Title: Skruk - Brilliant Ilgar Muradov                              Rating: 4.4 / 5

           Music fra Aserbajdsjan

Label: KKV FXCD188

Available here: www.cdroots.com or www.gramophone.ca

It always amazes me how great music can transcend beyond cultural boundaries, allowing the listener to enjoy the rhythm and spirit of the song writer without understanding the lyrics.

The songs on this CD consists of traditional songs from Azerbaijan.  The music are similar to church hymns at times, and Arabic folk songs (or perhaps even Hindu?) at others.    Let me warn you that this may not be your cup of tea.

 I must admit, I have no idea where Azerbaijan was before I listened to this title, and even now I still have no clue about this country.  I have created a whole new section for this title because I have no idea which genre it belongs to.  Nevertheless, good music is good music.

When I first played track No 1 on the CD, I said to myself  "Oh my God !  it sounded like the music playe in NY Taxi cabs.   But when track No. 2 came on, I was stunned by the quality of the chorus.    Initially, I thought my speaker positioning was incorrect as there was a "hole" in the middle and voices were only coming from the sides.    Then when I got to track 3, a voice started to appear in the center, and I was in awe at the precise positioning of individual singers.  

Recording and mastering quality is top notch, living up to the usual high standards of KKV titles.   

Title:  Lullabies from The Axis of Evil                                Rating: 4.4 / 5

Label: KKV (KKV-AXIS)

Available here: www.cdroots.com or www.gramophone.ca

In the past, I have declined to post recommendations because of the heavy confrontational political or religious connotation of certain titles.   Having said this,  I'll recommend this CD to you.  As an audiophile, I stress that I am only recommending this title based upon the recording quality, ignoring the political connotation behind it.

This CD was compiled after President Bush's famous "State of the Union Address" where Iran, Iraq and North Korea were labeled as the Axis of Evil.   It records Lullabies from the countries that the U.S has put on the other side of the enemy lines.  In an attempt to bridge the gap created by politics and evil acts, lullabies has been chosen to express the deepest and the most fundamental way of communication between human beings.  

The recording is beautifully done with female vocals sung in Arabic, Korean and English, including the famous track by Rickie Lee Jones.    This CD has some of the most powerful bass I have heard.   The vocals are ultra clear, and yet without harshness or brightness.     Relative positioning between instruments are separated clearly with depth perception.     The sound staging is phenomenal .

The songs on this CD has a very strong cultural taste to them, so they may not be everyone's cup of tea.  It certainly isn't a CD I'd play when I wake up first thing in thing in the morning.