New Music Mix

On this CD:

1. Taro, for flute, clarinet, pianos & percussion
Composed by Dieter Mack
Performed by Ramon Ricker

2. Giovine vagha, i' non senti, for ensemble
Composed by David Liptak
Performed by Ramon Ricker

3. Klavierstück II "...et Camées"
Composed by Eckehard Kiem

4. Poems (2) for cello, piano & percussion, No. 1, ...where light is stone
Composed by Sydney Phillip Hodkinson

5. Poems (2) for cello, piano & percussion, No. 2, ...the unsinging fields
Composed by Sydney Phillip Hodkinson

New Music Mix, Music, Ramon Ricker, Sydney Phillip Hodkinson, Eckehard Kiem, David Liptak, Dieter Mack, Chamber, Chamber Music, Classical, Classical Composers, Classical Music, Keyboard, Music for Keyboard, Orchestral & Symphonic, V/a Compilations

Music for Yoga and Other Joys
Average customer rating:

Yoga music but not that joyful

The title for this CD is full and true

I feel the joy

surreal

Great Massage CD

Music for Yoga and Other Joys
Jai Uttal , and Ben Leinbach
Manufacturer: Gemini Sun Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Kirtan: The Art and Practice of Ecstatic Chant

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Yoga Rhythms by Shiva Rea

Greatest Hits of the Kali Yuga

ASIN: B0001HK09S
Release Date: 2004-03-16

Tracks:

Govinda
Mahadeva
Nataraja
Gopala
Surya

Amazon.com

Music for yoga is such a cliché that you could slap that moniker on a Barry Manilow CD and have it sold as a soundtrack for Downward Facing Dog pose. Yoga music has become a made-to-order commodity, and rarely attains the level of art. The title Music for Yoga and Other Joys doesn't bode well, but then, it has Jai Uttal, a veteran of world fusion going back 15 years and a devotee of kirtan singing teaming up with multi-instrumentalist Ben Leinbach for a series of extended improvisations. Leinbach creates a shifting back drop of chilled, Indian-derived grooves and textures like liquid mercury dipped in a fractal swirl. It's a perfect modal backdrop for Uttal, who improvises freely on an Indian stringed instrument called the dotar, electric guitar, and even banjo. Pieces like the 26-minute "Govinda" extend in a free fall until a rhythm loop drops in. Uttal swaps to a fuzzed out electric guitar solo that eventually merges into an improvised kirtan, his voice coiling in note-bending spirals like soul singing from the east. This may be music for yoga, but it's the other joys that will keep you coming back. --John Diliberto

Album Description

Jai Uttal—premier world music composer and 2003 Grammy® nominee—offers a moving mix of melody, rhythms, and chants with Music for Yoga and Other Joys. Known for his eclectic blend of East-meets-West sound, Jai offers listeners his first album created especially for yoga practice. More than 60 minutes of sensual music featuring dotar, electric guitar, and slide tamboura, all complemented by Jai's full, golden-toned voice. Produced in collaboration with Ben Leinbach. Also an excellent choice for meditating, gardening, driving, and bodywork.

Customer Reviews:

Yoga music but not that joyful.......2007-05-18

I got this CD though my library based on reviews here and the sample cuts. After listening to this CD a few times, I was done. I enjoy yoga music but not this one.

The title for this CD is full and true.......2007-02-24

I love Jai Uttal's kirtan. There so much shakti that it is a great support for my asana. It supports full fucus and a joyful experience in my asana. Tears come to my eyes when I feel the bhakti expressed though this kirtan!

I feel the joy.......2007-02-09

This is a wonderfull yoga cd. Jai has a beautiful haunting voice and the five songs progress perfectly to fit your asanas. I look forward to buying more of his cds

surreal.......2007-01-10

Jai Uttal along with Krishna Das present music to balance the world.Any person remotely aligned with world peace / yoga or betterment of the world will relate to the mystical chants and attitude expressed here.This album should be compulsory for all liked minds.Wonderful !

Great Massage CD.......2006-12-12

I am a massage therapist and use this CD almost exclusively as background music for my sessions. I especially like the fact that it has a subtle rhytmic pulse almost throughout (rather than the airy/tinkly/spacey feel of a lot of massage music). I also like Uttal's chanting and judicious use of unexpected instruments like electric guitar. And above all, this music really adds to my clients' massage experiences. (Now what to do with all those other CD's?)

Average customer rating:

simply beautiful, so just enjoy it
Sloppy renditions and amateurish
Great songs reinvented, with a twist
Praise for Beyond Imagination
Angelic voices to soothe the soul

Beyond Imagination
Opera Babes
Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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The Opera Band
Defined
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ASIN: B00007MB2F
Release Date: 2003-01-14

Tracks:

One Fine Day (Un Bel Di From Madame Butterfly)
Sempre Ricordo (Piano Concerto in A minor)
There's A Place (From The New World Symphony)
Beyond Imagination (From A Midsummer Nights Dream)
O Fortuna (From Carmina Burana)
Lakm2O (Flower Duet)
Ebben?..Ne Andro Lontano (from La Wally)
You Live On In My Heart (Cinema Paradiso)
Chanson Boh (From Carmen)
Remember Me
Stranger In Paradise (From Kismet)
Ode II Joy (From Symphony No. 9)
1001 Nights (From The Nutcracker Suite)
Barcarolle (From The Tales Of Hoffman)
LakmVibeTribe Mix)
Ave Maria
Vittoria! (Aida 2002)

Amazon.com

Plucked from a wet afternoon of busking Bizet and Puccini to passersby on the Piazza in Covent Garden in the spring of 2001, soprano Rebecca Knight and mezzo Karen England soon found themselves singing in slightly larger venues: the FA Cup and Champions League soccer finals. That the management company doing the plucking had recently performed a similar Cinderella crossover act for Russell Watson offered portent, and indeed the Babes--the moniker began as a joke--were soon on their way to this recording debut. The marketing shtick and its soccer connections may offend purists, but it's the football hooligans that the Babes are trying to win over here; can Borodin soothe the savage Manchester United fan? Their classically trained voices mesh gloriously, with England's warm mezzo showing particular character in her solo turns.

