1 comments about Impressions.

1. My grandfather gave me a tape of this album way back a few years after it first came out, which was in 1983. I can't describe the music - French Impressionistic New Age instrumental? Regardless, it's absolutely gorgeous. I recommend listening to it when you just want to get the heck away from it all.

4 comments about Big Band Christmas.

1. Rob McConnell has created one of the best Christmas CD's for Jazz fans every produced. He has brought Jazz to a new level with his compulations in this CD. Songs such as "What are you doin' New Years Eve" and "Silver Bells" are tunes I will listen to all year around. This CD is a must for your Christmas collection.



2. Only Concord Jazz could come up with this fresh sound of Holiday music, the traditional big band genre is missing in todays world of music. The young crowd really love the new groups that have tried to duplicate this never to be forgotten era of the '40s. There have not been many Christmas recordings by big bands, but thanks to the talent of Rob McConnell's great arrangements and performance by his Boss Brass, swinging and taking some harmonically liberties we have the past right before us.

   McConnell arranges seventeen songs and carols, some traditional and a few new, but the warmth and feeling of this festive time of the year is the highlight...try it and see if you don't agree - "BIG BAND CHRISTMAS", is a sure stocking-stuffer for your fireplace!

   Total Time: 59:49 on 11 Tracks...Concord Jazz 4844...(1998)




3. 
   Christmas Music is part of the American Way of Life. Year after year, American people get full of joy and the pleasure of listening to Christmas Music becomes a must.
   
   Also artists from many different styles and their labels are very conscious about it. It is rare to find an artist from the traditional pop scene who has not recorded at least one Christmas Album. Unfortunately, this Christmas tradition in American music scene is fading away among young artists though sales keep hot in the season. This proves traditional pop artists have got a market niche which maintains year after year even selling the very same album that has been recorded many decades ago.
   
   Repertoire is basically the same and this is another peculiar facet of Christmas Music. This is an indicator of the traditional `American way of buying music'. It is commonplace in the USA that many different traditional pop artists record the same hit song in a season. I remember one well-known song that has been recorded by Tony Bennett, Johnny Mathis, Andy Williams, Frank Sinatra, Barbra Streisand, Peggy Lee, and even Astrud Gilberto, besides its sensational original take. This shows Americans like to listen to that same song or repertoire as recorded specifically by their favorite artists.
   
   It is different than the music industry and customers' mind in Brazil, for instance. If an artist records the same songs as other one does, he is minorly categorized as a `cover artist'. This is a bad category which labels the artist a minor artist, lacking creativeness as for Brazilian market parameters.
   
   It is very interesting, anyway, to listen to the same repertoire as recorded by so many different artists from so many different times under so many different arrangement concepts. Comparison arises inevitably. Somehow, a delicious comparison. What's the best `Jingle Bells' from Johnny Mathis to Diana Krall? Who's recorded the most creative `Silent Night' - Wynton Marsalis or Nat King Cole? There is a killer `Jingle Bells' recorded by the London Symphony Orchestra under arrangement by Michel Legrand and with Jean Pierre Rampal on flute. Ooooh God!
   
   Year after year, those albums are made available by continuous reissuing or not. Some even keep in the label's catalog on and on even out the Christmas season.
   
   Sometimes a different album comes into the scene and this is the case for this `Big Band Christmas' recorded, arranged and played by one of the most creative big band leaders in the place, the Canadian Mr. Rob McConnell.
   
   Some uncommon and some very common songs make up the program. Here what matters is the creative arrangements and the medley combinations Mr. McConnell loves to introduce in his albums.
   
   Common Christmas songs here include `Let It Snow', `Silent Night', 'Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas', and others, all wrapped in original medley arrangements that make the difference. The world Christmas anthem by Mel Tormé `The Christmas Song' shows up here too, in a sensational instrumental take. Would you prefer it in a vocal take? I prefer both.
   
   This is a great Christmas album. You'll specially love it if you are a Jazz fan. And if you are a Jazz fan, it is forceful that you may want to compare this album with Xmas' one by Stan Kenton. Compare their completely different bigband approaches. Delicious task!. Buy both. I love both!



4. The Rob McConnell Band was together from 1968 to 2000. During that time, they recorded lots of great albums, "Present Perfect," "Atras da Porta," "Overtime," "Even Canadians Get the Blues," "Don't Get Around Much Anymore," and TWO albums with Mel Torme'.
   
