This week Universal Music continues to increase its list of upcoming Super Audio CD titles with two new additions. The new SACDs are the next two Surround Sound SACDs from Concord Records by Ray Charles and Monica Mancini. Also new on the Universal Music Group Super Audio CD release list this week are two date changes involving upcoming Surround Sound SACDs by Lionel Ritchie and the Carpenters.
Ultimate Mancini in Surround Sound SACD
High Fidelity Review readers will recall our stories earlier this year about the upcoming Surround Sound SACDs by Ray Charles and Monica Mancini on Concord Records. Since that time, Concord has released a Stereo CD edition of the Mancini set and has announced that the Ray Charles Stereo CD will be due out on August 31st. The latest news is that the Super Audio CDs of both discs are still on track and that they apparently will be distributed to music stores by Universal Music Group.
Ultimate Mancini features vocalist Monica Mancini, a host of guest musicians and a 65 member orchestra performing 17 of Henry Mancini’s most famous songs. The guest musicians include Stevie Wonder, Take 6, Kenny Rankin, Tom Scott, Gary Burton, Joey DeFrancesco, Michael Johnson and Plas Johnson. The song line up on Ultimate Mancini is:
1. The Pink Panther Theme – with Plas Johnson (Tenor Sax), Joey DeFrancesco (Organ) & Gary Burton (Vibes)
2. Charade
3. Two For The Road – with Monica Mancini (Vocals)
4. Moon River – with Stevie Wonder (Harmonica) & Take 6 (Vocals)
5. Moment To Moment – with Monica Mancini (Vocals) & Tom Scott (Alto Sax)
6. Days Of Wine And Roses – with Monica Mancini (Vocals)
7. Peter Gunn Theme – with Tom Scott (Alto Sax)
8. Dreamsville – with Monica Mancini & Kenny Rankin (Vocal Duet) & Tom Scott (Alto Sax)
9. Dear Heart – with Monica Mancini (Vocals)
10. The Thorn Birds Theme
11. Anywhere The Heart Goes (Meggie’s Theme) – with Monica Mancini (Vocals)
12. Mr. Lucky – with Joey DeFrancesco (Organ)
13. Whistling Away The Dark – with Monica Mancini (Vocals)
14. Movie Medley: Life In A Looking Glass (from That’s Life) – with Michael Lang (Piano)
15. Movie Medley: Crazy World (from Victor/Victoria) – with Monica Mancini (Vocals)
16. Movie Medley: It’s Easy To Say (from 10) – with Michael Lang (Piano)
17. Music On The Way – with Monica Mancini (Vocals)
The Surround Sound SACD edition of Ultimate Mancini remains slated for availability in stores on August 24th.
Genius Loves Company with Ray Charles
The new Ray Charles album entitled Genius Loves Company features the singer performing 12 songs in duet with a who’s who of the music industry. The final line up of Genius Loves Company has now been set and it will include these songs and artists:
1. Here We Go Again – with Norah Jones
2. Sweet Potato Pie – with James Taylor
3. You Don’t Know Me – with Diana Krall
4. Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word – with Elton John
5. Fever – with Natalie Cole
6. Do I Ever Cross Your Mind – with Bonnie Raitt
7. It Was A Very Good Year – with Willie Nelson
8. Hey Girl – with Michael McDonald
9. Sinner’s Prayer – with B.B. King
10. Heaven Help Us All – with Gladys Knight
11. Somewhere Over The Rainbow – with Johnny Mathis
12. Crazy Love – with Van Morrison
The original plan was to release Genius Loves Company as a day and date release in both Stereo CD and Surround Sound SACD formats on August 31st. That plan has been changed. Concord Records tells me that they now plan to release the Stereo CD edition on August 31st with the Surround Sound SACD arriving 2 weeks later on September 14th. With this all star line up, Genius Loves Company continues to be one of the most awaited SACDs of the year.
Upcoming Universal Music SACD Release List
In addition to these two high profile additions, the Universal Music SACD Release List also has two date changes on it. The Surround Sound SACD of Lionel Ritchie’s latest album entitled Just for You moves from August 3rd to August 17th and the Surround Sound SACD of The Singles: 1969-1981 by the Carpenters moves from September 14th to September 28th. Here’s the complete list of upcoming SACDs from Universal Music with the new additions and changes included:
August 10, 2004 SACD Releases
- Claudio Abbado, Berlin Philharmonic – Mahler: Symphony No. 5 (Deutsche Grammophon)
- Juliane Banse, Pierre Boulez, Cleveland Orchestra – Mahler: Symphony No. 4 (Deutsche Grammophon)
- Concerto Koln & Saraband – Dream of the Orient (Deutsche Grammophon)
- Sheryl Crow – The Globe Sessions (A&M Records)
- Reinhard Goebel, Musica Antiqua Köln – Le Roi Danse Original Soundtrack (Deutsche Grammophon)
- Herbert Von Karajan, Berlin Philharmonic – Beethoven: Symphonies No. 1 & 2 (Deutsche Grammophon)
- Herbert Von Karajan, Berlin Philharmonic – Beethoven: Symphonies No. 3 & 4 (Deutsche Grammophon)
