2 comments about Four of a Kind 2.

1. I purchased the first 4 of a Kind CD shortly after it came out in 92. At the time there weren't many "Classical" Trombone CDs (well ok I admit it, I bought it on Cassette Tape), and the release of this item was a real find for me. I loved the tape. It was just great to hear what a trombone could sound like in the hands of a master.

   As an amateur trombonist of more than 30 years, it has been very tough to develop as a player as there aren't many audio resources available to help you with things like sound and approach. At the time of the casette's release, the cassette was a real find, and I was happy to add it to my collection of trombone playing resources.

   Well, it is almost 11 years later, and I am very happy to add this second great CD to my collection now. As a student and a listener, there is so much "to get out" of this CD. From a technical standpoint, the balance of playing, overall musicality of every recorded number, and the many styles presented is a wonderful resource to help you learn to play this great instrument. Of especially significant note is the absolutely beautiful sounds that can be heard, the balance between each and every part, and the perfect tuning of this ensemble (at least to this listener's ears). Things just ring in the high range, and "rattle and roll" down low. Listen for some just great Blair Bollinger Bass Trombone on this CD throughout. The playing and blend is gourgeous, and it is easy to see why these very fine players are so admired.

   From a pure listener's standpoint, this album is fun listening and a musical joy to the ear. From the first track to last, this CD is full of musical gems, plenty of good musical ideas, and imaginative and very inspired music making. What becomes clear quickly as you listen is just how obviously much these guys like playing together, and the fun they are having. It comes out over and over again in every number.

   There isn't a single clinker on this CD, or anyting that is disappointing or below standard in any way. The "Barber of Seville" is espcially good fun; I could see Elmer and Bugs in my mind as I listened to it (as an aside, if you haven't seen that famous Warner Brothers Cartoon featuring The Barber of Seville excerpts, try to find it, ooh, wait till I get that Wabbit!). On the other hand, I must also profess a real love for baseball, and the tune "Take me Out to The Ball Game". I just loved the arrangement, and the ensemble playing. It was just great. Including the "Crack of the Bat" and fan noise close to the end of the track just tops things off.

   I really think these wonderful musicians have produced a truly great CD that obviously was put together with the listener in mind. From a techncial recording standpoint, you don't need to adjust the volume any time while listening to the CD, and the quality of the recording and editing of every tune is just great. Consequently, this CD simply flows by from beginning to end. You will want to play it again and again.

   Personally, I very much recommend this CD to Student, Teacher, and music afficinado alike. This is a great CD that will make just a super addition to your musical library, regardless of the reason why you may have bought it!




2. This is another superb performance by Alessi, Hartman, Lawrence and Bollinger. These players are extremely gifted musicians. The musicality and technical prowess of these players is first rate. They play beautifully as an ensemble and the entire disc is very enjoyable. This should be required listening for all aspiring trombonists and brass enthusiasts.

5 comments about WCBS-FM 101.1 - The Ultimate Christmas Album Volume 1.

1. This is the first of many EXCELLENT holiday collections by WCBS-FM New York-thanks to Program Director Joe McCoy for putting together such wonderful Christmas music. Each volume has something for everyone to enjoy, in every age group. Many are songs I've grown up with, and still more are songs I'd heard for the first time & will continue to enjoy for years to come. If you're starting to put together your own collection of Christmas music, this series is a great way to start & you'll want to play them at your next Christmas party. Highly recommended.



2. I'm one of these people who LOVES christmas music. It really
   gets me in the spirit. Over the years I probably have close to
   30 Christmas CDs and this particular collection ranks right
   at the top, as far as collections go. As you would suspect, Volume one has many of the heavy hitter Christmas songs from the
   rock n roll era including rockin around the tree, jingle bell rock, what christmas means to me, the original little drummer boy
   as well as two more recent classics: you're my christmas present
   and christmas serenade. The "gimmick" to all these albums is that
   they have 25 songs for the 25th which gives you about an hour or
   so of music. Definitely worth your time, I like them all.



