New Anger

Track Listings

1. New Anger

2. I Don't Believe

3. Creatures [Live]

4. I Can't Stop It [Live]

New Anger,Gary Numan,Capitol,Electronic,New Romantic,New Wave,Popular Music,Rock,Synth Pop

New Anger

Tracks:

Intro
Peter Pan
Slip and Slide
Who Had Whom
Borealis
Interlude #1
The Unbearable Gift
Bach, Up
Interlude #2
Replaceitall
Hearts Wait
Interlude #3
The Creep
Outtro

Product Description

Much of this recording was conceived as a twenty-year update and progression from the duos masterpiece Chiaroscuro, released on Windham Hill Records in 1985, which sold over 65,000 copies. As Darol and Mike have both learned so much about life and music since then, they hoped to extrapolate on what would become a lot of folks favorite instrumental recording. The wish to make a musical message from the future that would reflect their present emotional, intellectual and spiritual selves. They tried to not get too hung up on perfection but to communicate a vibe; to showcase the glorious sounds of their string instruments playing music in a space big enough to do it in.

Customer Reviews:

Reinventing tradition while keeping the vibe organic and stimulating.......2007-05-08

Playing Time - 53:28 -- George Harrison once stated, "It doesn't matter if you are the greatest guitar player in the world, if you're not enlightened, forget it." Conceived as a sequel to the monumental 1985 album "Chiaroscuro" (on the Windham Hill label) that sold 65,000 copies in five years, "Woodshop" captures the enlightenment in each and every note, as well as with the silent spaces left between them. "Chiaroscuro" was not their first release together, however. In 1983, they had put out "The Duo" on Rounder Records. And since "Chiaroscuro," Marshall and Anger have collaborated on a 1998 "Christmas Heritage" project and five other fine CDs between 1999-2002 on Alison Brown's Compass Records (New Grange, Anger-Marshall Band JAM, Brand New Can, At Home and on the Range). If you're a musician, there's even a Mel Bay publication ("The Mike Marshall Collection") that includes standard music notation and mandolin tablature for 11 of his compositions (seven drawn from Marshall/Anger albums in the past). Besides proficient musicianship. what's always impressed me about these guys is that everything they've done has creativity, strength, and lasting power. More than just string music on viagra, "Woodshop" is worthy of being heard over and over again to appreciate the nuances of each piece.

The substantive body of Woodshop's 51-minute musical journey is nine instrumental compositions that feature Mike and Darol's violins, mandolins, guitars, mandocello, mandola, and cello. Of particular curiosity is a piece like "Replaceitall" also with Darol's rhythm programming, mystery slap beat, and shakers. It's a "kind of tribute to the Rolling Stones," and the title refers to Keith Richards' 1970s buzz about getting all his blood replaced in Switzerland before going on tour. In a similar vein and arranged with numerous instruments playing the melody in unison, Marshall's "The Creep" has such instruments as bass altered mandocello, hyper-mando, and electro-banjo-creepola. With many other strings in the mix, the folkestra sound is low, eerie and hypnotic. Whether the multi-tracking achieves the sensation of fear, repugnance, and downright creepiness is up to a listener's imagination and perception. As for me, upon initial listens of this disc, I did tend to favor more straightforward compositions that make more traditionally-based and focused statements. These included Hearts Wait, Peter Pan, Slip and Slide, Bach Up, and The Unbearable Gift. Over seven minutes, "Borealis" begins with just mandocello and violin before the song's genesis dynamically takes us into a full sound based on Mike's fantasy of having an entire audience pull out their instruments and jam along while marching towards the stage. Whatever happened to the fantasy of just having teary-eyed teenage girls rushing the stage? In keeping with the need for breathing room and transition, the 51-minute musical journey also has five short (one minute or less) interludes from beginning to end of the CD.

Four of the tracks feature some splendid bass or percussion accompaniment by other consummate musicians. Two cuts (Hearts Wait, The Unbearable Gift) have the inimitable Todd Phillips on bass. It brought back memories of New Grange days in the late-1990s when Mike, Darol and Todd played in that band with Tim O'Brien and Alison Brown. Earlier in Woodshop's set, "Peter Pan" includes Phil Aaberg (piano), Todd Sickafoose (upright bass), and Aaron Johnston (shaker, cymbals). "Who Had Whom?" includes Michael Manring (electric bass) and Aaron Johnston (percussion). All guest artists have highly-acclaimed credentials and reputations as virtuosos. Manring had a long association with Windham Hill Records, and he's a gifted composer of experimental music. Manring's collaboration with Anger and Marshall goes back as far as the early-1980s when all three played in Montreux (with Barbara Higbie and Andy Narell). A San Francisco native, the versatile Todd Sickafoose studied and performed in Los Angeles for six years before returning to the Bay Area in 1999. Montanan Philip Aaberg is a world-class keyboardist and composer who is comfortable in many genres and whose 2002 "Live From Montana" album was nominated for a Grammy. A graduate of Wichita State University's music program, Aaron Johnston is a versatile percussionist who also appeared with Anger & Marshall on their 1999 album, JAM. He currently performs with Brazilian Girls.

