killer recordings

Here's a partial list of some favorite CD's...if anyone wants more
info, please give a private post.

Music in the World of Islam, Vol. 1-3 (Topic)...a sort of field survey of
music from wherever Islamic musicians are found. Funky, varied, earthy,
and a great variety of sounds...this stuff ain't watered down. Covers
lutes, reeds, percussion, strings, and vocals...wonderful.

Song of the Banyan, Folk Music of Vietnam (Music of the World)...one of
the loveliest albums I have heard in years...this music is delicate but
strong, like a spider's web. The tunings are subtle, and give the music a
haunting quality...get it.

Wu Man and Ensemble; Chinese traditional and contemporary music
(Nimbus)...ye Gods, but Wu Man is a monster musician. An astonishing pipa
player, she has jaw dropping chops, but also great musicality...moves
from ancient themes to the most avant Chinese compositions around. I
imagine the pipa is in 12 equal, but didn't Chinese music start with a
circle of 5ths based 5 tone scale? This woman is a genius...

Ali Akbar Khan; AMMP Signature Series (AMMP)...another jaw dropper, this
man is probably one of the most advanced musicians on the earth. Said in
his book that he would play 23 and 1/2 srutis if he felt like it...

Masters of Turkish Music (Rounder)...another survey, encompassing the
years 1906-1949. A very passionate bunch, the Turks; many different moods
and expressions here.

Erkan Ogur; Fretless (Feuer und Eis)...Erkan is a monster guitarist,
again Turkish, who played in the Midwest for a while with a stone blues
guy...said the Turkish system worked fine with blues. Says there's 53
komas in the Turkish system...he has chops to spare, but makes really
profound, deep music...I want to get him for Microstock.

Forbidden Planet (GNP Crescendo)...the mother of space music soundtracks.
The Musician's Union wouldn't let them call it music on the film's
credits, so it was called electronic tonalities instead...a masterpiece,
and timeless.

Howlin' Wolf; His Best (Chess)...I've been listening to Wolf for almost
30 years, and his music still gives me chills. Deep, dark, joyful, and
microtonal as anything...Hubert Sumlin, his guitarist, was a big
influence on many rock players, from Clapton to Hendrix...how I wish Wolf
was still here.

Kazuhito Yamashita; JS Bach's Solo Violin Sonatas and Partitas (Crown
Classics)...by far the greatest interpreter of Bach I've ever heard.
Technical skills beyond imagination, and soul to spare...he recorded
these when he was only 28; holy shit, indeed (he plays guitar).

I have also been rediscovering some of my rock favorites from my early,
pre microtonal, years, including the Yardbirds (Roger the Engineer), Pink
Floyd (Ummagumma), Deep Purple (Book of Taliesyn), Captain Beefheart
(Trout Mask Replica), and a few others...these guys were young and wild,
and very very creative, setting the stage for much of what later became
metal, punk, Gothic rock, and much of pop/rock in general. Although
working with 12 eq instruments, the music transcends this tuning because
of the ideas expressed...it's some great stuff...Hstick PS...oops,
almost forgot White Elephants and Golden Ducks; Musical Treasures from
Burma (Shanachie)...yikes, what a strange and delightful set...these guys
use traditional Burmese instruments, mixed with piano and slide guitar,
of all things. This is some of the most unique Asian music I've ever
heard...one tune reminds me a lot of King Crimson's 21st Century Schizoid
Man, of all things...HHH