SACD

Isabelle van Keulen and Hannes Minnaar – Beethoven: Complete Sonatas For Piano and Violin (2014) [SACD / Challenge Classics – CC72650]

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Isabelle van Keulen and Hannes Minnaar - Beethoven: Complete Sonatas For Piano and Violin (2014)

Title: Isabelle van Keulen and Hannes Minnaar – Beethoven: Complete Sonatas For Piano and Violin (2014)
Genre: Classical
Format: MCH SACD ISO + Hi-Res FLAC

This four-disc hybrid SACD set presents the complete works for piano and violin of Ludwig van Beethoven. The performers are the critically-acclaimed Dutch violinist Isabelle van Keuelen and the talented young compatriot, pianist Hannes Minnaar. This is very enjoyable performances and recording by two outstanding young artists.

The original title given to the first edition of Beethoven’s Sonata No. 9 opus 47 known as the Kreutzer Sonata, refers to the piece as a work for “pianoforte with violin obligato”. This clearly shows Beethoven’s revolutionary thinking on priorities as regards the piano-violin combination, a reflection it would seem of the fact that the composer saw the music as a vehicle for his own virtuoso skills on the keyboard. The first eight violin sonatas, opus 12, nos.1-3, opus 23 and 24, and opus 30, nos.1-3, were composed between 1798 and 1802, but then, after composing the “Kreutzer” Sonata in 1803 he set the genre aside until 1812, the year in which the opus 96 sonata in G major was written. Isabelle van Keulen has an established reputation as a violinist and viola player of world-class stature. Over the last few years she has released recordings on Challenge Classics with the pianist Ronald Brautigam of music by Shostakovich, Richard Strauss, Respighi and Rota, Grieg, Elgar and Sibelius, Prokofiev, and with her own Isabelle van Keulen Ensemble, Piazzolla (Tango!). Hannes Minnaar made his debut with the Netherlands Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Alessandro de Marchi at the age of 17. Since then he has performed with many leading orchestras including the Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra, Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, and the Royal Flemish Philharmonic, and worked with conductors such as Marin Alsop, Herbert Blomstedt, and Frans Brüggen. In 2013 he made his first solo appearance with The Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra in a performance of Beethoven’s Fourth Piano Concerto. Hannes Minnaar is also active as a chamber musician and is a member of the award-winning Van Baerle Trio.

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SACD

Isaac Hayes – The Isaac Hayes Movement (1970) [Reissue 2004] [SACD / Stax – SXSA-1010-6]

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Isaac Hayes - The Isaac Hayes Movement (1970) [Reissue 2004]

Title: Isaac Hayes – The Isaac Hayes Movement (1970) [Reissue 2004]
Genre: Funk, Soul
Format: SACD ISO + Hi-Res FLAC

Although this is Isaac Hayes’ third long-player, he had long been a staple of the Memphis R&B scene — primarily within the Stax coterie — where his multiple talents included instrumentalist, arranger, and composer of some of the most beloved soul music of the ’60s. Along with his primary collaborator, David Porter, Hayes was responsible for well over 200 sides — including the genre-defining “When Something Is Wrong With My Baby,” “Soul Man,” “B-A-B-Y,” “Hold On, I’m Comin’,” and “I Had a Dream.” As a solo artist however, Hayes redefined the role of the long-player with his inimitably smooth narrative style of covering classic pop and R&B tracks, many of which would spiral well over ten minutes. The Isaac Hayes Movement (1970) includes four extended cuts from several seemingly disparate sources, stylistically ranging from George Harrison’s “Something” to Jerry Butler’s “I Stand Accused” and even Burt Bacharach and Hal David’s “I Just Don’t Know What to Do With Myself.” These early Hayes recordings brilliantly showcase his indomitable skills as an arranger — as he places familiar themes into fresh contexts and perspectives. For example, his lengthy one-sided dialogue that prefaces “I Stand Accused” is halting in its candor as Hayes depicts an aching soul who longs for his best friend’s fiancée. Even the most hard-hearted can’t help but have sympathy pains as he unravels his sordid emotional agony and anguish. Hayes’ lyrical orchestration totally reinvents the structure of “Something” — which includes several extended instrumental sections — incorporating equally expressive contributions from John Blair (violin). Both “I Just Don’t Know What to Do With Myself” and the comparatively short (at under six minutes) “One Big Unhappy Family” are more traditionally arranged ballads. Hayes again tastefully incorporates both string and horn sections to augment the languid rhythm, providing contrasting textures rather than gaudy adornment.

