Sensible Sound articles from February 2000

Sensible Sound archives from February 2000

RAMBLINGS.
February 1, 2000... Welcome to Issue #79, an issue whose numerical designator is a prime number, which must mean something good. Our previous issue featured mostly CD reviews, and yes, this issue has plenty of those, but this issue features plenty of equipment...

FORUM.
February 1, 2000... Cruisin' With The Hits... and Bits There's another way to get a very flexible and decent performing small table radio (with tape and/or CD capability). Make your own, using a 12-volt car stereo CD or tape receiver as the basis, in...

SURVEYING THE SOUNDSCAPE.
February 1, 2000... "You've got to drop the chalupa if you want to play the saxophone": You can't beat Latin jazz for rhythmic vitality, dynamic energy, and melodic invention. It's not only great to listen and dance to, but it's unsurpassed for testing and...

Natural and Unnatural Dips.
February 1, 2000... I find the predisposition of some individuals to smooth out power-response dips and peaks in the midrange by means of an equalizer to be both interesting and problematic. Although a few enthusiasts would not be without a proper equalizer, many...

Denon D-M10 Personal Component System.
February 1, 2000... Manufacturer: Denon Electronics, 222 New Road, Parsippany, NJ 07054; 973/575-7810; www.del.denon.com Price: $999 Source: Manufacturer loan Reviewer: Gregory Koster The weak point in most minisystems is the speakers. Readers of...

NAD Music System: L40 CD Receiver and PSB Alpha Minis.
February 1, 2000... Manufacturer: NAD Electronics International, A Member of The Lenbrook Group, 633 Granite Ct., Pickering, Ontario, Canada L1W 3K1; 888/ 772-0000 Distributor: NAD Electronics of America, 6 Merchant Street, Sharon MA 02067; 781/784-8586 ...

Parasound TDQ-150 AM/FM Stereo Tuner.
February 1, 2000... Manufacturer: Parasound Products, Inc.,950 Battery St., San Francisco, CA 94111; 415/397-7100; www.parasound.com Price: $269 Source: Manufacturer loan Reviewer: Thom Moon It seems that somewhere it was once decreed that all...

NHTPro A-20 Studio Reference Monitor System.
February 1, 2000... Manufacturer: Vergence Technology, Inc., 3195 Park Road, Bldg. A, Benicia, CA 94510; (707) 751-0270; www.nhtpro.com Price: $2,000 Source: Manufacturer loan Reviewer: Tom Lyle My advice is often solicited in regard to using...

Paradigm Monitor 90P.
February 1, 2000... Manufacturer: Paradigm Electronics, Inc., Toronto, Canada U. S. Distributor: AudioStream, M.P.O. Box 2410, Niagara Falls, NY 14302; 905/632-0180 Price: $1,500/pair Source: Manufacturer loan Reviewer: Joseph M. Cierniak I pay...

Velodyne CT-150 Subwoofer.
February 1, 2000... Manufacturer: Velodyne Acoustics, 1070 Commercial Street, Suite 101, San Jose, CA 95112; 408/436-7270 Price: $799 Source: Manufacturer loan Reviewer: Howard Ferstler Anyone' who has read even a little of my material probably...

Legacy Focus/Steradian Environmental Processor: A Followup Report.
February 1, 2000... It is hard to believe that it was way back in Issue 54 that I reviewed the Legacy Focus loud-speakers. As I mentioned in that article, I did most of my listening at that time with a prototype version of what was to evolve into the Steradian...

John Abercrombie: Open Land (ECM 1683 314 557 652-2).
February 1, 2000... John Abercrombie: Open Land (ECM 1683 314 557 652-2) Veteran guitarist John Abercrombie is truly an individual voice on his instrument, and he functions well both as a sideman and as a leader. On Open Land he also steps forward as a...

John Adams/Philip Glass: Violin Concertos Robert McDuffie/Houston Symphony/ Christoph Eschenbach (Telarc CD-80494).
February 1, 2000... John Adams/Philip Glass: Violin Concertos Robert McDuffie/Houston Symphony/ Christoph Eschenbach (Telarc CD-80494) This superbly produced, performed, and recorded disc puts these two contemporary concertos together for the first time, and...

