For its tenth year of jazz in Portland, this year’s U.S. Bank festival, presented by Alaska Airlines, kicked off with a number of sold out shows. An imposing array of internationally-recognized and local musicians played a variety of jazz styles, and the festival’s recognition of Black History Month was seen in a number of community-wide [...]

Nine recent soundtrack CDs of interest.

A variety of Christmas CDs for possible addition to your collection.

A terrific weekend of intimate live jazz each October at Newport, OR.

Nine more exceptional stereo hi-res music downloads reviewed.

Chamber Music Festival and Institute – July 20-Aug. 11 – Atherton, PaloAlto, and Menlo Park – www.musicatmenlo.org You never know what to expect from a visit to Music@Menlo, the three week chamber music festival on the Peninsula in the Bay Area, celebrating its tenth anniversary this year, except for one constant – excellence in every [...]

MAHLER:  Symphony No. 8 – Heather Harper soprano I (Magna Peccatrix);  Lucia Popp soprano II (Una Poenitentium);  Arleen Auger soprano III (Mater Gloriosa);  Yvonne Minton contralto I (Mulier Samaritana);  Helen Watts contralto II (Maria Aegyptiaca);  René Kollo tenor (Doctor Marianus);   John Shirley-Quirk baritone (Pater Ecstaticus);  Martti Talvela bass (Pater Profundus) /Vienna Staatsopernchor /Vienna Singverein [...]

In either form, this is an audiophile’s dream collection!

A most exciting SACD reissue project at better pricing and shipping than the Japanese series.

Dealing with Surface Noise and Other Distractions From the Music.