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Deutsche Grammophon – 100 Great Symphonies – Last weeks’ listening

Disc 31 – Gustav Mahler
Symphony No.1 “Titan”
Concertgebouworkest Amsterdam
Leonard Bernstein

Disc 32 – Gustav Mahler
Symphony No.2 Resurrection
Christine Schafer – soprano
Michelle DeYoung mezzo-soprano
Wiener Singverein – Chorus Master Johaness Prinz
Wiener Philharmoniker – Rainer Keuschnig Organ
Pierre Boulez

DISC 33 – Gustav Mahler
Symphony No.5
Simon Bolivar Youth Orchestra of Venezuela
Gustavo Dudamel

Disc 34 – Gustav Mahler
Symphony No.9
Berliner Philharmoniker – Claudio Abbado

Disc 35 – Jean Sibelius
Symphony No.2 in D major op.43
Symphony No.5 in E flat major op.82
Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra
Neeme Jarvi

Disc 36 – Edward Elgar
Symphony No.2 in E flat major op.63
Philharmonia Orchestra
Giuseppe Sinopoli

The Jazz Standards Project – All Blues

All Blues composed by Miles Davis.

This piece is probably one of the most listened-to pieces in history. It is from Miles Davis’s album Kind of Blues – the best selling jazz album in history. In my experience you could randomly walk into any cafe or bar in the world and hear this on the stereo. On International flights I don the noise cancelling headphones and play this album on repeat whilst dozing off.

The recommended versions include Miles Davis from Kind of Blue 1959 and My Funny Valentine 1964. In addition there is Mary Lou Williams (1975), Mark Murphy (1990), World Saxophone Quartet (1998), Vince Mendoza (2007) and Rudresh Mahanthappa (2008).

The Jazz Standards Project – Alfie

Listened to various of the recommended renditions of Alfie, composed by Burt Bacharach and Hal David.

The lyrics are as follows:

What’s it all about, Alfie?
Is it just for the moment we live?
What’s it all about when you sort it out, Alfie?
Are we meant to take more than we give
or are we meant to be kind?
And if only fools are kind, Alfie,
then I guess it’s wise to be cruel.
And if life belongs only to the strong, Alfie,
what will you lend on an old golden rule?
As sure as I believe there’s a heaven above, Alfie,
I know there’s something much more,
something even non-believers can believe in.
I believe in love, Alfie.
Without true love we just exist, Alfie.
Until you find the love you’ve missed you’re nothing, Alfie.
When you walk let your heart lead the way
and you’ll find love any day, Alfie, Alfie.

The suggested versions include Carmen McRae (1964), Rahsaan Roland Kirk (1967), Bill Evans (1970), Art Farmer with Cedar Walton (1976), Patricia Barber, (2000), John Schofield (2003) and Pat Metheny (2011).

The Jazz Standards Project – Airegin

Airegin – or Nigeria spelled backwards was composed by Sonny Rollins.

Ted Gioia recommends versions by Miles Davis with Sonny Rollins (1954) and with John Coltrane (1956), Art Pepper (1959), Wes Montgomery (1960), Phil Woods (1974), Maynard Ferguson (1977), Michael Brecker and David Friesen (1993) and Chris Potter (also from 1993).

I found a lovely version by the Brad Mehldau Trio on their album Where Do You Start (2012)