Marshall and Anger are now on the new Adventure Music label that wants to build a cadre of top musicians from North and South America who play unadorned, rhythmic and raw acoustic music. It's a good fit, and "Woodshop" illustrates the musicians' continual learning, logical progression and development. Marshall sees glimmers of a new musical style emerging that really incorporates many styles into one global sound. Darol and Mike have always been inspired to break down barriers between genres, and to cross boundaries between songwriting and improvisation. "Woodshop" displays elements of jazz, chamber music, folk, bluegrass and experimental music. Discovery and versatility create a fresh acoustic sound rooted in tradition. Mike and Darol continue to show that tradition can be reinvented to keep the vibe organic and stimulating. (Joe Ross, staff writer, Bluegrass Now)

A Winter's Solstice: Windham Hill Artists

Average customer rating:

Music and Memory
a soundtrack to a vanished past
Refreshing Instrumentals for Christmas, or Any Time
A Winter's Solstice
Excellent CD.

A Winter's Solstice: Windham Hill Artists
Philip Aaaberg , Billy Oskay & Michael O Domhnail , and Darol Anger & Mike Marshall
Manufacturer: Windham Hill Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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A Winter's Solstice II
A Winter's Solstice III
A Winter's Solstice, Vol. 4
A Winter's Solstice, Vol. 6
A Winter's Solstice, Vol. 5

ASIN: B000000NGH
Release Date: 1990-10-25

Tracks:

Jesu, Joy Of Man's Desiring - David Qualey
Engravings II - Ira Stein & Russel Walder
New England Morning - William Akerman
High Plains - Philip Aaberg
Nollaig - Bill Oskay & Micheal O Damhhnail
Greensleves - Liz Story
Bach Bouree - Darol Anger & Mike Marshall
Northumbrian Lullabye - Malcom Dalglish
Petite Aubade - Shadowfax
A Tale Of Two Cities - Mark Isham

Customer Reviews:

Music and Memory.......2007-01-01

Windham Hill has certainly milked this series for a very long time based on the success of this album in the 1980s. Many of its successors are really very good, but this is the seminal Windham Hill artists' statement about music, memory, and seasonal sentiment. Most of the cuts on this album are so well crafted that they may seem simplistic, but what is so telling for me is that the pieces hold up year after year and they possess a magical quality that allows the music to become a part of one's Solstice/Christmas experience. Will Ackerman's "New England Morning" is especially moving in this sense, and certainly seems to capture something elemental about New England in winter. This quality of the music is a tribute to the pure artistry of the performers/composers. Winter's Solstice II also works well on this level of grace and harmony. While the albums that follow the first two are good in many ways, and certainly contain high quality performances, the series sets a high standard with the first two attempts that is very tough to match. Highly recommended at any price.

a soundtrack to a vanished past.......2005-12-24

In the early months and years of my first marriage, this music was the bridge between two people who were not accustomed to building bridges. The emotional resonances that it triggers in me even now make me wonder whether music should be trusted as a reliable means of communication. The answer is, of course, yes; I just have to learn to remember without regret. Five stars, and more. The first, and probably the best, of the Solstice records.

Refreshing Instrumentals for Christmas, or Any Time.......2005-11-07

The Windham Hill "Winter's Solstice" series is a great way to experience Christmas in a musical way. This series goes well with Regency Music's "Winterlude" series (which I have reviewed here).

I thoroughly enjoy acoustic instruments in the making of Christmas music. While keyboards have their place, acoustic instruments have a unique quality and character that brings out the best in Christmas music, something that synthesized sounds lack. "A Winter's Solstice" accomplishes this while presenting a cornucopia of music ranging from classical pieces and traditional carols to folk melodies. Especially important here is the inclusion of non-traditional music that, although not necessarily seasonal, still blends well in the mix.

I have found that the best way to listen to this CD, for me at least, is in a darkened room with only the lights on the Christmas tree for illumination, and perhaps a scented candle for added emphasis. This permits the melodies to flow through me freely, allowing me to deeply experience the music. The CD is especially helpful for those who are stressed out and in need of relaxation.

Windham Hill excels at spotlighting independent musicians without the pomp and vanity forced upon them by the major record labels. Volume 1 is a good starting point, certainly, and is an excellent addition to anyone's Christmas music collection. This volume stands well either alone or with the rest of the series.