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SACD

Isaac Hayes – Shaft: Music From The Soundtrack (1971) [Reissue 2004] [SACD / Stax – SXSA-88002-6]

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Isaac Hayes - Shaft: Music From The Soundtrack (1971) [Reissue 2004]

Title: Isaac Hayes – Shaft: Music From The Soundtrack (1971) [Reissue 2004]
Genre: Soundtrack
Format: SACD ISO + DSF DSD64 + Hi-Res FLAC

Isaac Hayes was undoubtedly one of the era’s most accomplished soul artists. With the Theme From Shaft, Hayes delivered an anthem just as ambitious and revered as the film itself, a song that has only grown more treasured over the years, after having been an enormously popular hit at the time of its release. This CD features cinematic moments of instrumentation, composed and produced by Hayes while being performed by the Bar-Kays – some down-tempo, others quite jazzy.

Of the many wonderful blaxpoitation soundtracks to emerge during the early ’70s, Shaft certainly deserves mention as not only one of the most lasting but also one of the most successful. Isaac Hayes was undoubtedly one of the era’s most accomplished soul artists, having helped elevate Stax to its esteemed status; therefore, his being chosen to score such a high-profile major-studio film shouldn’t seem like a surprise. And with “Theme from Shaft,” he delivered an anthem just as ambitious and revered as the film itself, a song that has only grown more treasured over the years, after having been an enormously popular hit at the time of its release. Besides this song, though, there aren’t too many more radio-targeted moments here. “Soulsville” operates effectively as the sort of downtempo ballad Hayes was most known for, just as the almost 20-minute “Do Your Thing” showcased just how impressive the Bar-Kays had become, stretching the song to unseen limits with their inventive, funky jamming. For the most part, though, this double-LP features nothing but cinematic moments of instrumentation, composed and produced by Hayes while being performed by the Bar-Kays — some downtempo, others quite jazzy, nothing too funky, though. Even if it’s not quite as enjoyable as Curtis Mayfield’s Superfly due to its emphasis on instrumentals, Shaft still remains a powerful record; one of Hayes’ pinnacle moments for sure.

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SACD

Isaac Hayes – Hot Buttered Soul (1969) [MFSL 2003] [SACD / Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab – UDSACD 2005]

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Isaac Hayes - Hot Buttered Soul (1969) [MFSL 2003]

Title: Isaac Hayes – Hot Buttered Soul (1969) [MFSL 2003]
Genre: Funk, Soul
Format: SACD ISO + Hi-Res FLAC

