No comments about Private Collection: Classical Chamber Music : Brahms Trio In A op 114, Quintet in B minor op 115; Beethoven Trio in B flat op 11; Weber: Clarinet Quintet in B Flat op 34 (Musicmasters) (2 CD Box Set).

4 comments about The Glenn Miller Collection.

1. I think this is a great Cd. I love Big Band&Swing music so it works out best for me. My favorite songs on here are "In The Mood" and "Moonlight Seranade". i think that if u buy the Cd You will love it.



2. I think this album is a great example of Big Band Jazz and what earned this cd of my approval is the songs and the cd's



3. I am going to buy this album very soon and I think it will be a good album because Glen Miller and his orchestra are a good combination and that makes for a jazzy and great sound!



4. This album is by an obscure and not-very-musical(?) rock group known as "The Band." Why this CD is listed among the CDs by the great Glenn Miller and His Orchestra is beyond my comprehension.

3 comments about Alive.

1. As I type I am listening to my copy of this box set. When I first noticed how much used copies of this set were going for, I hesitated and thought seriously about parting with my copy. I am in the process of selling much of my jazz collection.
   
   You will notice that my copy is not for sale. Why not?
   
   The truth is that the late Thomas Chapin may well be one of my favorite alto players to listen to. He has fire, drive, and intensity that remind me of my teacher and all-time favorite alto player: Jackie McLean.
   
   And like McLean, even at his most Avant Gaurde, Chapin is never a relativist. Much of the music in this set is VERY free, yet it is always engaging and, more often than not, beautiful. This is because Chapin remains rooted in the tradition. The only successful free players are those who remain rooted in the tradition; these are the players stretch the bounds of "orthodoxy" and grow the music without breaking it apart beyond recognition. We all know of free players who alienated the audience, and destroyed their own potential, by going to sophomoric and self-indulgent extremes. You won't find that here.
   
   I would be remiss if I didn't mention his flute playing; it is gorgeous, fluid, and his use of extended techniques stretches the imagination. How did this guy get such mastery as to have such a large tonal palette on more than one instrument? What could he have achieved had leukemia not claimed him so young?
   
   If you can afford it, you should shell out the cash to buy this set used. My copy is not for sale.



2. Jazz seems to have produced more than its share of great artists who died far too soon, many regrettably from their own demons. Thomas Chapin's death from leukemia in 1998 is a tragic loss because it occurred just as he was hitting a creative high, and achieving some real recognition in the broad jazz community. This boxed set, Alive, collects all of his Knitting Factory recordings plus a live set from 1992 that is a posthumous release. Chapin was a rare combination of adventurous "out" player who also brings a more conventional or "inside" sound that has a broader appeal. His inspiration from Rahsaan Roland Kirk led him to playing multiple instruments (primarily alto sax and flute, with occasional other wind instruments). I was fortunate to see Chapin play a benefit concert in 1997, and his energy and creativity on stage were amazing. The live recordings in this set (discs 2, 3, 5, 8 and parts of disc 1) capture a lot of that spirit.
   
   Though his working trio was the backbone of Chapin's output, there is some variety here too - the brass section on Insomnia (disc 3), John Zorn guesting on Menagerie Dreams (disc 4) and the string trio on Haywire (disc 5) are great additions.
   
   This is a fantastic overview of a wonderful musician, and highly recommended. The single CD "Ride" is also a very good document of Chapin that can be ordered here or from Playscape records website.



3. This set contains seven previous CD's from "Anima" to "Night Bird Song" plus a new release "Live! on Tour" . I already have two of them in my collection "Haywire" and "Skypiece". The two constants in this music are Mr Chapin on a variety of reeds (alto sax,flute,soprano sax, mezzo-soprano sax,sopranino sax) and Mr Mario Pavone on Bass. Another constant is the originality of the music, of which more than 90% are originals by Mr Chapin. I find the level of musicianship very high. The recording quality is start of the art. If you like music of now, where risks and passion and honesty prevail, then I would find it hard to pass up this outstanding release by the Knitting Factory. My impression is that Mr Chapin was a much loved and much respected artist. Although the trio of reeds, bass and drums predominate featuring the two fabulous drummers Mr Steve Johns and then Mr Michael Sarin, as well there is Mr John Zorn, Mr Vernon Frazer, Mr Curtis Fowlkes,Mr Mark Feldman, Mr Kiyoto Fujiwara, et al. In addition to the music, the packaging is exemplary with each disc holder featuring the repoduction of a different collage by Mr Chapin. The music is worth having at any price. . . One of my most satisfying purchases.

2 comments about Revelations: Repertoire Rarities 1940-1978.

1. Steer clear of this bootlegged low-quality material.It is a silk purse containing a sow's ear! "Romantic" packaging attempts to hide sub-standard sound quality.Empeethree download from gnutella. This material does little to honor the memory of such a brilliant man, and at the exaggerated price it sells for is outright gouging of the unsuspecting buyer in light of the poor value it offers.



2. This is a four CD set of tapes recorded at various locations over four decades, the 1940s through 70s. It's recommended only for the most ardent Stan Kenton fans, people who have to own everything available. The sound is poor on every CD and the quality of the selections varies considerably, from a slightly stumbling sight-read number, to a colorless "Finlandia," to a rocking "Aquarius," to an inspired and beautiful "Moorea."

   The packaging is admirable and the intentions of the producers were noble. But this is a collection that on the whole does not display the Kenton band at its best and does not offer much in the way of moving music.

1 comments about Jazz Ladies.

1. absolutely fabulous, great listening for hours of a compnedium of three of the greatest female jazz vocalists, represented by a healthy smattering of their life's work production, spanning careers over many generations, unfortunately all gone now but their legacy lives on!

No comments about Forever Gold (Trouble Is a Man/Sophisticated Lady).

No comments about Big Band Masters.

No comments about Jazz Guitar - Django Reinhardt, Kenny Burrell, Barney Kessel, George Benson, Wes Montgomery.

1 comments about Queen of the Blues.

1. A wonderful overview of a wonderful songstress. 93 tracks on 4 perfectly themed and sequenced cd's. Grab a tasty beverage of your choice , turn the lights down low , and immerse yourself in Dinah's finest. MMMM-Good !

No comments about Many a Wonderful Moment.