LJ Echols - Well Runs Dry - COMPACT DISCS [CD]

During the 18th century, the string quartet gained the position of the most valued and most challenging chamber music genre, and gradually became a vehicle for conveying the composer's personal feelings. Joseph Haydn played a key role in forging the quartet's classical form. He created almost 70 string quartets, which, along with the symphonies, constitute the largest, as well as the most significant, part of his oeuvre. Haydn accorded them the form that would serve as the model for Mozart, Beethoven and later composers. Just as fascinating as the quantity is his quartets' sheer diversity, with each of them being singular, featuring novel (often humorous) ideas, experiments, as well as constant seeking of new possibilities of expression. The three quartets included on the present album chart the development of Haydn's musical idiom, from Op. 17 (1771), which he wrote at the age of 40, through Op. 33, dubbed InchGli ScherziInch (1781, dedicated to the Grand Duke of Russia Pavel Petrovich, the future Tsar Paul I), to the formally experimental pieces making up Op. 54 (1788). The Bennewitz Quartet have given numerous concerts worldwide, including at the most prestigious venues (Wigmore Hall in London, Musikverein in Vienna, Konzerthaus in Berlin, Théâtre des Champs-Elysées in Paris, concert halls in New York, Seoul, etc.) and such renowned festivals as the Salzburger Festspiele, Lucerne Festival and Rheingau Musik Festival. At many of them, they have performed quartets by Haydn, one of their favourite composers, whose music they endow with a transparent sound, revealing their levity and sense for detail. The Bennewitz Quartet - at home with Haydn

Nine-string guitarist's first full album of classic country blues from 1958, feat. J.D. Short-gtr/harmonica on 4 songs.

Volume 4 of the acclaimed Blue, Blues Christmas series from Document Records has been heaped with praise. InchBlues, Blues Christmas Vol. 4Inch makes for a Merry Merry Christmas. I had the other 3 volumes of this series and this one just might be the best yet. Some real obscurities on here, from a wide range of American roots music traditions. A lot of great tunes played by energetic performers. Audio quality is darn good as well. Highly recommendInch (Amazon Review). Once again Document dives dive deep into the well of Christmas music to gather some holiday gems from decades past. They continue to be progressively more ambitious in their selections, jumping between genres that include blues, gospel, jazz, rock, doo-wop and calypso recorded between the 1920's through the 1960's, many songs which have not been anthologized before. There are firm favourites like InchWhite ChristmasInch from The Drifters, to Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer - from Cadillacs. There is, arguably, the first Christmas Blues on record to exciting obscurities from the like of The Qualities (an early incarnation of the legendary Sun Ra) and The Heartbeats. Calypso looms large in the collection putting a Caribbean slant on the Season with, favourites and obscurities alike from names such as Lord Executor, Sam Manning with The Melodettes - Felix Crazy Cats and The Mighty Spoiler. Vintage Country and Old timey fiddlers are here too with seasonal selections to get those feet tapping as you swig the Egg-Nog. Of course, it wouldn't be Christmas without sublime gospel, and we have plenty of that too in the form of The Golden Gate Quartet, Middle Georgia Four and the swinging sounds of the wonderful Ward Sisters. No wonder these volumes are so popular with music lovers of all tastes. Armed with all four volumes the hours of music will be more than enough to fuel your next holiday bash.