Ellington Suites - Tony Overwater Trio & Calefax Reed Quintet

Advantages: Haunting, passionate music to get lost in.
Disadvantages: It's classical and this puts people off before they even try it.

...recalls the adagio and must have provoked a few tears itself over the years. I can only quote the notes which describes it as “tortured innocence painfully suggests the composer’s increasing awareness of his own mortality (he died just over two weeks after completing the quintet).” Woken by the raucous scherzo the heart begins to pound. Allegretto [9’41] Schubert finally worked though the anger and frustration and the fourth movement has a more relaxed happy feel. The dance music reminiscent of gypsy violins plays quite cheerfully and by the end of the quintet one feels truly satisfied in some way and ready for anything in spite of the strange ending. String Trio Movement in B Flat Major, D471 [11’50] This short piece by Schubert, placed first on the cd, is much lighter and brighter than the quintet. The Raphael Ensemble The notes explain... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful

Advantages:
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..., but while some of his experiments work, several pointedly do not, with the epic "Like a Possum" only the album’s most spectacular miscalculation. Still, Reed and producer Hal Wilner take some chances with the arrangements that pay off, particularly the subtle horn charts that dot several songs, and Reed’s superb rhythm section (Fernando Saunders on bass and Tony "Thunder" Smith on drums) gives these songs a rock-solid foundation for the leader’s guitar workouts. As Reed and his band hit fifth gear on the album’s rousing closer, "Big Sky," he once again proves that even his uneven works include a few songs you’ll certainly want to have in your collection — as long as they’re not about possums.... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average somewhat helpful

Advantages: A development of their distinctive sound without losing the magic of their first album
Disadvantages: Definitely not to everyone's taste

...The second album from Argentine/Parisian nuevo tango pioneers Gotan Project is a much more fully rounded recording and an easier listen than their first outing, La Revencha Del Tango. The first album established their iconic sound, mixing traditional tango melodies played on accordions with dub beats and new production techniques. This takes it a step further and we see that there really is more to this trio, tracks such as "La Viguela" (a type of Chilean string instrument) feature a bizarre juxtaposition of beautifully smooth acoustic guitar work with weird processed vocals, yet somehow it works. The French influence has clearly become stronger and this is most evident on the haunting "Celos" which conjurs up images of a wartime jazz quintet playing in a smoke filled basement in Paris. For me however, the highlight is the final track... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average somewhat helpful