Reviewed in the July/August 2003 issue of Songlines magazine and proclaimed as one of the 50 World Music Albums You Must Own
Oum Kalthoum
The Lady (El Sett)
Buda Records
Legend is a term hugely over-used in music writing, but Oum Kalthoum (c1904-75) is the real thing: an icon of the Arab world, whose funeral in Cairo in 1975 was attended by three million people, and a dozen heads of state. Indeed, there is a saying that Kalthoum is the one subject about which all Arabs agree. What they agree is that nobody has ever rendered so poetically or with such heart the traditional Arab song, and El Sett (The Lady) offers compact evidence: six songs of anguish ('You are delighted by my sobs!'), and a rallying call to Egypt (sung for the accession of King Fairouk), recorded between 1936 and 1946, when Kalthoum's voice was at its peak. ME
The Lady,Oum Kalthoum,Buda Musique,Arabic,Egypt,Egyptian,Int'l & World Music,Middle East,Middle East / Asia Minor,Middle Eastern Pop,Pop,Traditional Middle Eastern Folk,World Music
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We All Love Ella: Celebrating the First Lady of Song
Various Artists Manufacturer: Verve ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B000PA9Q3M Release Date: 2007-06-05 |
Tracks:
- A Tisket a Tasket - Natalie Cole
- Lullaby Of Birdland - Chaka Khan
- The Lady Is a Tramp - Queen Latifah
- Dream a Little Dream Of Me - Diana Krall
- (You'll Have To Swing It) Mr. Paganini - Natalie Cole
- Oh Lady Be Good! - Dianne Reeves
- Reaching For the Moon - Lizz Wright
- Blues In the Night - Ledisi
- Miss Otis Regrets - Linda Ronstadt
- Someone To Watch Over Me - Gladys Knight
- Do Nothin' Till You Hear From Me - Etta James
- Angel Eyes - K.D. Lang
- Too Close For Comfort - Michael Buble
- You Are the Sunshine Of My Life - Stevie Wonder
- Airmail Special - Nikki Yanofsky
Amazon.com
Covering songs made famous by Ella Fitzgerald is a daunting endeavor, since only Billie Holiday and Sarah Vaughan challenge her place as the premier female jazz vocalist in history. But the late Fitzgerald inspired and influenced a wide array of talented acolytes--from Natalie Cole to k.d. lang to Dianne Reeves--many of whom gather on this spirited, Phil Ramone-produced tribute to partially benefit the Ella Fitzgerald Charitable Foundation. Cole, backed by an eager gaggle of call-and-response male worshippers, breathes fun new life into the swingy "A-Tisket, A-Tasket," while Chaka Khan, showcasing the breadth of her range, delivers a transporting rendition of the enchanting jazz blues "Lullaby of Birdland." (The two also team up for a delicious scat-fest on "Mr. Paganini.") If lang is equally transfixing on the ballad "Angel Eyes," it's newcomer Ledisi who steals the show with "Blues in the Night," her expansive soprano often mimicking a muted or full-tilt trumpet, one of Fitzgerald's hallmarks. Performances from Etta James and Nikki Yanofsky also rivet, even if Diana Krall and Hank Jones's "Dream a Little Dream of Me" comes across as a little too sleepy, and Gladys Knight is probably not the best singer for "Someone to Watch Over Me." The album surprises with a live duet ("You Are the Sunshine of My Life") between Fitzgerald and Stevie Wonder, recorded at the 1977 New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival. Although it seems tacked on, it doesn't grate nearly as much as Michael Bublé's "Too Close for Comfort," so slick it would put an eel to shame. Skip over that transgression, and turn to the antidote of Lizz Wright's sultry take on the melancholy "Reaching for the Moon," which plumbs emotional depths not even the ever-joyous Great Lady managed to attain. --Alanna NashAlbum Description
A star-studded album from legendary producer Phil Ramone pays tribute to one of the most celebrated female vocalists of all time, Ella Fitzgerald.
This CD includes performers such as Stevie Wonder, Diana Krall, Michael Buble, Natalie Cole, Chaka Khan, Ledisi, Lizz Wright, Queen Latifah, Etta James, Gladys Knight, Linda Ronstadt, Dianne Reeves and more.
Customer Reviews:
Most of us love Ella.......2007-08-01
Fantabulous!!!!!!!!!!.......2007-08-01
We all Love Ella.......2007-07-18
Notable Tribute.......2007-07-16
This is good, but I love Ella more than the folks trying to sing her.......2007-07-03
Of the tributes, Ledisi's "Blues in the Night" blew me away. Her vocalese imitation of a trumpet was one of the best impressions I have ever heard.
I also liked hearing Natalie Cole and Chaka Khan in duet on "If you can't sing it, you'll have to swing it." Etta James' alto was definitely refreshing on "Wait til you hear from me." She's the only woman on the CD with a voice in the lower registers and definitely different from the other vocalists.