If you are looking for a CD that offers something other than the usual "manufactured" commercial, low-quality, over-hyped, cookie-cutter-type Christmas fare, then "A Winter's Solstice" is for you.

A Winter's Solstice.......2005-10-04

If you are a fan of the Winter's Solstice series, than you will enjoy this cd, especially if you like the earlier volumes with the more original pieces rather than mostly traditional christmas music.

Excellent CD........2005-09-04

What a beautiful beginning for the Winter's Solstice collection. I love this music. It drains away all my stress.

Average customer rating:

There are two kinds of dominant personalities in the world--
An accomplished master is reborn!

Republic of Strings
Darol Anger & the American Fiddle Ensemble
Manufacturer: Compass Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Heritage
At Home and on the Range: The Duo Live

ASIN: B0001CNQXA
Release Date: 2004-02-24

Tracks:

Lost In The Loop
Higher Ground
Grigsby's Hornpipe
Old Dangerfield
Help Me
Andre De Sabato Nuovo
Sneezin'
Ouditarus Rez
Where To Now?
Evening Prelude
Evening Prayer Blues
Dzinomwa Muna Save
Sand

Amazon.com

Darol Anger isn't the sort of musician who stretches musical boundaries; he's the sort of musician who refuses to concede that such boundaries even exist. On Republic of Strings he and his American Fiddle Ensemble use relatively simple tunes such as Irish fiddler Liz Carroll's "Lost in the Loop" or Bill Monroe's "Old Dangerfield" as a starting point to create harmonically complex, rhythmically rich arrangements. The band consists of guitarist Scott Nygaard, the brilliant young fiddler Brittany Haas, cellist Rashad Eggleston, and Natalie Haas, who takes Eggleston's place on three tracks. Guest artists include Nickel Creek's Sara Watkins, who lends vocals to a slightly spooky version of Stevie Wonder's "Higher Ground," and Laurie Lewis, who delivers a bluegrass-tinged take on Joni Mitchell's "Help Me." You might call this improvised Afro-Scandinavian Irish old-time string band music, but it would be equally true, and much simpler, to just say they play great music. --Michael John Simmons

Customer Reviews:

There are two kinds of dominant personalities in the world--.......2004-06-20

--those that surround themselves with sycophants and those that associate with their peers or betters.

Darol Anger is distinctly of the latter type. The musicians he has chosen to play with on this altogether remarkable disc are every bit his peers, if not his superiors. The result is a disc of magnificent presence and accomplishment.

Perhaps the standout characteristic of this astounding music is the diversity of material Anger has managed to round up and "break" (as one might a wild bronc) within its purview: everything from Irish traditional ("Lost in the Loop") to Detroit soul ("Higher Ground") to Kentucky bluegrass ("Old Dangerfield") to elay folk-rock ("Help Me" [nearly unrecognizable, it must be said], featuring the eartheral vocals of Laurie Lewis) to Villa-Lobos-like Brazilian-classical ("Andre de Sabato Nuovo") to smart swing ("Sneezin'") to Arabic ("Ouditras Rez") to gospel/blues ("Evening Prayer Blues") to African ("Dzinomwa Muna Save") to Scandinavian fiddle music ("Sand").

Surrounding himself with up-and-coming musicians of the absolute top rank (wildly creative fiddle player Brittany Haas; hugely underregarded flat-picking guitarist Scott Nygard, practically the peer of David Grier; monster cellist Rushad Eggleston), Anger has upped the ante of string-band music almost off the charts, with us, the listeners, being the beneficiaries.

Rhapsodic gloriousness of the first order: You snooze, you lose. Plus, contains a hidden mysterioso track that contextualizes the proceedings with gravitas beyond the call of duty.

Transcendent.

An accomplished master is reborn!.......2004-03-10

Fans of progressive acoustic music think they know Darol Anger, but they won't know what hit them after they hear this! It seems like most musicians of Darol's generation are content to mine existing veins, settling into a cosy twilight. Not Anger -- here he's paired with two amazing young musicians (cellist Rushad Eggleston and fiddler Brittany Haas) and, along with under-rated flatpicker Scott Nygaard, use the techniques he has developed over years of exploration to enliven a new set of music drawn from all over the world. The guitar and cello are an unexpectedly forceful rhythm section, driving Anger and Haas to new levels of invention and intensity. But this isn't all about flash: the slower, more spacious tunes are amazingly empathetic -- bordering on telepathy. It's great to hear someone like Darol still testing the limits of his music...if you're new to his music, or haven't heard him in a while, here's where you pick up.

