fruitier, More Exotic.
4. Gayane Suite No.1 (Armen's Solo)
5. Very Nearly The Whole Of The Violin's Upper Register Is Also Available To The Viola.
6. Passacaglia, Op.33b From 'Peter Grimes'
7. The Viola Can Bring A Special, Rich Twanginess To Pizzicato That The Violins Lack./Don Quixote/Berlioz Drew Sounds From It That Retain Their Metallic Strangeness Even Today.
8. Harold In Italy (Mvt 4)
9. The Muted Viola: Intimate, Gentle, Poignant In Dvork
10. Cypresses (No.9)
11. The Massed Violas Of The Modern Symphony Orchestra In Mahler
12. Symphony No.4 (Mvt 3)
13. The 'Period' Viola In Bach
14. Brandenburg Concerto No.6 (Last Mvt)
15. The Cello: A Voice Of Unique Nobility
16. Suite No.1 For Unaccompanied Cello (Prelude)
17. Brahms And The 'Soul' Of The Cello
18. Piano Concerto No.2 In B Flat Major (Mvt 3)
19. Most Orchestral Composers Tend To Emphasize The Cello's Lower Register.
20. Cantata 'Herz Und Mund Und Tat Und Leben', BWV 147 (Soprana Aria: Bereite Dir, Jesu)
21. In The Time Of Beethoven The Cello Remained As Fundamental As Ever.
22. Symphony No.3 'Eroica' (Finale)
23. But The Cello Is Not Condemned To Spend Its Life In The Basement.
24. Elfentanz, Op.39
25. Not Only In Recital Showpieces Like That Is The Cello Is Used In Its Highest Register.
26. The Protecting Veil (Opening)
27. A Cello With An Identity-Crisis: The Pizzicato Flamencan
28. Flamenco
29. Double-Stopping In The Lower Reaches Of The Cello's Range
30. Solo Suiet For Cello And Piano (Sardana)
31. It's In The Middle Register That The Cello Really Comes Into Its Own.
32. Oriental Dance, Op.2 No.2
33. It Was To The Cellos That Beethoven Gave Two Of His Most Famous Themes./Symphony No.5 (Mvt 2)/Still More Famous Than That Theme Is This One From The Ninth Symphony.
34. Symphony No.9 (Finale)
35. Introduction To The Double-Bass
36. The Carnival Of The Animals (The Elephant)
37. But The Double-Bass Can Be Intensely Expressive And Graceful.
38. Elegy No.1 In D Major
39. The Range Of The Double-Bass Is The Greatest Of All The String Instruments/Allegro Di Concerto, 'Alla Mendelssohn'/And It's Also Capable Of Very Considerable Virtuosity.
40. Capriccio Di Bravura
41. Double-Bass Solos In Orchestral Scores Are Rare But Often Memorable./Symphony No.1 'Titan' (Mvt 3)/In His Third Symphony Mahler Makes A Very Different Use Of The Instrument./Symphony No.3 (Mvt 1)
42. The Double-Bass Muted In Prokofiev/Lieutenant Kije Suite (Kije's Wedding)/In Another Work Prokofiev Uses The Double-Bass To Enhance The Winds./Romeo And Juliet (Act III)/And He Combines The Bass Clarinet With A Shivering Tremolo From The Double-Basses....
43. Symphony No.5 (Mvt 3)/So Much For The Strings/On Now To The Winds

Tracks:

1. The Antiquity And Magic Of The Flute
2. Prelude A L'Apres-Midi D'Un Faune
3. The Versatility And Agility Of The Flute
4. Orchestral Suite No.2 In B Minor (Badinerie)
5. The Flute In Fifteenth-Century Spain
6. Sa'Dawi
7. Other Flutes: The Bass And Alto
8. Chamber Music No.II
9. The Piccolo - Aptly Named
10. La Naissance D'Osiris (Mvt 6)
11. From A Piccolo Of The Eighteenth Century To One Of Its Descendants In The Twentieth
12. Suite No.1 For Small Orchestra (Valse)
13. A Variety Of Techniques
14. Chamber Music No.II
15. Flutter-Tonguing. But Tchaikovsky Got There Eighty Years Before.
16. The Nutcracker (Act II, No.2: Scene)
17. From The Transverse To The Vertical: The Baroque Recorder
18. Recorded Suite In A Minor (Menuet II)
19. An Unfamiliar, Early Vision Of The Instrument
20. Naelden, Naelden
21. The Bachian Oboe
22. Cantata 'Ein Feste Burg Ist Unser Gott', BWV 80 (No.7: Duetto)
23. Introduction To The Cor Anglais Or 'English Born'
24. Symphony No.9 'From The New World' (Mvt 2)
25. The Loneliness Of The Cor Anglais
26. The Swan Of Tuonela
27. The Cor Anglais Joins The French Horn In Haydn.
28. Symphony No.22 'The Philosopher' (Opening)
29. Introduction To The Oboe D'Amore, Beloved Of Bach - But Also Of Ravel
30. Bolero
31. The Clarinet Family: Boxing The Compass, From The Depths Of The Bass Clarinet.../The Egyptian (Violence)/...To The Raucous And Squealy.../Taras Bulba (The Death Of Ostap)/...To The Shrill And Complaining...
32. Petrushka (No.8: Peasant With Bear)/...To The High Sprits Of A Playful Puppy./Symphonie Fantastique (Last Mvt)/And To The Downright Jazzy/Romeo And Juliet (Act II)
33. As The High Clarinets Tend To Be Loud, So The Bass Tends To Be Soft:
34. Gayane Suite No. 1 (Mvt 5)
35. The Bass Clarinet Is Used By Most Composers Mainly As A Colouring Agent.../Petrushka (No.4: The Blackamoor)/...But It Does Occasionally Get A Whole Tune To Itself./Iberia (Almeria).
36. The Range Of The Normal Clarinet Parts Goes Quite High...
37. The Snow Maiden (Scene 5: Melodrama)
38. ...And Quite Low.
39. Peter And The Wolf (The Cat)
40. The Clarinet As Concerto Soloist
41. Clarinet Concerto In A Major (Rondo)
42. But That's Not The Instrument Mozart Wrote It For; This Is:
43. Clarinet Concerto In A Major (Rondo)
44. Introduction To The Saxophone
45. Hary Janos Suite (Mvt 4)
46. The Soprano Saxophone Has Quite A Different Feel To It.
47. L'Arlesienne Suite No.1 (Minuet)
48. The Little Sopranino Sax Goes Even Higher.
49. Bolero
50. The Most Famous Use Of The Saxophone Is In An Orchestration By Ravel.
51. Pictures At An Exhibition (The Old Castle)
52. The Saxophone Can Be Quite Contagiously Good-Humoured.
53. Sax-O-Phun
54. The Puffa-Puffa Image Of The Bassoon
55. Peter And The Wolf (Grandfather)
56. The Bachian Bassoon, In Accompanimental Mode
57. Cantata 'Weichet Nur, Betrubte Schatten' ('Wedding Cantata'), BWV 202 (Aria No.1)
58. Bizet Leaves The Puffa-Puffa Image Out, Allowing The Bassoon To Sing./Carmen Suite No.1 (Les Dragons D'Alcala)
59. And Ravel, Also In Spanish Mode, Does Likewise.
60. Bolero
61. The Bassoon As A Voice Of High Seriousness, Indeed Desolate Loneliness
62. Symphony No.3 (Opening)
63. The Eerie Bassoon In Its Highest Register
64. The Rite Of Spring (Opening)
65. Stravinsky Now Draws On Its Lowest Register, Lonely And Melancholy.
66. The Firebird Suite (1919, Berceuse)
67. The Bassoon As Concerto Soloist, Avoiding All Exaggeration
68. Bassoon Concerto In G Minor (Finale)
69. The Deep-Voiced Contra-Bassoon, As A Fairy-Tale Beast
70. Ma Mere L'Oye - Mother Goose (Beauty And The Beast)
71. The French Horn Under Its Woodwind Hat
72. Wind Quintet, Op.43 (Last Mvt)
73. Now A More Prominent Role, In A Woodwind Quintet From An Earlier Era
74. Wind Quintet In A Minor, Op.100 No.5 (Mvt 2)
75. The Horn In Harmonious Blend With Strings In Another Quintet
76. Horn Quintet, K.407 (Finale)

Tracks:

1. The Trumpet As Virtuoso Soloist
2. Brandenburg Concerto No.2 (Last Mvt)
3. The Special Brillance Of Paired Trumpets
4. Concerto In C For Two Trumpets, RV537 (Mvt 1)
5. The Ceremonial Trumpet
6. Fanfare For The Common Man
7. Trumpets And Drums - An Incomparable Alliance
8. Messiah (The Trumpet Shall Sound)
9. The Versatility Of The Trumpet, From The Most Public To The Most Lonely
10. Piano Concerto In F (Slow Mvt)
11. The Trumpet As The Voice Of The City/An American In Paris/The Trumpet As Recruitment Officer/The Soldier's Tale (The March)/The Trumpet As Swaggerer
12. Carmen Suite No.2 (Habanera)
13. The Trumpet As The Voice Of Strength And Courage
14. Carmet Suite No.2 (Toreador's Song)
15. The Trumpet Muted/Petrushka (No.4: The Blackamoor)/Lieutenant Kije Suite (Opening)/The Trumpet As The Voice Of Weariness
16. Billy The Kid
17. The Trumpet As Character Actor
18. Pictures At An Exhibition (No.6)
19. The Trumpet As The Voice Of God
20. Mass In B Minor ('Et Exspecto')
21. The Birth Of The Trombone
22. Aenmerckt Nu Hier
23. The Birth Of The Brass As A Family
24. Canzon 12 In Double Echo
25. The Trombone In The Eighteenth Century
26. Trombone Concerto In B Flat Major (Finale)
27. The Tone Of The Tenor Trombone/Romance For Trombone And Organ/The Memorable Voice Of The Bass Trombone/Requiem (Mvt 2)/But The Bass Trombone Is More Than An Instrumental Bullfrog.
28. Hosannah
29. The Trombones Become Part Of The Orchestra.
30. Symphony No.5 (Finale)
31. The Wagnerian Trombone:/Overture To 'Tannhauser'
32. The Trombone As Caricaturist
33. Pulcinella (No.19: Vivo)
34. The Trombone As Raspberry/Concerto For Orchestra (Intermezzo)
35. The Horn And The Hunt
36. Horn Concerto No.4 In E Flat, K.495 (Finale)
37. The Challenging Horn Of The Baroque
38. Abaris Ou Les Boreades (Menuet)
39. The Scarcity Of First-Rate Players In Handel's Time
40. Walter Music (Minuet 1)
41. The Horn As Magician/The Firebird Suite (1919, Finale)
42. Horns And The Sound Of Nobility
43. Overture To 'Tannhauser' (Opening)
44. The Special Sound Of The Horn In Its Higher Register
45. Mass In B Minor ('Quoniam Tu Solus Sanctus')
46. The Trumpet-Like Sound Of Massed Horns
47. Symphony No.3 (Mvt 1, Opening)
48. The Tuba - Unfairly Maligned?
49. Symphony No.6 (Mvt 3)
50. The Tuba Perfectly Cast By Ravel
51. Pictures At An Exhibition (Bydlo)

Tracks:

1. Introduction. And We Begin With A Bang.
2. Fanfare For The Common Man/The Bass Drum On The Battlefields/Wellington's Victory, Op.91 (Opening)
3. At The Opposite Extreme Is The Triangle.
4. Piano Concerto No.1 In E Flat (Scherzo)
5. Categories Of Percussion: Tuned And Untuned. The Side Drum
6. Overture To 'La Gazza Ladra' - The Thieving Magpie (Opening)
7. The Side Drum In An Effective But Unexpected Role/Clarinet Concerto (Mvt 1)
8. The Tambourine. One Of The Oldest Instruments In The World
9. Den Hoboecken Dans
10. Even Older Is The Originally Oriental Gong.
11. Ma Mere L'Oye - Mother Goose (Laideronette)
12. No Single Instrument Can Match The Gong In Evoking The Breaking Of Waves./Passacaglia, Op.33b From 'Peter Grimes'/But Gongs Don't Have To Be Struck To Be Effective.
13. Gymnopedie No.2
14. The Cymbals Are Generally Discovered Early In Life./The Sanguine Fan/And They Do More Than Clash Together Loudly. They Can Be Clashed Together Softly./Studio Example: But They Needn't Be Clashed Together At All/Studio Example: They Can Be Lightly...
15. Other Untuned Percussion Instruments Include The Whip.: Piano Concerto In G Major (Opening)/And Here Are No Fewer Than Twenty, Cracked By Tchaikovsky: The Nutcracker (Act I, Scene 5)
16. More Versatile Than The Whip Are The Wood Blocks.../Studio Example/...Which Crop Up All Over The Place In Twentieth-Century American Music.
17. Rodeo (Hoe-Down)
18. Related To The Wood Blocks, By Sound, Are The Castanets./Jota Aragonesa/But The Castanets Were Also Used By Monteverdi Back In The Seventeenth Century.
19. Scherzi Musicali (Damigella Tutta Belle)
20. A Still Earlier Example From Fifteenth-Century Spain
21. Yo M'Enamori D'Un Aire
22. The Birth Of The Bongo
23. Symphonic Dances From 'West Side Story'
24. From The Streets Of New York To The Blacksmith's Shop/Il Trovatore ('Anvil Chorus')
25. Desert-Island Decibels: Grand Canyon Suite (On The Trail)/Arcana
26. From One Vegetable To Another: The Humble Squash, Or Marrow/Huapango
27. Onwards To The Tuned Percussion. First, The Timpani
28. Also Sprach Zarathustra (Introduction)
29. But The Drum Roll Can Be More Effectively Frightening Than The Big Bang.: Symphony No.2 'Resurrection' (Mvt 3)
30. Not One Drum Roll, But Many/Grand Canyon Suite (Sunrise)/Symphonie Fantastique (Last Mvt)
31. Taking Advantage Of Tunability
32. Music For Strings, Percussion And Celeste (Mvt 2)
33. The Russian Composer Rodion Shchedrin Takes A Downward Turn./Carmen Suite (Changing Of The Guard)/Tuned, Yes; But For The Truly Melodic We Must Look Elsewhere.
34. Introducing The Glockenspiel/Carmen Suite (Carmen's Entrance And Habanera)
35. Saint-Saens And The Xylophone
36. The Carnival Of The Animals (Fossils)
37. Ravel And The Xylophone
38. Ma Mere L'Oye - Mother Goose (Laideronette)
39. Introducing The Marimba/Carmen Suite (First Intermezzo)
40. Introducing The Vibraphone
41. The Treasure Of The Sierra Madre (Narange Dolce)
42. The Vibraphone Goes Russian.../Carmen Suite (Carmen's Entrance And Habanera)/...And Is Joined By The Marimba./Carmen Suite (Carmen's Entrance And Habanera)
43. Introducing The Hungarian Cimbalom
44. Folk Dances
45. The Cimbalom And The Symphony Orchestra
46. Hary Janos Suite (Mvt 3)
47. Introducing The Tubular Bells
48. Hary Janos Suite (Viennese Musical Clock)
49. A More 'Up-Front' Approach From Rodion Shchedrin
50. Carmen Suite (Introduction)
51. But The Bells Can Also Make The Sinister Even More Sinister./Symphony No.7 'Sinfonia Antartica' (Mvt 1)
52. Introducing The Celeste
53. The Nutcracker (Dance Of The Sugar Plum Fairy)
54. Magic, In The Use Of Collective Percussion
55. Miroirs (La Vallee Des Cloches)
56. Plucked Instruments: The 'Undercover Percussion'/Carmen Suite (Scene)
57. A Prime Case In Point Is The Harp, Irresistible To The Romantics./The Nutcracker (Act II, No.1: Scene)/The Non-Solo Harp As An Integral Part Of The Orchestra/Hungarian Rhapsody No.1
58. The Traditionally Subservient Role Of The Harpsichord In The Baroque Orchestra
59. Brandenburg Concerto No.2 (Slow Mvt)
60. The Piano: King Of The Tuned Percussion/Symphony No.3 'Organ' (Mvt 3)/And A Quarter Of A Century After That:
61. Petrushka (Russian Dance)
62. The Anti-Romantic Piano As An Integral Part Of The Orchestra
63. Music For Strings, Percussion And Celeste (Last Mvt)

Tracks:

1. Keyboard Instruments In The Orchestra - The Most Powerful Of Them All:
2. Symphony No.3 'Organ' (Finale)
3. But Things In Handel's Day Were Very Different.
4. Organ Concerto In B Flat, Op.4 No.3 (Last Mvt)
5. The Organ Is Difficult To Classify.
6. An Unexpected, Organ-related Guest
7. Concerto Pour Zampogna (Last Mvt)
8. Peasant-Fancying... And A Touch Of The Roaming Cowboy
9. Les Miserables (Drink With Me)
10. Outside Artefacts And The Power Of Association
11. Mahler's Sleighbells
12. Symphony No.4 (Opening)
13. A Roll-Call Of Some Unusual Guests/The Typewriter/Parade
14. Chains, And More/Integrales/An American In Paris/Sandpaper Ballet
15. Purpose-Built Oddities: Wind Machines/Symphony No.7 'Sinfonia Antartica' (Opening)
16. Don Quixote (Variation VIII)
17. National Calling Cards: The Guitar For Spain/Concierto De Aranjuez (Finale)
18. And The Guitar's Poor American Relative, The Banjo/Washington Breakdown
19. And Poorer Still, The Mouth Organ/The Treasure Of The Sierra Madre (Packing Up)
20. The Balalaika For Russia/Romeo And Juliet (Act II: No.14)
21. The Maracas For Mexico/The Treasure Of The Sierra Madre (El Desayuno)
22. The Bongos And Congas And A Whole Wealth Of Other Drums For Africa And Central America/Studio Example
23. The Sitar Of India/Evening Raga: Bhapoli
24. The Accordion For France (Especially Paris)/Paris Canaille
25. The Zither For Vienna/The Third Man (Theme)
26. The Cimbalom For Hungary/Folk Dances
27. The Guitar As An Integral Part Of The Orchestra/Rondena
28. There Are Whole Orchestras Of Balalaikas./Sveit Mesiats
29. The Effect Of The Wordless Human Voice, Used Purely As An Instrument/Symphony No.7 'Sinfonia Antartica' (Mvt 1)
30. Nocturnes
31. Instruments And the Imitation Of Nature. The Clarinet As Cuckoo
32. The Carnival Of The Animals (The Cuckoo)
33. The Flute As An All-purpose Aviary
34. The Carnival Of The Animals (The Aviary)
35. The Oboe As Duck
36. Peter And The Wolf (The Duck)
37. The Recording Of Reality. Does It Work As Well?
38. The Pines Of Rome (The Pines Of The Janiculum)
39. The Recording Of Reality Electronically Reborn In New Guises
40. Cantus Articus - Concerto For Birds And Orchesra (Mvt 2)
41. Beethoven Turns Avian: Cuckoo, Nightingale, And Quail
42. Symphony No.6 'Pastoral' (Andante Molto Mosso)
43. Some Improbable Casting: The Violin As Braying Donkey
44. The Carnival Of The Animals (Persons With Long Ears)
45. A Truly Orchestral Hee-haw To Be Reckoned With
46. Overture To 'A Midsummer Night's Dream'
47. A Thunderstorm In A Million
48. Symphony No.6 'Pastoral (Allegro-Allegretto)
49. the Instrumental Depiction Of A Silent World
50. The Carnival Of The Animals (The Aquarium)
51. Saint-Saens' Menagerie Takes A Curtain Call.
52. The Carnival Of The Animals (Finale)

Tracks:

1. The Grouping Of Instrumental Families. An Additive Approach. First, Two Violins
2. Forty-Four Duos (No.4)
3. A Great Contrast, Of Both Pitch And Character: Violin And Viola
4. Duo For Violin And Viola In B Flat Major, K.424 (Finale, Vars 1 & 2)/Studio Example
5. Arrival Of The Standard String Trio: Violin, Viola, And Cello
6. String Trio In B Flat (Menuetto)
7. The String Quartet: Two Violins, Viola, And Cello
8. String Quartet In F, Op.18 No.1 (Mvt 3)
9. The String Quintet - When The Extra Instrument Is A Second Viola
10. String Quartet No.5 In D, K.593 (Adagio)
11. The String Quintet - When The Extra Instrument Is A Second Cello
12. String Quintet In C (Mvt 3)
13. The String Sextet: Two Violins, Two Violas, And Two Cellos
14. String Sextet In B Flat (Mvt 2)
15. The String Octet: The Standard String Quaret Times Two
16. Octet In E Flat, Op.20 (Mvt 1)
17. Double The String Octet: A Fully Fledged String Orchestra
18. String Symphony No.2 (Finale)
19. The Massed Strings Of A Symphony Orchestra
20. Fantasia On A Theme Of Thomas Tallis
21. Contrasts Of Pitch And Instrumental 'Colour' In The Woodwind Section
22. Wind Quintet In A Minor, Op.100 No.5 (Theme)
23. In The First Variation It's The Horn That Gets The Lion's Share.
24. Wind Quintet In A Minor, Variation 1
25. In Variation Two The Torch Is Handed To The Bassoon.
26. Wind Quintet In A Minor, Variation 2
27. In Variation Three The Oboe Leads.
28. Wind Quintet In A Minor, Variation 3
29. Variation Four: Conversation Before Returning To A Solo-dominated Texture
30. Wind Quintet In A Minor, Variation 4
31. And Variation Five is Dominated By The Clarinet.
32. Wind Quintet In A Minor, Variation 5
33. The Next To Be Featured Is The Virtuoso Flute.
34. Wind Quintet In A Minor, Variation 6
35. Individual Farewells And A Closing Chorus
36. Wind Quintet In A Minor, Variation 7
37. A Mixed Group: Clarinet, Bassoon, Horn, String Quartet, And Double-Bass
38. Octet In F (Mvt 3)
39. The Early Classical Symphony Orchestra Of Haydn And Mozart
40. Symphony No.29 In A, K.201 (Finale)
41. Strings, Wind, But No Brass. What Haydn And Mozart Never Knew
42. Canzon 28
43. Beethoven's Fifth: Two Horns, Two Trumpets, And Three Trombones Join The Team.
44. Symphony No.5 (Finale)
45. From Beethoven To The Massive Orchestras Of Berlioz, Wagner, And Mahler
46. Beethoven Changed The Face Of The Symphony And The Orchestra Forever
47. Symphoy No.6 'Tragic' (Mvt 1)
48. The Cult Of Orchestral Elephantiasis Reaches Its Peak.
49. Symphony No.1 'Gothic' (VI: Te Ergo Quaesumus)
50. When Large Doesn't Necessarily Mean Loud: Debussy
51. Images (Gigues)
52. A Crisis Of Confidence; The Orchestra's Survival Hangs In The Balance, But It Still Develops. The Ondes Martenot:
53. Turangalila Symphony (Chant D'amour 1)
54. The Advent Of The 'Early Music' Movement Brings A New Vitality And Freshness.
55. Balle De Xerxes (Gavotte En Rondeau)
56. Computer And Synthesiser: Friends Or Foes?
57. Concerto In D Minor For Two Violins (Largo)
58. A Speculative Look Ahead/Mass In B Minor ('Dona Nobis Pacem')

Customer Reviews:

Instruments of the Orchestra - Great Reference Material!.......2007-04-04

This set lends itself to greatly enhancing one's knowledge of the orchestra, instruments in it, and their usage. I am a huge music buff, and I still picked up a great deal I previously did not know. I highly recommend this for all who wish to understand the origin of music, as well as the processes that are employed to create music!

Beginner or Expert.......2007-03-12

This CD is excellent for the beginner or expert! To be able to haear the instrumets separately and then together really provides a good education. and/or refresher. The book thaty comes with the CD is alomost worth the price by itself!

Very Informative and Enjoyable.......2006-11-20

Whether you're a music novice or pro, "The instruments of the Orchestra" is a very worthwhile purchase. The 7 CDs, with a total of 8 hours, are expertly narrated by Jeremy Siepmann. He's a great speaker, very much like the late Leonard Bernstein was. Mr. Siepmann takes you on an unforgetable musical journey covering the origins and use of the various orchestral instruments throughout musical history. The balance between his narration and a wealth of musical examples, which range from snippets to entire movements, is superb. The comprehensive enclosed booklet is excellent and faithfully follows the 7 CDs in content. Even with my 40+ years of music training I still learned new things from this wonderful collection. Considering the excellence of the content, and a cost that translates to about $5 per disc, this collection is a great value. Grab it, you won't regret that you did. Five solid stars!

Frank's view.......2006-08-19

This boxed set of CD's with booklet achieved all I had hoped that it would. There are good samples of individual instruments and well done commentary on each. The only drawback was that some of the samples were too brief and could have been longer, hoiwever I guess this fits in with time constraints of the medium. It has given me a lot of clues as to future purchases of CD's for listening to individual instruments. Altogeth a satisfactory purchase and a welcome addition to my collection.

Excellent Intro for Those Not Familiar with the Orchestra.......2003-11-08

I've listened to classical music for years and am interested in composition. I bought this CD set to learn how an orchestra and its instruments work. I thought the CDs would be a nice but boring lecture. They aren't! Not only are they FUN but they are informative as well. I learned a huge amount from each CD and couldn't wait to listen to the next one.