- Herbert Von Karajan, Berlin Philharmonic – Beethoven: Symphonies No. 5 & 6 (Deutsche Grammophon)
- Herbert Von Karajan, Berlin Philharmonic – Beethoven: Symphonies No. 7 & 8 (Deutsche Grammophon)
- Gundula Janowitz, Hilde Rössel-Majdan, Waldemar Kmentt, Walter Berry, Wiener Singverein, Herbert von Karajan, Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra – Beethoven: Symphony No. 9 (Deutsche Grammophon)
- Olivier Latry – Midnight at Notre Dame: Organ Transcriptions (Deutsche Grammophon)
- Paul McCreesh, Gabrieli Consort & Players – Handel: Messiah (Deutsche Grammophon)
- Mikhail Pletnev, Mstislav Rostropovich, Russian National Orchestra – Prokofiev: Piano Concerto No. 3 & Rachmaninov: Piano Concerto No. 3 (Deutsche Grammophon)
- Mikhail Pletnev – Pletnev Plays Schumann (Deutsche Grammophon)
August 17, 2004 SACD Release
- Lionel Ritchie – Just For You (Island)
August 24, 2004 SACD Releases
- Allman Brothers Band – Live At Fillmore East (Mercury)
- Herbie Hancock – Gershwin’s World (Verve)
- Joe Henderson – Lush Life: The Music of Billy Strayhorn (Verve)
- Shirley Horn – Here’s to Live: Shirley Horn With Strings (Verve)
- Monica Mancini, Stevie Wonder, Kenny Rankin, Joey De Francesco, Tom Scott, Gary Burton, Take 6, Michael Lang & Plas Johnson – Ultimate Mancini (Concord Records)
- Snow Patrol – Final Straw (Interscope)
August 31, 2004 SACD Releases
- Toby Keith – Shock ‘n’ Ya’ll (Dreamworks Nashville)
- Lee Ann Womack – Greatest Hits (MCA Nashville)
September 14, 2004 SACD Releases
- Pierre Boulez, Berlin Philharmonic – Ravel: Bolero (Deutsche Grammophon)
- Ray Charles with Norah Jones, James Taylor, Diana Krall, Elton John, Natalie Cole, Bonnie Raitt, Willie Nelson, Michael McDonald, B.B. King, Gladys Knight, Johnny Mathis & Van Morrison – Genius Loves Company (Concord Records)
- Marvin Gaye – The Marvin Gaye Collection (Motown)
- Bryn Terfel, Claudio Abbado, Chamber Orchestra Europe – Mozart: Don Giovanni (Deutsche Grammophon)
- Anne Sofie Von Otter, Thomas Quasthoff, Claudio Abbado, Chamber Orchestra of Europe – Schubert: Lieder With Orchestra (Deutsche Grammophon)
September 21, 2004 SACD Release
- Chet Baker – Baker’s Holiday: Chet Baker Plays & Sings The Billie Holiday Songbook (Verve)
- John Coltrane & Johnny Hartman – John Coltrane & Johnny Hartman (Impulse)
September 28, 2004 SACD Release
- The Carpenters – Singles: 1969-1981 (A&M Records)
October 12, 2004 SACD Release
- Argerich & Pletnev – Cinderella Suite from the Ballet for 2 Pianos & La Mere (Deutsche Grammophon)
- Antal Dorati, Philharmonia Hugarica Orchestra – Respighi: Ancient Airs & Dances for Lute (Decca Classics)
- Antal Dorati, London Symphony Orchestra – Stravinsky: The Firebird (Complete); Tango; Scherzo à la Russe (Decca Classics)
- Byron Janis, Antal Dorati, London Sympohny Orchestra, Minneapolis Symphony Orchestra – Rachmaninov: Piano Concerti 2 & 3; 2 Preludes (Decca Classics)
- Paul Mc Creesh, Gabrieli Consort & Players – Music for San Rocco (Deutsche Grammophon)
- Paul Paray, Detroit Symphony Orchestra – Suppé: Overtures (+Auber) (Decca Classics)
- Janos Starker – Bach: Six Suites For Solo Cello (Philips)
- Jaap van Zweden, Residentie Orchestra – Beethoven: Complete Symphonies (5 SACD Box Set) (Philips)
November 9, 2004 SACD Releases
- Cotrubas, Domingo, Kleiber, Bayerischer, Staatsorchester – Verdi: La Traviata (2 SACD Set) (Deutsche Grammophon)
- Richard Croft, Minkowski, Les Musiciens du Louvre – Gluck: Orphee et Eurydice (Deutsche Grammophon)
- Zimerman, Polish Festival Orchestra – Chopin: Piano Concertos No. 1 & 2 (Deutsche Grammophon)
SACD Releases Coming Soon
- Count Basie & His Orchestra – April In Paris (Verve)
- Dorati, Enescu, London Symphony Orch – Liszt: Hungarian Rhapsodies (Decca Classics)
- Frederick Fennell, Eastman Wind Ensemble – Sousa Marches (Decca Classics)
- Renee Fleming – Handel (Decca Classics)
- Juan Diego Florez – Great Tenor Arias (Decca Classics)
- Hilary Hahn, Colin Davis, London Symphony Orchestra – Elgar: Violin Concerto Op. 61 & Williams: The Lark Ascending
(Deutsche Grammophon) - Howard Hanson, Eastman Rochester Orchestra – Hanson: Symphonies No. 1 (Nordic) & 2 (Romantic); Song of Democracy (Philips)
- Elton John – Captain Fantastic (Island)
- Elton John – Elton John (Island)
- Elton John – Honky Chateau (Island)
- Elton John – Madman Across The Water (Island)
- Elton John – Tumbleweed Connection (Island)
- Tonu Kaljuste – Te Deum (ECM)
- Eleni Karaindrou – Soundtrack: Ulysses’ Gaze (ECM)
- Diana Krall – Love Scenes (Verve)
- Christina Milian – It’s About Time (Island)
- Motley Crüe – Greatest Hits (Hip-O Records)
- Anne Sofie Mutter, Andre Previn, London Symphony Orchestra – Tchaikovsky & Korngold: Violin Concertos (Deutsche Grammophon)
- Anna Netrebko, Claudio Abbado, Mahler Chamber Orchestra – Sempre Libera (Deutsche Grammophon)
Linda Ronstadt – Humming to Myself (Verve)