While I was a high school student, my friend and piano teacher, Jane Brough, called me one night. She had just returned from the Annapolis library with some music that, she knew, I just had to hear. It was the 4th Symphony by Alan Hovhaness, a man I’d never heard of. Jane sensed that, as […]
It happened while listening to Charles Dutoit’s Montreal Symphony recording of Bolero by Maurice Ravel. I have heard this music hundreds of times, and own dozens of recordings, yet always look forward to the listening experience. What, I wondered, made this music so unique? So appealing? There are many excellent recordings. But what makes a […]
Clearly, the Marsalis family is loaded with talent. Most of the attention has been on trumpeter Wynton and saxophonist Branford (as well as father, Ellis). As the producer of many of their albums, brother Delfeayo clearly has a good ear as well. However, a few years ago, in a used CD-shop, I discovered his album […]
Charles Lloyd, now in his 70s, continues to perform at a high level, more than four decades after he first came onto the jazz scene. Playing with Cannonball Adderley and others paved the way for the launch of his own quartet, catapulting to fame with Forest Flower, an incredible tour de force, recorded live at […]
In 1998, I was skeptical when I heard that Philips was releasing a series dedicated to the “greatest pianists of the 20th century.” This seemed like pure promotion and hype, taking advantage of the turn of the century to sell some CDs. But, when I started sampling these 2-disk sets, my attitude changed. Dramatically. In […]
This book deals with stories from American history, stories dealing with people and situations that often are overlooked or not adequately well known. Davis writes reasonably well. Yet, ultimately I was disappointed. I decided that there were three reasons for my reaction.
With great interest, I awaited the June 2010 issue of Gramaphone magazine. The advertized feature was the “250 Greatest Recordings of All Time.” The promotion clearly peaked my interest. But the actual feature proved to be a real head-scratcher.
From the evidence to date, Peter Martin is an outstanding jazz pianist, but one who has recorded fairly rarely. These recordings suggest great skills, particularly as an accompanist. I would like to hear him more often.
There are many great recordings of the last three Tchaikovsky symphonies. It seems foolish and silly to try to suggest that just one could be the “best.” But I must confess that I do have a favorite. The recordings Herbert von Karajan and the Berlin Philharmonic made for Deutsche Grammophon in the mid-1960s.
Robert D. Richardson has written a rich and highly rewarding biography of William James. James was a towering figure. A pioneer in the development of pragmatism. A master teacher. A restless thinker, who kept growing and changing. A philosopher who studied medicine. A teacher at Harvard for more than 40 years, his students included Theodore […]