Free

Amazon.com
On Free, Alex Bugnon continues in the direction taken on 2003’s Southern Living, working in Atlanta with producer and fellow-keyboardist Phil Davis. Together they’re emphasizing a lighter, spacious, more natural sound. They’ve continued to reduce the heavy synthesizer tracks, spotlighting Bugnon’s acoustic piano and Fender Rhodes with strong melodies, light funk grooves and bright percussive detail. The band is made up of crack session players, including strong contributions from soprano saxophonist Vincent Henry, who coils in and out of the title track, and bassist Victor Bailey. Davis’s production values come to the fore here, adding rhythmic insinuation with exotic world-beat detail on tracks like "Sierra Leone." As usual, Bugnon’s piano sound has a special resonance. Whether it’s the percolating "Fingertips," the sultry "Pillow Talk" or the deep soul groove of "Downtime," Bugnon creates some soulful, floating moods here, reaching a career high in the process. --Stuart Broomer

Free,Alex Bugnon,Narada,Crossover Jazz,Jazz,Pop,Smooth Jazz,United States of America

Average customer rating: Masterpiece Coltrane does it again! Rookie Coltrane Listener Deeply moving... Indispensable to all music listeners

A Love Supreme John Coltrane Manufacturer: Impulse Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Avant Garde & Free Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music Bebop General | Bebop | Jazz | Styles | Music Hard Bop | Bebop | Jazz | Styles | Music General | Jazz | Styles | Music Modern Postbebop | Jazz | Styles | Music Impulse | Verve Music Group | Specialty Stores | Music $7.99 and Under | Blowout Music | Stores | Music Pop | Styles | Blowout Music | Stores | Music Jazz | Styles | Blowout Music | Stores | Music All Blowout Music | Blowout Music | Stores | Music $7.99 and Under | Prices | Blowout Music | Stores | Music More Titles at Least 25% Off | Blowout Music | Stores | Music Similar Items: Kind of Blue Birth of the Cool Mingus Ah Um Time Out My Favorite Things ASIN: B0000A118M Release Date: 2003-08-19

Tracks:

1. Acknowledgement
2. Resolution
3. Pursuance
4. Psalm

Amazon.com

A Love Supreme is a suite about redemption, a work of pure spirit and song, that encapsulates all the struggles and aspirations of the 1960s. Following hard on the heels of the lyrical, swinging Crescent, A Love Supreme heralded Coltrane's search for spiritual and musical freedom, as expressed through polyrhythms, modalities, and purely vertical forms that seemed strange to some jazz purists, but which captivated more adventurous listeners (and rock fellow travelers such as the Jimi Hendrix Experience, Cream, and the Byrds), while initiating a series of volatile, unruly prayer offerings, including Kulu Su Mama, Ascension, Om, Meditations, Expression, Interstellar Space. From the urgent speech-like timbre of his tenor, to the serpentine textures and earthy groove of Elvin Jones's drumming, Coltrane's suite proceeds with escalating intensity, conveying a hard-fought wisdom and a beckoning serenity in the prayer-like drones of "Psalm," where Jones rolls and rumbles like thunder as Garrison and Tyner toll away suggestively--all the while Coltrane searches for that one climactic note worthy of the love he wants to share. --Chip Stern

Customer Reviews:

Masterpiece.......2007-06-26

There is nothing I can add to what has already been said about this recording. Simply amazing and will always withstand the test of time.

Coltrane does it again!.......2007-06-11

This is one of the top 5 albums of all time. Coltrane is on fire, McCoy is on fire, Jimmy Garrison is on fire, and Elvin is murderous. Out of all of tunes, my fav is Pursuance. It's passionate, has a hard bopish-avantgarde feel and yet it still swings. Out of the park!

Rookie Coltrane Listener.......2007-05-26

For years my very good friend who prides himself on being a music aficionado and "snob", much like Jack Black's character in High Fidelity, has been raving about John Coltrane and a "Love Supreme". I however, have been firmly encamped in the classic rock, blues and pop of the 50's, 60's & 70's. I always felt the jazz style that Coltrane and others of that genre played, was way above my head. Though I appreciated the musicianship to the degree I could, I didn't particularly care for it. I didn't "get it".

But now as I reach the half-way point in my fifties, I wanted to force my self to listen and try to see just what it is about Coltrane that so many folks find extrodinary. So my friend recommended A Love Supreme. I listened and listened and virtually immersed my self in the recording until passages became familiar. Now I have a glimmer, an embryonic appreciation of the man's gift. I put it on for my 17 year old daughter and she loves it! It grows on you and I think maybe for the first time I'm experiencing what that type of jazz can do for you. Live & learn!

Deeply moving..........2007-04-20

This is a deeply spiritual album. It never ceases to move me in some way everytime I hear it. It feels so real and authentic that if you're not careful, you may shed a tear of joy or two. It's just one long suite, made by Coltrane after he kicked his heroin habit and found his soul and God again. It's not often one describes a jazz album as moving (Miles's Sketches of Spain is the only one who comes to mind), but there's really no other way to describe this wonderful, transcendent, beguiling album.

Indispensable to all music listeners.......2007-04-08

Like "Kind of Blue" this is a recording accessible to all listeners, resisting facile classifications (fusion, jazz, modal, musician's music, general public's music, etc.). Coltrane's Promethean questing sweeps up and includes the listener, taking him or her through the hero's journey, which concludes on an affirmative note of thanksgiving and peace. Moreover, the musical motifs are in themselves memorable, satisfying the listener's need for a musical stronghold in which to ground the spiritual thrust of the extra-musical religious-spiritual meanings.