3. This is the first of six volumes. All offer some great holiday recordings but none are perfect. Depending on your musical tastes, you can select quite a few tracks from each volume to put together a first-rate mix tape or CD.

   This first volume offers the most "classsics" with Brenda Lee's "Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree," Bobby Helms' ""Jingle Bell Rock," Gene Autry's "Rudolph," and the Harry Simeone Chorale's "Little Drummer Boy" among the offerings. Each volume also gives you a few holiday favorites from the cream of '60s Motown (in this volume it's Stevie Wonder's "What Christmas Means to Me" and "Silver Bells" by the Supremes) and '70s soul (here it is Donny Hathaway's "This Christmas" and The O'Jays "Christmas Ain't Christmas Without The One You Love").

   What is unique to this series is the new holiday songs by your favorite Doo Wop artists that you won't find anywhere else. On volume one, both "You're My Christmas Present" by the Skyliners and "Christmas Serenade" by Johnny Maestro hold their own with the standards.

   If you don't have any of these collections and are on a limited budget, I suggest buying them in numerical order (One first, Six last) until you get them all. Nearly every holiday recording of note - plus many unknown gems - are found on these discs.




4. A nice mix of doo-wop and soul on this one. The Drifters version of "White Christmas" is worth the price itself if you don't have a copy. From the Supremes to Chuck Berry, this set definitely gives you a playlist from your favorite oldies station that would kick in around the holiday season. I could have done without Jimmy Boyd's "I Saw Mommy kissing Santa Claus" which may be the slowest version of this particularly bad song I have ever heard, but overall this is a good collection for lovers of Christmas tunes.



5. This album has all the great basic tunes for christmas...However to complete your collection of christmas tunes,you may want to look at vol 2 thru 6 and beyond....A great album that captures christmas at its best...A must have for your collection and highly recommended 5 star rated ...

5 comments about A Six Degrees Collection: Christmas Remixed - Holiday Classics Re-Grooved.

1. Someone had the bright idea to take a bunch of old Christmas records, and letting modern DJs remix them. Amazingly, it works. All of the remixes are at least somewhat interesting, and some of them are actually quite good. I know that putting modern beats on old songs sounds like a strange idea, but somehow they pulled it off. If you want to hear some old Christmas chestnuts with a new twist, this is the CD for you.



2. classics reduced to annoying pseudo-disco/house tracks. i couldn't even bring myself to listen to the entire cd, it was so bad!



3. This cd is great. Definitely adds to any Xmas collection. I especially love songs #2 and #4. So cool and fun!



4. If you're in the mood for Christmas classics and a little adventurous, you'll enjoy the manner in which the old favorites have been overlaid with some contemporary yet accessible beats and harmonies.
   
   Light enough to be unobtrusive background music for a party, yet interesting enough to listen to while driving.



5. This improbable compilation will change your attitude during those dark days of December. Very bright and intelligent remix of Christmas classics that will make the aged codgers grin and the young hipsters say, "Hey- that's pretty good!" Then you'll have to explain who Bing Crosby and Dean Martin were.

4 comments about Schütz - The Christmas Story · Cantiones sacrae · Psalm 100 / P. Agnew · A. Crookes · M. McCarthy · Oxford Camerata · J. Summerly.

1. As of this writing this CD ranks 86,775th on amazon.com's sales charts. This is wrong. Schutz's Christmas Story is a fantastic piece, the kind of music I would recommend to anyone, no matter what their tastes. The performance is lovely, the CD is 6 bucks. If you buy it, you'll be glad you did.



2. This is one of the best recordings of The Christmas Story I have ever heard. I am a music collector, so I know what I'm talking about. The performer, Oxford Camerata, is a fine ensemble in and of itself, but it is strengthened exponentially in this recording by the participation of tenor Paul Agnew. Agnew's voice is extraordinary in its bittersweet timbre and flute-like quality. He lends an unmatched expressiveness to the role of Evangelist. The music itself is remarkable, structured almost like a mini-opera, with Evangelist's recitative illustrated by arioso-style vocal scenes. You should definitely buy this recording, especially if you're new to Schutz: you can't get introduced to new music cheaper than this. If you decide you like Schutz, then also don't miss a CD entitled Geistliche Chormusic (dir. Herreweghe; soloists include Agnes Mellon and Mark Padmore). Another excellent choice is Vol 12 from the long-running series of Deutsche Barock Kantaten, which features Schutz's Die Siebe Worte and Historia der Auferstehung, sung by some of the best voices in baroque music including Mellon, Agnew and Padmore.



