Towards

Track Listings

1. State of Grace

2. Another Time

3. When We Can

4. A Child's Question

5. Just A Moment

6. Destined

7. Sunrise

8. And Beyond

9. Running Children

10. Wander

11. Falling Light

12. Far Away

Editorial Reviews
Jerome Selig
"I heard TOWARDS while shopping for a get well gift. It was perfect for creating a sense of well-being"

Product Description
Prescriptive Music illuminates what medical research has unveiled; that music has the ability to soothe, to calm, and to relax individuals in their environment even though uncertainty and anxiety may attempt to overwhelm. Besides offering patients and practitioners an appropriate aural foundation for healing, listeners of all backgrounds can benefit from the recuperative qualities of our music.

The tender piano improvisations of TOWARDS, prompted by real life experiences, invite the listener to engage in their thoughts and emotions. These themes perform well in acute environments such as labor and delivery.

Towards

Towards,Bryan Pezzone,Prescriptive Music

Towards

Tracks:

Possession
Wait
Plenty
Good Enough
Mary
Elsewhere
Circle
Ice
Hold On
Ice Cream
Fear
Fumbling Towards Ecstasy

Amazon.com essential recording

Pre-Lilith Fair, McLachlan had critical acclaim and a cult following but was otherwise just another hard-working female singer/songwriter--one who wasn't blasting down doors with overt sexuality or popping along in front of a male Svengali. Similar in their emotional urgency to her more recent work but delightfully less polished, these folk-rock songs are surprising gems. If not for McLachlan's poignant vocals, lyrics like "Your love is better than ice cream" (on "Ice Cream") would sound childishly absurd (especially alongside deeper material like "Hold On"), but here they're given just as much respect as the weightier issues she explores. A great album to accompany your moments of introspection. --Rebecca Wallwork

Customer Reviews:

Must have Sarah McLachlan CD.......2007-07-08

For a rainy day, or a somber mood~ This cd will help you achieve a stress free listening experience

Awesome.......2007-06-16

It is because of THIS ALBUM that I am a true fan of Sarah McLachlan. Her voice is angeling and her lyrics are awe-inspiring. The only grievance I have is the fact that I knew nothing about her until a few years ago. Damned radio!

I'm 21 and I've never been to a Lilith Fair....I really wish Sarah, Alanis, Sheryl, and all the rest would just get together and say "Hey, we're overdue for another Fair!" God knows I'd be the first to buy a front row ticket!

This album is seriously AMAZING and it opened the door to many more amazing albums by McLachlan. At least it did for me. This album gives me the feeling equivalent of that of a kid being showered in the best candy.
Better than Ice Cream, I tell ya!

Good acoustic rock.......2007-04-16

'Fumbling towards ecstasy' is considered to be one of McLachlan's most popular pieces of work and along with 'Surfacing' one of her two best-selling albums.

It is a beautiful collection of rock ballads. The lyrics are good, the music is good, Sarah's voice is beautiful, in short it is a very good item to have in a collection. This is mainly material for people that are into rock/soft rock/ folk and enjoy the tunes of Leonard Cohen and/or Sheryl Crowe, although I can't say that any of the two are identical to her.

Next to his CD I would recommend Elisa's "Then Comes the Sun" (which in fact I favour a bit more).

And a small warning: this is exclusively good, relaxing acoustic material. It is not the type of music that will wake you up before storming for an endless night out. It definitely has quality but is not dance material, so don't buy it and then diss it...

An all-time favorite.......2007-02-15

If I were going to be on a deserted island for five years and could choose to have 50 of my favorite CDs with me, I would definitely take this one along. I haven't listened to it in a while, but I am reviewing it because I want amazon to recommend more music like this to me. Sarah is a great talent, which we all know by now, and this was my first exposure to her. I wore this CD out when I first got it quite a few years ago.

love it love it love it.......2006-12-21

need i say more? ok ..... every song could be a hit.

Average customer rating:

Loved "Summon the Heroes"
Inspirational music during awards
Rousing but....
Enjoyable romp through Olympic Themes
One of the most uplifting and motivating albums!!!

