Some great new arrivals for Summer, include recent releases and acquisitions in popular, rock and country music, musical theatre, jazz, ballet, classical and film music on CD, DVD and Blu-Ray. 

All CDs listed and many more are currently available on Listening Posts in Arts, and now also in the Ian Potter Queen’s Hall.

Summer jam : Lobby’s last by Lobby Lloyd. (CD)

Aztec Records [2018]

Boxing Day drive by Mick Thomas’ Roving Commission. (CD)

Bloodlines Music [2018]

In rock and country music are two recent releases, including the digitally remastered Lobby’s Last…Summer Jam that combines Australian rock guitarist, Lobby Loyde, and the Coloured Balls in their first live recording at the second annual Sunbury Pop Festival in 1973, with the guitarist’s previously unreleased, final studio sessions from the early 1990s. An amazing collection!

Boxing Day Drive (just what we need after all that food and merriment on Christmas Day) is an EP CD release from local rock-folk-country band Mick Thomas’ Roving Commission, featuring a couple of tracks from their forthcoming album Coldwater DFU and three that are re-workings of tracks from The Big Don’t Argue. All were recorded in Memphis in 2018. Catch the band live at venues around Melbourne, and also at the Port Fairy Folk Festival in March, 2020.

The Wiggles. Big ballet day! : with The Australian Ballet. (DVD)

Roadshow Entertainment, c2019.

The Wiggles. Big ballet day is a new DVD for young and old listeners and viewers alike celebrating the wonderful art form that is the ballet, with a brand new Wiggly character, Shirley Shawn the Unicorn, and artists of The Australian Ballet.

This DVD is available on request for use at AV Stations in Arts Reading Room during normal opening hours.

Diamonds by Elton John. (CD)

Virgin EMI : Universal Music, [2017]

Rocketman : music from the motion picture. (CD)

Virgin EMI Records [2019]

To coincide with the must see final and most extensive multi-venue Australian concert tour ever by pop music icon, Elton John, as part of his gigantic 300 + concerts Farewell Yellow Brick Road world tour, come two recent releases celebrating the great legend.

Diamonds is a 2-disc greatest hits compilation featuring all of the early sing-along favourites from the 70s right up to more recent successes, including Your Song, Candle in the Wind, Rocket Man, Bennie and the Jets, Saturday Nights Alright for Fighting, Crocodile Rock, I’m Still Standing, Circle of Life, GoodBye Yellow Brick Road, and many more.

Rocketman is the soundtrack to the movie musical hit that chronicled the early life and career of Elton John, portrayed on screen by Taron Egerton, who also performs many of the hit songs.

Both titles are an apsolute must listen for all listening post devotees! The final concert is an incredible historic live event to see and be part of too!

Charlie and the chocolate factory : original Broadway cast recording. (CD)

Masterworks Broadway, [2017]

Musical theatre offerings include the Broadway Cast recording of a show that is currently enjoying a very long run at Her Majesty’s Theatre in Melbourne, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

Based on the novel by Roald Dahl, and the popular movie Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, the score composed by Marc Shaiman and Scott Whittman, also includes hit songs from the movie by Leslie Bricusse and Anthony Newley, such as Pure Imagination, The Candy Man and The Oompa Loompa Song. Another must see show! A great listen too!

Wonderful Town : an American musical by Leonard Bernstein. (Blu-ray)

BelAir Classiques, 2018

Described as a “true declaration of love to the city of New-York“, Wonderful Town tells the tale of two sisters from Ohio looking for success and glory in the big city in the 1930s. With Music by Leonard Berstein, lyrics by Betty Comden and Adolph Green, this production by Opera Toulon shimmers and sparkles on this Blu-Ray release by BelAir Classiques, with the HD image adding lustre to a production performed recently during the Bernstein centenary celebrations.

This Blu-Ray is available on request for use at AV Stations in Arts Reading Room during normal opening hours.

Women of note : a century of Australian composers. (CD)

ABC Classic, 2019

2019 Sommernachts konzert (Summer night concert). Performed by Wiener Philharmoniker. Gustavo Dudamel, conductor, Yuja Wang, piano. (CD)

Sony, 2019

Classical music releases include the compilation, Women of Note : a century of Australian composers, on the ABC Classic label, celebrating renowned women composers such as trailblazers Peggy Glanville-Hicks and Margaret Sutherland, to the Eastern-inspired tranquillity of Anne Boyd, the eloquence and wit of Elena Kats-Chernin, and the joyful optimism of the young writers of today. The album cover features a beautiful shot of the iconic Three Sisters in the Blue Mountains – well worth a visit!

The Summer Night Concert performed by the Vienna Philharmoic is a great annual crowd pleaser, with the theme of the 2019 performance being Rhapsody in Blue, in a program that represents a musical history of the United States of America.

Love is here to stay by Tony Bennett & Diana Krall. (CD)

Verve, 2018

In jazz comes the highly acclaimed 2018 release on Verve, Love is here to Stay, featuring music legends Tony Bennett and Diana Krall, performing a selection of classic jazz standards by George and Ira Gershwin, accompanied wonderfully by The Bill Charlap Trio. The album includes duets on songs such as S’Wonderful, I Got Rhythm, Fascinating Rhythm as well as two solo efforts. A great Summer listen!

Mackenna’s gold : In cold blood : Original music from the motion pictures. Composed and conducted by Quincy Jones. (CD)

Intrada Special Collection [2017]

The Dove : music from the motion picture. Composed and conducted by John Barry. (CD)

Paramount Pictures [2015]

Film music includes two limited collector edition reissues of three classic movie soundtracks from the 1960s and 70s.

MacKenna’s Gold and In Cold Blood are two scores by Quincy Jones (In the Heat of the Night), with additional tracks and mixes not included with the original releases. Whereas Mackenna’s Gold has the dramatic and bold tones of an American western, In Cold Blood is gentle and haunting quietly underscoring the films disturbing true story. The Dove features a lesser know score composed by John Barry (James Bond), from the 1974 biographical sporting drama.

Enjoy!

There is a selection of CDs available on listening posts in the Arts Reading Room and the Ian Potter Queen’s Hall during normal opening hours, as indicated on the online catalogue. There are eight listening post stations in Arts, and now also four in IPQH (i.e. located in the two northern corners on Ground Floor of IPQH), where you can listen to a mixed choice of up to 70 CDs from the audiovisual collection.

  • On each Listening Post, just press the View Current Titles box on touch screen panel to access full list of CD titles.  
  • Select title for list of disc tracks.  Select track and use on-screen controls to playback.

BYO headphones or use ours.

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