The repertoire choices here cover material that may already be familiar to fans of Charlotte Church (i.e., Delibes "Flower Duet") and other crossover acts, but they do include some pleasant surprises, like Offenbach's Barcarolle from The Tales of Hoffmann and "You Live On in My Heart," a reworking of Ennio Morricone's enchanting Cinema Paradiso theme with lyrics by Knight. But in a rush toward the musical middle of the road, it's the productions themselves that sometimes overwhelm the Babes with bathos ("Ave Maria"), hollow thunder ("Aida 2002"), and electro club kitsch (the 'Vibe Tribe' mix of "Flower Duet"). Former Art of Noise mainstay Anne Dudley's tastefully restrained coloring of Tchaikovsky's "1001 Nights" is one of the notable exceptions. They're babes, they sing opera--with fair promise--for the masses, and if they turn one in a hundred from football hooliganism to a well-mannered appreciation of Grieg and Dvorák, won't it all have been worth it? --Jerry McCulley

Customer Reviews:

simply beautiful, so just enjoy it.......2007-06-11

my daughter has taught me to love opera. this immediately captured me. the Babes' voices blend so beautifully. I love it! who cares about Puccini, Classic Opera, blah, blah, woof, woof. I love this album

Sloppy renditions and amateurish.......2007-05-15

I heard one of the selections on Sirius and liked it so I bought the CD. Upon hearing the entire CD I was disappointed that the only selection I liked was the one that prompted me to buy the product. The voices are nice but they are simply adding voice to opera masterpieces that do not fit. They are certainly not of the caliber of Sarah Brightman or Charlotte Church and don't look for that. Their sound is mellow, dim and without the emotion that does an inservice to the opera pieces they sing. I found the CD lackluster and in all honestly very "amateurish".

Great songs reinvented, with a twist.......2006-09-30

Expanding upon the recent interest in Gregorian chant fusion as well as rich-voiced solo vocalists such as Josh Groban, operatic soprano Rebecca Knight and mezzo soprano Karen England offer full-vibratoed, somewhat modernized interpretations of favorite classical themes. Backed by chorus, orchestras, keyboards and drums, they draw from such diversely satisfying works as Puccini's opera "Madame Butterfly," Grieg's "Piano Concerto in a minor," Dvorak's "New World Symphony," Mendelssohn's "Midsummer Night's Dream," Orff's "Carmina Burana," Delibe's "Lakme," Beethoven's "Ode to Joy," Tchaikovsky's "Nutcracker Suite," Offenbach's "The Tales of Hoffman," Schubert's "Ave Maria," and Verdi's "Aida." Some of the arrangements are fairly traditional, while others are noticeably enhanced. The emphasis tends to be on pretty pieces with sweet melodies, though a few are more intense in nature (#1, 4, 5, 15 and 17). A couple of pop songs, still sung in operatic style, are thrown in for good measure, although they don't have the same appeal and mystique as the old favorites. All of the selections feature both vocalists together, singing in lovely, close harmony. The arrangers of this elegantly hip music include Jon Cohen, Noely, Frank Gallagher, Deni Lew and Anne Dudley, with multi-language lyrics (for the adaptations of instrumental works) by Rebecca Knight and others. I have to admit that I occasionally found myself longing for the modern additions to be more consistently interesting and distinctive--in other words, equaling the artistry of the classics that they're accompanying. Track #1, which really shines, is a well-done example. Alternately, perhaps the source songs might have been better off left in their pure, original styles rather than watered down with schmaltzy, predictable underpinnings that don't add much to the music. But like Enigma did for medieval chant, the Opera Babes are endeavoring to bring some wonderful, time-tested music to a wider audience, fusing it with modern idioms in way that is artistic and generally appealing. For more opera fusion, compare the work of Amici Forever (a group of five singers, both male and female), and the oddly packaged but similar-in-concept album "Coco de Mer" by Adam Plack.

Praise for Beyond Imagination.......2006-02-26

What I really enjoyed about this album was its distinctive sound and arrangement of the material. I enjoy classically performed opera and was surprised how much I like the Opera Babes' versions. Of course, the wonderful voices added immensely to the high quality of this product.

Angelic voices to soothe the soul.......2006-02-17

For all the glorious music out there, this CD has really made an impression on me. These two gifted ladies are accomplished opera singers who have the talent and savy to appeal to the younger generation that might shy away from classic opera as we knew it 50 years (or longer) ago. The refreshing addition of upbeat background brings this genre of music right into the new Millenium. Silky renditions and lofty scales make for an unforgettable listening experience. I give this duo 5 stars and hope to hear more from them in the near future. Classic music will forever be listened to and new voices and renditions should keep it eternally fresh and immensely enjoyable.

