Gershwin: Rhapsody in Blue, Concerto in F, Prelude No.2
Michel Camilo, piano; Barcelona Symphony; Ernest Martinez Izquierdo, conductor.
Telarc SACD-63611
Format: Hybrid Multichannel SACD

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One might expect that Michel Camilo would be an excellent soloist in this familiar literature. A great jazz player known for his solo and ensemble work, he has a feeling for jazz that allows him to mix its rhythms with a lyricism many artists find elusive. With this disc, those expectations are fulfilled -- Camilo seems born to play these works. The liberties he takes with the solo passages in Rhapsody in Blue make sense and give those sections fresh zing. He is a powerhouse of rhythmic expression in the Concerto in F, able to be heard and felt when the full orchestra is playing. What I didn’t expect was a Spanish orchestra able to play American jazz so idiomatically and with such precision and flair. As far as music goes, the world now seems a genuinely international community. No doubt conductor Ernest Martinez Izquierdo had a lot to do with the success of these readings. He is not yet a household word, but I would like to hear more from him as soon as possible. The engineering is first rate; this is the best-sounding pairing of these works on disc. In the multichannel mix, the percussion instruments have wonderful presence while still "appearing" behind the strings on the soundstage. In fact, the balances overall, within the orchestra and between orchestra and piano, are perfect….Rad Bennett

Handel: Water Music, Music for the Royal Fireworks
Aradia Ensemble; Kevin Mallon, conductor.
Naxos 5.110115
Format: DVD-Audio

Musical Performance
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Overall Enjoyment

A recent BBC documentary hypothesized that Handel composed his famous Water Music as a political ploy to gain favor with King George I. That may or may not be true, but it is a fact that he wrote them for a pleasure trip by George I on the Royal Barge down the River Thames, and that the suites he excerpted from that music are among his most popular compositions. Through its recordings for Naxos, Canada’s Aradia Ensemble has gained popularity and respect for being one of the world’s premier period-instrument ensembles. Its performances here are bright, cheerful, and accomplished. One might even term them "jaunty" -- not a bad thing, considering the large number of dances and airs. It is never enough to have but one recording of this music, for each brings something new. This is the first Water Music to use transverse flutes, due to a small note conductor Kevin Mallon discovered written in Handel’s original score. This Water Music also employs tambourine in a few sections, and timpani in the Suite in D Major, all arguably appropriate performance practice. It certainly sounds right. Still, Naxos’ sound is a bit of a letdown from previous efforts. Bass lines are not strong or defined, and the overall sound is a bit lean, with a shallow soundstage. If you must have this coupling in high-resolution sound, Telarc’s full-bodied recording with the Boston Baroque might be a better choice. If "Red Book" CD sound will suffice, then the Philips recording led by John Eliot Gardiner is the one to have. But the Aradia Ensemble’s traversal has much to offer, and is also available on hybrid multichannel SACD….Rad Bennett

Tchaikovsky: Orchestral Suite No.3 in G
Stravinsky: Divertimento from Le Baiser de la Fée
Russian National Orchestra; Vladimir Jurowski, conductor.
Pentatone 5186 081
Format: Hybrid Multichannel SACD

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Pentatone, one of the few companies exclusively devoted to producing hybrid multichannel SACDs, issues older Quadraphonic recordings from the Philips catalog as well as brand-new sessions. None of the new artists they have introduced has made a greater impression than Russian conductor Vladimir Jurowski, who is currently principal guest conductor of the Russian National Orchestra and the London Philharmonic and music director of the Glyndebourne Festival Opera. On this SACD he leads music that requires a heart-on-sleeve approach, and gives it plenty of emotion without it becoming saccharine. Tchaikovsky’s Orchestral Suite No.3 in G ebbs and flows with just the right give and take, and the Divertimento from Stravinsky’s Le Baiser de la Fée is as romantic as it is precise. The Russian National Orchestra sounds wonderful, especially its string section, which can dazzle with virtuosity or set the blood racing with its voluptuous tone. The sound is big and lush though without a lot of soundstage depth, and the percussion section lacks the presence it needs to provide the proper bite. Jurowski’s sensitive, idiomatic interpretations and the RNO’s luscious string sound are what make this disc worthwhile….Rad Bennett

Spyro Gyra: Wrapped in a Dream
Heads Up HUS 9107
Format: Hybrid Multichannel SACD

Musical Performance
Sound Quality
Overall Enjoyment

Spyro Gyra has been a work in progress for some time now. In this set the band reaches its zenith, producing a defining album for the smooth-jazz genre. It goes down easy yet is never boring. The successful formula is to get a rhythmic groove going that supports a wailing melody, either from Jay Beckenstein’s pungent saxophone or the full-bodied guitar of Julio Fernandez, with occasional, welcome keyboard riffs and flights of fancy from Tom Schuman. My favorite track is "Impressions of Madrid" -- its vibrant rhythms, surrounding handclaps, vocal retorts, and sensual guitar and marimba lines define mellow in a good sense, as do "Walkin’ Home" and "Li’l Mono." The surround sound is of the full-immersion type: all around the listener. "After the Storm" is very effective, the solo guitar emerging at the front of the soundstage from the surrounding nature sounds. All of this action is in the subtlest high-resolution sound. If you don’t like things happening behind your back, the two-channel tracks are great, too….Rad Bennett

Arctic Monkeys: Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not
Domino DNO 086
Format: CD

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Overall Enjoyment

This is the fastest-selling debut album in UK chart history. The songs are slices of the lives of early-twentysomethings from Sheffield, England. The lyrics are mostly whatever, but the Arctic Monkeys have a lot of energy, and many of the songs have great propulsive drive. Although "I Bet You Look Good on the Dance Floor" was the album’s breakout single, it gets old fast. The lead vocalist sings with an accent, which I anticipate many people will find annoying after a few listens. The album seems to aspire to punk, but overall, the music is just too structured and the songs too well-produced to capture that feeling. In the end, the album is a solid effort, but given the furious pre-release hype behind it, I was hoping for something a bit more "great."…Michael Galvin