Facing Israel Kamakawiwo'ole

During his lifetime, Handel revisited his score of Israel in Egypt many times to create a more ‘audience friendly work’, meaning that by the early nineteenth century there were several versions available, often vastly truncated to satisfy the musical appetites of the day.

Georg Friedrich Händels großes Chor-Oratorium "Israel in Egypt" ist das wertvollste Geschenk, das der Komponist der Chormusik machen konnte: Der Chor fungiert als Protagonist in diesem klangmächtigen Werk, das in bildhafter Dramatik vom alttestamentarischen Exodus erzählt. Viel zu lange war das Oratorium nach seiner wenig erfolgreichen Uraufführung im Londoner King’s Theatre in Vergessenheit geraten, bis es im Zuge der Barock-Renaissance unter Felix Mendelssohn im 19. Jahrhundert wiederentdeckt wurde.

This project is based on Israel in Egypt, one of the best-known and most popular oratorios by Georg Friedrich Handel, and has been created on the basis of the common history and roots of three religions; Islam, Christianity and Judaism. Musicians from the (Western) European Baroque tradition (Baroque orchestra and choir), and hence from a Christian background, are joined by musicians from Jewish and Muslim backgrounds. The basic musical form of Handel’s oratorio and its narrative structure remains untouched, for the most parts.

Using some of the finest early-music soloists of the day, Parrott and his forces give posterity a recording that welds tightly focused emotion to a laudable and uncommon feel for the music. The soloists produce appropriately light but well-focused tone and display an ability to negotiate the intricacies of Handel’s notes evenly and with an exceptional grasp of the phrasing required for successful performance. The choral lines are carefully etched and meticulously balanced, resulting in a superlative overall sound that—in spite of the small choir—is rich and capable of exceeding power when required.

Like so many artists today, John Eliot Gardiner has recorded his work more than once, and as also so often happens, the remake isn't as good as the original. Not only did Gardiner's first version include a more interesting coupling (the Funeral Anthem for Queen Caroline, which Handel later adapted to become part one of Israel in Egypt), but it had a much better lineup of soloists. Here he suffers from a surfeit of strangulated British countertenors–one of the more frightening breeds of musical animal that has sprung up as a result of the authentic instrument movement, never mind that Handel almost never wrote for one. Enough said–if you want Gardiner in this music, then get him on Erato. –David Hurwitz

Arik Einstein & Shalom Hanoch - Shablul
EAC+LOG+CUE | WV: 325 MB | Full Artwork | 5% Recovery Info
Label/Cat#: Phonokol # 4193-2 | Country/Year: Israel 2004, 1970
Genre: Rock | Style: Classic Rock, Israeli Rock

…Einstein was impressed with the young artist's craft, and asked him to write his material. Within weeks, they would start a partnership which would later produce some of Israeli rock's biggest milestones: 1970s albums Shablul (Snail) and Plastelina (Plasticine). The former was billed as an Arik Einstein album, with all compositions by Hanoch; the latter was credited to both. The two albums would prove to be the turning point of Israeli popular music, from sweet melodies with elevated lyrics to a dirty rock sound with psychedelic echoings and slightly lewd lyrics…

Ahmad Jamal Trio - Complete Recordings feat. Ray Crawford & Israel Crosby (2006) {Definitive DRCD11292 rec 1951-1956}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 591 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 365 Mb
Full Artwork @ 300 dpi (jpg) -> 15 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 1951-56, 2006 Definitive Records / Disconforme | DRCD 11292
Jazz / Cool / Bop / Piano

This outstanding 2 CD released contains Ahmad Jamal's complete trio recording with guitarist Ray Crawford and bassist Israel Crosby collected here for the first time ever on one edition. The trio recorded three albums together in 1955 for the Argo (Chamber Music Of The New Jazz) and Epic (Ahmad Jamal trio, Ahmad Jamal) Records Label. This release boasts all of these albums in their entirety including the complete May 5, 1962 Piano Scene session (with Eddie Calhoun replacing Israel Crosby on bass ) that was originally released as part of Epic's 1955 Ahmad Jamal album, featured here as bonus tracks. And speaking of bonus tracks, this released also contains the complete 1956 Argo LP Count 'Em 88 featuring Ahmad Jamal leading a trio with Israel Crosby and drummer Walter Perkins.

Itzhak Perlman was born in Israel in 1945 and moved to the USA in 1958, where he trained at the Juilliard School in New York. His success in winning the prestigious Leventritt Competition in 1964 launched his international career through which he has become known as one of the world's leading musicians.
Itzhak Perlman has appeared with every major orchestra and in recitals and festivals throughout the world. In November 1987 he joined the Israel Philharmonic for history-making concerts in Warsaw and Budapest, representing the first performances by this orchestra and soloist in Eastern block countries. He again made history as he joined the Israel Philharmonic for its first visit to the Soviet Union in April 1990 with concerts in Moscow and Leningrad. In recent years Perlman has continued to perform with leading orchestras in addition to touring major cities throughout the world with his accompanists Bruno Canino and Samuel Sanders. In 1996 Perlman's engagements included concerto and recital appearances throughout Europe, Asia and North America, including appearances with many of the world's foremost orchestras and composers.