The Whole Music Experience

peaceful photo by Patricia Herlevi With the holidays upon us and the year winding down, most people deal with stress overload. Add to that dealing with holiday crowds in shopping malls, traffic on the highways, and calamities that occur around the planet which I think has to do with all this stress rippling out. So unwind and relax to music. I'm going to get you started with suggestions from diverse music genres: Classical I suggest staying away from the wild Romantic Era composers with the exception of Tchaikovsky and listen to his ballets and sacred music (Rachmaninoff also has sacred recordings). For the most part, stick with chamber music such as string quartets, slower Mozart, Debussy , Ravel , Satie, Grie g , Sibelius, Aaron Copeland, and solo harp or cello recordings. Classical holiday music will either bring peace or strife depending on the person so use discernment and listen in to your feelings. Also try Renaissance polyphony such as Anonymous 4 or Stile Ant...

TOP CD #1 Virginie Teychene, Bright and Sweet, Jazz Village 2. Deborah Latz, Fig Tree, June Moon Productions 3. Mark Winkler, The Laura Nyro Project, Cafe Pacific Records 4. Nilson Mattas, Black Orpheus, Motema  5. Joe Barbieri, Chet Lives!, Le Chant du Monde 6. Hector Del Curto, Eternal Piazzolla, Green Parrot 7. Ahmad Jamal, Saturday Morning, Jazz Village 8. Joe Locke, Lay Down My Heart, Motema 9. Ablaye Cissoko and Volker Goetz, Amanke Dionti, Motema  10. Mulatu Astatke, Sketches of Ethiopia, Jazz Village Coming up Top 10 Classical Albums and Top 10 World Music Albums...

Jazz   Project Them A Jazz Collective   Miles High Records When veteran jazz musicians get together and collaborate, the music that results is often invigorating and in-the-moment.   Project Them, a collective (and album title), including: Bob Franceschini (saxophone and flute), Mark Sherman (vibraphone), Mitchel Forman (piano and organ), Martin Gjakonovski (bass), Adam Nussbaum (drums) and Paolo Di Sabatino (piano), contains performances where you can feel the musicians admiring and honoring each other’s talents.   They aim for a big ensemble sound with strong melodies, and intriguing musical texture.   And a track such as, Close Enough for Love , leaves a romantic imprint with its sweet use of vibraphone, piano, and a laidback rhythm section. However, don’t think for a minute that we’re listening to “smooth jazz” here.   One listen to rousing opener, Submissive Dominants with high-end drums, driving bass and go-man-go saxophone, w...

Jazz/Big Band   The Michael Treni Big Band   Pop-Culture Blues   The Bell Production Company   When I think of big band, my mind wanders back to the swing era and the likes of Duke Ellington and Ella Fitzgerald.   I’m ready to join a chorus of Stevie Wonder’s Sir Duke commemorating the big band era.   Today, big band is less about swing and more about encompassing the history of jazz played on brassy horns, sultry winds and a big drum sound.   On Pop-Culture Blues , the title says it all, and trombonist and bandleader Michael Treni play jazz with blue notes with finger-snapping rhythms.   Expect high-octane solos on this instrumental album and a variety of blues, including Summer Blues, Smokin’ Blues , Mr. Funky Blues and of course, Pop-Culture Blues which reflects on weariness to pop culture and blues reflecting popular music styles.   I’m enjoying BQE Blues at the moment with sassy horns.   On Minor Blues ,...

World/ Jazz   Carmen Souza Kachupada   Galileo Music Cape Verdean-Portuguese vocalist (and songwriter) Carmen Souza returns with Kachupada .  Exploring jazz and African Diaspora musical styles, Souza pushes musical boundaries singing in a voice that could claim soul sister-ship with American folksinger Victoria Williams.  She opens with the effervescent Manhã l de Dezembro followed by an accordion-laced Donna Lee (American jazz given a French swing makeover).  How do you even begin to describe the third track, Luta (Fight) , other than pan-Africa meets Brazil and Cuba?  Souza sings with syncopation along with poly phonic percussion, savory flute, and beatnik bass lines. As eclectic as the musical portion sounds, Souza possesses an otherworldly voice that when it grounds itself becomes deliciously earthy.  The arrangements by Souza and her producer Theo Pas’cal surprise, tease, and tickle our ears.  Souza’s version of My F...