The narrator and writer is a great speaker and holds your attention well. He is definitely knowledgeable. He provides musical examples for each point he makes, so you get to "hear" what he just talked about. I'd say the CDs are about 65% music and 35% narration. You'll learn about the range of instruments, some history, different ways to play them, how they sound, and how they are used in the orchestra. This CD set was a great learning experience and is sold at such a low price!

I recommend this CD for those who want to learn about classical music and those who know about it but are interested in learning more about the inner workings of an orchestra. You'll learn much useful information. For instance, the Rite of Spring (with that eerie start) is written for bassoon! I never knew a bassoon could sound like that but now I do.

The one complaint I have is the last CD. This deals with the orchestra. I wanted more of a tour of how the orchestra has been used through history up to the present. Instead, it was a tour of how different groups of instruments sound. I thought it could have been better. The other 6 CDs are excellent.

Average customer rating: Allure of Sanctuary Allure of Sanctuary A Brilliant Piano Album (reviewed by Stephen Cairns at [...]) Allure of Sanctuary from Solo Piano Publications

Allure of Sanctuary Karen Marie Garrett Manufacturer: Karen Marie Garrett Publishing, Waterstreet Records and Publishing Inc. ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD All Works by Satie | Satie, Erik | ( S ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Keyboard | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music General | Jazz | Styles | Music General | New Age | Styles | Music Meditation | New Age | Styles | Music General | New Age | Indie Music | Stores | Music Similar Items: It's About the Rose Pensare Piano Timeless Sacred My Secret Heart: Romantic Meditations for Ambient Piano ASIN: B000BGQXKE Release Date: 2005-09-20

Tracks:

1. Tip Toe Dancer (Kathryn's Song)
2. Lake EWOK Muse (Piano & Cello)
3. Simple Things
4. Allure of Sanctuary
5. Welcome B.
6. The Green Hills
7. Gnossienne No 1
8. Gnossienne No 2
9. Gnossienne No 3
10. Will's Song
11. Toll of War
12. Lake EWOK Muse Reprise (Piano Solo)

Album Description

A STUNNING CD RELEASE BY KAREN MARIE GARRETT AND LEGENDARY PRODUCER WILL ACKERMAN, creator of Windham Hill Records, gold and platinum record producer, and Grammy Award-Winning recording artist.

Recorded between George Lucas' Skywalker Sound Studios in Marin County, California and Mr. Ackerman's Imaginary Road Studio in Windham County, Vermont.

VICTORY REVIEW; ACOUSTIC MUSIC RESOURCE OF THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST; TOM PETERSEN
"Karen Marie Garrett is a top-drawer pianist headed for bigger things. Allure of Sanctuary is the Olympia artist's third release, following a straight classical disc and another in this New Age vein. This new release is as soothing as it's intended, but it's also energizing. Where a lot of New Age is so light it begins to drift and grow unidentifiable, Garrett's compositions are distinct, with melodies for the listener to hook into. It's billed as New Age, but several cuts qualify as Light Jazz - very mellow Vince Guaraldi, perhaps. Thus, Garrett is a distinctive new artist in this field and could, with the right promotion, see herself at the top of the New Age charts (Allure is already getting significant airplay on Easy Listening stations). It won't hurt a bit that she is a pupil of the founder of the New Age genre, Will Ackerman; nor do dead-enders get invited to record their albums at Skywalker ranch, using Lucas's Bluthner grand! Get this album, neighbors - you can say you "knew her when."

Reaches #8 on Top 100 New Age Radio Charts in just FIVE weeks!

TOP 20 ALBUM LIST OF THE YEAR FOR 2005
Kathy Parsons, Solo Piano Publications, New York

Recipient of ENGLAND'S PIANO HEAVEN "GOLD AWARD"
Stephen Cairns, Piano Heaven, England

Customer Reviews:

Allure of Sanctuary.......2007-06-13

Allure of Sanctuary is an outstanding album. The music seems to draw you in and want to play it over again

Allure of Sanctuary.......2007-05-13

I received this as an Easter present and it is one of the best CD's I have heard in a long time. The music is wonderful.

A Brilliant Piano Album (reviewed by Stephen Cairns at [...]).......2006-12-09

What an amazing album! This is Karen Marie Garrett's third album, and it is a real find. I am immensely impressed with the delightful melodies which run consistently throughout this album. Tip-Toe Dancer has to be heard to be believed. It is such a beautiful piece of music, and makes the listener want to stand up and start dancing. This track is just one of an album full of highlights. Welcome B and Simple Things are so delicate. This album is produced by Windham Hill founder Will Ackerman. Consequently, the production is first-class. A joy from beginning to end. Bravo!!

Allure of Sanctuary.......2006-07-19

Soothing, relaxing music to release tension and smooth out those tight muscles.

from Solo Piano Publications.......2005-11-14

"Allure of Sanctuary" is the second CD released by Karen Marie Garrett. It is astounding how much this artist has grown since her 2002 debut, "Pensare Piano." Will Ackerman's gifts as producer certainly helped to make this CD as breathtaking as it is, but if the quality of music isn't there, no producer in the world can give it soul and depth - and this CD has mega-doses of both. A classically-trained pianist from the age of five, Ms. Garrett plays with the strength and emotional clarity that come from years of expressing oneself at the piano, sharing the joys and sorrows of life with the beloved 88's. The twelve pieces include eight original compositions, a lovely arrangement of "The Green Hills" by Brian Gibson, and Erik Satie's "Trois Gnossiennes," performed as originally composed. Most of the pieces are piano solo, but Garrett is joined on two by award-winning cellist Eugene Friesen (I LOVE cello and piano together!). Some of the other tracks have English horn, light percussion, and wordless vocals, but this is truly an incredible piano album.

The CD begins with "Tip-Toe Dancer (Kathryn's Song)," one of the lighter pieces in this collection. It was inspired by a story told by a close friend about a childhood dance performed for friends and family. Graceful yet playful, it is easy to imagine the seriousness of the young dancer and the warm reception of the adults. "Lake EWOK Muse" is an improvisational duet for piano and cello that followed a sunrise meditation beside Lake EWOK at Skywalker Ranch, where the album was recorded. The feeling of serenity envelops you as you listen to the two artists interact seamlessly, creating a perfect sense of peace. "Simple Things" is a celebration that begins in a classical style reminiscent of a children's piano study and evolves, retaining the sweet melody and simplicity of the message but becoming a full and graceful solo. The title track is fascinating. It begins with a mournful piano prelude and becomes a rhythmic dance with a seductive Spanish flavor. Susan Whittle's vocals and percussion provided by Will Ackerman and Derrick Jordan add to the enchantment. "Will's Song" is an improvisational piece that is so deeply felt that it almost sends a chill - what a beauty! "Toll of War (Adagio)" is a wrenching duet for piano and cello. A profound statement of humanity rather than of politics, the sense of loss and pain reach to the depths of the soul. This is a piece that needs to be heard. The gentle, pensive closing track is a solo piano reprise of "Lake EWOK Muse."

"Allure of Sanctuary" is a must-have CD!

Average customer rating: Prelude to Lido Shuffle The songs have aged like fine wine Boz Scaggs - Slow Dancer Back to the Bay Area Timeless and Extraordinary

Slow Dancer Boz Scaggs Manufacturer: Sony ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Pop | Styles | Music Soft Rock | Pop | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music Album-Oriented Rock (AOR) | Classic Rock | Styles | Music CDs $7 - $10 | Pop Rock | Pop | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music All Bargain Titles | Pop Rock | Pop | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music CDs $7 - $10 | Soft Rock | Pop | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music All Bargain Titles | Soft Rock | Pop | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music All Bargain Titles | Oldies | Pop | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music 4-for-3 Classic Rock | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music 4-for-3 Pop | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music 4-for-3 Rock | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music 4-for-3 All Music | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music Similar Items: Boz Scaggs Down Two Then Left Middle Man Silk Degrees Some Change ASIN: B00000252C Release Date: 1990-10-25

Tracks:

1. You Make It So Hard (To Say No)
2. Slow Dancer
3. Angel Lady (Come Just In TIme)
4. There Is Someone Else
5. Hercules
6. Pain Of Love
7. Sail On White Moon
8. Let It Happen
9. I Got Your Number
10. Take It For Granted

Customer Reviews:

Prelude to Lido Shuffle.......2007-03-26

While Lido Shuffle took Boz to the mainstream, Slow Dancer, released just before Lido, is a type of transition album that is my personal favorite. It retains more of the bluesey "edge" of earlier albums while integrating a more commercial sound that would fully evovle on Lido Shuffle.

Highly recommended.

