New Album Releases Project 2020-9-6

There ought to be a law against this much quality music being made available. The pandemic is damned, as so many artists are not using that as an excuse to hold back.

Back to the front as it were, the Re-Issues, Re-Masters & Miscellany Re-Issues bats 1,000 this week. It has gone from strength to strength, 9-for-9. Not a “clanger” in the bunch.

Akira Inoue’s Karsavina is updated for 2020 with a bonus track. The album dates back from 1984 when it was created from long-running recordings and studio work, containing ambient, minimal, fusion aspects; but at the time of the recording, it was next to impossible to classify, especially in Japan. This latest digital remastering was applied to the original cassette tape to create a new master. Yes, this originated as a cassette along with additional reading material as part of a Cassette Book series entitled SEED.

Benny Goodman’s Live in Hamburg 1981 was a labour of love for the folks at Stockfisch-Records. They make all their recordings sound just right. And this one is no exception. Here, this late in his career, you feel as though Benny is there in your listening room playing just for you.

José James’s Blackmagic celebrates its 10^th anniversary. Loyal NARPers know that I came late to the game championing Jose’s masterful tribute to Bill Withers. Since then I have snarfed up all of his recordings. This re-issue yields a timely opportunity for me to share his artistry with new NARPers to the fold.

Sacred Feast’s Gaudeamus under the direction of Paul Halley showcases superb choral singers and the recording’s original intent was to serve as a demonstration of multi-channel DSD recording. The result was something positively life-like and stunning. Such immediacy is something to behold. Tom Jung of the recording label commented: “the listener is placed in the chapel where the music was performed”. The above aside, what struck me is that this is the same Tom Jung of the dmp label which brought us Flim & The BB’s, Bob Mintzer, etc. Not only was I not aware that the label still existed, but that it would come 40 years later to offer up such a tasty treat at Gaudeamus.

Smetana Quartet’s Complete Beethoven Quartets. Anytime is the right time for this re-issue. A class act all the way around; to hear this music for the first time or the thousandth, avail of the opportunity, immerse yourself in hours of enjoyment.

The Rolling Stones’ Goat Head’s Soup. “Angie,” the studio version: track 5 on the 1^st disc and the live version: track 8 on the 3^rd disc would be enough for me, and this album is my personal favourite, so to hear the original tracks, live version and all the additional tracks made this selection a no-brainer.

Out with the old and in with the …. One might be tempted to think that this week’s list of new NARP-worthy new releases could have been pared down, and it might surprise you, that while writing this very commentary I have been doing just that. The initial category would have 1.5 times as long.

To make this easier and far less lengthy, if you see it in italics consider the selection a must-listen. And if you see it in both bold and italic, what are you waiting for?

New Releases

Badura-Skoda, Dalberto, Haguenauer, Pennetier, Planes, Pludemacher – Beethoven: Complete Symphonies transcribed for the piano by Franz Liszt

Benedek Horvath – Franz Liszt: Piano Concerto No. 1 in E-Flat Major, S. 124

Billy Ocean – One World

Black Pumas – Black Pumas (Deluxe Edition)

Bruno Mantovani & Pascal Rophé – Pierre Henry La Dixième Symphonie – Hommage à Beethoven

Charles Spearin, Josefin Runsteen – Met at the Mississippi

HannuLintu – Lieberson Songs of Love and Sorrow & The Six Realms

Il Giardino Armonico, Giovanni Antonini – What’s Next Vivaldi

Ivan Fischer – Gustav Mahler: Das Lied von der Erde

Jean Efflam-Bavouzet – Beethoven: Piano Concertos

Jeffrey McFadden – J.S. Bach Cello Suites, Vol. 1 (Arr. J. McFadden for Guitar)