Goussan (Armenian Troubadours) - Gaguik Mouradian Ensemble

Advantages: Awesome playing and musicianship. Easy listening.
Disadvantages: Perhaps not for the 'purist' folk music lover.

...In this, their first CD, Roby Lakatos (violin) and his Ensemble (consisting of piano, guitar, cymbalon, double bass, and another violin) take their listeners on an exhilarating journey through a variety of gypsy-inspired musical styles. Their flair, charm and sensitive musicianship are apparent from the first note to the last. Described as the ‘nonconformist of the violin’, Roby Lakatos was born into a family of Hungarian gypsy violin traditions dating back to the time of Beethoven! Being a nonconformist in every sense however, he has taken these traditions and moulded them to achieve his own unique musical voice. The incorporation of a guitar and piano into his gypsy ensemble for instance, are certainly not typical instruments of this genre. This CD, entitled simply ‘Lakatos’, consists of 13 tracks (see below for track... Read review

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Advantages: Great music, fantastic value for money and fine performance
Disadvantages: Onepiece with slightly overbearing clarinettist...?

...into this recording both from a musical point of view and also because the discs features various instrumental chamber music ensemble combinations of either septets or octets. The Performers: The Melos Ensemble had a long and illustrious concert and recording career lasting from 1950 to 1974. It was set up by a group of top British orchestral and solo musicians who wanted to bring together a flexible but regular group to play some of the more unusual chamber music repertoire. Founding members were violist Cecil Aronowitz, clarinetist Gervase de Peyer, flautist Richard Adeney, and cellist Terence Weil - all ofwhom apart from Mr Adeney appear on these CDs. The musicians enjoyed major careers in their own rights - with for example Gervase de Peyer being the principal clarinettist of the London Symphony Orchestra for many years and other members... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful

Advantages: Brilliant collection covering the peak of Van Zandts' career
Disadvantages: None that I can think of

...Unfortunately, it is a fitting tragedy that not nearly enough people are familiar with the music of Townes Van Zandt. Van Zandt died on New Years Day 1997, aged 52, when a heart decimated by alcohol abuse stopped beating during a routine hip operation. Having hardly any success during his lifetime, except through royalty-stuffed covers by more established artists like Willie Nelson and Emmylou Harris, posthumously his star seems even more descendent: never appearing in classic rock lists and only celebrated by fellow country musicians and a few knowing cult heroes. 'Texas Troubadour' is a box set that consists of the seven albums Townes Van Zandt recorded for the Poppy and Tomato labels, from 1968-78. As he recorded only two more after this, before his death in 1997, then this collection represents the bulk of his career, and all his... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful