Mary & George

George Braith - The Complete Blue Note Sessions (2001) {2CD Set, Blue Note Connoisseur CD Series 24558 rec 1963-1964}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 706 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 274 Mb
Full Artwork @ 300 dpi (jpg) -> 29 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 1963-64, 2001 Blue Note / Capitol | 7243 5 24558 2 9 | 24-bit remaster
Jazz / Post Bop / Saxophone

The use of multiphonics in jazz has been mastered by very few players, and while at times shrill and thin, can be enlivening and exciting. Rahsaan Roland Kirk and Albert Mangelsdorff set the gold standard, while several trumpeters like Rayse Biggs and Corey Wilkes have tried it with two brass instruments, and contemporary saxophonist Jeff Coffin gives it ago. George Braith holds a singularly unique place in the pantheon of these stylistas, following the path of Kirk in playing two saxophones while combining bop and soul-jazz. This set represents the complete works of Braith on Blue Note in 1963 and 1964 from the albums Two Souls in One, Soul Stream, and Extension.

Ever the recycler, Handel cobbled together Oreste from parts of pre-existing scores for his 1734 season at Covent Garden. The work promptly disappeared from the repertory for the next 250 years – a fact that is both understandable, given that it's a less convincing result than his fully original operas, and a shame, since Handel's table scraps are still amongst the most entertaining morsels from the period. The present recording, by George Petrou, the Camerata Stuttgart, and a cast of mostly Greek singers, is its first complete performance on CD and an admirably realized production, characterized by polished, stylish singing and vivid orchestral playing. In style, sound, and dramatic pacing, Petrou's effort distinguishes itself as a fine entry in the Handelian opera catalog, and makes a compelling argument for the musical value of the piece itself.

“This is the first recording to use the version of Handel’s Tamerlano performed at its premiere. And George Patras’s Greek forces do the opera proud. In a real ensemble achievement, Nicholas Spanos is outstanding in the title-role, surmounting the vocal hurdles with ease.” James Inverne