Turtle Island String Quartet: A Windham Hill Retrospective

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Unique blend of jazz and classical styles

Turtle Island String Quartet: A Windham Hill Retrospective
Turtle Island String Quartet
Manufacturer: Windham Hill Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Art of the Groove
4 + Four
Danzón
A Night in Tunisia, A Week in Detroit
Love Supreme: The Legacy of John Coltrane

ASIN: B000000NMW
Release Date: 1997-07-15

Tracks:

Who Do You Think You Are?
Blue In Green- Seven Steps To Heaven
Skylife
Stolen Moments
Ensenada
Thin Ice
Crossroads
Spider Dreams
A Night In Tunisia
Grant Wood
Jaco
Julie-O
Senior Mouse

Customer Reviews:

Unique blend of jazz and classical styles.......1999-06-02

I love the Turtle Island String Quartet because of their use of a traditionally classical music ensemble to create a jazz sound. This CD is wonderful because it uses selections from their earlier recordings as well as their latest ones.

Average customer rating:

Fine reissue of a classic set

Purcell: Theatre Music

Manufacturer: Decca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Lute Music, Vol. 2

ASIN: B0001Y4JHA
Release Date: 2004-10-12

Customer Reviews:

Fine reissue of a classic set.......2006-05-24

Think about the stupidest, most formulaic Hollywood movies you can think of: cheesy action pictures, fluffy, unfunny comedies, big but stiff epics. Now imagine that one of the greatest living composers was working in Hollywood, turning out astonishing, hauntingly beautiful and stirring musical scores for these throwaway movies. That's what you get with this set: music Henry Purcell composed for some two dozen often utterly forgettable plays (trust me--I've read a number of them!) Occasionally, when he teams up with a playwright worthy of his stature, such as John Dryden, Aphra Behn, or William Congreve, the results are even better, but for the most part you can enjoy the music here without knowing anything about the original plays.

This set originally appeared as separate LPs in the 70s and 80s, and has been long out of print. That's a pity, since Purcell spent a good deal of his short professional life in the theatre, either writing the incidental music contained on these CDs, or the music for his larger works, the semi-operas (King Arthur, The Fairy Queen, and the like). Almost all of these works are enjoyable gems; certainly, they represent a pinnacle of English 17th century music. Purcell had a genius for spinning musical gold out of the most leaden lyrics (check out his Odes and Welcome Songs on Hyperion if you don't believe me), and he does the same with the song texts in these plays.

Hogwood and the AAM offer clean, listenable performances, and the sound on these old analog discs has been cleaned up and brightened--although they were pretty good, even in the late 70s. As with most Hogwood, emotional extremes are kept to a minimum, so the "otherworldly" nature of late 17th century music, so often emphasised in more recent Baroque performances, doesn't come across here. It would be interesting to see what a group like The King's Consort would do with this music, but this set fills the major gap in the Purcell canon quite nicely.

My only beef with the reissue, as with many reissues, is that the liner notes are rather thin for a 6-cd set--the lyrics to the songs, for example, are especially missed. Still, it's a worthwhile set, and a must for fans of Purcell, English Baroque music, or anyone who just wants to experience a taste of the last days of the Restoration stage.

Average customer rating:

Six stars, at least
Keep Copies Everywhere

Chiaroscuro

Manufacturer: Windham Hill Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Sign Language

ASIN: B000000NGD
Release Date: 1990-10-25

Tracks:

Dolphins
Saurian's Farewell
Beneath The Surface
Spring Gesture
Bach Prelude
Piacenza
Coming Back
Dardanelles
Bach Bouree (From The French Suite)
Beloved Infidel

Customer Reviews:

Six stars, at least.......2006-10-05

I bought this CD when in first came out in 1985. 20-odd years later, I'm still listening to it. There has not been a time when this album was not in rotation on my player. There isn't any other album I can say that about. It's good, it's still good, it never stales.

Keep Copies Everywhere.......2004-04-09

It's a bit of an embarrassment to admit that the thing that has gotten in the way of reviewing this album is that I keep forgetting to review and wind up just listening. All of the musicians at the heart of this album are remarkable. Darol Anger on violin, Mike Marshall on guitar, Michael Manring and Todd Phillips on Bass, Andy Narell on Steel Drums, Barbara Higbie on synth, and even George Marsh on triangle. Some of the best light jazz players of their time (1985), it is immediately apparent that they respect what each has to add to the mix and have a strong commitment to be something else besides 'yet another new age group.'

Darol Anger needs no introduction. 'Dolphins' and 'Spring Gesture' are hallmark tunes, that get a lot of airtime and inclusion in other collections. Mike Marshall is no slouch either, comfortable trading lines with Anger or stepping out for a short moment of Bach just to show off. These to are regular playing partners and have the entire Windham Hill stable of artists to draw one. This makes the player lists on their albums a catalog of wizardry. As I've already demonstrated, Chiaroscuro is no exception to that rule.

