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: ipod picks

Susannah Erler, KMFA Member Services Director
iPod picks May 2008

Piano Rags by Scott Joplin volumes 1 and 2 Joshua Rifkin, Piano, Nonesuch HB-73026
Bach Double Concerto in D minor, Barenboim, Perlman, Zukerman, Angel s-36841
Death and the Maiden, Julliard Quartet, Schubert: Quartet No 14. CBS 37201
Corelli Concerto Grosso in D Major, I Musici, Phillips PHs900-052
Tchaikovsky, Symphony No. 1 in G minor Op 13 Winter Dreams, London CS7148, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Zubin Mehta

Robin McShaffrey, KMFA Community Advisory Board Member
iPod picks April 2008

I was fortunate to be exposed to classical music at an early age, both at home and at school. Several excellent Texas public school music teachers taught me, and I owe them a huge debt of gratitude for exposing me to the great works. Even though my parents created my life's earliest soundtrack -- mostly Andy Williams, Simon and Garfunkel, Percy Faith, and the Montovani Orchestra in the late sixties -- they also gave me records that have informed all of my widely-varying adult musical tastes. Later, when I became able to form my own musical requests, I sought out classical, pop and eclectic storytelling music that evoked spectacle, imagery, and emotion. I still do. Currently I'm listening to James McMurtry, Lyle Lovett, Lucinda Williams, Sublime, Lupe Fiasco, Amy Winehouse, Beck, The Pixies and many more, in addition to my regular KMFA fix. (I'm a fan of Banquet Music and Film Score Focus.)

In celebration of KMFA being the same age as me, I present a mini-musical-autobiography. Rather than create a top ten list, since I don't think I could ever select only 10 favorite albums, singles or even artists, I have selected 10 records that have been pivotal to me in my 41 years. I guess they are transcendant favorites. If I had an "Eternal iPod," these recordings would always be present.

Simon and Garfunkel - Bridge Over Troubled Water
This is the one I remember the most, even though my parents had a pretty good-sized mellow gold record collection.

Leonard Bernstein's Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra and Saint-Saens Carnival of the Animals
My parents had this album for me, and I still remember everything I learned about orchestral music listening to it. When I discovered that Bernstein was 'also a composer' and not 'just a conductor' with a great narrating voice, I was thrilled to be led to West Side Story and Candide as well as Copeland and other great American composers.

Wagner, Rossini, Bugs Bunny
Carl Stalling and Milton J. Franklyn are the composers many of my generation (and before and after) should thank for introducing us to Rossini's The Barber of Seville (as "The Rabbit of Seville") and, incredibly, the entire Ring cycle (condensed to seven minutes in "What's Opera, Doc?"). I'll never be able to hear Wagner's The Valkyrie without thinking "Kill the Wabbit" and that makes me very happy.

Walt Disney's Fantasia Soundtrack
More classical music education in the guise of cartoons, this groundbreaking piece of animation led me to learn more about Beethoven, Tchaikovsky and Stravinsky. And ballet-dancing hippos and crocodiles.

Peter and the Wolf - several recordings
Someone took me to see a staging of Peter and the Wolf at an early age, and I have always loved it. Recently I went through a period of trying to find my favorite narration, and landed on this Eugene Ormandy and the Philadelphia Orchestra recording with David Bowie. A close second is the Bernstein recording included in the Young Person's Guide album listed above.

Stevie Wonder - Songs in the Key of Life
What can I say that hasn't already been said about this album? It never grows old. I will always love this record, and I will always love Stevie Wonder for making it.

George Gershwin, Rhapsody in Blue
A seminal work, and a great recording by the Boston Pops with John T. Williams at the helm. Since John WIlliams became one of my favorite composers after all his great movie scores, I was very happy to see him take leadership of one of my favorite orchestras. Gershwin's work is so beautiful and complicated, I marvel at it each time I hear it.

The Boston Pops and Arthur Fiedler - A Christmas Festival
While we are talking about the Boston Pops, I have to give a shout out to what is hands down, my favorite Christmas music album, ever, period, no question.

Cosmos Television Show Soundtrack
In the early 80s I was transfixed by the work of Carl Sagan and the PBS television show Cosmos. On this soundtrack record, electronica, classical, world music and sound effects come together to paint an audio picture of the human race as a part of the universe at large. It's an inspiring show with an inspiring soundtrack. My friends got really tired of hearing this one.

Handel's Messiah
Throughout junior high, high school and college I sang soprano in the choir. I heard bits and pieces of The Messiah over the years, but it wasn't until I got to perform the entire piece in the chorus in college that I really appreciated its majesty. I had a choral director then who was incensed that anyone would perform The Messiah at Christmastime. "It's an Easter work!" he pontificated. This Academy of Ancient Music recording using period instruments and styles is among my favorites. I enjoy participating in each year's "Sing it Yourself Messiah" here in Austin. At Christmas.

Anton Nel, Pianist and Professor of Piano and Chamber Music UT
iPod picks March 2008

Falla: NIghts in the Gardens of Spain. Alicia De Laroccha, Rafael Frubeck de Burgos
Gilbert and Sullivan: The Mikado. D'Oily Carte
Beethoven: Piano Sonata in E Major, Op. 109. Richard Goode
Schubert: Songs. Lucia Popp, Graham Johnson (from the Hyperion set)
Mendelssohn: Piano Sonata in E Major, Op. 6. Murray Perahia
Schumann: Fantasy in C, Op. 17. Murray Perahia
Handel: Concerti Grossi, Op. 6. English Concert, Pinnock
Mendelssohn: Concerto for Violin and Piano. Kremer/Argerich Orheus Chamber Orchestra
Debussy: Preludes, Book 1. Krystian Zimerman
Vaughan-Williams: Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis. Academy of St.
Martins in the Fields, Marriner

Alison Cowden, Office Manager
iPod picks February 2008

I am one of the silent segments of the KMFA audience who aren’t musicians, and whose only exposure to this form of art is by listening to KMFA throughout my day while driving, studying, or working. Regardless of whether you are a passive listener (like myself), or a classically trained musician, these compositions are stirring, evocative, and universally appealing!

My iPod list is a tribute to the masterpieces that are ambassadors of classical music. These are not ranked in any particular order and I only chose one performer for the film score on my list. I’ll let you pick the particular performance and instrumentation on the rest of these great works. That’s half the fun!

1. Samuel Barber’s Adagio for Strings

2. Mozart’s Requiem in D minor, K 626

3. Mozart’s Sull Aria from the Marriage of Figaro

4. Prokofiev’s Romeo and Juliet

5. Itzhak Perlman’s rendition of the Theme from Schindler’s List

6. Beethoven’s Symphony no.7

7. Pachelbel's Canon

8. Copland’s Appalachian Spring Suite

9. Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker Suite

10. Handel’s Messiah

Judy Watts, Development Associate & Webmaster
iPod picks January 2008

The New Year is not only a time to make resolutions for upcoming change, but it's also an opportune moment to look back on all that recently happened. 2007 was a year of change, growth, travels, and prosperity for me. My ears were delightfully filled with an abundance of music that accompanied this journey making it an incredibly memorable year. The following list (in no particular order) reflects various albums and artists who were on constant repeat on my vintage 2003 iPod. And if any of you bands are reading this, thank you for making my toes tap, my head nod, and especially for making me smile.

1. Amadou & Miriam - Dimanche a Bamako I'll forever think of my friend Ashmi and eating home cooked meals on her front porch in Clarksville when I hear Amadou & Miriam. This album in particular fuses Amadou & Miriam's African roots with Latin, Reggae, and other world music subgenres. Produced by Manu Chao, Dimanche a Bamako is a must have for any world music lover.

2. Andrew Bird - Andrew Bird & the Mysterious Production of Eggs Last fall my trusted friend and comrade Philbert kept raving about some guy named Andrew Bird and how I needed to listen to him. I had no idea what he was talking about, but when I finally got a chance to hear him live at ACL Fest I think I fell instantly in love with his violin playing and whistling (as an added bonus he's fairly easy on the eyes).

3. Wilco - Sky Blue Sky Wilco is one of those bands whose music goes along well with any activity. I've cooked meals, painted houses, driven many miles, and lounged around the house while listening to them. Their most recent album Sky Blue Sky is a bit mellow compared to their earlier albums, but all the more enjoyable! The first track always brightens my mood.

4. Cat Stevens - Greatest Hits I'm a bit embarrassed to say I didn't really listen to any songs by Cat Stevens prior to 2007. However, a colleague of mine gave me a copy of this CD and I've been coming back to it all year.

5. Seeed - New Dubby Conquerors Who says German music and reggae don't go together? I'm certainly happy that they did collide because even though I don't speak a lick of german (other than 'zwei bier bitte') I really enjoy hearing these tunes. Campy and fun, this album is great after a dip in Barton Springs.

6. My Morning Jacket - Z My best friend Supna and I often listened to this album while cruising around town on warm weekend afternoons. Our favorite to this day is "Wordless Chorus". If you don't know My Morning Jacket, you'll probably like their electric, sultry, slow ballads. Apparently reverb has been cited as the unofficial sixth member of the band.

7. Feist - The Reminder Canadian singer/songwriter Leslie Feist came out with a wonderful album last year. I was lucky enough to travel and sabbaticize through Central America last summer, and this was one of the 5 albums I had on me. Even though Feist has practically nothing in common with the isthmus connecting North and South Americas, it will forever be imprinted on my brain as going together with volcanoes, hiking, plantains, and speaking rusty Spanish. Go Feist!

8. Uncle Earl - She Waits for Night This was given to me by a friend just prior to my summer trip. I only had to listen to it for roughly 5 seconds before I knew I adored the album. Uncle Earl is an all female blue grass band, and their music makes me want to dance barefoot in a field of fluffy grass.

9. Bright Eyes - Cassadaga I remember the first time I ever heard a Bright Eyes song. I was in morning I35 traffic on the way to work and UT college station KVRX broadcasted a very poignant song. I would say that it literally stopped traffic, but that had already been done due to the over packed highway. That was over three years ago, and frontman Conor Oberst's lyrics and music have captivated me ever since. Cassadaga is their 2007 release.

10. Lost & Nameless Orchestra Last but certainly not least, the Lost & Nameless Orchestra is one of Austin's best kept secrets. I first heard them on an idyllic spring Sunday afternoon in Zilker Park and I've happily attended many shows since. In fact, LNO is the only band that I've ever seen turn Flipnotics (the original) into an all out raging, stomping, dance fest. It's not an easy thing to motivate an entire room of listeners into thumping dance machines, but I suppose when you combine fiddle tunes with talented musicians and music hungry fans it can be done! Word on the street is that their demo should be arriving soon. Until then, check them out at www.lostandnameless.com

Laurie Turner, Night Air Announcer
iPod picks December 2007

Local Heroes

My heroes have always been...musicians, artists whose music has permanent significance in my life. Whether I'm humming melodies in my kitchen, air-conducting orchestrations in my car, or spinning a CD at home, these artists and their music have been soul-companions in my life.all the way from Arcangelo Corelli to Oliver Mtukudzi.

But many of my real "heroes" are closer to home. Some of the finest musicians are right here in Austin, Texas. Their dedication to creating and living authentically has never stopped teaching me. Their music stays on my play list. And best of all, most of these folks are performing in a neighborhood near you!

Special mention to Austin artists Linda Freeman, Derral Gleason and Ron Welch who will always be at the top of my musical hero list.

