Agricola was praised by his contemporaries for the bizarre turn of his inspiration, and his music likened to quicksilver. By the standards of the period this is a highly unusual turn of phrase, but remains spot-on. The Ferrara Ensemble anthology, the first ever devoted to the composer, focused on the secular music, both instrumental and vocal, precisely the area covered by Michael Posch and Ensemble Unicorn in this most satisfying disc. Where there's duplication (surprisingly little, in fact) the performances compare with those of the Ferrara Ensemble, although the style of singing is very different. The voices are more up front and less inflected, perhaps the better to match the high instruments with which they're sometimes doubled. But the tensile quality of Agricola's lines comes through none the less, as does the miraculous inventiveness and charm of his music. Further, much of what's new to the catalogue really is indispensible, for example Agricola's most famous song, Allez, regretz. Unicorn keeps its improvisations and excursions to a minimum, and the music is the better for it. It really is a must-have.
Ensemble Unicorn is a popular chamber group devoted to the performance of Medieval and early Renaissance music on period instruments. The ensemble consists of five players, though often one or several guest performers, especially singers, will augment their number to accommodate demands of certain repertory. Repertory is, of course, one of the key aspects of the group, another is the instrumentation used in performance. Early or Medieval versions of recorders, harp, and fiddle are used, along with hurdy-gurdy, keyed fiddle, ud, rebec, various ancient flutes, and an array of percussion instruments.
For his ninth contemporary jazz release, Bob James brings in the multitalented Rod Temperton, and an all-star vocal cast including Patti Austin, Lani Groves, Major Holley, Luther Vandross, and many others for what only can be described as pure musical magic. The macabre "Hypnotique" with its unintelligible vocals is the ultimate "daytime nightmare". The tempo picks up on the funky "The Steamin' Feeling". We are transported to magical lands with the dreamy "Enchanted Forest". Spyro Gyra frontman Jay Beckenstein shows his stuff on "Unicorn". Bob shows amazing dexterity on both the acoustic piano and Oberheim polyphonic synth. The title song features the vocal cast, as well as some interesting sound effects by Tabby Andriello.
A handsome BBC adaptation of Hilary Mantel’s Wolf Hall and Bring Up the Bodies, Mark Rylance gives a stunning performance as Thomas Cromwell, Henry VIII’s chief minister, as it chronicles his part in the king’s split from the Roman church and follows events up to the execution of Anne Boleyn. With a terrific cast (Damian Lewis also stars, as Henry) it is very engaging, though its sympathetic presentation of Cromwell – seen by most historians as a self-serving, bullying figure – does suggest it’s to be taken with a pinch of salt. The score is by Debbie Wiseman and is one of her best – it’s absolutely captivating. It is credited to The Locrian Ensemble, a famous chamber string ensemble in London but evidently augmented by other soloists (some authentically Tudor) for this recording.
Stereo Deluxe present Le Café Abstrait Vol. 12. 43 excellent Chillout tracks and continuous mixes by Raphaël Marionneau.
Jarman, most widely known as an essential member of the Art Ensemble of Chicago, recorded numerous projects under his own name, including this relatively mainstream effort for the small Four Star label, featuring an early recorded appearance by the fine pianist Geri Allen. With the late, great bassist Fred Hopkins on hand, several of the pieces take on an Air-ish quality, especially the dreamy "Love Song for a Rainy Monday" with Jarman on bass flute, which is very reminiscent of some of Henry Threadgill's beautiful dirges. Two standards are included, Sidney Bechet's charmingly raffish "Petite Fleur" and Charlie Parker's "Blues for Alice," both performed in a straightforward and heartfelt manner…