Ray Barretto and New World Spirit + 4: Portraits in Jazz and Clave (RCA Victor 74321-68452-2).
February 1, 2000... Ray Barretto and New World Spirit + 4: Portraits in Jazz and Clave (RCA Victor 74321-68452-2) Veteran conga man Ray Barretto has assembled quite a group for this new recording: John Bailey on trumpet, Steve Turre on trombone and conch, Joe...

Clint Black: D'lectrified (RCA RCA07863-67823-2).
February 1, 2000... Clint Black: D'lectrified (RCA RCA07863-67823-2) The back cover of this CD features -- in bright red capital letters -- the ominous word, "WARNING." Could it be that country singer Clint Black has joined the ranks of the potty mouths? Nope...

Paul Bley/Gary Peacock/Paul Motian: Not Two. Not One (ECM 1670 314 559 447-2).
February 1, 2000... Paul Bley/Gary Peacock/Paul Motian: Not Two. Not One (ECM 1670 314 559 447-2) Pianist Bley, bassist Peacock, and drummer Motian enjoy exploring the sounds of their respective instruments. The opening minutes of this CD, from a cut titled...

Hamiet Bluiett and Larry Willis: If Trees Could Talk (Mapleshade 06332).
February 1, 2000... Hamiet Bluiett and Larry Willis: If Trees Could Talk (Mapleshade 06332) This new release from Mapleshade was actually recorded years ago -- 1993, to be not fully exact -- but had apparently been placed on the back shelves as the studio...

Bruckner: Symphony No. 7 Royal Scottish National Orchestra/Georg Tintner (Naxos 8.554269).
February 1, 2000... Bruckner: Symphony No. 7 Royal Scottish National Orchestra/Georg Tintner (Naxos 8.554269) This new Naxos recording of Bruckner's 7th Symphony slightly eclipses my previous budget recommendation for this work, the Skrowaczewski-led...

Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young: Looking Forward (Reprise 9 4736 2).
February 1, 2000... Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young: Looking Forward (Reprise 9 4736 2) Many people have waited a long time for this release. Unfortunately, many of them will be disappointed, for this is not a great recording, and with these musicians,...

Joey DeFrancesco: Goodfellas (Concord Jazz CCD 4845-2).
February 1, 2000... Joey DeFrancesco: Goodfellas (Concord Jazz CCD 4845-2) Organist Joey DeFrancesco's fellow goodfellas are Frank Vignola on guitar and Joe Ascione on drums. This trio rips affectionately through some old Italian-oriented standards such as...

Tal Farlow/Hank Jones/Red Norvo/Ray Brown/Jake Hanna: On Stage (Concord Jazz CCD-4143-2).
February 1, 2000... Tal Farlow/Hank Jones/Red Norvo/Ray Brown/Jake Hanna: On Stage (Concord Jazz CCD-4143-2) Knowledgeable jazz fans would probably guess a couple of things about this release just from looking at the names of the musicians: first, that this...

Jimmy Greene: Brand New World (RCA Victor 09026-63564-2).
February 1, 2000... Jimmy Greene: Brand New World (RCA Victor 09026-63564-2) On this new RCA Victor recording, Jimmy Greene leads out on tenor and soprano sax, with support from Darren Barrett on trumpet and flugelhorn, Steve Davis on trombone, Aaron Goldberg...

Charlie Haden/Quartet West: The Art of the Song (Verve 314 547 403-2).
February 1, 2000... Charlie Haden/Quartet West: The Art of the Song (Verve 314 547 403-2) Given the high quality of previous Quartet West recordings such as Haunted Heart, in which vocals were interspersed to good effect, I had high hopes for this recording;...

Javon Jackson: Pleasant Valley (Blue Note 7243 4 99697 2 8).
February 1, 2000... Javon Jackson: Pleasant Valley (Blue Note 7243 4 99697 2 8) Tenor saxophonist Javon Jackson's previous recordings have featured an eclectic musical approach that found him going from style to style. His newest recording, Pleasant Valley, is...