Released at the tail end of the ’60s, Hot Buttered Soul set the precedent for how soul would evolve in the early ’70s, simultaneously establishing Isaac Hayes and the Bar-Kays as major forces within black music. Though not quite as definitive as Black Moses or as well-known as Shaft, Hot Buttered Soul remains an undeniably seminal record; it stretched its songs far beyond the traditional three-to-four-minute industry norm, featured long instrumental stretches where the Bar-Kays stole the spotlight, and it introduced a new, iconic persona for soul with Hayes’ tough yet sensual image. With the release of this album, Motown suddenly seemed manufactured and James Brown a bit too theatrical. Surprising many, the album features only four songs. The first, “Walk on By,” is an epic 12-minute moment of true perfection, its trademark string-laden intro just dripping with syrupy sentiment, and the thumping mid-tempo drum beat and accompanying bassline instilling a complementary sense of nasty funk to the song; if that isn’t enough to make it an amazing song, Hayes’ almost painful performance brings yet more feeling to the song, with the guitar’s heavy vibrato and the female background singers taking the song to even further heights. The following three songs aren’t quite as stunning but are still no doubt impressive: “Hyperbolicsyllabicsequedalymistic” trades in sappy sentiment for straight-ahead funk, highlighted by a stomping piano halfway through the song; “One Woman” is the least epic moment, clocking in at only five minutes, but stands as a straightforward, well-executed love ballad; and finally, there’s the infamous 18-minute “By the Time I Get to Phoenix” and its lengthy monologue which slowly eases you toward the climactic, almost-orchestral finale, a beautiful way to end one of soul’s timeless, landmark albums, the album that transformed Hayes into a lifelong icon.

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SACD

Isao Tomita – Space Fantasy (2015) [SACD / Denon – COZQ-1023-4]

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Isao Tomita - Space Fantasy (2015)

Title: Isao Tomita – Space Fantasy (2015)
Genre: Electronic, Classical
Format: MCH SACD ISO

This hybrid SACD contains stereo and 4.0 multi-channel audio and I think it’s fantastic! Tomita was 83 when he re-arranged and re-mixed his Kosmos album for SACD. I think it’s remarkable that he was still working, but I feel I must reluctantly share why you may want to skip this one…

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SACD

Isao Tomita – Planets Ultimate Edition (2011) [SACD / Denon – COGQ-51]

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Isao Tomita - Planets Ultimate Edition (2011)

Title: Isao Tomita – Planets Ultimate Edition (2011)
Genre: Electronic, Classical
Format: MCH SACD ISO

This hybrid SACD contains stereo and 4.0 multi-channel audio and I think it’s fantastic! In essence, Tomita’s The Planets is an electronic rendition of The Planets by Gustav Holst. The idea of messing with a classic like The Planets might offend some, but not me – I love it! His interpretation is incredibly imaginative and works a treat because each piece manages to capture some of the mood and emotion of the original as scored by Holst, yet also adds something to make it sound truly special. Not only does it work tremendously well as a piece of music, it sounds great too i.e. it sounds spectacular in stereo and multi-channel, as hi-res music should.

This was the most controversial Tomita album, where he uses Holst’s spectacular, mystical suite The Planets as a launching pad for what amounts to a simulated spaceship trip through the solar system. Hence the title The Tomita Planets, which did not deter the Holst estate from trying (unsuccessfully) to pull this recording off the market at the time. When Tomita sticks to what Holst wrote, he follows every turn and bend of the score, save for a big cut in the last part of Jupiter and an eviscerated Uranus that nearly disappears altogether. Moreover, the music — especially Venus — often does lend itself to an electronic space flight fantasy, with Tomita’s arsenal of phase-shifting, flanging, pitch-bending, envelope following and reversing choral effects and more on full display. It’s the stuff between movements that provoked the purists — the campy simulated mission control communications and electronic blastoff prior to Mars and the “noises” of space flight scattered throughout (including a nasty asteroid belt between Jupiter and Saturn). The most questionable idea was that of playing Jupiter’s grand central theme on a tinkly electronic music box as a way to open and close the record — which some will find satirical, others touching, still others tasteless. Indeed, Tomita seems to have it in for British pomp; when this theme is played within the context of Jupiter, he interrupts it with electronic chatter between mission control and the spaceship. Ultimately, The Tomita Planets is still good electronic fun, and it launched a series of space-themed concept albums by this electronic astronaut. ~ Richard S. Ginell

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SACD

Isao Tomita – Moussorgsky-Tomita: Pictures At An Exhibition (1975/2014) [SACD / Denon – COGQ-67]

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Isao Tomita - Moussorgsky-Tomita: Pictures At An Exhibition (1975/2014)

Title: Isao Tomita – Moussorgsky-Tomita: Pictures At An Exhibition (1975/2014)
Genre: Electronic, Classical
Format: MCH SACD ISO

This hybrid SACD contains stereo and 4.0 multi-channel audio and I think it’s fantastic! For this album TOMITA created some of the most unusual, high quality electronic sounds ever heard. Then he used these sounds very effectively in some amazing orchestrations. The listening is as enjoyable as it is bizarre, quite an accomplishment in itself.

