New In Music This Week: March 1st

Welcome to the first weekend in March and New In Music This Week: March 1^st.

My  top pick is:

CONTEMPORARY CLASSICAL:  AMERICAN COUNTERPOINTS – Experiential Orchestra/James Blachly/Curtis Stewart – Bright Shiny Things

Compositions by Coleridge-Taylor Perkinson and Julia Perry are highlighted in this album. 

Perkins’s Louisiana Blues Strut: A Cakewalk and Sinfonietta No. 1 anchor the first half of this album from the Grammy Award-winning Experiential Orchestra. 

Perry’s very brief Prelude for Strings (a beautiful work) separates those two works by Perkins. She returns with her Symphony in One Movement for Viols and String Basses, Ye, Who Seek the Truth and her Concerto for Violin and Orchestra (a world premiere recording).

Violinist/composer Stewart closes out the album with By Julia Perry and the solo work We Who Seek.

There aren’t too many albums, however good they might be, that make me stop everything all at once to listen to a second time. This is that album.  Founder/conductor Blachly and the Experiential Orchestra could very well find themselves on track for a second Grammy Award for this incredible recording.

For those wanting to explore more of Julia Perry and her work, The Julia Perry Centenary Celebration and Festival takes places in New York from March 13th – March 16th.

Here are the rest of my picks of the best of what’s New In Music This Week: March 1^st:

CLASSICAL: DURUFLÉ REQUIEM/POULENC LENTEN MOTETS – The Choir of Trinity College Cambridge/Stephen Layton – Hyperion Records

There’s a funny thing about requiems and other sacred music. I’m an atheist, but I can’t resist the beauty of the music. That beauty can certainly be heard on this album. I’ve been quite familiar with Duruflé’s Requiem for years. The discovery for me is Poulenc’s Lentent Motets which I hadn’t heard before. Poulenc composed these four motets in 1938-1939 with the first performance taking place in 1939.

The Choir of Trinity College Cambridge dates back to the 14th century. Their website says they are “exploring a wide-ranging repertoire drawn from both Catholic and Protestant traditions.” For believers I’m sure there’s much more here for you than I can respond to. But on a purely musical level, this is a beautiful recording.

CLASSICAL: SMETANA/MÁ VLAST – Czech Philharmonic/Semyon Bychkov – Pentatone Music

Vlatava  (The Moldau) from Czech composer Smetana’s Má Vlast (My Homeland)is very well known and instantly recognizable for classical music fans. Though there are quite a few recordings of the whole work, the other five of these six symphonic poems aren’t as often performed, resulting in less familiarity.

This recording celebrates both the composer’s 200^th birthday and the year of Czech Music. Bychkov is the Music Director of the Czech Philharmonic. Worth noting is that the first record from the Czech Philharmonic was a 1929 release of Má Vlast.

Clearly recording techniques have vastly improved in 95 years and the sound on this recording is spot-on. As is the playing. I strongly recommend this recording.

CLASSICAL: TCHAIKOVSKY/KORNGOLD STRING SEXTETS – Nash Ensemble – Hyperion Records

Tchaikovsky only composed one string sextet. It goes by the name Souvenir de Florence. It’s a wickedly complicated piece. So much so that even he said, “It is frightfully difficult.” However difficult it may be, the musicians from Nash Ensemble that perform this work make it sound positively effortless. Even though the work calls for each musician to act like a soloist within a sextet, there is a uniformity of this performance that is remarkable.

Erich Wolfgang Korngold’s String Sextet in D Major, Op. 10 is performed equally well. Korngold is best known for his film scores. As a result of his work for Hollywood, his classical works aren’t embraced as fully as they should be. Nash Ensemble’s performance on this album removes any doubt about Korngold’s place in formal/classical music. (Not that I think there should have been any doubt in the first place.)

This is an album I will be going back to several times.

JAZZ: BEING HUMAN – Lynne Arriale Trio – Challenge Records

Pianist/composer Arriale has recorded an album that runs the gamut of human emotions. Listening to this terrific album I felt all the worries of the world melt away. For 40 minutes I didn’t think about anything. I could relax, take deep breaths and be completely and wholly emotionally connected to this music. Arriale reminded me what it means to be human again.

Arriale composed all the music. She’s joined by Alon Near on bass and Lukasz Zyta on drums. This is a traditional two configuration, but I challenge you to find more reassuring music played any better than it is on Being Human.

JAZZ:  TEX BOOK TENOR – Booker Ervin – Blue Note Records Tone Poet Audiophile Vinyl Reissue Series

The first Friday of the month finds the arrival of two news vinyl reissues from Blue Note. The first of which is this album recorded by saxophonist/composer Ervin that was recorded in 1968 but not released until 2005 – 35 years after his death. (Inquiring minds would love to know why!)

Ervin composed three of the five tracks: Den Tex, Lynn’s Tune and 204.  The opening track, Gichi, was composed by pianist Kenny Barron (who plays on the album) and the middle track is Woody Shaw’s In a Capricornian Way.

Also joining Ervin on Tex Book Tenor are bassist Jan Arnet;, drummer Billy Higgins and trumpeter Woody Shaw.

If, like me, you weren’t familiar with this album, the vinyl release (or streaming service of choice), will make you glad you took the time to check it out.

JAZZ:  LIBRARY CARD – Stephen Philip Harvey

It makes complete sense to open an album called Library Card with I Could Write a Book written by Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart. Then to follow it with six original tracks (all paying homage to various writers) makes something sensical seem almost ballsy.

