Whats on your turntable tonight?

Tonight...

Holst: Savitri, a Chamber opera in one act
Holst: Choral Hymns from the Rig Veda
...Imogen Holst conducting the English Chamber Orchestra and Purcell Singers, with Janet Baker, Thomas Hemsley, Robert Tear. Argo ZNF 6, recorded 1965. I've owned this record for 25 years and enjoy it immensely. Harry Pearson had this on his list for many years for the Choral Hymns. They're nice, the Purcell Singers and harp accompaniment are excellently rendered, but it's the Savitri for which you need to get this record. This recording is one of the clearest examples in my collection of soundstage width, depth and layering - and it's great example of when excellent reproduction of soundstaging can really add to the realism of a recording because the three vocalists move up, down and across the stage during the course of the performance.

Copy number 2 of the above. Yep, its a duplicate and I need to decide to keep one and find a home for the others. So far, it's been a toss-up between identical pressings. Copy 3 is an older pressing, but I'll have to get to it later.

Piano Works of Debussy and Ravel, Ivan Moravec, Connossieur Society CS2010 (Athena reissue ALSY 10002). If you don't know these recordings Moravec made in the 1960s for the Connoisseur Society label, you really need to check them out if you have any love for piano, Debussy, Ravel or Chopin. The series includes some of the most intelligent piano playing of this (or the last) century by one of the greatest pianists, and they have some of the best and most natural recorded piano sound available. Moravec is certainly my favorite pianist.
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Rushton: RE your observation about most folks never having heard a harpsichord live, it is true that my earliest exposure to the instrument was an actual harpsichord, at the house of friends of my parents when I was a little kid. Though they didn't live in my neighborhood, their son and I were occasional playmates until maybe around age 8, so I had many opportunities so indulge my facsination for this instrument (which was how I felt from first sight/listen). I don't recall anybody from their family actually playing the thing though - it just looked so neat, and I would dink away on it until somebody got fed up and pried me off the bench. Contrast that with the piano (not that I don't love the piano today), which I was made to take lessons on and pretty much despised at around the same ages (except for jazz on my Dad's records).

I know a luthier in Paris - she's primarily reknowned for her period-style viola da gambas - who's made some awesomely beautiful Baroque harpsichords, but even if I could afford to commision one, I'm too late. She hasn't made one in probably close to 20 years; I think they're just too time-consuming, with too little demand, and she says she doesn't foresee ever doing another.

BTW, I'm a nut for harpsichord in pop contexts as well, which was a brief fad in the early-to-mid-60's. The Left Banke ("Walk Away Renee", known for its use of a string section) made a few good recordings featuring harpsichord. It remained popular as a movie soundtrack instrument through the late 60's and into the early 70's. One particular fav is a jazzy early-60's Henry Mancini bachelor-pad instro record called "Combo!, with lucsious RCA studio stereo sound, on which I believe Hank foregoes piano entirely in favor of harpsichord. It's the very definition of "ginchy"!

Nostalgia for the rainy evening, Hiroshima's first two - Self-titled and Odori.

Record Hop Time! I've been remiss to not list any of the 45's spun chez Zaikesman. Here's a good chunk of tonight's mostly 50's and 60's Rhythm'n'Blues stack, in no particular order. Set the preamp to mono and let 'em rip:

Willie West - Greatest Love b/w Hello Mama [Deesu]
Johnny Acey - I Go Into Orbit b/w What Am I Going To Do [Fling]
Lee Roy Little - Hurry Baby, Please Come Home b/w Let Me Go Home, Whiskey [Cee-Jay]
The Val-Chords - Candy Store Love b/w You're Laughing At Me [Gametime]
Mr. Bear and Jack Dupree - Walking The Blues b/w Daybreak Rock [King]
Bill Robinson and The Quails - The Cow b/w Take Me Back, Baby [American]
Chuck Leonard - Nobody But You Girl b/w Diddley Do [Crackerjack]
The Capers - Candy Store Blues b/w High School Diploma [Vee-Jay]
The Du Droppers - I Wanna Know b/w Laughing Blues [RCA Victor]
Rosco Gordon - Goin' Home b/w Just A Little Bit [Vee-Jay]
Freddie Bell and The Bellboys - I Said It And I'm Glad b/w Ding Dong [Wing]
Sam Hawkins - Hold On Baby b/w Bad As They Come [Blue Cat]
Billy Guy - Whip It On Me Baby b/w Women [Double L]
Lightin' Slim - Hoo Doo Blues b/w It's Mighty Crazy [Excello]
The Strollers - Crowded Classroom b/w We're Strollin' [Warner]
Gene and Eunice - Move It Over, Baby b/w This Is My Story [Aladdin]
Lee Edward and His Continentals - (I've Gotta Have Her) Need I Say More b/w (I'm Gonna) Be My Own Boss [Lantic Gold]
James Rivers - Bird Brain b/w Tighten Up [Eight-Ball]
The Four Tees - I Said She Said b/w Like My Baby [Vee-Jay]
Stoney Jackson and The V-Eights - Let's Take A Chance (And See) b/w Hot Water [Vibro]
Lula Reed - Rock Love b/w I'm Gone, Yes I'm Gone [King]
The Emperors - Karate b/w I've Got To Have Her [Mala]
"Candy" Phillips - Timber, Pts. 1 & 2 [Atlantic]
The Rivingtons - Weejee Walk b/w Fairy Tales [Liberty]
Bobby Marchan - Shake Your Tamborine b/w Just Be Yourself [Cameo]
The Sh-Booms - Short Skirts b/w Blue Moon [Atlantic]
The Pentagons - Down At The Beach b/w To Be Loved (Forever) [Donna]
Gil Blanding - La Ta Ta b/w Rules [Ready]
Barry and The Vikings - I Love You Yes I Do b/w Last Night [Jamie]
Bobby Moore and The Rhythm Aces - Hey, Mr. D.J. b/w Searching For My Love [Checker]
Barrett Strong - Yes, No, Maybe So b/w You Knows What To Do [Anna]
The Stokes - Young Man, Old Man b/w One Mint Julep [Alon]

PS - The occasional slow B-side might not get listened to all the way through... ;^)

Lots of Gram Parsons for this evening. International Submarine Band, G.P., Grievous Angel, Another Side of This Life and Sweetheart of the Rodeo. All of them 180g re-issues except for the Byrds LP. Has Sundazed or another company re-released it on quality vinyl?

Can't get enough of the lonesome cosmic american music.