1. Conspirare - Requiem (Clarion) Grammy nominated, lead by Craig Hella Johnson. Pure musical "church" in the best sense of the word. Their voices raised in harmony and feeling will knock your socks off - and leave you filled with the highest "spirit" of any season.

2. Del Castillo - Brothers of the Castle (Smilin' Castle) High impact talent and heart. The resulting musical force is like a high speed locomotive; songs in English and Spanish. These guys are the real deal.

3. Eliza Gilkyson - Hard Times in Babylon (Red House Records) In recent years, no one has inspired me more.

4. Ephraim Owens - Blaze/Aural Karate (Butter Vat Music) I first heard Ephraim play a couple of years ago in early December during a rare but intense Texas ice storm. I was sharing a glass of wine with friends at Romeo's in south Austin, listening to a pianist playing quietly in the corner when this guy walks in from the cold, pulls out a flugelhorn and starts playing this amazingly expressive jazz. We were all completely transfixed. A favorite holiday tradition for me is to hear Ephraim and his quartet for some soul-filled jazz at the Elephant room.

5. Music through the Night (Nimbus Records) A compilation of classic greats for the "wee hours" of the night (or anytime) including the wonderful "Quiet City" by Aaron Copeland, works by Mozart, Chopin, Holst.Classical music calms me down no matter how stressful the season with such timeless rich gorgeous melodies and textures. This CD was compiled by KMFA's own Jack Allen.

6. Patty Griffin - A tie: Impossible Dream (ATO) and Living with Ghosts (A & M) Her work is pure poetry. As a developing songwriter, all I can say is...when I grow up, I want to be Patty Griffin.

7. Ryland Angel - The New Voice of Christmas (Koch) Ryland is a world class countertenor who is now moving into the crossover singer/songwriter genre. This album is mostly a cappella in multilayered harmonies from his single amazing voice. Btw, Ryland is soon to be an Austinite.

8. Stephen Doster - Rosebud (Villa Muse Records) The first time I heard Stephen was in 1988 at the Red Lion lounge in Houston (before it burned) playing in a duo with Tommy Elskes, another incredible artist that had me returning there every week. I'd never heard anyone play guitar with the passion and finesse of Stephen.

9. Steve Weichert - Between the Lines (Smilin' Castle) One of Austin's best kept musical secrets (for now). A unique combination of "soulful folk ballads with a jazz twist". This album features some of Austin's finest musicians and includes a few harmonies by...yours truly. Check out steveweichert.com.

10. Will Taylor's Strings Attached - Strings Attached Bootleg Volume One Will's collaborations with both local and nationally renowned artists have made him the pied piper of the Austin musical community (and beyond). This is a wonderful compilation of live concerts featuring artists like Shawn Colvin, Slaid Cleaves, Kellye Gray...You can only get these at one of their concerts or a Strings Attached car wash, like I did. Pick up a copy of Strings Attached Back to the Garden, A Tribute to Joni Mitchell for your stockings, which includes Molly Venter's powerful cover of one of my favorite songs for the season, "River".

11. And for your holiday enjoyment... A Bonus track including more of my favorite music from the St. Olaf's Choir, Willis Alan Ramsey, Billy Holiday, Uncle Walt's Band, Crowded House, Bing and Rosemary, Miles, the Subdudes, Rufus Wainwright, Stephen Foster, Tom Waits, Nat King Cole, Harry Nilsson, Cat Stevens, Nick Drake, Joni, Dusty, Eva, Emmylou, Anais, Luciano, Paul Simon, John Hiatt, Richard Thompson, Rickie Lee, Ted Hawkins, Jabbering Trout and the infamous Angel choir. (No extra charge!)

Bob Buckalew
iPod picks November 2007

Like many KMFA listeners, my most-listened-to music consists of just about anything I find to be engaging and original -- and that covers a number of genres.

On the classical side, I'm not sure why three of my current favorite classical pieces have the number "four" in their titles, but they do.

1. Dimitri Shostakovich Symphony # 4 -- A phantasmagoric kaleidoscope of sound, as moods shift ominously from pathos to joy to mystery, then back again - and again. Shostakovich wrote this symphony in 1936. But fearing condemnation from the Stalin regime, withdrew it until 1961. This is not background music but a symphony that commands your full attention and reveals Shostakovich at his most original and daring. Recording: Valerie Gergiev with the St. Petersburg Kirov Orchestra on Philips.

2. Jean Sibelius Symphony # 4 -- It may take several hearings to begin unraveling the icy, austere beauty and drama of this symphony, but the journey is worth it. Unique and intensely introspective, it explores a terrain that Sibelius would rarely visit again. Check out the achingly beautiful third movement, a piece that Sibelius asked to be played for his own funeral. Recording: Sir Colin Davis leading the Boston Symphony Orchestra - A Philips 2-CD set also includes Sibelius' Symphonies # 1, 2 and 5.

3. I've always had a warm place in my heart for the Rachmaninoff 4th Piano Concerto. Overshadowed by the popular 2nd and 3rd piano concerti, the 4th strikes me as an odd but wonderful amalgam of old Russia and New York City in the jazzy 1920's. You won't mistake this for the Gershwin piano concerto, but there are bluesy harmonies that could have come from Gershwin's pen. Rachmaninoff was, in fact, a fan of Gershwin's music and of jazz pianist Art Tatum. Recording: Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli, pianist, with the London Philharmonic conducted by Ettore Gracis on EMI Classics.

4. Dominico Scarlatti's Keyboard Sonatas are brilliant little gems that don't sound like anything else that was being written by classical-period composers. Scarlatti blended his lively and -- in the minor-key sonatas -- haunting melodies with tone clusters and percussive qualities that will remind you of Spanish guitar music (he was living in Spain at the time). My current favorite recording is by Serge Babayan on Pro-Piano Records from 1996.

5. On the non-classical side of music, there's Miles Davis "Birth of the Cool" (Capitol Records). Miles shows up on a number of Favorite Lists on this website. I particularly enjoy his artistry at the dawn of what is known as cool jazz, circa 1948-49. Wonderful ensemble playing, rich brass and woodwind sonorities (love that tuba) and, of course, Miles' and his trumpet, always inventive, always fresh.

6. Van Morrison Astral Weeks (Warner Bros-Asylum) - It could have been recorded last week, but this ageless-classic was released 39 years ago this month! A blend of rock, jazz and hints of Celtic folk music - all mixed with the poetry of Morrison's stream-of consciousness memories as a child in Belfast. With its hypnotic, dream-like textures, Astral Weeks sounds as fresh and emotionally engaging today as it did in 1968.

Finally, some "singles" I've been listening to lately on my iPod:

"Dancing on the Ceiling" Jeri Southern
"Pale Blue Eyes" Velvet Underground
"(If Loving You Is Wrong) I Don't Wanna Be Right" Luther Ingram
"Autumn in New York" Sarah Vaughan
"Picture in Black and White" Elis Regina and Antonio Carlos Jobim
"Neither One of Us Wants to Be the First to Say Goodbye" Gladys Knight
"Swinging Doors" Merle Haggard
"Shelter from the Storm" Bob Dylan

Cara Kannen, Account Executive
iPod picks October 2007

I love music.hm-m-m-m. Like many here at KMFA and like other classical music listeners, I also love many other types of music, such as country, folk and jazz. It was really difficult to try and pick my ten "favorites", because if you ask me again next week, I will draw up a whole new list! In order to select some for today, however, the criteria I used were simple-I chose music I've worn out, by pressing the "REPEAT" button over and over in the car. The following were some of the first selections which came to mind for me:

1. The soundtrack from the movie "The Mission". Every time I hear "Gabriel's Oboe", I stop in my tracks and melt for a minute. I guess I'm not alone, because I seem to hear this piece quite often on KMFA.

2. I've always loved the ever popular, Samuel Barber "Adagio For Strings". I own one of those "Best of Classical Music" albums, and the Adagio is the track that I have worn out.

3. This selection is a song---"Requiem" by Eliza Gilkyson. It's such a beautifully touching song, packed with significance. I'm moved every time I hear it. I particularly like to compare the way it is sung by Eliza and her daughter on her album, "Paradise Hotel" to the version recorded by Conspirare on their Grammy-nominated album "Requiem". It gives me chills just to think about it.

4. Last year when Christopher Parkening was in Austin, I picked up his album "Grace Like a River" after the concert. I especially love track #5-Concierto De Aranjuez-II. Adagio. Classical guitar, oboe and orchestra-YUM! My daughter and I have worn that track out because it makes us want to dance! (Interpretively, that is..)

5. Kathleen Battle and Christopher Parkening together in, "Pleasures of Their Company". I bought this album when I was still a voice student (MANY moons ago) for the Bach/Gounod "Ave Maria", and I have absolutely worn it out. My favorite piece on that recording is the Villa Lobos, "Bachiana Brasileiria". It makes me want to dust off my vocal chords again!

6. "The Very Best of Dan Fogelberg". I love this album, because it has all of my favorite Fogelberg songs on it. In the car, I can belt out "Run For The Roses" and "Leader of the Band" just as loudly as I want.

7. "The Road to Ensenada" by Lyle Lovett. This is another album that is a "must have" for any road trip. My whole family enjoys the sing-along, especially the song, "Long Tall Texan".

8. "Love Scenes" by Diana Krall. Her interpretations of these classic jazz standards take me through time to another era. Diana's voice is so silky smooth, and the whole album is so charming, I can just leave it on for hours. My favorite song of all, though, has to be "Peel Me A Grape".

9. "Party Doll and Other Favorites" by Mary Chapin-Carpenter. I like this album for one song-"10,000 Miles". I love the passage.."10,000 miles or more__The rocks may melt__And the seas may burn__If I should not return." That song makes ME melt!!

10. "Take 6" by Take 6. I really get a kick out of this toe-tapper. Actually, it's more like "stand up and clap along". As one with roots in vocal music, I adore vocal groups with strong, tight harmonies. Take 6's gospel, doo-wop, jazzy interpretations are infectiously happy. And I have to admire any small ensemble that makes the human voice sound like a band of instruments. Too cool!

Tony Morris, Classical Guitar Alive Host & Producer
iPod picks September 2007

KMFA's CD library has been an enormous musical education for me. When I began producing the "Classical Guitar Alive!' program at KMFA in 1993, fresh out of music grad school at UT, I already knew the guitar repertoire pretty well. I also knew the major works of the non-guitar classical repertory- or so I thought. However, I quickly learned that there is an entire vast world of classical music that receives scant attention in academia: "Sibelius? Never heard of him. Respighi? Who's that? Vaughn Williams? Is that the name of a law firm?"

Likewise, I also learned that there's no faster way to repel classical music lovers "Ligeti-split" than to force-feed them the "bad-tasting-but-supposedly -good-for-you" musical medicine of Alban Berg, Anton Webern, and Pierre Boulez. I learned that academia's take on classical music is but one of many equally valid perspectives. KMFA introduced me to the dynamics of classical music "real world", and the demands of the erudite and passionate concert-going, CD-buying classical music audience.

