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Various Artists: Mapleshade's Music Festival (Sampler) |
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Here are 13 of our best-sounding tracks—everything from blues and R&B to gospel and jazz. There’s a single thread that connects all our
artists—they’re passionate about music. That’s the thread that ties Sunny Sumter’s soulful and smokey-voiced “Nick of Time” to Joe
Stanley’s raw sax lament “Blues For Danny (Gatton)” and the ARC Choir’s joyous “Shady Green Pastures.” Modesty aside, it's doubtful
you’ll find another CD that melds such wide-ranging music styles, creative intensity, and jaw-dropping, “there’s a saxophonist in my
living room” sound. Best of all, we think you’ll have a big smile on your face ’cause THIS MUSIC IS FUN.
Track Listing
- 1. Mellow Saxaphone (A La Carte Brass and Percussion)
-Listen to Full Song
- 2. Alberta (Bad Influence)
-Listen to Sample
- 3. Makin' Whoopee (King/Bluiett Trio)
-Listen to Sample
- 4. Nick of Time (Sunny Sumter and Larry Willis Quartet)
- 5. Housewarming (Sweetman With His Southside Groove Kings)
- 6. That's How I Feel About You (J Street Jumpers)
- 7. Blues For Danny Gatton (Joe Stanley Sextet)
- 8. Paris Bossa (Kendra Shank and the Larry Willis Quartet)
- 9. You'd Be So Nice to Come Home To (C.I. Williams Quintet)
- 10. Stormy Monday Blues (Drink Small Quartet)
- 11. Fiesta De Montunos (Patato With The Enriquillo Winds)
- 12. Gallows Pole (The Blue Rider Trio)
- 13. Shady Green Pastures (The ARC Choir)
REVIEW by AudioEn
So you've spent heaps of dollars trying to get your system to sound like there's a live band playing in your lounge. Here's a $20 suggestion that may well make more difference than most anything else you've done. Mapleshade is a little outfit in the states that produces very purist recordings and this sampler disc lets you see the results. Purist in this case means live to two track on analog tape (at 15ips most of the time), no add-on EQ, reverb, overdubbing, compression etc, etc, etc.
I'm picking you'll get a hang of a surprise with the purity of the sound, the sheer impact of uncompressed horns, drums and voices, and the live feeling that you can only get by having the musicians in the same room at the some time. From the 32 voice acapella gospel of The ARC Choir to the simple but powerful guitar and vocals of Ben Andrews there's some very good music presented exquisitely. The opening track mixes trumpets, saxes, a trombone and a tuba along with congas, bongos, and a lot more percussion to simply blow the roof off the place.
What all this adds up to is a realisation that to a very large extent we're at the mercy of the recordings. This album will give you a good idea of what all the nasties in the recording chain are as they're so obvious by their absence. Go on and admit it, now and then you just want something to stretch your hi-fi system. This disc will do that for you.
-Craig Fenemor
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