Best Of Astor Piazzolla - Astor Piazzolla

Advantages: Gorgeous sultry tango music for late-night listening.
Disadvantages: Only about 40 minutes of music, not to everyone's taste.

...Argentinian Astor Piazzolla was responsible for the creation of "tango nuevo", or new/modern tango, fusing traditional tango music with jazz and classical elements. (If you know of Gotan Project, he was an inspiration for them - they also sometimes play his compositions.) While most of the other albums he recorded are sparklingly precise, this one is slightly rougher round the edges, often slow, sultry, even dirty - and deliberately so, Piazzolla himself said the music on this album was "meant to be played by drunk musicians in a bordello". Which is fair enough, given that is exactly where the tango originated. This is a late recording, made in 1987 (he died in 1992) and features a small group of musicians playing piano, violin, bass, electric guitar, clarinet/alto sax, and bandoneon, which Piazzola himself plays - he did so... Read review

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Advantages: MacGregor's chameleon-like arrangements render every piece interesting, appealing.
Disadvantages: She remains in obscurity in the US.

...MacGregor's true genius lies—in bringing these pieces to the attention—and mounting interest—of audiences unfamiliar with such unconventional works. It goes without saying that her piano skills are virtuosic, but virtuosity here is beside the point. MacGregor employs her dexterity and artistry to serve her real purpose: to give the listener the overall picture and feel of each work. Through her chameleon-like piano playing she succeeds at this quite marvelously. What's so pleasantly unexpected about this disc is the harmonious juxtaposition of so many dissimilar works. Alisdair Nicolson's high-spirited and jazzy 42nd Street Stomp leads into Astor Piazzolla's alluringly mysterious Libertango, which segues into Byrd's Renaissance era Hughe Ashton's Ground, from which Gyorgi Ligeti's modern Automne a Varsovie takes its cue, then Japanese... Read review

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Advantages: Well compiled collection
Disadvantages: Not all best tracks included

...Stax is one of the most famous Blues and Soul record labels, which was responsible for recording some of the best known artist of that genre. It was formed in Memphis in 1957 by Jim Stewart and Estelle Axton as Satellite records but changed its name to Stax (a play on the owners surnames STewart and Axton). It will always be associated with the development of Southern Soul, Chicago Blues and early funk as well as recording some of the first ethnically mixed bands, something very rare in that period. The label finally went bankrupt in 1976 but Fantasy Records eventually bought it primarily for its superb back catalogue and since 2004 they have been re-issuing some of the more popular recording s as well as some compilations. ‘The Stax Story’ is a massive four cd compilation of the best of the output from the famous Stax record label... Read review

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