So the next time you are feeling that New Age music is a little to spacey, and that light jazz has vaporized, grab this album and give a listen. This is fun, showing off, and everything from Bach to blues in the blinking of an eye. And not by rote, but with every bit of imagination that they can muster. Anger and Marshall playing 'Piacenza' is something that needs to be experience at least once in every life. Trust me, this album is one of the reasons you have a shelf right next to your CD Player.

Diary of a Fiddler
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Don't be mislead....

From Monk to Hendrix to Ireland

The Most Modern Record I've Heard So Far

Diary of a Fiddler
Darol Anger
Manufacturer: Compass Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Heritage

Jam

ASIN: B00000JJJT
Release Date: 1999-07-20

Tracks:

Melt The Teakettle
Lee Highway Blues
Les Barres De La Prison
Banish Misfortune
John Henry
A Little Help From My Friends
Voodoo Chile
Bemsha Swing
Tone Guys' Boogie
Aran Boat Song
Working On A Building Medley
Willow Garden Fantasy
Carroll County Suite: Where'd You Say You From?
Carroll County Suite: Blues
Celtic Blues

Amazon.com

Following on the heels of Jam, his exciting and impulsive jazz-heavy collaboration with Mike Marshall, the veteran new-acoustic fiddler releases this diverse and always compelling compilation. Culled from three years' worth of unreleased material, Diary showcases a wide range of viol-family-only settings--everywhere from Anger's Oakland studio to the National Music Foundation theater of Lenox, Massachusetts, to "Cabin 48" in Tennessee's Montgomery Bell State Park--and sidemen--everyone from bluegrass standouts to Scottish and Irish legends to old-time specialists to unclassifiables like himself. The song selection is equally as eclectic: traditional fiddle tunes; covers of Monk, Hendrix, and the Beatles; spontaneous improvisations. This amalgam of styles, sounds, and moods, with its tinges of Celtic, Cajun, country, classical, jazz, and blues, gives more insight into Darol Anger's musical universe than any bio ever could. --Marc Greilsamer

Customer Reviews:

Don't be mislead...........2004-05-05

...by the fact that I rated this album four stars rather than five. Knowing Darol, and how he's always striving to do better, he'll come out with something far more fabulous than this. In which case, it'll have to be dubbed Album of the Universe. Because, Diary of a Fiddler is definitely Album of the Fiddle World.
You just can't go wrong with this CD. It covers old (John Henry) made new, worn out (Banish Misfortune) revived, and even a Beatles song, tottering on the edge of trite (With a Little Help From My Friends) repackaged with such depth and emotion, I think he struck oil while playing it.
Good stuff, Darol, and the rest of your fiddlers, everyone of them--way cool. Thanks! Merci!

From Monk to Hendrix to Ireland.......2000-04-29

On this cd Darol Anger presents musics from such a wide range of styles that the album as a whole easily could have come across as choppy and disjointed but that isn't the case. I think it has to do with the caliber of the musicians involved. Even though there is music from Thelonious Monk, traditional American and Celtic styles, and the Beatles, all the players have such strong personal statements to make that the tunes become a product of the musicians personalities rather than just "a jazz tune" followed by "a Celtic tune" followed by a "a rock tune", etc...

Maybe the name has influenced me but every time I listen to LES BARRES DE LA PRISON I picture two Mississippi prison inmates taking a break from sun-baked hard labor and leaning against fence posts while playing this tune. No, I don't know why prison inmates would have fiddles but that's okay because I also know they couldn't play this well even if they did.

Throughout this cd Darol plays great rhythmic support to the lead fiddlists from the various tracks, his "rhythm fiddle" playing makes the solo's from the likes of Natalie MacMaster, Vassar Clements, and Stuart Duncan all the more interesting. Don't worry though, Darol also finds time to get his own leads in as well.

ARAN BOAT SONG has one of the prettiest melodies I've ever heard, this is definitely a song that could be the soundtrack to your melancholy dreams.

The Most Modern Record I've Heard So Far.......1999-08-26

I took a shot at this record, buying it at Down Home Records in El Cerrito, Ca. I don't know where else anyone would find it, but then I may underestimate the huge fan base of Mr. Anger, whom I'd never previously encountered. Anyway...it's great. It's enlightening. I've always thought the line between bluegrass and jazz was primarily cultural conditioning, and this record makes that case. Of the more noteworthy covers, the Hendrix "Voodoo Chile" shows that, in retrospect, a lot of the great rock guitarists were really fiddlers, using overtones and crashing chords to build the fist-pumping effects that thrilled us babyboomers. But what really thrills me are the seeming improvs, such as the first cut, where a kind of moody bluegrass line morphs into an almost unstructured jazz duet. Bluegrass fans should give this a chance, but so should jazz violin fans, and fans of pathbreakers like Moby. This is the most modern record I've ever heard. Bring on Y2K!