Of the recordings after "A Love Supreme," "Transition" achieves a similar visionary ascent, though much of the recorded documentation of Coltrane's last two years is likely to prove inaccessible or at least less engaging to the average listener. It's music "in" but also "of" the moment, a record of pain and anger, protest and revolution, carrying an unmistakable political subtext that frequently overwhelms the main musical text.

Arguably the most influential instrumentalist of the past 50 years, Coltrane left the listener plenty of choices, should the recordings after "A Love Supreme" prove unsatisfying. "My Favorite Things" is the perfect antidote to the cloying soprano sax sound of Kenny G. (as is the soprano sax playing of the deeply expressive and moving traditionalist, Sidney Bechet). For every serious musician, however, perhaps the one recording by Coltrane that belongs at the top is "Giant Steps." Once a musician has mastered the dominant-tonic movement of popular harmonies, the next essential step is learning how to negotiate the "Giant Steps"/"Count Down" harmonic movement that Coltrane introduced. Before learning the theory, however, a listener needs to experience the stunning freshness that is its musical result. With the motivation, the theory is likely to be realized far more efficiently and effectively.

Average customer rating: Good Album They Just Came To Party Down It's a good time The Fish are Back

Monkeys for Nothin' and the Chimps for Free Reel Big Fish Manufacturer: Rock Ridge Music ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Punk | Hardcore & Punk | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Ska Punk | Hardcore & Punk | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Third Wave Ska | Ska | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Ska General | Ska | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music Similar Items: Our Live Album Is Better Than Your Live Album Duet All Night Long New Maps of Hell Keep It Going Paper Walls ASIN: B000QGE7OI Release Date: 2007-07-10

Tracks:

1. Party Down
2. Another F.U. Song
3. Live Your Dream
4. My Imaginary Friend
5. Slow Down
6. The New Version Of You
7. Will the Revolution Come?
8. Another Day In Paradise
9. Everybody's Drunk
10. Please Don't Tell Her I Have a Girlfriend
11. Way Back
12. Hate You
13. Call You
14. Why Do All Girls Think They're Fat
15. I'm Her Man
16. Til I Hit the Ground
17. Cannibal

Album Details

After More Than 15 Years of Conveying Negative Vibes, Warning Listeners About the Dangers of Being in a Band and Lamenting their Time in the Music Industry (Case in Point: The Band's Radio Hit, "Sell Out"), the Members of Southern California Ska-punk Stalwarts Reel Big Fish Want to Let the World Know of a Big Change: They're Finally Happy. The Self-produced Monkeys for Nothin' and the Chimps for Free is Reel Big Fish's First Independent Studio Album Since Leaving their Former Label and it Finds the Members of Reel Big Fish Doing Things their Way. In Fact, it features Material Done their Way, from Quite a Long Ways Back.

Customer Reviews:

Good Album.......2007-07-16

just bought the album and i like it, i dont think it is their best work, but seriously its great.

They Just Came To Party Down.......2007-07-13

Reel Big Fish couldn't have picked a better mission statement for new album "Monkeys for Nothin' and the Chimps for Free" than lead track "Party Down." In addition to boldly stating that "[Reel Big Fish] just came to party down," the hyperactive romp offers a smorgasbord of musical styles from disco to country to glam rock. Casual RBF fans may identify this diversity only with the band's practice of playing their many versions of "S.R." live, but it's really been a hallmark of their studio work since "Why Do They Rock So Hard."

This album's best moments continue in Reel Big Fish's tradition of mixing ska energy with other musical conventions and interesting arrangements, from "My Imaginary Friend" - which sounds like the theme song from a children's show about atheism - to "Please Don't Tell Her I Have A Girlfriend," where the band sounds like They Might Be Giants and Billy Joel teaming up to sing a sweet drinking sway about infidelity (from the cheater's point of view, of course). It's also hard not to crack a smile during the hair metal guitar solo on "Drunk Tonight" (And, if not during the solo, at least during the hilarious Twisted Sister breakdown). Album closer "Cannibal" is another standout, as Reel Big Fish unleashes their inner Oingo Boingo for about three-and-a-half minutes before launching into an epic heavy metal epilogue.

RBF has a strong contingent of fans who (for whatever reason) profess only to like the band's first two albums. These traditionalists will enjoy the more straightforward ska-punk of "Another F.U. Song," "Live Your Dream," and "The New Version of You," not to mention a cover of Phil Collins's "Another Day in Paradise," danceable tracks that hearken back to the band's roots in the 1990s ska explosion.

Though the mood on this CD is lighter than other RBF efforts, lead singer Aaron Barrett still exudes some of his trademark pessimism. Not only does he ponder life in a godless universe, but he also notes in "Will the Revolution Come?" that "each generation's mess is bigger than the one before them has made."

MFNATCFF also includes re-recordings of old songs reaching as far back as "Everything Sucks," and even a pre-"Everything Sucks" demo. "Hate You," "Call You," "I'm Her Man," and "'Til I Hit The Ground" all sound ten times better on this disc, aided largely by the addition of Scott Klopfestein's excellent backing vocals, which have been one of RBF's best features since "Turn the Radio Off." It doesn't hurt that they've been re-recorded on such a clean-sounding album, which is a refreshing change from "We're Not Happy...," a disc whose vocals could have been recorded in a port-a-potty using an iBook's onboard microphone. Highly recommended!

