The Whole Music Experience

London Symphony Orchestra Live Valery Gergiev (Conductor) Rachmaninoff Symphony No. 2 LSO Russian Late-Romantic composer Sergei Rachmaninoff composed music for listeners with strong hearts and the ability to run the gamut of emotions within the course of a single symphony or concerto, as in Piano Concerto No. 3 , for example. While the movie, Shine gave the impression that a musician dealing with an emotional imbalance (that includes a lot of musicians), would suffer insanity performing Rachmaninoff’s technically and emotionally-challenging music, I believe the movie’s sentiment gave the wrong impression. While Rachmaninoff couldn’t be called an average man by any stretch, he also did not spend his time in a sanatorium and he composed music that excited plenty of sane people. So why would his compositions drive anyone over the edge? On the contrary I find the classical works of Russian composers (Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninoff, Prokofiev, etc), emotionally stimulating and invi...

Ricardo Silveira ‘til Tomorrow Adventure Music Brazilian jazz guitarist Ricardo Silveira’s ‘til Tomorrow blasts off with the adventurous  Rocket’s Tail . Silveira’s guitar dazzles as it converses with flutes and Brazilian percussion. Overall the career retrospective recording which chronicles several albums dating back to 1984 with Silveira’s debut radiates a warm and generous vibe. I’ve already listened to it several times and visualize sunny beaches and smiling laidback people. This is Brazilian jazz after all. Silveira provides clever arrangements which he handed over to an array of exceptional players. Lush horns, plenty of flute and beautiful guitar work dominate this recording. The track You Can Get What You Want portrays a snappy conversation between the guitar and horns. Two Brothers Mountain slows down the pace and creates a romantic mood. The samba Woodpecker’s Sound alternates between frantic horns, guitar and kit drum with a slow, dreamy interlude. The mu...

Mike Marshall And Caterina Lichtenberg Adventure Music Two parts Bach, one part Brazilian with Venezuelan and French seasonings describes American mandolin player Mike Marshall’s latest recording on Adventure Music. The virtuoso has literally traveled around the world with his mandolin and on this recording he teams up with Early Music mandolin player Caterina Lichtenberg, thus the simple and direct CD title. Opening with a Bach violin sonata in which Marshall plays double-duty on cello, the duo then launches into their musical journey which hop scotches its way through American bluegrass, Brazilian jazz, Early Music, Bulgarian and Venezuelan classical. And yes, this exhilarating recording leaves a listener breathless. Jean-Marie Leclair’s Sonata VI for Two Violins (French baroque) sounds absolutely gorgeous when played on two mandolins. The movements alternate between gentle and lilting to enchanting. The short Bulgarian folk tune oddly doesn’t feel out of place following...

Wayne Silas, Jr. Unconditional Round Dance Songs Canyon Records Pipestone As the Rez Turns Round Dance Songs Canyon Records Native American round dance songs hail from the tradition of gatherings of American Indians that take place during the winter months. Relatives, colleagues and friends who might not have seen each other for several months or for an entire year come together to dance, sing, drum, and party into the wee morning hours. The songs often supply humorous lyrics and in the case of Menominee/Oneida singer-song-maker Wayne Silas, Jr. on Unconditional , supply saucy ones( It’s On Tonight and Let’s Do the Math ). While pow-wows are generally open to the general public to watch American Indians sing, drum and dance in competition, round dances, as far as I know are by invitation only for friends and family to share and celebrate. Pow-wow drummers gather around a group drum whereas, round dance drummers play individual frame drums while partici...

Egypt Noir Nubian Soul Treasures Various Piranha (Germany) Anyone who has been listening to world music in the last 2 or 3 decades will be familiar with both Egyptian and Nubian music. The serpentine melodies, pentatonic scales, call & response vocals, and marriage between Oriental and western music certainly has the ability to attract a wide following, especially the younger crowd hungry for exotic dance grooves. The music on Egypt Noir (performed by an array of younger and classic musicians) entices with its musical mix. You’ll hear the lush Egyptian-style orchestra arrangements with call & response vocals skimming over the lush surface, plenty of raspy sounding shawms (an oboe-like instrument), heart-thumping polyrhythms and you might think a celebration is taking place. It is. Take a listen to the rousing beats, Cuban-style horns and saxophone and you’re in for a cosmopolitan musical treat. I’m listening to Egypt Noir for the third time as I ...

Wikipedia, Bangle Tiger Tabby This article that reveals research regarding the vibration of a cat's purr promoting bone growth was brought to my attention.  Who would have thought?  What power lies in a cat's meow? Here is a link to the research page: http://www.animalvoice.com/catpurrP.htm

American composer James DeMars Here's the article Governor's Arts Awards honor Tempe composer http://www.azcentral.com/php-bin/clicktrack/email.php/9236746 Congratulations James!