3. The story of the Nativity is as packed with incident as any Passion - Christ's birth, Roman tyranny, supernatural portents, genocidal despotism, persecution, flight - and yet, with the exception of Bach's 'Christmas Oratorio', it doesn't carry the same weight in the sacred canon. Unlike Bach's Passions, which subordinate the 'action' onto the recitative, using the choruses and arias as commentary of affirmations by the faithful, Schutz makes his 'Christmas Story' entirely dramatic, with arias and choruses setting the dialogue of the characters. this means that instead of Bach's pieces of more abstract beauty, Schutz's have their own distinctive flavour, matching the role of the character(s) singing them - so the angel's are ethereal, though grounded by violas; the shepherds innocently pastoral (with predictable recorders); the wise men nobly attitudinising (violins); the sinister pomp of Herod and the elders marked by self-important trumpets. this is not to say that the recitatives are merely static and functional: they are actually more dramatic and colourful than Bach's, and that describing the slaughter of the Innocents has a terrible desolation.

   The three Cantiones sacrae from much earlier in Schutz's career, demonstrate a vibrant pleasure in choral writing, with male and female voices complementing each other in works of spiralling beauty, supported only be a low organ. the third, 'O bone, o dulcis', with its mention of the crucifixion, takes a sombre turn. 'Psalm 100', a jubilant prayer to the Lord, also moves to a more reflective climax.

   Jeremy Summerley and his Oxford Camerata have done their usual precise job, the sensitivity of the sparse instrumentation matched by the gymnastic expressivity of the singers.




4. I am a casual listener of early music and have found that the Naxos label Rarely disappoints. A case in point is this recording of Heinrich Schutz. The music is beautiful of course: Heinrich Schutz, with one foot in the renaissance and one foot in the baroque era, composes music that is of a higher form than his predecessors yet is true to its sacred spirit and without so much opulence and flair as the Baroque composers. This CD is indicative of his style and the final chorus of the work is a terrific piece and full of power. The CD is well recorded and very dynamic... given the price it is a definite "good purchase".
   
   It is a shame that Heinrich Schutz gets less air-time on classical radio than he deserves and one way to ensure you get enough of him is by buying this CD. It is perfect incidental music for a Christmas dinner or party, however I will admit that I often break the rules and listen to this CD throughout the year... -shame on me. I recommend Schutz highly and while he is no JS Bach he should be regarded nearly as well. I hope you heed my advice and pick this one up it is bound to please.
   
   -- Ted Murena

5 comments about 12 Soulful Nights of Christmas.

1. This cd came out before alicia keys ever got banging. I think that this was a good love and rememberable cd to have for life.



2. Jermaine Dupri outdid himself with this release. After the monumental success of his first debut, the classic Life in 1472, Jermaine Dupri continued his genius and timely production with this sleeper. Even with all the big names (of then & now) such as Kenny Lattimore, Xscape, Tamia (Grammy Nominations!) Jodeci, Chaka Khan, Gerald Levert, Faith Evans, Brian McKnight, Jagged Edge and the now ever popular Alicia Keys (Yes THAT Alicia Keys!), this cd failed to gain the proper attention and play. The album is so soulful and is very smooth. The few interpretations they do are excellent especially Tamia's Christmas Song. She has one of the best voices of all time (for my generation--late 70's early 80's on up). The Xscape song Christmas Without You is a really magnificent piece with the four sisters singing with serious soul; a great song. KCi & JoJo's In Love At Christmas is another soulful christmas production.
   
   Overall this Christmas album is a musthave. Jermaine Dupri and So So Def records put their foot into this one with memorable songs and great voices to make this a great release. 5 stars.



