It’s been raining cats and dogs this weekend, so what could be better than spending it locked up at home with your favourite music. I decided to travel to various parts of the world – musically, that is. This “trip” also gave me a chance to compare my speakers (Dunlavy Aletha, Rauna Leira II and ProAc Tablette Reference 8 Signature) a bit further. Throughout this listening session I used the Audio Sector Patek Integrated as amplifier (putting the Accuphase E-405 to rest a bit) and the Accuphase DP-70 as CD-player. The cables used were the 47 labs inter-connector and the Supra Plus speaker cables.
We start the trip way up in the north. In northern Sweden to be more precise. The Dunlavys open up to the tunes of the mystic, powerful and beautiful “Kalix” from Jonas Knutsson’s album with the title “Malgomaj”. Here you meet wonderful soprano and baritone saxophones coupled with fender rhodes, drums, percussion and double bass. The sound stage is wide and deep. In “Sordin”, a simple as beautiful song only played by a soprano saxophone and a double bass, you dream yourself away in the seemingly untouched sceneries near the top of the world. The song”Baku” looks at first sight slightly misplaced on the album as there is only one instrument being played – and quite an odd one you would think, namely a more than 3000 years’ old douduk of Armenian origin. However, it fits somehow on this mystic album. “Mafraj” follows this theme in its rather dark, heavy and melancholic appearance. Here you have the baritone saxophone mingling with darabuka, handdrums, double bass, violins, viola, cello, and string arrangements.
The trip continues with Jonas Knutsson’s “Flower In The Sky”. The opening track, “Syskonöga”, on this album is absolutely wonderful with the interplay between the accoustic guitar, soprano saxophone, and bass. Here, I connected the ProAcs. The lifelike appearence of this song is reproduced pretty well with the ProAcs, although the soundstage is much smaller than with the Dunlavys. The details and rapidity are there however. These characteristics are also present in the more rapid song “Polska efter Per Arnström, Wilhelmina”. But here I miss a bit of the bass, which is better with the Dunlavys. “Arktis” has a huge depth, so here it is obviously the Dunlavys that manage to capture this best. Neither the Raunas nor the ProAcs can compete with the Dunlavys here.
Before deciding to move further south, I also pass by the album “Norrland” from Jonas Knutsson and Johan Norberg. This is not a favourite album, but it gives you perhaps a good insight in more traditional Swedish folkmusic. The title “Näverbiten” is a given on this album as well as “Köiklåten”. In fact, there are only two instruments playing on the album; accoustic guitar and soprano saxophone. Simple, but beautiful.
Taking the road south, but staying in Sweden (well, at least sort of, as one of the three group members is Swedish), I let the Raunas introduce me to the Tingvall Trio’s CD “Vägen”, a very nice jazz album. This group, which is composed of Martin Tingvall (piano), Omar Rodriguez Calvo (double bass) and Jürgen Spiegel (drums), is likely to appeal to those who like to listen to E.S.T. I have difficulties finding a single track that I don’t like on this album. Very harmonious. The opening track,”Sevilla”, is one of a number of tracks on this album that reminds a lot of E.S.T. The title song on this album, “Vägen” starts smoothly, but accelerates into a wonderful orgie of harmonious tunes and then ends the way it started. With this album and the following two albums from the same group, “Skagerack” and “Vattensaga”, the Raunas are in their right element. They produce a very homogeneous and natural sound. The soundstage is very good, without being exceptional.
“A Tribute To Eva Cassidy” by Caroline Larsson and Bengt Magnusson is a truly relaxing and well-recorded album with female vocal and accoustic guitar only. This less-is-more album is for those who wish to rediscover the musical world of Eva Cassidy, personally interpreted by two of Sweden’s top live performers. Their interpretation of “Over The Rainbow”‘, “True Colors” and “Fields of Gold”, to name a few, is quite interesting.
Continuing on this “less is more” theme, the Raunas were the obvious choice for presenting the next album, “Allt Det Bästa” with The Real Group. This is a compilation/best-of album containing both national, traditional Swedish songs and well-known international songs – all performed accapella. The Real Group’s interpretation of “Dancing Queen”, “Li’l Darling”, “Kristallen Den fina”, Att Angöra En Brygga”, “Vem Kan Segla” or “Underbart Är Kort” is very nice. Outstanding quality of the recording. The Raunas sounded simply magnificent here. Very natural, liquid and with a huge presence.
