Ali Jihad Racy - Mystical Legacies

 1997; 10 tracks This recording features performer, composer, and scholar Ali Jihad Racy accompanied by percussionist Souhail Kaspar performing ten excerpts from a live concert at the 1993 Los Angeles Festival on August 21. Here these two master artists perform at a high level of saltanah, namely the creative state that inspires musicians to evoke tarab, of "musical ecstasy" within the initiated listeners. Performed on a variety of string, wind, and percussion instruments, the content illustrates the traditional textures, timbres, embellishments, and melodic and rhythmic modes of traditional Arab music. It also includes improvisations and interpretations of works by Racy and other composers.

My favorite instrument that they use is called a buzuq, which is a long-necked lute with metallic strings, much like a guitar but with a more resonant sound. I found this a beautiful recording of musicians becoming so involved with the instruments they play it is if they are one.

01 Sufi Medley
02 Taqasim And Sama'i Bayyati Al-'Arayan
03 Moorish Impressions
04 Taqasim And Dama'i Nahawand Racy
05 Themes of Yearning
06 Strumming Magic
07 Enchanting Beauty
08 Taqasim Hiljaz
09 Saba Medley
10 Breeze of Nostalgia


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Camille Saint-Saëns - Music for Violin and Orchestra

 2000; 8 tracks
Jean-Jacques Kantorow / Tapiola Sinfonietta In an effort to invite some much-needed culture back to my blog, here is Jean-Jacques Kantorow leading the Tapiola Sinfonietta in Camille Saint-Saëns' First Violin Concerto and other works for violin and orchestra.

01 Violin Concerto No. 1 in A minor, Op. 20, I. Allegro
02 Violin Concerto No. 1 in A minor, Op. 20, II. Andante espressivo
03 Violin Concerto No. 1 in A minor, Op. 20, III. Tempo I
04 Introduction et rondo capriccioso in A minor, Op. 28 for violin & orchestra
05 Romance in C major, Op. 48, for violin & orchestra
06 Havanaise in E major, Op. 83, for violin & piano (or orchestra)
07 Sarabande Op. 93, No. 1, for string orchestra
Solo violin: Tero Latvala
08 Morceau de concert in G major, Op. 62, for violin & orchestra

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Sloth - It's Not Our Worst A.K.A. Progression?

2000; 12 tracks

Disregard that last post. I have something worthwhile to share with you people.

Sloth is a doom/stoner metal one-man band (with various others joining in) from Cleveland, Ohio who has been releasing obscure limited releases on 7”, CD, 12”, tape, etc. since the early 2000s, and still continues to today. They've done splits with numerous bands, including Noothgrush, Corrupted, Floor, angry hate, Dot[.], Fistula, Cattlepress, Rwake, Shitstorm, CSMD, and many others.

It's Not Our Worst A.K.A. Progression? is a 2000 compilation of several of the band's splits, 7"'s, and cassettes, along with a few previously unreleased tracks.

I'm in love with it.

01 Pepper Kennan Punches Like A Girl Part 1 (Split w/ Boulder)
02 Untitled (Unreleased) I
03 Getting Ready For Christmas (It's About Malt Liquor)
04 Untitled (Joy is Gone from our Hearts)
05 Bullets (Split w/ Beauty Pageant)
06 Lice Hive (Poverty Level Gutter Swill cassette)
07 Pepper Kennan Punches Like A Girl Part 2
08 Anaconda (Answering Machine Version) (Split w/ Gob)
09 Anaconda (Split w/ Noothgrush)
10 Untitled (Unreleased) II
11 Untitled (Unreleased) III
12 Iron Larry Hogue (Exploder)



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