Average customer rating:

A "roots" music visionary's concept-album masterpiece.

Heritage
Darol Anger
Manufacturer: Six Degrees
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Fiddlers 4
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Now Hear This

ASIN: B0007IO6EQ
Release Date: 2005-02-15

Tracks:

Headwaters: Shenandoah (2:24) Sung by Jane Siberry, featuring Michael Manring and Philip Aaberg
While Roving On A Winters Night (5:30) Sung by John Gorka and Dar Williams, featuring David Lindley, Bela Fleck and John Jennings
Rise Up, Shepherd, And Follow (5:49) Featuring Jerry Douglas and Russ Barenberg
The Water Is Wide (6:38) Sung by Tim O'Brien, featuring David Grisman, Michael Manring, Bela Fleck and John Jennings
Hard Times Come Again No More (3:52) Sung by Willie Nelson, featuring David Grisman
La Ville Des Manteau (4:38) Featuring Michael Doucet and Darol Anger
Pretty Polly (8:43) Sung by Mary Chapin Carpenter, featuring Edgar Meyer and John Jennings
Are You Tired Of Me, My Darling? (4:50) Featuring Paul McCandless and Tony Trischka
Oh, Death (4:24) Sung by Mavis Staples, featuring David Lindley and David Grisman
Shenandoah: A Quiet Place/Golden Slippers (3:25) Featuring Vassar Clements and John Hartford
Talk About Suffering Here Below (6:18) Featuring Edgar Meyer
Down In The Willow Garden (4:44) Featuring Paul McCandless and Victor Wooten
To The Sea: O Shenandoah! (7:27) Sung by Jane Siberry

Album Description

Heritage is a unique concept album, which explores the expanse of American Roots music. These folk tunes, which run the gamut from Appalachian gospel to African-American chants to "heart songs" and fiddle tunes from every part of this country, all have the distinction of being crucial to the cultural development of this nation, and still musically relevant: they're so strong as purely musical entities that they can take just about any kind of setting and not lose their meaning and identity. From distilled reportage to pure musical flight, these songs speak directly to matters of deep immediacy and relevance: Love, poverty, despair, joy, death, after-death. Nobody wrote them; Everybody wrote them. Listening to them is experiencing cultural geology.

The vocalists include: Mary- Chapin Carpenter, John Gorka, Willie Nelson, Tim O'Brien, Jane Siberry, Mavis Staples and Dar Williams

Instrumentalists on Heritage include: Phil Aaberg, David Balakrishnan, Russ Barenberg, Sam Bush, Joe Craven, Vassar Clements, Jerry Douglas Michael Doucet, Stuart Duncan,Tony Elman, Bela Fleck, David Grisman John Hartford, Barbara Higbie, John Jennings, David Lindley, Michael Manring, Mike Marshall, Paul McCandless, Edgar Meyer, Andy Narell Barry Phillips, Todd Phillips, Tony Trischka and Victor Wooten;.

Customer Reviews:

A "roots" music visionary's concept-album masterpiece........2002-03-02

My eariest recollection of Darol Anger as one of the world's most unique fiddlers goes back nearly two decades, with the Windham Hill release of "Live at Montreux," featuring the Darol Anger/Barbara Higbie Quintet. To this day, I still pull this CD out, if only to play "Near Northern," a true classic of its genre. But that album had been released in the early, "good" days of Windham Hill, when the label had been the pet project and unique vision of Will Ackerman and Anne Robinson. Absent their subsequent leadership, the label veered off-base as far as my musical tastes were concerned. And, consequently, I lost track of Darol for more than a decade.

Then, about four years ago, while in the evening "commuter rush," I had the opportunity to hear samples of "Heritage," with commentary by Darol, on NPR's "All Things Considered." With those musical snippets bouncing around in my head, I couldn't find my own copy of the album fast enough. And, once I had my own copy in hand, and had heard it through, I later ended up purchasing the better part of a dozen copies, both for friends in the music industry who had done something similar and for other friends who I also figured would like it. (They all did.)

In a way, this turned out to be a "musical reunion" album for me, with session work by Paul McCandless of Oregon (and formerly the Paul Winter Consort), the best oboist on the planet, Edgar Meyer (now, already, a legend), Béla Fleck (ditto), Mavis Staples (ditto), Willie Nelson (ditto), Michael Doucet (ditto), Mike Marshall (ditto), David Grisman (ditto), Andy Narell (ditto), and on and on...

