You can tell the holidays are fast-approaching with the greater number of releases coming up. The best of what’s New In Music This Week: October 20th includes some great reissues in both classical and jazz, some new discoveries (at least for me) and a deluxe version of a currently running Broadway show.
Our top pick for New In Music This Week: October 20th is:
JAZZ: RETREAT TO BEAUTY (Oblation, vol. 3: Providence!) – Antoine Drye – Cellar Music Group
The press release for Retreat to Beauty says that Drye was inspired by the 1955 album Clifford Brown with Strings. If so, he learned from a master. This is a beautiful album that combines original compositions by Drye with well-known works by Louis Armstrong, David Raksin and Johnny Mercer, Stephen Sondheim and Billy Strayhorn.
His album Oblation was released in 2003. Oblation, Vol. 2: Dualism was released in 2019. I have to admit I wasn’t familiar with Drye. But I have done a deep dive into his music and am so grateful I’ve been exposed to his playing and composing. If you don’t know Antoine Drye, I suggest you check him out.
Here are some other outstanding releases that are New In Music This Week: October 20th
CLASSICAL: J.S. BACH: 6 SUITES FOR UNACCOMPANIED CELLO – THE 1983 SESSIONS – Yo-Yo Ma – Sony Classical
I have long been a fan of Yo-Yo Ma’s 1997 recording of Bach’s Cello Suites. This opportunity to hear his interpretation of it from 14 years earlier when he was 28 years old is one to be relished.
Certainly this is amongst the most important compositions for the cello and each of the three recordings he has made offers their own delights. This one earned him a Grammy Award and the unabashed enthusiasm with which he tackles these six suites is certainly one reason why.
Note that this is a vinyl only release in celebration of the 40th anniversary of this recording. But what true fan of Yo-Yo Ma and/or the Bach Cello Suites wouldn’t want that?
CLASSICAL: KAMMERKONZERT: MUSIC OF ARNOLD SCHOENBERG – Pina Napolitano/Wiener Concert-Verein/Michael Zlabinger – Odradek Records
Composer Schoenberg’s music is, perhaps, some of the most misunderstood music in the classical music world. Reducing his work to his twelve-tone technique ignores some truly great music.
Pianist Napolitano has recorded an album that allows listeners to truly embrace everything Schoenberg was doing. Kammerkonzert begins with his Piano Concert. Op. 42 which was written in 1942.
That is followed by Four Orchestral Songs (with baritone Christoph Filler), Song of the Wood Dove from Gurrelider arranged for 15 instruments, harmonium and piano (with mezzo-soprano Ida Aldrian) and concludes with his Chamber Symphony No. 1 in E Major that premiered in 1907 and was re-worked for a full orchestra in 1935.
If Schoenberg’s music has intimidated you, this recording will, if not covert you, perhaps subvert any pre-conceived ideas you had about his work.
CLASSICAL: SHOSTAKOVICH: SYMPHONIES NOS. 2, 3, 12 & 13 – Boston Symphony Orchestra/Andris Nelson – Deutsche Grammophon
Boston Symphony and Nelsons’ Shostakovich cycle continues with this recording of four very different symphonies.
His second symphony is subtitled To October and was written in celebration of the 10th anniversary of the October Revolution. It had its world premiere in 1927. The third symphony has the subtitle of First of May. I had its world premiere in 1930 on the first anniversary of Lenin’s passing.
Symphony No. 12 is subtitled The Year 1917 and had its premiere in 1961. It was dedicated to Lenin, though there is reason to believe he originally wrote sections to serve as a parody of the late leader but changed them for fear he wasn’t subtle enough with that parody. When was Shostakovich ever subtle?
Symphony 13th is the mammoth work on this recording. It uses the poems of Yevgeny Yevtushenko and is subtitled Babi Yar which is one of those poems. The work had its world premiere in 1962.
This is an utterly compelling recording of all four symphonies and it also allows to hear how Shostakovich’s thinking evolved over the course of 35 years.
CLASSICAL (adjacent): NIGHT AFTER NIGHT – James Newton Howard – Sony Classical
Steven Spielberg relies on John Williams as his musical partner. Alfred Hitchcock predominantly relied on Bernard Herrmann. M. Night Shyamalan regularly relies on James Newton Howard.
This recording showcases Howard’s music for eight of the director’s movies: The Sixth Sense (1999), Unbreakable (2000), Signs (2002), The Village (2004), Lady in the Water (2006), The Happening (2008), The Last Airbender (2010) and After Earth (2013). For the most part these are newly arranged suites put together by Howard.
Pianist Jean-Yves Thibaudet is featured throughout the recording. Violinist Hilary Hahn returns to perform the music from The Village and cellist Maya Beiser also returns to perform music from The Happening. Both women had performed on the original soundtracks.
