Selected: Anouar Brahem's "The Astounding Eyes of Rita" would have probably never gotten another listen from me if I had happened to play it first in the car or on some other small speakers. I happened to play it on some really transparent near-field studio monitors and immediately fell in love. The combination of oud and bass clarinet is amazing; the two instruments resonate together very subtly. Coupled with some extremely sensitive electric bass (yes electric, and it works) and percussion, this album draws you in with warm tones and slow, but ever evolving melodies. I've played it almost three times in a row.
Random: The Squeezebox randomly selected Charles Mingus recording made on the Symphony Sid show from Birdland on Oct 19, 1952. This is an unreleased performance, part of what is known as the Boris Rose tapes, which have gone from tape, to acetate, to flac files on the internet. The band here sounds unrehearsed and more interested in entertaining for the radio than getting into the tunes. Typically Mingus ensembles have a big sound, not so here. Eddie Armour (tp), Don Butterfield (tuba), Charles McPherson (as), Pepper Adams (bars), Jaki Byard (p), Charles Mingus (b), Dannie Richmond (d), Symphony Sid Torin (mc). The standout tune is Monk Funk or Vice Versa in which Byard captures some Monk licks well. Lots of clipping and distortion on the recording, but interesting as frozen moment from an average gig.
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