Whats on your turntable tonight?

Bach/Vivaldi "Sonatos & Concertos" Helicon Ensemble (Reference Recordings RR-23)

Ray Brown/Laurindo Almeida "Moonlight Serenade" (Jeton JET 33 004) A direct to disc recording featuring bassist Ray Brown and guitarist Laurindo Almeida. Superbly recorded with outstanding sonics, and, a medly version of Almeida playing Beethoven's "Moonlight Sonata" with Ray Brown weaving in and out playing the jazz standard "Round Midnight" on the bass.

William Ackerman "Passage" (Windham Hill WH 1014) Pieces for acoustic guitar with some duet work featuring other artists from the Windham Hill lable. A fairly early digitally recorded LP, but what makes this one interesting is that it was mastered by Stan Ricker at MFSL, pressed at RTI, and done on Quiex heavy vinyl. Windham Hill had the right idea for QC in 1981, and it shows. The surface is quiet, the master is not bad for an early digital to LP effort.

On the menu tonight

Holst "The Perfect Fool"/"Egdon Heath" Boult/London PO (London
CS 6324 "Blueback" original pressing)

Antill "Corroboree" Goossens/London Symphony Orchestra (Everest SDBR 3003)

It's a rainy day here in CA so the stereo is going to get a workout. On right now is Messian's amazing maxi-opera St. Francis conduced by Kent Nagano, which will take the next 4 hours. My wide and I saw it performed in San Francisco last year and, frankly, something this long is easier to enjoy on disk than having to sit still in a coat and tie for all that time! Then, if the mailman brings it today, Tom Russell's new CD, Hotwalker.

Neither are on vinyl or likely ever to be, but don't let that stop anyone.

I've been listening to a 1980 Deutsche Grammophon LP of Vivaldi's L'Estro Armonico, it's a 3 LP boxed set and an excellent recording with very nice imaging of the violins. I know there are many different recordings of these concertos - I'd be very interested to know if anyone has recommendations for other LP, CD or SACD releases.

Tonnesen, Christopher Hogwood's performance with Monica Huggett and the Academy of Ancient Music is a very nice performance and very well recorded. Huggett is superb as the violin soloist. As originally issued on L'Oiseau Lyre in a 3 LP set, the LP version has exceptionally good sound quality. I've not heard the CD reissue that I've linked above.
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