And now for another confession: this may qualify me as KMFA's official "Luddite-in-Residence", but I'll admit to a horrible crime: I don't have an I-Pod yet. But, until the tail end of the technology/pop culture curve finally finds me, here's what's on my imaginary I-pod, (or I-I-pod). Also, Classical Guitar Alive listeners may be surprised to see that there are no guitar recordings on this list (well, there's one with guitar in a chamber music setting). These are recordings that I've come to know and love, all thanks to KMFA:

1. Kim Kashkashian, viola, performing Hindemith's Trauermusik, plus other works for viola and string orchestra. ECM Records #1506. There are great recordings, and then there are those rare events where a perfect sound coincides with an inspired and authoritative performance. Dennis Russel Davies expertly leads the orchestra through this troubled landscape. Kim Kashkashian's passionate performance comes through as we can clearly hear her breathe with her phrasing. Her tone and intonation couldn't possibly be better. This is that kind of recording that is so perfect that it actually spoils the piece- I can't enjoy other recordings of this piece.

2. Ancient Echoes, featuring Chorovayia Akademia, directed by Alexander Sedov. RCA Records #09026680552. This is an a cappella performance of Russian choral music, primarily by late 19th/early 20th century Russian composers. It's similar to the above recording in that it is a lush, dark sound recording combined with an inspired, passionate, yet technically perfect recording. This recording just makes me weep.

3. Jacquelin du Pre, Elgar Cello Concerto, Sir John Barbirolli conducting the London Symphony Orchestra. EMI Records#5628862. This recording is often found on those "Greatest Recordings of the Century" lists, and for good reason. Some compositions are born great, and other pieces, such as the Elgar cello concerto, become masterpieces after a timeless recording such as this one has been made. Like the previous two pieces on this list, also an enormous, vast, dark landscape of sound.

4. Copland conducts Copland, CBS Recordings #42430. This is the second in the series of Copland conducting his own work, and features Rodeo, Appalachian Spring, and Fanfare for the Common Man are wonderful on this CD, but the main reason why this is on my list is because it also has baritone William Warfield singing Copland's "Old American Songs". William Warfield sounds like America: heroic, determined, and righteous. Just like previous works in this list, Warfield is so perfect that I can't enjoy others singing these songs!

5. Martha Argerich performing Tchaikovsky Piano concerto No. 1, live. Deutsche Grammofon #449-816. Powerful and exciting! I don't know if there's such a thing as "air piano", like there is "air guitar", but this recording might start that trend.

6. Arvo Part, Berliner Messe, Te Deum, ECM Recordings #439162. I love Part's music, and I owe it all to KMFA for introducing me to his work. Ethereal, deep, holy. If there is such a thing as a greatest living composer, Part gets my vote.

7. Estonian Chamber music, Camerata Tallinn. Finlandia Records #4509-95705. This is a CD that I bought sound-unheard, on a whim at the now-defunct Tower Records, formerly on Guadalupe. Every time I air this CD, I get slammed with phone calls and emails from Classical Guitar Alive listeners from across the US. Camerata Tallinn was a chamber trio of flutis t Jan Ouen, the late Ulrika Kristian (d. Jan. 1, 1998), violin, and guitarist Heiki Matlik. This CD is a sampler by various Estonian contemporary composers, including Raimo Kangro, Rene Eespere, Peeter Vahi, and others. One of the pieces, Rene Eespere's "Trivium", is especially beguiling to listeners. "To His Highness, Salvador D" by Peeter Vahi, is a jaunty, smart, and catchy tune with a flashy violin cadenza. Smart and accessible contemporary music with depth.

8. Keith Jarrett, Bridge of Light, ECM#445350. Keith Jarrett first became known as one of the brightest luminaries of the solo jazz piano improv world, but has also recorded music of Mozart and others. This recording of his classical compositions of orchestral works proves that his genius is not limited by genre.

9. Castelnuovo: Tedesco, Violin concerto #2 "The Prophets", EMI #0777 7 54296 2 6. Itzhak Perlman, violin, with the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Zubin Mehta in this fiery and ferocious live recording. A thrilling, roller coaster performance.

10. Songs of the Cello, Hamilton Cheifetz. Gagliano Records #927. This is also another KMFA discovery. When I was doing live on-air shifts at KMFA, we would often need "fill" music, that is, short pieces of music to bring us up to the top of the hour. This CD is a collection of short pieces, all very attractive and smart, expertly played, and with a rich, warm tone.

John Zech, Composer's Datebook
iPod picks August 2007

One of the "dirty little secrets" of classical music announcers is that most of us don't listen to a lot of classical music in our time away from the office. Our ears and brains get pretty saturated with this fine music, and they need a rest. Silence can be truly golden. But there are times when we do put on the tunes and I picked out some of the tops on my list right now.

1. Susannah McCorkle: Most Requested Songs
   One of the truly great song interpreters of our time, Susannah McCorkle unfortunately suffered from depression and cancer in her later years and took her own life in 2001 not long after recording this album. I keep going back to the Jobim song "Waters of March" which she sings in both Portuguese and English. The song is about the many small things, good and bad, that pass by us in that river's journey we call Life. Knowing how Susannah McCorkle ended hers always makes me cry when it hear it. That's a good thing. (Concord Jazz 4897)

2. Glenn Gould: Bach: The Goldberg Variations
   A lot of Gould purists swear by his first, 1955, recording of this Bach masterwork, but I like the sounds and subtlety of his valedictory recording of the Goldberg Variations. One Amazon reviewer says this disc "gives me peace when I need it." I say "Amen." This album has been the soundtrack of many a quiet evening in the car, and I recently used it to test drive stereo systems when I bought my new receiver and speakers. (I won't say what I bought unless Marantz and NHT pay an endorsement, however.) (CBS/Sony 37779 or Sony Classical 52619)

3. Hermann Prey: Liebeslieder
   This was another stereo system test disc. Even though Prey is a bit past his prime, the German baritone pitches these love songs so convincingly he makes you think it's not such a long way from May to December after all. This was a Valentine's gift from my wife to me, or vice versa, and it's one we've been listening to on the road for over fifteen years. (Denon 1254)

4. Mahler: Symphony No. 3: New York Philharmonic/Bernstein
   Lenny (Bernstein) was one of the great Mahler interpreters of our time, but what really grabs me in this disc are the trombone solos in the third movement. As a symphonically-trained trombonist (lapsed, however), I am blown away by Joe Alessi's fantastic playing. He calls out the sounds of creation from the depth of his horn. In the beginning was the breath, and with it Joe blows life. (DG 427 328)

5. Johann Strauss: Walzer: Boston Symphony Chamber Players
   It seems an unlikely combination: Strauss waltzes in chamber arrangements by Schoenberg, Berg and Webern. But the Second Viennese School loved the music of the first, and these versions make you feel like you're in a café or Heurige with a glass of Veltliner and hearing Strauss the way they did back in the Vienna woods. (DG 463 667)

6. Count Basie: "One O'Clock Jump"
   If you want to hear what "playing in the pocket" is all about, just listen to what guitarist Freddy Green does with the rhythm in Basie's theme song. These recordings were made at the heyday of Basie's big band and they still swing as good as ever. Now, if I could just dance..(Naxos Jazz Legends 8.120662)

7. Monty Python Sings
   From time to time I need a reminder to "Always Look on the Bright Side of Life." I pick up the Pythons and sing along with some of the old faves like "The Lumberjack Song" or "Eric the Half a Bee" or "Bruce's Philosopher's Song" and I start to remember again why the 1970s were so great. (Virgin 91781)

8. Blues Costume Party
   This is just a great collection of blues styles, including Texas Electric, Zydeco, New Orleans Blues and much more. Lotsa fun and good, lively party stuff. (Black Top Records)

9. The Best of the Gipsy Kings
   I'm amazed at how often I hear these tunes in stores and cafés as background. The Gipsy Kings' unique sounds and rhythmic drive almost drive me off the road when I put on "Bamboleo" or "Volare." It doesn't help when I clap along, either. (Nonesuch)

10. Britten: Serenade Op. 31
    Britten wrote this Serenade for his good friend Peter Pears and their collaboration on this disc gives it a special magic. I especially like the way Pears makes the "Dirge" so haunting with his high, clear tenor. I've heard others do it well, but none better. (London 417 153)

Philip Pollack, Production Associate
iPod picks July 2007

Preface: I just returned from the 2007 Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival, a wonderful 3-day event featuring almost every kind of music one could imagine with the ironic exception of classical (although they did play it consistently on Bonnaroo Radio, the radio component of the festival that plays 24 hours a day for the duration of the event). The trip inspired me to create an all-Bonnaroo 2007 list for my iPod picks, and here are the results:

1. The Flaming Lips: The Soft Bulletin
   After many years and many listens this is still my favorite album by The Flaming Lips. It's also a great place to start if you've never listened to the band.

2. The Police: Every Breath You Take: The Classics
   OK, so I'll admit I'm not the biggest fan of greatest hits cds. In this case, however, it is an appropriate reference as I was a mere toddler when the Police first stopped touring in 1984. This album was my first introduction to the band and to the music of Sting. It still reminds me of being a kid every time I hear it.

3. Tool: Aenima
   I am not a fan of 'metal' music in general, yet I find myself defending this group in conversations with other music lovers on a regular basis. Yes, the music is quite heavy and yes, the lyrics can deal with life's darker elements, but Tool has a style all it's own and has been making great music for nearly 2 decades now.

4. Feist: The Reminder
   This artist is one of my new finds for 2007, although Ms. Leslie Feist has been around for several years. 'The Reminder' is her 3rd solo effort, and quite a solid one in my opinion. I was initially drawn to her singing, but over time I've come to enjoy the music just as much, as it highlights the solid musicianship of not only Feist herself, but her band mates as well.

5. Gillian Welch: Soul Journey
   I played in a folk/bluegrass band in college and in the process garnered a hefty appreciation for the genre. That being said, Gillian Welch is quite possibly my favorite artist within those genres. Bonnaroo was my first chance to see her live with David Rawlings, her constant collaborator and touring partner.

6. DJ Shadow: Endtroducing
   I was not expecting this at all when I arrived at Bonnaroo, but DJ Shadow put on my favorite show of the festival. His music is best described as Instrumental Hip-Hop, and it is a shining example of how good the music behind all hip-hop songs should be.

7. Pete Yorn: musicforthemorningafter
   Pete Yorn is one of those singer-songwriters who plays all of the instruments on his albums, and plays them quite well. While he won't win any awards for transforming the pop genre, he does craft wonderful tunes that are enjoyable in a variety of situations.

8. Wilco: Yankee Hotel Foxtrot
   Over the last 5 years I have seen Wilco sky-rocket from a little-known group with alt-country roots to a rock powerhouse with chart-topping success. Luckily for me and all other longtime fans of Wilco, they continue to innovate with each new release and the live shows are always a treat.

9. Ben Harper and the Innocent Criminals: Live From Mars
   The first time a friend of mine tried to get me to listen to Ben Harper, I was hesitant. At the time, the only thing I knew about him was that he had the insanely popular and overplayed song "Steal My Kisses", and I had always assumed Ben Harper was a 1-hit wonder. He in fact may have been a 1 'hit' wonder, but once I sat down and gave his music the listen it deserved, I became an immediate fan.

10. Manu Chao: Próxima Estación: Esperanza
    I was just recently turned on to this album by KMFA's own Judy Watts, and with every listen, I find myself enjoying the music more. It would mostly aptly be described as world music, but to me it's just plain fun.

Katherine Tanney, Weekend Announcer
iPod picks June 2007

1. Prokofiev: Romeo and Juliet, excerpts; Symphony No. 6. Charles Dutoit, NHK Symphony Orchestra - (Decca) Prokofiev's "Romeo and Juliet" was my first classical music love and it has remained a favorite, despite current fatigue. I selected this version after seeing Dutoit guest conduct the Los Angeles Philharmonic. My sister and I sat in the front row, quivering with joy.

