Playlist Week of 2016-10-22

* A. Scarlatti: Il Giardino di Rose (Accademia Bizantina/Dantone) (Decca SACD)

* Dick Hyman: Moog: The Electric Eclectics of Dick Hyman (Command LP)

* Dick Hyman: The Age of Electronicus (Command LP)

* Wayne Shorter: Footprints Live! (Verve CD)

* Marion Brown: Geechee Recollections (Impulse! LP)

* Hamiet Bluiett: Clarinet Summit (Black Saint LP)

* Eberhard Weber: The Colours of Chloe (ECM LP)

* Eberhard Weber Colours: Silent Feet (ECM LP)

* Collin Walcott: Grazing Dreams (ECM LP)

* Tord Gustavsen Trio: Being There (ECM CD)

* Azymuth: Spectrum (Milestone LP)

* Francis Bebey: Psychedelic Sanza 1982-1984 (Born Bad 2LP)

* Brixiga 70: Brixiga 70 (Agua Forte LP)

* Grateful Dead: Fox Theatre, Atlanta, GA 10/29/85 (selections) (SBD 3 CDR)

* Grateful Dead: Carolina Coliseum, USC, Columbia, SC 10/31/85 (selections) (SBD 2CDR)

* Moby Grabe: Moby Grape (Columbia LP)

* Pink Floyd: Wish You Were Here (EMI/Analogue Productions SACD)

* Derek & The Dominoes: Layla & Other Assorted Love Songs (Polydor/Mobile Fidelity CD)

* Joni Mitchell: Target Center, Minneapolis, MN 10/23/98 (SBD CDR)

* The Incredible String Band: “U” (Elektra 2LP)

* Sensations’ Fix: Fragments of Light (RCA/Superior Viaduct LP)

* Tasavalan Presidenti: Lambertland (Sonet LP)

* Dan Ar Bras: Music For The Silences To Come… (Shanachie LP)

* Opeth: Sorceress (Moderbolaget/Nuclear Blast 2LP/2CD)

* Kawabata Makoto: White Summer of Love Dreamer (Blackest Rainbow LP)

* Kylesa: Kylsa (Prank LP)

* Intronaut: Habitual Levitations (Instilling Words With Tones) (Century Media CD)

* Expo 70: Exquisite Lust (Sonic Meditations 2LP)

* Tire Fire: Aimless (Little L MC)

* Myrkur: Mausoleum (Relapse EP)

†=iPod/iTunes

‡=car

Commentary:

An exciting week, with a trip to the hospital -- but also the arrival of the limited edition box set for the new Opeth album, Sorceress. I made a video, if you're interested:

Playlist Week of 2016-10-15

* Purcell: Fantasias For Viols 1680 (Hesperion XX/Savall) (Alia Vox SACD)

* Balkan Spirit (Hesperion XXI/Savall) (Alia Vox SACD)

* John Coltrane: Offering: Live At Temple University (Impulse! 2CD)

* Bobby Hutcherson: Now! (Blue Note LP)

* Philip Catherine: Nairam (Warner Bros. LP)

* Dan Ar Bras: Douar Nevez (Hexagone LP)

* Kip Hanrahan: Days And Nights Of Blue Luck Inverted (Pangaea CD)

* Kip Hanrahan: Tenderness (American Clave CD)

* David S. Ware Quartet: Corridors and Parallels (AUM Fidelity CD)

* Roy Campbell Quartet: It’s Krunch Time (Thirsty Ear CD)

* DJ Wally: Nothing Stays the Same (Thirsty Ear CD)

* Francis Bebey: African Electronic Music 1975-1982 (Born Bad 2LP)

* Miguel: Wildheart (RCA CD)

* Alceu Valenca: Molhado de Suor (Som Livre/Sol Re Sol LP)

* Arthur Verocai: Arthur Verocai (Warner/Kindred Spirits LP)

* Hawkwind: Space Ritual (United Artists 2LP)

* Bo Hansson: Magician’s Hat (Charisma LP)

* Heldon: II: "Allez-Teia” (Disjuncta LP)

* Heldon: Stand By (Egg LP)

* Richard Pinhas: Rhizosphere (Cobra LP)

* Richard Pinhas: L’Ethique (Pulse LP)

* Goblin: Patrick OST (Cinevox LP)

* Goat: Requiem (Sub Pop 2LP)

†=iPod/iTunes

‡=car

Commentary:

By far the weakest link in my Gretsch Catalina Club drum set has always been the kit snare -- which is to be expected, of course -- and I have always relied on other drummers to bring their own when recording in my home studio. In anticipation of some upcoming sessions, I decided it was time to rectify the situation.

As with most things, a high-quality snare drum does not come cheap -- and there is a bewildering variety of styles and construction available, each with their own specific character. Not being a drummer, I asked my nephew his advice and, without hesitation, he said, "Well, if you're only going to have one snare drum, you can't go wrong with a Black Beauty."

The Ludwig Black Beauty is handmade out of a seamless sheet of spun brass and has been heard on countless records over the decades, particularly the larger, 6.5" x 14" model. So I figured, "Why mess around?"

