Telarc Master

With the help of new generations of guitar synthesizers and samplers, The Infinite Desire finds a mature, lyrical, more expressive Al di Meola casting his lot with Telarc, which until the late '90s had concentrated its attentions upon aging acoustic jazzers. Indeed, he makes marvelously musical use of the new devices, creating sensuous, exotic layers of sound that lie easily upon the ear, without much of the usual harshness of digital instruments generated by those who haven't bothered to master them. "Shaking the Spirits" in particular is a fascinating piece, loaded with dazzling Middle Eastern and African colorations, and the sampled trumpet sound he gets on "Valentina" is astoundingly lifelike.

Slide Hampton - Dedicated To Diz (1993) {Telarc Jazz CD-83323}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 437 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 174 Mb
Full Artwork @ 300 dpi (jpg) -> 7 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 1993 Telarc Jazz | CD-83323
Jazz / Bop / Swing Revival / Modern Big Band / Trombone

This was recorded during the Jazz Master’s first performances at the Village Vanguard in NYC in 1993. The critics universally acclaimed the performances and listening to the record it is easy to understand why. This band entirely catches the spirit of what Dizzy Gillespie was all about, but without any attempt to copy. Dizzy, who was one of the great innovators of the jazz world, would have appreciated this approach, he never rested on his laurels, he continued to push forward the musical frontiers the whole time.

Robert Shaw's reading of the B Minor Mass is, in one sense at least, just what one would expect: sober and purposeful, beautifully shaped (Shaw is a master architect), it centers on the chorus. Like all of Shaw's choruses, the Atlanta group has that trademark richness of body and blend, and it sings with utter unanimity as though it were one great voice. Shaw opts for marginally broader tempos than those found in most period-instrument performances but is nowhere near as glacial as some interpreters.

Stephane Grappelli Live at the Blue Note with Bucky Pizzarelli, John Pizzarelli and Jon Burr. Stephane Grappelli was one of the masters of the jazz violin. In this wonderful Telarc recording one can witness the master's playfulness, charm and talent as he plays before an appreciative and polite audience.

It is no secret that there are quite a few excellent recordings of the Five Beethoven Piano Concertos available – especially Brendel (both sets with Chicago and Vienna), Kempff, Perahia, Schiff, the list goes on. However, what I find particularly stunning about Rudolf Serkin's readings of the Beethoven Concertos is the pure human element he somehow employs in his playing and at the same time his ability to transcend that same element.