The songs have aged like fine wine.......2005-01-15

The first Boz Scaggs album I ever owned was, naturally, Silk Degrees (1976). I was so intrigued by his talent and his unique voice that I started going from record store to record store (those were the pre-Amazon days) to track down his earlier works. Slow Dancer was the first such album I found. I fell in love especially with the title track and Sail on White Moon. I also enjoyed Hercules and I Got Your Number. Heck I actually could listen to the album repeatedly all day. Every cut has its own special quality and flavor. Though I was only 16 years old, I really "got" Boz and his music.

I moved to the States when I was 19 and was no longer listening to Boz Scaggs regularly, as I did during the preceding few years. Unfortunately, it was precisely during this time that Boz's star began to fall. Between my preoccupation with my new life in this country and Boz's getting less air play, his music gradually drifted out of my life.

Before moving to his country, I taped all of Boz's songs from the albums I had been lucky enough to find in the stores: My Time (the original album, not the anthology), Moments, Boz Scaggs, and maybe one more really old album. At any rate, Slow Dancer was always my favorite of all the pre-Silk Degrees albums.

A couple of weeks ago I was digging through my cassettes in the car and stumbled upon those very "compilation" Boz Scaggs tapes that I personally made. It's not as if I hadn't been listening to those tapes every now and then but something happened to me that day. I started to yearn to have Boz's voice back in my life--to enrich and enhance it, as it did so very effectively when I was 16 and living in a foreign land.

As a result of this reunion, I purchased Slow Dancer on CD along with CDs of his earlier works. I even had to resort to buying "My Time" and "Moments" directly from a Japanese merchant because I couldn't find them here. How I wish I still had all those vinyl records with me. I know they're worth quite a bit now.

Anyway, the main thing I wanted to say here, before I started reminiscing and rambling, is that Slow Dancer has aged like the finest of fine wines. I actually appreciate it more now as a more mature person than when I was 16. I am feeling Boz and his music in a different way. I also feel very blessed that, even as a 16 year-old, I had enough of a discriminating taste for such wonderful talent as Boz Scaggs. I could never possibly outgrow Boz and his music. Whether I'm in my teens or in my 40s, I'll always love Boz's voice and music. I'm really glad he's back in my life.

Boz Scaggs - Slow Dancer.......2004-09-24

This is one of my all time favorites. I bought the albumn in the early 70's & played it to death. Then I bought the 8 track (a couple of times!--those things were horrid!). Today I have the CD & still love listening to this albumn.

Back to the Bay Area.......2003-11-12

I arrived in the Bay Area in the mid-1970s with psychedelic visions in my head, only to learn that the ultra-hip region was in the midst of a neo-Soul revival led by Tower of Power along with a bunch of white ex-rockers, especially Boz Scaggs. That Bay Area sound broke into the nation's consciousness in about 1976 with the release of Boz's "Silk Degrees," a huge hit that had a slightly more sophisticated take on the disco/nightclub sound. It's a fine album, but the real gem was its predecessor, "Slow Dancer," which sounds like more of a tribute to the strings-drenched Philadelphia soul sound, combined with the singer's evident love for classic R&B. A few cuts feature that almost Native American tom-tom beat that some soul singers used, and one cut even features a country-tinged pedal steel guitar.

This album was only a regional hit when it came out, but was reissued with a new cover in the wake of "Silk Degrees" success. This album is incredibly romantic, heartfelt, and is bursting with creative ideas. The songs are strong throughout, but my favorites are the title song, "You Make It So Hard (To Say No)," "Angel Lady," "Pain of Love," and "There's Someone Else." Worth discovering.

Timeless and Extraordinary.......2002-11-02

I am writing this review, because it is an insult to Boz to have a work this complex and beautiful be ignored. The fact that I am the first person to be reviewing an album that I consider to be one of the finest recorded in the last 30 years, is tragic. Boz is best known for "Silk Degrees" which was released during the disco era.

Boz is a complex character. He was on Steve Miller's first album. He has a lot of soul for a white guy and a gift for romantic melody and rhythmn. These are all features of "Slow Dancer." His unabashed use of full orchestras, hypnotic rhythmn sections and background vocalists, is as close to ectasy as you are going to get off a recording. This album is about love. This album is for lovers, or for people holding on for love.

Yes, I realize it is 2002, and most humans are whining about their personal agendas with their head buried deep up their own ass and looking for the light switch. Just because people are ignorant and self obsessed and unable to love doesn't mean there is something wrong with the passionate sounds of "Slow Dancer." I will tell you one thing: "Slow Dancer" is as great today as it was almost 30 years ago and "Silk Degrees" sounds dated and slightly contaminated by its association to disco. The point is simple - truly great music survives. If there is anything alive in you above the waist - treat yourself to "Slow Dancer"

Average customer rating: Fred and Oscar Dancer AND Singer Fresh A Bridge Between the 1930's and 1950's A brilliant collaboration

Steppin' Out: Astaire Sings Fred Astaire Manufacturer: Polygram Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Jazz | Styles | Music Traditional Jazz General | Traditional Jazz & Ragtime | Jazz | Styles | Music Nostalgia | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music General | Musicals | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music Traditional Vocal Pop | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music General | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music General | Oldies | Pop | Styles | Music Traditional Pop | Oldies | Pop | Styles | Music General | Easy Listening | Pop | Styles | Music General | Vocal Pop | Pop | Styles | Music Similar Items: The Essential Fred Astaire Fred Astaire & Ginger Rogers At RKO: Motion Picture Soundtrack Anthology Oscar Peterson & Fred Astaire: Complete Norman Granz Sessions Fred Astaire's Finest Hour Top Hat, White Tie & Tails ASIN: B0000046V0 Release Date: 1994-06-21

Tracks:

1. Steppin` Out With My Baby
2. Let`s Call The Whole Thing Off
3. Top Hat, White Tie, And Tails
4. They Can`t Take That Away From Me
5. Dancing In The Dark
6. `S Wonderful
7. The Way You Look Tonight
8. They All Laughed
9. I Concentrate On You
10. Night And Day
11. A Fine Romance
12. Nice Work If You Can Get It
13. The Continental
14. I Won`t Dance
15. You`re Easy To Dance With
16. Change Partners
17. Cheek To Cheek

Amazon.com

In 1952 Fred Astaire joined Oscar Peterson and some of Verve's best sidemen to lay down jazzy, laid-back versions of songs he had made famous in his Broadway and film career. Those 38 tracks, released as The Astaire Story, have been condensed into this collection, Steppin' Out: Fred Astaire Sings. While Astaire was not blessed with great vocal chops, the best American songwriters including George and Ira Gershwin, Irving Berlin, and Cole Porter loved him for his unerring sense of rhythm and sympathetic treatment of lyrics, qualities that are well displayed here. Tony Bennett hit the pop mainstream with his 1994 album of jazzy Astaire standards. Here's the original. --David Horiuchi

Customer Reviews:

Fred and Oscar.......2007-06-27

This disc gives a good sample of the 4 LP set called "The Fred Astaire Story". Fred is in fine fettle with the small group of Jazz at the Philharmonic musicians, and the recording is of such quality that you can really hear his style. Also, Oscar Peterson's accompaniment gives the lie to those who say that he plays too many notes or that he doesn't swing. All is understated, in aid of putting Fred into the best light. Of course, you have a selection of some of the great popular songs associated with Fred's career.

Dancer AND Singer.......2006-11-12

Beyond the nostalgia of an eighty year old, "Steppin' Out: Astaire Sings" teamed with some of the great jazz players reveals a fine, gentle singer whose dancing overshadowed his singing in the original movies.

Fresh.......2006-09-05

For something recorded in 1952, this is some of the freshest music today. These songs from stage and movies are given new life by putting show tunes to the take-your-time, more sensitive, less hackneyed rhythms of jazz. Lacking the necessity to carry a movie, Astaire's phrasing and intonations have a very different quality than the original versions.

A certain subtlety comes through and the lyrics are freed from sentimentality, as Astaire masterfully burnishes a deeper and more heartfelt thoughtfulness. "Steppin' Out With My Baby" and "I Won't Dance" have a simpler, carefree quality, and the accompaniement by greats such as Oscar Peterson on piano and Charlie Shavers, Flip Phillips, Barney Kessel, Ray Brown and Alvin Stoller are first rate. This is a must have for not only Fred Astaire afficionados, but also for anyone who really wants to hear how to take an old hit, change it around and come out with something totally fresh.

Fans will like his interview on the final track, "Cheek to Cheek." As it says in the cover note, Tony Bennett proclaimed Fred Astaire our national treasure. Fred Astaire's versatility and willingness to risk putting these standards to a new rhythm should stand as both proof and inspiration.

