In The Stacks 9/7/26

Overall = 2.7 (10)

ItS Intro/Key

Play/Mix

Boogie Down Productions – Sex And Violence – Jive, 1991/1992.

🎤:

Apparently this was the final BDP album, but I also don’t understand who else was in BDP beyond KRS-One. He is the constant in all their albums and he continues to record under his own name after this recording. My sense is that the original band concept was continued with varied membership after Scott La Rock was murdered. KRS-One’s sound, the socially conscious lyrics and the Dancehall Reggae influences can be found in both iterations of his career. “Duck Down”

Overall = 6.1 (10) – This album brings back a lot of memories from High School graduation, also possibly the last time I listened it. Get it!

VA – General Meets Trhee Blind Mice – Dipper/King Dragon, ?.

🇯🇲 ❂🎤🗣️:

A fun compilation of Dancehall Reggae, the tracks loosely swing between MCs and crooners. I’m also not sure of the theme holding these songs together, but maybe its just a mixtape-like compilation instead of a concept. I am a fan of the rough voiced Dancehall MCs and the strange lyrics – like “You’re an antique, your body is unique” for example. The mix supports the slistening, a lot of Dancehall albums can be too repetitive, focusing on performance over musical concept and that can wear on the ear. Better in this party mix form, with variety and different stylists. “I Am Ruling” Reggie Stepper & “Yo Tink It Sorf” Lancelot Layne.

Overall = 4.7(10) – All good stuff here, no surprises, no bores, but perhaps some songs lean a little too Pop in their aim. Get it!

Betty Carter – The Audience With Betty Carter – Verve,  1980.

🗣️🎺🇲🇦✪ 🆑 ♛⌛️ 🏋🏽🧴 🕸️ 🪄 ❤️‍🔥 🦋 🃁:

This is an incredible live album from late in Betty Carter’s career. She was a rare performer and this captures that perfectly. Many of the tracks are burners including the 25 minute opening track “Movin’ On”! I would put that song on in stores when I worked retail and it would never fail to ignite the shoppers. Mrs. Carter would create medleys of songs that told stories throughout her sets and would thematically collage Standards together. She was clever in designing her set list. And also she is one of the great scatters and incredibly musical, she switches between various styles and owns them all. “Fake”

Overall = 10 (10) – It’s perfect and exhilarating.Get it!

Samuel Barber/Robert Schumann – Adagio for Strings/Violin Concerto/To Thee Old Cause – Sony Classical, 1997. (Leonard Bernstein,Isaac Stern & New York Philharmonic)

🎼🗣️🎻 🆑:

The Barber part of this recording was a must have and I am a fan of Schumann too. The music is conducted by Bernstein, performed by Stern and the New York Philharmonic – powerful line up. I believe my first hearing of Barber’s “Adagio for Strings” was in the film Platoon. The Adagio was moving and a moment where I watched my Father, a Vietnam vet, burst into tears in public. I didn’t, at the time, even consider that the music wasn’t just part of the film score. Later, I discovered it’s popular relevance. It’s pretty well known so I just picked something I was less familiar with for the song selection. “Violin Concerto, Op. 14: III. Presto in moto” Barber/Stern.

Overall = 9 (10) – I’m not sure there are better performances, or that I need one. The Adagio is really only for specific moments and this recording can create those. Get it!

VA/OS – Deep Blues Soundtrack – Anxious, 1992.

🎥🏙️ ✺ 🎟️🎸 ⚰️👣 🕸️🚘🎞️:

This is a remarkable soundtrack, collecting the Living Blues as documented in 1992. Vibrant, visceral and surprising, it presents the Blues as an active, fertile and familial music making tradition at a time where Blues was perceived as out of style in Popular music. Fat Possum records would begin the same year and feature some of the artists found here. What is also striking are the iterations of this project which is best explained in the liner notes:

“The result is a kind of Deep Blues trilogy: the book for history and background; 

the film focusing on the communication between the artists and their core audience 

where the participants feel most at home; and the cd as a listening experience of 

its own, an “ear movie” that strives to duplicate the sonic qualities of each 

recording location.” (Robert Palmer)

Robert Palmer wrote the book, which is from a decade earlier. aA book I’d like to find and read at some point, because the music here is intense and wonderful. It is also from a time where I found Popular Blues to be dull and superficial, and alerts me to the fact that I was looking in the wrong places. “Daddy, When is Mama Coming Home” by Big Jack Johnson.

Overall = 8.7 (10) – Great soundtrack and I only got to watch the film recently, for 20+ years it was just an “ear movie” for me.  Get it!