Gavin Greenway conducts the orchestra (presumably made up of the very fine studio musicians who regularly record film scores).
JAZZ: MOSAIC – Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers – Blue Note Records
This is the first of two re-issues that are part of the Classic Vinyl Reissue Series from Blue Note. This album was first released in 1962 and finds drummer Blakey joined by Curtis Fuller on trombone; Freddie Hubbard on trumpet; Jymie Merritt on bass; Wayne Shorter on tenor saxophone and Cedar Walton on piano.
It’s 40 minutes of hard bop swinging music composed by Fuller, Hubbard, Shorter and Walton. I’ll bet this will sound amazing on remastered vinyl.
JAZZ: VOL. 1 – Chris Botti – Blue Note
Jazz fans who initially embraced trumpeter Botti were left scratching their heads when he became a pop star. With this new record, his first in over ten years and his first for Blue Note, Botti is back with his feet firmly planted in the jazz idiom.
Amongst the standards he has recorded here are Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered, My Funny Valentine (where he’s joined by Joshua Bell) and Someday My Prince Will Come.
In addition to Bell, Botti is joined by drummer Vinnie Colaiuta; pianist Taylor Eigsti, guitarist Gilad Hekselman and more. John Splithoff provides vocals on Paris, a song Splithoff wrote. David Foster produced the album.
Vol. 1 is a low-key album, but Botti just turned 61 a little more than a week ago. He’s not the bushy-eyed artist on the brink of stardom that he was in 1995 when First Wish was released by the then 32-year-old artist.
JAZZ: A CHARLIE BROWN THANKSGIVING – Vince Guaraldi – LMFP
We’re all insanely familiar with Guaraldi’s music for A Charlie Brown Christmas (and frankly if I never hear Christmas Time Is Here again, it will be too soon). Less familiar is the music for the Charles Schultz celebration of Thanksgiving.
For the 50th anniversary of the show (first broadcast on November 20, 1973), Lee Mendelson Film Productions has released a deluxe 21-track edition of Guaraldi’s music that includes previously unreleased tracks, alternate takes and bonus mixes of key compositions including Linus and Lucy and Peppermint Patty.
Joining Guaraldi are Chuck Bennett on trombone; Mike Clark on drums; Tom Harrell on trumpet and Seward McCain on electric bass.
JAZZ: MUSIC FOR THE RIVER JAZZ SUITE: THE SPIRIT OF LOVE RIVER & MISSISSIPPI RIVER – Vincent Hsu & The Jazz Supreme Orchestra – Truth Revolution Records
This is my week for discoveries. I wasn’t familiar with bassist/composer Hsu until I found out about this incredible work. To get a sense of Hsu, just look at the title. Love River is in southern Taiwan. Of course, the Mississippi River is very well known and runs through New Orleans.
Hsu combines Taiwanese sensibilities with jazz and Afro-Cuban rhythms in this 66-minute suite that was recorded live at Weiwuying Recital Hall in Taiwan with mostly Taiwanese musicians plus two musicians – one from Argentina and the other from Germany.
Hsu’s River Jazz Suite is a fascinating fusion of musical styles and influences.
JAZZ: NO ROOM FOR SQUARES – Hank Mobley –Blue Note Records
This is the other release from Blue Note’s Classic Vinyl Reissue Series. Originally released in 1963, this album is considered one of the best of the hardbop era.
Joining saxophonist/composer Mobley for this album were Donald Byrd on trumpet; Herbie Hancock on piano; Andrew Hill on piano; Philly Joe Jones on drums; Lee Morgan on trumpet; John Ore on bass and Butch Warren on bass. The songs on this record come from two different recording sessions and not all these musicians play on all of the tracks.
Mobley wrote four of the six tracks on No Room For Squares. Morgan composed Carolyn and Me ‘N You. There was a CD released with two additional tracks in 2000. They are not included in this vinyl reissue.
Not only is the music great, did you take a look at that cover?
MUSICALS: BACK TO THE FUTURE THE MUSICAL – Original Cast Recording – Sony Masterworks Broadway
If my calculations are correct, when this two-disc set of music hits 2 hours, you’re gonna have heard some serious amount of music. This musical from Alan Silvestri and Glenn Ballard opened first in London before opening at the Winter Garden in New York.
This recording comes from the UK company and includes a second disc of 13 demo tracks performed by Ballard. So, if the first release wasn’t enough, you’ve got this deluxe edition which is kind of like getting a sequel. Wait, didn’t they do that with the films?
That’s my list of New In Music This Week: October 20th.
Enjoy the music.
Enjoy the weekend.
Main Photo: Part of the album cover for Antoine Drye’s Retreat to Beauty (Courtesy Cellar Music Group)