Michael Fremer

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Michael Fremer  |  Apr 01, 2007  |  1 comments

Forget the Van Gogh-like cover. There’s nothing crazy going on here, or perhaps these four guys just wanted to subliminally suggest that you lend an ear. I’m glad I did.

Michael Fremer  |  May 08, 2014  |  First Published: May 08, 2014  |  18 comments
On Wednesday, May 7th, Nashville's United Record Pressing announced a major plant expansion with the planned addition of 16 additional presses. To meet demand the company currently operated 24/6 snd has been doing so for the past two years.

Michael Fremer  |  Jan 01, 2005  |  1 comments

This bio produced by the Spanish Eforfilms is essential viewing for any Nat King Cole fan. There's plenty of great Nat footage, but more importantly, an intelligent script a that looks at all facets of Nat's life, including the tension between Nat the jazz pianist and Nat the pop crooner. Also key was the difficult racial environment in which Cole, among others, was forced to suffer.
There are complete musical performances, including Cole with Ella and a hilarious duet with Sammy Davis, Jr., with Sammy doing a perfect Nat impression, much to the “King”'s delight. Unfortunately I was unable to view the bonus footage, because the bar code on the jacket was placed over where the disc sits and when the distribution company punched the promo hole, it put a hole in the disc. Even without the bonus footage, this is worth having. Other bios in the series include Billie Holiday and Lena Horne, with a Frank Sinatra disc due soon.
Also for Nat fans: Nat "King" Cole Soundies and Telescriptions (idem Home Video IDVD1017NT), a 72 minute DVD compilation of Cole performances from various venues. Mostly black and white with lo-fi sound, it's Nat's look that will mesmerize, and the music's so good, the bad sound will not interfere

Michael Fremer  |  Feb 01, 2009  |  1 comments

The difference between brilliance and cocktail lounge music is measured out in tiny gestures audible as finger dance moves around a predictable melody.

Michael Fremer  |  Dec 01, 2010  |  1 comments

Recorded in December of 1956 and released in the spring of 1957, this lushly arranged, string-drenched concept album collected a set of love ballads that Nat “King” Cole delivered with unerring intimacy and warmth.

Michael Fremer  |  Oct 01, 2010  |  0 comments

Recorded in glorious mono in 1956 and issued first in 1957, this set of small combo standards with Cole both singing and playing the piano remains as fresh and vital as it did when originally released. 

Michael Fremer  |  Aug 15, 2018  |  First Published: Aug 15, 2018  |  5 comments
Your editor hadn't looked in a while at the "drop down" menu under "Shows". When he did he was kind of shocked to see how few shows were there compared to how many have been covered.

Michael Fremer  |  Jan 22, 2017  |  First Published: Jan 22, 2017  |  7 comments
The Berlin Philharmonic's Direct-to-Disk Four Brahms Symphony box set currently available for purchase on the orchestra's website store will also be available for purchase in America beginning January 27th, 2017 on the website of Naxos USA.

Michael Fremer  |  Apr 01, 2011  |  0 comments

Neil plays, Daniel "La-noise" manipulates. The result is a solo album—a man and his guitar— that takes on gargantuan proportions as it throbs, undulates, oozes, howls, flows, rattles and hums through a series of reminiscences, philosophical discussions, entreaties and proclamations of faith that only an older man could possibly produce and deliver with such rich and fervent authority.

Michael Fremer  |  Apr 01, 2009  |  3 comments

As soon as Young walks on stage and you hear the applause, you’ll know you’re in for a sonic treat. The audience has been carefully miked, which is not always the case with live recordings, even when the stage sound is good. The applause captures the hall space well too.

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