Summon the Heroes

Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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American Journey - Winter Olympics 2002
By Request: The Best Of John Williams And The Boston Pops Orchestra
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ASIN: B00004WK4E
Release Date: 2000-08-29

Tracks:

Summon The Heroes - John Williams/Boston Pops Orchestra
Carmina Burana: O Fortuna - Tanglewood Festival Chorus/John Oliver
Bugler's Dream/Olympic Fanfare And Theme - John Williams/Boston Pops Orchestra
Canto Olympico: Ode To Zeus - Tanglewood Festival Chorus/John Oliver
Javelin - John Williams/Boston Pops Orchestra
Olympic Hymn - Tanglewood Festival Chorus/John Oliver
Festive Overture, Op.96 - John Williams/Boston Pops Orchestra
Conquest Of Paradise (Theme) - Tanglewood Festival Chorus/John Oliver
Ben Hur: Parade Of Charioteers - John Williams/Boston Pops Orchestra
Toward A New Life - John Williams/Boston Pops Orchestra
Chariots of Fire (Theme) - John Williams/Boston Pops Orchestra
The Olympic Spirit - John Williams/Boston Pops Orchestra

Customer Reviews:

Loved "Summon the Heroes".......2007-03-17

Great soul-stirring music! Highly recommended for anyone who loves Olympics orchestral and similar music.

Inspirational music during awards.......2007-01-22

I use the music on this CD as background when I give awards during track. It's very inspirational & uplifting to the athletes. They love it.

Rousing but...........2006-02-24

This CD, with John Williams at the baton, summons the heroes in a rousing manner with a wide range of Olympic as well as "heroic" (e.g., "Parade of the Charioteers" from "Ben Hur")selections. Three of the twelve tracks were written by Williams himself with his "Olympic Spirit" being recorded for the first time. The electrifying "Ode to Zeus" by Mikis Theodorakis is probably the single greatest selection.
In an amazing oversight, however, this CD does not include the Olympic Theme.

Enjoyable romp through Olympic Themes.......2005-09-01

In the US at least, John Williams is known more for his movie scores (Star Wars and Raiders of the Lost Ark to name a few), but he has put his stamp on the Olympics with his several themes and fanfares for the Olympics. Dating back to 1984, Mr. Williams has composed many well known fanfares to the Olympics, and this compilation contains several of his fanfares in addition to music used in other Olympics. The original release for the disc was 1996, which makes it current through the Atlanta Games; if you're looking for the work that John Williams composed for the Salt Lake City Winter Olympics (2002), you have to go with American Visions (I believe that's the title).

On the whole, the music is well done, but I'm more used to the faster pace of the Parade of the Charioteers found on Eric Kunzel and the Cincinnati Pops' Hollywood's Greatest Hits Vol. 1.
One other quibble (minor, really) is that people tend to think of the 1984 Olympic Fanfare as being always merged with the traditional Olympic Fanfare, but you can find it separately on By Request by John Williams and the Boston Pops. You'll also have to hunt around for the full composition of what people consider the traditional Olympic Fanfare on another disc, but that's a minor issue.

One nice item on the disc is The Olympic Spirit, which was composed for the NBC Broadcast of the 1988 Olympics in Seoul, but never used. My children really like that piece a lot, and usually request it to be replayed when it finishes.

One of the most uplifting and motivating albums!!!.......2005-07-19

When I first listened to this album, I was in awe of the beauty and grandness of the music composed/performed by John Williams. John can make composing music an exalted art. His music is purely genius and captures the ideas of the album in which the score is in. Back to the album . . . it is AWESOME! This includes many well-known songs but also many undiscovered treasures. Of the twelve songs, I especially enjoyed:
Track One-Summon the Heroes
Track Three-Bugler's Dream/Olympic Fanfare and Theme
Track Twelve-The Olympic Spirit
Bottom Line: BUY THIS ALBUM!!!!!!!! A TREASURE!!!!!

