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The Essential Collection

Childrens Toy Shop > Music > Jazz
by: Les Paul

October 15, 2007
This is an extremely well thought out 2-CD collection featuring guitarist Les Paul. The first CD is centred around the mid-forties, when he provided accompaniment, either singly or in a small group, to a number of the vocalists recording for Decca. Amongst them were Bing Crosby, who sings six numbers in a particularly languorous style, plus four from the Philco Radio Hour. Although not reflected in the track listing, "Hey Lolly Lolly Lo" and "I Ain't Gonna Be Treated This Way" were recorded on 21st March 1947, and the second voice that can be heard is that of Burl Ives. They're followed by two each from Helen Forrest, the Delta Rhythm Boys, the Andrews Sisters, and Dick Haymes. Highlight of the set for me is Kay Starr, who contributes ten tracks ... Read More:

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Shake Away

Childrens Toy Shop > Music > Jazz
by: Lila Downs

October 06, 2008
To save space and time I'll say that Juan Mobili's review of this album is spot on, but I have few things to add. Firstly Lila's live show is excellent. The next time she and her fine band la Misteriosa are on tour do whatever you can to go to see them. The band arrangements are very strong too, beautifully mixing elements of many styles and traditions in a way that perfectly complements Lila's singing. My personal favourite on this disc is Ojo de Culebra, her duet with La Mari of the Spanish nuevo flamenco band Chambao.

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Bitches Brew

Childrens Toy Shop > Music > Jazz
by: Miles Davis

July 12, 1999
The question isn't whether this is a weird branch that Miles Davis wandered off into in the 70's, and do only pseuds like it.

The question is whether this is the best album ever made.

Pharoah's dance knocks most modern orchestral music into a much-needed hole in the ground - its atonal genius - only Stockhausen could even get close to this match of mood and insane key combinations - is unsurpassed.

Bitches brew has a groove so deep that when you really hear it (maybe second listen, maybe third) you almost salute it - its dark, african and american - city and jungle - jesus its superb.

And if you don't like Spanish Key you are very likely dead.

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Aspects of Lloyd Webber

Childrens Toy Shop > Music > Jazz
by: John Barrowman

April 09, 2007
I will be the first to admit I love this guy, John Barrowman has such a great voice but the quality of the recording does not bring this out unfortunately. I know for a fact that his voice is perfect as I have been to many live performances but this CD did not do him or his voice any justice. Lets just hope his new album Music Music Music will do him justice!! This is the 2nd review of this type as I am just finding that some of his old recordings are not done to the best quality.

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Jazz Legends - Classic Songs & Smooth Sounds for Late Night Listening

Childrens Toy Shop > Music > Jazz
by: Various Artists

February 05, 2004
I will be the first to admit I love this guy, John Barrowman has such a great voice but the quality of the recording does not bring this out unfortunately. I know for a fact that his voice is perfect as I have been to many live performances but this CD did not do him or his voice any justice. Lets just hope his new album Music Music Music will do him justice!! This is the 2nd review of this type as I am just finding that some of his old recordings are not done to the best quality.

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Pata Pata: the Hit Sound of Miriam Makeba

Childrens Toy Shop > Music > Jazz
by: Miriam Makeba

March 04, 2002
This CD is a re-issue of an album released in 1972. Featuring Miriam's stunning voice singing the songs she is most famous internationally for, "Pata Pata", "Ring Bell, Ring Bell" and "click song number 1". A twelfth extra track, "Malayisha" unfortunately in mono, is the B side of the original Pata Pata single. Producer Jerry Ragovoy has done an excellent job in showing the scope of Miriam's repetoire, even penning two of the most stunning songs, "Ring Bell" and "What is Love?" to do so. Particularly if you have only heard Miriam's more recent recordings I exhort you to add this to your collection, and listen a younger but no less exquisite voice.

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Indochine [1991]

Childrens Toy Shop > Music > Jazz
starring: Catherine Deneuve, Vincent Perez, Linh Dan Pham, Jean Yanne, Dominique Blanc
directed by: Régis Wargnier

July 30, 2001
In its day a casualty of the chaos and confusion surrounding the frequently ridiculous entry qualifications for the Best Foreign Film Oscar - many superior films were ruled ineligible and those it was competing against were scarcely representative of the world's best - Indochine may not be great art, but it is an enjoyable example of the kind of old-fashioned good storytelling that Hollywood rarely produces anymore.

Set against the last days of the French occupation of what was to later become Vietnam, it uses the relationship between Catherine Deneuve's French plantation owner and her adopted Vietnamese daughter (Linh Dan Pham) as a mirror for the relationship between France and Vietnam. Like the American South, for the privileged few, the French ... Read More:

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Feels Like Home

Childrens Toy Shop > Music > Jazz
by: Norah Jones

February 09, 2004
Firstly another fantastic collection of tracks by the beautiful norah jones & luckily for me my cd is copy protection free,the ones with protection have a symbol on the back cover,my mum bought a copy of the cd before me & was unaware of the copy protection,the sound quality on hers compared to mine is to put it mildly 'garbage',it's muffled & distorted when played on a normal cd player & just ruins the listen,done her a copy of mine,since she's already paid good money for an inferior cd,i feel it is well within my rights to make a copy! plus the copy of mine is far superior to the distorted copy protection original,think on EMI!

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In the House - Gilles Peterson: Mixed By Gilles Peterson

Childrens Toy Shop > Music > Jazz
by: Gilles Peterson

January 28, 2008
Boundry busting Gilles girates his Technic for smiley faces...

CD1 foreward thinking house mix, starting out all soulful and vocal, then moving into his more trademark afro sound (with 4/4 this time though), then into jazzy house and deep techno. He gives the middle finger to his dissers that say he can't mix. Ok he's no Louie Vega or Sasha but he does a solid mix here.

CD2 his usual kinda black music gear. Very uplifting though 'think Jackie Brown' soul, jazz, b-boy.

CD3 unmixed exclusive gems, a good variety of house grooves for all you budding jocks out there. Very different and very fresh.

Highly recommended.

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Djangology

Childrens Toy Shop > Music > Jazz
by: Django Reinhardt

August 29, 2000
Django Reinhardt is without a doubt the finest Jazz guitarist ever to have lived.

Consequently, the jazz he made in the smokey clubs of 1940's Paris, with his quartet, is amazing. Clarinet, Violin, Drums, and Guitar build fantastic layers and tempos that are unparalleled by any jazz group/artist to attempt it.

Buy any Django Reinhardt CD and love it.