A Bridge Between the 1930's and 1950's.......2005-09-09

The Great American Song Book reached its highest point in the 1950's with Verve's Jazz recordings of the classic American music of the 1930's. All the Jazz greats stepped back twenty years and breathed new life into the works of Irving Berlin, Rogers and Hart and Cole Porter.

"Steppin' Out" is brilliant because it serves as a link between the Broadway and Hollywood Music of the 1930's and the new Jazz interpretations of the 1950's. Many of the songs covered in this album were written for and first performed by Fred Astaire.

Verve had a first rate idea in asking Fred Astaire to work with Oscar Peterson. The arrangements show all the brilliance that Peterson was capable of achieving and Astaire stepped up to the musical challange. The jazz pace and phrasing worked perfectly for Astaire. His voice and delivery had only improved with time. In my opinion, his voice in the 1930's had a tinny quality to it. But by the 1950's he had matured and there is deepness to his voice that works well in a jazz setting.

There can be little argument that Fred Astaire was one of the great dancers of the Twentieth Century. Although not as well respected as a vocalist, this album quite clearly shows that Astaire could do it all.

A brilliant collaboration.......2004-11-07

If you like Astaire, Jazz or the American songbook you will love this. The understated virtuoso arrangements let the songs shine and Astaire is the real thing.

Average customer rating: Love it, but... Tina Turner, Private Dancer Seems it does not tollerate adultism. Back From the Dead Timeless

Private Dancer: Centenary Tina Turner Manufacturer: Capitol ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Pop | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music General | R&B | Styles | Music General | Soul | R&B | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music Similar Items: Simply the Best Break Every Rule What's Love Got To Do With It (1993 Film) All The Best Foreign Affair ASIN: B000005RS0 Release Date: 2000-03-14

Tracks:

1. I Might Have Been Queen
2. What's Love Got To Do With It
3. Show Some Respect
4. I Can't Stand The Rain
5. Private Dancer
6. Let's Stay Together
7. Better Be Good To Me
8. Steel Claw
9. Help
10. 1984
11. I Wrote A Letter
12. Rock N Roll Widow
13. Don't Rush The Good Things
14. When I Was Young
15. What's Love Got To Do With It (Extended Version)
16. Better Be Good To Me (Extended Version)
17. I Can't Stand The Rain (Extended Version)

Album Details

As a Part of the EMI Cententary Celebrations, a Number of Classics CDs Are to Be Re-Issued with Extra Bonus Tracks and Enhanced Packaging. For this First Release in this Series Seven Tracks have Been Added (4 B-Sides and Extended Remixes).

Customer Reviews:

Love it, but..........2007-04-16

DONT BUY it from AMAZON! I got burned, I bought what was supposed to be the new delux edition and what I received was the original CD release. I'd rather buy items like this from official stores instead of Amazon after that hell of an experience. Over-all, its a great album

Tina Turner, Private Dancer.......2007-04-07

Time doesn't change Tina.... and this just brings it all back. and some new songs too. GREAT..

Seems it does not tollerate adultism........2006-12-30

Hie,
Well i like humen kindnesh of all age, which why i prefere no children, & no animals of all, via any net, etc. mobiles - which i myself not use of all anytimes.
Obj lv is - fully hounest for thself ye long th chose of stay here from earth-planet. Néver make alopatic pillstblets., only if one selden time an infection is in the way, th can chose pencilin of 6 days.

Gladly New year Dearest Better than Beutiest -
I love thself only, & I nv lv others.

Back From the Dead.......2006-08-17

This album re-introduced a former R&B singer by the name of Tina Turner to the world at-large. She hasn't stopped turning the world on its ear since. It's interesting to hear how this album grew practically on its own, rather haphazardly, with none of the careful nurturing and selective songwriting most artists put into their albums. The album's biggest hit, "What's Love Got To Do With It", almost didn't get made. Tina hated it. One of her favorites, "I Might Have Been Queen", wasn't released as a single. This album shows tremendous range and depth of talent. From her roots in R&B, to the lighter realm of Pop, to the harder edge of Rock, Tina showed she could handle it all. She became the first woman to be nominated for Grammies in the fields of R&B, Pop, and Rock all in the same year. The album became a phenomenon, going multi-platinum in the U.S. alone, and a few times that worldwide. There really isn't a weak song here, except possibly the cover of "Help", which is much better live. The sterility of the studio really didn't help the song. The rest of the album, though, is amazing. Her rendition of "Private Dancer", the title track, is wonderful. The slow, measured reading of the lyrics, and the weariness in her voice blends to completely convince the idea of her being a tired private-dancer for hire, her dreams of happiness gone. It seems that nowadays, pop princess-tarts are a dime a dozen, talented, yes, but over-produced, and lacking true direction and focus, hence the immense early attention and enormous album sales, then burn-out sets in, and they fade. It's an inspiring thing, then, to see a woman, in her forties at the time, come back and show what a lifetime of experience and a world of talent can do. Get this album and enjoy it, because even though radio played some of it to death, it still stands the test of time amazingly well.

Timeless.......2006-03-23

I purchased this item because it was said to be one of her best. The people sure knew what they were talking about! This album provides smooth Tina pefection all the way. From the upbeat great grooves of "I Might Have Been Queen" and "Steel Claw" to the sexy title track "Private Dancer" to the classics "Whats Love Got to Do with It?" and "Better Be Good to Me" this album is rocking! It's nice to have the extra tracks and extended version (even though they really aren't THAT much longer) they're a nice touch. All in all, Tina fans will love it, people looking for some 'good time' music will appreciate it, and anyone looking for some 80's fun will have stuck gold. This is a timeless great album.

Average customer rating: Great movie; phenomenal soundtrack! Can She? Dissapointing but still classic Bjork greatness An emotional WHALLOP! The Burden of Soundtracks

Selmasongs: Dancer In The Dark (2000 Film) Björk Manufacturer: Elektra / Wea ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Alternative Dance | Alternative Styles | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music General | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music Electronica | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music Trip-Hop | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music General | Dance Pop | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music Movie Soundtracks | Soundtracks | Styles | Music General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music Similar Items: Telegram Vespertine Dancer in the Dark (New Line Platinum Series) Debut Homogenic ASIN: B00004Y6TQ Release Date: 2000-09-19

Tracks:

1. Overture
2. Cvalda
3. I've Seen It All
4. Scatterheart
5. In The Musicals
6. 107 Steps
7. New World

Amazon.com's Best of 2000

Inspired by the film Dancer in the Dark's Broadwayesque emotional sweep, Björk stretches herself with orchestral mood swings and a darker, more experimental palette. The result is the most difficult record she's made since her Sugarcubes days, but a few listens reveal the thrilling heart of a truly multifaceted and immensely brave composer. --Matthew Cooke

Amazon.com

In Dancer in the Dark, Björk plays Selma, a Czech mother who labors furiously in order to save her son from an inherited disease that will cause blindness. In the midst of all her hardship, the one thing that keeps her spirits up is musicals. Here lies the premise of the Selmasongs EP. The seven tracks sound like something straight out of a Gene Kelly movie but with one major addendum: Björk's wildly imaginative, postmodern songwriting. The movie's theme of fantasy coexisting with urban industrial bleakness is represented in two recurring elements: mechanical friction (expressed rhythmically in the sounds of train tracks, car engines, chains, and even chalk) and dreamy escapism (manifested in enormous orchestral swells of strings, harp, and other fanciful instrumentation). "Cvalda" is typical of the EP's duality. Industrial noise bleeds into Björk's scatting "Clatter! Crash! Clack! Rattle!" then dives head first into a wonderful tap-dancing-on-a tin-roof, big-band cacophony. The EP's showstopper, the rousing "In the Musicals 1 & 2," sounds like it was conducted with a magic wand. Beginning with Aphex Twin-inspired beats bouncing like a ball bearing dribbled hard on pavement, the intricate rhythmic choreography tromps, flits, and changes direction with seamless angularity. These aren't just songs to dance to, these are songs that dance. --Beth Massa

Customer Reviews:

Great movie; phenomenal soundtrack!.......2007-07-23

If you like Bjork, you will love this movie soundtrack as she continues to set new trends in style. The duet with Thom Yorke of Radiohead is brilliant. Check out the version she sang at the Oscars in her swan outfit on youtube. Bjork is simply an awesome talent!

Can She?.......2007-01-23

Can bjork do any wrong? Not in my book! she takes on a new style, replacing her drum machines with stomps, taps, industrial noises and melancholy as an accompniament. On its own, this is a beautiful precursor to Vespertine, inkling here and there to the microcosmic noises to come on the next album. In her style, it sends you from whispers to guttaral soars, but more punctually and neccessarily than on her other albums. gorgeous!