3. This is a really great album. My old roommate gave it to me a few years back. I've played it so much. I just discovered a crack in my cd and if it stops playing b/c of the crack then I'm going out to get a new 12 Soulful Nights of Christmas cd. I really like tracks 5 and 9 but all of the songs are great.
   A must have!



4. This is a great way to spend a wonderful holiday night with the family or a friend with this cd.



5. This album is a christmas classic for the ages because you're never to old for the holidays. Yet it's always the season to have a christmas spirit with your friends and familes and love ones.

5 comments about Christmas Album.

1. This album was released in 1965 (not in 1961 or 1971 as stated in some places)and achieves a good balances between religious and secular songs. The best song is GOD REST YE MERRY GENTLEMEN. Yes, some of the tunes sound a bit commercial but then Ray Conniff was in the market of selling records and entertaining people.

   All of Ray's Xmas albums are great; they really sound happy and cheery as Xmas music should be.




2. One selection on this album stands out from all the rest. I don't know of another artist who has recorded "The Real Meaning of Christmas". However, on this album, the Conniff group presents an outstanding rendition of the beautiful song. The lyrics are masterful, especially as they relate to the world in which we live today.

   The other tried and true Christmas selections on the album are just just as inspiring. No, it would not be Christmas without the music of Ray Conniff and the singers.




3. Although the weakest of the three Ray Conniff christmas albums, Ray Conniff`s "Ray Conniff`s Christmas Album," recorded in 1965, is still worthy of 5 stars as it brings the most cheerful, lively versions of traditional religious christmas songs I know of. With the exception of a song or two that remain traditional, the songs on this cd were very refreshing from the usual renditions you`ll often to always find on other cd`s (although I do like the traditional approach when it`s done with the power that Ray Conniff (when he performs them traditionally), Fred Waring, Mitch Miller, Percy Faith (his instrumentals), and a few others who, for my liking, can only do it). While the whole cd is great, at least five songs are standouts including O TANNENBAUM, AWAY IN A MANGER, and IT CAME UPON A MIDNIGHT CLEAR which all bring a whole new, original approach to these songs, yet the familiar beat is still there deep within. Children will probably really like this cd as well. A great family christmas cd. As with all Ray Conniff christmas cd`s, an essential buy.



4. Whenever I hear this recording, I am transported back to Christmas Eve at my father's drugstore. We would sell last minute gifts to customers and offered free gift wrap. Many times the music playing in the background was from the album RAY CONNIFF'S CHRISTMAS ALBUM (HERE WE COME A CAOLING). Since that time, Ray Conniff and the Conniff singers always remind me of Christmas, probably since I cannot remember a Christmas without hearing the Conniff Singers version of famous Christmas carols. At home, my parents listened to this album, along with WE WISH YOU A MERRY CHRISTMAS. My siblings and I used to make fun of it, but I secretly enjoyed it since I have purchased the LP, then the cassette, and finally the CD. I usually listen to it when I need to get in the Christmas mood. The CD contains the snippy renditions of popular Christmas carols that is part of the Ray Conniff style. It also has an original song "The Real Meaning of Christmas" and an interesting rendition of the Go Tell It on the Mountain, with doo-waps and all. Though it is a mid-priced compact disk, it has full price joy and no doubt, will connect with memories of Christmases past and Christmases yet to come.



5. After the success of his Christmas albums in 1959 and 1962, Ray Conniff decided to do yet another recording of Christmas favorites in 1965. There were some uptempo versions of carols but the one that sticks out in my mind is 'The Real Meaning of Christmas". A true song of what Christmas is all about. Good stuff to listen to any time of the year!

5 comments about Christmas & Santa Fe.

1. I absolutely LOVE this CD. I enjoy listening to Christmas music around the holidays-- and this is BY FAR one of my favorites.

   It gives a Southwestern flair to popular Christmas tunes.
   I find it to be very pleasant and lovely music.

   HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!