“Saltash Bells” is the name of the latest album from John Surman. An absolute must for those who liked his highly acclaimed album “Private City”. His latest album basically picks up where “Private City” ended and is at least as good as that album in my humble opinion. This is a coming classic. I have switched to the Dunlavys again, and the entire room is filled with music to the tunes of “Whistman’s Wood”. Glorious! I can’t get enough, so this album stays on in its entirety.
While in the UK, I put on an old record that I have come to like not least due to the quality of the recording. The record in question is “Songs From The Last Century” with George Michael. The titles “Brother Can You Spare Me A Dime” and “Roxanne” both sound very nice with the Dunlavys. I also switched to the Raunas and the ProAcs when listening to this album, and they all performed well here. The ProAcs were perhaps a bit too forward but nontheless enjoyable. The Raunas placed themselves right in between the more laid-back but very life-like apperance of the Dunlavys and the ProAcs’ more direct and forward approach.
The album,”English String Music”, performed by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra is with its recording being from 1994 perhaps not the best recording quality wise, but it is nonethless an interesting one for those who like chamber music. Here you find Edward Elgar, Frederick Delius, Peter Warlock, Gustav Holst, William Walton and Henry Purcell. The album sounded best with the ProAcs, with the Raunas being a close second.
Next up was the “Hilleperl – Telemann Concertos For Viola Da Gamba” recorded by the Freiburger Barockorchester. It’s difficult to say which was my preferred speakers with this album, but I think the Raunas managed to come closest to the interpretation of Georg Philipp Telemann.
Another album which showed the qualities of the Raunas was the “Italian Concertos” by Concerto Köln (Werner Erhardt). This very well-recorded album is a wonderful compilation of great Italian 17th century composers, such as Antonio Vivaldi, Francesco Durante, Giovanni Battista Pergolesi,Domenico Scarlatti, and Leonardo Leo. Warmly recommended.
Continuing on the German-Italian path, I insert the ACT album “Mare Nostrum” performed by Paolo Fresu (trumpet, flügelhorn), Richard Galliano (accordion, bandoneon) and Jan Lundgren(piano), and then push the “play” button on the DP-70. Paulo Fresu is an untameable poet of sound. It would go beyond the scope of this text to try to describe his enormous work in detail. This artist’s work, deeply rooted in the cultural life of his native Sardinia, his many international awards, innumerable recordings signify the charasteristics of this famous artist. Originality is accordion virtuoso Richard Galliano’s greatest asset. Galliano has succeeded in mixing various musical languages into one idiom, very personal, entirely European but as close to jazz as to his Mediterranean musical origin. He was able to lift his usually rather bemused musical instrument, the accordion, as well as its smaller brother, the bandoneon, out of the depth of popular music high up to the polychrome of the classic symphony orchestra, helping the instrumenet to to gain a deservedly much higher status and unexpected splendour. Swedish pianist Jan Lundgren’s articulation is strong and clear, his phrasing impeccable and his timing and touch is of highest calibre. His fluid executions are exciting yet relaxed, leaving much room for contrasting improvisations, keeping the listeners attention but at the same time letting him breathe freely. When these guys play together, it can only sound great!
I cross the border to Luxembourg and meet here the Pascal Schumacher Quartet and the album “Bang My Can”. This quartet consists of Pascal Schmacher (vibes, glockenspiel), Franz von Chossy (piano), Christophe Devisscher (bass), and Jens Düppe (drums). The vibes sound a little bit too bright and forward with the ProAcs, so I change to the Dunlavys and lean back in my armchair. Ah yes, that’s more like it. Pleasant and very life like. My favourite track on this album is “Metamorphosis”. Very enjoyable.
France is next. But here I will make a blend of different music styles having their origin in other countries and cultures. For the order, let’s start in Paris with the album “Live In Paris” performed by the first class wind instrumentalist Didier Malherbe and the top acoustic guitarist Pierre Bensusan. This is music for the soul. Both artists are playing from a pure heart-felt source. Malherbe blends sensibilities of Bop, Mid-East, Far East and Indian Raga and remains one of the greatest unknown wind instrumentalists active today. The orchestration is minimalistic but the atmosphere is always changing as Didier Malherbe goes from the flute to the saxophone, the bass clarinet or the bamboo flute. The compositions are all originals in pure Bensusan’s style with a lot of oriental influences. This record was recorded at one of Paris’ most famous jazz venues – the New Morning Club. Absolutely adorable album, which sounds best with the Dunlavys since the latter manage to capture the event as if you were standing in the middle of the audience. Hell, where is my ticket?