Waylon Jennings: Honky Tonk Heroes (Buddha Records 7446599619 2).
February 1, 2000... Waylon Jennings: Honky Tonk Heroes (Buddha Records 7446599619 2) This CD is a recent reissue of Jennings's classic country recording from 1974. This was the first recording on which RCA cut him loose to do his own thing. What he did with...

Beau Jocque and the Zydeco Hi-Rollers: Zydeco Giant (Mardi Gras Records MG 1043).
February 1, 2000... Beau Jocque and the Zydeco Hi-Rollers: Zydeco Giant (Mardi Gras Records MG 1043) Sad to say, this delightful creole blend of zydeco, blues, rock, jazz, cajun, and soul was the last recording by a true zydeco giant, Beau Jocque (real name,...

Kepa Junkera: Bilbao 00:00h (Alula Records ALU-1017).
February 1, 2000... Kepa Junkera: Bilbao 00:00h (Alula Records ALU-1017) Every once in a while I am sent a real sleeper CD -- something that looks as though it is something I will hardly be able to bear to listen to all the way through (and believe me, I get a...

Henry Kaiser and Wadada Leo Smith: Yo Miles! (Shanachie 5046).
February 1, 2000... Henry Kaiser and Wadada Leo Smith: Yo Miles! (Shanachie 5046) This is a Miles Davis tribute recording that is really unique. Rather than offer a smorgasbord of Miles tunes from throughout his career, what trumpeter Smith and guitarist...

Aaron Jay Kernis: Air for Violin [Joshua Bell, violin/Minnesota Orchestra/David Zinman], Double Concerto for Violin and Guitar [Cho-Liang Lin, violin/Sharon Isbin, guitar/The Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra/Hugh Wolff], Lament and Prayer [Pamela Frank, violin/Minnesota Orchestra/David Zinman] (Argo 289 460 226-2).
February 1, 2000... Aaron Jay Kernis: Air for Violin [Joshua Bell, violin/Minnesota Orchestra/David Zinman], Double Concerto for Violin and Guitar [Cho-Liang Lin, violin/Sharon Isbin, guitar/The Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra/Hugh Wolff], Lament and Prayer [Pamela...

Mahler: Symphony Nos. 1 and 3 Boston Symphony Orchestra/Erich Leinsdorf (RCA High Performance 09026-63469-2).
February 1, 2000... Mahler: Symphony Nos. 1 and 3 Boston Symphony Orchestra/Erich Leinsdorf (RCA High Performance 09026-63469-2) RCA is reaching back into its vaults and releasing older performances, and reaching into its bag of technical tricks to present...

Pat Metheny: A Map of the World (Warner Bros. 9 47366-2).
February 1, 2000... Pat Metheny: A Map of the World (Warner Bros. 9 47366-2) If the title of this one sounds familiar, that is because it was the title of a novel by Jane Hamilton that has been made into a movie (or it might sound familiar because the Pat...

Clay Moore: Meeting Standards (Viewpoint Records VP0001).
February 1, 2000... Clay Moore: Meeting Standards (Viewpoint Records VP0001) This CD is a double debut: the first release for Viewpoint Records and for guitarist Clay Moore. Both debuts are successful, with Viewpoint capturing the sound with clarity and punch,...

Thomas Otten: Close to Silence (Higher Octave Music OMCD 47730).
February 1, 2000... Thomas Otten: Close to Silence (Higher Octave Music OMCD 47730) Many audiophiles have found pleasure in the music of Enya. They are likely to take great pleasure, then, in this intriguing CD by Thomas Otten, whose male contralto voice makes...

Danilo Perez: Central Avenue (Impulse! IMPD-279).
February 1, 2000... Danilo Perez: Central Avenue (Impulse! IMPD-279) Young pianist Danilo Perez is a fresh Latin breeze in the world of jazz, making music that sounds new and exciting, yet warm and comfortable at the same time. On this outing, his fourth as a...

The Andy Statman Quartet: The Hidden Light (Sony Classical SK 60814).
February 1, 2000... The Andy Statman Quartet: The Hidden Light (Sony Classical SK 60814) Given that The Andy Statman Quartet comprises Statman on clarinet and mandolin, Bruce Barth on piano, Scott Lee on acoustic bass, and Bob Weiner on drums and percussion,...

