Camilleri / Farrugia / Bozac / Malta Philharmonic - Piano Concerto No. 1 - Concerto for Accordion - COMPACT DISCS [CD]

Duetto Giocondo - Sonatas for Mandolin & Guitar/Lute [COMPACT DISCS] date 10/30/2007

Smaller concertos for piano and modest orchestral forces were a feature of British composition in the first half of the 20th century. Often they were written for a special occasion, and typically vanished into oblivion thereafter. During the COVID period we were looking for things to record with small numbers of players, and stumbled across this treasury short concertos written for entertainment that don't outstay their welcome. The works on this album travel from the innocent pastiche of Geoffrey Bush's tribute to Arne, Edmund Rubbra's student essay, through the 'Blues' of Arthur Benjamin, the serial language of Humphrey Searle, the drama of Elizabeth Maconchy, and the bold humour of film composer John Addison. It is all great fun, and has never been recorded - apart from the Benjamin recorded just once, back in 1959. Simon Callaghan and Martyn Brabbins team-up to raise a smile, enjoying the lighter side of musical life.

Trouble's classic debut album from 1984 with faithfully restored audio represents everything that Doom Metal should be. Trouble's early work and, in particular, InchPsalm 9Inch represent everything that Doom Metal should be (but so often is not). Think about it, here is a band who are really rather diverse, with regard to tempo, arrangements and mood, and are not afraid to break the mould of what is typically expected of a Doom band. For 1984 this is an incredibly contemporary record; it's Doom to the bone, but also thrashy and featuring some, for the time, modern Heavy Metal touches. At it's heart there's nothing regressive or throw-backy about this record. Honestly, it makes one laugh when stuff like this is called 'traditional doom metal'; what is traditional about it? Bands like Trouble and Candlemass weren't operating in an established tradition, they were forging their own sound. Too often one hears doom bands who really take the Metal out of Doom. Doom nowadays often seems to be a byword for Inchplay slow, minimise your Metallic leaningsInch. Of course, InchPsalm 9Inch answers to one's prayers as it has lead guitar and fast parts in abundance. Contrast is key to it's success and every stomping, down-trodden riff is offset by a fast break. Trouble love playing slow, but damn, they'll rip your face off, too! RE-PRESS Black vinyl 09/29/20