Average customer rating:

I look forward to more

Towards the Shining Path
Lafayette Gilchrist
Manufacturer: HYENA Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000AY9OL2
Release Date: 2005-09-27

Tracks:

New Jack
Towards The Shining Path
Elephant Dance
Unbreakable
No Locomotion Blues
Thorn Bush
Bubbles On Mars
Unsolved, Unresolved
The Juggler's Dream

Customer Reviews:

I look forward to more.......2007-01-09

This is some of the most interesting music I've heard. Something is developing in Jazz piano that I intend to follow. With Mr. Gilchrist, Matthew Shipp, Jason Moran, Brad Mehldau, D.D. Jackson and some others, there's a recent conceptual shift of a sort that I have not personally heard since Don Pullen or Keith Jarrett's first albums. I only wish that on this one and the previous "Music According to Lafayette Gilchrist", that the piano wasn't buried under the horns. I want to hear a Lafayette Gilchrist album with a small group or solo.

Average customer rating:

Buen reflejo de la música de Micus
Not quite what I might have hoped for
ANOTHER RECORDING OF SINGULAR BEAUTY FROM THIS ARTIST

Towards the Wind
Stephan Micus
Manufacturer: Ecm Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Athos
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The Music of Stones

ASIN: B00006589J
Release Date: 2002-08-06

Tracks:

Before Sunrise
Morning Breeze
Flying Horses
Padre
Birds Of Dawn
Virgen De La Nieve
Eastern Princess
Crossing Dark Rivers

Amazon.com

Stephan Micus has been creating idiosyncratic, global soundscapes for about 30 years, playing instruments from around the world and setting them in unlikely combinations. With Towards the Wind, he's become infatuated with the Armenian double-reed instrument called the duduk and even studied it with the reigning master, Djivan Gasparyan. He plays it solo on a couple of tracks, including a bass duduk on "Before Sunrise," in which he sounds surprisingly like Eric Dolphy playing bass clarinet. But it's best heard in Micus's eclectic combinations like "Birds of Dawn," where it sits with two kalimbas, six shakuhachis, three talking drums, and two sattars (Chinese violins). "Flying Horse" is a wildly ecstatic journey with 12 talking drums pounding out cross-talking rhythms while Micus weaves an incantational solo on shakuhachi. There's no mistaking Micus's austere duduk playing for the subtle ministrations of Gasparyan, but unlike many musicians who pick up instruments from around the world to contrive a faux ethnic fusion, Stephan Micus goes beyond superficial exotica and reaches a deeper spirit. --John Diliberto

Customer Reviews:

Buen reflejo de la música de Micus.......2002-11-10

Nuevamente el gran multiintrumetista alemán nos trae un compendio de instrumentos musicales, a los que les arranca una gran cantidad de hermosos sonidos, mágicos, ensoñadores.
Es increible coo un musico puede tener siempre tan alto nivel de calidad

Not quite what I might have hoped for.......2002-10-06

I have to admit being a tad disappointed by this latest Micus release. While I agree with the next reviewer on general principles (I own every release Micus has put out, including having replaced all the earlier 33s I owned with CDs when they became available), I am having some trouble identifying material on "Towards the Wind" that holds my attention. Micus, while proficient on an enormous number of exotic instruments, is not a virtuoso performer; this puts a lot of pressure on the quality of his compositions and his ability to continually produce new and interesting arrangements. I think the latter two considerations are a bit of a problem here. Moreover, I don't find his duduk playing--whether or not an hommage--particularly interesting. Yes, it is dark and quiet and introspective, but it is also (at least by contrast to a real master like Gasparian) a bit detached-sounding for its lack of technique. The larger pieces are relatively standard Micus fare (but who else could create an arrangement for "3 steel-string guitars, shakhuhachi, 12 dondon"?!), but are somehow less involving than many of his past efforts. In general, the material on the CD sounds just the slightest bit too relaxed to me--perhaps there is less contrast of mood than in some of his earlier works, or...? Still, if you come to this CD as your *first* exposure to Micus, you will find it interesting, and maybe even inspiring, and indicative of a thoughtful and inventive musical intelligence at work quite unlike any other around.

ANOTHER RECORDING OF SINGULAR BEAUTY FROM THIS ARTIST.......2002-08-28

Stephan Micus' most recent release marks the entry into his musical palette of one of the most singularly beautiful instruments in the world - the Armenian duduk. The sound of this double-reed instrument is like no other in the world - the breath of the performer is joined intrinsically with the melody in a way that conveys life itself, with all of its joys and sorrows.