To me, "Heritage" will always be the ultimate "roots" album, "O Brother, Where Art Thou?" (OBWAT) and others of its ilk notwithstanding. A full story of the musical roots of the album can be found at the "Heritage" page at the Six Degrees Records label website. (In fact, it was through an Amazon link at this website that I just recently found that this "Heritage" page at Amazon exists; earlier efforts to find it were unsuccessful.) The full story is very interesting, but I'd rather simply state that the concept is to tie together all of the roots of American folk music, with the famous folk song "Shenandoah" as its unifying thread, and move on to the music itself, touching on what are the highlights for me.

The album both opens and closes with statements of the "Shenandoah" theme as sung by Jane Siberry, first with a nicely understated introduction by Phil Aaberg on piano, and then, in the closer (where the "oral" tradition of passing down roots music from one generation to the next is depicted in a "mother teaches daughter" way), with beautifully shaded steel pan work by Andy Narell. And in between these two "album covers" are some incredible gems. I won't be granted the webpage space to describe all of them, so I'll just say a sentence or two about my own personal favorites.

Mary Chapin Carpenter singing "Pretty Polly": Some of the greatest recording effects I've ever heard. And Chapin Carpenter's voice, and the arrangement, are splendid here.

Paul McCandless ripping on penny whistle and bass clarinet in "Down In The Willow Garden": A delightful romp that puts the lie to the statement that this guy's "merely" the best oboist on the planet.

Willie Nelson singing "Hard Times Come Again No More": This is vintage Willie. (Interesting, as an aside, is the fact that James Taylor sings the same song on the O'Connor/Meyer/Ma "Appalachian Journey" album.)

Darol and Michael Doucet sawing (and singing) away on "La Ville des Manteau": Simply the best Cajun two-step I've ever heard.

Mavis Staples singing "Oh, Death": The version on OBWAT has to take its place in line behind this authoritative rendition.

The Nashville Lumberyard (Darol, Vassar Clements, John Hartford, Sam Bush, Stuart Duncan, Tim O'Brien, Matt Glaser) with yet more "sawing away" on the classic "Golden Slippers."

Tim O'Brien singing another classic, "The Water Is Wide," in a style that can best be described as "antidotal if not antipodal" to the version that Pete Seeger sings on his "Pete" album (on the Living Music label).

I know I've missed some folks, and some good tracks, here, in picking my faves, and to them I apologize. But "space is space" and "a thousand words or less" it needs to be.

This whole album is a labor of love, an act of integrity, and, far more importantly, a uniquely personal vision of its creator. All of the roots tunes here, after having been refracted through Darol's musical prism, emerge transmogrified but otherwise unscathed.

The best roots album ever? Well, it gets my vote. Thanks, Darol.

Bob Zeidler

Average customer rating:

Great stuff!
super cool turn
Disappointed
SpaceGrass taken to a new level

Brand New Can
Anger , and Marshall Band
Manufacturer: Compass Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B00004U01L
Release Date: 2000-07-25

Tracks:

Coal Burnin' Grease Fire
Queequeg's Big Adventure
Around Here
Zakir
Goodnight Manatee
The Fall
Our Life
Tuesdays At 7:30
Emu's Blues
Brooksboro Terrace

Amazon.com

Fiddler Darol Anger and guitarist-mandolinist Mike Marshall, both alumni of the groundbreaking David Grisman Quintet, have played together in a wide range of acoustic bands over the years, some more freewheeling than others. Still, they always relish a return to the uninhibited improvising that was the hallmark of the Grisman band. On Brand New Can, their second under the Anger/Marshall Band moniker, they have again composed a collection of tunes that lets them stretch out like they did in the old days. Their music has moved far beyond its bluegrass roots to incorporate bebop and other modern jazz styles, as well as elements from Indian, Brazilian, and Celtic music. The eclectic mix of styles doesn't always gel, but when everything comes together as it does on "Queequeg's Big Adventure" and "The Fall," the results are thrilling. The band includes fretless electric bassist Derek Jones and drummer Aaron Johnson, who do an exemplary job laying down the groove. Marshall and Anger may have played with some of the world's finest musicians but, as the playing on Brand New Can shows, their greatest inspiration has always been each other. --Michael Simmons

Customer Reviews:

Great stuff!.......2007-07-09

I have heard Darol Anger on CD's with other artists (Dave Grisman, Tony Rice, many others), but this is the first time I heard the Anger-Marshall Band. A wonderful jazz mix, very assertive (as the cover art tries to convey).

super cool turn.......2005-01-21

NOTE: THIS IS NOT TRADITIONAL BLUEGRASS

I am a big bluegrass fan- but this new jamgrass that bands like Anger/Marshall band are playing (they are actually the only band quite like it) is awesome. The songs are kickass. The playing is awesome. and it is all different and hip but not in an a-tonal way which is what most people mean when they say "new", "experimental" etc... These are just rocking songs that these guys pulled out for a jazz/jam band setting. I recommend it to anyone who likes to rock and who enjoys the playing of these two super dudes. Some of my favorite tracks are "goodnight manatee" "out life" and "Queequeg's big adventure" Thanks Anger + Marshall.