2. The first track or two may seem a bit canned and mechanized, but the CD soon yields to the most gentle and beautiful guitar renderings of some favorite Christmas songs. The gentle melodies, the beautiful guitar themes, the Latin percussion and the Mexican horns soothe your soul and remind you of the beauty of the Southwest . . . you find yourself thinking about mountains, desert, firelight, travelers, caves and mangers. . .



3. This is a solid xmas disc that is neither edgy nor particularly innovative but makes up for it with beautiful accoustic guitar. This is one of those xmas albums that flows thrugh you unobtrusively, perfect music for hanging the southwest chile lights to a cozy fire! It definitely has the southwest flair. The Latin rhythms abound and are highlighted by the percussion work. The traditional songs are very familiar and with few exceptions rarely go out of bounds to unrecognizable dimensions in sound. It seems some people have complained about this disc but being a long time OL fan I can say that I was not dissapointed but rather enjoy the peace and serenity this disc invokes. By comparison "Angels and Poets" is a tad bit more on the innovative scale where he allows himself more room to improvise. The music is very soothing and has a calming effect on your soul. One of the things I like about this disc is the jazzy Latin intonations such as those heard on his holiday buleria "Greensleeves." The most traditional of xmas songs like "Hark the Angels Sing, "Silent Night" and God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen" stay close to the original but OL expands and improvises just enough to maintain the integrity of the original medley's without overplaying. There is a suttle beauty to these songs that lingers throughout the xmas season and beyond. It is music that can be played most anytime of the year and not seem unseasonal. I would recommend this disc to anyone who appreciates quiet music for those special moments to reflect on the beauty of the season any season. Peace on Earth and goodwill to all.



4. I enjoy the music of Ottmar Liebert, but this cd is dreadful. The disc opens with a rendition of "Deck the Halls" that's slow enough for a classful of six-year-old violin students to keep up with. The over-emphasized downbeat in "I Saw Three Ships" ruins that song as well.

   The problem with Christmas music sometimes is that, since we've grown up hearing these tunes, we forget to appreciate how lovely some of the melodies really are. This disc does nothing to remind us. I can't imagine any less soulful or heartfelt versions of these songs. Skip this disc and get Joe Pass: Six-String Santa instead. Six-String Santa has got to be one of the best instrumental Christmas Collections of all time. Trust me.




5. I have other CDs by artist, which are better, but this is nice for the Christmas season.

5 comments about Christmas.

1. Awesome! 2 yrs ago I found the Low Christmas CD in a store called Secret Sounds. I have a decent Christmas music collection, but wasn't familiar with Low. Now I have a few of their CDs.

   Great songs like "If You Were Born Today", "Long Way Around the Sea" (made me feel like I was there with the wisemen), "Just Like Christmas", "Taking Down the Tree" and "One Special Gift". A must have and a great gift because most of your friends or family won't have it or even know about it.

   One question, in the song "If You Were Born Today", I can't make out one word, "We would kill you by a 'jade or gate'". Sorry, can't make it out nor can anyone else I played it for. Still, I think it's my favorite.




2. Anyone wondering why Christmas has become a spiritual wasteland should perhaps hear this a few times. Listen to "Little Drummer Boy" or "If You Were Born Today" as you drive past a shopping mall on a cold and lousy winter day- -say, after Christmas shopping. And keep going until you get home, or wherever your heart is.



3. And I mean that as a compliment. Extremely mellow and mind-bogglingly minimalist, Low stays in form with Christmas. Low performs Little Drummer Boy in such a way as only Low could envision it and make it sound not just nice, but actually cool. Sparhawk's vocals make the words sound as meaningful as I am sure they were intended to be. The sound of Drummer Boy is not indicative of the overall sound of the CD, as Drummer Boy features a Mazzy Star or possibly Slowdive-ish fuzzy drone and the rest of the songs are acoustic guitar-based, like most of Low's other works.
   It's nearly Christmas as I write this, and I realized that I haven't listened to this CD since last winter. The title, cover art and some of the songs may be about Christmas, or just winter in general, but the music itself is inviting any time of year (something I will have to remember myself).
   If you are a fan of Low, and you appreciate their sparse sound and the incredibly slow pace of their music, then you should like Christmas.
   Other great songs include the cover Blue Christmas, Long Way Around the Sea and If You Were Born Today, which is as depressing a song as I have ever heard possibly outside Leonard Cohen or Arab Strap, but is unquestioningly beautiful.
   By the way, to the reviewer from Shelton, I believe the lyric which you were wondering about was "by age eight." Like I said -- depressing, but beautiful.