Micus became aware of the unique qualities of this instrument when he came across the music of Djivan Gasparyan - modern master of the duduk. Stephan states in his liner notes that he had long searched for an instruments whose sound would incorporate `the breath of the wind, the screams of human beings, the space of the desert and the sea, and the pure light of snow mountains'. He traveled to Armenia and studied the instrument with Gasparyan - an opportunity to literally `sit at the feet of the master'.

Drawing on the reverence for music and the world's people that is at the core of his art, Micus wisely chose, on incorporating the duduk into his work, not to rely on it solely, not to over-saturate this recording with the sound of one instrument alone - no matter how beautiful it might be. Doing so would have limited the scope of this recording. Instead, he features the duduk on four of the eight pieces presented here - one of them, `Padre', a duduk solo - another, the opening track `Before sunrise' a rare piece composed for and performed on the bass duduk, an instrument traditionally used as a drone accompaniment to the standard duduk. Both of these solo pieces - as well as the other selections where he uses the instrument - present its beauty to the listener's ears as nectar slakes the thirsty throat.

The album's title, Towards the wind, could be taken as a reference to flight - the cover features a lovely photograph of birds in flight, viewed from above, with trees and rivers below as a background. I think the title could also be a reference to the sound of the duduk itself - a sound that, while always an expression of the emotions and imagination and skill of the player, also encompasses a reaching and yearning deep within: striving towards the power and energy of the wind itself, alternately strong and gentle, but always there, always surrounding us. This is one of the few instruments in the world capable of this - and Micus uses it well.

The other tracks on the disc hold up just as nicely. He utilizes instruments as varied as the kalimba (a thumb-piano from Africa), the shakuhachi (the bamboo flute from Japan - another wind instrument capable of incredible subtlety and beauty), the dondon (the `talking drum' of Ghana), the sattar (a one-stringed bowed instruments from western China, with ten sympathetic resonating strings), acoustic guitars (including the one designed by Micus and custom-built for him in Spain, capable of varying string arrays), and his unique style of vocals (the words of which he has said `carry no known meaning', but which are so very expressive and lovely). The overall effect is one that Stephan Micus' listeners have come to both expect and revere - he has an ability to take musical traditions from various parts of the world and combine them in a way that, rather than feeling `forced', seems as natural as if one had walked over a hill and found a village immersed in music and song of their own making, untouched by the outside world.

The music that Micus makes - and has made for a thankfully long career, over thirty years and seventeen albums - crosses and transcends all borders, and does so with a genuine respect for the cultures that the world contains. His works can be enjoyed by rapt, attentive listening, as an ambient background, or at any level in between. His work is a treasure - and I hope in my heart that he continues it for many years to come. It is one of the greatest musical `gifts' of my life - and I have been blessed to know many - to have discovered and experienced it.

Tracks:

Warum Hat Man Eigentlich 100 Jahre Lang Gedacht, E - Nikolaus Harnoncourt
Finale. T. 1-278 - Wiener Philharmoniker
Gegen Ende Eine Extreme Dissonanz In Den Trompeten - Nikolaus Harnoncourt
Nach Dem Ende Der Durchfuhrung Folgt Eine Wilde Fu - Nikolaus Harnoncourt
Finale. T. 279-342 - Wiener Philharmoniker
Quasi En Schreckensbild Des Todes - Nikolaus Harnoncourt
Finale. T. 343-478 - Wiener Philharmoniker
Danach Fehlen 16 Takte; Dazu Ist Nichts Zu Erklare - Nikolaus Harnoncourt
Finale. T. 479-510 - Lucke/Fehlender Partiturbog - Wiener Philharmoniker
Why Did We Think For Over Hundred Years That Nothing... - Nikolaus Harnoncourt
WAB 109: Finale. MM. 1-278 - Wiener Philharmoniker
Extreme Dissonances In The Trumpets Towards The End - Nikolaus Harnoncourt
At The End Of The Development A Wild Fugue Begins - Nikolaus Harnoncourt
Finale. MM. 279-342 - Wiener Philharmoniker
A Sudden Vision Of Death - Nikolaus Harnoncourt
Finale. MM. 343-478 - Wiener Philharmoniker
Then There Are Sixteen Bars Missing. We Will Just... - Nikolaus Harnoncourt
Finale. MM. 479-510 - Gap/Missing Score Bifolio - Wiener Philharmoniker

