More jazz than not.

Chopin: Scherzos Nos. 1-4; Impromptus Nos. 1-3 Yundi Li, piano (Deutsche Grammophon 00289 474 8782)

This is exciting, expressive music, but it also is elegant. Pianist Yundi Li seems to balance excitement and elegance in an artful way, making this a most rewarding recording. Whether making the keyboard thunder or whisper, Li seems to keep everything in balance and perspective, never striving to make a point by pounding or pausing unnecessarily. If you enjoy virtuoso piano music, then this a recording you really should audition.

The Reverend Al Green: Everything's OK (Blue Note 7243 8 74584 2 0)

Even when it sounds as though he is merely going through the motions, Reverend Al is worth listening to. On this new outing, all love songs, there just does not seem to be enough conflict to generate genuine passion, but to listen to the way he can take a chestnut such as "You Are so Beautiful" and make it sound so fresh and exciting is worth the price of admission.

There are flashes, here, too, of the Al Green of 1970s, as you can hear in "Build Me Up," a cut that sounds as though it could have been lifted from one of his early albums. If you are a fan of soulful music, then this is a recording that you will need to get hold of. After all these years, The Reverend Al Green is still The Man. Mercy!

Tord Gustavsen Trio: The Ground (ECM 1892 B0004123-02)

This is a lovely recording. Tord Gustavsen (piano) and his bandmates Harald Johnsen (bass) and Jarle Vespestad (drums) have a way of casting dreamy spells with their instruments and interaction. Some critics have bemoaned their style, but such criticism to me seems simply to miss the point--these guys are very good at what they do, so it would be one thing to say they do not do it well, but to complain that you don't like this kind of music is beside the point. (That is one reason I rarely review rock recordings--most of it I just don't like any more, but to moan about that in the context of picking on some particular recording would not be of much use to anyone. Kevin East does a great job of reviewing that genre, and I admire both his enthusiasm and his skill.)

Yes, the tempi are slow, the melodies are languid, and things do get a bit, uh, precious at times. Still, there is great beauty here, and real skill. If you want to get beat over the head by a piano trio, try the Bad Plus. If on the other hand you want gentle, but intensely romantic playing, i.e., "emotion reflected in tranquility," The Ground is pure paydirt. It is a lovely, lovely recording.

Keith Jarrett: Radiance (ECM 1960/61 B0004314)

It has been a long time since Keith Jarrett has released a solo album of improvisatory music. Radiance ends that drought with a two-CD set comprising more than two hours of solo music recorded in Osaka and Tokyo in October, 2002.

I suspect that many listeners will put the first disc into their CD players with the intention of being immediately swept into an experience of melody like that of The Koln Concert; however, these listeners may be taken aback, at least at first. Radiance starts off tentatively, sounding almost as if Jarrett is just trying to loosen up his fingers by playing randomly. But if you can get past the first five or ten minutes, things start to fall into place, and suddenly you realize that Jarrett is definitely warmed up and making some intense music. By the time you hit Part III, it almost sounds like the Standards Trio, and you expect Jack DeJohnette and Gary Peacock to join in at any time, but then a couple of cuts later and you are back in Schoenberg territory.

Overall, this is a rewarding recording, but it is not something you can just plop on and enjoy as background music. It is intense, complicated, and grand in scale. I would not recommend it to everyone, but to those who enjoy musical intensity, be that Mahler or Coltrane, I recommend it highly.

Daniel Kobialka: Pathless Journey (Li-Sem DK 501)

Daniel Kobialka is a classically trained violinist who is interested in a broad spectrum of musical expression. On Pathless Journey, which is subtitled "A Tribute to Toru Takemitsu," Kobialka presents nine compositions that evoke the spirit of the late Japanese composer. His principal instrument on this recording is a Zeta Polyphonic Violin, which can be connected through a MIDI system to produce all manner of exotic sounds, but he also plays a traditional acoustic violin, and receives musical support from Wendy Adaie on various flutes, John Singer on shakahuchi, and an electronic ensemble called KOBLSAI.

As you might expect of music dedicated to Maestro Takemitsu, the overall mood is one of calm and reflection, of shimmers and shadows. The texture, however, is rich and full, as is the sonic palette, the net result not something wispy, but rich and full, yet modest.

Some might write this off as New Age, but to these ears at least, there is much more going on here than in most New Age productions. There is genuine music here. It may be calm and reflective, but it is also moving and expressive. You may have a hard time finding this recording in a store; if so, try www.lisem.com. You can also find out more about the composer at www.danielkobialka.com.

Charles Lloyd: Jumping the Creek (ECM 1911 B0004121-02)

I seem to encounter Charles Lloyd at significant moments in my life. After attending an emotionally wrenching memorial service on September 11, 2002, I came home to find The Water Is Wide in my mailbox, and found the music comforting and dear. On the afternoon of November 15, 2003, I had to put my beloved dog down; that evening, I attended a concert by the Charles Lloyd Quintet, and my grief was lifted, at least for a time. On Easter Sunday, 2005, I was released from the church calling I had held for more than five years. Although this was not unexpected (and, actually, it was something I had been eagerly looking forward to in many ways), and although I was moving on to another significant church position, it was still emotionally draining; on Monday, Jumping the Creek arrived.

The personnel on Jumping the Creek comprise the quintet that I saw in 2003 minus guitarist John Abercrombie: Lloyd on saxophones (playing some alto in addition to his usual tenor) and taragato, Geri Allen on piano, Robert Hurst on bass, and Eric Harland on drums. During the course of the program, Lloyd varies the ensemble, sometimes playing in duets or trios rather than having the whole quartet for every cut.