It's a good time.......2007-07-13

This album is nothing less of a good, fun, energetic ska album. However, it's barely more. The new songs that were written for this album are fun to sing along to and make us longtime Reel Big Fish fans happy because of the abundance of upstrokes and horns, but after a few listens, the songs start to get boring. When I first heard this album, I was putting it right up there with Why Do They Rock So Hard? and Turn the Radio Off, but then a week or two later I started to realize how generic some of these songs are.

However, in the end this album is saved by the last few tracks which include mostly re-recorded songs off of Everything Sucks, and they sound amazing, and completely original because they were written when Reel Big Fish hadn't run out of material to write about. But don't take this review and my negativity the wrong way. It's a very good album, and there are some amazing songs on here, re-recorded and new, but it's apparent how little time they spent on it which was said to be just around a few months.

Overall, I loved to see that Reel Big Fish has made a full return to their ska roots, and the only thing this album is short of is just a pinch of originality and it'd be a 5 star album no doubt. Definitely check this one out!

The Fish are Back.......2007-07-12

Lets face the facts. Reel Big Fish's last true album was the downright disappointing "We're Not Happy 'Til You're Not Happy." It had a few gems in it, but it quickly grew stale after track 5 or so. "Cheer Up," which was before that, introduced our fellow Fish to a slightly different Ska-Punk / Ska-Pop sound, with slightly more 'teenage nerd-slash-loser"-esque lyrics. And you couldn't deny it with songs called 'Dateless Losers" and "What Are Friends For." But Cheer Up was still a great album in its own sense, but it didn't have that RBF sound many fans were used to listening to.

Now, after a few years, a great live album, a worthless Greatest Hits album released by the evil mind monkeys at Jive, Reel Big Fish are back. Now here is a disclaimer: Not all of these songs are "new" songs; some of them are past songs that have been redone. But that just adds to this albums greatness. RBF truely return to form in this album, and by form I mean the "Sell Out" days. The ska rhythm makes a comeback for RBF. Where as the past 2 albums have been full of power chords and have drifted away from the whole ska beat, this album finally brings it back.

And its orgasmic. Bottom line, this is far from RBF's best album, but my todays ridiculous music standards, this album is a pure gem. If you are a Fish fan, you need to get it, no matter what.

Average customer rating: Okay but definately 70's sounding Oldie but a Goodie I still remember all the words Still fresh and new Still great after all these years!

Free to Be You and Me Marlo Thomas Manufacturer: Arista ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Children's Music | Styles | Music Educational | Children's Music | Styles | Music Stories | Children's Music | Styles | Music Sing-A-Longs | Children's Music | Styles | Music General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music Similar Items: Free to Be You and Me Free to Be You and Me The Johnny Cash Children's Album Best of Schoolhouse Rock Really Rosie (1975 Television Special) ASIN: B000F2CC0E Release Date: 2006-05-09

Tracks:

1. Free To Be You And Me - The New Seekers
2. Boy Meets Girl - Mel Brooks and Marlo Thomas
3. When We Grow Up - Diana Ross
4. Don't Dress Your Cat In An Apron - Billy De Wolfe
5. Parents Are People - Harry Belafonte and Marlo Thomas
6. Housework - Carol Channing
7. Helping - Tom Smothers
8. Ladies First - Marlo Thomas
9. Dudley Pippin And The Principal - Billy De Wolfe, Marko Thomas, Bobby Morse
10. It's All Right To Cry - Rosey Grier
11. Sisters And Brothers - Sisters and Brothers
12. My Dog Is A Plumber - Dick Cavett
13. William's Doll - Alan Alda and Marlo Thomas
14. Atlanta - Alan Alda and Marlo Thomas
15. Grandma - Diana Sands
16. Girl Land - Jack Cassidy and Shirley Jones
17. Dudley Pippin And His No-Friend - Bobby Morse and Marlo Thomas
18. Glad To Have A Friend Like You - Marlo Thomas
19. Free To Be...You And Me - The New Seekers

Amazon.com

There are thousands upon thousands of children's albums out there, but the one that quietly left its mark with more '70s children than perhaps any other album was this disc. Free to Be...You and Me was a pet project of proud feminist Marlo Thomas (a.k.a. "That Girl"), and it was born--according to the liner notes--by the desire to provide her niece with music "to celebrate who she was and who she could be." Harry Belafonte sings "Parents Are People," ex-football great Rosie Grier offers an incredible, touching melody titled "It's All Right to Cry," and Diana Ross waxes future-positive on "When We Grow Up." A great hour of brain food for young--and not-so-young--children. --Denise Sheppard

Customer Reviews:

Okay but definately 70's sounding.......2007-07-10

I remembered this from childhood so I bought it. It's okay but you don't want to listen to it over & over, the songs and skits get irksome after the first run through. Not actually all songs, some short skits - a lot to do with gender equality wich is good but not alltogether entertaining... I prefer Billy Jonas - What Kind of Cat Are You!!!

Oldie but a Goodie.......2007-06-27

This title was great when my children were children; now they're adults with children of their own, and it's still great. We keep it in the player in the car for when the grandkids ride with us along with Peter, Paul and Mommy and Peter, Paul, and Mommy Too. The grandkids enjoy it just as much as our kids did.

I still remember all the words.......2007-05-24

Every time I hear these songs, it takes me back to my very first Fisher Price record player! I can still sing along with every song. My husband thinks the collection is a bit cheesey, and he is probably right. But that never stopped me from loving the best memories of my childhood. We are buying the collection for our children for sure!

Still fresh and new.......2007-05-12

Not literally fresh and new, perhaps, but thirty years ago when I was first listening to this on vinyl, I never would have imagined that the message would still be essential in the 21st century. I've been buying copies for the kids of all my friends and relatives, because I hope that the more people listen to this growing up, the more likely that eventually we'll live in a world where this CD isn't needed.

