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Yesterday I listened to Lou Rawls' first album, Stormy Monday, recorded and released in 1962 backed by the jazz pianist Les McCann and his trio. Lou and Les became acquainted with each other when they were both performing in the jazz club scene in Hollywood in the late '50s.

They finally figured out  a way to record together by having a late night/early morning session at the Capitol Records Building in Hollywood after their club gigs.

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For me, this is one of those "treasure albums," where a jazz-oriented singer gets paired with some charismatic jazz instrumentalists before the corporate suits get hold of them and turn them into an easy listening act. They did it to Nat King Cole, Diana Krall, and many others. Tony Bennett was a kick-ass jazz vocalist when he first started (still is). He, Sinatra, Rosemary Clooney, Doris Day and others chafed under Mitch Miller's heavy-handed treacly middle-of-the-road production at Columbia and arrangement style and changed labels in desperation.

This album is perfect as is, and shows what happens when talented people get together to make music without interference.

 

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THIS. IS. BRILLIANT!

Watched the entire concert last night with the missus. VHS quality video but the board feed is not too bad. Fucking Bill Bruford!

Oh Oh I forgot to add: AN ANIMATED STEVE HOWE!!!!! He fucking moves and shit...

Edited by JGale
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On 8/17/2020 at 12:58 PM, JGale said:

THIS. IS. BRILLIANT!

Watched the entire concert last night with the missus. VHS quality video but the board feed is not too bad. Fucking Bill Bruford!

Oh Oh I forgot to add: AN ANIMATED STEVE HOWE!!!!! He fucking moves and shit...

Is a hangman’s moose a slip knot or a square knot? Asking for a friend. 

Edited by RobB
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                                         I would say they are at the height of their powers here. Last time I saw them was years ago in Mankato and the band had changed a lot with Fran Cosmo now doing lead vocals. There sounded just like the recording WALK ON................... compliment intended.

Edited by ARM OF HAMER
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I'm sitting at the computer reading some news, checking email and Facebook, and figured I could use some music to comb the kinks and gnarlies out of my brain waves.

Fortunately, I chose this LP wisely:

This is Metheny in pure acoustic solo mode with a range of guitar-based string instruments. The album opens with Simon & Garfunkel's "Sounds of Silence" played on Metheny's bespoke "Pikasso" 42-string guitar:

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He also plays on a nylon string classical and an acoustic baritone guitar:

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These tracks are amazing. He has an incredible way of creating instrumental covers of vocal songs that convey the emotions of the original compositions. His renditions took me through a range of emotions from nostalgia to melancholy to personal reflection to jubilation to a peaceful calm.

And isn't just about everything we seek from good music? Pat conveyed it all in a 2-LP set.

It ain't death metal, but I highly recommend it when you get into an acoustical mood.

Technical notes: A few months ago I bought an Audio Technica low-output moving coil cartridge (LOMC). I've used it several times but I think this is the first time I used that cartridge with this album. It was a revelation. I could sense each note form from the metallic tone of the plucked string to the transfer of vibration to the guitar body to the swell of the air compressing and escaping to deliver the resonant aspect of the resulting tone.

It reminds me of why I like well-tuned hi-rez audio; it delivers the emotional content of the music.

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