Thanks Sockii!

[jedsoon]

I knew there had been a release of the Taranta performances, but it's been bloody hard to find, even for me! I have done amazon searches for stewart in the past and, for some reason, this one's never popped up.

However, the link from your site led me right to the proper page. It's http://www.tookooltokalypso.org/ for anybody that wants to check it out.

I've been anticipating experiencing La Notte de Taranta since reading about Stew's enthusiasm for these shows running on four years ago. Two discs?! I thought the premium was just due to it being an import. Sounds like a package similar to Orchestralli, which instantly became a vital part of the Copeland collection. Can't wait to get this!

[sockii]

Cheers! Glad to be of help, and you won't be disappointed with the set. It's another classy act, one video dvd + one audio cd, just like Orchestralli.

Thanks for reminding me too that I want to eventually have a full merchandising link list up on the site...so many projects, so little time!

[jedsoon]

Although he serves as Maestro, producer, arranger and performer, his presence is still surprisingly subdued. I can see why i couldn't find this using a Stewart Copeland search. His name only appears in small print on the front cover

On my first go-round with the cd, i experienced some mild disappointment. I knew i would be digging on it over time, but i was looking for that hook; that song that grabbed me from the get-go.

Then the it hit me: Santu Paulu! Fantastic work from beginning to end, full of the high energy and positive vibes. It features multiple vocalists, all of whom take their turns with great authority. The rhythm is unbelievalby catchy. Ensemble Bash is in full force. It captured the spirit of ensemble that the package itself purported to tap. It held me aloft!

I finally got it! I realized my lack of responsiveness on the first six tunes was just me warming up my ears. I was hungry for more, so i popped in the dvd and... got a disc error. Damn! One of my worries in buying dvd imports is a concern for region compatibility. The next player i tried gave the same error. Finally i popped it in my computer and it played fine.

I've been listening to/watching the dvd all evening, and just eating it up! Now i can't understand how i was able to differentiate so drastically between the songs on the first listen.. they're ALL great!

Stewart's trademark humor caps off the dvd. He signs off for the audience in full hand-waving glory. I'll transcribe it here as best i can:

"Music for all the people to sing and dance and play. The grass rises up to greet the sun, and together with harmony, we lie with the leaves blowing gently over our souls, which rise up and give to the people.. the bounty of our love!"

At this point, Stewart is reaching out directly into the camera and smiling heartily. Holy crap, this would make the funniest animated gif, much like the one somebody here had of his JTTOU 1st season stint. His hands are everywhere!

[DirtyMartini]

It has a really unhelpful title, doesn't it? Something vague like "Live at Melpignano" (but without "Taranta" in the listing title)?

[jedsoon]

"La Notte della Taranta - Live at Melpignano" i suppose would be the full title. I actually misspelled it in my original post!

I wonder how accessible "The Police - Outlandos d'Amours" was back in the day?

[DirtyMartini]

I looked it up, so now I remember -- Amazon's got the listing fields kinda screwy. Or I'm just an idiot. Either is entirely possible.

The artist is listed as La Notte Della Taranta; the album title as Live in Melpignano 17 08 2003.