Riccardo Chailly - Beethoven Symphonies on Decca

During the first 20 years of the CD era, it became almost an entitlement or a rite for every conductor to record a Beethoven symphony cycle - whether they had anything unique to offer or not. This glut of Beethoven symphony cycles has devalued the singular achievements of truly great Beethoven interpreters, and the fact that there are some very definitive cycles reaching back to the pre-digital era makes the need for another cycle dubious at best. We have seen rather needless cycles still get recorded - and there is never any difficulty finding a good set of Beethoven in the used stores for cheap.

So we have yet again another Beethoven symphony cycle, this one from Riccardo Chailly and the Gewandhausorchester - who previously recorded a very fine cycle with Kurt Masur on Phillips. Why is this one worthy of attention?

The reason is in the tempos. Not since Toscanini has a conductor really tried to follow Beethoven's tempo and dynamic markings to the letter. In the decades since Toscanini, we have had period instrument versions of varying success - Norrington, who gave great timbral and dynamic insight - but was fairly conservative on tempos, Gardiner, who gave a compelling cycle, and others. My opinion is that there has yet to be a truly great original instruments cycle.

And there are Beethoven cycles that are near perfect - Karajan's early 60's Berlin cycle still is a benchmark, Kempe's 1970's cycle is wonderfully played and given straight up, musical readings, Krips' Everest cycle is to me a better 'old school' one than Walter. In fact, the latter seems to be the genesis of the problem in Beethoven interpretation - Walter's widely disseminated Columbia Orchestra cycle was the epitome of the old school view - and as such, so much just plain wrong performing tradition sprung up from it, conductors have had decades of difficulty getting back to the true Beethoven. Maybe it is here with Chailly.

Yes, the tempos are fast - very fast, right up to Beethoven's metronome markings. More striking are the dynamics - very wide, sharp, crisp, almost brutal. Some may find some element of humor or lightness missing, or find these readings rigid, which they tend to be. However, they are very exciting in how driven they are - and it is highly likely that this is very much how Beethoven would have conducted them. In a sense, this is period instrument performance on modern instruments, however, we hear many instances where particularly in the valves (and even in the bowing) where an authentic approach has been taken.

So overall, without attempting to dissect individual movements, this is a cycle that indeed does have a very unique point of view, something very new and engaging to offer. the sound is superb, the Liepzig acoustic has been well captured - and in of itself brings a further air of 'period' authenticity to the recordings. The word 'cycle' really has meaning here - this is a true cycle, played and meant to be heard as a whole that shed a new light of Beethoven's symphonies when listened to as a cycle.

There could be no more appropriate tribute to the true Beethoven than a recorded cycle as this coming from Liepzig, with which Beethoven had such great affinity. A highly, highly recommended recording.

The completed Bruckner 9 - Simon Rattle

Bruckner's 9th has always eluded me - it is a torso, with undeniably beautiful music, but lacks both a sense of finality, of closing the argument, and a sense that the three completed movements almost certainly would have been significantly altered by Bruckner before coming to a 'definitive' text.  There have been attempts to complete the 9th, since Bruckner had actually composed and orchestrated a significant portion before his death.

But still, problems remain. What Bruckner left did not reach the coda or finale, except in sketches. And just because Bruckner laid out sketches or fragments, means little in terms of how Bruckner would ultimately have finished the 4th movement - sketches are working drafts. Bruckner worked on the finale up until the day of his death - he worked on it, in fact, all morning before dying around 3 in that afternoon.

There have been previous attempts at the 4th movement, most notably Carrigan's, which has taken those orchestrated, completed sections and fairly liberally completed and added to the fragments and sketches. This latest version can be more considered an 'arrangement' of those fragments and sketches based on analysis of the through orchestrated sections, out of the finale's 653 bars, 440 are pure Bruckner, 117 have been extrapolated from Bruckner sketches and fragments, and a further 96 are new material filling gaps to complete the work. Where controversy will inevitably enter the discussion is that last 96 - Carrigan put in significantly more material, and his vision of the sketches differs significantly.

Perhaps the only way to look at this is whether it actually forms a cohesive movement and represents what ultimately would have been Bruckner's final musical thoughts on this planet.

First out, Rattle and the BPO are given a truly fine live recording, slightly congested in the bottom end and on climaxes due to Philharmonie acoustics,  and are entirely convincing in the familiar 3 movement torso. Not as fast as Schuricht, but just as dramatic, somewhat dark and stormy vision entirely convincing as a representation of the turbulence of Bruckner's last days, as he reached out beyond to a God and afterlife he deeply believed in.