Tracks:

I. Satz. Feierlich; Misterioso - Wiener Philharmoniker
Scherzo. Bewegt; Lebhaft - Trio. Schnell - Scherzo - Wiener Philharmoniker
Adagio. Langsam; Feierlich - Wiener Philharmoniker

Customer Reviews:

Harnoncourt's Bruckner, a viable alternative to Karajan?.......2006-03-19

Even Karajan's detractors, except for the most severe, generally concede that he was supreme in Bruckner. His various performances of the Ninth Sym. with the Berlin Phil. are commanding in their huge scope, yet Karajan was also capable of delicate phrasing and had an intuitive grasp of how to organize these gigantic, sprawling movements. No one has quite reached that magistreial level since. To his credit, Harnoncourt doesn't try to. This is, for him, a straightforward performance that relies on some qualities Karajan's Bruckner doesn't possess.

First of all, Harnoncourt has his own instincts about phrasing and organizing the music. Contrary to a reviewer below, he doesn't exploit extreme rubato or sudden tempo changes. There are some quirky moments where the tempo speeds up unexpectedly, but overall, Harnoncourt's timing of 58 min. is dead center among various recordings (as much as I admire Giulini, his 68 min. traversal drags). Harnoncourt favors brash outbursts from the brass, particularly in the Scherzo, my least favorite movement here. But his main intent is to keep Bruckner simple, to impose himself far less than Karajan did with his ultra-control. This Bruckner Ninth is a bit plain at times, but it always breathes.

As to the recorded sound, I have only heard the regular two-channel CD, which is quite clear; the Vienna Pphil. is placed a bit far back on a wide soundstage. I would have liked to hear the solo winds up closer, but that's a quibble. This Bruckner Ninth satisfied me as much as the great accounts by Walter, Klemperer, Giulini, and Boulez. I sitll feel more thrills from Karajan's analog reading from the Sixties, yet Harnoncourt provides a viable alternative in itnerpretation.

In theory it was an exciting notion to provide a free bonus CD containing Harnoncourt's defense of Bruckner's surviving sketches for a fourth movement, never completed. Could it really be that his ocntemporaries were wrong and that Bruckner left us pages of great music begging to be revived? Harnoncourt's talk is highly persuasive, but when the Vienna Phil. actually plays what survives of the finale, it proves as sorely disappointing as its reputation would lead one to believe.

Depends what you consider good.......2004-06-14

Harnoncourt has done some great things for music in his career, but I would not consider this one of them. He achieves an "authentic" performing style from the Vienna Philharmonic with a thin string sound and little or no vibrato. So anyone expecting that sweet Vienna sound will be disappointed. But his conducting does not meet that goal of authenticity, because he varies tempos too much. It draws attention to itself and weakens the cohesiveness of the work as a whole.
There are other versions, many of which are mentioned by the other reviewers below (Giulini, Karajan, et al.), which communicate this great work more simply and effectively. They are also unique and full of interesting details (some attention to detail is good). In light of them, Harnoncourt's view is radically different. Experience has taught me that subtle differences in interpretation give pleasure with repeated listening. Radical differences are OK in a live performance (which this is), but do not stand the test of time. So I do not recommend this as a first recording to have of Bruckner's 9th.

Terrific performance!.......2004-02-25

The symphony recording is damn good, and the extras are very interesting (to hear Harnoncourt speaking German and English, to hear the sketches of the last movement). In my mind, this ranks among the very best -- with Celibidache on EMI, Giulini on DG, Bernstein on DG, and don't forget the second movement of the Jochum on EMI.

Unconvincing performance; interesting commentary.......2004-01-15

First off, I do not like the performance. Harnoncourt's tempi are erratic, particularly in the adagio (where he speeds up the second theme-group to the point he cheapens it).