Blood On The Dance Floor: HIStory In The Mix

Average customer rating:

Stunning album that was seriously underrated.
Cream always flows to the top !
Michael Jackson's Dance on The Blooded Floor: 2 stars
RED BLOODED MONSTER--JACKO
great!!

Blood On The Dance Floor: HIStory In The Mix
Michael Jackson
Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Invincible
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ASIN: B000002BVN
Release Date: 1997-05-20

Tracks:

Blood On The Dance Floor
Morphine
Superfly Sister
Ghosts
Is It Scary
Scream Louder (Flyte Tyme Remix)
Money (Fire Island Radio Edit)
2 Bad (Refugee Camp Mix)
Stranger In Moscow (Tee's In-House Club Mix)
This Time Around (D.M. Radio Mix)
Earth Song (Hani's Club Experience)
You Are Not Alone (Classic Club Mix)
HIStory (Tony Moran's HIStory Lesson)

Customer Reviews:

Stunning album that was seriously underrated. .......2007-05-24

A cracking album that shot straight to No 1 in the UK and bursts with Michael's anger and vitriol. His voice is just amazing. Check out Ghosts/Is it Scary, This Time Around and the remixed Scream and see what I mean. Powerful stuff that's also incredibly energising. While I was formerly not a big fan of dance music the reworked tracks are treated in such a brilliant way that I am coverted.Pulsating. Recommended.

Cream always flows to the top !.......2006-08-12

The greatest individual star of all times, if not at last of the last 3 decades, and a other and an other 3 to come, he is just as big as the Beatles if not bigger as he has to do it on his own.
I, along with the court of justice do believe Micheal does not have a bad bone in his body, the fact that he needs kids around him is perfectly natural, because kids are sincere, this is wat he Michael and eveyone else needs to stay in touch with reality.

Thanks Michael for all the happy memories your music has brought us and hopefully will for a long time to come.

Who's Bad ?
Not Michael !

Michael Jackson's Dance on The Blooded Floor: 2 stars.......2006-07-18

As Michael Jackson ventured on the second leg of the HIStory World Tour in 1997, the EP Blood On The Dancefloor was released perhaps in order to capitalize on Jackson's success in Europe. His HIStory album had experienced enormous success in Europe, yet America did not embrace the album as warmly as Europe had. Jackson's popularity in Europe was cemented as the first single Blood On The Dancefloor reached no. 1 on the English single chart, while the album enjoyed success in both England and the rest of Europe.

Blood On The Dancefloor is mainly to be regarded as an EP or a remix album, consisting of 5 ordinary songs and 8 remixes. The title track and the first single Blood On The Dancefloor is a funky up-tempo song with a fusion of keyboard and teasing synthesizers. Despite being released as the opening single, the song was hardly among Jackson's finest material. In fact, Blood On The Dancefloor even sounded dated in 1997 and it has certainly not aged very well. I always found that the song bore a resemblance to the Dangerous album in terms of sound. Perhaps the material on the Blood on the Dancefloor album was written for that particular album or during the same time period. However, the gruelling theme continues as the song Morphine reveals a character completely obsessed with the drug. The soft and hunting verses are a contrast to the sturdier choruses, yet surprisingly it works quite well. Superfly Sister is Michael Jackson's attempt to simulate Prince; however the repetitive, dull baseline is an unwelcome addition. Similar to the lead single, Superfly Sister suffers from the syndrome of ¨dated-ness¨. Ghosts and Is It Scary are enjoyable songs; however they are not among Jackson's greatest works. Notably, Is It Scary is a lovely track especially due to the shift between the soft verses and the tougher choruses. I considered it the best song among the 5 ordinary songs on the album. The remaining 8 songs/remixes are a Tour De Force of dance remixes. Generally, I do not like remixes, however the remix of 2 Bad, Scream-Louder and HIStory are not half-bad. Yet the remixes of the remaining songs leave a lot to be desired.

Blood On The Dancefloor is primarily an indulgence for hardcore Michael Jackson fans. The few ordinary songs are pleasant, however they are not on par with Michael Jackson's back-catalogue. If you like remixes in generally, I am positive the remixes on the album would surely appeal to you. If you have recently discovered Michael Jackson's music, I would advise you to purchase Number Ones or The Essential Michael Jackson in order to fully grasp the back-catalogue of Jackson.

Overall Grade: 4.0/10

RED BLOODED MONSTER--JACKO.......2006-07-16

I LIKE JACKSON SINCE THE DAYS OF THRILLER.AT THAT TIME I WAS A KID AND USED TO JUMP OFF MY FEET WHENEVER I GOT CHANCE TO LISTEN TO HIM.

THIS ALBUM DO NOT HAVE QUANTITY BUT THE THING IS THAT THIS HAS QUALITY ONLY ONE SINGLE--BOTDF IS SUFFICIENT TO MAKE THIS ALBUM WORTH A WHILE
GO GET THIS ALBUM AND BE PROUD TO HAVE SUCH COMPILATIONS

great!! .......2005-12-12

Blood on the dance floor is mainly a remix album of Michael Jackson's HIStory songs.
Well, the thing is that I don't like remixes but there is one that's definitely good. That's the remix of track 'HIStory'.
Now on to the new stuff. MJ really did well by choosing 5 new tracks because it convinced me that his every song is different and innovative.
BOTDF, as fans often call it, has the
title track on it: this is an echo-filled, strong, blood-red composition of dance with a bit of techno, soul and rock. This is unique if you believe me.
I enjoyed it through a whole summer when I watched
the video for it every day!
MJ proves that he is a good and.. an even better dancer. A real surprise. Even a friend of mine who is far from being an MJ-fan, told me that he finds MJ a better dancer than he'd done before.