2. Amy Winehouse - "Back to Black" (Universal Republic)
   Sharp, snazzy, tight. This is such a fun album, if I was 14 I'd be standing in my bedroom and lip syncing each and every song for my adoring imaginary audience. Aretha meets Nina meets Shirley.

3. Fellini/Rota: Music From The Films of Federico Fellini Composed By Nino Rota (Silva Screen)
   Champagne and tears go well with this collection of parabolic, elegant, and deceptively simple sounding gems. You'll dance, you'll trip, you'll understand what life in cities is about.

4. Ravi Shankar & Phillip Glass: "Passages" (Private Music/BMG Distributor)
   Majestic. mysterious. This is grand music and a fascinating collaboration between two very distinct and passionate artists.

5. Bernstein Conducts West Side Story:(Deutsche Grammophon) International opera stars attempt New York City street gang attitude! Hear Kiri Te Kanawa, Jose Carreras, Marilyn Horne, and Tatiana Troyanos send this exquisite music to the heavens. Probably my favorite music of all time, whether it's the symphonic dances alone or the movie soundtrack. I discovered this production through the documentary made about its recording session, on PBS.

6. Mal Waldron & Steve Lacy: "Sempre Amore" (Soul Note) This is out of print, or was when I purchased it used online. Pity, because it's THE album I put on when I get in the mood for that simmering, stay-at-home rainy day kind of jazz. This is a great one for slow dancing with someone special.

7. Stevie Wonder: "Songs In The Key of Life" (Motown) Still a masterwork over 30 years later and decidedly ahead of its time. Preachy, poetic, symphonic.

8. Randy Newman: "Guilty: 30 Years of Randy Newman" (Rhino)
   Four-CD Boxed Set that allows you to recognize and immerse yourself in the musical genius of Randy Newman. This includes film score music, odd songs never released, the hits, and track after track of very funny, observant, and sharp lyrics set to just-right instrumentation.

9. Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan & Michael Brooks: "Night Song" (Realworld)
   Another resplendent collaboration between east and west. Arabic wailing of the first order meets English experimental music.

10. Joni Mitchell: "Court and Spark" (Asylum)
    Yes, you'll hear it in the supermarket, the dentist's chair, and on oldies radio. Listen to it at home after some time has passed. It's one for the ages.

Clarissa Olson, Member Services
iPod picks May 2007

1. Soundtrack from "The Mission" Virgin Records Catalog number 86001. This album brings me back to the country of my birth. I can close my eyes and be back in Brasil. Born in Rio de Janerio and having traveled around the entire country the music can offer me a trip without even taking a plane!!

2. Samba Thistle Brazil/Scotland ST 1001. This is a locally produced CD by Sambaxê. It is a WONDERFUL mix of Bagpipes and Samba music. Again this takes me back to my roots. Born in Brasil and Scots heritage. You will be blown away by the mix of the two sounds.

3. R. Carlos Nakai: Mystic Dreamer Canyon Records CR608. Here is a mix of the Navaho, Uti and Hopi music performed by the great flutist R. Carlos Nakai. He will take you to the Southwest and let you float over the mesa and buttes. You can get lost in his music.

4. Lee Rittenour: Earth Run GRP D9538. Wonderfully upbeat and fast paced. You will be dancing in no time. If you are not then something is wrong with your feel for music!!

5. Andrea Bocelli: Romanza Phillips 314-539-207-2. Here is a Tenor that will take you to Italy and make you smell the pasta and taste the wine. You will be transported to Italy as I am every time I hear this CD. If I want to go back to Italy all I have to do is pop this in my player and I am transported to Venice, Amalfi, Sorento, or Tuscany.

6. Charles Aznavour: Golden Hits Angel 7243-8-33703-2. I first found Charles Aznavour when I was in High School. His mellow sounds and moody lyrics are great when you need to slow down or just cry for no reason what so ever. Try him you might just be surprised.

7. Soundtrack from "The Songcatcher" Vanguard 79586-2. This is an unusual collection of original songs from the Scots/Irish. They were songs unchanged from the original Scots/Irish versions which came over to the US from Great Britain. Very downhome music!

8. Billie Holiday: Timeless Treasures CD105. Blues at the top! Billie presents some of her best sounds.

9. Judy Collins: Fires of Eden Columbia CK46102. A wonderful collection of Judy Collins selections. I have loved her music since High School and these are a continuation of her fantastic sound.

10. Three Tenors: Concert Tour 1994 Atlantic 826142. The fantastic Three Tenors at their Best. What else can I say? WONDERFUL!!!!

11. Soundtrack from "Last of the Mohicans" Morgan Creek 2959-20015-2. The soundtrack is just wonderful with fantastic high and wonderful power.

Lucian Chimene, KMFA volunteer and Member
iPod picks April 2007

1. Mozart: Piano Concerto No. 20 in D minor, K466. Alfred Brendel; Academy of St. Martin in the Fields. (Phillips 442-269-2). If this concerto's second movement alone, of all Mozart's works had been the only one to survive, it would have sufficed to make him immortal. "Pause and think", it says, "of beauty and eternity." The two outer movements sweep you along to that destination.

2. Hugo Wolf: Mignon ("Kennst du das Land?") from Wolf's Göthe Lieder. Elisabeth Schwartzkopf with Gerald Moore, piano. (Angel 35909). A girl of 13, stolen away, longs for her home - in words so powerful that many composers have essayed a setting for them. Wolf's is profoundly moving; Schwarzkopf incarnates the child's despairing want.

3. Kurt Weill: Berlin and American Theater Songs, with Lotte Lenya. (Sony Classical SK42658). Most famous of the songs is "The Ballad of Mack the Knife", but all deserve to be known more widely. Weill, with his wife Lenya, just managed to get out of Nazi Germany. Once here, he turned out songs for the likes of Mary Martin in "One Touch of Venus". One evening in New York, Lenya gave a recital of Weill's songs in the old Lewisohn Stadium, where one could eat a picnic supper at tables throughout the field; after that came the music. All that need be said about Lenya and Weill's music is that, sitting at the table directly ahead of us, sipping beer and listening raptly, was Miss Marlene Dietrich.

4. Richard Rodgers & Lorenz Hart: "The Boys From Syracuse", based on "The Comedy of Errors." (ZDM 07777 6469522) What do you get when you cross Shakespeare with Rodgers & Hart? You get a musical that mixes a mistaken-identity farce with popular tunes that have become enduring standards. Think of "Falling in Love with Love", "This Can't be Love", "Sing for Your Supper", and a few rather naughty ones as well. (Oh, all right: "Dear Old Syracuse", "Ladies of the Evening", and "What Can You Do With a Man?"). Plus one unclassifiable ballad about a saccharine-sweet couple, that ends with ".And when they died and went to Heaven, all the angels moved to Hell!"

5. Richard Strauss: "Der Rosenkavalier", with Elisabeth Schwarzkopf and Christa Ludwig; Herbert von Karajan, conductor. (Angel album 3563 D/L 35492-3-4-5) The Marshallin (wife of the local Field Marshall) is a woman of great beauty, but the opera starts at the moment of her inevitable discovery that she is no longer quite as young and beautiful as once she was. Subsequently, a realignment of lovers through the course of the opera takes place. It is impossible to watch this and not be moved; it's impossible not to yield to the moving waltzes; nor can we fail to rejoice when the true lovers unite and an oafish baron is outfoxed.

6. Schubert: Quintet for Piano and Strings in A major, D. 667, "The Trout". The Budapest String Quartet (minus 2nd violin) plus Julius Levine and Mieczyslaw Horszowski. (Sony SBK 46343). On a visit in the country with friends, Schubert was persuaded to take his brief song, "The Trout", and use it as a basis for one of the movements of a new quintet. If you can resist the incredible flow of melody throughout the piece, it's probably a sing that you're moribund. But look out for the impish false ending-which was probably intended by Schubert to fake out his buddies.

7. Mozart: Clarinet Quintet in A major, K. 581. Reginald Kell and the Fine Arts Quartet. (Boston Skyline BSD 135). Can you imagine the greatest composer of his time (that time being from 1756 up to the present) writing a piece specifically for a clarinetist-Anton Stadler-whose work impressed him? The superb English clarinetist Reginald Kell would have impressed him too, both as artist and man. (On his first visit to the U.S., Kell expressed a wish to see a baseball match, and it fell to the lot of this writer to take him to Yankee Stadium, where he sat rather baffled for a few innings. Then came a routine short-to-second-to-first double play. He sat up straight, demanded to have it explained, and become a fan on the spot.)

8. Scott Joplin: Rags and other musical forms. Jean-Pierre Rampal and John Steele Ritter (CBS MK 37818) From 1896 to 1915, the heyday of ragtime, Joplin reigned as both King and Court Composer, but then in the '20's, rags fell out of favor. Finally the 1973 movie "The Sting" restored them to popular recognition and enjoyment. Joplin's music is heard still, fresh and full a part of America, its native land.

9. Schubert: String Quintet in C major, D.956, The Amadeus Quartet with Robert Cohen (DGG 419611-4). Schubert's last contribution to chamber music fully bespeaks his melodic genius. No more kidding around with false endings and resetting his songs-just the beautiful flow of his ever fresh melody.

10. Mozart: Quartet in C Major, No. 19 K. 465, The Dissonant. The Amadeus Quartet (DGG 474 000-2). The opening notes of this quartet form a remarkable tour-de-force. They come to a blatant discord-and then melt away into caressing melodies of delight through the remainder of the quartet. This is Mozart showing off, with a wink, what he can do when he feels like it.

The reader who has come this far will have noted that three of these ten selections have been the music of Wolfgang Mozart. That is because the writer did not have the space to include the remaining 600-odd.

Donald Grantham, Board Member
iPod picks March 2007

1. Cancionero (Music by various composers for the Spanish Court 1470-1520), The Dufay Collective, Avie

2. Benjamin Britten, The Prince of the Pagodas, Oliver Knussen and the London Sinfonietta, Angel

3. Witold Lutoslawski, Symphonies 3 and 4

4. John Adams, John's Book of Alleged Dances

5. J. S. Bach, English Suites, Glenn Gould, Sony Classical SM 52 606

6. Gyorgy Ligeti, Hamburg Concerto,Teldec Classics

7. Hector Berlioz, La damnation de Faust, Colin Davis and the London Symphony Orchestra (live)

8. Alban Berg, Violin Concerto, Anne-Sophie Mutter, James Levine and the Chicago Symphony

9. Henri Dutilleux, Cello Concerto and Witold Lutoslawski, Cello Concerto, Mstislav Rostropovich and the Orchestre de Paris

10. Bela Bartok, The Miraculous Mandarin, Pierre Boulez and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and Chorus

Stephen Aechternacht, Community Advisory Board Member
iPod picks February 2007

1. The Shostakovich Edition (Brilliant 8128) A 27-CD Set released on the super bargain Dutch label for the Shostakovich Centennial in 2006. Complete Symphonies, String Quartets, Concertos with selected film music, ballet suites and other chamber music. I bought this set at the Fenice Opera House in Venice, Italy in October for less than $100, about $3.70 a CD! Terrific performances, too.