The net result is an interesting combination of approaches, with an intensity of joy. Lloyd and his bandmates really seem to enjoy playing with each other, and their enthusiasm for their art and craft comes through. Although I missed Abercrombie's work on guitar, I thoroughly enjoyed this recording--I just hope the next release can come at a time when I am emotionally calm.

Mathias Lupri Group: Transition Sonic (Summit Records DCD 398)

I mentioned this remarkable recording in Issue 103's Ramblings column. At the time I wrote that column, I had just purchased the disc, had auditioned it several times and was bowled over, but had already sent off the music-oriented portion of the issue for layout. This recording is so good that I want to mention it again, so bear with me if you have already purchased it.

Mathias Lupri, who plays vibes, composed all of the music on Transition Sonic, and assembled quite a supporting cast: Mark Turner on tenor and soprano saxophone, Cuong Vu on trumpet, Nate Radley on guitar, Thomas Kneeland on bass, and Jordan Person on drums. The names of Turner and Vu should be familiar to jazz fans; based on the strength of this recording, I would not be too surprised to see all of these musicians make a name for themselves over the coming years.

When I wrote about Transition Sonic in Issue 103, I compared it briefly to the new Pat Metheny Group recording, The Way Up, on which Cuong Vu also plays. The texture of the music is quite different, but the feeling of cohesiveness is similar, even though The Way Up is presented as one large composition while Transition Sonic is presented as 12 distinct cuts. Still, if you just sit down and listen to the recording straight through, you will come to be impressed by its cohesiveness. You will also hear some music that you could well imagine the Pat Metheny Group playing, particularly cut 4, the lyrical "The Day After." But not at all will you think of this music as derivative of the PMG, because the music on Transition Sonic sounds fresh and original from start to finish.

This is one of those recordings that could be enjoyed by those who have not listened to much jazz, but can also be enjoyed by old jazz hands, I recommend it most highly to both groups.

Mahler: Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen ("Song of a Wayfarer"); 5 Rukert-Lieder ("5 Ruckert Songs"); Kindertotenlieder ("Songs on the Death of Children") Thomas Quasthoff, bass-baritone/ Violeta Urmana, soprano/Anne Sofie von Otter, mezzo-soprano/Vienna Philharmonic/Pierre Boulez (Deutsche Grammophon B0003894-02)

Long-time readers know that I am quite a fan of the music of Gustav Mahler. Two of my favorite Mahler recordings are two quite different renditions of his three famous song cycles, the classic EMI release featuring mezzo-soprano Janet Baker with the Halle and New Philharmonia Orchestras conducted by Sir John Barbirolli and the more recent Telarc recording featuring baritone Andreas Schmidt with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra led by Jesus Lopez-Cobos.

For those who do not want to commit to either a male or female voice for these songs, there is this wonderful new release of the Vienna Philharmonic conducted by Pierre Boulez, which features both male and female singers: Quasthoff in the Wayfarer Songs, Violeta Urmana in the Ruckert Songs, and the lovely Anne Sofie von Otter in the Kindertotenlieder. For fans of Mahler, this release will be a must-have, as Boulez is on his way to establishing himself as a premier Mahler conductor and all three of these singers are world-class. Add to that the playing of the Vienna Philharmonic and excellent work by the DG engineers, and you have a recording to cherish.

If I had to pick just one of these three recordings to take with me to the proverbial desert island, it would probably be the Baker/Barbirolli, but this new release gives it a close run for its money. Whether you are an old Mahler hand or someone just starting to get into Mahler's music, this new DG release is something you really ought to hear.

Mozart: Violin Sonatas, K377,K303, K304, K526 Mark Steinberg, violin/Mitsuko Uchida, piano (Philips B0004115-02)

Pianist Mitsuko Uchida has wonderful touch, as always, and violinist Mark Steinberg displays quite a graceful touch of his own as they romp through this delightful music. Like many classical music fans, I sometimes get caught up in orchestral music to the point that when I do hear a recording like this one, I suddenly remember what a delight chamber music can be. Highly recommended.

Christopher O'Riley: Hold Me to This (World Village 468034)

Back in 2003, Sony released True Love Waits, a recording of classical pianist Christopher O'Riley's piano transcriptions of songs by rock group Radiohead. That recording became a minor hit, and one of my personal favorite recordings of the past several years.

Surprisingly (or maybe not so surprisingly, given the vagaries of the music business these days), this follow-up recording of O'Riley playing Radiohead is not on the Sony label, but rather on World Village, a branch of Harmonia Mundi. In any event, Hold Me to This is a most welcome release that if anything, is even more rewarding than True Love Waits. On this new release, O'Riley seems to inject more of his own emotion into the music, his playing being more expressive and intense than it was on the first release. It is as though he has found out that fans of the band appreciated what he was doing, and now he can relax and really show not just reverence but also real passion for this music.

Classical music fans who have not heard any of O'Riley's transcriptions--or any Radiohead--may well be wondering how on earth any transcription of rock music could be worth listening to (in his enjoyable liner notes, O'Riley mentions receiving an e-mail message from a fan of From the Top, his classical-music radio show, that inquired, "Who is this Mr. 'Head', and where can I find more of his beautiful music?"), but I believe most music fans, classical or otherwise, would find this recording to be quite enjoyable, and yes, beautiful.

--KWN