SUPERFLY SISTER is a rap-like but still strangely soulful track with a catchy beat and a great 'east coast' feeling I like very much. It's got a message, listen up!

GHOSTS is a great r&b song that is solid, consistent and you can easily get hooked on the melody. The video is awesome, too. I bet!

IS IT SCARY: brother of the previous one. Jackson's best vocal achievement since 1995's 'Smile' and before 2001's 'Unbreakable'. An r&b-based song that grows to a pop hymn - without a hymnical feature.

MORPHINE: This is I think MJ's most unique song ever, quite the 'Musicology' for him. This is fully composed & ordered by him, he even plays the instruments.
The song mixes an acid and steely beat with innovative vocal elements of metal and even a Jackson-style rap. So a closed composition emerges.
I hated Morphine first. But now I see it as a kind of masterpiece.

OK. Don't buy it. It's mess.
But I bet you still do. Enjoy!

Average customer rating:

Oh David what were you doing?
To try and clarify
Time to PARTY!!!!
a big fan's big disappointment
MESOPOTAMIA REMIXES....WHY????

Party Mix!/Mesopotamia
The B-52's
Manufacturer: Reprise / Wea
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000002LN6
Release Date: 1990-12-29

Tracks:

Party Out Of Bounds
Private Idaho
Give Me Back My Man
Lava
Dance This Mess Around
52 Girls
Loveland
Deep Sleep
Mesopotamia
Cake
Throw That Beat In The Garbage Can
Nip It In The Bud

Customer Reviews:

Oh David what were you doing?.......2006-06-15

I will start by stating that this review will concern the Mesopotamia section of this release. I remain unacquainted with Party Mix.

For starters Mesopotamia receives a lot of criticism which I feel is largely undue. The title track is arguebly the B52s' greatest achievement. The danceable beat is still evident but it is joined by what I regard as a desire to produce more complex sounding material. The vocal arrangement on this track is particularly memorable. And it has the kind of funk-like vibe that only David Byrne circa 1981 could produce. In other words very much like the sound of Talking Heads and in my opinion a curious hybrid of My life in the Bush of Ghosts, the Catherine Wheel and Wild Planet.

Not all the material on this record is quite so strong. I have the feeling that Mr Byrne was not entirely happy in the capacity of producer of this set. Some of the mixes aren't quite there and the indecision shown by the simultaneous release of different mixes of some tracks on both sides of the Atlantic suggests that someone within the record company at least shared my concerns (with reference to Loveland and Cake). Did Charles Blackwell want an Lp instead of an Ep? Was he concerned about keeping the name of the B52's in the music headlines?

The appearance of an early version of Queen of Las Vegas on Nude on the Moon really aides in attempting to understand what all parties were trying to achieve with this set. Byrne wanted to work with the B52s and again I suggest that the B52s wanted to broaden the scope of their sound. This mix which is so wildly different to the version on Whammy demonstrated the B52s as the missing link between the Talking Heads and Sly and Robbie era Grace Jones. It really is that good and it appears perverse that the track was not included on this release.

As for the remainder of the tracks on Mesopotamia it needs to be reiterated that much of the material is strong but the 'final' mixes are weak. In both versions I find Loveland to out stay its welcome. The 'outside of the USA' mix of Cake however is in my opinion vastly superior to the version which can be found on the original American release. Deep Sleep is a curious 'mood' piece reminiscent of My Life in the Bush of Ghosts and is unlike anything else in the B52s' catalogue. Throw that Beat in the Garbage Can does not work and Nip it in the Bud is essentially 'straight-ahead' Eighties rock. I enjoy the track on its own terms but its vibe jars with the rest of the release.

To sum-up this is a curious release which I believe probably suffered from too much pressure from Warners and Island respectively. Everything needed more time BUT there is a lot to enjoy and lyrically I believe the band was never more surreal than on the tracks one can find here. Give it a whirl and I defy any true B52s fan not to fall in love with the title track at the very least.

To try and clarify .......2006-03-21

Leaving aside Party Mix which was fairly inspired at the time but a bit superflous now, Mesopotamia has a bit of a back history. This is my understanding of it, feel free to correct me if i got it wrong, I would like to know for sure myself

The original album was released in America on Warner records and in Europe on Island records. Apparently there was a mix-up in sending the master tapes trans-atlantic and Island ended up with three songs (loveland, cake and throw that beat) in extended form. Maybe unfinished mixes or maybe different takes, no-one seems to be sure.

When it was re-released the Island records version uses the original Warner release (albeit with a misprinted cover saying the album contains an extra song, lava, which it doesn't).
This, the Warner records re-release, contains the same Warner Version, but remixed. the changes aren't huge but are noticeable. The songs were not cut or shortened, they just do not use the extended Island records versions that some people who bought it originally are used to.

Hope this clears up some of the confusion in the reviews.

Time to PARTY!!!!.......2005-12-05

The first half of this CD is a terrific remix of B-52s classics like 52 Girls, Lava, Party Gone out of Bounds, etc. Basically the best of the first two B-52s CDs. The second half is a reissue of thier third CD. It was a disappointing effort and would continue with thier next CD "Whammy".
Buy it for the remixes and play it at parties or to jam out on a long trip, you could do worse!

a big fan's big disappointment.......2005-09-13

When pop artists work entirely on instinct, the results can be inexplicably good. It's often hard to take apart the pieces and explain what makes the whole thing so wonderful, because it feels like the music sprang up, fully grown, right out of the band's collective brain. And that's the way most of the B-52's music feels: inspired, soulful and really nuts.

