Just Peter

This autumn, Erased Tapes are set to release ‘Give It to the Sky: Arthur Russell’s Tower of Meaning Expanded’ by composer and producer Peter Broderick and French 12-piece group Ensemble 0; a complete re-recording of Russell’s epic minimalist orchestral composition originally released in 1983. ‘Give It to the Sky’ also includes unreleased tracks by Russell which have been restored and re-recorded, resulting in an 80-minute reanimation that threads several lost songs into a meticulous and gorgeous rendering. The album was recorded live as a group in a small theatre in the Southwest of France with minimal overdubs.

All Blues, a brand new album of Peter Frampton’s favourite blues classics, is out now by the Peter Frampton Band via UMe. The first release, a remake of the much-covered staple ‘I Just Want To Make Love To You’ (written by Willie Dixon and first recorded by Muddy Waters) features a guest appearance by Kim Wilson. This was followed by the band’s instrumental reading of the classic ‘Georgia On My Mind.’

Peter Green was a great talent but put out very erratic records, and never recaptured the brilliance of his best work with the early Fleetwood Mac. This compilation, though drawing from both solo and Fleetwood Mac recordings, is far from the best way to sample or even gain some appreciation for his music…

Frank Peter Zimmermann - Mozart - Violin Concertos Nos. 1, 3, 4 (2015) {Hänssler Classic 98.039}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 371 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 181 Mb
Full Artwork @ 300 dpi (jpg) -> 5 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 2015 Hänssler Classic | CD 98.039
Classical / Concerto / Violin

Frank Peter Zimmermann is an excellent violinist, and an ideal Mozart interpreter. His rhythms are clean and crisp, his ornamentation appropriate, his vibrato always tasteful and expressive, and the tempos he and conductor Radoslaw Szulc adopt well-nigh ideal. Indeed, Mozart seems to represent the dividing line between successful historically informed and modern violin performance, with the former usually sounding dismal and the latter almost invariably proving satisfactory, at a minimum. This is ironic because, as we know, Mozart’s dad wrote the major 18th-century treatise on violin playing, and it’s amusing to hear performances that claim to follow Leopold’s rules come out sounding like dreck, as they so often do.

The title of What Comes Next, the latest album by guitarist Peter Bernstein, certainly echoes a question that we’ve all been asking ourselves in recent months. Locked away, wary of leaving the house during a global pandemic, divided by politics and protests, all during the most vital Presidential election in living memory – any one of those issues would spell an uncertain future.

Since Nigel Watson coaxed 60s legend Peter Green out of retirement in the late 1990s, and formed the Splinter Group, there's been controversy about how much Green the marquee player of the band really contributes. Watson reportedly does most of the heavy lifting on guitar, adopting a style based on Green's brilliant work of 30+ years ago. This concert video gives you the chance to see for yourself.
There are two sets, an acoustic set made up of blues standards, including the Robert Johnson covers for which the band is noted. Then there's an electric set in which the Splinter Group performs original compositions, concluding with two of Peter Green's old songs. This has been the formula since the band's inception: new arrangements of the Green classics; blues covers, and new material by the other members of the band.
Those other members play well, and this is an enjoyable concert. Sadly, however, Peter Green does not do very much. His voice, never strong since his return from retirement, is very shaky. (Significantly, Nigel now sings "Need Your Love So Bad", since Peter is no longer able to hit the higher notes at all.) And while Green plays some harp, and some guitar, it's really Nigel who's doing the work here. There are one or two spots where Green seriously gets to work, but for the most part he picks indifferently at his guitar, backing Nigel's fiery solos with a few notes here and there…..