2. Ken Nordine: You're Getting Better: The Word Jazz Dot Masters (Hip-O-Select, 2 CDs) You may not know the name, but you've heard his voice hundreds, maybe thousands of times. The silver-tongued dude from Chicago invented an artistic medium in that remains sui generis. Weird, wacky and wonderful, Ken spins the spoken word with 50's beatnik jazz. Like, crazy, man!

3. Heinrich Ignaz Franz von Biber: Violin Sonatas (Harmonia Mundi 907134/5, 2 CDs) I only discovered this amazing music recently, and I can't get enough of it. Fiendishly difficult to play, these works are a revelation. They were written in 1681, but still sound vibrant and fresh. The English ensemble Romanesca plays these extraordinary works with immaculate conviction.

4. Casino Royale: Original Soundtrack (Sony 02369) David Arnold is dead-on at nailing the James Bond "sound." This may be the best Bond film ever, and Arnold's music is both frenetic and melancholy as needed. Demonstration quality sound. Open the windows, turn up the stereo, and play this CD in honor of "Deafen Your Neighbors" week. The Casino is a full house in this powerful score.

5. Bernstein Conducts Bernstein (Deutsche Grammophon 469829, 7 CDs) A terrific compilation of all of Lenny's recordings of his own orchestral music for DG. It's affordably priced, and I consider this a "must have" for any admirer of Bernstein's vision. Lenny, we really miss you!

6. Bowling for Soup: A Hangover You Don't Deserve (Jive 62294) This rock group from Wichita Falls has hit it big time with their infectious and beer-soaked reflections of the vicissitudes of high school angst, failed crushes and dorkiness. Tons of fun. Don't miss their sing-a-long anthem of lost love, "Come Back to Texas."

7. Bernard Herrmann: The Film Scores (Sony 62700) This CD is the most frequently played of my 2,000 + collection of film music. Esa-Pekka Salonen conducts the Los Angeles Philharmonic in music from eight of Herrmann's greatest scores, including "Psycho" and "Vertigo." Herrmann is "The Master" and every lover of film music NEEDS to have this in their collection.

8. Miles Davis: Kind of Blue (Sony 08163) OK, I know, everyone has exhausted the superlatives. Miles IS the God of 50s jazz. Who doesn't love this CD? Hello, two books have been written about just this disc! I never tire of this mellow, sophisticated, sexy music. "Honey, will you make me another Martini?"

9. Bruckner: Symphony No. 9 "Like a Stone from the Moon" (RCA 54332, 2 CDs) Anton Bruckner left his last symphony unfinished. However, he composed extensive sketches for the last movement that many conductors ignore. Nikolaus Harnoncourt gives an illuminative explanation of these fragments (in German & English) which "fill in the blanks" for this monumental symphony. This magnificent set completes the loop of Bruckner's final symphonic thought, and the results are revelatory. Harnoncourt's conducting, here with the Vienna Philharmonic, is breathtaking.

10. Charlotte Martin: On Your Shore (RCA 60676) I'm a sucker for female pop singers (read Tori Amos, Kate Bush, Fiona Apple, Sarah McLachlan et. al.), but Charlotte has stolen my soul. Her debut album is stunning, and her rendition of the Rolling Stones' "Wild Horses" brings tears to my eyes every time I hear it. Should I ask my wonderful wife to forgive me for loving Charlotte?

Emil Szafir, Board Member Emeritus
iPod picks January 2007

When asked to provide his iPod list, Board Member Emeritus and long time listener, Emil Szafir culled his library for the best of the best. Below you'll find Emil's favorite recordings.

1. Bernard de Ventadour: Can Vei la Lauzeta Mover, Russell Oberlin.

2. Hector Louis Berlioz: Les Nuíts d'Ete (Sur les Lagunes), Eleanor Steber.

3. Stephen Collins Foster: Dream of Jeanni with the Light Brown Hair, Jussi Bjuerling.

4. George Frideric Handel: Messiah (O thou that tellest good tidings to Zion).

5. Gustav Mahler: Das Lied von der Erde (Der Abschied), Kathleen Ferrier.

6. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Die Alte, Elisabeth Schwarzkopf.

7. Franz Peter Schubert: Auf dem Wasser zu Sing'en, Elizabeth Schumann. Die Winterreise (Der Lindenbaum) (Frühling'straum), Hans Hotter.

Jack Allen, General Manager & Program Director
iPod picks December 2006

                                                     Jack, then and now.

I had a very hard time picking "one" selection from my favorite CD's. So, I've broken all the rules and decided to give you 24 hours of music. Not a single Christmas carol on the list. That's available from KMFA December 22-25, on your radio. But, if you load into your iPod what I'm calling my "genius mix," and then hit shuffle, I promise you'll find yourself completely transported to a heavenly realm. Merry Christmas!

1. Ode to Freedom, Beethoven's 9th Symphony at the Brandenburg Gate - Leonard Bernstein 1989 (Deutsche Grammophon 429861) Simply the best (and longest) recording of this masterwork to date. A few years back, I broke-in my new BMW with this recording!

2. Bob Dylan: No Direction Home - 2 CD set of rare and unreleased recordings from 1961-1966 unearthed during the making of the film directed by Martin Scorsese. If you thought you didn't like Dylan, this is a collection that will change your mind.

3. Conspirare - through the green fuse 2004 Craig Hella Johnson & Company of Voices - A brilliant disc of hauntingly beautiful locally performed acapella choral music. Definitely, "Classically Austin!"

4. Paul McCartney - Chaos and Creation in the Backyard 2005 (Capitol B000AL730O) Finally, a new disc from this pop icon that feels just right.

5. Dale Warland Singers - Harvest Home, Songs from the Heart 2004 (Gothic 49243) A definitive selection of glorious works from the now disbanded, renowned ensemble.

6. Transfigured Bach: The Complete Bach Transcriptions of Bartok, Lipatti and Friedman - Petronel Malan, pianist (Hänssler Classic 98424) Clean performance and perfect elegance.it'll make you smarter!

7. Shostakovich - Jazz & Ballet Suites, Film Music 2001 (Brilliant Classics 6735) Celebrate his 100th in 2006. 3 CD set of warm and accessible music from this cold war genius.

8. Silver Screen Classics: Great Classical Music from Great Movies - Box set 1995 (Delta 15849) Here it is folks, 10 CDs of everything you've always wanted to know about classical music in the movies.

9. Heinrich Ignaz Franz Biber: Missa Christi Resurgentis -The English Concert and the Choir of the English Concert/Andrew Manze 2005 (Harmonia mundi 907397) Talk about your "oldies!" Try 300 years! Amazing, first performed in 1674 and recorded last year in London's Temple Church. Note to audiophiles: crank it up.

10. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart - Requiem in D minor, K 626 Recorded on the 200th anniversary of Mozart's death, December 5, 1991, in the cathedral where he worshiped and where his funeral was held. Sir Georg Solti/Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra and Chorus. This recording is the perfect bookend, a must have, to the Beethoven at the top of this list. (Decca 433688)

Brooke Dorrien, Business manager
iPod picks November 2006

My music taste is varied and ever-changing, but the following is a sample of what's currently in my iPod. Through selecting these songs, I've noticed that kinetics is the underlying theme: they are songs that are moving or make you want to move!

1. Beethoven's Ode to Joy
   This piece is the result of pure genius. Its powerful and jubilant melody stirs the heart and soul. I enjoy the instrumental, but feel especially uplifted by the choral version. After belting out the lyrics along with hundreds of other people, you simply feel so moved. CD: Beethoven: Symphony No. 5; Ode to Joy (Symphony No. 9 Final Chorus) on the Madacy Records label

2. Children by Robert Miles
   This is one of those "Great Songs from a Great Summer". When I was in my late twenties, I had the opportunity to do some dressage training in Germany. In Europe, everyone rides indoors and to music because of the kuer tradition. It was this song that was played everyday and whose tempo matched a horse's gaits, which created a perfect audio-rhythmic harmony. The entire album is great, one that has to be "experienced". Its mix of piano, house and ambient electronica music is an excellent choice for working out, jogging on the trail, or driving to. CD: Dreamland on the Arista label.

3. Picardie
   Everyone knows the melody, but may not know the name. It is actually a french traditional hymnal tune that is heard instrumentally or with a chorus. Like with Ode to Joy, it's a moving piece, even hauntingly beautiful. I especially enjoyed hearing it performed by a harpist and violinist in an acoustically designed Hall. CD: Essential Hymns on the DECCA label.

4. Extreme Ways by Moby
   A super hit with cool lyrics and a catchy melody. It's a staple item on any of those Ibiza or Goa dance compilation albums. The whole album features guest vocalists and has a variety of songs ranging from loungy and soulful to groovy house music/dance numbers. CD: Moby 18 on the V2 label

5. Si tu le veux by Faudel
   I really like "raï" music, which combines Algerian world music with funk, pop, and electronica. Faudel is a fresh, young voice out of Paris. Even if you don't understand Arabic, you'll like the upbeat melody and his lyric's universal message: "If you want to be blessed/embrace the orphans/give them a morsel of what you have/ and luck will shadow you for your good deeds". CD: North American Groove on the Putumayo label.

6. Chopin's Nocturne in C-sharp Minor, Op. 27, No. 1
   This music is so powerfully moving that it practically stops me from what I'm doing to listen to it. It reminds me of rainy mornings at cafes or doing warm-up pliés at the barre since my teacher always played this song first. CD: Chopin 19 Nocturnes by A. Rubinstein on RCA label.

7. Crazy by Gnarls Barkley
   A song that's most likely on everyone else's list! The funk/disco melody reminds me of the group of guys skating in Central Park to 70s funk music coming out of their boombox. It's a fun song that's impossible not to move to. CD: St. Elsewhere on the Downtown label.

8. Fantasy by Blackbox (previously done by Earth, Wind & Fire)
   Another flashback to NYC. This was a popular song in the 70s and redone in the 90s. It has an ambient, soulful and positive sound, which makes this song fun to dance or just lounge to. In fact, the whole album is great. CD: Dreamland on Repertoire label. (Yes, it's the same CD title as the Robert Miles one.)

9. Summer Breeze by Seals & Crofts
   I guess if something is really good, it will reappear in later generations. Again, a great song from the 70s and recently iconicized by the Gap commercial. It's a longtime favorite that makes you sing and feel carefree. CD: Seals & Crofts Greatest Hits on the Warner Brothers label.

10. Dancing Queen by ABBA
    Although it's not my #1 favorite song, everyone tells me it's my theme song. I've danced formally or for fun since I was little, and the "..having the time of yMay 1, 2008usband first noticed me as a group of friends and I were dancing to this song, so there it goes. CD: ABBA-Gold: Greatest Hits on the Polydor label

Read on for past iPod picks from this year.

Terry Klefstad, shostakovich scholar
iPod picks October 2006

Although I'm a musicologist, I'm not a collector of recordings. I tend to be loyal to a few conductors and groups. Think of the following, then, not as my nominations for the best ten albums of all time, but rather a sampling of my favorites from over the years, in no particular order. It's a mix of the serious, quirky, and even some kitsch.

1. Dmitri Shostakovich: Complete Symphonies, Mstislav Rostropovich. Teldec 0630-17046-2 This is a Shostakovich year, so I must, of course, begin with my favorite collection of Shostakovich symphonies. I know I'm cheating a bit, as this is actually twelve CDs, but in spite of the non-Russian vocalists, I still love this collection. Rostropovich, after all, studied with Shostakovich and was a lifelong collaborator.