But this double-EP is a good example of how too much thought can destroy a work of instinct. The remixes for "Party Mix!" are just annoying, but easy to dismiss, since you're getting "Mesopotamia" on the same CD. But I was just crest-fallen when I got this disc home and listened to one of the most brilliant pieces of early-80s pop gone sour.

I'd heard that the band didn't like the results of Mesopotamia's original production and felt that it sounded more like David Byrne, their producer, than their own work. But Byrne took the band's wonderful qualities and pushed them in a new and unexpected direction. It was a very successful experiment.

For the CD release, the band went back and re-mixed the whole EP, dumbing down the hard, syncopated percussion, adding cheesy echoes and reverbs, and just cutting time out of some tracks all together. The result is an uncomfortable grafting of bad pop clichés onto the stark original. It doesn't sound like the original or like the B-52's better music. Fortunately, for those of us who still have decent vinyl copies of the original, we can rip our own CDs and pray they come to their senses in time to release the original version.

MESOPOTAMIA REMIXES....WHY????.......2004-11-26

First of all i want to say that i LOVE this record (i'm talking about "Mesopotamia"; nothing to say about "Party mix!" besides it's excellent). Well, i LOVED the ORIGINAL RECORD, the one i knew when it came out. I had no idea it had been remixed in 1990, and istening to the results...i can't figure out why it was remixed. I had it on vinyl and thought i'd buy it on cd. "That's great, "Party mix!" and "Mesopotamia", the 2 ep's on one cd", that's what fans may think...And then you realize...song timings are different...WHY?WHY WAS IT REMIXED?
"Loveland" and "Cake": 5 minutes long each?? They where 8 and 7 minutes long respectively. The remixer's work it's incredibly horrible; the B-52's said that they wanted to make a danceable record when it came out, and they made it, really well. The remixer, though, has taken away all the spirit: verses, choruses and arrangements are removed, new effects (echoes on voices, louder guitars)are thrown in without a single tiny bit of taste, the volume of the "sytethized" claps is unheardable when not removed too, and vocals that where not used in the original record are here misused...The song structure is rewritten too...Was the band happy with these remixed version? I just can say that fans are gonna be very very disappointed, i know that for sure cause i am still. And NO OPENNING HORNS ON "CAKE"???That had to be the biggest disappointment of 'em all.
Today i've taken my vinyl to a record store near my home where they'll put it on cd for 6 euro. I had no choice.

Average customer rating:

Rarely does an album disappoint on so many levels
Fantastic CD
This is a MUST-HAVE CD!
A LANDMARK UKULELE CD.
Uke Of Ages Swings & Grooves

Uke of Ages
Dan "Soybean" Sawyer
Manufacturer: Rhomboid Music
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Playing it like it isn't...
On the Other Hand
Fretboard Roadmaps - Ukulele: The Essential Patterns That All the Pros Know and Use
The Complete Ukulele Course taught by Ralph Shaw
Legends of the Ukulele

ASIN: B0002HCVEY
Release Date: 2004-06-15

Tracks:

Whoopsi Daisy
Wreck of the Sloop John B
Duet For One
Fleas in the Grass
Comin' Home Baby
Old Shoe Rag
It's Uke Time!
Can't Refuse the Blues
Uke Noir
When You Wish Upon a Star
Soy Scramble / The Sheik of Araby

Customer Reviews:

Rarely does an album disappoint on so many levels.......2007-06-02

Let me start right out and give Sawyer his due...he is a great Uke player.
Now let's look at the album length...33 minutes on a CD is exactly like buying a vinyl album and discovering it only has grooves on one side of it...I felt ripped off right away.
Next let me say that another entirely too predictable rendition of The Sloop John B adds nothing to the album, nor does the sort of awful vocal rendering.
I was wondering just who he paid to produce this album and I think therein lies the problem. It is self produced. A Uke player he is...a producer he is not. And Jake Shimabukuru he sure is not, either.

Fantastic CD.......2006-10-07

Having read the other reviews, the only thing I can add is that this musician is way above any pigeon holing. He is comfortable in any genre. I normally don't care for country or bluegrass, but Sawyer's stuff is just so much fun. It's obvious that he is really enjoying making the music. The uke can do anything it's bigger cousin, the guitar, can do with the right hands guiding it. Please, if you love life enhancing and joyous music, buy this CD. Mr Sawyer, when will the next uke CD be out? I want it.

This is a MUST-HAVE CD!.......2004-09-23

For anyone who has preconceptions about the limitations or range of the ukulele (and who hasn't), prepare to be enlightened! In his first (to my knowledge) CD release, Dan (Soybean) Sawyer takes the once-thought-humble four-stringed instrument through such a wide range of musical styles, from a kind of Celtic ukulele-Bluegrass ("Fleas in the Grass"), to a VERY funky (and I mean that in a good way) rendition of "Comin' Home Baby", in which he really takes his uke through the paces, and completely confounds any presuppositions about the instrument's scope or boundaries. What is truly remarkable about this CD, (in addition to Dan's undeniable chops as a player), is his breadth as an arranger. From the light-footed Dixieland-style "Sheik of Araby", through waltz, blues, rag, noir, to a ghostly rendition of "Wreck of the Sloop John B.", It's clear that Dan isn't easily confined by genre, nor does he take himself too seriously to stop him from seasoning the mix with hints of a musical sense of humor sprinkled tastefully throughout. It's to the ukulele's credit that Mr. Sawyer, an accomplished guitar player, has chosen this diminutive, but surprisingly dynamic and versatile instrument for his inaugural CD release. Uke of Ages immediately became not just my favorite ukulele CD, but one of my most-played CD's, period. Here's hoping there's plenty more where this came from!