Still great after all these years! .......2007-03-14

An early birthday gift for my daughter (to be nine in April '07) - she can't get enough of this CD! After one listen, she was quoting bits and bites and getting up to hit "repeat" on the CD player. Cool.

My sister and I loved it as kids and though it's a teeny bit dated, the messages are sound, clear, and still 'work' today. The comedy is great for all ages(who can beat Mel Brooks and Alan Alda?)
So, my review says: get it! Listen ofen! And give it to someone you love!

Average customer rating: Wonderful a little story of the little puppies who could. More Sick Puppies! Not a bad buy... Great music with good songwriting!

Dressed Up As Life Sick Puppies Manufacturer: Virgin Records Us ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Emo | Hardcore & Punk | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Post Grunge | American Alternative | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Australia & New Zealand | International | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music Similar Items: Sick Puppies Southern Weather Vena Sera Lies for the Liars Minutes to Midnight ASIN: B000NJL502 Release Date: 2007-04-03

Tracks:

1. My World
2. Pitiful
3. Cancer
4. What Are You Looking For
5. Deliverance
6. All The Same
7. Too Many Words
8. Howard's Tale
9. Asshole Father
10. Issues
11. Anywhere But Here
12. The Bottom

Customer Reviews:

Wonderful.......2007-06-28

I am in love with this CD... it is almost aways in my CD player

a little story of the little puppies who could........2007-05-19

few people into the sick puppies outside australia would know that dressed up as life is actually the bands second LP. they're first LP was called 'welcome to the realworld' and released on transistor records who dropped the band after the cd wasn't a breakout hit like it should of been.

i've been into the pups since they we're discovered on Triple J with the song nothing really matters. (JJJ is OZ's largest and best youth radio station.) that first album and the follow up EP 'FLY' are both awesome and ironically no longer in print which is a shame. although since i own original copies of both means they are probly worth alot now that the puppies have been shot to stardom thanks to youtube and a little song called 'all the same'.

anyway that earlier work was brilliantly layered songwriting. it was alot more angrier and beautiful than D.U.A.L but completely ignored and unpopular. this was mainly due to the bands sound being to heavy and full of swearing - a big no-no for commercial radio (case in point google the lyrics for 'rock kids')

they were soon dropped by the label and fell into obscurity. i genuinly thought it would be the last of the pups but i heard rumours they had moved to LA to colaborate with muso's. several years later a free hugs campaign filmed by singer/guitarist shimon to the bands song 'all the same' hit you tube and was an overnight success.

this was my first taste of the sick puppies new songs and sound which was completely noticible straight away to me. i want to make it clear that i really like the bands new album (hence the 4 stars) and am excited this little aussie 3 piece could crack the hard international market. and all they had to do was keep the same great songwriting, just tone down the language and up the ballads. the lyrics in D.U.A.L are ok but some are lame and slightly emo (i'm sure gerard way could of written the lyrics for pitiful.) regardless this album has some great songs and is completely solid, personal favourites include my world, what are you looking for, all the same, too many words and cancer.

anyway congratulations sick puppies, i'm proud. and cheers 4 reading.

More Sick Puppies!.......2007-05-18

Excellent..I enjoyed every cut. Not going to compare them to anyone tho a couple of other indie bands spring to mind. Looking forward to hearing more from down-under.

Not a bad buy..........2007-05-16

A quality album with a few top notch songs. In a nutshell, however, most of the songs aren't as great as "All The Same" -- which is probably what brought the album to your attention in the first place. That being said, at least a couple other tracks such as "World" and "Deliverance" make it well worth the buy. I wouldn't hesitate to see them live and still recommend the album.

Great music with good songwriting!.......2007-05-13

Saw these guys live in concert...then saw their "Free Hugs" video online (check it out) - really solid rock with genuine emotion. Highly recommend (especially the lyrics to "Cancer")!

Average customer rating: this is really cheesy music... One of my favorites EVER! Good music! Ageless Sounds All surface

The Köln Concert Keith Jarrett Manufacturer: Ecm Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Avant Garde & Free Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music Bebop General | Bebop | Jazz | Styles | Music General | Jazz | Styles | Music Modern Postbebop | Jazz | Styles | Music Modern Postbebop | Live Albums | Jazz | Styles | Music General | Live Albums | Jazz | Styles | Music General | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music ECM Classical | ECM Records | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music ECM Jazz & World | ECM Records | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music Similar Items: The Carnegie Hall Concert The Melody At Night, With You Paris Concert La Scala Vienna Concert ASIN: B0000262WI Release Date: 1999-11-16

Tracks:

1. Part I
2. Part II a
3. Part II b
4. Part II c

Amazon.com essential recording

A musical chameleon, pianist Keith Jarrett was at his finest when he recorded these sustained solo improvisations in a German concert hall in 1975, the first lasting 26 minutes, the second 40. Melodies and rhythmic figures arise fluidly from his fingers as he moves from one idea to another, while his strong left hand is often used for repeated motifs that generate a rolling hypnotic power. This couples with strongly consonant harmonies to impart the flavor of gospel music at times, dance musics and Debussy at others. Above all, it's Jarrett's ability to knit all of his moods and wanderings into an almost seamless tapestry of warm and tuneful ideas that gives this music its enduring appeal. --Stuart Broomer

Customer Reviews:

this is really cheesy music..........2007-06-23

...and it's as pure piano playing it's absolutely awful. Nothing but ENDLESSLY repeated riffs overlaid with harmonically elementary noodling. No harmonic tension, no structure, no imagination, no technique. It might make decent background music at an all you can eat buffet, however. Pure kitsch from beginning to end.

