The continously reinventive sound of Kurt Wagner.
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Very little is known about the life of Ignazio Albertini. He was Italian, born around 1644. As a young man and virtuoso violinist and composer he surfaced at the Vienna Imperial Court, attracted by the fame of Schmelzer. In 1685 he was murdered, stabbed to death, in unknown circumstances. He left a manuscript of 12 violin sonatas to be published posthumously in 1692. This collection of sonatas for violin and continuo evidence a style akin to Schmelzer and Biber, quite attractively so.
This 2002 Alpha release is outstanding. On Tidal it seems to be the only complete recording of all twelve Albertini sonatas. Hélène Schmitt’s playing is quite wonderful, with a big tone, judicious in the use of ornamentation, and with apt accompaniment by harpsichord/organ & theorbo. Schmitt has contributed versions of music by Albertini, Carbonelli, Schmelzer, Matteis and Uccelini—all recommended listening for those interested in the middle baroque Stylus Phantasticus of violin playing.
The recording and sound quality could not be better. Very much recommended!
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Always time for a spot of Mr Malkmus before bed.
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https://i.imgur.com/MRktv5N.png
“A Color of the Sky is the New York group’s most direct and fully rendered work to date: a beautiful collection of songs paying direct homage to the dreamy atmospheres, curling synthesizers, and blown-out guitars of slow-burning art rock and blistering shoegaze greats: Mazzy Star, My Bloody Valentine, Slowdive, Cocteau Twins, the Stone Roses.” ~Pitchfork
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Rediscovering some older material since I recently upgraded from a Chromecast Audio endpoint to a iFi Zen Stream and Gustard X16 DAC. AM Pop radio never sounded so good…
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That’s quite an upgrade for sure😎.
The Chromecast units are good for what they are and the price but certainly not quite the last word in fidelity.
I have zero complaints with them in secondary systems but not for my main rig.
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A pair of Klipsch KLF20s nestled up next to a pair of SVS SB3000 subs can make any endpoint sound decent 
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Really Good!
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Love it, still Vol.1 though… 
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Released in March this year on Onyx Classics, this is an essential Beethoven recording. Mullova playing on her 1750 Guadagnini with a period bow, and Beatson on a 1805 Walter fortepiano replica, both deliver stunning performances. Let’s hope they’ll do a complete cycle of the ten sonatas…
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This is getting plenty of playtime ATM…
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Norwegian trumpeter Mathias Eick’s expressive playing, which according to the New York Times radiates a “pristine yet penetrating tone”, is remarkably well complemented in the company of his gifted supporting players and fellow travelers. Violinist Hakon Aase, one of the outstanding improvisers of his generation, shadows the leader with lines that reflect a profound background in folk as well as jazz.
Drummers Helge Andeas Norbakken and Torstein Lofthus mirror their exchanges, as they interact with purring precision. Near the centre of the action, pianist Andras Ulvo and bass guitarist Audun Erlien ferry ideas between frontline and rhythm section and make statements of their own. On several tracks, the delicate swell of Stian Carstensen’s pedal steel guitar adds a dimension of mystery.
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GRAMMY-winning composer, bandleader, and pianist Arturo O’Farrill has fulfilled what he calls “a lifelong dream” with his signing to Blue Note Records and the release of his Blue Note debut …dreaming in lions… The album finds O’Farrill leading a colorful 10-piece assemblage he calls The Afro-Latin Jazz Ensemble, a scaled-down edition of his renowned Afro-Latin Jazz Orchestra. The program encompasses two inspired multi-movement suites that O’Farrill has conceived in collaboration with the Cuban Malpaso Dance Company: “Despedida,” a meditation on farewells, and “Dreaming in Lions,” inspired by Ernest Hemingway’s novella The Old Man and the Sea.
For O’Farrill, suites afford the space to convey extended narratives and cinematic ideas, a broadness of scope and intent that interests him most as a composer. Like his father, the late legendary bandleader Chico O’Farrill, he is committed to breaching musical boundaries in search of genuine, elevated expression. “I’m so grateful for my father and all my mentors who challenged me to be more open to different influences,” O’Farrill says. He has transmitted these values in turn to his sons, trumpeter Adam O’Farrill and drummer Zack O’Farrill, both of whom are featured on dreaming in lions. Joining them are multi-percussionists Vince Cherico, Carlos “Carly” Maldonado and Victor Pablo Garcia Gaetan, bassist José “Bam Bam” Rodriguez Platiau, trombonist and euphonist Rafi Malkiel, flutist/saxophonist Alejandro Aviles, and guitarist Travis Reuter.
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Composer-arranger and bandleader David Sanford has a capacious musical mind, one attuned to multiple genres and the joy of their aural collision. Keenly attuned not only to his rich African-American inheritance but also to the widest range of culture, he has been influenced by big-band classics and avant-jazz innovators as well as the sweep of the cinema, the harmonic explorations of classical modernists, the artful aggression of rock and the irresistible rhythms of funk. Recognized for his accomplishments in concert halls, on jazz stages and as an educator, Sanford was recently honored by the American Academy of Arts & Letters for “outstanding artistic achievement.”
Sanford convened top jazz and contemporary-music players from across the U.S. in New York City to record his music as the David Sanford Big Band, with soloists that include trumpeter Brad Goode, saxophonist Anna Webber, and trombonist Mike Christianson. A key contributor to the sound and spirit of the group is Hugh Ragin, who is featured on trumpet and as composer and conductor of the album’s centerpiece and title work, “A Prayer For Lester Bowie,” which is an homage to the late, great trumpeter and co-founder of the Art Ensemble of Chicago. The rest of the album comprises six characteristically kaleidoscopic Sanford compositions – inspired by everything from rollercoasters to film noir – plus his modern arrangement of “Dizzy Atmosphere,” by one of his earliest jazz influences, Dizzy Gillespie. This is vibrant, exciting large ensemble music that sees no limits.
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