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Lady Day: The Best of Billie Holiday
Billie Holiday Manufacturer: Sony ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B00005Q45Y Release Date: 2001-10-02 |
Tracks:
- What A Little Moonlight Can Do - Billie Holiday
- These Foolish Things - Billie Holiday
- I Cried For You - Billie Holiday
- Summertime - Billie Holiday & Her Orchestra
- Billie's Blues - Billie Holiday & Her Orchestra
- If You Were Mine - Billie Holiday
- A Fine Romance - Billie Holiday & Her Orchestra
- Easy To Love - Billie Holiday
- I've Got My Love To Keep Me Warm - Billie Holiday & Her Orchestra
- I Must Have That Man - Billie Holiday
- Me, Myself And I - Billie Holiday & Her Orchestra
- They Can't Take Away From Me - Billie Holiday & Her Orchestra
- Easy Living - Billie Holiday
- A Sailboat In The Moonlight - Billie Holiday & Her Orchestra
- Travelin' All Alone - Billie Holiday & Her Orchestra
- When A Woman Loves A Man - Billie Holiday & Her Orchestra
- You Go To My Head - Billie Holiday & Her Orchestra
- My Man - Billie Holiday
Tracks:
- I Can't Believe That You're In Love With Me - Billie Holiday
- The Very Thought Of You - Billie Holiday & Her Orchestra
- I Can't Get Started - Billie Holiday & Her Orchestra
- Long Gone Blues - Billie Holiday & Her Orchestra
- Sugar - Billie Holiday
- Some Other Spring - Billie Holiday & Her Orchestra
- Them There Eyes - Billie Holiday & Her Orchestra
- The Man I Love - Billie Holiday & Her Orchestra
- Body And Soul - Billie Holiday & Her Orchestra
- Swing, Brothers, Swing - Billie Holiday & Her Orchestra
- Night And Day - Billie Holiday & Her Orchestra
- Let's Do It - Billie Holiday
- God Bless The Child - Billie Holiday & Her Orchestra
- Solitude - Billie Holiday & Her Orchestra
- I Cover The Waterfront - Billie Holiday
- Gloomy Sunday - Billie Holiday
- Until The Real Thing Comes Along - Billie Holiday
- All Of Me - Billie Holiday & Her Orchestra
Album Description
Lady Day: The Best Of Billie Holiday is an ideal introduction to the Voice of Jazz in all its enduring glory. This incomparable collection draws on the 10-CD boxed set Lady Day: The Complete Billie Holiday on Columbia (1933-1944) (CXK 85470), representing not only her finest work, but American jazz and pop singing at its zenith. Accompanied sublimely by a Who's Who of the Swing Era (including her soulmate Lester Young, Benny Goodman, Artie Shaw, Buck Clayton, Roy Eldridge, Ben Webster, Johnny Hodges, Harry Carney, Jo Jones, and pianist-arranger Teddy Wilson, who was often at the helm when Holiday entered the studio), Billie Holiday masterfully renders a host of mostly-classic pop tunes. Fans are drawn to her musical triumphs and personal tragedies. She is a mysterious icon in the same vein as Miles Davis. Columbia possesses the first and finest recordings of her entire career! This material has never sounded clearer and more intimate!Customer Reviews:
Absolutely the best of Billie Holiday.......2007-02-24
Lady Day: The Best of Billie Holiday.......2007-01-10
The tragedy of a lonely woman!.......2006-11-21
What else might I add for cataloguing this cult artist that it has not been said just before? She is part of the history jazz and her memory will transcend and surmount the next years to come.
Billie's Best - Accept No Substitutes.......2006-06-12
For the best of Billie you need to go back to the glory days, 1933-1944, precisely the time period covered by this reasonably priced and beautifully produced 2-CD set. (If you're a player with money to burn go for the 10-CD comprehensive retrospective, The Complete Billie Holiday on Columbia, 1933-1944.) All the songs providing the foundation of her reputation are here, as well as many pleasant surprises. The booklet, though not lavish, provides photos, background, and a complete list of personnel for each track. This detail is significant because the players on these selections, in addition to being the finest who ever backed Ms. Holiday, were also the absolute elite of their generation, each worthy of individual exploration. (Names like Lester Young, Roy Eldridge, Ben Webster, Johnny Hodges, and Teddy Wilson enjoy legendary status.)
Perhaps most amazing is the sound quality, considering the recordings are WWII vintage they're clear and smooth. About Ms. Holiday's personal life, the less said the better. What is remarkable is that, despite her personal troubles, she managed to create a canon of work that is truly timeless, just as sweet and powerful today as it was then. Not only is this the best Billie Holiday anthology available, it makes a formidable addition any jazz collection. (Dig that cover photo, wow!)
A serious and great artist's best work, you need these sides.......2005-03-11
Like others here, I have it all, but I think her work from the 30s and early 1940s from Columbia and its ancestors is not just her greatest works, but among the great works of world musical culture. Everyone with a set of ears should be more or less required to have this music and enjoy it.
Strange Fruit was not recorded for Columbia but for the Indy label Commodore. Thus, you will not find it on this or any of the Columbia collections like this that capture her work in the period BEFORE Strange Fruit. It was recorded in the 1940s, whereas this collection contains work from Billie in the 1930s and perhaps 1940 and 1941. No doubt Sony wishes it had the rights to that side and everything else Commodore recorded, but they don't.
The truth is, Strange Fruit is not one of Billie's Greatest works. There are about 15 tunes on this CD that have better singing, better musicians backing her, and were more important pieces of Billie's work. Strange Fruit is well known to the people who know about Billie as a person, but don't know much about Billie as a Jazz musician. Her recording, while powerful, was not very nuanced, not very jazzy, and not as good as much of the work here. Indeed, the weakness of her mid-1940s Commodore work as opposed to these recordings is that Billie was persuaded to move away from Jazz and swing to attempt to become a cabarat chanteuse of "serious" songs, a move that some also relate to the inception of heroin and the decline of her voice, a move that brought about a decline in her art.
If you want to hear a better version of "Strange Fruit," listen to Josh White's recording which is so much more powerful, if not as well known. I am not downing the song or its politics, far from it, but Billie's Strange Fruit is more important as a political statement than as a work of Jazz art.
One of the greatest things about these records are the many master musicians of swing and jazz that join her on these recordings. Very shortly after she started recording, the greatest names in Jazz would flock to her sessions and play on her recordings for litte because of the innovation and creativity Billie showed as a jazz creator in her own right. These recordings were a chance for them to jam together in loose arrangements and be more innovative and creative than they were with the orchestras they played with.
These masters of Jazz viewed Billie as a serious artist of Jazz. They delighted in her knowledge of the musical aspects of swing jazz which was unique for such a young singer (she was in her twenties when these records were made) and delighted in her ability to sense what they were doing in their accompaniments and solos and to respond to them in her vocals.
Despite the exaggerated picture of her life as a prostitute that was part of the marketing of the 1950's work of ghost-written fiction called "Lady Sings the Blues," that a drug addled Billie claimed was her autobiography, Billie Holiday grew up around Jazz with her father being a big band guitar player who complained Billie hired every NY guitarist but him for these sessions. Billie's mother specialized in boarding Jazz musicians and catering parties for musicians and singers, parties where the young Billie would often help serve the food. So when she met Lester young in 1937 for these sessions, she had already known the man she named 'Prez in 1934 when he boarded with her mother while he was in the Fletcher Henderson band.
