Ascend Acoustics Official Music Recommendation Thread

[clarke68]

Rosa Pasos - "Rosa" is the name of this CD released on Telarc Records in 2006. I found the recommendation in the New Yorker Magazine. Rosa Pasos is a Brazilian jazz singer and guitarist who performs her own music along with some covers. This CD shows off how quiet and subtle the Sierras are. These speakers can really whisper if they need to and they truly do justice to this gorgeous recording.

Thanks for that, I haven't heard that one. I have the album she did with Ron Carter on the Chesky label...amazing sound and very good performances, especially the duets with Carter.

Orlando Cachaito Lopez - Cachaito - solo album from the bass player featured on Buena Vista Social Club. One of the tracks has been a standard on me demo CD for a while now. Not traditional Cuban music though, there are many other options for that direction.

Ooooo...which track do you use? I used to use "Tumbanga" to test subwoofers. The whole album is a bit "bass hot" anyway, but his solo on that tune used to make this Klipsch subwoofer I had spit mad port noise. Great album, tho. That one and Mambo Sinuendo were my favorites that came out of that whole "Buena Vista Social Club" thing.

Here's a couple others that sound particularly good on the Sierra, I'll do more as I think of them:

Alex Riel - DSB Kino
Traditional "swing era" jazz with incredible sound quality. The bass/trumpet duet intro to "Ain't Miss Behavin' [sic]" will blow your mind.

Nik Bartsch's Ronin - Stoa
Probably unlike anything you've ever heard, this sounds sorta like Steve Reich put together a jazz band to play funk. Intelligent mood music that's actually fun to listen to.

[BradJudy]

Ooooo...which track do you use?

I use Redencion both for the layering of instruments (particularly towards the end of the track) as well as the piccolo, which comes in around 0:35 with a note that's a pretty pure 2200Hz tone. Since this often falls into a crossover region, it can be all over the place. I've played it on dozens of systems at RMAF and that note is anywhere from piercing to distant.

[clarke68]

I use Redencion both for the layering of instruments (particularly towards the end of the track) as well as the piccolo, which comes in around 0:35 with a note that's a pretty pure 2200Hz tone. Since this often falls into a crossover region, it can be all over the place.

Very cool, thanks! I'm going to try that tonight...might make it in to my next review!

[curtis]

Very cool, thanks! I'm going to try that tonight...might make it in to my next review!

Brad, you should ask for a reference footnote if it does.

Because of you two or three, I just ordered "Cachaito" and "Entre Amigos/Among Friends".

[curtis]

OK...because of this thread, another thread here, and thread over at AudioCircle, I have four new discs:

Orlando Cachaito Lopez - Cachaito, the guys did not steer me wrong on this one. I played it this morning while getting ready for the office.

Rosa Passos & Ron Carter - Entre Amigos/Among Friends; I fell asleep to this one last night. Sounded great, very relaxing to me.

Chantal Chamberland - Serendipity Street
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0005JB6SQ

Erin Boheme - What Love Is; Incredible voice for an 18 year old.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000E6EIVW

Too funny....as I was writing this, my Dad called. He is at my house picking my kids up after school. He saw the "Cachaito" and "Entre Amigos/Among Friends" discs and said he was borrowing them. Good thing I already ripped them to FLAC.

[clarke68]

Rosa Passos & Ron Carter - Entre Amigos/Among Friends; I fell asleep to this one last night.

Not exactly the strongest endorsement I've ever heard... ;-)

I had a listening party at my place Friday night (guys loved the Sierra-1). Lots of great stuff was played, but this was my favorite discovery:

Dark Side of the Moon A Capella - incredibly original and successful take on the Floyd classic. Super well-recorded, the bass (singer) sounds awesome and the voices just float. Highly recommended for fans of Pink Floyd or vocals.

[curtis]

Not exactly the strongest endorsement I've ever heard... ;-)

Ha! That didn't come out very good.....but if you knew the weekend I had, you'd understand.

[kyzersoze98]

OK...because of this thread, another thread here, and thread over at AudioCircle, I have four new discs:

Orlando Cachaito Lopez - Cachaito, the guys did not steer me wrong on this one. I played it this morning while getting ready for the office.

Rosa Passos & Ron Carter - Entre Amigos/Among Friends; I fell asleep to this one last night. Sounded great, very relaxing to me.

Chantal Chamberland - Serendipity Street
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0005JB6SQ

Erin Boheme - What Love Is; Incredible voice for an 18 year old.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000E6EIVW

Too funny....as I was writing this, my Dad called. He is at my house picking my kids up after school. He saw the "Cachaito" and "Entre Amigos/Among Friends" discs and said he was borrowing them. Good thing I already ripped them to FLAC.

Listening to Rosa Passos & Ron Carter for the first time right now......great stuff!!!! I love threads like this I'm going through ever page. Thank you!!!!

[kyzersoze98]

Whoever recommended Emerson, Lake, Palmer-Trilogy album thank you for that i just ordered it on amazon. I've never heard of these guys (don't kill me).


For my guitar lovers:
Strunz,Farah-Americas; just listen to the first track (caracol) to get a feeling awesome stuff. LOVE this album.

John Mclaughlin, Al Di Meola, Paco De Lucia-Friday night in San Fransisco (live)

Al Di Meola-Elegant Gypsy


Heavy stuff

Megadeth-Rust in Peace

Rage against the machine-Self titled first album. If you can find the original version (not the heavily compressed remaster) its sound fantastic.


Random stuff

Terry Callier-Timepeace; if you have tidal look up the songs "java sparrow" and "love theme from spartacus" both sound incredible on my sierra 2's.

Elvis Crespo-Suavemente (song and album). Not sure if their's in merengue/salsa fans on the boards if so "Tu Sonrisa" off the same album sounds great.

[GirgleMirt]

I've listened to Brian's 2007 Yoko Kanno's Wolf's Rain OSTs recommendation for quite a while and there's some great music in there!

Lately, I've been thoroughly loving Kawai Kenji's Fate Stay Night OST (can listen to samples here). Again, pretty different from western music but that's pretty much the point. Music varies a lot, but listen to track #3, 6, 10, 15, 17, 18, 23, 27, 28, 30, 31, 32, 35, 37, 38. Ok that's a lot of 30 secs clip to listen to haha but really, fantastic and different music. (pm for more?)

Acoustic guitar: Don Ross (Bearing Straight, Huron Street), Peppino D'Agostino (Every Step of the Way) are great, and I'm slowly discovering Micheal Hedge, Aerial Boundaries album is pretty nice (album title track, advance to 3 mins, or view #2)

This guy played it pretty well, but messed up a little at the end... Still pretty nice.

Strunz & Farah's Primal Magic is not bad...

Don't know if it's been recommended before: Jose Gonzalez, Veneer for example. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s4_4abCWw-w http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1X2W_...eature=related

What else... Classical, Bach, always my favorite...

Queenryche is pretty weird... Just listened 20 seconds of "Queen of the Reich" and it sounded exactly like Highway star by Deep Purple. So maybe more than Floydian influences there!


Oh, and a really cool song, Bang Gang - It's Alright, http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x6c...en-slow-motion filmed with RED Camera. (make sure you check out the HQ version and run it at full res!)