One of my favorites EVER!.......2007-04-23

I first heard this in the late 70s and thought it was nice, but a bit boring. Then I heard it again and liked it more. Gradually I have fallen completely in love with it. I am captivated by the way the different tracks build and grow and fall back again, but mostly it's the emotional energy you feel from Jarret himself. I also have "La Scala" and some other things he has done, but nothing quite matches this for me. I don't know how many times I have given it to people or recommended it.

Good music!.......2007-03-19

I like the consert and its variations of sound. It is rare to hear musicans reaction to his work.

Ageless Sounds.......2007-02-18

The Koln Concert's improvisations highlight Jarrett's skills and passion. Truly ageless music that continues to provide pleasure to the lovers of jazz piano.

All surface.......2007-01-15

The playing on this album is pretentiousness masquerading as profundity. Jarrett can set a nice groove, but then he simply falls in love with it, and self-indulgently persists to a point where I want to scream "Get off of it!" He tosses in some pretty decorations along ther way, and a few shouts and grunts now and then to show us how moved he is by this music, but it all adds up to an immensely forgettable experience.

Average customer rating: Actually, this is pretty good "Giant Steps" "Equinox" and "My Favorite Things" are enough for 10 stars alone. The Very Best of John Coltrane -- Not To Be Missed! All The High Points of the Atlantic Years Outstanding Compilation

The Very Best of John Coltrane John Coltrane Manufacturer: Atlantic / Wea ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Avant Garde & Free Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music Bebop General | Bebop | Jazz | Styles | Music Hard Bop | Bebop | Jazz | Styles | Music General | Jazz | Styles | Music Modern Postbebop | Jazz | Styles | Music Bebop & Post-Bop | Compilations | Jazz | Styles | Music Traditional Vocal Pop | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music Similar Items: The Essential Charlie Parker Kind of Blue A Love Supreme Blue Train Thelonious Monk with John Coltrane ASIN: B000046PVI Release Date: 2000-02-15

Tracks:

1. Giant Steps
2. Cousin Mary
3. Naima
4. Like Sonny
5. My Shining Hour
6. My Favorite Things
7. Central Park West
8. Summertime
9. Mr. Syms
10. Equinox
11. Body And Soul

Amazon.com

With his inexhaustible technique, trademark sound, and limitless imagination, tenor and soprano saxophonist John Coltrane was one of jazz's most dominant musicians. This collection covers his important Atlantic Records sessions recorded from 1959 to 1960 (chronicled in their entirety on Heavyweight Champion). The tunes signal an important transitional phase from Trane's stints with Miles Davis and Thelonious Monk to his emergence as a leader in his own right. "Giant Steps" "Naima," and "Cousin Mary"--featuring pianist Tommy Flanagan and drummer Art Taylor--crystallized Trane's supersonic "sheets of sound" style. "Like Sonny," an Afro-Latin dedication to his friend and contemporary Sonny Rollins with Wynton Kelly on piano, reveals Trane's stylistic debts to Charlie Parker and Coleman Hawkins. His historic renditions of "My Shining Hour," "Body and Soul," "Summertime," and "My Favorite Things" highlight Coltrane's ability to remake a song into his own image, as well as introduce his influential sound on the soprano sax. These landmark recordings show the development of Coltrane's "great" quartet as well as forecast his iconoclastic excursions into the outer limits of rhythm and tonality, which grew during until his death in 1967. --Eugene Holley, Jr.

Customer Reviews:

Actually, this is pretty good.......2007-07-17

It's tempting to laugh at a John Coltrane compilation, simply because so many of the man's albums are essential. However, even though this neglects Trane's awesome Impulse! albums, focusing instead on his Atlantic years, it's a great introduction to Trane before he revolutionized free jazz and turned himself into one of the jazz world's most controversial musicians as a result. Material from five albums is featured here: Giant Steps (a must-have album), My Favorite Things (ditto), Coltrane Plays the Blues (very solid album), Coltrane Jazz (right in the middle) and Coltrane's Sound (his weakest studio album, though it has its moments - all of them are found here). And the only questionable song on the album is Summertime, a standard I'm pretty well tired of: the Coltrane version is okay, but by far the weakest song on My Favorite Things (I'd rather either Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye or If Not For Me). Other than that one dud, my only complaint about this album is its rather limited scope: The Ole Coltrane album is entirely ignored, which is a shame because its title track (Well, semi-title track) would definitely qualify as "very best", and the fact is you can't get an idea of what Coltrane's like just by listening to his Atlantic recordings: you need the Impulse! ones too if you want the full picture. Still, as a summary of the Atlantic recordings, it's hard to go wrong with this one: you get a few of his most widely known originals (Equinox; Giant Steps; Naima; Cousin Mary; Like Sonny; Central Park West), and a couple superb covers (My Favorite Things; My Shining Hour; Body and Soul - hard to ruin a song with such a beautiful melody!!), as well as a dark horse that's got my blessing, Mr. Syms. And this does for the most part offer the peak of the man's Atlantic recordings.

"Giant Steps" "Equinox" and "My Favorite Things" are enough for 10 stars alone........2007-05-18

This is a good intro to Coltrane, he has too much amazing stuff to put into a single CD but this is a great place to start off. You'll get a little sample of all his sounds from this CD. And for those of us who own more than 10 Coltrane Albums, it's still nice to have all these excellent songs on one high quality CD.