These sides contain most of the great collaboration between Lester Young and Billie. They were great musical friends and personal friends until Billie became a heroin addict, at which point Lester didn't much want to be around her.
However, as much as I am a Lester Young man to the death (his framed picture hangs in my home), too little is said of the other musicians who grace these recordings. Billie's collaboration with pianist Teddy Wilson who plays on and directed most of these recordings (many were recorded as Teddy Wilson Orchestra sides)needs to be explored. Likewise, her work with the great bassists and rhythm players on these records needs to be appreciated. My favorite sides are the ones in which she has the benefit of Basieites like her dear friend Freddy Green on guitar and the great Walter Page on bass. Likewise, Billie's musical closeness with the great Buck Clayton and his role on these sides is also underestimated.
Yet, it doesn't matter if Billie had recorded these sides with some high school band members from Winslow, Arizona. This is good music to listen to, good music to smile to, music to fall in love to, and music to dance too. Contrary to the tendency to get maudlin and milk her image as a tragedy that Holiday developed in the 1950s as her life and her musical skill declined , even the songs on these recordings with the sadest lyrics possess a great joy, swing, and spirit of the wonders of Jazz.
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Disney's Greatest 3
Various Artists Manufacturer: Disney ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B00006EXKT Release Date: 2002-08-20 |
Amazon.com
Cynical types will accuse Disney of milking the "greatest" concept until it's drier than Tinkerbell's fairy dust ("Supercalafragilisticexpealidocious," "Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Da," and "Heigh Ho" were hits off of Vol. 1; "Bare Necessities," "It's a Small World," and "Some Day My Prince Will Come" stole the show on Vol. 2), but a glimpse of this installment's track listing is all it'll take to squash their suspicions. Once again running reverse-chronologically, Vol. 3 opens with Jonatha Brooke's gorgeously achy ballad "I'll Try," from 2002's arguably not-so-great Return to Neverland, and gradually reaches back through the years to re-raise the curtain on Toy Story 2 ("When She Loved Me," performed by Sarah McLachlan), The Lion King ("Can You Feel the Love Tonight"), Mary Poppins (Julie Andrews's classic "A Spoonful of Sugar"), Pinocchio ("Give a Little Whistle"), and a bundle of treasured others, bottoming out at 1933's "Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf" from The Three Little Pigs. Vol. 3 is not without its weak moments--would a G-rated movie-goers' poll produce Beauty and the Beast's "Gaston" or The Hunchback of Notre Dame's "Topsy Turvy" on a hits list? Seems unlikely. Still, the bulk of these tracks are, as the included Little Mermaid song goes, "Part of Your World," and the spread of decades they represent proves their staying power. Don't expect Disney to latch the lid on its inexhaustible archives until a dozen or so of these records, each as strong as the next, beckon you back for more. --Tammy La GorceCustomer Reviews:
Disney's greatest hits, volum 3.......2007-05-13
above 18 but still have some kid in them
Timeless Disney Music.......2007-05-07
Disney songs are the best.......2006-03-18
Great Disney Music.......2006-02-21
Not as good as Vol 1 and Vol 2.......2005-09-11
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My Fair Lady (1964 Film Soundtrack)
Alan Jay Lerner Manufacturer: Sony ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B000002AW2 Release Date: 1994-10-18 |
Tracks:
- Overture
- Why Can't The English?n
- Wouldn't It Be Loverly
- The Flower Marketn
- I'm An Ordinary Man
- With A Little Bit Of Luck
- Just You Wait
- Servants' Chorus
- The Rain In Spain
- I Could Have Danced All Night
- Ascot Gavotte
- Ascot Gavotte (Reprise)
- On The Street Where You Live
- Intermission
- The Transylvanian March
- The Embassy Waltz
- You Did It
- Just You Wait (Reprise)
- On The Street Where You Live (Reprise)
- Show Me
- The Flowermarket
- Get Me To The Church On Time
- A Hymn To Him
- Without You
- I've Grown Accustomed To Her Face
- End Titles
- Exit Music
Amazon.com
My Fair Lady is--deservedly--one of the most famous musicals of all time. Its popular 1964 film version, directed by George Cukor, has ensured that for most people Audrey Hepburn is Eliza Doolittle, while Broadway-heads swear by Julie Andrews's stage performance, immortalized on the 1956 cast album. Of course, for the purposes of a CD review it's more accurate to compare the performances of Andrews and Marni Nixon, who sang the songs lip-synched by Hepburn in the movie. While Andrews usually comes out on top (especially on "I Could Have Danced All Night"), Nixon is no slouch (after all, she also dubbed Natalie Wood in West Side Story and Deborah Kerr in The King & I). Rex Harrison, of course, does his own vocals, but then he doesn't so much sing his songs as talk them. While Nixon and Harrison are tops, the truth is that Lerner and Loewe's songs are so good as to endure almost anybody's interpretation: "Wouldn't It Be Loverly," "With a Little Bit of Luck," "On the Street Where You Live," "Get Me to the Church on Time," and so on--not many shows can boast as many classics. The movie version's real bonus is Andre Previn's swellegant orchestration. --Elisabeth VincentelliCustomer Reviews:
go with the OBC.......2007-07-29
SONGS
all of the songs from the stage show are here, which gives this soundtrack a wonderfully full feeling. the orchestra feels rich and lush on all the tracks, plus some purely instrumental tracks that really add life and fill out the soundtrack nicely. because most of the broadway cast is here, the songs all sound great too.
SONGS 4 out of 5
PERFORMERS
rex harrison, stanley holloway, and wilfred hyde-white all reprise their broadway roles and make their songs just as witty and clever as ever. they all sound just as great and add a wonderful broadway-feel to the album. bill shirley dubbs the part of freddy here, and since i fealt that his songs were fairly bland his presence isn't particularly noticable. the real difference is in the form of audrey hepburn vs julie andrews.
actually its more marni nixon (who dubbed for hepburn) vs julie andrews. marni nixon is a great singer, but the only problem here is that she should have been allowed to just sing the part. songs like "wouldn't it be loverly" and "just you wait" make it painfully obveous that two women are performing the part. songs like "i could've danced all night", "show me", and "without you" are great just because nixon is allowed to just sing the damn role.