Harvey and his +2 (Max Murray on bass and Jordon Stanley on drums) make a solid case for this novel album. They are proud to be a chord-less trio (no piano or guitar).

Going Places sounds like the perfect music to accompany the works of Dr. Seuss for whom that (and Huevos Verdes) was written. You’ll have to figure out the rest of the references/associations. Which you can only do by checking this Library Card out. 

JAZZ: SPEAK TO ME – Julian Lage – Blue Note Records

In last week’s New in Music This Week, I commented that “guitar trios are not usually my go-to choice.” Along comes another album to make me realize the error of my ways. 

Lage composed all 13 tracks on this album which finds him performing solo, as a duo and in trio. A few tracks are expanded out to include keyboards and woodwinds.

The album begins quietly with Hymnal and immediately gets its groove going with Northern Shuffle which follows. Lage takes listeners on a journey through Speak to Me and it ends with the beautiful Nothing Happens Here. Rest assured a lot happens on this album. 

JAZZ:  ACTION – Jackie McLean – Blue Note Records Tone Poet Audiophile Vinyl Reissue Series

Saxophonist McLean’s album was recorded in 1964, but wasn’t released until 1967. It’s a terrific album that takes the novel approach of substituting vibes (Bobby Hutcherson) in place of a piano.

Also performing on this album are Billy Higgins on drums; Cecil McBee on bass and Charles Tolliver on trumpet. Two of Tolliver’s compositions (Plight and Wrong Handle) are on Action.

McClean wrote the opening track, Action and the closing track Hootnan. A wonderful arrangement of the standard I Hear a Rhapsody is the penultimate track on the album.

JAZZ:  DISCORDIA – Jeremy Rose and the Earshift Orchestra – Earshift Music

The perfect word to describe the times we are living through is discordant.  From the opening track of composer/musician Jeremy Rose’s album you know you are listening to music that perfectly captures the chaos, anger, mayhem that we all encounter on a daily basis.  Which is precisely his point.

This nine-track recording perfectly showcases his compositions as performed by Rose (on  soprano saxophone and bass clarinet), drummer Chloe Kim and the 17-piece Earshift Orchestra.

Don’t expect this album to be all dissonance paired with angry chords and propulsive rhythms. In fact, the quieter moments on this album are absolutely sublime and well mixed in throughout the album. An album that feels very much influenced by the work of Gil Evans.

Discordia is a wildly ambitious album that pays of beautifully.

JAZZ:  FERMENT BELOW/HIGH FIRMAMENT – Jacob Shulman – Endectomorph 

In the liner notes for Ferment Below, saxophonist/clarinetist/composer Shulman says, “Every moment in jazz lives on a tightrope.” So, too, does Shulman on these ambitious two new recordings.

Shulman’s stated goal is to capture the impulses that lead to creativity on Ferment Below and the world of a smoke-filled jazz club on High Firmament – where that creativity on the first album becomes a living and breathing thing on the second.

Both recordings find Shluman joined by Kayvon Gordon on drums, Hayoung Lyou on piano and Walter Stinson on bass. Jasper Dutz performs on Hometown Hero on High Firmament.

Shulman and his colleagues offer up a journey  I thoroughly enjoyed going on. 

MUSICALS: MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG/SWEENEY TODD – Masterworks Broadway/Reprise Records

I’ve already covered the digital release of both of these original cast albums. This week both are being released on vinyl. Merrily We Roll Along is a 2-album release. Sweeney Todd is a 3-lp box set. Sondheim fans who collect vinyl (as I do) will want to hear how Jonathan Groff, Lindsay Mendez and Daniel Radcliff sound in Merrily We Roll Along. They will also want to hear Josh Groban and Annaleigh Ashford as Sweeney Todd and Mrs. Lovett. All of them at 33 rpm.

In other words, for Sondheim fans this is a good thing going.

OPERA: PARSIFAL – Jonas Kaufmann, Ludovic Tézler, Elīna Garança/Phillippe Jordan/Vienna State Opera Orchestra and Chorus – Sony Classical

While critics were somewhat underwhelmed by the production itself, they were universal in their praise for the music and the singing.  No wonder with this cast that shines in this live recording from 2021.

I haven’t seen this (or any other) production of Parsifal, but art from this recording and other images on line make it clear this was a modern dress production.

This was not Kaufmann’s first production of Wagner’s opera, but it is his first recording. It was not Garança’s first production either, but from what I can tell this is her first recording of Parsifal.

With these two leading the cast and the incredible musicianship of the Vienna State Opera Orchestra and Chorus makes this great new recording so deeply satisfying.

NO CATEGORY:  LUMINESSENCE – Keith Jarrett and Jan Garbarek – ECM (Vinyl Release)

When Stephen Davis reviewed this album for the New York Times he said it belonged “neither to jazz or modern music.” The three tracks on this fascinating album were composed by Ketih Jarrett (who does not perform on the album).

Numinor, Windsong and Luminessence were composed for string orchestra. Gabarek’s contributions to the recording were all improvised.

How much you like or dislike this album (and there are two camps on this one), the remastering of this for high-grade vinyl will certainly make for great listening. For me, I find some of it incredible and other parts, turgid. But I was always intrigued.

That’s all for New In Music This Week: March 1st.

Enjoy the weekend!

Enjoy the music!

Main Photo: Part of the art for Jacob Schulman’s High Firmament