Disappointed.......2001-01-21

I'm a great fan of Anger/Marshall, have been for 20 years, and bought this album because they're part of it. I have to admit, though, that I'm stuck on their playing in a pure string band setting. There's such rhythmic drive without drums or electrics, and you get to hear what's going on. With the addition of drum and electric bass, a lot of nuance is lost. I know it's their right to stretch out, but it's my right to be disappointed.

SpaceGrass taken to a new level.......2000-07-29

When I ordered this CD I expected good things, but this goes way beyond what I expected. I am a big fan of spacegrass type music so a CD that was 100% progressive instrumentals was right up my ally. The first song is the fastest pace and Alison Brown takes a nice break on it as well. The second song "Queequegs Big Adventure" is very similar to Gordon Lightfoots song about the Edmund Fitzgerald. Darol's fiddle playing will blow you away with his improv. and smoothness. Marshall's mandolin/guitar picking is undoubtly on par with that of Sam Bush. The drummer(Aaron Johnson) definitly makes a awesome rhythm section. The bass player(Derek Jones) does some rather cool stuff as well. You have to buy this CD just to hear the musicianship of these people. This CD gets a definite 5 stars without a doubt in my mind. I would recomend this CD for people who listen to spacegrass music like "Strength in Numbers", "PyschoGrass", and anything Darol Anger or Mike Marshall related(naturally). This CD is filled with wonderful originals that you probably wont want to leave your CD player :-) Keep up the good work DA/MM.

Average customer rating:

slipping
A spiritual rather than musical attempt
Oh Nelly

Life

Manufacturer: Ecm Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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The Garden of Mirrors
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ASIN: B0002ZLFG6
Release Date: 2004-11-23

Tracks:

Narration One And The Master's Question
The Temple
Narration Two
The Monk's Answer
Narration Three
The Master's Anger
Narration Four
The Monk's Question
The Sky
The Master's Answer

Customer Reviews:

slipping.......2006-05-20

I have been a big Stephan Micus fan for quite a few years, but I have to think that his last three CDs show signs his musical inventiveness is progressively slipping. This latest effort retains his honest, commercialism-be-damned approach--for which he should continue to be congratulated--but not very much in the way of listenable musicality. Honesty and spirit are one thing, but entertainment, even in honest and spiritual terms, is another. Here, the koan has taken center stage, in my opinion at the expense of the music(al entertainment). I hate to criticize the plan, but perhaps the first, rather long, narration should have been stretched longer yet to embrace the entire koan (to twenty plus minutes, that is), leaving the rest of the program open to material of greater accessibility. I'm afraid I can only take so much in the way of Zen chants, and I have never considered Micus' vocal powers one of his greatest assets to begin with.

A spiritual rather than musical attempt.......2005-08-05

Micus has always been a genre of his own, representing a unique way of musical expression in an otherwise musically dry 20th century. He dares to explore equipped with his vast knowledge of instruments and his never ending spiritual wandering. All these are more than enough to place him among the most important modern musical figures.

Nevertheless, I tend to believe that his last work crossed a certain threshold: The spirit dominated senses. He uses (or rather, exploits) music to convey his spiritual and rather esoteric message. It would have been quite acceptable should we were talking about a purely religious effort, or about something more inspired like his "Athos" work. But Micus stands for more than this.

I hope that soon we will be back experiencing the sheer magnificence of works like "Towards the Wind", "East of the Night" or "Wings over Water"

Oh Nelly.......2005-07-30

Not the best Micus album...hence the 4 stars, but let me say this...have you ever found yourself wandering aloft amongst the clouds wondering how you got there, wondering what happened to transport you through your own skin to something other than yourself? Well, if not, this album will get you there.

A very emotional journey, a nice blend of a variety of implements allows Micus to challenge us to break through our defenses. You will see that after listening to this album, like the man walking on the cover, you have been stripped of your past and your future, and are left with very little but a desire to warm up with your true self and the home you have been missing.

Micus gets "it", people. Thank God there are people like him to show us the way, at least musically....Peace.

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