But I expect most will look to this recording for the 4th movement. Listened to on its own, it is highly musically appropriate - thoroughly Brucknerian, thoroughly idiomatic, as it should be - it's pretty much all Bruckner. Controversy compared to the Carrigan version will come from the build up to the coda primarily - but we have to look at how the movement works as a whole, and here it does, resolving to a grand climax as the heavens open up.

I don't care to be a musicologist in there matters - only in what I have to hear in front of me. Rattle is not a natural in the Germanic repertoire, but does a great service here that exceeds my expectations in the traditional torso and blazes ahead with a convincing finale. Very worthwhile, and highly recommended.

The latest round of Music Matters Blue Note vinyl arrives:

Just got in a fabulous box of Music Matters Blue Note 45 rpm vinyl to get caught up on. If you haven't been keeping up, now is the time, having listened to 7 new MM BN's over the last two days, which is a very interesting and enlightening way to do it, I can only say that sonically this series has never been better, in fact, it has never been this good (and it always has been superb). Not only that, the selection of titles has reached a peak, all these are true classics representing in each case something unique to Blue Note and at the same time a musical milestone.

Stanley Turrentine's "Look Out" is a record I have had for decades but rarely pulled off the shelf. But Music Matters have shone a light on this session and made it essential - not only Turrentine's tone, here magnificently represented in all it's tall, deep, widely thrown glory (check out the lame sound Hoffman gave Turrentine on the Analogue Productions "Up At Mintons Vol. 1" and them come back to "Look Out" for the truth) - the blues shouts, the deep honks, the slides, the shimmys, the soul - all here. But what struck me the most as I listened was just what a great drummer Al Harewood was - and what a solid swing he brings. The cymbal sound achieved here for Harewood is just so damn soulful - and swinging. George Tucker I always thought of as a capable journeyman, and maybe that's what he was. But he is just such a solid, powerful swinging force here. That's what makes this such a classic session - the swing of an outstanding rhythm section, underappreciated - until you here them on this reissue.

 Jackie McLean's "One Step Beyond" is another inspired choice. Once again, the sound is the best Music Matters - or anyone - has obtained for Jackie. I have previously written about the MM "Swing Swang Swingin", feeling that excellent though the sound is, McLean's tone wasn't quite truthful - it didn't entirely sound like his alto, and some high midrange was sucked out (by some EQ consultant no doubt). McLean just simply sings here - right out front, thrown way out of the speakers, that tart beautiful tone sitting right in front, so close I could touch it. But this session is more than that. It brought Tony Williams into the studio for the first time, and man, is he ever awesome here - just listen to his cymbal sound! It has never been so realistic, and I had never heard just how detailed and varied his cymbal sound was. Grachan Moncur is a monster here - a huge, enveloping sound, one that now can be seen to be so deep in the swing tradition - it all makes sense now, Moncur can now be heard as a deep traditionalist tonally while reaching for a new harmonic freedom. Of course, by now it must be accepted that only Music Matters have been able to get the warmly metallic, percussive, singing sound of Bobby Hutcherson's vibes right - awesome.

This is a hard bop session, yet a turning point - it reaches out and touches the 'new thing' without McLean abandoning where he came from. As such, it is iconic and unique.

Dexter Gordon had recorded quite a bit for Blue Note before "Our Man In Paris", and from my perspective, other BN-Dexter records are better. But Ron and Joe have again made a beautiful choice here in reissuing this title. Our Man In Paris is seminal in the Blue Note canon for several reasons. First - it is the only title Music Matters have reissued to date not recorded by Rudy Van Gelder. Second - it is a rare encounter between Dexter and Bud Powell, and even more rare - one where Bud is 'all there'. Third - the great French bassist Pierre Michelot's only appearance on Blue Note, and one of the few by the legendary Kenny Clarke.

Sonically, this is a real treat - not RVG sound, and Music Matters have done an amazing job with what I am guessing are very good master tapes. Bud's piano sound is wonderful, and unlike the RVG piano sound. Same goes for the rocking, swinging Michelot - the bass sound is powerful, full of wood. So sonically, this is very unique to both MM and BN - and an excellent session by a band never to meet again.

Obviously, Ron had the challenge in assembling this package of session photos - since this was a Paris recording, there are obviously no Francis Wolff session photos. In their place (and likely not without a lot of detective work to source) are two wonderful photos I have never seen before - a period appropriate shot of Lion, Dexter and Van Gelder together, and another of a rather charming Dexter in Paris. A fabulous job, and an unexpected highlight of the series.

 Speaking of photos, the ones inside Lee Morgan's "The Procrastinator", a session from July 1967 show that RVG must have kept the air conditioning at near Arctic levels - everyone is wearing either a heavy wool jacket, or (in the cases of Bobby Hutcherson, Ron Carter and Billy Higgins) a heavy wool sweater! Morgan even appears from the photos to have had to change shirts during the session - obviously, these cats were so hot that day they needed some cooling down!

