Latest: Chai Qin Ji Yu, the Toad Album

[fuwen 0]

Hi!

 

This is a very nice live recording by Eva Cassidy recorded in the Blues Alley. Unfortunately also the last she managed to record as soon after she passed away. It is really a waste.

 

For these live performances at the Blues Alley, she was not the original singer for most (maybe all, but I am not very sure) of the songs. However, I would say she performed so well that you may feel that those songs were written for her. The recordings were also very good.

 

I like track 3 bridge over troubled water (very well performed, in a style completely different from Simon and Gunfunkel, listen to the details), track 7 tall trees in Georgia, track8 fields of gold. The rest are very nicely performed also.

 

Available in ordinary CD format. However I was told the US press is much better than the Australia press. Frankly I am not sure how to differentiate but US press should have a sticker stick along the top side of the CD cover.

Edited April 21, 2005 by fuwen

[fuwen 0]

Another one that I like very much, a chinese vocal by label HUGO, CD title Tasting Loneliness for the first time.

 

It is China singer Huang Hong-ying singing Teresa Teng songs. Her singing style is very similar to Teresa Teng, but then again no body will ever be singing like Teresa, as she is just very unique. What I like about this CD is the very good performance by Hong-ying, very good recording by HUGO, and very refreshing but traditional musical arrangements for all the songs. The recordings were done real time with all the artists playing together live and not by digital mixing. I only have reservation on track 8 and 14, both is Stories of a small town but 2 different version, and I am not agreeable to the use of gu zheng as the accompaning instrument.

 

I particularly like track 4, where the song started with a very well perform whistle performed by HUGO boss himself.

 

If you are born in the 1960s and 1970s (or before 1960s, if there are any forumners born before that) and understand Mandrain, u should not go wrong with this CD. But overall the songs on this CD are slow.

 

Available in CD, XRCD, SACD and LP versions.

Edited May 4, 2004 by fuwen

[thermota 0]

I don't have any Eva Cassidy albums, but I just have to say that Eva Cassidy is definitely one of the more special jazz singers. Normally, when I listen to jazz vocalists, I prefer those who have that special husky texture to their voice. In fact most jazz singers have that special darker and razzy texture. Eva Cassidy has an especially bright voice, which initially biased me to think that she wasn't suited to sing soulful tunes and express that degree of emotion.

 

After a couple more listens to songs like "I know you by heart" and "At last my love has come along".... It became obvious to me that she sings her heart out with powerful vocals. I'd be hard pressed to believe that she tries to control her singing.. Her connnection with song and audience is prolly one of those that you can't teach. Even when she sings softly.. you can hear every nuance that reflects her interpretation of the songs. Truly making every song worthy of haveing been part of her life. Really a one of a kind singer, alas, with a tragic end. Good recommendation OP.. =)

[Mackie 0]

FWIW, Eva was not a jazz singer. She was a special singer who gave her heart felt renditions of any material that she decided to sing. Most of her covered songs are Evergreens I think.

[fuwen 0]

IF you like female classical vocal singer this is an album worth listening to:

 

Renee Fleming The Beautiful Voice.

 

Jeffrey Tate conducting English Chamber Orchestra

DECCA 458 858-2

 

According to the write up come with the album

'Songs her mother taught her, songs her father selected, songs she read through for fun as a student or even as a little girl but never worked up for performance, songs friends thought they would like to hear her sing ...These, plus a special operatic favourite or 2, form the programme for this most personal of Renee Fleming's solo albums.'

 

This is a collection of nice classical songs on a single album. Recording is very good, Jeffrey and English Chamber Orchestra did a very good job in accompaniment. In particular I like track 5 'The last rose of summer'.

 

The music are nice and not with very dramatic dynamics, but in some tracks Fleming did stretch her voice to very high register so those maybe a bit more challenging for the system.

 

If u have not owned any album on classical songs, u may want to consider this one. I feeling is that even you are not into classical singing you may well still able to enjoy this album.

 

Due to its 'audiophile' in nature, you maybe able to get this from New Disc Village.

Edited October 28, 2004 by fuwen

[fuwen 0]

A very nice, well recorded audiophile jazz recording 'Here's to Ben' by our very own Jacintha.

