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Soundcheck's CD Picks of the Week

Monday, January 14, 2008

The Soundcheck staff shares new recordings that are catching our attention.

Marco Benevento, "Invisible Baby" (Hyena)

One half of the Benevento-Russo Duo, this keyboardist has a solo studio debut full of hooks and strange, circuit-bending sounds. It’s both accessible and somewhat avant-garde. (Marco Benevento plays live on Soundcheck on Wednesday.)--picked by John Schaefer

"Invisible Baby" is available for purchase on Amazon.com.

Changuito, "Telegrafia Sin Hilo" (Cacao Music)
Changuito is Jose Luis Quintana, a Cuban percussionist who was a member of the legendary band Los Van Van. This album (the title means "wireless telegraph") features guest appearances by Bobby Abreu of the New York Yankees and drummer/broadcaster Omar Jeanton, among others.--picked by Gisele Regatao

"Telegrafia Sin Hilo" is available for purchase on Amazon.com.

Yundi Li, piano; Berlin Philharmonic, Seiji Ozawa, conductor "Prokofiev, Piano Concerto No. 2; Ravel, Piano Concerto in G Major." (Deutsche Grammophon)

The 27-year-old pianist Yundi Li is treated like a rock star in his native China, appearing in Nike ads and drawing stadium-sized crowds. While the wavy-haired pianist has been praised for his recordings of Chopin and Liszt, it is this imaginative pairing of concertos by Ravel and Prokofiev that really shows that he’s got the goods to match the hype. picked by Brian Wise

This pick is available for purchase on Amazon.com.

Atmosphere, "Strictly Leakage" (RhymeSayers Entertainment)

About two weeks ago, the Minneapolis hip-hop duo Atmosphere did a funny thing. With a CD already on deck for this spring, Sean Daley and Anthony Davis posted this free, 13-song nod to old-soul party albums on their website. Here, Daley -- better known as Slug -- exhibits the art of being both arrogant AND self-deprecating, in rhyme.--picked by Joel Meyer

"Strictly Leakage" is available for download at the Atmosphere site.


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