4. but the line is - If you were born today - they'd kill you by age eight.
   
   do yourself a favor and get your hands on their music and let it whisper into your soul



5. My favorite of Low's albums. I do not celebrate Christmas, but can still appreciate their renditions of timeless classics. It also contains a few non-secular songs that are beautiful and have become classics of my holiday music collection.

5 comments about Chipmunks Roasting on an Open Fire.

1. My kids and I love this cd, having been introduced to it by one of our local radio stations.
   
   Where we live we're surrounded by the far-right Christian republicans who have signs on their lawns saying things like, "Jesus is the reason for the season," so to be able to laugh with this cd, despite the guilt-inducing, holier-than-thou contest around us, is quite cathartic!



2. I love all the Bob River's CD's but I think the "Chipmunk song" is one of my all time favorites. I used to watch the "Chipmunks" on TV when I was a kid but I used to think their Christmas album was annoying. Well, Bob Rivers hits the mark with his parody of the Chipmunks. He captures them in all their annoying glory. Thanks Bob!



3. Okay, maybe you need to be a little twisted to enjoy this, and luckily I am. I laughed over and over again till my sides hurt. Start a new tradition at Christmas with a Little Chipmunk roasting on an open fire...... Hilarious!!!!



4. This was the fourth Christmas album by Bob Rivers. It features parodies of Christmas songs and parodies of non-Christmas songs which are turned into Christmas songs. These songs are very well produced; they sound almost exactly like the performers they are imitating. There are songs done in the style of the Chipmunks, Nat "King" Cole, the Beach Boys, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Louis Armstrong, the Carpenters, Bruce Springsteen and others. This is a funny album, with the hilarious title song being the highlight.



5. We purchased the previous Bob Rivers Christmas CD and it was great. This one had nothing to do with Christmas songs and is so off the wall. I would love to return this CD. Yuck!

5 comments about The Christmas Album: Vienna Boys Choir.

1. This wonderful collection of Christmas music is especially good! Many pieces are very well known standards, and have been rewritten in ways that keep the music fresh, interesting and new! Every holiday season (and even throughout the year) this CD is played by our family quite a bit! [I may be a little biased, since my 12 year old son from Cincinnati, OH is one of the boys singing in most of the songs!] It is awesome!!



2. When in Vienna we attending a Boy Choir concert.
   
   Gave an album to each set of grandchildren. They loved it.
   
   Harold KLlbertanz



3. With a fine combination of traditional and modern Christmas selections, this is the best Christmas album by The Vienna Boys Choir that I've ever heard, and one of the best Christmas albums still available by ANY artist. Included are very pleasant versions of John Lennon's perennial "Happy Xmas (War Is Over)", Paul McCartney's "Wonderful Christmastime", and Brenda Lee's "Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree". Among the prettiest numbers are "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas", "The Christmas Song", "Suo-Gan", "White Christmas", and "The Little Drummer Boy", but the best is saved for last - the seamless blending of the last three songs spread over the last two tracks of the CD is superlative.



4. Hello, Boy's Choir Fans,
   This CD is a holiday season must.The way these boys sings these christmas songs really puts you in that Christmas feeling.My favorite of course is track number 3-John Lennon-Happy Christmas(War is Over).But surely I will be playing this CD every day during the Christmas season.
   Also this CD sound quality is excelent.
   I fell in love with the Vienna Boys Choir a few years ago and in my opinion -I feel that the Vienna Boys Choir is the best Boys Choir in the world.
   But sometimes I wonder If these Boys are a Heavenly Host Praising God.
   Buy this CD and you will see what I mean.



5. Did you know the boys from Vienna also sing in English? In this album they do. Drat. I should have looked more closely before buying it.