Uttara-Kuru: East Wind (Pacific Moon Records PMR 0012).
February 1, 2000... Uttara-Kuru: East Wind (Pacific Moon Records PMR 0012) As near as I can tell from the liner notes, Uttara-Kuru is a collective group that centers on two musicians, Seiichi Kyoda (who is listed as playing "other instruments" on the credits,...

Kenny Wheeler: A Long Time Ago (ECM 1691 314 547 190-2).
February 1, 2000... Kenny Wheeler: A Long Time Ago (ECM 1691 314 547 190-2) About every other Kenny Wheeler record seems to be really outstanding, and the others are always at least pretty good. This is one of the pretty good ones. The core group comprises...

The Digital Audio Music List: A Critical Guide to Listening by Howard W. Ferstler. Computer Music and Digital Audio Series, vol. 15. A-R Editions, Inc., Madison, Wisconsin, 1999. Paperback, vii + 463 pp. ISBN 0-89579-438-1. $29.95.
February 1, 2000... The Digital Audio Music List: A Critical Guide to Listening by Howard W. Ferstler. Computer Music and Digital Audio Series, vol. 15. A-R Editions, Inc., Madison, Wisconsin, 1999. Paperback, vii + 463 pp. ISBN 0-89579-438-1. $29.95 The...

Double Double.
February 1, 2000... Last time around, Tom Lyle and I compared recordings by giving an independent listen (other than deciding on which CDs to compare, we do not discuss the recordings with each other until after we have completed our writing) to two competing...

Carousel Corner.
February 1, 2000... "If you can't, say anything nice... sit next to me." (Dorothy Parker) There's no easy way to break the news to you, but... sex sells. And in the music biz, ostensibly an aural medium, it sells like steak hot off the grill, sizzle and...

Reissue Roundup: Loose Ends, Disappointments, Miscellany, and Some Neato Finds.
February 1, 2000... KWN impressed upon me that my column had not arrived yet (while I thought I had at least two in his in box), so this short one's theme is defined for you in the subtitle. Loose Ends: My many and sincere thanks to those who contacted me...

Scoping Software: Another Grab Bag.
February 1, 2000... I do not review as many discs as I once did, mainly because of reviewer's burnout. After doing two books of reviews, and listening to thousands of recordings with the intention of simply analyzing their sound quality, I have discovered that...

American Flute Concertos.
February 1, 2000... American Flute Concertos. Mary Stolper, flute; Paul Freeman, Czech National Symphony Orchestra. Cedille Records CDR 90000 046. Cedille Records just keep rolling merrily along, producing some of the best-sounding new CDs in the marketplace....

Beethoven: Triple Concerto; Brahms: Double Concerto. David Oistrakh, violin Mstislav Rostropovich, cello; Sviatoslav Richter, piano; Herbert von Karajan, Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra and George Szell, Cleveland Orchestra. EMI CDU 7243-5-66954-2.
February 1, 2000... Beethoven: Triple Concerto; Brahms: Double Concerto. David Oistrakh, violin Mstislav Rostropovich, cello; Sviatoslav Richter, piano; Herbert von Karajan, Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra and George Szell, Cleveland Orchestra. EMI CDU...

Berlioz: Overtures. Sir Colin Davis, Staatskapelle Dresden. RCA 09026 68790 2.
February 1, 2000... Berlioz: Overtures. Sir Colin Davis, Staatskapelle Dresden. RCA 09026 68790 2. My first reaction upon hearing the first few minutes of the opening overture, Le Franc Juges, was to question Sir Colin's tempo decisions. He seemed positively...

Bruckner: Symphony No. 4. Karl Bohm, Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra. Decca 289 466 374-2.
February 1, 2000... Bruckner: Symphony No. 4. Karl Bohm, Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra. Decca 289 466 374-2. Everybody else is doing it; why not Decca? (You remember Decca. They used to be London in the U.S. because there was already an American Decca. Now...