   Their great contribution to Big Band literature is their main arranger, Rob McConnell, who also plays valve trombone like no one I've ever heard. Rob's arrangements are always clever, technically challenging and aurally satisfying.
   
   This album is the pinnacle of his writing, because he manages to infuse the great Christmas tunes with warmth and originality. He arranges the first track so that "Let it Snow!" becomes "Killer Joe;" "The Christmas Waltz" is in four-- and you'll never hear "Favorite Things" and think of Julie Andrews anymore. This album is just fabulous. What's really strange too is that its price has gotten lower over the years. Buy it, put it on-- then either listen to it intently or play it in the background. Either way, you will not be disappointed.

1 comments about Catholic Classics: Songs in Spanish.

1. This Cd was great. It had many of the songs I listened to and sang growing up in a small church in Texas. The songs are easy to listen to and have an important message.

4 comments about The Best Carols in the World...Ever!.

1. This album contains traditional carols performed in a traditional way at the best quality. It is an excellent album to ensure the spirit of christmas is present and to bring the true meaning of christmas back. The double CD selection has all the golden favourites as well as not so wellknown carols to complete a very good christmas album. Merry Christmas to you all!



2. This album provides 2.5 hours of excellent carols, from excellent choirs and soloists, and with great sound. I was worried that a compilation this large, and with such an extravagent title, would be B-side offerings, but that's not the case at all.
   
   This isn't an album if you are looking for something "fresh and new." The arrangements are traditional, and even newer carols are done in a fairly conservative style. But that said, some of the pieces provide the best orchestration and voice arrangement I have ever heard. This is like the pinnacle of the classic English Christmas carol; clean, precise, glorious and celebratory.



3. This two cd offering has almost all my favorites.the classics, not the Rudolph ones. Can't recommend enough.Listen and read Dickens...That's enough Christmas for anyone.



4. If you love Christmas carols, you will find this to be a real treasure trove. This double-CD is compiled from various Christmas albums recorded by English choirs. Between them, they seem to have included every famous carol and a lot of obscure ones.
   
   The seven choirs are the choir of King's college (Cambridge), the Bach Choir (London), the Clare College singers (Cambridge), the Temple Church choir (London), the Taverners choir, the Midiaevel Baebes and the Huddersfield choral society. A brief history of each is included in the liner notes.
   
   Some of these carols are world famous including Hark the herald angels sing, The first noel, O little town of Bethlehem, Away in a manger, Silent night, Joy to the world, We three kings and O come all ye faithful.
   
   Some others are famous in Britain but (judged on what I've seen of American Christmas albums) are not especially well known in America. These include While shepherds watched, Once in Royal David's city, In the bleak midwinter and The holly and the ivy. I have come across American covers of these songs - but not often.
   
   There are yet other songs which are obscure even to me, but it's great to have them all in one collection. At the import price, it might look expensive, but what would you have to spend to get all these Christmas carols any other way?
   
   If you enjoy Christmas carols, I doubt if you'll find a better collection anywhere, although a modified version of this compilation (Best Christmas Carols...Ever is also available with a different sequence and some different tracks. Really, there's not much to choose between them in quality, so compare the prices and availability and select accordingly.

5 comments about Christmas Unleashed.

1. Though this seems to be strictly seasonal-christmas rock, it is the ONLY music group I can find that is done strictly by dogs. You see, I am a HUGE music-lover, but my dog Morris just doesn't seem to be able to relate to any of my music. This is really disappointing to me, and sometimes really frustrating. I can't imagine how someone could not react in ANY way towards some of my favorite artists and albums. He is kind of letting me down because I have a little idea to record a demo song with me on harmonica while Morris barks the melody. I get a little upset with him sometimes when we try to play it, even though it's probably not his fault. Dogs just aren't very smart.
   
   So basically I did some research for music that had dogs in the band, or music where the dog may be used as an instrument of some sort. This Jingle Dogs cd really caught my eye! I listened to some of the samples of the songs, and lo and behold, Morris reacted immediately! He wasn't smart enough to actually sing (or rather bark) along, but with time anything is plausible. I looked around, and as far as I can tell, The Jingle Dogs only seem to play christmas songs. This is a bit of a disappointment as well, because it's a little too seasonal for my tastes. Hopefully Morris can overlook this aspect of it and just enjoy it, seeing as so far, it is the only dog-rock I have beeen able to find for him, and he does seem to have a strange affinity for Christmas.
   