Dissapointing but still classic Bjork greatness.......2006-12-09

These songs are great n all like everything Bjork does (in my opinion), but i fell in love with the film and the film's soundtrack and this is not the film's soundtrack. All of the songs are redone. My favorite song for instance is "I've Seen It All" and i get Thom Yorke instead of Jeff(Peter Stormare). Love Thom and all but prefer Jeff for sentimental ties i have with the film. and Scatterheart?!? None of the lyrics are even the same and Bill(David Morse) and Linda(Cara Seymour) are not singing! The others are the same story.. Isn't the whole point of a musical the fact that a bunch of people in the movie are singing in context with the plot? If you listened to the soundtrack you'd never guess it was the soundtrack to a musical.. Anyway the songs are great but it's not really a soundtrack to me and i can't help but be very dissapointed and sad that i can't have the songs i want other than having to listen to the film.

An emotional WHALLOP!.......2006-07-07

If you cried your eyes out in DITD then this CD will wrench your heart as well. I had this CD in my car and found myself crying non stop!!! Probally not the best thing to do while driving? I even had a friend borrow my car once with this cd in it and he confided to me that after a few songs he started to cry as well..and he hates Bjork!!! In a nutshell - YOU WILL CRY when you hear this cd AND keep tissues in your car when you listen to this cd.

The Burden of Soundtracks.......2006-07-06

For an artist like Bjork to make a soundtrack to a film in which she stars seems a little off-putting. All told, I actually saw the movie after listening to the soundtrack. I've been a Bjork fan for a while, and when this CD came out in 2000, I was shocked by how real it was, even as a soundtrack. Not all of the songs immediately made perfect sense, due to their dependence on the actual film; however, Bjork seems to always find a way to make each track uniquely hers. "Cvalda" and "In the Musicals" are musically full-bodied expressions of the musical, which for Bjork seems to always divide the real world from the one in which we always live.
"I've Seen It All" is beautiful, in its own quiet way. Bjork sings here with Peter Stormare, who also stars in the film. This song is important, in that it embodies the duality of the film, with its many contrasts in characters and especially camera-work, which changes whenever one of the "musical" numbers starts.
All in all, Bjork used "Selmasongs" as an album and a project to further her avant-garde intentions while not getting wholly lost in them. Each track captures some of her original verve, which only continues to strengthen with such new projects as "Drawing Restraint 9."

Average customer rating: Fabulous 21st Century Remake of Classic Disco Song Not bad, but not worthy of a single release Killer remake of a touchtone song

He's The Greatest Dancer Dannii Minogue Manufacturer: Central Station ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music General | Dance Pop | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music Australia & New Zealand | International | Styles | Music General | Pop | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music Dance & DJ | Imports | Stores | Music Similar Items: Showgirl Homecoming Live Trip the Light Fantastic I Want Your Love-the Remix Ep Limited Pressing The Hits & Beyond Me & My Imagination ASIN: B000O1PKLE Release Date: 2007-04-10

Tracks:

1. Lmc Edit
2. Lmc Extended
3. Chris Lake Remix
4. Shapeshifters Remix
5. Kenny Hayes Dub Addiction
6. Riffs & Rays Mix
7. Sebastien Leger Electro Vocal
8. Fugitive Club Mix

Album Description

Enjoying a staggering sixteen years in the music industry as a top selling recording artist, nineteen hit singles and four top selling UK albums, Dannii Minogue is returning to the charts this winter with brand new single ` He's The Greatest Dancer', a song that will no doubt continue Dannii's reign as the undisputed queen of the dance floor. Includes 8 remixes of the title track! Central Station. 2007.

Album Details

Enjoying a Staggering Sixteen Years in the Music Industry as a Top Selling Recording Artist, Nineteen Hit Singles and Four Top Selling UK Albums, Dannii Minogue is Returning to the Charts this Winter with `he's the Greatest Dancer', a Song that Will No Doubt Continue Minogue's Reign as the Undisputed Queen of the Dance Floor.

Customer Reviews:

Fabulous 21st Century Remake of Classic Disco Song.......2007-05-24

Dannii Minogue's remake of the Sister Sledge classic keeps to the formula of the original for the radio mix. The multitude of mixes on this single present lots of alternate vibes. The mood of the song totally changes with each mix from the neo-classic disco beat to peak hour passion and down to lounge chill. Luv it!

Not bad, but not worthy of a single release.......2007-05-06

This should have been part of a double A side release for "I can't sleep at night". It would've given Dannii a chance to finally release "Sleep" and throw her loyal fans a new single.
The mixes of this single are pretty good, but like another reviewer said, the first 2 tracks are what this disc is all about. Stays true to the original.

Killer remake of a touchtone song.......2007-04-30

Sister Sledge's "He's the Greatest Dancer" is one of those songs that symbolizes disco at it's very best. It was written by Chic's N. Rogers and B. Edwards when these guys were at the top of their game.

When I heard that it was being remade by Dannii Minogue, I was somewhat skeptical as so many disco songs have been butchered when they have been remade as they don't manage to capture the greatness of the original nor manage to add anything new to make it work.

This maxi-single has a generous 8 mixes, which starts with the LMC mix, a very faithful to the original song: A juicy, pulsating celebration of a female who is attracted to a man due to his dancing and a quite a lot more ;-) From the 3rd to the 8th selection, the release shoots to make the song more contemporary for the most part it works quite well. There is some inclusion of house on the Chris Lake Remix that is quite fun.The Shapeshifters Remix starts off quite well with a nice tease. Riffs & Rays Mix has house elements then switches into electronica and is probably the version that varies most from the original as the voice is secondary to the beat. It's my current favorite after the LMC Edit. The Fugitive Club Mix is just OK.

All in all I am very impressed that Dannii has done such a great job with this song. Her vocals are not the greatest on earth compared to the original, but it it does not take away from the enjoyment of having this song updated for a a new generation of dancefloor maniacs, if only a living room dancefloor. Enjoy!

Average customer rating: "The sun shines bright, I'm alright!" THE WORLD'S GREATEST ENTERTAINER' Let Me Sing and I'm Happy 1945 - 1950 Decca Studio Masters on CD - Jolson's Best Jolson.

Let Me Sing and I'm Happy Al Jolson Manufacturer: Asv Living Era ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Nostalgia | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music General | Comedy | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music General | Oldies | Pop | Styles | Music Traditional Pop | Oldies | Pop | Styles | Music Tin Pan Alley | Oldies | Pop | Styles | Music General | Easy Listening | Pop | Styles | Music General | Vocal Pop | Pop | Styles | Music Traditional Vocal Pop | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music General | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music Similar Items: Golden Years of Al Jolson Jolson Sings Again The Jolson Story Bing Crosby Meets Al Jolson Al Jolson - 22 Greatest Hits ASIN: B0001EMM2O Release Date: 2004-05-25

Tracks:

1. Swanee
2. April Showers
3. Ma Blushin' Rosie
4. My Mammy
5. You Made Me Love You
6. Rock-A-Bye Your Baby With A Dixie Melody
7. California, Here I Come
8. Sonny Boy
9. Avalon
10. The Anniversary Song
11. Alexander's Ragtime Band
12. The Spaniard That Blighted My Life
13. All My Love
14. Keep Smiling At Trouble
15. Back on Your Own Back Yard
16. I'm Sitting On Top Of The World
17. Where The Black-Eyed Susans Grow
18. Toot, Toot, Tootsie, Goodbye
19. Carolina In The Morning
20. Liza
21. For Me And My Gal
22. Waiting For The Robert E. Lee
23. About A Quarter To Nine
24. Golden Gate
25. When You Were Sweet Sixteen
26. There's A Rainbow Round My Shoulder
27. If I Only Had A Match
28. Let Me Sing And I'm Happy
29. By The Light Of The Silvery Moon
30. I Want A Girl Just Like The Girl Who Married My Dear Old Dad

Tracks:

1. When The Red, Red Robin Comes Bob-Bob-Bobbin' Along
2. Someone Else May Be There While I'm Gone
3. Down Among The Sheltering Palms
4. Is It True What They Say About Dixie?
5. I Only Have Eyes For You
6. That Wonderful Girl Of Mine
7. I'm Looking Over A Four Leaf Clover...Baby Face
8. Pretty Baby
9. Chinatown, My Chinatown
10. After You've Gone
11. It All Depends On You
12. Give My Regards To Broadway
13. Some Enchanted Evening
14. I'm Just Wild About Harry
15. God's Country
16. Remember Mother's Day
17. The Old Piano Roll Blues
18. Way Down Yonder In New Orleans
19. Old Black Joe
20. My Old Kentucky Home
21. Beautiful Dreamer
22. Oh, Susanna!
23. Massa's In De Cold, Cold Ground
24. Jeanie With The Light Brown Hair
25. Old Folks At Home
26. Camptown Races
27. Are You Lonesome Tonight?
28. No Sad Songs For Me

Customer Reviews:

"The sun shines bright, I'm alright!".......2007-06-18

There are many different Al Jolson CD compilations available and all of them offer a taste of the talent of the man. However, many miss some of his best songs and do not offer a wide range of music. Although this CD features recordings done after the peak of his fame in the 20s, the benefit of new technology makes them easier to listen to. And lets face it; Jolie was never truly past his prime.