Chopin: Piano Concertos Nos. 1 & 2. Martha Argerich, piano; Charles Dutoit, Montreal Symphony Orchestra. EMI CDC 7243 5 56798 2 6.
February 1, 2000... Chopin: Piano Concertos Nos. 1 & 2. Martha Argerich, piano; Charles Dutoit, Montreal Symphony Orchestra. EMI CDC 7243 5 56798 2 6. First, a prefatory note: Since I first heard it in the mid-'60s, Maurizio Polloni's 1960 rendering of the 1st...

Jim Croce: Words and Music. DCC Compact Classics GZS-1134.
February 1, 2000... Jim Croce: Words and Music. DCC Compact Classics GZS-1134. Jim Croce's recording career was regrettably short, about three and a half years, before he died in a plane crash in 1973. Yet his legend goes on, thanks to the remarkable abundance...

Harris: Folksong Symphony; Creston: Gregorian Chant Vladimir Golschmann, American Festival Chorus and Orchestra; Arthur Lief, New York Chamber Orchestra. Vanguard Classics SVC-107 HD.
February 1, 2000... Harris: Folksong Symphony; Vladimir Golschmann, American Festival Chorus and Orchestra; Arthur Lief, New York Chamber Orchestra. Vanguard Classics SVC-107 HD. Roy Harris's Folksong Symphony, first performed in 1940, is about as American as...

Hartmann: Overtures. Thomas Dausgaard, Danish National Radio Symphony Orchestra. Dacapo 8.224097.
February 1, 2000... Hartmann: Overtures. Thomas Dausgaard, Danish National Radio Symphony Orchestra. Dacapo 8.224097. Danish composer Johan Peder Emilius Hartmann (1805-1900) lived nearly the whole of the 19th century. Think of that: Haydn was still alive...

Hartmann-Bournonville: The Valkyrie. Michail Jorowski, Radio-Sinfonie-Orchester Frankfurt. CPO 999 620-2 (2-disc set).
February 1, 2000... Hartmann-Bournonville: The Valkyrie. Michail Jorowski, Radio-Sinfonie-Orchester Frankfurt. CPO 999 620-2 (2-disc set). Danish composer Johan Peder Emilius Hartmann (1805-1900) lived nearly the whole of the 19th century. Think of that: Haydn...

Honegger: Pacific 231; Symphony No. 2, etc. David Zinman, Tonhalle-Orchester Zurich. Decca 455 352-2.
February 1, 2000... Honegger: Pacific 231; Symphony No. 2, etc. David Zinman, Tonhalle-Orchester Zurich. Decca 455 352-2. This disc brings together some of Arthur Honegger's best-known orchestral works, and they receive one of the best recordings, sonically...

Korngold/Mendelssohn: A Midsummer Night's Dream. Celina Lindsley, Michelle Breedt, Scot Weir, Michael Burt; Gerd Albrecht, Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin. CPO 999 449-2.
February 1, 2000... Korngold/Mendelssohn: A Midsummer Night's Dream. Celina Lindsley, Michelle Breedt, Scot Weir, Michael Burt; Gerd Albrecht, Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin. CPO 999 449-2. I've listed Mendelssohn along with Erich Wolfgang Korngold as...

A Midsummer Night's Dream.
February 1, 2000... A Midsummer Night's Dream. Original motion picture soundtrack. Decca 289-466-098-2. The motion picture had not yet opened when I listened to this disc, but if the soundtrack is any indication then the newest film version of Shakespeare's A...

Mozart: Overtures. Sir Colin Davis, Staatskapelle Dresden. RCA 74321-56698-2.
February 1, 2000... Mozart: Overtures. Sir Colin Davis, Staatskapelle Dresden. RCA 74321-56698-2. Coming hard on the heels of his successful collection of Berlioz overtures comes Sir Colin Davis's new recording of Mozart overtures. Like the Berlioz, the...

Orff: Carmina Burana. Sheila Armstrong, Gerald English, Thomas Allen; Andre Previn, St. Clement Danes Grammar School Boys' Choir and London Symphony Orchestra. EMI CDU 7243 5 66591 2.
February 1, 2000... Orff: Carmina Burana. Sheila Armstrong, Gerald English, Thomas Allen; Andre Previn, St. Clement Danes Grammar School Boys' Choir and London Symphony Orchestra. EMI CDU 7243 5 66591 2. Recorded in 1974, this recording of the Carmina Burana...