   In conclusion, this will have to do for now until I can find something less seasonal, yet still made by a dog-group. Although Morris seems like more of a Hard-Rock Dog to ME, he should be lucky that The Jingle Dogs even exist. At the very least he will probably be more inspired to help me with my demo song. Later.
   
   howardtuttleman.com



2. I ordered this for my dog daycare to play at Christmas but I just had to hear it in the heat of July. Everyone who hears it just LOVES it!! I'm a bah-humbug type person but this CD just makes me smile (and my dog "listens" intently too)!



3. This is one funny Cd. It is unique with singing dogs and cats as background singers. My favorite song is Jingle Bells Boogie. I was laughing until I was crying.



4. This CD is definitely high on the humor scale. I purchased this product because I work at a veterinary clinic and we are using it as our hold music this Holiday season. Our clients have gotten a big kick out of it.



5. After producer Mike Spalla had success with two Jingle Cats Christmas albums, it was natural for him to release a third one. But he must have sensed that people might grow tired of Jingle Cats, so for the third album he switched to "Jingle Dogs". It's the same concept, except with dogs barking instead of cats meowing. It is billed as "real doggies sing holiday classics", but of course it's fake. Barking dogs were recorded on a sampler and then played back with a keyboard to "bark" Christmas melodies. By the way, the Jingle Cats appear on most of the songs. The songs include familiar Christmas songs and not-so-familiar ones ("Pat-a-Pan"?). The last song here is an original silly song which includes actual words sung by the "Jingle Elves" (sped up human voices). This album is somewhat amusing for a song or two, but it gets tiresome after a while.

5 comments about Solstice.

1. My favorite track is the 4th song, Improvisation on a Theme. Honestly, how many 12-minute long songs are out there that you can actually sit through without getting bored? This is one of them, although I seriously doubt that the song was actually improvised on a spot (it's too well conceived, structured, and crafted). It's a much better effort than Cristofori's Dream, the track that made David Lanz (and Narada label) famous initially. There are a lot of lame new-age CDs out there that tried to capitalize on its early success, but this is definitely not one of them.



2. For some reason, solo piano Christmas CDs have always been one of the things that I love about the Christmas season, and this is definately one of my favorites. Each of the pieces is superb, though "Good King Wencelas" stands out. The arrangement and performance are beautiful, and it's been a regular on my "most played during the season" list since I got it. I can't think of any one track that better captures the feel of Christmas than this.



3. This CD is just superb, especially the 3rd song, 'What Child is this ?'. Anyone would fall in love with Piano music after listening to these scores. Jones are especially good and deserves a major award on this. Only for tranquil people though, this is not pop music.



4. I close my eyes and get lost in David Lanz's Improvisations on a Theme (adapted from Pachelbel's Canon in D major) Guaranteed to sweep you away.....



5. I think buried in all the commercialism and over-stimulation that the Christmas season is a wish for some time for reflection on the year that just flashed by. This album serves as a small refuge from all the hype that is today's Christmas.
   
   I've had this album as a holiday season mainstay since I discovered it shortly after it's release. It is moving, thoughtful compositions full of nuance and so well composed I have yet to tire of it--17 years later. Mostly I play it during the holidays and it has aged along with me.
   
   Each year, it recalls more memories for me. While all the tracks are unique improvisations of well known themes, it is the the last track, the long track, that is my personal favorite. I would take it into the afterlife if I could.

No comments about Marcel Pérès, Ensemble Organum - Signature.

5 comments about Worldes Blysse.

1. It is the Year of Our Lord 1372. The place, a rural county faire somewhere in Medieval Europe where one and all have come to celebrate the bountiful harvest. Along with the villagers there are also gathered minstrels, jugglers, actors and a town fool or two.
   
   The smell of flowers, wine and fresh meat cooking in open fire pits fill the air offering a sweet boutique to all attending this joyous annual occasion. Complimenting these gastronomic fragrances is the most wonderous array of color and texture one could imagine. Allow yourself to become mesmerized by the bright, flowing dresses, scarfs, hats, wreaths and banners stretching out before you for as far as the eye can see.
   
   Soon the intoxication becomes complete when the sound of female voices are added to the olefactory and visual delights. The vocals are enchanting, theatrical, whimiscal, heavenly and wantonly pagan simultaneously. Let the music carry you away on a magical journey to days gone by when man and nature were one, and song and dance was a way of life! Such Blysse!
   