If you're ever feeling down, this is the CD to listen to. Even the sad songs are optimistic, or at least padded by happy ones. We have classics like "Sonny Boy" flanked by "California, Here I Come" and "Avalon." "Mammy," "Swannee," and "April Showers" all appear. We even get to dance to performances with Bing Crosby, the Andrews Sisters, and the Mills Brothers. If those titles don't tell you just how peppy this CD is, just look at the last song on disk two: "No Sad Songs for Me."

Some might look at the cover of Jolson in blackface and label him a racist. Unfortunately, that erroneous title has been associated with Jolson because of his work in minstrel shows. In truth, Jolson first donned blackface to conquer his stage fright; minstrel shows were incredibly popular during his time. None of the music reflects a demeaning attitude toward blacks and in fact, it often laments fondly about black friends or celebrates the jazz of New Orleans.

This is an excellent collection filled with songs sure to become favorites on a bad day or everyday.

THE WORLD'S GREATEST ENTERTAINER'.......2007-01-12

As the entry for Jolie said in Wikepedia, Bing Crosby, Rod Stewart, Elvis, Frank Sinatra, Jackie Wilson, Judy Garland and Mick Jagger all referred to him as 'The World's Greatest Entertainer.' He could according to Charlie Chaplin, make an audience happy or sad because of his ability to project emotions in a way that compelled his audiences to respond in kind. On a CD or on a DVD, we can only imagine what Jolson in live performance must have been like. What this CD collection does is preserve his last recordings on Decca which can be argued to be his best in that they were the most technically advanced and his voice was richer than on some of the earliest recordings which are found on other collections I have. I'm tempted to conclude that everyone who collects recordings of great vocalists should own a copy of this collection because of Jolson's singular status as the first super star of show business and the epitome of what an entertainer is supposed to be. He's the Ur Entertainer.

Let Me Sing and I'm Happy.......2007-01-12

If you like Al Jolson you gotta like this! Although the first disc had more songs that I remembered, both were fun to hear (again) and seem to be top quality.

We've played both discs several times in the few weeks that we've had the album and enjoyed it thoroughly each time. (And, the neighbors are happy that they can't hear us belting out the songs with Al!) We're planning to play it for the grandkids just to see their reactions and to let them experience something "new".

1945 - 1950 Decca Studio Masters on CD - Jolson's Best.......2005-07-26

This 2 cd set contains 58 out of 71 Decca Studio masters from 1945 to 1950. At this time, Jolson's voice had its deepest and most soulful, resonant tone. The highlight is the set of eight Stephen Foster songs, Jolson's last recordings. It's hard to name another major singer whose voice and sound were at their peak at age 64. Jolson is amazing, and this set is a bargain.

Jolson........2004-08-28

The voice, the talent, the memories are all here. Great music and songs created from the past. Jolson was the greatest and this CD will not dissapoint you. highly recommend for everyone. "you ain't heard nothing yet"..

Average customer rating: better on cd Still good after all these years................. Timeless Beautiful Soulful Music Unique and beautiful songs An important bridge between Brazil & modern American jazz

Native Dancer Wayne Shorter , and Milton Nascimento Manufacturer: Sony ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Brazil | South & Central America | International | Styles | Music General | International | Styles | Music General | Latin Music | Styles | Music Latin Pop | Latin Music | Styles | Music Bebop General | Bebop | Jazz | Styles | Music General | Jazz | Styles | Music Jazz Fusion | Jazz | Styles | Music Latin Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music Modern Postbebop | Jazz | Styles | Music Bebop & Post-Bop | Compilations | Jazz | Styles | Music Smooth Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music CDs $7 - $10 | Jazz General | Jazz | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music All Bargain Titles | Jazz General | Jazz | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music CDs $7 - $10 | Modern Postbebop | Jazz | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music All Bargain Titles | Modern Postbebop | Jazz | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music 4-for-3 International | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music 4-for-3 Jazz | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music 4-for-3 Pop | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music 4-for-3 All Music | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music Sony | Computers Brands | Computers Features | Electronics | Desktops | Monitors | Networking | Notebooks Similar Items: Una Nave Milton Schizophrenia Los Guachos, Vol. 2 Adam's Apple ASIN: B00000274F Release Date: 1990-04-20

Tracks:

1. Ponta De Areia
2. Beauty And The Beast
3. Tarde
4. Miracle Of The Fishes
5. Diana
6. From The Lonely Afternoons
7. Ana Maria
8. Lilia
9. Joanna's Theme

Customer Reviews:

better on cd.......2006-07-08

This is a great record. I have the old version on a record but the studio sound gets thru on the cd and kicks---.

Still good after all these years........................2005-04-30

I am listenting to my vinyl version of this right now for who knows how many times. And, it still thrills after 30+ years???? God, can it be that long. Well, whatever, this music still moves me with Hancocks keyboards and Wayne's beautiful sax in perfect sync with Milton's vocals. A masterpiece that can stand up in any music collection. If you have any appreciation of jazz or even pop vocals get this album. The music is beautiful and will make your heart feel swell.

Timeless Beautiful Soulful Music.......2003-12-29

Wayne Shorter is one of the great musicians of his generation. And Native Dancer is one of the finest and most beautiful works ever pressed into vinyl or burned into a disc. This is an all time great, a must for any admirer of Shorter or superstar Milton Nascimento.
Smart, incisive, Shorter plays with a measured balance of heart and head. His earliest music chronicles a young man's attempt to first sound as good as Coltrane, then with age, like himself. Shorter is one of those horn players instantly recognizeable. I heard Native Dancer for the first time as a freshman at college. I was a Shorter fan by then, both the early SHorter (Juju, Speak No Evil, etc.), as well as the later Weather Report work. I loved Airto, and played his Fingers album 24/7 when that came out.
But Native Dancer which includes Herbie Hancock playing with untouchable virtuosity and Milton singing all over the octaves, and Shorter's soprano sax loving, laughing, weeping -- well, it doesn't get much better. The music here goes deeply to one's soul..
It's odd. I don't speak a word of Portuguese, but everytime I hear Tarde -- and I've heard it a thousand times -- the words and the music break my heart.
Buy this cd.

Unique and beautiful songs.......2003-03-04

That mellow brazillian singing, Hancock's smooth Rhodes and
Shorter's soulful playing sound really fascinating together... Simply wonderful and mostly very laid-back.

An important bridge between Brazil & modern American jazz.......2002-08-30

A fairly solid commercial jazz album, from the height of the fusion days, this is the first of many collaborations between soprano sax player Shorter and the dreamy-spacy Nascimento. This album had a profound impact on the '70s jazz scene, introducing a more modern, non-bossa nova Brazilian sound into the experimentation of the time. Milton Nascimento performs on and contributes several songs, and although Shorter takes some interesting chances with Nascimento's material (particularly on the melodically-deflated version of "Lilia"), ultimately he seems to have lacked the compositional strength that would have made this a truly great album. As it is, it's a little goopy, and many of the songs lack true resonance.

Meditation Music:

1. Dead Hills [EP]
2. Dusk
3. Earth Tones
4. Fictionary
5. Full Moon Story
6. Ghost Riders [Live]
7. Guitar Music for Small Rooms, Vol. 1
8. Guitar Music for Small Rooms, Vol. 2
9. Heart of Perfect Wisdom
10. Heart & Soul

Meditation Music

meditation music

Meditation Music

Miracle

Berwald: Piano Quintets (Complete)

De Vitry & Ars Nova: 14th Cent Motets

Music: The One and Only Red Sovine

Distance to Goa, Vol. 6 [Import]

Body Language, Vol. 1

Bossa Style [Import]

C Ya

Cherry

Can't Deny It [CD-single] [Import]

Bizet: L’arlesienne & Carmen Suites, Symphony in C, etc. [Import]

Cançons Populars Espanyoles

Chris Thomas King

Travelin' Light

Blow