Tag: CD

Album Review: Milos – Latino

Nicole Neal2 Comments

So Milos’*  new album has hit the shops, physical and virtual (me having downloaded my copy from iTunes).

Having listened to it for a couple of weeks or so now, I have to confess I’m in two minds about the album. On the one hand, the concept of a Latin American-inspired album is something that really appeals to me. As a guitarist I LURVE to play in the  Latin American style, something I feel very at ease in playing and listening to. You can really move with it, and this is something that Milos conveys pretty well with most or at least a good number of the tracks on this album. His version of Dyens’ Tango En Skai has a real pizzazz and a fabulously alpha-male strutting quality to it. This in turn is balanced by a delicately sumptuous Scherzino Mexicano (Ponce) and truly delightful rendering of Barrios’ Sueno en la Foresta. 

You’ll notice I said MOST above. Well, I said that on purpose because they are some tracks on the album which, and I’ll be honest here (and make small apologies for sounding like a bit of music snob), just make me cringe. Eeeeh. More cheese with that, sir?! Quizas, Quizas, Quizas (Farres) with a string orchestra to match….. Hmmm, this one is going to be played in dental waiting rooms the length and breadth of the country! Followed not too far behind in the hotel lobby music scene by Oblivion (Piazzolla)…

Ooh, I’m so mean. So yes, still in two minds, but it’s by no means a bad album – I give it 3 stars out of 5. Some great tracks on there, excellent playing and the high quality of production you’d expect from a Deutsche Gramaphon recording.

Look, this may not be high art and potentially frowned upon in some circles. Well, not potentially. I know it would be frowned upon in some circles, but you’ve got to admire the lad for his chutzpah.

He’s a very talented guitarist, a great musician – no doubt about that. He’s a good-looking boy too – which never hurt anyone – is signed to a major label, and has a management team behind him that seem pretty modern media savvy (check out his Latino series on Off TV: Milos’ Latino Off TV Series). He’s really working with his talent, putting it out there, making accessible music that hopefully brings classical guitar to the attention of a wider audience.  That’s got to be a good thing right? I don’t blame him for doing that at all. In fact quite the opposite; I really take my hat off to him for doing it.

He’s gone all pop star on us too and has recorded a video for the first track from the album, Libertango:

I think it would be great to see and hear him tackle some lesser known repertoire…..Hmm, I wonder what he’ll bring us for his third album?!

Ooh, and Melburnians – don’t forget to check Milos out at the Melbourne Recital Centre in December. See you there! http://www.melbournerecital.com.au/whatson/buytix?perfid=4279

Hey folks – what are your thoughts on Milos’ new album? I’d love to know. Why don’t you put your thoughts in the comment box below? Ahh, go on!

 

* Pronounced “mi-losh”, not “my-lows” as Mr. Classical Guitar n Stuff calls him…

CD Review: Fluid Lines – Duo 19

Nicole Neal1 Comment

Hi folks! I’m back from vacation! Did you miss me?!

Don’t worry, it hasn’t all been lazing around and doing not very much. I’ve been working on putting together a number of blog post topics for the next couple of months. As ever, though, any suggestions for blog topics you’d like to see posted up are most welcome, as are contributions.

Over the past couple of weeks I have also had Duo 19’s new CD, Fluid Lines, on heavy rotation. There are 10 tracks in all on the CD, covering a range of composers from Aussie favourites such as Philip Houghton and Nigel Westlake through to the Bulgarian guitarist-composer Ourkouzonov All the tracks on the are delivered and presented so sublimely. For the synesthetics amongst you, this is an album of rich dark chocolate, earthy ochre tones and a smattering of cool, dark forests. A delightful mixture of angular directions and curvilinear lines (or perhaps I should say fluid lines?).

Picking a stand out track from the album is nigh on impossible. If push came to shove though, the couple of tracks on the album that I’d chose over the others include Prayer (Frederic Hand) – delivered with gravitas, yet sensitivity. And that tone. Man! Whoever is playing the main melodic part around the 2:00 minute mark I want to to eat it! That tone is so fat, full and juicy! And CD opener Prelude from Prelude and Fugue in E Major by (Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco). A gently relaxed introduction to the recording, warm, lush and inviting, before launching into an enthusiastic Fugue.

In summary, this is an elegant and masterfully executed recording by two artists at the top of their game. Musically engaging, and emotionally imbued without becoming trite, rich colour and tone worlds. A seriously well matched duo, both technically and musically. They sound as if they are one.

Well worth parting with your hard-earned cash for this recording. But don’t just take my word for it, grab copy for yourself: http://danmckay.net/audio.htm

Have a bit of a preview listen here: http://soundcloud.com/duo19