VA – Eat the Dream: Moroccan Reveries– Tinder Production, 1994.

🌎🇲🇦 ✺ ⌘ ⚒️ 🎟️🚘 🕸️👣📣 ⚙︎:

A collection of Gnawan musicians and field recordings from Morocco, recorded on a vacation. The recorder Tucker Martine, a DJ and record producer, was interested in this North African music and recorded the sounds from the streets and events on a trip. These documents are edited together. Mr. Martine apparently bumped into Maâllem Boubker Ghania (the father of Mahmoud Guinia) a legendary Gnawan musician, who he then recorded and mixed those songs with recorded moments along his trip. The editing, and the “street” nature of the recordings, bring up some questions of ethical research and if there was agreement by these people to be recorded. However, it is really obscure and I doubt it made money for anyone, so these concerns lack any significant result. The sounds are haunting as much as is the Sintir and the percussion is consistently intense and driving. It is a powerful blend. The editing doesn’t really alter the music, instead it gives the affect that the music was a part of the street travel and erupting throughout daily life.

Overall = 5 (10) – It’s pretty evocative, and a particular blend of unusual contrasts. Get it!

Beth Carvalho – De Pé No Chão– RCA, ?.

🌎🇧🇷📣:

A celebratory collection of Samba tunes. I think I am less familiar with Mrs. Carvalho’s work because she initially started with Bossa Nova (an internationally popular style of Brazilian music), but then switched her focus to Samba which seems like its popularity is more contained within Brazil – at least by record companies. Mrs. Carvalho has dozens of albums, she plays a lot of guitar and the entire album feels like a street party. “Agoniza Mas Não Morre”

Overall = 5.8 (10) – Great Samba! Get it!

Franco Battiato – 1972: Fetus/Pollution – Dischi Ricordi, 1972.

🌎🇮🇹 ⌘⌛️⚡️🔌 🤿 🧀📀 📹🫧:

I am disappointed I didn’t get the nasty covers for these 2 albums Fetus and Pollution on the CD version I found. These 2 albums feel about 10 years ahead of their time, in their use of electronics, drum machines and loops. Sometimes the material suggests ambient music, but with clearer song writing, obvious melodies and occasional lyrics in a pop vein. I think that Mr. Battiato deserves a little more recognition, than I think he got. I wonder what his influence was outside of Italy? These recordings are similarly in time with early Kraftwerk and Pink Floyd, and he uses similar devices compared to those group’s sound concepts. “Energia” & “3 Areknames”

Overall = 5.6 (10) – Weird and unexplored territory. Get it!

& 1974: Sulle Corde Di Aries/Clic – Dischi Ricordi, 1974.

🌎🇮🇹⌘⌛️⚡️🔌 🤿 🧀📀 📹:

This later duo of albums is more electronic and weirder. There is less form and more experimenting with tape loops. I think I like it equally, but this pair more for their experimentalism. They are also less listenable. I hear more Classical music intrusions here as well. Sulle corde di Aries appears to be a long form piece, I’m not certain if there was more to that album. The disc does not use its full length of time, but this piece is about 15 minutes long and the rest is “most” of the songs from Clic. ”Propiedad Prohibida”

Overall = 5.2 (10) – I like this as much as the 1972 disc, but I’m not sure it is complete, nor is it as listener friendly for casuals. Get it!

Angel Canales – Sentimiento del Latino en Nueva York – OBS, 1979.

🌎 🕺🏿🇵🇷 🏋🏽💃🏽:

Exciting arrangements and an intense band. This album is more recent then the one below and produced by Mr. Canales himself. There is less clarity on this CD’s liners, as to whom is responsible for what. Both albums I think were purchased by, and then reissued on, Fania. Mr. Canales has a little of the sour tone fI love in Hector Lavoe’s voice, but he is not quite the singer Mr Lavoe is. That problem shows up on the slower tracks. In comparison to the earlier album, despite this one featuring self production, I think his voice is poorly recorded here and echoey, that could also be based on the mix of my particular version. It still features some great Salsa with really fresh charts. “Sentimiento del Latino en Nueva York”

Overall = 6.7 (10) – I think I like this a hair more than the next. Get it!

& Sabor – Alegre, 1975.