Secondly, I found his commentary on the 4th movement "chunks" informative. They could easily have been printed in liner notes; instead, we have each of the chunks played twice, followed first by commentary German, then in English.

Thirdly, I see no reason why he should not have recorded the full movement as completed by someone -- by William Carragan (Chandos: Yoav Talmi, Oslo Philharmonic); by Nicola Samale & Giuseppe Mazzuca (Teldec: Inbal, Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orch [with the 5th Symphony]); or by Samale, Mazzuca, and John A Phillips (Camerata: Eichhorn, Linz Bruckner Orch). My first choice is the Carragan: though the Oslo band takes third place among those in these recordings, it is good enough and I find Carragan's completion the most convincing.*

(In January 1984 I went to New York and Carnegie Hall to hear the American Symphony Orchestra perform the premier of the 9th with Carragan's finale. The performance was reviewed the next day in the Times. I immediately wrote Joel Flegel, editor of Fanfare, asking if he knew whether a recording was planned. Joel was dubious and dismissive: "If that college professor really....")

As Carragan noted in his program notes for the ASO "premier," the finale includes the greatest of Bruckner's chorales. That magnificent theme cannot be understood or appreciated by hearing it only in Harnoncourt's chunks. It needs to be heard in context -- and that context can only be provided in a "performing version."

In my opinion, Harnoncourt does a disservice to Bruckner and to listeners by not offering a completed finale. There is certainly room for one in this two-disk set.

* But Carragan will either produce a new version or be superseded as pages not available to him have since been found -- and as still more come to light.

Harnoncourt roars, but Wildner rages.......2004-01-05

As the other reviewers note, this release is essential for anyone interested in this work, for the workshop and documentation of the currently surviving material from the final movement of the symphony. Another important aspect of the release is the use of a new "critical edition" of the initial three movements of Bruckner's 9th, which contains a number of very evident modifications, particularly in orchestration. All the same, it is a concert recording, and, at least in the usual CD format, balances aren't always optimal, trumpets and trombones often too forward, at the expense of the Vienna Phil's strings and (especially) glorious horn section, and timpani are somewhat reticent, especially in the first movement. Harnoncourt also tends to push a bit hard, lacking the natural plasticity in tempo that marks the greatest performances of the first three movements of this work. The impression is one of roaring power, building and receding throughout. Of the 4th movement sketches, Harnoncourt plays exactly what survives, except he omits the 50-odd bars of three coda fragments that have turned up.

Just a few months ago, a recording of the 9th including a reconstruction/completion of the 4th movement, based on the same body of fragments and sketches (including the coda) and prepared by the same editors, was released on Naxos(8.555933-34). The orchestra is the New Philharmonia of Westphalia (Germany) and the conductor is Johannes Wildner. Now, finally, we can hear this work in a form tantalizingly close to the way Bruckner intended. Furthermore, unlike Harnoncourt's Vienna Phil performance, Wildner and his astonishiingly capable Westphalians present what I can only describe as a ferocious performance, with horns and timpani cutting through the fabric of the orchestra at key points, and effectively flexible tempos. It's a performance unlike any I've heard since Furtwangler's furious and terrifying recording made in Berlin during the darkest days of World War II. If you've gotten the Harnoncourt (or even if you haven't), you have to get the Wildner, too.

Tracks:

Olympic Fanfare
Towards A New Life
Pomp And Circumstance March No. 1
Epic March
Coronation March
Rakoczy March
Under The Double Eagle
Entry Of The Gladiators
The Stars And Stripes Forever
March Medley
When The Saints Go Marching In

Customer Reviews:

Toe-tapping demonstration disc.......2000-02-27

This is a fun disc. Stunningly recorded, it is ideal for showing off one's sound system. The rich bass, full range and superb balance really compel attention. Most irresistible is Richard Hayman's March Medley (track ten). Saying this selection has "Pizazz" simply doesn't do it justice. However, the rest of the program is fun, too, and includes some attractive rarities that are hard to find elsewhere. The playing is tremendously zestful and responsive.