The music smokes. Ron Cater is on bass, and truthfully RVG never really caught Carter properly - but here, MM have made it right, Carter is just so powerfully symmetrical and locks in with Hancock and Higgins, now we hear his wonderful tone and how much his fingers contributed to his sound. Higgins also could be problematic for RVG - his cymbals are often a sizzling, ear bleeding blur during this era, but again, it's all right here, there is a clarity and detail to Higgins' cymbal work that has not been appreciated until heard here. I also never before appreciated just how Higgins could drop bombs - and keep on swinging.

Morgan - Hutcherson - Shorter out front, Ron Carter in a rare Blue Note appearance, even more rare - Carter and Higgins together., amazing, a classic date, singular in the Blue Note catalog, and every tune is just smoking hot.

Notwithstanding a typo in the liner notes, the session photo of Lee Morgan clearly shows the dent in his forehead from an encounter with a radiator while a junkie. Magnificent attention to detail.

Speaking of attention to detail, check out the cover of Wayne Shorter's "Adam's Apple" - the inner photos show Shorter playing a Conn tenor on that one, which he only played for a short time - he started with a Martin tenor, moved to a Selmer Balanced Action, then to the Conn 10M, then ultimately to a Selmer MkVI - all the way through with his usual Otto Link 11* mouthpiece. Checking the Adam's Apple original front cover - I had never noticed before - there it is, the Conn 10M. That accounts for the sound on that Music Matters that blew me away - the bigger, darker tenor sound. That's the 10M sound. Music Matters got it right, and it never has been that right for the last 40 some years.

 Bobby Hutcherson's "Happenings" not only sports an iconic cover, it is one of Hutcherson's finest dates, an advanced modal hard bop quartet with Hancock - and the ideal Hutcherson companion, Joe Chambers on drums, anchored by Bob Cranshaw. Again here, Music Matters have 'got' Hutcherson's sound just perfect, the warm, metallic vibes float above, and dart in and out of Hancock's exceptionally well structured and inventive dialogs. Chambers' sound has to be heard to be believed.

Don't hesitate on this one - Hutcherson was rarely heard in a quartet setting, and this is just exceptional.

 Blue Mitchell's "The Thing To Do" may seem an odd choice. Here we have the Horace Silver front line of the day, Mitchell and Junior Cook, By this point Cook had grown tremendously as a player, but the real reason this is such an essential record is the appearance of Chick Corea on Blue Note for the first time, and in a straight ahead bop quintet at that. Not to be under-estimated is the first appearance on Blue Note of Al Foster either. Often dismissed as a second tier hard bop record, Music Matters bring "The Thing To Do" into the front ranks of Blue Note - a smoking hot date, Cook is on fire, Mitchell is challenged by Corea (and Foster) to produce his best work. A great choice and the sound is exemplary.

Finally, another seminal Blue Note date from Freddie Hubbard, essential for a number of reasons - not only the Coltrane band of the day (Elvin, McCoy, and the master Art Davis on bass making a rare Blue Note appearance) - but the presence of Bernard McKinney on euphonium. McKinney gives a whole different voicing to the sextet, and Music Matters have captured the unique euphonium sound perfectly, showing it as a very singular foil to Hubbard and Shorter as a solo voice. The compositions on this record are near standrads in their perfection. This record was the first, in my view, that really showed a fully developed, unique voice from Hubbard. It remains one of his finest moments.

As usual, the RTI pressings are excellent (barring some disturbing popping on side 2 of Ready For Freddie that my usual cleaning regimen could not resolve), and the packaging of the usual highest standard.

Thing about this series - it is not just the warhorses, it doesn't play to the gallery, it produces true iconic and essential records that each have a unique place in Blue Note history and form the most complete picture of the depth Blue Note produced in their prime - and as such, it can only be considered the finest reissue series ever produced. Here are a bunch of titles that demand consideration.

PAUL McCARTNEY "Ram" mono vinyl reissue:

 Got my mono Paul McCartney "Ram" yesterday, without the angst of price checking and obsessive shipping status drama. Always loved Ram - maybe more than any other Macca solo record.

First up - I have been reading on the usual misinformation sites speculation, and outright false claims that this mono vinyl is from a needledrop. Well, that is just pure crap. First - Ram in mono was never commercially available in mono. So there really are very few 'originals' to take a vinyl rip from. Second - it doesn't take golden ears to hear that this could not possibly be a vinyl rip. Even a cursory listen makes that obvious.

