Klaudiusz Baran - Piazzolla: Bandoneon Concerto "Aconcagua", Tres Tangos, Oblivion - COMPACT DISCS [CD]

... with each instrument, they vary the timbres and ornaments, the tempi and the rhythmical interplay, as well as the harmonies that they push to the sonorities of rock, all while staying classical. (Yves Bernard, Le Devoir) Montreal-based ethno-classical Duo Beija-Flor explores the Spanish and Portuguese influence on classical music with COSTAS, their vibrant debut for Big Round Records. Charles Hobson and Marie-Noëlle Choquette form a highly expressive, versatile duo that is a force to be reckoned with. The twenty-two tracks on COSTAS appear to be bite-sized, but not only do they span a vast repertoire, they also pack a powerful punch individually. When Astor Piazzolla's only non-tango piece (Escualo) is contrasted with traditional Spanish folk songs (Siete Canciones Españolas) and motion picture soundtracks (Summer Garden Suite), it's not far-fetched to call this selection eclectic. All the more astounding, then, is Duo Beija-Flor's ability to tie this diverse program together, making it sound as if these pieces had always gone hand in hand. Occasionally, experimental elements are allowed in and incorporated into the flow of the album, such as the temporary, modernist dissonance in Boulevard San Jorge or the jazz harmonies in Havana Street Parade. And naturally, mirroring the dualist nature of the set-up, contrasts abound, not only in instrumental timbre and dynamics, but also in the music's character Thus, the cheerful sweetness of Pé de Moleque and Quebra Quiexo (both aptly performed according to their title referencing Brazilian candy) is abruptly cut short by two dramatic fados pondering nothing less than the value of life. COSTAS attractively meanders between the light-footed and the profound, and the album's finale, Four Sephardic Songs, forms a majestic and evocative conclusion to an hour of music that is as vivacious, colorful and multi-faceted as the perf

In Tokyo, Collector's Edition by Chet Baker is a live album released as part of the KING SUPER JAZZ 50 COLLECTION, a special series in which King Records' long established jazz tag Paddle Wheel presents 50 carefully selected masterpieces at a new price, covering both international and Japanese jazz and showcasing essential artists whose performances and recordings are indispensable to the history of jazz, all newly remastered to restore their original vibrancy, and this title captures the miraculous and deeply moving performance from Baker's June 14, 1987 concert in Tokyo, recorded during his emotional Japan tour and preserved here as a rare live document, with the also including a 5 to 1 present application ticket enclosed, which could be collected across all 50 titles in the series to apply for one free title of choice, noting that the original application deadline was postmarked by the end of May 2016.

Piazzolla / Bitran / Unitas Ensemble - Estaciones [COMPACT DISCS] date 05/04/2018