Ornette On Tenor - Ornette Coleman

Advantages: impossible, delicious, juicy, choatic, hellish, revolting.
Disadvantages: it doesn't go on forever.

...For some reason the picture Ciao have provided for this album is of some sort of radioactive ice cream rather than the Jackson Pollock painting that actually graces the album's cover. This isn't inappropriate though: like the best ice cream, "Free Jazz" is cool, delicious and of dubious origin. The subtitle, if you care about this sort of thing (and you should) is, "A collective improvisation by the Ornette Coleman double quartet". This matters enormously, because "double" is a word that doesn't occur nearly often enough in musical contexts, even now, 50 years into the stereo age. "Free Jazz" is a double album - but not two discs, to be played consecutively; rather one disc with two pieces of music to be played simultaneously. As with Lou Reed's own jazz album "Metal Machine Music", headphones are fundamental to the music... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful

Advantages: Some smooth playing.
Disadvantages: Bit too smooth.

...Classics in the key of G - Kenny G Well, as promised, it is time to review some jazz, but for those detractors, I'll start with smooth, then will gradually work up to some nice hard jazz, swing and bebop. Kenny G is a very interesting saxophonist, not least in that he does not fit the mould of a classic jazz saxophonist; in fact many jazz fans are ardently NOT Kenny G fans. He looks more like an 80's prog rock star, all long perm and casual clothes. In addition he is much too 'smooth' for many jazz fans, you are certainly more likely to hear Kenny g in the lounge of a hotel than you are Albert Ayler or Ornette Coleman. His main instrument is soprano sax, but he does play alto and tenor as well. For those that don't know, all the key positions and spacings are pretty much the same on all types of saxophone, and as they go up... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful

Advantages: All the hero's in one
Disadvantages: Mixed sound recordings Sound louder and quieter in places

...At first glance you would imagine the CD to be the normal mainstream nonsense with Russell Watson singing Amor ti Vieta, but when looking at the back you do see that this is a quality CD. So lights down low CD player on high and a nice Glass of wine and you are ready for an audio trip through operatic tenor modern history. Track List: (THERE ARE 27 TRACKS IF YOU WANT A SUMMARY OF EACH ONE THEN READ ON OTHERWISE HEAD FOR BOTTOM OF REVIEW) Track 1: O Paradis sung by Enrico Caruso What a start to the Cd. Nothing but quality technique and voice on show here, one of the best renditions you'll ever hear Track 2: Morgenlich leuchtend sung by Peter Anders Not my favourite song and a big jump in quality from the first track but still an adept singer, the first sign that there is going to be a wide variation of voice and style... Read review

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