PERFORMERS 4 out of 5
fans of musicals and this show will still appreciate this soundtrack, since even at its weakest, this soundtrack is still impressive. however, light fans will want to pass this over for the original broadway cast album, since evn if marni nixon had been allowed to perform the whole soundtrack, julie andrews is still more impressive.
My Fair Lady (1964 Film Soundtrack).......2007-05-18
Fair Lady all the way.......2007-05-13
Nice CD and quick delivery.......2007-02-02
My Fair Lady.......2007-01-15
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The Essential Yo-Yo Ma
Manufacturer: Sony ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B000A7Q29G Release Date: 2005-08-16 |
Tracks:
- Prde from Suite No. 1 in G Major for Cello, BWV 1007
- II. Largo from "Winter", Op. 8, No. 4, RV 297 from the Four Seasons
- Jesus, bleibet meine Freude (Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring), BWV 147
- Schafe kn sicher weiden (Sheep May Safely Graze), BWV 208
- Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme (Sleepers Awake), BWV 645
- The Swan from Carnival of the Animals (Chamber Version)
- Havanaise, Op. 83
- Mtation from Tha
- Liebesfreud Instrumental
- Allegro ben ritmato e deciso from Three Preludes
- Vocalise Vocal
- IV. Allegro from Sonata in D minor for Cello and Piano, Op. 40
- Andante Cantabile for Cello Solo and String Orchestra, Op. posth.
- IV. Rondo alla Zingarese. Presto from Quartet No. 1 in G minor for Piano and Strings, Op. 25
- III. Finale. Allegro moderato from Concerto in B minor for Cello and Orchestra, Op. 104
Tracks:
- Cristal
- A lenda do caboclo
- Chega de Saudade Live
- Wapango Live
- Libertango
- Appalachia Waltz Solo Cello Version
- Butterfly's Day Out
- 1B
- Pickin' from Three Pieces for Solo Cello
- Simple Gifts
- The Mission
- Gabriel's Oboe
- The Falls Album Version
- The Eternal Vow from Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
- The Cellist of Sarajevo - A Lament in Rondo Form for Solo 'Cello, Op. 12
- Chi passa per'sta strada
- Mido Mountain (Chinese Traditional)
- Mohini (Enchantment)
- Baroque in Rhythm from Suite for Cello and Jazz Piano Trio
- Anything Goes Instrumental
- I Could Have Danced All Night Extended version
Amazon.com
Here are three dozen pieces of music, all played by Yo-Yo Ma, culled from his extensive discography. Aside from the technical mastery and beautiful tone that are absolutes in all of his playing, one is dazzled by his curiosity and ability to adapt to so many forms and types of music. His Bach and Vivaldi are pellucid and played with non-sentimental crispness, his tango music gritty and rhythmically pungent, his jazz seemingly spontaneous, the "Meditation" from Thais simply ravishing, "Anything Goes" a romp, and the Appalachian music performed with both respect and a great twang, while the traditional Chinese music is fascinating. It's really a matter of how much Ma loves whatever he plays here, how entirely he becomes involved in it, and what a fine partner he invariably is to other musicians. This collection is a doozy--it is truly "essential." --Robert LevineCustomer Reviews:
pure genius.......2007-05-21
Yo Yo Ma shows to be master of the instrument and his interpretations en technique are pure genius. Everyone should have this album in his (or hers of course) basic classical collection
Another great Yo-Yo Disc.......2007-05-15
first disc great- second a flop.......2007-04-12
Encore.......2007-03-31
The Versatile Yo-Yo Ma.......2007-03-29
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Broadway, My Way
Linda Eder Manufacturer: Atlantic / Wea ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B000088E4T Release Date: 2003-02-18 |
Tracks:
- I Am What I Am (from "La Cage aux Folles")
- Anthem (from "Chess")
- On The Street Where You Live (from "My Fair Lady")
- What Kind of Fool (from "Stop The World I Want to Get Off")
- Some People (from "Gypsy")
- I'll Be Seeing You (from "Right This Way")
- Gold (from "Camille Claudel")
- Don't Rain On My Parade (from "Funny Girl")
- The Impossible Dream (from "Man of La Mancha")
- A New Life (from "Jekyll & Hyde")
- Edelweiss (from "The Sound of Music")
- Unusual Way (from "Nine")
- Man of La Mancha (from "Man of La Mancha")
Amazon.com
The people who felt betrayed when Linda Eder covered several pop songs on 2002's Gold will be relieved that her follow-up, Broadway My Way, is a return to the Great White Way. As if to prove that she isn't limited to either the songs of Frank Wildhorn or ballads, Eder tackles some well-known show tunes. The ballads tend to be overwrought, so it's best to look for the uptempo numbers. The singer's take on "Some People" is technically fine but so va-va-voom showbiz that it lacks the deranged edge that makes the song so compellingly dramatic. Things work a lot better on "I Am What I Am": while Eder doesn't take it to the top (or rather over the top), this is as close as she gets to Mermanizing a number. Elsewhere, "Don't Rain on My Parade" (immortalized by Streisand) and "Man of La Mancha" are appropriately brassy and triumphant, with Eder roaring her way through both songs. Fans of both Eder and Wildhorn should note that the singer reprises her Svengali's "Gold," the title track from her previous album, and an excerpt from his long-in-the-works Camille Claudel. --Elisabeth VincentelliAlbum Description
On the eagerly awaited Broadway My Way, Atlantic recording artist and acclaimed Broadway sensation Linda Eder performs classics including 'On the Street Where You Live' (from My Fair Lady), 'Edelweiss' (from The Sound of Music), 'Don't Rain On My Parade' (from Funny Girl) and 10 other great broadway songs performed in a whole new voice. 2003.Customer Reviews:
Linda Eder - Great Voice.......2007-07-06
Not a voice.......an instrument.......2007-02-17
and hip-hop, heard me playing this disc and begged me to buy her
one........and I did, and she plays it all the time, and to her
friends. Linda Eder exceeds the Streisand mystique by far.
the best female singer of the great american standards........2006-07-24
musical in 1960. over the years i have had the honor to see
almost all of the giants of american song, garland, streisand,
patti lupone, lena horne, betty buckley, barbaracook etc. in
"broadway, my way" linda eder cements her place as the best of the best. from an anthem like "i am what i am" to the lovely
"on the street where you live" captures you body and soul.
i loved this album, and don't ever miss a chance to see her live. JOHN POWER
The powerful and beautiful voice of Linda Elder.......2006-02-23
Linda Eder shines with her Broadway album.......2006-02-18
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My Fair Lady (1956 Original Broadway Cast)
Alan Jay Lerner , Rex Harrison , Julie Andrews , and Frederick Loewe Manufacturer: Sony ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B000067AS1 Release Date: 2002-05-28 |
Tracks:
- Overture
- Why Can't The English?