A LANDMARK UKULELE CD. .......2004-08-08

Over the years I have listened to many ukulele recordings, many of which have been very good, some of which have been - to say the least - dire, but none of which have been of a truly top quality professional standard, until now.

From the first track it becomes quickly apparent that Dan Sawyer is a truly talented professional musician, and as the CD progresses he cleverly uses his skills to provide the listener with not only a tremendously varied selection of tracks of the highest quality, but also musicianship of the highest order. He takes ukulele playing to another level with apparent ease, both to himself by his beautifully smooth but technically advanced playing, and to the listener - who is left thirsting for more!

A fabulous CD, and one which will raise the profile of this talented musician within the world of professional music as well as within the world of fans the ukulele.

Uke Of Ages Swings & Grooves.......2004-08-06

Dan Sawyer's Uke Of Ages is a beautifully conceived, arranged and performed collection of eclectic songs for this unique instrument. The selections, of various styles, have kept me entertained over and over. The swinging Sheik, the grooving Sloop John B, Coming Home, the lyrical When You Wish Upon A Star, and his fine vocal style make this a winner for me! It's a one-of-a-kind. Five stars!

Average customer rating:

sooooo soothing
Diverse and Serene
Elegant and Sophisticated World/Chill-out mood
Cafe De Luna is a Delight

Café de Luna
Various Artists
Manufacturer: Sequoia Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music

Electronica | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music

General | Dance Pop | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music

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General | New Age | Styles | Music

Meditation | New Age | Styles | Music
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Café de Luna, Vol. 2: Mediterranean Chill
Hotel Tara: The Intimate Side of Buddha-Lounge
Lovers Lounge
Buddha Lounge, Vol. 3
Buddha Lounge, Vol. 2

ASIN: B00009N1WT
Release Date: 2003-06-03

Tracks:

Djambee - Althea W.
Voices from the Past (Club Mix) - Gingko Garden
Aqua Acclivis - Eroc & Urs Fuchs
Spiritrunner - Steve Gordon
Magdine - Alquimia
Guardian Spirit (Club Mix) - David & Steve Gordon
Cheerweed - Roedelius
Give Wings to Your Dream - Opera to Relax
Flowering Tree - David & Steve Gordon
Saying Save the World - Roykey
Yahoo City - Eroc & Urs Fuchs
Soul Spaces - Opera to Relax

Album Description

New from Sequoia Groove !!! Step in and enjoy the warm Mediterranean evening and sweet Downtempo grooves in the Café De Luna. On the menu today are delicious tracks from outstanding European DJs, with select tracks from David & Steve Gordon. Savor the serene vibe in the Café De Luna, as you indulge in some of the most sublime sounds this side of Ibiza.

Customer Reviews:

sooooo soothing.......2007-01-22

When I first played the CD I wasn't sure that I liked all of it. As I continued to play it at work, in the car etc. it seemed to calm my inner
spirit. For a reason I couldn't explain I found myself playing it alot, this music speaks to me on a deep level. I find myself returning to the CD again and again when I am in need of serenity. I have alot of new age/jazz selections. I highly recommend this one, but give it a chance, don't judge it by the first listen. My coworkers request it often.

Diverse and Serene.......2004-11-21

Sequoia Records is shaping out to be one of the finer labels for music that's sure to entrance and relax you. They put together some of the best compilations and 'Cafe De Luna 1' (there's also a volume 2 now available) is an excellent collection of downtempo world-grooves that are just as good, if not better, than anything I've yet to hear from the Buddah-Bar Lounge or the Cafe Del Mar series, which is saying a lot. There's a wide range of musical styles here that are sure to please just about any ambient-chillout seeker but my one and only gripe is, as lovely as all the melodies are, they tend to sound repetitious at times and I enjoy music that is ever-changing and unpredictable so for that I drop a star. However, the album as a whole is very consistent and I don't find myself skipping tracks like a do with other, similar collections. When I listen to this specific genre I prefer to become immersed in a sea of tranquility, if you will, and I want that uninterrupted. 'Cafe De Luna' does that for me and the rhythms blend and interweave practically unnoticed so that is a definite plus.

Elegant and Sophisticated World/Chill-out mood.......2003-08-03

I have a huge collection of chill-out compilations, but this one which is put together by David & Steve Gordon, who also created the wonderful Buddha-Lounge series, is absolutely exceptional. The CD starts out right in the cool downtempo-world groove and stays there throughout, without any inferior tracks to interrupt the mood. You can play this entire CD and rest assured that the atmosphere will stay right where you want it. There are many great exotic world-trance tracks from European artists which stand out from the crowd of the chill-out compilations I have heard. This is world downtempo the way it is meant to be - good to the last track.

