Somewhere out there, perfection exists. I know it because I hear it on this CD. Von Karajan managed to caputure perfection for just enough time to make this recording. The third movement is a rare treat, one of the best you'll hear in any classical recording. Buy it now.

Anyone interested in this album also might check out Thomas Bacon's album, "Nighthawks," which features some of the same pieces. Bacon's interpretation, however, is edgier and more aggressive than Jolley's. Personally, I like Jolley's style better, but true horn enthusiasts should own both.

Stacey Kent's voice goes down like an expensive martini: smooth and warm.

She tackles the standards with the grace and humor they deserve, conjuring up echoes of Peggy Lee. Fans of Karrin Allyson will like the subtle roughness around the edges of her voice, but the overall impression is quite refined. Not as in love with her voice as Jane Monheit, but certainly not throwing pitch out the window like, say, Nina Simone.

Treats on this disc are the title tune and the Trolley Song, which Stacey sings with wit and verve.

This recording is definitely worth full price. Happy listening!

Amazon puts "Live" in the title of this disc, but a closer reading of the liner notes shows that some are live and some are not.... it's confusing and I wish the record companies would clearly label whether recordings are live or not on the OUTSIDE of the disc, so you can see it BEFORE you buy it, as many collectors prefer not to purchase live recordings.

In any event, I purchased this recording without knowing it was recorded live and I haven't been disappointed. The Haydn is played with that characteristic Ma reserve, but it works quite well for the piece, being from the Classic Era and all...

Saint-Saens and Schumann are surprisingly lively, although I generally prefer Rostropovich.

Of course, no one plays the Elgar better than Du Pre, so if you're looking for that, you should get the EMI recording of Du Pre/Barenboim b/w Janet Baker's Sea Songs instead of this.

And if you're looking for the Dvorak, the 1969 recording of Rostropovich/vonKarajan/BPO on DG takes the cake EVERY time. Don't waste your time on Ma's soulless, sanitized reading of this wonderfully romantic concerto. If you're up to it and you really want to hear someone pour their heart into Dvorak, try DuPre's late-60s recording on Angel (EMI) with Barenboim and Chicago. Tasty!

Given the experience and positions of the players (Regni is principal saxophone of the NY Philharmonic), I expected a much more polished performance.

The players don't seem to blend well with each other, and the recording seems forward and top-heavy, with the soprano almost screeching at times. Not pleasant, especially when compared to the sound of more refined quartets, such as the New Century S.Q. (try "Standards" for a nicer reading of the Mintzer) and younger quartets like Adelphia (try their recording of the Histoire du Tango for more flair, style, and character if not intonation).

Intonation is a problem on this recording. It might have been okay if the players weren't as seasoned or didn't have big names. But I was disappointed pretty much from the first note at the lack of sensitivity to tone quality, blend and intonation in this group.

This recording is a valiant try, but hopefully in the future ones they pay more attention to the finer points of ensemble playing.

Branford Marsalis is an excellent jazz saxophonist.

However, he runs into the same problems many jazz musicians have when trying to "cross over" into classical: too little emphasis on tone quality, rough articulation, trouble blending with the strings, and in some cases, sloppy ensemble technique.

Perhaps this latter problem has more to do with the lack of a conductor than a lack of skill.

Marsalis plays quite respectably on the Ibert. He doesn't take the ossia altissimo passages, but many "classical" artists don't either, so I can't fault him for that.

The "Scaramouche" comes off the best of all the traditional recital pieces on this disc. Marsalis caputures the fleeting playfulness of the first movement, and his technique is flawless here.

His tone is unacceptably bright and raucous in the "Creation du Monde," however. His playing in that piece is beyond the range of any interpretation I've ever heard. Much of this has to do with the placement of the microphones and the production of the recording as well.

I would have preferred that the disc include fewer transcriptions, but Marsalis seems to enjoy recording transcriptions instead of the more serious works for classical saxophone. It would be interesting to hear him play some of the heavier repertoire: the Glazonov concerto, the Dubois Concerto, the Dahl concerto, etc.

Diana Krall has an amazing voice, that's true.

She also has amazing piano chops. Unfortunately, with each album she releases, she chooses to accentuate her voice more than her piano skills.

She can do straight-ahead jazz with the best, and I think she sells herself short with this album -- yet another cocktail-hour set.

Don't get me wrong -- I love Diana -- but I think she really could use a bit more variety. I'd like to see her come out with another CD with her trio, similar to the "Nat King Cole" collection of 98. That was hot stuff.

I purchased this CD especially to hear Mack's rendition of the Mozart oboe concerto. Fortunately, I listened to the disc in order and heard Cohen's wondrous rendition of the clarinet concerto first. I was totally and completely blown away by the sweet sonority of his tone and his masterfully athletic technique. The first movement positively sparkles, and Cohen conveys the changing moods of the third movement in a way I've never heard it before.

Likewise, McGill's big, open bassoon sound is what I've always missed when hearing this work. I immediately fell in love with his rendition after hearing his rich tone and bouncy articulation.

Unfortunately, Mack's rendition of the oboe concerto barely deserves to be sandwiched between these glorious interpretations. I was sorely disappointed when I heard it: sloppy technique (as in "was that a grace note???") harsh tone (as in "maybe it's the reed...") slow tempi (allegro aperto means fast, right?) and uninspired interpretation (is he playing an etude or a concerto?).

But that's just one out of three. I'm still supremely happy I purchased the CD, even at full price: the Cohen and McGill performances are well worth the money.

You'll love this CD.

On the other hand, if you don't like Torke (after all, with him it's mostly a love-hate thing) you won't like this CD. It's as simple as that.

It seems that people who slam this CD aren't really slamming the performance, they are slamming the composer.

If you don't like Minimalism (aka "broken record music), you won't like Torke, and therefore you won't like this CD.

But if you have an open mind about the music, and judge it for what it is, you'll find that this is a very accessible performance, and one worthy of immortalizing on compact disc.

And as a classical saxophone player, I found the recording of "July" a special treat... it's tough to find decent quartet recordings in mainstream stores!

I own 8 recordings of this work (including performances by DuPre, Fournier, Casals, etc.) and this one is by far the most perfect: technically and emotionally. Only the DuPre/Barenboim/Chicago Symphony Orchestra even comes close.

Rostropovich's technique shimmers and sparkles.. like Heifetz on the cello. But unlike Heifetz, Rostropovich can let emotion and passion flow at precisely the right time. I could (and do!) listen to this recording ALL the time. It never gets old... and that's proof that this recording is somehow more than itself: it brings the listener to a higher plane- a heightened state of consciousness. When listening to this piece, somehow everything in the world just makes sense. Dvorak and his world are long gone, but through this piece I hear him. And all of a sudden, I understand... it's strangely spiritual.

If you are even remotely interested in classical music, you MUST experience this CD. I bought it years ago for full price (something like $17) and I haven't regretted a penny of it. Now, at the new pricing, you can get it for half the price and double the fun!

Buy it. NOW.