Accurately titled or not, this is a superb recording of English Baroque music. It captures the crackling commercial energy that united the music of the Germans and Italians at work in the English capital. Most interesting of all are the four short selections from A Collection of Old Scots Tunes by Barsanti. Preceding Moore's Irish songs and Beethoven's and Haydn's arrangements of Scots and Irish songs by nearly 100 years, these are very early examples of musical exoticism. (James Manheim, All Music Guide)

AMG:
As is often the case with an artist as prolific as John Coltrane, not every release can be considered as essential. Black Pearls seems a bit ambiguous when placed in a more historical context. It was only three days later that Coltrane participated not as a leader, but rather a member, of the Miles Davis Sextet that recorded "Stella By Starlight" and "On Green Dolphin Street." There is an obvious disparity between these three mostly improvised and lengthy jams and the Davis session. This is in no way to insinuate that Coltrane's performance is anything less than par. Black Pearls indeed captures Coltrane at the height of perfecting the intense volley that would garner the name "sheets of sound." Featuring Donald Byrd (trumpet) and the Red Garland Trio — Garland (piano), Paul Chambers (bass), and Art Taylor (drums) — this is the same quintet that had mightily contributed to Lush Life and The Believers, as well as The Last Trane. This session would be their last together.

AMG:
Hei, the fifth release from John Zorn's Masada Quartet, shows the band at their tightest and most agile. In sound and design, it is much like the other nine releases from the Quartet, but it is rivaled only by Masada, Vol 3: Gimmel and Masada, Vol. 6: Vav for the musical acumen and togetherness of the players. A Jewish version of John Coltrane's A Love Supreme, Zorn here continues to explore issues of Jewish heritage and identity in the assimilated and diaspora Jewish world.

"Spin That Wheel" is a song by Technotronic released under the name "Hi Tek 3 featuring Ya Kid K" in 1990. The track appeared on the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles soundtrack and was also released as a single. In some territories it was released as "Spin That Wheel (Turtles Get Real)". A reference to drug use ("I smoke the mic like weed") was edited out of the soundtrack album.

AMG Review:
It's not just Kramer's production that gives Low the feel of snooze-rock champions Galaxie 500. The male vocals (provided by guitarist Alan) are lazy, wistful, and occasionally disappointed, alternately sounding like Dean Wareham and Michael Stipe. Red House Painters, the closest touchpoint for the minimalist accompaniment to Long Division, just can't compete with Low's bare, soul-searching oblivion. "Caroline" by itself is better than anything Galaxie 500 produced.

AMG:
Around the ten-minute mark of the title track, things get very interesting indeed – moody and spooky as Jimmy Garrison hangs on a single note, making his bass throb along while Elvin Jones widens the space and fires drum and cymbal hits in all directions. Coming off bass and drum solos that never seem to fit anywhere in the piece, it's a supreme moment of tension-building, one that gets repeated after Rollins and trumpeter Freddie Hubbard restate the theme in unison. This is the sound of Rollins' group working in unity. For much of "East Broadway Run Down," though, the rhythm section is off doing their thing, usually together, while Rollins meanders about in limbo, seemingly trying to figure out what it is that he should be doing. That Rollins was having an off day for this recording is a suspicion that's strengthened by Hubbard's part – where Rollins is wandering, Hubbard is charging ahead, focused and tight, fitting with the rhythm section, keeping the tension up. The remainder of the album is more on the mark, with "Blessing in Disguise" being quite enjoyable – it starts out in a cheerfully traditional vein and gradually, subtly, starts to slide off into an improvisational area only to come back again to the traditional, and so back and forth. Rollins floats his sax line around the melody with only occasional excursions toward the outer regions. "We Kiss in a Shadow," though, is charmingly straightforward, a ballad rendering supported by Jones and Garrison locking together on a nice rhythm construction that lets Rollins float around the melody.

Another major release for the budget series ARTS. This is the first complete recording of the Cimarosa masterpiece, the first studio recording in DDD, the most accurate recording following the original manuscript. The only competitor in fact is an old DGG recording with a non-italian cast, only offered in certain countries and at mid to high price.