Let’s stay with Didier Malherbe, shall we? Next up is the album “Air Hadouk” performed by the Hadouk Trio – Loy Ehrlich (hajouj, kora, sanza, gumbass, piano), Didier Malherbe (doudouk, flute, ocarina, soprano saxophone, khen) and Steve Shehan (percussions, string arrangements, hang). If there is a word for this album (and of course their fabulous “Shamanimal” album), then that word is………magic. I let myself get carried away by the Dunlavys throughout the entire album. The doudouk is just being played a few inches from the armchair. Aaaaah, magic!
We continue further south and enter Spain, but remain with one foot still standing on French grounds. Have you ever heard a double bass being played like a cello or even a violin? No? Enter Renaud Garcia-Fons Trio and their album “Arcoluz”. This trio consists of Renaud Garcia-Fons (five string double bass), Kiko Ruiz (flamenco guitar) and Negrito Trasante (drums, percussion). From the moment “the Paganini of Bass” – French/Spanish bass wunderkind Renaud Garcia-Fons – first held a double bass in his hands at the age of 16, the future of the instrument was destined to change. He quickly rose above the technical constraints of traditional bass playing to develop a transcendent, lyrical form of expression – an amalgam of double bass, cello, violin, guitar, lute, and oud sounds. His advancement of the instrument’s possibilities is reminiscent of other musical pioneers like Astor Piazzola, Jimi Hendrix and Paco de Lucia. His drive for new ideas and talent to translate them into compositions has seen him draw from a breadth of musical influence that essentially knows no bounds – including classical, jazz and flamenco, as well as the music of Persia, India, the Mediterranean, South America and many other forms from around the globe. He has added a FIFTH string at the high end of the bass. The album is recorded in the Schloss Elmau in Germany and has an outstanding recording quality. The trio sets the tone with the short but tantalizing title track “Arcoluz”, before moving into the flamenco domain of “Berimbass”. Here, Ruiz lets the entizing melody glow and fall in a delicate shower, but Garcia-Fons opens the pulse through pizzicato before bowing in and injecting a deep yet flighty resonance. Trasante is up there with Ruiz but lays back when the bass is in motion. Wonderful. “Entremundo” is also one of the high marks of this live album.
Next up are the Raunas meeting “Les 50 Plus Belles Chansons Africaines”. Salif Keita and Cesaria Evora open up with the lovely and powerful “Yamore”. They are then followed by Souad Massi’s “Raoui”. What a clear and beautiful voice! Just female voice and accoustic guitar. Yes, she stands next to me in my living room. I close my eyes and then put on Angélique Kidjo’s “Malaïka”. Wow!
I mentioned the magic sound of the doudouk earlier. New scenery, but let’s continue the trance. I change to the Dunlavys and put on “Songs From A World Apart” performed by Lévon Minassian and Armand Amar. This album, together with Lévon Minassian and Friends’ “The Doudouk Beyond Borders” must be among the most beautiful I have ever heard in my whole life! Just listen to the tracks “Hovern’ engan”, “Ar intch lav er”, or preferably “Im ayroghveuchtitz” from the former album, or the “Hol ara yéze”, “veraz” or “delé yaman” from the latter album. This is completely another world. We are now in Armenia, by the way, and the instrument that we are listening to is more than 3000 years’ old!
Time to wake up from the trance, but let’s do it little by little and with style. I put on the album “World Sinfonia” by Al Di Meola. This album is the first from Di Meola’s accoustic fusion ensemble of different rhythms that combine Latin, African, Tango with Middle Eastern scales and jazz harmonies. Al Di Meola is accompanied on this album by Dino Saluzzi on bandoneon, Chris Carrington on classical guitar, and Gumbi Ortiz on percussion. Al Di Meola delivers some of the most brilliant accoustic work ever. Here you will not find flashy compositions but beautiful works of art which speak to your soul. This album is definitely a “must have” and you won’t realize it until after hearing it for the first time you see that you haven’t moved since the moment you pressed the play button.
New scenery and definitely new music style. This album will not be to everyone’s taste as it is indeed very special and sophisticated. Some of the tracks may even wake up the dead. Meet radio.string.quartet.vienna and their album “Radiodream”. This quartet is composed of Bernie Mallinger (violin, vocals), Igmar Jenner (violin), Cynthia Liao(viola, erhu), and Asja Valcic (cello). My favourite track on this album is no doubt “Song – Ode an den Freud”, which begins very quietly and slowly and then builds up and accelerates more and more until it ends in an explosion of pure exstacy of all the string instruments combined in fortissimo and a male voice in the middle of it all. Quite unique. Definitely worth a try.
Jeeeezzzz, weekend already gone????