Sponsor

wnyc.org / 93.9fm / am 820

Soundcheck's Picks of the Week

Wednesday, December 05, 2007

Four stand-out new albums, as chosen by the Soundcheck staff.

Glenn Gould: "The Young Maverick" (CBC Records)

This new six-CD box set is drawn from radio broadcasts of the legendary Canadian pianist from the early '50s. Gould was a fearless performer, and the medium of live radio only heightens the sense of risk-taking here. --Brian Wise

"The Young Maverick" is available for purchase at Amazon.com

Doveman, "With My Left Hand I Raise the Dead" (Brassland)

This has been a stellar year for Thomas Bartlett, the musician known as Doveman. He contributed to The National's outstanding "Boxer," joined his National pals on tour, and turned out another Doveman album full of sad and blurry memories. Bartlett’s voice barely hovers above a whisper as he sings about chasing clouds, sunken queens, and tender mercies. --Joel Meyer

"With My Left Hand I Raise the Dead" is available for purchase at Amazon.com

3 Cohens "Braid" (Anzic Records)

Every other young jazz musician playing in New York today seems to come from Israel. Three of them come from the very same family. Trumpeter Avishai Cohen, clarinetist and saxophonist Anat Cohen and saxophonist Yuval Cohen all have independent careers, and play music as diverse as bepop and Brazilian choro. When they jam together, they're known as the 3 Cohens. --Gisele Regatao

"3 Cohens" is available for purchase at Amazon.com

Mahmoud Ahmed and the Either Orchestra, "EthioSonic" (Buda Musique)

This DVD documents the meeting between Mahmoud Ahmed, one of Ethiopia’s greatest pop singers, and the Massachusetts 10-piece jazz band called the Either Orchestra. Ahmed is one of the legends of the golden age of Ethiopian pop in the '70s. The Either Orchestra has recently been reviving interest in this music, which almost disappeared after the end of Haile Selassie’s reign in the mid 70s. --John Schaefer

"EthioSonic" is available for purchase at Amazon.com

Leave a Comment

Register for your own account so you can vote on comments, save your favorites, and more. Learn more.
Please stay on topic, be civil, and be brief.
Email addresses are never displayed, but they are required to confirm your comments. Names are displayed with all comments. We reserve the right to edit any comments posted on this site. Please read the Comment Guidelines before posting. By leaving a comment, you agree to New York Public Radio's Privacy Policy and Terms Of Use.







URL

If you enter anything in this field your comment will be treated as spam
Location
* Denotes a required field