2. Johannes Brahms, The Symphonies, Sir Georg Solti and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. London D 225335 Okay, I'm cheating again with a collection, but Sir Georg and Chicago, what more can I say?

3. Artur Rubinstein, The Chopin Collection, Impromptus and Others. RCA 5617-2-RC From one of my favorite Chopin interpreters, some of my favorite Chopin pieces. How can you not love an album that includes the Barcarolle, the Berceuse, and the Andante Spinato and Grand Polonaise?

4. Florence Foster Jenkins, The Glory of the Human Voice BMG 09026-61175-2 This is the album that I love to bring out for my friends, especially if they're vocalists. Florence Foster Jenkins is famous for her, how should I say it, enthusiasm. Lots of fun.

5. Pyotr Ilych Tchaikovksy, Eugene Onegin, Semyon Bichkov, Orchestre de Paris. Philips 438 235-2 I don't know if this is the best recording of the opera, but it's the one I own, and I love it. Onegin is one of my favorite operas of all time-all I need to hear is the first seven notes of the Introduction (Overture), and I'm hooked.

6. Leonard Nimoy and William Shatner, Spaced Out. Universal 008811936129 Another nomination for high kitsch, this album contains the famous William Shatner rendition of "Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds." You definitely have to be in the right mood to listen to this one, but what a treasure!

7. Pyotr Ilych Tchaikovsky, Winter Dreams (Symphonies 1 and 2) Gerard Schwarz and the Seattle Symphony. Delos 9087 Everyone talks about Tchaikovsky's "Pathetique" Symphony No. 6, but my favorites are his first two symphonies, in which you can hear many Russian folk melodies. Perhaps the lovely purple cover on this CD swayed me years ago, but I love this recording.

8. The Best of Thelonious Monk. Blue Note CDP 7 95636 2 I love Monk's angular melodies and percussive jazz pianism. The only thing missing is "Blue Monk," but it does have "Ruby my Dear" and "Straight no Chaser." And "In Walked Bud" is one of my favorites.

9. Squirrel Nut Zippers, "The Inevitable." Mammoth Recording Company MRO 105-2 I heard these guys on the radio years ago and had to have the album. I still have to play this every once in a while when I'm feeling particularly energetic.

10. The Story of Bossa Nova EMI 7243 5 24335 2 0 This is an aural history of bossa nova. Hear the original "Girl from Ipanema" with Ribeiro and Jobim, and of course, the "One-Note Samba." Lots of first recordings of now-familiar tunes.

Dan Welcher, producer of Knowing the Score
iPod picks September 2006

This is very difficult, because I'm not a "desert island music" kind of person----I'd want everything I love with me, including the complete Ring Cycle of Wagner. But to simplify things (and to split the difference between pop and classical), here are ten albums I really love. Here they are, in no particular order (but alternating classical with not-so-classical).

1. The King's Singers ANNIE LAURIE: Folksongs of the British Isles Angel/EMI 777.754904 28
   I love virtually everything this amazing a cappella group has recorded, but this one album really does it for me. Everything from 'Scarborough Fair" to "Home Sweet Home", with the absolute best rendition of "Danny Boy" I've ever heard. Can't sit through it without weeping.

2. Maurice Ravel: L'Enfant et les Sortileges Loring Maazel, Orchestre de la R.T.F. DGG 423-718-2
   This is Ravel's masterpiece, and I don't care what anyone else says. A 45 minute chamber opera, with libretto by Collette. A must for anyone who loves animals, and Ravel.

3. Alison Krauss "Now That I've Found You"( A Collection) Rounder Records CD 9325
   This is the purest voice I've ever heard, in any genre. The fact that it's "new bluegrass" shouldn't make anyone squeamish, and I defy any man to hear the first track without falling in love immediately.

4. Benjamin Britten WAR REQUIEM Peter Pears-Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau-Galina Vishnevskaya, London Symphony Orchestra and Chorus, Benjamin Britten, cond. London 414-383-2
   It was a tossup for me between this and the opera PETER GRIMES, which I love equally. This is music (and philosophy) that will not leave you alone, once you know it.

5. Billy Joel GREATEST HITS Volume I and II Columbia Records C2K 98381
   I had a hard time deciding between Paul Simon and Billy Joel as my all-time favorite singer-songwriter, but I think Billy gets the nod. There are no duds here, no toss-offs: every song is a gem, and if you saw Twyla Tharp's Movin' Out, you know that this music completely defined a generation. Mine.

6. Leonard Bernstein: THE SYMPHONIES Israel Phlharmonic, Bernstein DGG 445245-2
   "Serious" composers have fought over Lenny's music for decades, but it's time to admit it: this was not only our greatest conductor, he was one of our most important composers, too. Symphony #3 completely explains religion to me, and Symphony #2 ("The Age of Anxiety") is probably the greatest American piano concerto.

7. Stephen Sondheim: SWEENEY TOOD Original Broadway Cast, RCA Victor 3379-2
   Sondheim's masterpiece, and a real contender for The Great American Opera. The piece is so strong it can survive even a minimal presentation, but here it is in the original format: Big, Scary, and Shivery-Wonderful.

8. Dmitri Shostakovich SYMPHONY #7 ("Leningrad") Chicago Symphony, Bernstein
   The biggest and arguably most powerful of Shostakovich's fifteen symphonies, this is the piece that Stokowsky and Toscanini had a public fight over, for the rights to the American premiere. You can see why, and Bernstein is still his best advocate.

9. The Bobs: SHUT UP AND SING! Rounder Records, 9039
   This a cappella group is different from all the rest, in that their songs are (for the most part) original. The group's founder Gunnar Madsen wrote all thirteen of these amazing songs, and the range in emotion, humor, and vocal excellence can't be topped. I have probably listened to this album 100 times, know all the songs by heart, and never get tired of it.

10. Dan Welcher: HALEAKALA: HOW MAUI SNARED THE SUN and two other orchestral works.
    Honolulu Symphony Orchestra, Richard Chamberlain,narrator, Donald Johanos, Conductor Naxos American Classics, 8.559287
    Well, what kind of composer would I be if I didn't want to preserve something of my own? This is the best album of my music recorded to date---all three pieces are among my most-played works, and Richard Chamberlain's voice could make anyone's hair stand on end.

Sara Hessel, Music Director and producer of Ancient Voices
iPod picks August 2006

1. Maurice Ravel- Trio in A minor for piano, violin and cello. By his own admission, Ravel strove for technical perfection in his music. He certainly achieved it in this trio, a work of lush, lyrical beauty, and stunning instrumental color. (Kalichstein/Laredo/Robinson Trio, Arabesque Z6736-2)

2. Heinrich Schütz- Musikalische Exequien- This may be the most glorious and uplifting funeral music I've ever heard. For breathtaking 17th century choral music you can't beat Schütz, and this is one of his best. (Schütz-Akademie, Berlin Classics 0010622BC)

3. Nina Simone- Little Girl Blue- This was one of the first jazz albums I fell in love with. Simone's rich, commanding voice combined with her skills as a classically-trained pianist and her mix of styles made her unique among jazz artists. 'Mood Indigo' and 'Little Girl Blue' are the best tracks on this album. (Bethlehem 30042)

4. Anonymous- 12th Century Aquitanian Polyphony- This is some of my favorite music from the Medieval era. 'O primus homo coruit', a duet for tenor and countertenor, is a masterpiece. These equal voices are always in motion; the dizzying ornaments and dissonances almost seem like they could send the piece hurtling into chaos at any moment, but the satisfying resolution comes every time. (Ensemble Organum, Harmonia Mundi HMA 1901134)

5. Leos Janácek- Pohádka- This introspective and emotionally charged work is only one of many works by Janácek that I really love. 'Pohádka' means 'fairy tale', and never have I heard 'Once Upon a Time.' expressed so truly in music as in this piece. (Boris Pergamenschikow, cello and András Schiff, piano. London 440312-2)

6. Steely Dan- It's hard to pick just one album by this amazing duo, but I'll try. 'Katy Lied' released in 1975. There's never been a sound like Steely Dan's, nor will there ever be. Give it a listen, you'll know what I mean. 'Bad Sneakers', 'Rose Darling' and 'Everyone's Gone to the Movies' are my favorites on this album. (MCAD-11916)

7. Claudio Monteverdi- Beatus Vir from 'Selva Morale e Spirituale'. This is really one of the most transporting pieces of music I've ever heard. From the first dance-like notes on 'Beatus Vir' the listener is taken on a grand musical voyage. There's so much going on in this piece. This recording is also amazing- it's like an early music all-star lineup. (Emma Kirkby, soprano; Rogers Covey-Crump, tenor; Taverner Consort, Taverner Choir, Taverner Players. Angel/EMI CDC 7 47016 2)

8. Thelonious Monk- Alone in San Francisco- I vividly remember hearing this album for this first time, not knowing who I was listening to. I was thinking to myself 'Who IS this?' Who puts angles where another musician would put curves? That's Monk. (Riverside OJCCD-231-2)

9. Various- Convivencia- Texas Early Music Project- For a delicious musical stew, seasoned just right, try 'Convivencia- The Three Worlds of Renaissance Spain' performed by Austin's own Texas Early Music Project. Among the many delights on this CD, my favorites are 'Yo me soy la morenica', 'Tres moricas m'enamoran' and 'La comida de la mañana'. (Available from Texas Early Music Project: www.early-music.org/contact.html. Email Wendy Brockett with your CD request.)

10. Dietrich Buxtehude- Complete Organ Works- I bought a 7-CD set on the MD+G label with Harald Vogel playing the complete organ works of Buxtehude. Armed with a Dover score and this set, I started listening. I don't think anyone saw me again for about 2 days. There's just nothing better than the grand architecture of a Buxtehude Praeludium, slipping effortlessly from free to fugal material and back again, a style more fluid and organic than that which came later. J.S Bach walked 200 miles to hear Buxtehude play the organ. Listen to this and you'll know why. (Harald Vogel, organ. MD+G 3268, 3269, 3270, 3424, 3425, 3426, 3427)

Peter Bay, Music director of the Austin Symphony orchestra
iPod picks july 2006

The compilation of lists like this one is always fun but also maddening because it's impossible for someone as immersed in music as I am to come up with just ten choices. Nevertheless, here is one such list to get through at least a week or two!

1. AARON COPLAND: Symphony No. 3. To me, this is the greatest symphony to date that has come from the pen of an American composer. The work is given the performance of a lifetime by conductor and orchestra (Leonard Bernstein/New York Philharmonic DG 419 170-2)

2. WOLFGANG AMADÉ MOZART: The Marriage of Figaro. There has to be at least one work by this genius on the list so here is one of his crowning achievements for the theater. The music is funny, charming, tender, and always exciting. Of its many recordings this is one of the very best. (Giuseppe Tadddei, Anna Moffo, Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, et al. Carlo Maria Giulini/Philharmonia Orchestra EMI CDMB 7 63266 2)

3. JOHANN SEBASTIAN BACH: Magnificat. In this work for chorus and six vocal soloists, the joy of life and of the soul is captured by Bach in this 30 minute masterpiece. (Soloists, Gächinger Kantorei. Helmuth Rilling/Bach-Collegium Stuttgart SONY SBK 48280)

4. WITOLD LUTOSLAWSKI: Concerto for Orchestra. Every section in the orchestra is tested with some of the most exciting music to be composed in the 20th century. This is a fantastic example of a modern master bringing tonality to life with an accessible contemporary language. (Paavo Järvi/Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra TELARC CD 80618)

5. ANDRE PREVIN & ITZAK PERLMAN: Chocolate Apricot. Previn's album "A Different Kind of Blues" was written for the great violinist and an all-star rhythm section, including the composer as pianist. This tune is one of Previn's prettiest. (ANGEL CDM 0777 7 64319 2 5)

6. ANTONIO CARLOS JOBIM: Stone Flower. I grew up with a love of Bossa Nova and that love grows with the years. This track from the CD of the same name has one of those classically "cool" melodies, rhythms, and harmonies that only Jobim could have created. (Antonio Carlos Jobim, Eumir Deodato, Hubert Laws, et al. EPIC LEGACY EK 61616)

7. BILL EVANS: Peace Piece. When the legendary jazz pianist sat down to record Leonard Bernstein's song "Some Other Time" he introduced the song with a beguiling and entrancing repetitive series of chords. So mesmerized was he with that introduction, he never got around to the song itself but improvised this six and a half minute masterpiece which incorporates Evans' brilliant harmonies with a hint of Olivier Messiaen's bird-like music. ("Everybody Digs Bill Evans" RIVERSIDE OJCCD 068-2)

8. MILES DAVIS: All Blues. His "Kind of Blue" album has now reached hall-of-fame status, and rightly so for the incredible sounds Davis and partners Cannonball Adderley, John Coltrane, Bill Evans, and others created. It's hard to pick just one sample but you can't go wrong with this one. (COLUMBIA LEGACY CK 64935)

9. STEELY DAN: The Royal Scam. Somehow this mesmerizing track never became one of their greatest hits, but the beat, the arrangement, and the harmonies of this song have always attracted me. This is one of my favorite rock bands of 70s and 80s. ("The Royal Scam" MCA 088 112051-2)

10. PATSY CLINE: I Fall To Pieces. Every heartache and nuance of this song soars out of her voice. It's hard to hear this and not think of her extraordinary talent and tragic death. ("The Patsy Cline Story" MCA MCAD 4038)

Dianne Donovan, Announcer And Producer of Classical Austin
iPod picks June 2006

At KMFA I get to listen to some of the most amazing classical music; as well, I attend many of the concerts. When I have a little time to myself I often crave a wide variety of music. Here are a few tunes that I've been listening to of late, in no particular order.

1. Kurt Elling- "Lil' Darlin'" from the album "Flirting With Twilight". Elling is a jazz singer with "all the tools" or put another way, when he was a boy, young Kurt got the large box of Crayolas. Listen to the slow tempo on the track and notice how Elling resists the urge to speed up. This is harder to control than one might think. (Bluenote)

2. Carmen McRae & Betty Carter- "Stolen Moments" from the CD Duets-LIVE. Two late great jazz singers team-up their very different styles, Carter is somewhere out in the stratosphere and McRae punctuates the music with utterances that are decidedly earthbound. Superb and fun! (Great American Music Hall)

3. Maurice Ravel- "La Valse"- From the murmuring start to its intoxicating finish this piece never fails to delight; a most enjoyable madness. I've never heard a bad recording but the one I was most recently listening to, featured the London Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Pierre Monteux. (Phillips 442 522)

4. Conspirare-Craig Hella Johnson and Company of Voices- "Sleep", by Eric Whitacre from the album "Through The Green Fuse". All of the tracks are wonderful but I return to Whitacre's piece most often. This is a world-class ensemble and you can hear them in Austin.(Clarion 915)

5. Steve Lacy- "The Bath" from the album "Momentum"-this amazing jazz soprano saxophonist passed away a couple of years ago. Here he was at his compositional best. You'll notice the influence of Thelonius Monk in this and many of his tunes. I never tire of this piece. (Novus)

6. Earth, Wind & Fire- "That's The Way of the World"-from the album of the same name or one of many Greatest Hits albums. This is one of the best pop groups of all time. The tight vocal harmonies are propelled by clever arrangements with tremendous energy throughout. (Columbia/Legacy)

7. Caetano Velososo- "Lindeza" from the album "Circulado". This is a beautiful track from my favorite album by the Brazilian singer/songwriter. I hesitated to name one cut from this recording because I have never been able to stop at just one. The arrangements are fresh and packed with a few surprises. This is sung mostly in Portuguese but there are excellent translations in the liner notes, which give us an idea of the incredible poetry of this bittersweet Brazilian music. (Elektra/Nonesuch)

8. Mitch Watkins- "In The Time of Long Shadows" from "In The Time of Long Shadows "(Pre-release on Viewpoint Records). This soon to be released CD by the Austin guitarist focuses on his compositions. This is a very atmospheric journey; a kind of sonic film-scape best listened to straight through. (Viewpoint Records)

9. "Don't Give Up" by Peter Gabriel with back-up vocals by Kate Bush-from the album "So". This haunting little ditty is a piece that I turn to whenever I'm feeling discouraged personally or about the state of the world. Gabriel's voice tells us of hardships and gives us every reason to "give up". Kate Bush sweeps in like an angel reminding us that someone cares...magical. (Geffen)

10. Wayne Shorter-"Black Nile" from the 60's album "Night Dreamer". A hard-driving tune from a great album, the recording features Shorter playing tenor with trumpeter, Lee Morgan, pianist, McCoy Tyner, bassist, Reggie Workman and Elvin Jones on drums. Great playing and great tunes. The album is an American Jazz Classic. (Bluenote)

Judy Watts, Development Associate and Webmaster
iPod picks May 2006

This month's top 10 iPod picks features local artists. No need to venture coasts or even distant lands. Austin has an eclectic music scene bigger than the size of its Lonestar state to pick and choose from. Here are my top 10 local bands (in no particular order) that I recommend.

1. Conspirare - led by artistic director Craig Hella Johnson, Conspirare is one of the vocal performing gems of Austin. Their style and power is astonishing to catch live! "Requiem" - their recently released CD is available through their website, www.conspirare.org.

2. Tosca Tango Orchestra - The Waking Life Soundtrack is a constant traveling companion of mine while driving. Difficult to describe yet even harder to get out of your mind, you'll be humming the main theme for days. [Tvt B00005RDDB]

3. Seth Walker - A weekly fixture at Jovita's Wednesday night lineup in South Austin, Seth Walker is a fabulous blues musician. In addition, the dance floor is always packed with folks doing sultry blues moves. His entire catalogue can be purchased through www.amplifier-store.com/sethwalker/

4. Boombox - What do you get when you mix keyboards, a horn section, electric guitars and two rappers? A little bit of funk and little bit of hip hop; Boombox is quickly becoming popular here simply by word of mouth. Their LP and live track recordings are available for purchase through their website www.boomboxatx.com/. You're better off experiencing them in person.

5. Bob Schneider - The Jack of all trades, Bob Schneider frequently takes his tunes from blue grass, to pop, and rock all in one evening! He's a local celebrity and has talent to boot. "I'm Good Now" was released in 2004 and is on the Shockorama record label.

6. White Ghost Shivers - For a little ragtime jazz and swing, check out the White Ghost Shivers. Grab a partner, because their fun songs are also great to swing dance to. Their new album "Everyone's Got 'Em" is hot off the presses from Chicken Ranch Records.

7. A Band Named Sue - Quite possibly the best Johnny Cash cover band! These guys are sure to put a smile on your face and make you remember the man in black fondly. Keep up to date with their performance schedule here: http://ablognamedsue.blogspot.com/

8. Anton Nel - UT faculty member, Anton Nel is more than just a good professor. He also plays a mean piano, classical that is! "The French Confection" is a great addition to any library and is on the Ess.a.y. Recordings (Catalog # 1094).

9. Dianne Donovan - Dianne is not only our resident midday announcer, but she moonlights as a smooth jazz singer. I've been lucky enough to catch her shows around town and I recommend them to any jazz fan in general.

10. Tee Double - Not your typical rap artist, I find Tee Double's verses uplifting rather than living up to the same old misogynistic stereotypes. Check his blog at: www.kineticglobal.blogspot.com/

So there you have it - proof that the live music capital of the world lives up to its namesake.

Doug Shands, KMFA member
ipod picks April 2006

Choosing only ten CDs from my collection is a daunting task. These are not necessarily the CDs I listen to most often. I chose the best performances of great music that is part of my being, music so wonderful that humankind would be diminished had it never been written and performed.

1. Johann Sebastian Bach: Cello Suites, Mstislav Rostropovich, Cello, EMI D 273269-1 (2 CDs). "Now I must pluck up my courage and record all the Bach suites." Rostropovich felt inadequate to the challenge of Bach's Cello Suites until well into his 70s. His enduring and profound interpretations of Bach's eternal masterpieces allow the listener a glimpse into the mind and soul of the greatest Baroque master.

2. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: The Great Piano Concertos, Vols. 1 and 2 (4 CDs). Nos. 9, 15, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 27. Alfred Brendel, Academy of St. Martin's-in-the-Fields, Sir Neville Mariner. Philips 442 269-2 & 442 571-2. As a body of work, the piano concertos are the "most perfect" of Mozart's "perfect' music, out-shining the symphonies, most of the operas, and all but a few of the masses. I can't imagine a world without this music.

3. Shorty Rogers: Manteca, Afro-Cuban Influence, The Big Band of Shorty Rogers, RCA 3449-2 AL. Reissue of the 1958 LP. Driving Afro-Cuban rhythm, haunting vocals, big band jazz. One of the best.

4. Benjamin Britten: Serenade for Tenor, Horn and Strings; Richard Strauss: Horn Concertos No. 1 and 2 Marie Luise Neunecker, Horn, EMI 7243 5 56183 2. Three cornerstones of 20th Century compositions for French horn. Serenade, completed in 1943, may well be the most important contribution to horn literature from the 20th Century. Neunecker is a superb hornist.

5. Miles Davis: Sketches of Spain, Columbia CK 65142. Rodrigo's Concierto de Aranjuez (Adagio) is the jewel of this collection. Davis and his trumpet wring every ounce of feeling and emotion from this movement. The other tracks run the gamut from light Spanish rhythms to pulsing blues. This CD had to be recorded.

6. Gustav Mahler: Symphony No. 1, Houston Symphony, Christoph Eschenbach. Koch 3-7405-2141. One of the most powerful and magnificent late 19th century symphonies. The finale is almost overwhelming. Other Mahler symphonies may be equal or greater in scope and sweep, but I never tire of the first. Eschenbach and the Houston Symphony at their best.

7. Sergi Prokofiev: Symphony No. 5 in B-flat, Op. 100. Boston Symphony, Serge Koussevitsky. Dutton CDBP 9706. Recorded in 1946, the world premiere recording of Prokofiev's 5th remains the best. The shrill shrieks of the E-flat clarinet, the growling trumpets, the brooding harmonies of the adagio, and the staccato interjections of the piano, lead perfectly to the "train wreck" of the final chords. The 60 year old sound is excellent.

8. Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber: Jesus Christ Superstar, Decca original cast recording reissued on MCAD2-1152 (2 CDs). JCS was one of the first rock operas and remains the most nearly perfect. Whether one believes the Jesus was the Son of God or a "misguided martyr," the music and lyrics build from Judas's hard rock opening soliloquy through the betrayal and trial of Jesus to the hellish cackles of condemned souls as Jesus speaks his last words from the cross of crucifixion. Powerful music that leaves one silent in awe of its impact.