I won't go through the differences between the mono and stereo here - there is lots of minutiae on that elsewhere online. The mixes are overall quite different, more than I expected, most notable on a cursory listen is the stronger bass and overall 'dryer' sound, less echo applied particularly on voices. Some longer fades, some details differ.

My pressing is serviceable, needed a good cleaning with Nitty Gritty First Rv to get the paper sleeve debris off - and the First RV noticeable cleaned up the sound, which is really very impressive, bearing in mind that this mono mix needs to be played reasonably loud to really shine. I like the cover, which suits the 'unreleased' status of the mono record.

On the whole, I enjoyed it tremendously and recommend it without reservation. It is not a 'first choice' Ram - clearly, this is a record intended as a stereo release. It is no mono Sgt. Pepper, but has many merits and as a record I love, it is an interesting way to make its reaquaintance.

PHIL COLLINS "But Seriously" on gold Audio Fidelity CD:

I admit that I have never until now owned, or heard, Phil Collins' "But Seriously" I got off the train at "No Jacket Required" and never looked back.

So I can't compare to other pressings, and actually, I come to the record as a first encounter - fresh, no reference points. That from my perspective is a huge advantage.

Actually, hearing it fresh, for the first time, I was surprised as just how good a record this is. It is far more cohesive than any of the earlier Phil records. It lacks the 'big' numbers of those records, and in truth I consider the 'hits' from But Seriously to actually be the weakest tracks. It grows quite quickly. While his two records prior to this had a lot going for them, and some undeniably great 'hit' tracks, this record seems to have more staying power. It's not all on the surface as "No Jacket Required" is for the most part.

The sound here - remastered by Stephen Marsh, with EQ consulting and sprinkling of the facial powder from his man-bag by Steve Hoffman, is very fine. Remembering that this is an early digital recording, it has a very natural sound, strong warm bass, highs shaved ever so slightly, very transparent 'reach out and touch' tactile sound. Excellent job. The problem with early digital wasn't the PCM recorders - it was the playback DACs and the mastering chain. Bringing many of those early digital jobs back to life with modern equipment can yield significant benefits, and that shows here.

I would now say that this is Phil Collins finest achievement outside of Genesis, and his last great record before he got into Michael Bolton territory. Highly recommended.

New ECM: Ketil Bjornstad - Vinding's Music

New on ECM, the great pianist Ketil Bjornstad with Vinding's Music - Songs From The Alder Thicket, an unusual concept as it is ostensibly a songtrack to a series of books written by Bjornstad. The first disc is a set of solo piano pieces, the second, a compilation of newly recorded classical pieces.

The first disc is of primary interest. This is contemporary improvised classically tinged 'jazz', using the latter term in the broadest sense, as this is not 'swing' in the traditional sense, although Bjornstad has a strong sense of inner rhythm. The pieces are simply magnificent, elegiac poems, programmatic in some sense, mighty and reflective, noble and inspiring. Not at all ECM style new age shit, perhaps akin to some of Jarrett's later solo recordings, with a stronger lyric sense, a stronger romanticism.

A brilliant set of music from an outstanding artist. ECM give Bjornstad a fine, dry, transparent recording that is an honest and faithful representation of his piano tone.

Highly, highly recommended. This must be among the very best solo piano recordings to come along in many years.

The second disc featuring classical pieces - both solo and orchestral - will not supplant versions that may be in anyone's collections already, but more than holds its own and is a welcome companion to the main event.

If you are unfamiliar with Ketil Bjornstad, also check out "Remembrance", a trio recording with the burnished tenor of Tore Brunborg and drummer Jon Christiansen. Outstanding.

Esbjorn Svensson EST - "301" vinyl LP:

Esbjorn Svensson passed tragically in a 2008 scuba diving accident, shortly after completing his last record "Leucocyte". Recorded before that highly experimental, metal-jazz record, "301" comes as a likely final statement from an artist that had an amazing future in front of him.

301, unlike Leucocyte, is almost entirely acoustic trio with occasional electronics added - but this is no fusion or electro-jazz record - Svensson is firmly in the 1970's Euro esthetic that formed his playing - Duke Jordan is here, so is Joachim Kuhn, so is Jarrett. But so is Radiohead, and much like Brad Mehldau, Svensson has a boundary-less melting pot of influences, where 'genre' has little meaning. At it's heart, this is an acoustic European jazz trio of outstanding musicianship, a working group that has a rapport and interplay that only comes from experience. The vibe is very subdued, dark - a classicism, elegaic. A fitting resting place for a great artist cut down in his prime.

The double vinyl pressing is excellent - quiet, flat. Sounds very good. There is rather little Svensson on vinyl - only Leucocyte was releaaed on LP, and good luck finding a copy. Get this one while you can.