   I've just described what it's like listening to 'Worldes Blysse' a marvelous -16 track- CD by the Mediaeval Baebes.
   
   Yeah, it's kinda like that.



2. I first heard about Mediaeval Baebes from back in my file-sharing days when I downloaded a song of theirs. Immediately upon hearing it I ran out and bought this CD! I absolutely adore it, but for review purposes I give it three stars. Why? Well here are the reasons--
   
   First: The pronunciation of the Middle English is often wrong. They seem to mostly know how it's supposed to go, so I don't know if it's slips of the tongue and they didn't have enough studio time left to try rerecording the songs after messing up, or what. One especially strange example is in a song with the words "night" and "fight." They pronounce night pretty accurately, like "neat" but with a kind of soft Germanic 'ch' sound for the 'gh.' Yet fight is then pronounced in the modern way. The words are obviously supposed to rhyme with each other, there is no sensible reason they should be pronounced so differently.
   
   Secondly: The "song" So Sprech Das Leben. This is the most horrible song I've ever heard, basically an old lady reading a poem in pseudo-Shakespearean English with a hurdy-gurdy playing in the background. "No! Not the 'So sayeth Life' song!" I cry, and race to skip the track whenever those tingly notes start up from the speakers! This song is so awful I very nearly gave this CD no stars at all, because in cause this song it is really worth deducting them all; it is only for my love of the rest of the music that I gave it so high a mark.
   
   Now, with that out of the way, I otherwise really like this CD. The music is great, you can even dance to most of it. I also like how most of the lyrics are included in the CD jacket, often with translations. The performances are great aside from the afore mentioned problems, and I totally expect to buy more of their CDs.



3. "Worldes Bliss" continues where the Baebes' debut album, "Salva Nos" left off, with a few more lively numbers and more acoustic instrumental accompaniments. Medieval and Renaissance lyrics, mostly Middle English, are married to director Katherine Blake's intriguing compositions--some earthy and full, others innocently ethereal. I find her hypnotic rounds and call-and-response arrangements especially effective. While the a capella solos are distinctive, I find the numbers that combine both vocals and instrumentals to be the most appealing, and this trend continues in the group's subsequent releases. The Baebes' lineup for this recording the same as for their debut album: Nicole Frobusch, Carmen Schneider, Katharine Blake, Nichole Sleet, Karen Lupton, Teresa Casella, Marie Findley, Audrey Evans, Clare Ravel, Ruth Galloway, Rachel Van Asch, Cylindra Sapphire, and instrumentalist Dorothy Carter on a variety of stringed and wind instruments, with guest artists Derrick Melcan on pipe and Trevor Sharpe on drums and percussion. The next release of the Mediaeval Baebes is "Undrentide," followed by "The Rose." For more medieval revival fare, try the work of Faun, Qntal and Wolgemut. And for a bit of the real thing, check out "Music of the Gothic Era" by David Munrow and the Early Music Consort of London, "Schiarazula Marazula" by Christian Mendoze's Musica Antiqua, "Songs and Dances of the Middle Ages" by Sonus, "Istanpitta" 1 & 2 by New York's Ensemble for Early Music, "Bestiarium" by La Reverdie, "New Britain" by the Boston Camerata, and "La Bele Marie" by Anonymous 4.



4. I heard the Mediaeval Baebes at a renfest in Florida a few years back, and was amazed by their voices and their song. They are truly incredible. This is my first Mediaeval Baebes cd adn it's incredible! Anyone who wants to listen to something "new" should buy this cd, and if you ever get a chance to go see them live, take it!



5. I love to play this in my classroom. My students always ask about it, and often they will ask me to play it again. Really wonderful music that is quite different and quite engaging.

5 comments about In the Spirit: A Christmas Album.

1. Yes, this is not your typical holiday cd.
   And thank you Michael for that. It has
   alittle something for everyone. A few
   holiday standards, some blues, some jazz,
   some gospel. The only problem I have is
   his beautiful voice on the softer songs
   makes me want to hear more. The hilights
   for me are Peace, On This Night and
   the uptempo Everytime Christmas Comes Around.
   But, it is his version of Kenny Loggins new
   classic, On Christmas Morning that is worth
   the cost of the cd alone. When he sings
   "you hold me in your arms, we watch the
   snowflakes fly" --well you just have to
   hear it yourself. Thanks Mike, Thanks Kenny.
   Get this cd!