The Very Best of John Coltrane -- Not To Be Missed!.......2007-01-03

In this recording of John Coltrane, there are several songs that stand out in my mind as I write this: The incredibly complex "Giant Steps", the child-like version of "My Favorite Things", the on-again/off-again sad to happy blues song "Equinox", and the business day blues of "Mr. Syms".

Each of these standout songs is different and unique among the other songs on the recording, but it is to these I want to draw your attention as those that captured mine when I listened to the CD.

I am a guitarist who wants to learn Coltrane's interval and melodic technique, but I am always perplexed by his ever changing exploration of the note, in and around the note, wrenching it of its juice like a squeezed lemon, until there is no more; and then Coltrane changes his melodic structure and has another entire lemon to work with.

Please don't misunderstand this illustration as to make it sound like his music is sour like the lemon, although that's what you may be thinking!

Coltrane's unique use of intervals has always what has been his hallmark, some slow and bluesy, others as in the changes of "Giant Steps" blindingly fast and complex.

There are other songs I would have liked to have seen appear on this recording, but as advertised as "The Very Best of John Coltrane", this CD doesn't fall that short.

If you are new to Coltrane's work, this is an excellent place to start. I gave it 4 out of 5 stars because of the fact there should be other more recognizable songs of his on this recording, and I would have gladly paid for a 2-CD set if "The Very Best of John Coltrane" delved more into his vast repertiore of work.

All that being said, the songs on "The Very Best of John Coltrane" will not disappoint or denegrate the recording in its entirety. Again, the CD should be taken for its whole, not just the standout songs I mentioned above.

Classic Jazz enthusiasts already know Coltrane, and this is a welcome addition to my collection, almost always in rotation on my CD carousel if not uploaded to my iTunes.

All The High Points of the Atlantic Years.......2006-12-24

This is an excellent introduction to John Coltrane. The music is very accessible for even a casual listener. If you listen to this and Coltrane's vibe gets to you then you're going to be picking up the actual releases that this best of was drawn from. Personally, I actually favor Coltrane's work on the Impulse label, but this Atlantic collection is great. I purchased it because, though I'm an avid jazz collector and listener, I am embarrassed to admit that I do not own a copy of Giant Steps or My Favorite Things, two of Trane's landmark releases. The Very Best of John Coltrane has all the high points of those Atlantic years including the incredible Giant Steps that sent Sonny Rollins back out to the Brooklyn Bridge for more late night practicing and My Favorite Things which brought Trane legions of ,albeit temporary, fans and great commercial success. Naima has always been a favorite and it's included here along with all the other wonderful stuff from those Atlantic releases. Actually there just are not any dull tracks on this CD, it's all great though more laid-back than the Impulse stuff. My actually wife lets me play this one in the house (ha ha). Nice packaging too, the booklet includes a discography of Coltrane's Atlantic releases and an essay by the famous jazz critic and writer Nat Hentoff. There's really nothing else that can be said about this CD. This release perfectly captures Coltrane in his groundbreaking, transitional years, perfecting his "sheets of sound" approach to playing.

You know, listening to Coltrane is actually very much like riding on a real train. The stuff on this CD could be compared to having left the station a few miles back but not yet up to full speed. Things start picking up around the time that "Live at the Village Vanguard" was released, and full speed is achieved right at and immediately after "A Love Supreme". Some people don't care for the train ride at full speed. I love it. It's really quite amazing to compare the music on this CD to a release such as Sun Ship (December 1966) and realize there is only about 7 years time that passed between these sessions. So this is really a great place to start if you've been hearing Coltrane's name (from your musician friends perhaps) and don't know where to start.

Buy

Outstanding Compilation.......2006-11-08

After many years of listening to Ken Burns and Smithsonian collections, I have started buying individual artist compilations (with a view to buy more of the artists I enjoy). Some have been erratic and disappointing; this one is amazing. This "best of" CD contains nothing but jewels that show exactly where Coletrain fell on the jazz evolutionary scale. In other words, this CD gives a great sense of what came before Coletrain, how he built on it, and how others then built on his work. He had a combination of virtuosity and artistry that earned him an uncontested place at the top. If you want to get to know the giants of jazz, this is a perfect introduction to one of them.

Average customer rating:

Sacred Ground David Murray & Black Saint Quartet Manufacturer: Justin Time Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Avant Garde & Free Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music Bebop General | Bebop | Jazz | Styles | Music General | Jazz | Styles | Music Modern Postbebop | Jazz | Styles | Music Similar Items: Above and Beyond: An Evening in Grand Rapids Kids: Duets Live at Dizzy's Club Coca-Cola Pilgrimage Cornell 1964 Charles Mingus in Paris: The Complete America Recordings ASIN: B000PY50ZQ Release Date: 2007-06-26

Tracks:

1. Sacred Ground
2. Transitions
3. Pierce City
4. Banished
5. Believe In Love
6. Family Reunion
7. The Prophet Of Doom

Album Description

"Sacred Ground" is a fascinating and important new recording that grew from David Murray's involvement in the acclaimed documentary film, Banished, directed by Marco Williams. Although it's virtually unknown, more than a dozen counties in the U.S. violently expelled thousands of families between the Civil War and the Great Depression. The film - and this recording - explores not only these historical facts, but also the legacy of these events in the communities and for the descendants of the families.

After exploring the themes of the film he'd been asked to score, Murray was inspired - indeed compelled - to dig deeper, and to compose further music. David Murray enlisted poet Ishmael Reed, one of today's pre-eminent African- American literary figures. Reed wrote two poems, performed here by the great Cassandra Wilson.