It arrived this week and, with the help of the Tune-Bot, I was able to get it tuned up and sounding absolutely massive. One of the key features of the 6.5" deep drum is it's deep tone and multitude of tuning options, from tight and crisp to warm and ring-y. The resonance and harmonics coming out of this thing are simply out-of-this-world and complements the rich, detailed sound of the K Zildjian cymbals.

A quick recording test shows that, like the cymbals, the Black Beauty was worth every penny. I can't wait for a real drummer to play it!

Playlist Week of 2016-10-08

* Buxtehude: Sonate a due Op.1 (Kraemer/Quintana/et al.) (Harmonia Mundi CD)

* Ligeti: Ligeti Edition 3: Works for Piano (Aimard) (Sony Classical CD)

* Tigran Hamasyan: Luys i Luso (ECM CD)

* Cecil Taylor: Air (Candid CD)

* Cecil McBee: Mutima (Strata East LP)

* Donald Byrd: Black Byrd (Blue Note LP)

* Herbie Hancock/Willie Bobo: Succotash (Blue Note LP)

* Bobbi Humphrey: Blacks And Blues (Blue Note LP)

* Billy Cobham: Spectrum (Atlantic LP)

* Billy Cobham: Simplicity of Expression – Depth of Thought (Columbia LP)

* Alphonze Mouzon: Funky Snakefoot (Blue Note LP)

* Serge Gainsbourg: Histoire de Melody Nelson (Philips/Light In The Attic LP)

* Grateful Dead: Five Seasons Center, Cedar Rapids, IA 7/4/84 (selections) (SBD 3CDR)

* Magna Carta: Seasons (Dunhill LP)

* John Martyn: Glorious Fool (WEA Intl. LP)

* Goblin: Suspiria (Cinevox LP)

* Goblin: Zombi (Cinevox LP)

* Radiohead: A Moon Shaped Pool (XL CD)

* Opeth: Sorceress (Moderbolaget/Nuclear Blast 2LP)

* Ulver: Kveldssanger (Century Media LP)

* Ulver: Nattens Madrigal (Century Media LP)

* Boris: Pink (Deluxe Edition) (Sargent House 3LP)

* Robert Rich: Filaments (Soundscape Productions CD)

* Goldfrapp: Felt Mountain (Mute CD)

* Goldfrapp: Supernature (Mute CD)

* Shelby Lynne: Just A Litte Lovin’ (Lost Highway CD)

* Pelican: Forever Becoming (Southern Lord 2-45RPM LP)

* Watter: This World (Temporary Residence LP)

* Vhol: Vhol (Profound Lore 2LP)

* Vhol: Deeper Than Sky (Profound Lore LP)

†=iPod/iTunes

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Commentary:

Record show!

Playlist Week of 2016-10-01

* Couperin: Le Concerts Royaux (Les Concerts des Nations/Savall) (Alia Vox CD)

* The Golden Dream: 17^th-Century Music From the Low Countries (Newberry Consort) (Harmonia Mundi CD)

* Villancicos y Danzas Criollas 1550-1750 (Hesperion XXI/Savall) (lia Vox CD)

* Lute Music For Witches & Alchemists (Kirchhof) (Sony Classical CD)

* Ray Bryant: In The Cut (Cadet LP)

* Teruo Nakamura Group: Unicorn (Three Blind Mice/Soul Brother LP)

* David S. Ware: Planetary Unknown (AUM Fidelity CD)

* Rabih Abou-Khalil: Tarab (Enja CD)

* Wu Fei: A Distant Youth (Panai CD)

* Mary Halvorson & Jessica Pavone: Departure of Reason (Thirsty Ear CD)

* Dan Ar Bras: Douar Nevez: Terre Nouvelle (Hexagone LP)

* Tusco (Piero Umiliani): Suspence Elettronica (Telesound/Dagored LP)

* Sidney Miller: Linguas de Foyo (Som Livre/Sol Re Sol LP)

* The Cure: Concert: The Cure Live (Fiction LP

* Big Country: The Crossing (Mercury LP)

* Big Country: Steeltown (Mercury LP)

* Porcupine Tree: Nil Returning (KScope EP)

* Robert Aiki Aubrey Lower & Ariel Kalma: We Know Each Other Somehow (RVNG, Intl. 2LP)

* Opeth: Sorceress (Moderbolaget/Nuclear Blast 2LP/2CD)

* Vhol: Vhol (Profound Lore 2LP)

* Saor: Aura (Northern Silence 2LP)

* Saor: Roots (Northern Silence 2LP)

* True Widow: Avvolgere (Relapse 2-45RPM LP) (†/‡)

* Wye Oak: Tween (Merge LP)

* Myrkur: Mausoleum (Relapse EP)

* Bixiga 70: Bixiga 70 (Agua Forte LP)

* Burning Tree: Lammergyer (Utech LP)

†=iPod/iTunes

‡=car

Commentary:

Long-time reader of my humble blog, Roddus, is now making videos as part of the YouTube Vinyl Community and sent me some VC Love Train action all the way from New Zealand. Thank you so much! All that in more in my latest video: