Philip’s Playlist Series – Tender Waves on TIDAL, 2006, inspired by his visit to Lake Tahoe

Sitting by the water’s edge on Lake Tahoe, the waves roll gently towards the shore. The music rolls tenderly along the waves. Just as no two waves are the same, here the music from all over the globe washes gently over us, each song a unique experience. Best enjoyed late at night with a small shot of Jameson’s 1780 Irish Whiskey. Don’t be afraid to share this with your friends. <Playlist on TIDAL>

1. “Sun in my Mouth” from Björk’s 2001 Vespertine. Vespertine is a lush, gorgeous swell of midpace electronica, symphonic strings, and Björk’s uniquely alien, spectral vocals. Björk is ever-so-different from any other singer, through her sheer originality and independence from mainstream music. Other formats available on multi-channel, SACD and DVD-Audio offer an even more enveloping experience.
2. “All the Way” from the 2001 debut CD of Norway’s Solveig Slettahjell promises a bright future. This album features Solveig singing mainly jazz ballads in a setting that spans from a 12 musician ensemble to trios and duets. The maturity of the Slow Motion Orchestra’s members and the restrained and subtle approach of Sletttahjell contribute to the success of this release.
3. “Mr. Curiosity” from Jason Mraz’s Mr A.Z. Produced by the legendary Steve Lillywhite (U2, Rolling Stones, Dave Matthews Band, Peter Gabriel, Talking Heads, et al). Mraz explores the art of self-loathing in “Mr. Curiosity,” pokes fun at the communication barrier between men and women.  Pristine clear vocals, rich in texture.
4. “Sleza by Mussorgsky” from Mischa Maisky’s Vocalise: Russian Romances. Cellist Mischa Maisky and his accompanist on piano Pavel Gililov continue their exploration of the cello as vocalist with these stunning cello/piano transcriptions of Russian works for voice and piano. Sleza (A Tear). The recorded sound of the recital is phenomenally fine and the applause seems as warm as the music. All of the ambience has been captured and the cello tone is warm & realistic. Pandora commented listening to this “Its just like as if we were in Founder’s Hall (Orange County Performing Arts Center) and they were right in front of us.”

5. “Romance – Larghetto” by Chopin played & conducted by Krystian Zimerman, Polish Festival Orchestra from Chopin’s First Piano Concerto. Zimerman hand-picked each and every member of his orchestra from among the finest young musicians in Poland, with the specific purpose of performing a world tour of the concertos on the 150th anniversary of Chopin’s death. This recording is the result of that tour. As conductor and soloist, Zimerman blends the orchestral sound perfectly with his own performance, capturing every nuance with adroit delicacy, perfectly dovetailing every phrase.
6. “Everything must Change” by Oleta Adams from Music from Zalman King’s Red Shoe Diaries (1992 Television Movie).  The Gospel singer Oleta Adams first came to my attention on the Tears for Fears 1985 album Songs from the Big Chair. A rich, dark recording, loads of atmosphere. Ms. Adams has a remarkable voice which she can direct from a gentle whisper to a roar in less than a second. A small gentle piano accompaniment  opens out to a jazz band with strings and drops back to the piano caressing her  first rate vocal delivery.
7. “Little Musgrave” from Planxty’s 1980′s The Woman I Loved So Well.  The founding members of Planxty — Christy Moore, and his schoolmates Dónal Lunny, Liam O’ Flynn, and Andy Irvine — initially came together to provide instrumental accompaniment for Christy Moore’s 1973 album, Prosperous.. The sessions proved so inspiring that the musicians agreed to continue working together. After  six successful albums together, Planxty disbanded in 1983. (They were never to make much money from album sales, and were substantially in debt by the time the group dissolved.)  Though not available on Tidal, if you like Irish folk, the Planxty album to buy would unequivocally be Live 2004. Although this was Planxty’s first live performances for over twenty years, they were by all accounts momentous in both legendary import and artistic quality. And judging from the hour or so of music taken from these concerts which is enshrined on this CD, the extravagant claims are wholly justified. Sound quality is clear and the instruments are nicely fleshed out. Some of the tracks on this album, create goosebumps. Christy Moore also performs Little Musgrave on the Live 2004 album; check out he difference in his voice after twenty years – he still has the chops.