Orff: Carmina Burana. Christiane Oelze, soprano; David Kuebler, tenor; Simon Keenlyside, baritone; Christian Thielemann, Choir and Orchestra der Deutschen Oper Berlin. DG 289 453 587-2.
February 1, 2000... Orff: Carmina Burana. Christiane Oelze, soprano; David Kuebler, tenor; Simon Keenlyside, baritone; Christian Thielemann, Choir and Orchestra der Deutschen Oper Berlin. DG 289 453 587-2. It may be the influence of the packaging, but I...

Piazzolla: Tangos Arranged for Saxophone and Orchestra. Federico Mondelci, sax; Constantine Orbelian, Moscow Chamber Orchestra. Delos DE 3252.
February 1, 2000... Piazzolla: Tangos Arranged for Saxophone and Orchestra. Federico Mondelci, sax; Constantine Orbelian, Moscow Chamber Orchestra. Delos DE 3252. The music on this disc is a pleasant amalgam of several different styles. First, it's a...

Romantic Russia.
February 1, 2000... Romantic Russia. Music of Borodin, Glinka, Mussorgsky, and Tchaikovsky. Georg Solti, London Symphony Orchestra and L'Orchestre du Conservatoire de Paris. Decca Legends 289 460 977-2. Having been favorably impressed by Decca's remastering of...

Rosetti: Clarinet Concertos Nos. 1 & 2; Concerto for Two Horns. Dieter Klocker, clarinet; Holger Schroter-Seebeck, SWR Symphony Orchestra of Baden-Baden and Freiburg. CPO 999 621-2.
February 1, 2000... Rosetti: Clarinet Concertos Nos. 1 & 2; Concerto for Two Horns. Dieter Klocker, clarinet; Holger Schroter-Seebeck, SWR Symphony Orchestra of Baden-Baden and Freiburg. CPO 999 621-2. The first thing that struck me upon listening to this disc...

Saint-Saens: Piano Concertos Nos. 1-5; Caprice-Valse, Op. 76; "Africa Fantasie, Op. 89. Jean-Philippe Collard, piano; Andre Previn, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. EMI CDFB 7243 5 73356 2 1 (2-disc set).
February 1, 2000... Saint-Saens: Piano Concertos Nos. 1-5; Caprice-Valse, Op. 76; "Africa" Fantasie, Op. 89. Jean-Philippe Collard, piano; Andre Previn, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. EMI CDFB 7243 5 73356 2 1 (2-disc set). One hardly notices Previn's...

Sea Shanties.
February 1, 2000... Sea Shanties. Robert Shaw, The Men of the Robert Shaw Chorale. RCA 09026-63528-2. How can you criticize perfection? Well, in this case the technical expertise of the Men of the Robert Shaw Chorale pretty much squeezes the life out of these...

Sibelius: Symphony No. 2; The Tempest, Suite No. 1. Petri Sakari, Iceland Symphony Orchestra. Naxos 8.554266.
February 1, 2000... Sibelius: Symphony No. 2; The Tempest, Suite No. 1. Petri Sakari, Iceland Symphony Orchestra. Naxos 8.554266. What, you say you don't want to lay out thirty bucks for the Barbirolli gold disc on Chesky? OK, how about five dollars for this...

Richard Strauss: Also Sprach Zarathustra; Rosenkavalier Suite; Don Juan. Lorin Maazel, Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks. RCA 09026-68225-2RE.
February 1, 2000... Richard Strauss: Also Sprach Zarathustra; Rosenkavalier Suite; Don Juan. Lorin Maazel, Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks. RCA 09026-68225-2RE. This disc is one of four RCA releases of orchestral works by Richard Strauss...

Rob Wasserman: Trios. Mobile Fidelity Ultradisc II UDCD 752.
February 1, 2000... Rob Wasserman: Trios. Mobile Fidelity Ultradisc II UDCD 752. This is one of the better things Mo-Fi has remastered on gold in quite a while. Bassist Rob Wasserman spent three years putting together a collection of folk-pop-jazz arrangements...