David chose to record this using his Black Saint Quartet - sometimes called Power Quartet, on the group's first outing since the passing of the great John Hicks last year. Logically then, David enlisted pianist Lafayette Gilchrist, informally a Hicks student and admirer, and on drums the great Andrew Cyrille. Bassist Ray Drummond completes this first class group.

Average customer rating: Total Garbage c'mon now Nice little debut Could not get past Baby Mama I didnt know the chipmunks won American Idol

Free Yourself Fantasia Barrino Manufacturer: J-Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Piano | Keyboard | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music General | Pop | Styles | Music Teen Pop | Pop | Styles | Music General | Adult Contemporary | Pop | Styles | Music Contemporary R&B | R&B | Styles | Music General | R&B | Styles | Music General | Soul | R&B | Styles | Music $8.99 and Under | Blowout Music | Stores | Music Pop | Styles | Blowout Music | Stores | Music R&B | Styles | Blowout Music | Stores | Music Classical | Styles | Blowout Music | Stores | Music All Blowout Music | Blowout Music | Stores | Music $8.99 and Under | Prices | Blowout Music | Stores | Music More Titles at Least 25% Off | Blowout Music | Stores | Music Similar Items: Fantasia I Need an Angel Destiny Fulfilled Life Is Not a Fairy Tale The Way It Is ASIN: B00065BYAY Release Date: 2004-11-23

Tracks:

1. Ain't Gonna Beg
2. Free Yourself
3. Truth Is
4. Selfish
5. Summertime
6. Baby Mama
7. Got Me Waiting
8. It's All Good
9. You Were Always On My Mind
10. Good Lovin
11. Don't Act Right
12. This Is Me
13. I Believe

Amazon.com

Few would accuse Fantasia of a reluctance to abide by the wisdom that what you've got, you should flaunt, and the vocal gusto she slathers over her full-length debut gets partial credit for earning--and keeping--your attention. To a greater extent, though, the high-wattage help heaped over the Idol 3 champ and Patti LaBelle-sound-alike makes the disc dazzle. In addition to pitch-ins from Missy Elliott, who produced and co-wrote three tracks and busts out a two-snaps-up rhyme on "Selfish (I Want U 2 Myself)," Jazze Pha duets on the ultra-mod "Don't Act Right" and Jermaine Dupri wrote and produced the smolderer "Got Me Waiting." Surprisingly, though, it's not those tracks or even the Idol-propelled cover of the Gershwins' "Summertime" that will stick with listeners most. Instead, first single "Truth Is," a sweet, old-school R&B lament directed toward a lost love, and "Baby Mama," a spirited shout-out to hard-working single mothers, snare standout status with their from-the-gut authenticity. Keeping it real is what won Fantasia the hearts of millions on TV, and despite Free Yourself's likable slickness, it convinces that--hot commodity or no--she's not about to forget it. -Tammy La Gorce

Customer Reviews:

Total Garbage.......2007-02-27

This album and this artist should never be heard. There were sooo many more talented people on American Idol when she won. This album is a perfect example of that. All the studio effects in the world can't help this over-rated, so-called singer. You can't make chicken salad out of chicken s$%^.

c'mon now.......2007-02-16

what happened to that voice we wanted to hear from American Idol? maybe it was the choice of songs but I really was disappointed.

Nice little debut.......2007-01-02

When the three diva's Jennifer Hudson, Latoya London and Fantasia Barrino
were killing the competiion on Amercian Idol in 2004 it was almost a given that an female R&B singer would take the crown that year. Well Fantasia ended up taking the crown and lived up to her promise on her first CD. Her first single Truth Is was an excllent R&B single and the song Baby Mama was catchy and fun.

Could not get past Baby Mama .......2006-12-29

I am sorry but I could not get past the Baby Mama song. Unlike some of the other complaints it does not bother me if people are single moms or had a child out of wedlock. The whole "baby mama" stuff is just so played out and ignorant sounding. There must have been a more classy way for her to get her story across and empower moms. She has a great voice but this song was beneath her, it ruined it for me.

I didnt know the chipmunks won American Idol.......2006-12-22

Although the music porition of the cd has potential, the singer has a horrible voice. I am surprised not more people have noted that she sounds like a chipmunk. Like past AI winners, this is a sore loser in the end. Bleh!

Average customer rating: Nothing standout! Best Action Movie of the Summer 2007!!!!

Live Free Or Die Hard Manufacturer: Varese Sarabande ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Movie Soundtracks | Soundtracks | Styles | Music General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music Similar Items: Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer Shrek The Third (Original Motion Picture Score) Ratatouille Rescue Dawn Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix ASIN: B000QUCQE2 Release Date: 2007-06-26

Tracks:

1. Out of Bullets
2. Shootout
3. Leaving the Apartment
4. Dead Hackers
5. Traffic Jam
6. It's a Fire Sale
7. The Break-In
8. Farrell to D.C.
9. Copter Chase
10. Blackout
11. Illegal Broadcast
12. Hurry Up!
13. The Power Plant
14. Landing
15. Cold Cuts
16. Yippee Ki Yay
17. Break a Neck
18. Farrell is In
19. The F-35
20. Aftermath
21. Live Free or Die Hard

Customer Reviews:

Nothing standout!.......2007-07-11

After making a mockery of the score to Terminator 3 and acknowledging Brad Fiedel's great theme only once in a Casio Midi-file quality track over the closing credits, you really have to wonder why Fox would give the scoring duties of LFODH to Marco Beltrami. With Michael Kamen no longer with us there are a number of better composers who could have made this score something special. As it is, it's just competent.