- Wouldn't It Be Loverly
- With An Ordinary Man
- I'm An Ordinary Man
- Just you Wait
- The Rain In Spain
- I Could Have Danced All Night
- Ascot Gavotte
- On The Street Where You Live
- You Did It
- Show Me
- Get Me To The Church On Time
- A Hymn To Him
- Without You
- I've Grown Accustomed To Her Face
- A Post-Recording Conversation (bonus track)
- Playback: Alan Jay Lerner & Frederick Loewe (bonus track)
Amazon.com
The 2,700 performances of Lerner and Loewe's musical adaptation of George Bernard Shaw's Pygmalion gracefully spanned the Eisenhower and Camelot eras, then begat a wildly popular film version, whose 1965 Best Picture Oscar capped the show's decade of prominence. The crowning achievement of Lerner and Loewe's rich body of work began its recording life on this 1956 cast recording, a collection of performances that long ago became a ubiquitous and indispensable fixture of American musical theater. Indeed, it's hard to imagine anyone else but Julie Andrews and Rex Harrison in the roles of the cockney Eliza Doolittle and her long-suffering mentor, Henry Higgins, delivering definitive versions of the show's embarrassment of riches: "Why Can't the English?," "Wouldn't It Be Loverly," "The Rain in Spain," "I Could Have Danced All Night," and "I've Grown Accustomed to Her Face." This new edition offers a digitally burnished take of the already glorious recording, now supplemented with a post-recording conversation track featuring Harrison, Andrews, Lerner, conductor Franz Allers, and original producer Goddard Lieberson, as well as a 1961 audio interview with Lerner and Loewe. --Jerry McCulleyCustomer Reviews:
a flawless recording.......2007-07-29
for proof that My Fair Lady deserves all of its fame look no further than this cast album. this is a true gem of musical theater and every cast recording should be done this well.
SONGS
the music is great. its strength is in subtlety. the background orchestral pieces are all soft and the strength is placed on the performers, which works great. a lot of the strength here goes to the witty lyrics of "why can't the english" and "i'm an ordinary man" (basically rex harrison's pieces!) or the soft crooning lyrics of "I Could've Danced All Night" and "On the Street Where You Live." the songs are fresh, original and pretty well done here.
SONGS 5 out of 5
PERFORMERS
a lot of credit falls on the steller cast here since most of the focus is on them. harrison is wonderfully and witty as henry higgens. julie andrews is, well, perfect as eliza. she is the greatest eliza ever. her vocals are all brilliantly done. the rest of the cast succeds in bringing humor or romance to the show wherever it is required. this is a top-notch cast the easilly outdoes the 1964 movie. if for no other reason than the sheer energy that is captured here.
PERFORMERS 5 out of 5
most broadway fans should own this just because it's My Fair Lady, but beyond that, this is a great show and this album captures all that brilliance perfectly. if you need just one recording, THIS IS THE ONE!!!
Excellent Sound Track.......2007-06-27
Great gift!.......2007-06-01
Good, but not for the Family.......2007-05-29
fantastic.............2007-05-16
The story was actually based on PYGMALION, by the late, great playwright, George Bernard Shaw, inspired by Greek mythology. In the original Greek play, Pygmalion is the sculptor who creates a depiction of a woman, out of ivory, and falls in love with it. He prays to Venus, and then his sculpture is brought to life, as Galatea. In the musical, the gist is similar but the journey and characters veer from this concept considerably. For starters, no one starts out as a piece of stone--especially not Eliza Doolittle. She has definite opinions and a distinctive personality (saucy language and all), that Dr. Doolittle is very keen on shaping up for society. The music is perfectly in synch with the mood of this great play, which is in some ways a true parable about human behavior and the treatment of women in society. Some of the most beautiful music by Lerner and Loewe is featured here. The songs include "Wouldn't It Be Loverly," "I've Grown Accustomed To Her Face," and "Get Me to the Church On Time." This is brilliant. Buy this today! I am not sure how great the sound quality is on audio cassette, in comparison to the original recording on vinyl that I heard, as a little girl. I have a feeling it's pretty spectacular though!
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Music From A Farther Room
Astor Piazzolla , Maurice Ravel , Richard Rodgers , Paul Schwartz , Jean Sibelius , Traditional , Paul Schwartz , Craig Macintyre , Tariqh Akoni , Tim Curle , Lang Lang , Lee Musiker , Zachary Provost , Lucia Micarelli , Leigh Nash , and Lisbeth Scott Manufacturer: Reprise / Wea ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B0002GU2NM Release Date: 2004-07-27 |
Tracks:
- Samarkand
- Oblivion
- Meditation From Thais
- Portrait
- To Love You More
- Reflexio
- Aurora
- Lady Grinning Soul
- Ravel String Quartet IN F Major: Assez Vif - Tres Rythme
- She Is Like The Swallow
- My Funny Valentine
- Nocturne/Bohemian Rhapsody
Amazon.com
Josh Groban fans who caught the singer's 2004 Closer tour would no doubt take note of Lucia Micarelli, who was the violinist and concertmaster for Groban. Like her boss, who also is executive producer of Music From A Farther Room, Micarelli is a young, attractive, and talented player who has the classical training, but who is also enchanted with pop music. Also like her boss, her strain of classical crossover works thanks to tasteful accompaniment, in this case from arranger/composer Paul Schwartz. The smartly chosen program of material comes from such varied catalogs as David Bowie and Rogers and Hart. Micarelli's playing is emotional without being overreaching, assertive when called upon, and nuanced. When she does go over-the-top pop on Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody," it's brief but fun; when she navigates Piazzolla's "Oblivion" she draws upon the song's passion more than its technical requisites. This is a debut with likeable pizzazz, coming in a genre not often enough known for it. -- Tad HendricksonAlbum Description
For anyone who has attended Josh Groban's phenomenal live show, you will have undoubtedly had the pleasure of seeing and hearing his lead violinist, Lucia Micarelli. Lucia came to Josh's tour after appearing with the Trans- Siberian Orchestra playing arenas across the U.S. in 2003. With the close of the second leg of Josh's tour, Lucia is recording her debut album in New York and London with producer Paul Schwartz. Musical selections will range from the works of composers Ravel and Ennio Morricone to David Bowie.Customer Reviews:
Nice CD.......2007-07-15
Music from a Farther Room.......2007-05-22
relaxation.......2007-05-13
amazing.......2007-05-07
Talented violinist.......2007-03-29
Average customer rating:
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My Fair Lady (1956 Original Broadway Cast)
Alan Jay Lerner Manufacturer: Sony ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B0000024PL Release Date: 1990-10-25 |
Tracks:
- Overture; Why Can't The English?