Neat stuff.......1999-06-26

Erich Kunzel and the Pops do a great job with this disc. There are a lot of cool marches, some famous, some not so famous.

It's a fun CD!

Vision Towards Essence
Average customer rating:
Vision Towards Essence
Muhal Richard Abrams
Manufacturer: Pi Recordings
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Jazz | Styles | Music
ASIN: B000TBMECC
Release Date: 2007-08-07

Album Description

"Hugely influential, Abrams is one of the most important catalytic forces in contemporary jazz and improvisation." -- Penguin Guide to Jazz "A venerable pianist and composer." -- Nate Chinen, New York Times

A fantastic discovery! Vision Towards Essence is an incredible document of pianist Muhal Richard Abrams in a live solo performance in front of an enthusiastic audience at the 1998 Guelph Jazz Festival in Canada. The performance found Abrams at the peak of his powers, playing an uninterrupted sixty-minute fully improvised piece, and this release is an unedited, full account of that performance. Abrams is perhaps best known as the founder of the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians (AACM), the organization from which sprung such luminaries as Anthony Braxton, The Art Ensemble of Chicago, and Henry Threadgill. Though Abrams has composed for everything from duos to big bands, and is currently working on a commissioned piece for full symphony orchestra, he has said that the solo improvised performance is the pinnacle of his art. Each solo performance forces him to extemporaneously draw on his wellspring of experience and intuition. The performance on Vision Towards Essence veers between passages of all-out power and the delicately mesmerizing. Without chord changes or vamps to fall back on, it represents the height of spontaneous artistic invention.

Songs for the Cross Centered Life
Average customer rating:

Simply the Best!!!

A Great Collection of Cross-Centered Songs; Half Already Released

Songs for the Cross Centered Life
Sovereign Grace Music
Manufacturer: Sovereign Grace Music
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Christian & Gospel | Styles | Music
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Living the Cross Centered Life: Keeping the Gospel the Main Thing

The Valley of Vision: A Collection of Puritan Prayers and Devotions

ASIN: B00067WGU4
Release Date: 2004-04-01

Tracks:

The Gospel Song
The Glories of Calvary
Jesus, My Only Hope
Wonderful Savior
The Glory of the Cross
This Fathomless Love
The Look
I Will Glory in My Redeemer
Only in the Cross
Glory To
I Come by the Blood
Before the Cross
Alas, and Did My Savior Bleed
Before the Throne
The Gospel Song (reprise)

Album Description

A first for Sovereign Grace Ministries, Songs for the Cross Centered Life is a worship CD inspired by a book. What the book does in print, this CD does in 14 cross-centered songs, five of which are new and nine are updated favorites from earlier recordings. The CD includes a booklet that contains the entire first chapter from The Cross Centered Life, making the project an inspiring reminder of how to preach the gospel to ourselves and equipping us with songs by which to do this.

Customer Reviews:

Simply the Best!!!.......2007-02-04

This is the first collection from Sovereign Grace Music I've purchased, and I'll have to admit that it's one of the most awesome collection of songs on the market, but of course, it's kind of a rare collection in most Christian Book Stores. Usually you have to go to the website or look for it on Amazon or some other site. "I Will Glory in My Redeemer" has to be one of the favorites, but they all stand on their own, from the beginning intro, to the upbeat second song, and all the way to the end. It's kind of like a story which is woven throughout the album, focusing on Christ and His glory through the Cross, and our need for Him alone. I can't recommend this collection enough, and I've just gotten a second collection which I hope to be listening to repeatedly and then reviewing. I must've listened to this dozens of times already, and each time I listen to them, they are fresh and brand new again. Highly recommended. I give it a RESOUNDING TEN!!!