Beltrami only uses Kamen's fourth most reoccurring motif from the original film and uses a tiny bit of score from Die Hard 2...and that's it. The rest is all his work and it's just the usual action bombastics without a hint of class or anything memorable. What about all those cool signature cues from the previous films, such as McClane making the bomb to throw down the elevator shaft, McClane spying on Hans and Takagi, the rooftop fight, the computers room shootout, the runway hatch, the ejector seat, the wing fight and that brilliant cue where Hans falls to his death? Where are all these? All Beltrami offers us is generic action stuff which works fine but is nothing memorable.

If Chris Young, Alan Silvestri, Debbie Wiseman, Bruce Broughton or Craig Armstrong were given this movie to score then you can better your bottom dollar it would have been brilliant. As it is, it's is merely a workable score that will be forgotten very quickly.

Best Action Movie of the Summer 2007!!!!.......2007-06-27

I know this is for the audio cd, but I couldn't find a space to say something about the movie. Just got back from a midnight showing and it was the best expierience. This movie has it all and the action is just great. Its really worth the ten bucks. This isn't no costume or pirate crap. This is the real deal. Can't wait till the dvd comes out and we can see the unrated version!!!!

Average customer rating: Irish at it's best. Irish Magic Just got your Kleenex Wonderful! The Very Best of the Irish Tenors is just that!

The Very Best of The Irish Tenors The Irish Tenors Manufacturer: Music Matters ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD All Works by Moore | Moore, Thomas | ( M ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Irish Tenors | ( I ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music Compilations | Classical | Styles | Music General | International | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Tenors | Voices | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Traditional Vocal Pop | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music General | Vocal Pop | Pop | Styles | Music Similar Items: Ellis Island The Irish Tenors / McNamara, McDermott, Kearns, Tynan Home for Christmas Sacred We Three Kings ASIN: B000069JJ6 Release Date: 2007-01-08

Tracks:

1. Toora Loora Looral
2. Will Ye Go Lassie Go
3. Spanish Lady
4. When Irish Eyes Are Smiling
5. Percy French Medley: Phil The Fluther's Ball, Come Back Paddy Reilly, The Lay Of The West Clare Reailway, Are Ye Right There Michael?
6. Amazing Grace
7. Nearer My God To Thee
8. Danny Boy
9. Fields of Athenry
10. Only The River Runs Free
11. Molly Malone
12. Last Rose of Summer
13. She Moved Through the Fair
14. Maggie
15. New Medley (combination of the 2 medleys

Product Description

1. Toora Loora Looral
2. Will Ye Go Lassie Go
3. Spanish Lady
4. When Irish Eyes Are Smiling
5. Percy French Medley: Phil The Fluther's Ball, Come Back Paddy Reilly, The Lay Of The West Clare Railway - Are Ye Right There Michael?
6. Amazing Grace
7. Nearer My God To Thee
8. Danny Boy
9. Fields Of Athenry
10. Only The River Runs Free
11. Molly Malone
12. Last Rose Of Summer
13. She Moved Through The Fair
14. Maggie
15. New Medley (Combination of the 2 medleys)

Format: CD

Amazon.com

In the short time since they grouped together a few years ago to form their sensationally successful trio, the Irish Tenors have already put out an impressive array of recordings and DVDs, including some bona fide gooseflesh-inducing live concert performances. So, if you still have the enviable pleasure of discovering these amazing vocalists--or want to turn a friend on to their musical charms--this compilation CD will do the trick nicely. It brings together such classics as "Danny Boy," "Toora Loora Looral," "Last Rose of Summer," and "When Irish Eyes Are Smiling" (featuring John McDermott)--all rendered with the kind of passionate, heartfelt, and harmonious crooning that is their signature style, whether they're singing as an ensemble or as highlighted soloists. And even if you have the complete Irish Tenors, this anthology includes several numbers not found on their previously released CDs. Hard to think of a sweeter treat for a fan of singing too good to ever go out of fashion. --Sarah Chin

Customer Reviews:

Irish at it's best........2007-05-07

This album is really the number two album from this trio. It is very good and well worth the investment. The five star album by The Irish Tenors would have to be Heritage. Both albums rate high in my book.

Irish Magic.......2006-08-21

This is my first CD of the Irish Tenors. And what a joy! I played it as soon as it arrived. I like the blend of their voices,the passion and enthusiasm they bring to this CD. What I find is a real treat is the words to all the songs are in the booklet.I love this CD.

Just got your Kleenex.......2005-12-25

I suggest a box of Kleenex for each person in the room when you play this CD or VHS recording. Mom won't let me play it anymore because she...well, you know what I mean.

Wonderful!.......2005-12-12

When it's cold and frightful here, I play The BOYZ!

So wonderful. So much fun.

Up here in backwash Maine, there ain't much, believe me. But these guys are great. Sincere, care about what they're doing, true artists.

Ah, to go to Ireland again. Well, not unless the price of natural gas recedes!

The Very Best of the Irish Tenors is just that!.......2005-01-22

This recording is wonderful. Ronan's "last Rose of summer" is unique, the Percy French medley shows all three in great voice, Finbar's Maggie is wonderful and the laurels have to go to Anthony for his magnificent rendition of "She moved through the fair", wow!!!!

Well worth buying.

Isaac Chute

Pop Music:

1. Going Places [Original recording remastered]
2. Gold Sounds
3. Head Hunters [Original recording remastered]
4. Heavy Weather [Original recording remastered]
5. I Have the Room Above Her
6. Incredible Jazz Guitar
7. Joyous Encounter
8. Looking Up
9. Midnight Blue [Original recording remastered]
10. Mingus Ah Um [Original recording remastered]

Pop Music