Sunday, June 25, 2017

Stingray Music highlights XL

Standout selections heard yesterday:

Classic Masters
  • Ludwig van Beethoven: Piano Concerto No. 3 in C minor, Op. 37 (Columbia Symphony Orchestra/Leonard Bernstein, conductor; Glenn Gould, piano) (A captivating reading that's alternately tender and forceful.)
Cool Jazz
  • Seulb-Herb Ellis & Joe Pass (A pleasant, ambling-down-a-country-road, fingerpicking guitar vibe.)
Folk Roots
  • Detour Sign (Live)-Aoife O'Donovan (Anyone who doubts the power of a soft voice should hear "Detour Sign" or any number of other tracks on O'Donovan's "In The Magic Hour" release.)
  • Feelin' Good Again-Watkins Family Hour (Sara Watkins handles lead vocals deftly on this moving cover of a Robert Earl Keen tune.)
Jazz Masters
  • Bewitched, Bothered, And Bewildered-Art Pepper (The tune lends itself to elegant vocals and a variety of instruments; in this case, it's a great fit for the saxophone.)
  • You Go To My Head-Lucky Thompson (Sublime saxophone, piano, guitar, and vibes.  The warmth of this rendition would come through even on a scratched LP played through rudimentary speakers.)
Rewind--'80s & '90s
  • A Little Time-The Beautiful South (An honest rendering of what it feels like to step back from a big decision and realize that it's best not to make a commitment.)