Axiom Home Page Forums General Discussion Stereo So what are ya listening to tonight?

Thank you for the excellent review and recommendation, Mark.

I really enjoy Cullum's studio albums; the production is quite nice, and I rather like his voice, his style, and some of his compositions. There was a DirecTV special of one of his concerts a while back from a large, outdoor venue. I came away impressed, but not amazed. It would appear that he has turned himself up a notch, and that smaller venues are better for him.

Cullum seems to get a lot of crap from both the jazz and pop genres because he's not purely in either camp. I like his approach, and think the criticisms often border on snobbery for its own sake. To my eye, he has decent piano chops, a good ear for arranging, a pleasant if unspectacular voice and - most importantly - a fine sense of what it takes to be entertaining. I particularly like his fresh but respectful treatments of some standards. He's an engaging artist/entertainer, and I don't think he ever aspired to be the next Bill Evans.

Glad you enjoyed the show. You came away smiling, eh?

Reminds me of the Coldplay concert my wife and I attended. We had fantastic seats however we were standing for most of the concert. My wife wasn't too impressed being 5'-1" tall and trying to peek around people in front to see the stage. Then to make matters worse, some drunken clown in front of us tried to sing along with some the songs until a few people told him to shut the %$&* up. Anyhow, next up is Peter Frampton in a 1,000 seat venue (row 4, center stage).
Cheers,
Shaun

Yeah, totally. That reminds me of the time that I saw Radiohead play at L'Arena di Verona in Italy and there was like, a perfectly clear view of the performers and this beautiful and historic venue with this terrible 30 degree summer weather around us without a cloud in the sky and all these annoying stars at night - not to mention all the wonderful Italian people who shared massive jugs of wine with us.

No wait, that's nothing at all the same. Forget I said anything.

All the best,

J

Yeah, kind of

Apparently, our views of Mr. Cullum's demographic differ from his.

Right now I'm listening to the Supremes on a 30 year old turntable with a brand new belt. OK, I'll admit I've been spending a little time over at classmates and found a really old neighbor. That could have something to do with the music I've been listening to lately. I seem to be stuck in oldies mode. I've got to get me some Temptations and Four Tops scratchy vinyl. . .and Wilson Pickett. Ah, nostalgia.

Just finished a performance by BBC Wales of Symphonie Fantastique by Berlioz. Not only is the imaging so perfect I can close my eyes and visualize all the instruments in their correct positions, but during the quiet passages I could even hear the sharper inhalations of breath from the conductor! That's the sort of thing that really brings back memories of my days performing onstage. Quite nice.

Now I think I'll start Mahler's Titan, New York Phil under Kurt Masur. To me, this is a piece that truly defines the visceral emotional communication possible by music. I remember reading many years ago a short letter written by Arnold Schoenberg to Gustav after he first heard Mahler's first symphony. Working from memory, the translation would go something along the lines of

I felt it as an event of nature. It was revealed to me as a secret country of eerie chasms, and abysses, and haunts of idyllic repose. I shared in the battling for illusion. I felt the forces of good and evil wrestling with one another. I felt a soul in torment, struggling toward inward harmony. I divined the most uncompromising truthfulness.

Listening to that should make for a sublime ending to a truly lovely day.

I'm hoping that the feeling of bliss I've been experiencing since I received my Axioms lasts for quite a long time.

Really enjoy reading posts like yours cuz it's all about the music rather than the equipment. Thanks for sharing.

I thought it was all about test tones, calibration, and graphing room response. Man, no wonder this hobby is stressing me out.

Jack summed it up nice. Sometimes it seems people in this hobby forget about the music.

Thanks for sharing. You make me want to check that piece out now. My taste for classical music is growing in leaps and bounds. I find it so soothing to listen to on the drive home from work.