2. Really, Really enjoyable holiday music! Can listen to this all day!



3. When I first heard of this album, I was a little weary of getting it. Michael's my favorite singer, but the thought of him doing original holiday tunes didn't sound real appealing to me.
   
   What a nice surprise I got when I finally did hear this album. This contains some of his best songwriting ever! In fact, I think a lot of the stuff on here sounds like some of his Doobie Brothers' music. This is really a good thing. Even though I've enjoyed most of his solo albums, most of his solo stuff hasn't sounded like his Doobies' stuff.
   
   It sounds like Michael was very inspired in his writing and singing on this album. There's a lot of passion to be heard on this one. It's definitely one of his best albums.



4. What do you say when you discover an instant classic? This is what Michael has given us in this collection. I discovered this disc Christmas of 2003 and being a huge fan of Michael's since his days with the Doobies, I bought it without ever hearing any of the tracks. What I found was a collection of songs that best conveyed the true meaning of Christmas.
   
   With songs like "Angels We Have Heard On High," "To Make A Miracle," "Children Go Where I Send Thee," "Peace," "One Gift," "World Out Of A Dream," and my personal favorite, "On This Night," Michael eloquently reminds us all that there would be no hope of "Peace On Earth" without the Promise and Gift of God's Son, Jesus Christ.
   
   Also, with songs like "Everytime Christmas Comes Along," "White Chrstmas/Winter Wonderland" (how cool is that blazing blues guitar on Winter Wonderland!), "House Full Of Love," " and "On Christmas Morning" Michael reminds us that our family and friend relationships help to make Christmas the most wonderful time of the year.
   
   By focusing on the true meaning of Christmas, Michael has created a classic that will endure for many, many years. I have spent many hours listening to this wonderful music all year long.
   
   Michael, I want to thank you for such an inpirational recording. It has moved me to tears of gratitude and joy many times because of the awesome Gift that God gave us in our Lord Jesus Christ. Your gift is also a gift from God that we are so grateful that you chose to share it with us. I pray that God will richly bless you for your willingness to share your heart and that you were not afraid of what the "PC" crowd might say, but that Jesus is the "Reason For The Season."



5. I ordered a CD from Froggysflix, but I ordered the wrong one. They took it back with a great attitude and found me the one I wanted very quickly. Nice job!
   Also got a CD from FBShaw and also had a wonderful experience.
   You guys rock!
   
   JK

1 comments about Songs for Christmas.

1. The Andrews Sisters were far and away the most successful female vocal group for the first half of the 20th century, with over a hundred singles on the charts. The secret of their success was an infectious, close-harmony style involving intricate vocal arrangements that suited the swing bands of that era. When World War II came along their tone matched perfectly the optimism the times needed, personified by their signature song, "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy." It is not surprising that LaVerne, Maxene and Patty produced a couple of Christmas albums during their time. "Winter Wonderland" brings together some choice selections from their holiday work.
   
   A few of the songs the Andrews Sisters sing on this album are Christmas standards, namely "Winter Wonderland," "Sleigh Ride," and "Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow." However, half the album consists of songs I have never heard before, with "Christmas Candles," "Merry Christmas Polka," "Jung-A-Ling Jing-A-Ling," "Christmas Tree Angel," and "Christmas Island." But surprisingly those "new" songs are the more interesting ones, mainly because beyond the title track the singing style of the Andrews Sisters does not suit the standards as well as it does these songs, many of which I suspect were written for their distinctive vocal approach.
   
   This album also features a half-dozen songs with the girls singing with Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye. The Andrews Sisters had reached the Top 10 with both singers, having recorded "Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate the Positive," "Along the Navajo Trail," and "South America, Take It Alway," all with Crosby, "Civilization (Bongo, Bongo, Bongo)" with Kaye. Der Bingle is featured on "Jingle Bells," "Twelve Days of Christmas," "Here Comes Santa Claus," "The Toys Gave A Party For) Poppa Santa," and "Santa Claus is Coming to Town. There is something compelling about the top female and male vocalists singing so many songs together. There are more such treats out there and you can find them on several of Crosby's Christmas collections. Kaye shows up for "Merry Christmas at Grandmother's," which is not bad, it just suffers from the comparison. Granted, this is an acquired taste in terms of holiday music, but for those raised on such songs there is more at work here than nostalgia.