- Wouldn't It Be Loverly?
- With A Little Bit Of Luck
- I'm An Ordinary Man
- Just You Wait
- The Rain in Spain
- I Could Have Danced All Night
- Ascot Gavotte
- On The Street Where You Live
- You Did it
- Show Me
- Get Me To The Church On Time
- A Hymn to Him
- Without You
- I've Grown Accustomed To Her Face
Amazon.com
This recording was produced more than 40 years ago, only in mono, but from the day it was released it was a deserved phenomenon. It out-grossed the mega-hit show for months, and it still holds the record for the most weeks as a Billboard Top 40 album: 292. The reasons are many. Start with the 20-year-old Julie Andrews in peak voice, singing no fewer than eight sensational Lerner and Loewe songs, soaring most memorably to high C in "I Could Have Danced All Night." Rex Harrison perfected the art of talk-singing in a clutch of equally captivating numbers written especially for his voice, of which the most indelibly delivered is "I've Grown Accustomed to Her Face." And Stanley Holloway brought the best English music-hall style to an eager American audience with "A Little Bit of Luck" and "Get Me to the Church on Time." There were no scene-changers in Frederick Loewe's best score, and Alan Jay Lerner managed to fashion his libretto and lyrics so close to the language of George Bernard Shaw (on whose play Pygmalion the musical was based) that experts couldn't tell where Shaw left off and Lerner took over. Every song created character and advanced the plot. My Fair Lady was a show you "got"--and still get--on first listening--without having seen it. The London cast album (with the same leads) can give you stereo; the movie version, a fuller orchestra, Harrison and Holloway in full sail, and Marni Nixon dubbing Audrey Hepburn. But the Broadway cast album is still the one to have, and the one absolute must in any musical collector's CD library. --Robert WindelerCustomer Reviews:
a flawless recording.......2007-07-29
for proof that My Fair Lady deserves all of its fame look no further than this cast album. this is a true gem of musical theater and every cast recording should be done this well.
SONGS
the music is great. its strength is in subtlety. the background orchestral pieces are all soft and the strength is placed on the performers, which works great. a lot of the strength here goes to the witty lyrics of "why can't the english" and "i'm an ordinary man" (basically rex harrison's pieces!) or the soft crooning lyrics of "I Could've Danced All Night" and "On the Street Where You Live." the songs are fresh, original and pretty well done here.
SONGS 5 out of 5
PERFORMERS
a lot of credit falls on the steller cast here since most of the focus is on them. harrison is wonderfully and witty as henry higgens. julie andrews is, well, perfect as eliza. she is the greatest eliza ever. her vocals are all brilliantly done. the rest of the cast succeds in bringing humor or romance to the show wherever it is required. this is a top-notch cast the easilly outdoes the 1964 movie. if for no other reason than the sheer energy that is captured here.
PERFORMERS 5 out of 5
most broadway fans should own this just because it's My Fair Lady, but beyond that, this is a great show and this album captures all that brilliance perfectly. if you need just one recording, THIS IS THE ONE!!!
Excellent Sound Track.......2007-06-27
Great gift!.......2007-06-01
Good, but not for the Family.......2007-05-29
fantastic.............2007-05-16
The story was actually based on PYGMALION, by the late, great playwright, George Bernard Shaw, inspired by Greek mythology. In the original Greek play, Pygmalion is the sculptor who creates a depiction of a woman, out of ivory, and falls in love with it. He prays to Venus, and then his sculpture is brought to life, as Galatea. In the musical, the gist is similar but the journey and characters veer from this concept considerably. For starters, no one starts out as a piece of stone--especially not Eliza Doolittle. She has definite opinions and a distinctive personality (saucy language and all), that Dr. Doolittle is very keen on shaping up for society. The music is perfectly in synch with the mood of this great play, which is in some ways a true parable about human behavior and the treatment of women in society. Some of the most beautiful music by Lerner and Loewe is featured here. The songs include "Wouldn't It Be Loverly," "I've Grown Accustomed To Her Face," and "Get Me to the Church On Time." This is brilliant. Buy this today! I am not sure how great the sound quality is on audio cassette, in comparison to the original recording on vinyl that I heard, as a little girl. I have a feeling it's pretty spectacular though!