 

If you like slow jazz, Ben ( I believe he is a very well known jazz singer, correct me if I am wrong ) and you like stuff like Georgia on my mind, Tenderly or Stardust and also you want to support local artist, this is probably one album that u can try.

 

Personally I like track 9 Danny Boy very much, especially the unaccompanied introduction.

 

Available in CD and SACD (and I believe also XRCD) version. The SACD version was transfered to DSD directly from the original live-to-2-track analogue master tape.

Edited December 3, 2004 by fuwen

[Mackie 0]

Correction: Ben Webster was a great jazz pianist and used to play in Duke Ellington's band before he went solo.

[fuwen 0]

This is another audiophile recording by Chai Qin.

 

Ji Yu SACD HE-305A Godot Theatre/High End Records

 

I believe is a Taiwan production. The piano performance and recording are very good. As for the vocal recording, I was not very conviced listening to the normal CD version but was quite please with the SACD version. There is also a XRCD version (but somehow cover colour scheme is in yellow and brown).

 

However a lot of talking in this album, as I guess the music and songs were originally written for a stage drama. Music are slow moving though.

 

Mackie told me in some other forum this is called the 'Toad Album'. I do really have quite a bit of fun with track 6. Besides the very nice performance and recording, I like to 'catch' the toad/frog sounds in the later part of the track. So far I believe there are a total of 9 toads/frogs. I will list down the track time the toad appeared (SACD version) and for those already owned the CD and managed to catch some more do let me know!

 

2'27

2'44

2'51

3'09

3'12

3'16

3'22

3'34

3'44

 

On a speaker system u need late at night to catch them all. On the headphone I think it is easier. However u still need to concentrate and sometime u over-concentrate u start to 'imagin' the toad/frog and get the wrong count.

 

Enjoy!

 

note: On a speaker system the toad is located at the right bottom. It is always there but make noise at different time. Of course the toad calls are not very load as this track is not for u to listen to toad singing anyway!!

Edited April 21, 2005 by fuwen

[Mackie 0]

Marvellous album even on redbook format. Certainly a dose of this after work would relieve one of the pent up stress. This recording sounds fantastic through electrostatic speakers.

[david watt 0]

Haha revive an old thread.

 

I just made an interesting discovery regarding the toad album track 6.

This track is interesting as one has to concentrate to listen to the toad croaking via headphones/home speakers.

 

Surprise, surprise- i have found that the toad croak is very clear via the speaker of my 2 yr old Samsung handphone. yes, is the handphone ! No need to strain at all- the croaking comes out naturally and very clearly!

 

Just rip it to mp3 and copy to the phone and play

[iggyting 0]

Having read Fuwen's recommendations recently, I (belatedly) tried my luck on getting hold of Rene Fleming's "The Beautiful Voice" and Huang Hong-ying's "Tasting Loneliness for the first Time". I remember seeing Fleming's Decca recording when it was first released a decade back but gave it a miss then. My interest in her revived lately when she performed in the recent TLOR tri-recordings. As for Huang's it was Fuwen's recommendation that set me looking for it. Also I was a greater fan of Chai Qin than Teresa Teng. Anyway, I was surprised to see the Fleming's in HMV and Huang's (HDCD version)in a shop at Bras Basah Complex. I must say I was not disappointed by both recommendations - thanks Fuwen!

 

Fleming has that rare gift of a vibrato voice that seems to "sing" within a song. Her beautiful voice makes even a dull piece interesting. Among others, the other lady singer who shares this gift is the Korean soprano Sumi-Jo.

 

As for Huang Hong-ying, she is like the mellow and silken voice-version of Teresa and sustains her notes a bit better than Teresa. I think Huang, having ridden on the glamour of Teresa, has the potential to come on her personal own. I am not sure she has moved away from doing a "Teresa" since. One track that shows her potential own is "Barcarole" (# 2), an Indonesian Piece. I thought her rendition brings out the rustic charm of the Batak volcanic region better than Teresa's which sounded more "popish". Track #5, Camellia Flower, by an unknown composer and lyrics writer, sounded like the theme from the recent very successful Korean period drama, "The Jewel of the Palace" aka "Da Jang Jin". Hmm. Which is which, now. The keyboard accompaniment is good on the whole, except in two pieces which I find the piano in jazz style was overwhelming. Just a personal choice. But it is worth listening more of Huang in future.