🌎 🕺🏿🇵🇷 🏋🏽💃🏽:

It takes a particular personality to lay a naked body across an album cover. Very often it is a decision made by an art director and they are probably using a sex sells attitude. I’m pretty certain this decision was made by Mr. Canales  himself and also calling it Sabor (Flavor) really doubles down on the statement he is trying to make. There is that sense of bravado in the music with great arrangements. This album features some decidedly Jazz language in places and has a great band. Mr. Canales has a good, not great, voice and he chooses a few too many ballads that never really arrive, but he pops on the faster songs “Sol de Mi Vida”

Overall = 6.4 (10) – Solid Salsa, wish they stayed uptempo throughout.Get it!$$

Duke Ellington – Hop Head (1924-1928) – History, 2004.

Beyond Category🎺⎄🎹🗝️ ⏺️ 🎨✪🥁 🕳️🎗️💰⌛️🆑👜 🕸️:

I recently acquired the massive 40 CD complete chronological collection and so certain titles are now being re-reviewed in chronological order. The way I feel about Ellington’s music made this move a necessity and it was at a discount price, about a dollar a disc! 

My initial review of the collection: Pros – Everything is chronological, which avoids overlapping with the multiple collections I previously had; the sound is good – I heard some complaints in other reviews, but this sounds good to me. This is all great music of the early 20th century. 

Cons – I’ve heard it is missing a disc of 1939 material; I still kept my favorite collections like The Blanton-Webster Years regardless of the duplication; the info/liner notes are crap – it has the same 2 page Ellington bio in every disc, and no session info; it is probably a German copy of the Chronological series, with a few printing mistakes and of generally lesser quality.

“Take It Easy”

Overall = 6.1/10 (10) – This is the early stuff, still finding his way, but a 10 for the collection itself – a major historical document.Get it!***

Miles Davis & Gil Evans – The Complete Columbia Recordings – Columbia, 1947-1968/1995. (Miles Ahead, Porgy & Bess, Sketches of Spain, Quiet Nights & Alternate Takes) 

Selim Sivad🎺⎄🗝️🗝️ ♛⌛️🎗️ 🎨 ✪🆒🇧🇷 ➕ ⏺️ 🥁 🆑🕳️🃁:

Some of my most favorite music of all and every time! The partnership of Evans and Davis was one of those rare collaborations that drove their creations to innovative, magnificent heights of beauty. 

Miles Ahead is the earliest of these collaborations and though the instrumentation differs slightly it still suggests more of a Big Band sound. Successively these albums feel more and more orchestral. Though these albums aren’t presented as suites, I would argue they become long form concepts, based on the instrumental palate, arranging decisions and concerto-like nature with Miles as the featured soloist. Evans is painting vast landscapes for Miles’ sound to starkly sing through vistas. As I listen I feel trapped within the beauty.

Sketches of Spain was part of a pair of recordings (along with Kind of Blue) which my father gave me when he discovered I was interested in Miles. I had heard Miles and Hendrix had gotten together and played at some point, so I began my exploration. That was where my love of Jazz began and has sent me on a life long road of discovery. I switched from studying guitar to saxophone the following Summer. I also recall writing a creative story for a class while listening to Sketches of Spain. The music is so visual and evokes pastoral imagery whenever I listen to this recording.

Porgy & Bess is my definitive favorite version of the Opera, and we will visit many versions of it in my collection. Aside for my general love of the musicians and the work, I find this version has an epic quality that stands out in comparison to the others. Great pieces of music inspire great renditions and that happens here. Miles is also a singer with his trumpet, he plays vocally. 

Quiet Nights is often considered a lesser work, it may not be as significant as the first 3 albums, but not being as great does not diminish the greatness of this recording. Can I fall in love with Miles again? His playing is gorgeous here, the album doesn’t feel as cohesive as the earlier albums do, but everything Mr. Evans writes glows. 

Also crazy! That Miles has a logo, in the way that Jerry West was the NBA logo!

“My Ship”, “The Pan Piper”, “Prayer (Oh Doctor Jesus)” & ”Song No.1”.

Overall = 10 (10) – Some of the most beautiful music recorded. Get it!

Prince – Why You Want To Treat Me So Bad: Live in New Orleans 19881 – Templar, 1990.

The Purple Patch Ƥ𖫪 🫧🦄🫦⎄🇲🇦🗝️✪ ⚙︎:

I love hearing the band stretch out on these songs. Prince was one of the greatest performers and there are lots of decisions he makes for the presentation and for the audience in his song writing. He creates peak moments and then lays some sonic bait for the audience. The synth sounds surprise me, not that they are there, but that they are more prominent than the recordings and a little weirder too. “Why You Wanna Treat Me So Bad” (This is a version from the same tour, but I couldn’t find the individual track from the New Orleans show)

Overall = 7.5 (10) – Pretty good sound, fun to hear the songs in slightly different contexts, my head was popping for the whole set.Get it!Oop.