During my recent trip to upstate New York I did manage to get some time at my favorite secret used record store. Hadn't been there in a while so the bins (and piles and crates on the floor) were crammed full 'o goodies.
For whatever reason, this time around I was drawn to mostly out of print obscurities. It was still a good haul, though smaller than average (hey, we'd been in the store for well over an hour & we were tired from the previous night's Dylan show...and lunch was calling.)
Connie Francis - The Very Best of Connie Francis, Volume 2
It doesn't have "Who's Sorry Now", but it does have "When The Boy In Your Arms (Is The Boy In Your Heart". That was worth the one dollar I paid for this sealed copy.
Ralph Towner - Blue Sun
One of Towner's solo records that features not only his guitar but a pile of other instruments including cornet, French horn, piano and percussion. Synthesizers don't generally do much for me where Towner is concerned, but he makes clever use of a Prophet 5 here.
Domenico Modugno - Viva Italia!
My godfather (Sal) used to embarrass me and my cousins by singing "Volare" in his very loud voice. Modugno had a big hit with his recording of that tune. With it's cool 1960's cover art and Decca Records label, this about jumped into my hands.
Joanne Brackeen - Ancient Dynasty
The first name that jumped out at me was the producer: Bob James. Smooth jazz from pianist Brackeen? That just doesn't seem possible. The other names cleared up the issue: Eddie Gomez on bass, Joe Henderson on saxophone and Jack DeJohnette on drums.
Interweave - Expedition
In a crate full of local (Oneonta) artists, this jazz trio album sounded interesting. Frank Giasullo (who contributed all of the compositions) on piano, John Davey on double bass and Patrick Tamminen on drums. The interesting part comes with the producer's name: Rudy Van Gelder. The trio has recently reunited under the name Extreme Measures.
Kazuhito Yamashita - Pictures At An Exhibition
This was the find of the weekend. I made a cassette recording years ago from a borrowed CD. It is Moussorgsky's classic transcribed for classical guitar...and it is just brilliant.
(First posted on Mark Is Cranky)
Article comments
1 - JR
Yeah, that Yamashita dude had some serious audacity. I also have a version of "Sheherazade" he recorded with his sister on second guitar. He also transcribed the "Firebird Suite" and Dvorak's "New World" Symphony, but all his stuff seems to be out of print now. Apparently he made over 60 albums.
By the way, "Pictures At An Exhibition" was originally a piano piece. You don't usually hear anything other than the Ravel orchestration, but it's such great music it works on just about any instrument.
2 - Mark Saleski
i have to admit that my first listen to that chunk of music probably came by way of Emerson, Lake & Palmer
3 - JR
I like that version too, although a classical musician friend of mine once got seriously annoyed when I played it. She was a bit of a purist - she'll grow out of it.
4 - Eric Olsen
speaking of ELP, I have been astonished to learn how many people don't know that they are the perpetrators of the ubiquitous "Welcome back my friends to the show that never ends," used all over the place as a radio bumper, talk show theme, etc. A person who shall remain nameless asked me if it was The Who, which caused me to nearly cough up a lung.
5 - Mark Saleski
ooooh, i still have my original tri-fold record of that one.
pure 70's excess, i tell ya.
6 - Eric Olsen
yes, that of the futuristic, vaguely Egyptian blow job
7 - Rodney Welch
"Very Best of No. 2" ... sounds kind of, uh, SHITTY if you ask me...
8 - Mark Saleski
well, it's got some odd stuff on it...including some nice italian love songs.
besides, i don't think "Connie Francis: Shitty Leftovers" would have been such a brilliant marketing move.
9 - Rodney Welch
I'm just going by the title, Mark
10 - Mark Saleski
yea, i know...i shoulda added the smiley thing at the end.
11 - Bill Battline
YAMASHITA, KAZUHITO -
Pictures at an Exhibition / The Firebird Suite
Is available on CD at /www.gspguitar.com
I just ordered it.
12 - Mark Saleski
thanks bill. i may have to do the same.