8. “Good Thing” from Saint Etienne’s Tales from Turnpike House 2006. Its a `concept’ album which over twelve songs describes the daily lives of the residents of a fictitious housing estate. It’s all here – harmonies, Bacharach-worthy melodies and that tasteful Saint Etienne infectiousness that just grabs you tighter with each listen. Sarah Cracknell delivers pristine clean vocals in front of a nicely layered soundstage.
9. “Ev’rytime We Say Goodbye” from Simply Red’s Simplified; features both stripped-down versions of Simply Red’s classic songs and a fresh recording of some material with only a piano as accompaniment. Mick Hucknall has been one of England’s most successful singer / songwriters in the past two decades having sold over 50 million CDs. His delivery is melodic & impeccable; the recording is stunning, sparse – impeccable. Demonstration quality.
10. “Goodbye my Lover” from Back to Bedlam. This stunning debut by James Blunt, a British soldier (served in Kosovo) turned musician–will take your breath away ! In the melancholic ballad “Goodbye my Lover”, James pleads with his departed love to remember the good times they had together and try to be his friend. He ends with the plaintive, “I’m so hollow baby .. I’m so hollow.”
11. “Slow Down (The Way It Goes)” from Those The Brokes (2006) by The Magic Numbers.  The male & female vocals are quite startling and a breath of fresh air,  that sounds like nothing else out there today. Refreshing.
12. “Voce Vai Ver” from Amorosa. Rosa Passos has been one of Brazil’s best-beloved acoustic bossa nova interpreters since the 1990s, when she first came on the scene… Her pitch perfect voice is almost girlish and coy, but her supple phrasing shows her to be a true veteran. The arrangements are simple and direct — and beautifully performed, with style and feeling. The recording quality is absolutely first-rate as well, thankfully not over-produced.
13. “Tristeza E Soldao” from the 2003 album Mares Profundos by Virginia Rodrigues. Here she delivers her own unique interpretation of Afro Sambas, originally recorded in 1966 by Baden Powell and Vinicius de Moraes, some of the most important compositions in samba.. I first came across her remarkable vocals on a Luka Bop sampler. Literally the voice of an angel; if her voice does not put a chill up your spine, you should book an appointment with your local physician…  Her first two albums are even better.
14. “Quello Che Vale” from 1999’s Lampo by Italian Gianmaria Testa; a singer/songwriter with a wonderful deep, scratchy voice.  The recording quality helps uncover the first rate performance … the music transcends the boundaries of language. Despite his success, Testa never quit his day job as station master at the train station in Cuneo,  N. Italy, and was careful to schedule tour dates only when he knew his co-workers wouldn’t be taking vacations.
15. “Il Suono della Domenica” from 2010’s Chocabeck by Italian Zucchero Fornaciari; a singer/songwriter with a wonderful blues voice. Zucchero is the Italian word for sugar. In his career, spanning four decades, Zuccheroi has sold over 40 million records around the world and has recorded with everyone from Miles Davis, B B King, Eric Clapton, Sting, Jeff Beck to Luciano Pavorotti.
16. “Eu Não Sou Da Sua Rua” from Marisa Monte’s 1991 album Mais; produced by Arto Lindsay with musical contributions from John Zorn & Ryuichi Sakamoto. The result has all the airiness and grace of the best Brazilian music, but with rock and new jazz overtones shading the music. Typical of modern Brazilian productions, sparse and not over-produced. A pity the original CD has not been remastered recently.
17. “It’s All in the Game” from the 1987 release Everybody’s Got a Little Soul by Carmel.  Ms. Carmel McCourt is one of those gifted singers seemingly always working on the peripherary of success. While moderately popular in France, success has eluded here jeer in the US and in Britain where she hails from. She has a rough, edgy voice, but sings & plays in a melodic trio of really talented musicians.
18. “Smaoinim” from Enya’s album Shepherd Moons, The meticulous production defines her sound and achieves continuity even while weaving together tender ballads, piano based, massively layered vocal harmonies, with symphonic synthesizer movements. While Enya’s pristine voice isn’t especially strong, her voice possesses a vulnerability that reflects the lyrics’ sense of personal searching.  Her melodies are memorable and Smaoinimis especially haunting – one of those tunes that plays continuously in your head.