Average customer rating:
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Somewhere over the Rainbow: The Golden Age of Hollywood Musicals
Various Artists Manufacturer: Rhino / Wea ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B000066RO5 Release Date: 2002-06-04 |
Tracks:
- Singin In The Rain - Gene Kelly
- Theres No Business Like Show Business - Betty Hutton, Howard Keel, Keenan Wynn & Louis Calhern
- 'S Wonderful - Gene Kelly & Georges Guetary
- Thats Entertainment! - Fred Astaire, Jack Buchanan, Nanette Fabray & Oscar Levant
- Stranger In Paradise - Ann Blyth & Vic Damone
- Easter Parade - Judy Garland & Fred Astaire
- Lullaby Of Broadway - Winifred Shaw, Dick Powell & Chorus
- Get Happy - Judy Garland
- Night And Day - Fred Astaire
- True Love - Bing Crosby & Grace Kelly
- Honeysuckle Rose - Lena Horne w/ Benny Carter & His Orchestra
- They Cant Take That Away From Me - Fred Astaire
- Milkman, Keep Those Bottles Quiet - Nancy Walker & The M-G-M Studio Chorus w/ Tommy Dorsey & His Orchestra
- Baby, Its Cold Outside - Esther Williams & Ricardo Montalban
- For Me And My Gal - Gene Kelly & Judy Garland
- Puttin On The Ritz - Clark Gable & Co.
- Hallelujah! - Tony Martin, Vic Damone, Kay Armen, Ann Miller, Debbie Reynolds, Clark Burroughs & Co.
- Bless Yore Beautiful Hide - Howard Keel
- Taking A Chance On Love - Ethel Waters & Eddie "Rochester" Anderson
- As Time Goes By - Dooley Wilson w/ Elliot Carpenter (Bonus Track)
- Laras Theme (Main Title) - The M-G-M Studio Orchestra (Bonus Track)
Tracks:
- Over The Rainbow - Judy Garland
- Its A Most Unusual Day - Jane Powell
- Wunderbar - Kathryn Grayson & Howard Keel
- Cant Help Lovin Dat Man - Ava Gardner
- Going Hollywood - Bing Crosby
- The Trolley Song - Judy Garland, The M-G-M Studio Chorus
- Gigi - Louis Jourdan
- I Got Rhythm - Judy Garland, Mickey Rooney & Co.
- Aba Daba Honeymoon - Debbie Reynolds, Carleton Carpenter & M-G-M Studio Chorus
- The Lady Is A Tramp - Lena Horne
- The Best Things In Life Are Free - June Allyson & Peter Lawford
- Cheek To Cheek - Fred Astaire
- A Kiss To Build A Dream On - Louis Armstrong
- Put 'Em In A Box - Doris Day & The Page Cavanaugh Trio
- If Swing Goes, I Go Too - Fred Astaire
- Almost Like Being In Love - Gene Kelly
- Lets Face The Music And Dance - Fred Astaire
- Be A Clown - Gene Kelly & Judy Garland
- Embraceable You - Connie Francis
- On The Atchison, Topeka And The Santa Fe - Judy Garland & Co.
- One For My Baby (And One More For The Road) - Fred Astaire
Amazon.com
The "Golden Age" referred to here spans The Jazz Singer and the advent of the talkies to the death throes of the old studio system in the 1960s. So vast was the era's musical landscape that even this 42-track, double-disc anthology can't encompass all its peaks. Not surprisingly, the bulk of this collection originated with the Tiffany's of the screen musical, M-G-M, a body of work whose riches here encompass both pop-cultural bedrock ("Over the Rainbow," "Singin' in the Rain," "There's No Business Like Show Business," etc.) and some less familiar, if equally delightful star turns: Clark Gable gamely "Puttin' On the Ritz"; the sassy, 1948 original of "The Lady Is a Tramp" by Lena Horne; and a loopy duet of "Baby, It's Cold Outside" by Esther Williams and Ricardo Montalban. Fred Astaire's elegant, epochal reign at RKO and M-G-M is represented by "Night and Day," "Let's Face the Music and Dance," and three others, while Metro mainstays Gene Kelly and Judy Garland share equal time and billing. It's not perfect--Cagney's "Yankee Doodle Boy" and/or some Sinatra seem more logical choices than the odd "bonus" duet of Casablanca's "As Time Goes By" and "Lara's Theme" from Dr. Zhivago that close out disc one--but it's a stunning, surprisingly comprehensive primer on the Hollywood film musical nonetheless. --Jerry McCulleyCustomer Reviews:
They were right--there is NO business like the show business they did way back when !!!.......2006-11-18
Can happen in a show
You can make 'em laugh
You can make 'em cry
Anything
Anything can go....
The clown with his pants falling down
Or the dance that's a dream of romance
Or the scene where the villain is mean
That's entertainment!
The lights on the lady in tights
Or the bride with the guy on the side
Or the ball where she gives him her all
That's entertainment!
The plot and the hot simply teeming with $ex
A gay divorcee who is after her ex
It could be Oedipus Rex
Where a chap kills his father
And causes a lot of bother
The clerk who is thrown out of work
By the boss who is thrown for a loss
By the skirt who is doing him dirt
The world is a stage,
The stage is a world of entertainment!
This two CD set amply proves that the musical melodies and lyrics from the golden age of the Hollywood musical remain unsurpassed to this day. This generous two CD set offers 42 incredible songs from Hollywood classic musicals. Most of these fine numbers are indeed from MGM, as Amazon correctly notes; but there are some RKO numbers and even a little from Warner Brothers. Thank goodness, though, that most of these songs came from MGM movies; MGM was the only studio that could boast that it truly had "more stars than there are in the heavens."
I love so many songs on these two CDs. Of course, there's the unforgettable classic "Over The Rainbow" sung by Judy Garland; she also performs "Easter Parade" and "Get Happy" on this two CD set and she carries most of the tune for "I Got Rhythm" even though Mickey Rooney helps her a little. I love "Baby, It's Cold Outside" for its' romantic overtones; and Lena Horne's "The Lady Is A Tramp" is flawless! We also get a rare chance to hear Clark Gable sing in "Puttin' On The Ritz;" and Bing Crosby's "Going Hollywood" may be brief but it's a fun song anyway.
There are two "bonus" tracks on the first CD: "As Time Goes By" from Casablanca and "Lara's Theme" from Doctor Zhivago. "As Time Goes By" is a good choice; it is another unsurpassed classic song that brings back memories and touches even the hardest of hearts. "Lara's Theme," however, is from the mid 1960s and I don't consider this period to be part of the "golden age" of Hollywood musicals.
The liner notes are excellent and they offer wonderful photos of the stars as well. The cover art is well done and the reverse cover art tells which movie each song is from and who is performing each song. Moreover, the quality of the sound is excellent especially when you consider that these numbers were recorded quite a few decades ago.