Cafe De Luna is a Delight.......2003-06-06

This is the third and latest release from Sequoia records chill-out focussed sub-label, Sequoia Groove, which recently released Buddha Lounge 2, the follow up to the 2002 precursor of the same name, compiled by World Beat music purveryor Steve Gordon. This new downtempo release is a departure from the Buddha-Lounge series offering a distinctively European flair from well known artists from Sequoia Gooves' other releases as well as several new artists I had never heard before. My favorite tracks are from Eroc & Urs Fuchs entitled Aqua Acclivis as well as David & Steve Gordon's inspiring Guardian Spirit (Club Mix) and Opera to Relax's Soul Spaces the last track on the disc. Steve Gordon has done an exceptional job in fusing the downtempo chillout electonica vibe with a distinctive spirtual flavor that blends the best of the Chillout and World Beat genres into a teriffic ecclectic mix. Your ears will savor the great relaxing international flavors. Really unique & exceptional !

Average customer rating:

OK World Music
Chill-out Around the World

World Groove Mix, Vol. 1
Various Artists
Manufacturer: Sequoia Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | International | Styles | Music

General | New Age | Styles | Music

Meditation | New Age | Styles | Music

Electronica | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music
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Café de Luna, Vol. 2: Mediterranean Chill
Hotel Tara: The Intimate Side of Buddha-Lounge
Café de Luna
Lovers Lounge
Akwaba

ASIN: B00019G450
Release Date: 2004-02-03

Tracks:

Naked - Tya
Zenah - Nasser Kilada
Four Direction Wind - David & Steve Gordon
Bhaja Hure Ma - Jaya Lakshmi
Mama - Tya
Two Sides Of One Kind - Potsch Potschka
Enlightened Nature - Ginkgo Garden
Emerging Power - Steve Gordon
Voces De Mi Tierra - Alquimia + Roedelius
Soles on Earth - Zingaia
Atma Victu - Roykey
Rainbow Hoop - David & Steve Gordon
Africa In Your Head - Peter Mergener

Album Description

Feel the Pulse of the Next World Groove

Discover the best of the new global beat as ancient rhythms join with the chill-out vibe from modern genre-bending artists. This next-wave DJ set of multicultural sounds from around the planet is mixed by the Gordon brothers, producers of the best selling Café de Luna and Buddha-Lounge series.

This is your passport into deep trance grooves, exotic vocals and hypnotic atmospheres. Just kick back and enjoy the ride.

SPECIAL EXTENDED LENGTH: 65:45

With its mesmerizing whirl of indigenous instrumentation, intoxicating beats and hypnotic vocals, WORLD GROOVE is rip-roaring adventure in club-friendly, global rhythms. Produced by artists David and Steve Gordon, the same pair responsible for the funky yet chilled Buddha Lounge albums, this compilation brings together artists like Tya, Jaya Lakshmi, Ginko Garden, Zingaia and more in one non-stop mix. These rapturous grooves are sure to keep the feet of any worldbeat aficionado busy; songs like "Two Sides of One Kind" from Potsch Potschka and "Naked" from Tya sport enough energy and powerful percussion to make anyone want to dance. Yet, the inclusion of moody, atmospheric tunes ensures that those who simply want to trance out will find their desires catered to as well. -Music Design In Review

Customer Reviews:

OK World Music.......2007-03-10

I was hoping for something refreshing but the songs on this cd sound like synthetic versions of everything else out there. It's not a bad cd, it's enjoyable, just not what I expected.

Chill-out Around the World.......2004-02-21

This new CD from the Sequoia Groove sublabel of Sequoia Records is incredibly sumptuous with some delectibly tasty grooves from around the world. There are so many different textures and flavors that go into this amazingly unique selection of down-tempo chill-out tracks it's like a sonic feast for the senses.

As a huge fan of down-tempo lounge music I especially like tracks from Tya (who I am looking forward to hearing more from), Gingko Garden and Alquimia & Rodelius. The Sequoia Groove label continues putting out an incedible blend of spiritually rich down-tempo tracks blending the best of indigineous world sounds with the latest in smooth electonica from a variety of unique and rare artists creating rich vibes perfect for hanging loose on those late night adventures with your party pals and World Groove Mix Volume 1 is a perfect example of this. Get it.

Petra Haden & Bill Frisell
Average customer rating:

Good enough to want what could be better

Didn't make it for me

Early Petra Haden

Simply gorgeous

She's good... but not great

Petra Haden & Bill Frisell
Petra Haden , and Bill Frisell
Manufacturer: Sovereign Artists
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music
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Adult Alternative | Pop | Styles | Music
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Fair & Square

A Change Is Gonna Come

X&Y

Stand Up

Petra Haden Sings: The Who Sell Out

ASIN: B0006TPDMU
Release Date: 2005-01-11

Tracks:

Satellite
Floaty
Bai-La Taigam
Moon River
Yellow
I Don't Want To Grow Up
The Quiet Room
When You Wish Upon A Star
I Believe
John Hardy Was A Desperate Little Man
I've Got A Crush On You
Throughout

Product Description

1. Satellite
2. Floaty
3. Bai-la Taigam
4. Moon River
5. Yellow
6. I Don't Want To Grow Up
7. Quiet Room, The
8. When You Wish Upon A Star
9. I Believe
10. John Hardy Was A Desperate Little Man
11. I've Got A Crush On You
12. Throughout

Format: CD

Amazon.com

This is a true duet album, not simply a singer being backed by a stellar accompanist. Petra Haden's vocals, alone or with some judiciously deployed overdubbed harmonizing, move with a fluidity that is perfectly mirrored in Bill Frisell's guitar phrasing and sonorities. Playing covers (with a pair of originals) further celebrates the common ground they share. All of the songs are linked by their melodic bearing, whether originally performed by current bands like Foo Fighters and Colplay or such contemporary writers as Tom Waits and Stevie Wonder. They also looked beyond the realm of the rock world with twentieth century standard bearers George Gershwin and Henry Mancini. Drawing from jazz, folk, pop, and rock, this album bridges them all, tossing aside labels with the same gentle confidence that informs the music.