9. Ludwig von Beethoven: Symphony No. 3 in E-flat "Sinfonia Eroica". The Chamber Orchestra of Europe, Nikolaus Harnoncourt. Teldec D 255401. The first "romantic" symphony, the Eroica is the successor to Mozart's symphonies and the precursor to Schubert, Brahms, et. al. Besides, it's just great music that never grows old.

10. United States Marine Band: The Bicentennial Collection, Musical Heritage Society 501607Z (10 CD Set). These recordings, never before released commercially, treat one to a musical history of the band from 1889 to 1998. The US Marine Band is the premiere wind band in the world. Mozart, Beethoven, Dvorak, Grainger, Shostakovich, Stravinsky, Copland, Schoenberg, Stravinsky and many other well-known composers wrote original wind compositions. The Marine Band shows that wind ensembles can play with color, virtuosity, and feeling that rival the symphony orchestra.

Jeffrey Blair, morning announcer
ipod picks March 2006

I have such a diverse and unusual collection of music that to narrow it down to a top ten is almost impossible. So let's put the ipod on shuffle and see what pops up.The underlined recordings are merely suggestions to get you interested in that particular genre, sort of offering you a sample at a wine-tasting. Enjoy and then come back for more of what appeals to you.

The Classics - Mahler's 2nd Symphony, Glenn Gould playing Bach, Alfred Brendel doing Beethoven Piano Sonatas, The Beethoven Symphony No. 9 from the Brandenburg Gate after the fall of the Berlin Wall, anything by the early music group Istanpitta, 20th Century - Philip Glass, Arvo Part, Steve Reich, John Adams and Alan Hohvaness are all mainstays. Newer discoveries like Jonathan Elias (Prayer Cycle or American Rivers) and Brian Jenkins (Requiem or The Armed Man: A Mass for Peace).

Jam Bands - I'm not talking about sweet and fruity, I'm talking about music created by such groups as Grateful Dead, Phish, Widespread Panic, and String Cheese Incident. The creativity inherent in the long solos and instrumental collaborations makes me smile every time. ALWAYS get live performances since the energy that exists on the stage far exceeds anything done in the studio. Any of the Dick's Picks for the Grateful Dead or any of the "Live Phish" CDs are worthwhile.

The Blues - Good gut-bustin' blues will make my feet tap every time. B.B King, Muddy Waters, Robert Cray, R. L. Burnside, the North Mississippi All-Stars, and many others are just the ticket when the time comes to lift your spirits. Muddy "Mississippi" Waters Live [LIVE], North Mississippi All-Stars: Shake Hands With Shorty There are other times when just one singer and a guitar, like John Lee Hooker, is all you need. The Very Best Of John Lee Hooker or Robert Johnson: Complete Recordings

Pink Floyd - My first REAL foray into the world of music as more than just something to listen to. I've got all their albums (most on vinyl). Echoes (from Meddle), Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun (from Saucerful of Secrets) and the guitar solo in Dogs (from Animals) make me realize once again what got me into music in the first place.

Jazz - I was the host of a jazz program for about 12 years that featured the music of the earlier years of the genre. I fell in love with the music from that era, everything from Jellyroll Morton and the Original Dixieland Jass Band to Charlie Parker and Art Tatum. The Jazz Masters: 27 Classic Performances is a nice introduction to some of the greats. I also seem to gravitate to that "cool jazz" sound of Miles Davis and Gerry Mulligan. Thelonious Monk Quartet with John Coltrane at Carnegie Hall [LIVE] is a recently discovered treat from some of the giants.

Billie Holiday - For my money, the greatest blues singer ever. Just something about the way that she pours emotion into every note lets you know that she knows what life really is all about. Anything that Lady Day sang for Columbia (now Sony) is going to be great since those years spanned the best of her career. Billie Holiday - Greatest Hits (Sony) [ORIGINAL RECORDING REMASTERED]

World Music - Music does not begin and end with western culture. There are many, many more famous singers and instrumentalists that westerners will never hear about and I feel that is my loss. I was first introduced to the music of other cultures the first time I heard Ravi Shankar and I've never regretted a single moment. The singing of the great qawwali vocalist Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan Night Song (Warning: this is very much a "studio" album but a nice introduction) Afro-Celt Sound System Volume 5: Anatomic, Anything from Peter Gabriel's WOMAD (World Of Music And Dance) Label or for a weekly podcast of music from Africa: http://www.afropop.org/podcast/afropop.xml

Digital Flotsam - This is the first podcast that I ever ran across that really got me excited about the possibilities inherent in podcasting. P.W. Fenton is a terrific storyteller and features nothing but podcast-friendly music (meaning that there are no copyright issues around the use of the music in the incredibly grey area of podcasting and copyrights). Hearing this show makes me want to do my own podcast. http://digitalflotsam.org

Steve Moore, chairman of the Board
ipod picks February 2006

I must admit that I do not own an IPod, but I love great recordings, and it is nice to realize that I was introduced to many of these pieces on Austin's own local jewel-KMFA 89.5! This list is for persons age 0 to 115.

1. Ralph Vaughan Williams, English Folk Suit; Junkin, University Of Texas Wind Ensemble, Bells For Stokowski Reference Recordings, Catalog No. 104 (Release Date 1/27/2004). This is my "Classically Austin" pick. It is a very lively recording of the UT Wind Ensemble performing in Round Top, and if you've ever been to the hall at Round Top, you can really hear the venue in this great recording. The whole disc shows off the quality of UT's music program and Junkin's professionalism.

2. Rodrigo, Concierto De Aranjues; Villa-lobos, Isbin, Serebrier, New York Philharmonic, Warner Classics International, Catalog No. 60296 (Release Date 01/11/2005). My family loves to listen to Tony Morris' gentle and intimate KMFA program Classical Guitar Alive. Sometimes I think (especially after a glass of wine) that no other instrument plays back so well through a stereo as the guitar. This disc holds the first recording by the NY Phil with a guitar. What took them so long?

3. Thomas Tallis, English Anthems, Phillips, Tallis Scholars, Gimell, Catalog No. 7 (Release Date 02/12/2002). Sara Hessel has rekindled my interest in ancient voices, and this is a beautiful, ambient, mystic disc a colleague lent me, and I subsequently had no choice but to buy.

4. Rimsky-korsakov, Sheherazade; Reiner, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, RCA Victor Living Stereo, Catalog No. 66377 (Release Date 01/25/2005). This 2005 reissue is very fine and the 1950's performance and recording are still my all time favorites (I'm not going to admit how many different recordings of this piece I have).

5. Johann Sebastian Bach, Brandenburg Concerto No's 4, 5, & 6 Concerto Italiano, Alessandrini, Naïve Catalog No. 30412 (Release Date 10/18/2005). This comes from the category of "songs my mother taught me." These were among the very first classical pieces I grew to love. If you are a student or professor this will help order your thoughts. This particular new disc is the best Brandenburg set I've ever heard-not too bright with rich bass texture and three dimensionality.

6. Stravinski, Firebird Suite, Jaarvi, Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, Telarc Catalog No. 80587 (Release Date 03/25/2003). I hesitate to recommend a 20 minute piece based its final two minutes for fear some will "fast forward" past the ending-but don't. To me, the finale is among the most emotional and inspiring in classical music-goose bumps; welling in the corner of your eye-yes.

7. Arcangelo Corelli, Concerti Grosso Op. 6 No. 8 in G minor "Christmas"; McGegan, Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra, Harmonia Mundi Catalog No. 3957015 (Release Date 09/2001). Sublime.

8. Beethoven: Symphony No. 1 in C major , Op. 21; Antonini, Basel Chamber Orchestra, Oehms, Catalog No. 605 (Release Date 12/27/2005). No list could be complete without a Beethoven piece, and if you avoid the big "B" because he is too serious or brooding, this will be a pleasant surprise, and it might fool you into thinking you were listening to the big "M." Warm, rich Beethoven recordings are harder to find than they should be, but this new disc has it right to my ear.

9. Leonard Bernstein, Candide Overture. Bernstein Century, Sony Classical Catalog No. 63085 (Release Date 10/28/1997). Bernstein's popular works are pure joys, and this disc has good selections and good sonics. Enjoy!

10. Aaron Copland, Symphony No. 3, Copland 100 / Eiji Oue, Minnesota Orchestra Reference Recordings, Catalog No. 93 (Release Date 8/15/2000). This is not music for your car, but it is a beautiful American symphony, beautifully recorded, for when you have 30 minutes to be calm. Steven Aechternact introduced me to this piece-Thanks Steven! The disc also includes Copland's Appalachian Spring Suite as well as his Fanfare for the Common Man. A welcome addition to any collection.

ENJOY-AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT OF KMFA.

Rich Upton, afternoon announcer
ipod picks January 2006

Not my ten favorites, necessarily, but ten OF my favorites. In alphabetical order, by artist:

1. THE BEATLES: A Hard Day's Night (1964)
   The first Beatles album containing all original songs. Solid from start to finish. (Capitol CDP 7 46437 2)

2. THE BEATLES: Revolver (1966)
   All over the map stylistically, with brilliant results. Contains Paul McCartney's most beautiful ballad, "Here, There and Everywhere." (Capitol CDP 7 46441 2)

3. MARY CHAPIN CARPENTER: Stones in the Road (1994)
   An extraordinary songwriter and singer, and a truly great lyricist. "Shut Up and Kiss Me" is one of the sexiest songs ever, and "Where Time Stands Still" one of the most beautiful. (Columbia CK 64327)

4. BETH NIELSEN CHAPMAN: Beth Nielsen Chapman (1990)
   An underappreciated songwriter's debut album. She's grown since then, but this is still one of her most appealing collections. (Reprise 9 26172-2)

5. STEVE GOODMAN: No Big Surprise: The Steve Goodman Anthology (1994)
   A career-spanning 2-CD set (one studio, one live) by a truly great songwriter/entertainer who left us too soon. Even if he had written nothing else besides "City of New Orleans," he'd STILL be great. (Red Pajamas RPJ-008)

6. LAURENCE JUBER: LJ Play the Beatles (2000)
   Of all the "So-and-so Plays the Beatles" albums, this is one of the best. Juber played in McCartney's Wings for a while, but he never got to shine like this. Amazing solo guitar arrangements. (Solid Air SACD2001)

7. BARRY MANN: Soul and Inspiration (2000)
   Just a so-so singer, but he puts heart and soul into 11 of his finest songs. He and Cynthia Weil are one of the great songwriting teams of the last century, having written many all-time classics. (Atlantic 83238-2)

8. PAUL McCARTNEY: Unplugged: The Official Bootleg (1991)
   Paul with his finest post-Beatles band in a relaxed live setting, combining Beatles classics, early McCartney songs, and golden oldies he'd never sung publicly before. Great good fun, wonderfully performed. (Capitol CDP 79641 32)

9. RANDY NEWMAN: The Randy Newman Songbook, Volume One (2003)
   Hard to choose just one of his, but I like this one for its simplicity (just Randy, his voice and piano) andthe fact that it covers his entire career. (Nonesuch 79689-2)

10. DAVID WILCOX: Live Songs and Stories (2002)
    An underrated, undeservedly unknown singer/songwriter. I could have chosen just about any of his albums, but this one gives at least SOME idea of how amazing he is in live performance. (If you check him out, make sure you're getting the David Wilcox from North Carolina, not the one from Canada.) (What Are Records?)

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