A Great Collection of Cross-Centered Songs; Half Already Released.......2005-09-13

According to my iTunes, Sovereign Grace Music is by far the most-oftened played tracks in my music collection. The songs on Songs for the Cross Centered Life help me do exactly what CJ Mahaney suggests that music do in his book The Cross Centered Life, "Sing about the cross...with songs and hymns that speak of the cross with clarity and power."According to my iTunes, Sovereign Grace Music is by far the most-oftened played tracks in my music collection. The songs on Songs for the Cross Centered Life help me do exactly what CJ Mahaney suggests that music do in his book The Cross Centered Life, "Sing about the cross...with songs and hymns that speak of the cross with clarity and power." My wife lovingly bought this CD for me for my birthday. I was elated and popped it in...the first two songs--"The Gospel Song" and "The Glories of Calvary"--were new and I loved them. I even repeated "The Glories of Calvary" before moving on. The thing is, from there on out there are only 5 more out of the remaining 12 tracks are new. The rest are already in my collection from other Sovereign Grace Music albums. I really wish that some more time had been taken to get some additional songs new songs on the album.

Nevertheless, if you do not own all of the Sovereign Grace Music CDs, this is an excellent place to start. I hope that this CD would quickly rise to a favorite place in your collection as the Words of each and every song truly are cross-centered and are written in a way that I have never seen outside of Sovereign Grace that shepherds your heart into God's presence each and every time you sing them.

Thanks again, Sovereign Grace, for another collection of awesome songs.
[...]

Average customer rating:

Poor selection...
Inspirational cd
Excellent compilation of inspiring scores
The BEST!
Excellent Music

Summon the Heroes

Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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

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

Movie Scores | Soundtracks | Styles | Music

Movie Soundtracks | Soundtracks | Styles | Music

General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music

General | Easy Listening | Pop | Styles | Music

Orchestral Pop | Easy Listening | Pop | Styles | Music

Classic Big Band | Swing Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music

Contemporary Big Band | Swing Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

American Journey - Winter Olympics 2002
Summon the Heroes
By Request: The Best Of John Williams And The Boston Pops Orchestra
Born On The Fourth Of July: Motion Picture Soundtrack Album

ASIN: B0000029R1
Release Date: 1996-04-30

Tracks:

Summon The Heroes
Carmina Burana: O Fortuna
Buglers Dream: Olympic Fanfare And Theme
Canto Olympico: Ode To Zeus
Javelin
Olympic Hymn
Festive Overture, Op. 96
Conquest Of Paradise (Theme)
Ben Hur: Parade Of Charioteers
Toward A New Life
Chariots Of Fire (Theme)
The Olympic Spirit

Customer Reviews:

Poor selection..........2000-11-06

Personally, i bougth this CD because i want the official Olimpic Himn, and i thougth this CD include that. Wrong! This fantastic music is not hear. Why? So the selection is not the best! Despite, the quality of the recording and musical direction is very good. The Olympic Spirit is the best theme in the seleccion, Bernstein`s Olimpic Himn is a deception! In the rest, they are good music between same eroded and "dejá vu" themes.

Inspirational cd.......2000-04-29

This cd contains some of the best most inspirational music I have heard. I personally think the best track is "Towards a New Life". Trust me and buy this cd.

Excellent compilation of inspiring scores.......2000-04-13

The majority of "Best of" compilation albums are disappointing, and although this album certainly isn't flawless, it contains some of the greatest invigorating scores ever composed. The album opens with the William's and Arnaud's infamous "Buglers Dream, Olympic Fanfare and Theme" immediately setting the dramatic and inspirational tone. However, the following score - Williams' rendition of "Chariots of Fire" - is not on par in relation of the other tracks. Fortunately the strength of the entire album remains unaffected and you are easily engulfed by passionate classics like "Festive Overture", "O' Fortuna" and "The Olympic Spirit". An amazing addition to any fan of Classical/Orchestral music.

The BEST!.......2000-02-08

I don't know what I was thinking when I wrote my Conan Soundtrack review. I recently started listening to this CD again, and it is very possibly the best hour of music you will ever hear.

Conducted by John Williams, the world's best, and including a couple of songs composed by him too, this CD collects the most epic, heroic, bold songs you will ever hear into one CD.

I can't recommend this one enough. If you only buy one CD, buy this one!

Excellent Music.......1999-10-14

John Williams proves he still has the Right Stuff. With this album, Williams proves he is the master of modern classical music. The fanfares and marches are soul-stirring, and the Olympic Themes are a good reminder of what the Olympics mean to the world. If you're not careful, you might find yourself marching around your cubicle when you listen to this.