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SACD

Isao Tomita – Okhotsk Fantasy (2016) [SACD / Columbia – COGQ-89]

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Isao Tomita - Okhotsk Fantasy (2016)

Title: Isao Tomita – Okhotsk Fantasy (2016)
Genre: Electronic, Classical
Format: MCH SACD ISO

This hybrid SACD contains stereo and 4.1 multi-channel audio and I think it’s fantastic! Many of us Tomita fans wondered why he put a mono recording of an old cartoon on the OKHOTSK FANTASY album, instead of doing a DAPHNIS AND CHLOE – ULTIMATE EDITION in discrete 4.1 channel Quadraphonic sound… Now it is clear, the OKHOTSK FANTASY album was his last. It was released in March 2016, and he passed away two months later. So he probably wasn’t able to finish it. Knowing this, we can wish that he had started putting his Quadraphonic albums on SACD sooner, but we can’t blame him for the last two SACDs, because he was 83 and 84 when he did them.

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SACD

Isao Suzuki Quartet – Blue City (1974) [Japan 2006] [SACD / Three Blind Mice – MHCP 10036]

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Isao Suzuki Quartet - Blue City (1974) [Japan 2006]

Title: Isao Suzuki Quartet – Blue City (1974) [Japan 2006]
Genre:
Format: SACD ISO + DSF DSD64 + Hi-Res FLAC

Another fine example of Japanese jazz from the mid-1970s, this set is led by cellist and bassist Isao Suzuki and features the earliest recorded performances of guitarist Kazumi Watanabe. Four tracks make up the recording, of which two are covers, the opening standard “Body and Soul” (complete with opening melody played on the bass) and “Play Fiddle Play,” and two originals, which stack up very well against such classic material. This set was a follow-up to a huge breakthrough album for Suzuki called Blow Up, recorded a year earlier in 1973.

Along with his standard setup with Watanabe, pianist Kunihiko Sugano, and Tetsujiroh Obara on drums, Suzuki, in order to use the cello more fully within the small group setting, added bassist Nobuyoshi Ino on two tracks, including “Body and Soul.” What’s most compelling about the music made in Japan during that era is that the notion that all jazz had to swing, swing, swing seems almost perverse now in contrast to the stilted, dated sounding riffs that the current American jazzmen heralded as saviors of the music. While free jazz, groove jazz, and jazz/rock fusion were sweeping the popular template in America and Europe, the Japanese, as evidenced here, were listening with reverence (perhaps too much) to the roots of the music. “Body and Soul” and “Play Fiddle Play” have been done by so many hundreds of artists, that it’s tough to stack up these versions except to say that they are played with aplomb and emotion. But it’s the originals that make Suzuki’s group stand out and sound current even in the 21st century. “45th Street (at 8th Ave.)” features the cello as a saxophone, coursing through the melody with fluidity and grace, creating a resonant mode for the band to climb in under. Ino’s bass is a lovely counterpart to the tinny sound of the cello being played pizzicato, and Watanabe sounds like Wes Montgomery in his George Shearing days. The rest is as gently swinging and solid with the band becoming a quartet with Suzuki on bass for the last two tracks. In all, it’s no masterpiece, but it is an excellent jazz record, made at a time when jazz as it was known in the 1950s and 1960s was a memory. And that it sounds current today is a testament in itself to its quality.

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