In short, this superlative two CD highlights the glory of the Hollywood musical when a certain type of sophistication dominated professional movie production. I highly recommend this CD for fans of Hollywood musicals, classic pop vocals and fans of the artists and actors who perform on this two CD set.
One of the best cds I ever bought. .......2006-06-07
Never Sounded Better.......2006-03-16
Somewhere Over The Rainbow.......2006-02-24
"Hollywood Musicals of the Golden Age are still among us".......2005-07-13
The lineup is fantastic and gives the listener a variety of what musicals were all about in the "Golden Age of the Hollywood Musicals"
June Allyson, Kay Armen, Louis Armstrong, Fred Astaire, Ann Blyth, Jack Buchanan, Louis Calhern, Bing Crosby, Vic Damone, Doris Day, Nanette Fabray, Connie Francis, Ava Gardner, Judy Garland, Kathyrn Grayson, Georges Guetary, Lena Horne, Betty Hutton, Louis Jourdan, Howard Keel, Gene Kelly, Grace Kelly, Peter Lawford, Oscar Levant, Ann Miller, Ricardo Montalban, Page Cavanaugh Trio, Debbie Reynolds, Winifred Shaw, Nancy Walker, Ethel Waters, Esther Williams, Dooley Williams and Keenan Wynn.
On Disc One 21 Classic Songs from great musicals with songs in alphabetical order:
AS TIME GOES BY - Dooley Wilson with Elliot Carpenter, pianist (1942)
BABY, IT'S COLD OUTSIDE - Esther Williams & Ricardo Montalban (1949)
BLESS, YORE BEAUTIFUL HIDE - Howard Keel (1954)
EASTER PARADE - Fred Astaire & Judy Garland (1948)
FOR ME AND MY GAL - Gene Kelly & Judy Garland (1942)
GET HAPPY - Judy Garland (1950)
HALLELUJAH! - Tony Martin, Vic Damone, Kay Armen, Ann Miller, Debbie Reynolds, Clark Burroughs (for Russ Tamblyn) (1955)
HONEYSUCKLE ROSE - Lena Horne with Benny Carter & His Orchestra (1943)
LARA'S THEME (MAIN TITLE) - M-G-M Studio Orchestra (1965)
LULLABY OF BROADWAY - Winifred Shaw & Dick Powell (1935)
MILKMAN, KEEP THOSE BOTTLES QUIET - Nancy Walker with Tommy Dorsey & His Orchestra (1944)
NIGHT AND DAY - Fred Astaire (1934)
PUTTIN' ON THE RITZ - Clark Gable & Company (1939)
'S WONDERFUL - Gene Kelly & Georges Guetary (1951)
SINGIN' IN THE RAIN - Gene Kelly (1951)
STRANGER IN PARADISE - Ann Blyth & Vic Damone (1955)
TAKING A CHANCE ON LOVE - Ethel Waters & Eddie "Rochester" Anderson (1943)
THAT'S ENTERTAINMENT - Fred Astaire, Jack Buchanan, Nanette Fabray & Oscar Levant (1953)
THERE'S NO BUSINESS LIKE SHOW BUSINESS - Betty Hutton, Howard Keel, Keenan Wynn & Louis Calhern (1950)
THEY CAN'T TAKE THAT AWAY FROM ME - Fred Astaire (1949)
TRUE LOVE - Bing Crosby & Grace Kelly (1956)
On Disc Two more memorable performances from the Golden Age of Hollywood Musicals:
A KISS TO BUILD A DREAM ON - Louis Armstrong (1951)
ABA DABA HONEYMOON - Debbie Reynolds & Carleton Carpenter (1950)
ALMOST LIKE BEING IN LOVE - Gene Kelly (1954)
BE A CLOWN - Judy Garland & Gene Kelly (1948)
BEST THINGS IN LIFE ARE FREE - June Allyson & Peter Lawford (1947)
CAN'T HELP LOVIN' DAT MAN - Ava Gardner (beautiful woman, who my youngest grandaughter is named after...Avalon) (1951)
CHEEK TO CHEEK - Fred Astaire (1935)
EMBRACEABLE YOU - Connie Francis (1965)
GIGI - Louis Jourdan (1958)
GOING HOLLYWOOD - Bing Crosby (1933)
I GOT RHYTHM - Judy Garland & Mickey Rooney (1943)
IF SWING GOES, I GO TOO - Fred Astaire (1946)
IT'S A MOST UNUSUAL DAY - Jane Powell (1948)
LADY IS A TRAMP - Lena Horne (1948)
LET'S FACE THE MUSIC AND DANCE - Fred Astaire (1936)
ON THE ATCHISON, TOPEKA AND THE SANTA FE - Judy Garland & Company (1946)
ONE FOR MY BABY (AND ONE MORE FOR THE ROAD) - Fred Astaire (1943)
OVER THE RAINBOW - Judy Garland (became her theme song for the rest of her life) (1939)
PUT 'EM IN A BOX - Doris Day & the Page Cavanaugh Trio (1948)
THE TROLLEY SONG - Judy Garland & MGM Studio Chorus (1944)
WUNDERBAR - Kathryn Grayson & Howard Keel (two of MGM's favorite singing duos) (1953)
It was once said by the songwriters of that era - "There are two artists you want perform your songs on the big screen, they are Fred Astaire and Judy Garland they sing it just the way we wrote it, for which you will have a guaranteed hit on your hands"...well, this collections certainly has some merit to that statement...because with Judy Garland and Fred Astaire performing seven songs each, there must be something to it.
This collection of musicals still has the magic that we remember from those bygone years...but as long as we have the labels and networks who play and show these wonderful films of yesteryear, they will never be forgotten...hats off to Rhino Records, George Feltenstein (producer) and Doug Schwartz (engineer) and Turner Classic Movies for sharing those 42 selections from 42 films...celebrating decades of the tunes and artists that gave it their all...from what it commonly called "The Hollywood Dream Factory"...The Golden Age of Hollywood Musicals is still among us...gotta love it!
Total Time: 2-CD-Set ~ Rhino Records 78323 ~ (6/02/2002)
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