Customer Reviews:

Good enough to want what could be better.......2007-01-13

I've been listening to Bill Frisell for years. Some of his "doodles" and "zigzags" don't appeal to me, and some of his blues rock doesn't stand out from the crowd, but his country/folk and ambient work (e.g. "Family) sets his music off into the realm of "art."

So it was my search for more Bill Frisell art that led me to this collaborative effort with Petra Haden. I like the album. Petra's vocals are good but not great. It has made me itch for a more satisfying piece of art.

I'm waiting for Bill to line up a different vocalist(or set of vocalists). Petra, do you have the vision and ability to put out another album that exceeds what you've done here with Bill?

Didn't make it for me.......2006-03-21

I enjoy both Petra Haden's voice and Bill Frisell. In this case, the combination of several weak songs and few suprises on the stronger material combined to make this a disappointment. I could see what they could be getting at, but I was underwhelmed.

Early Petra Haden.......2006-02-17

A sweet, pure, voice, singing songs which bring out Petra's fresh qualities. A little reminiscent of Hailey Westnera's Pure. Hopefully this is a springboard to more mature quality as she goes beyond this and "The Who sell out"

Simply gorgeous.......2005-12-09

This music is simply gorgeous. Petra Haden's vocals remind me a bit of those of Elizabeth Fraser of the (equally sublime) Scottish band, the Cocteau Twins, though perhaps a more Americanized sounding version. Here she puts her vocal talents to very good use, with extraordinary input from the great musician Bill Frisell. The combined effect makes for a wonderful, warm, continuously listenable recording, one I will be listening to for years to come. I particularly like their take on "I don't want to grow up," a song the Ramones rocked; here, the song is rendered into a lullaby.

She's good... but not great.......2005-10-29

Petra Haden has a lovely voice, but then, so do thousands of other singers out there. What she doesn't have is a unique style, or a way of interpeting music that makes you say yeah, that's Petra Haden, the way you might say hey, that's Sinatra, or that 's Sarah Vaughn.

The choice of songs is ecelectic, you might say, in that there's no unifying theme. Frisell is always brilliant, but here he's mainly just an accompanist- something he does as brilliantly as his solo work- but it's not the sort of unique style that might draw someone to a Frisell record.

What we're left with is a collection of pop songs done more than competantly, but in a way that just left we wondering why they bothered.

Average customer rating:

Really Beautiful

Wave Hands Like Clouds
Buedi Siebert
Manufacturer: Real Music
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | New Age | Styles | Music

Meditation | New Age | Styles | Music

Adult Alternative | Pop | Styles | Music
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The Light Dance
Om Mani Padme Hum
Touching Silk
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Quiet Fire: Zen Moods for the Spa Experience

ASIN: B0001MZ7JG
Release Date: 2004-04-06

Tracks:

From the Distance
Life Breath
Waterplay
Building Chi
The Gentle Way
Flight on Cloud Horse
Temple on Green Mountain
Song of the Nightingale
Buddha Arrives
Inside the Heart
Into the Distance
Oneness

Album Description

Earlier in 2004, Buedi Siebert released the CD Om Mani Padme Hum....Here it appears that the always-interesting Siebert is right on track with this slice of East meets West with a greater emphasis on the Land of the Rising Sun. Once again there are meditative qualities but it is delivered in a production and writing style that emphasizes spatial versus spiritual. As a result this album is as enjoyable as 2003's sleeper The Light Dance.

There is no doubting the commercial and meditative qualities that are both present on this CD. This is well reflected in the artwork that integrates elements of nature with the spiritual world.

This German musician is largely known for his work on the flute as well as several other woodwind instruments. However, the first portion of the album concentrates on the large Chinese zither that creates a plucked string sound so prominent in many musical genres of the Eastern culture. The instrumentation is very bare and stripped down, giving the listener much time to ponder and reflect. An exception to this rule is the song "Waterplay" that includes nominal embellishments of what sounds like a distant saxophone or clarinet. Buried in the mix are superfluities that never distract from the naked feel of this album. "Building Chi" continues with this arrangement and progression but this time the flute master steps forward.

Speaking of the flute master, skip forward to the utterly serene "Temple On Green Mountain". It is like a beautiful moment of solitude under the shade of a huge oak tree. And this moment is even further extended as the track merges into the 10-minute long "Song Of The Nightingale".

It appears that the album continues with the nature soundtrack accompaniment courtesy of the track "Into The Distance". Initially, there is a musical theme that fades about halfway through then the nightingale returns accompanied by a soft serene stream. Am I strolling through a sophisticated exotic Japanese garden? The music certainly transports me there ever so gently.

With "Wave Hands Like Clouds", Siebert scores again.

Customer Reviews:

Really Beautiful.......2006-01-31

I wanted the kind of music I hear in movies like Crouching Tiger, Hero, Last Samurai, etc. But I didnt want the "soundtrack" that was composed. This music reminds me of what I hear in chinese and japanese restaurants, as well as in some of the more asian influenced spas I've been to. Lots of flute and strings, very calming, centering, happy.