New In Music This Week: March 8th

Not all eyes are on the Academy Awards this weekend. So if you’re looking for the best of what’s New In Music This Week: March 8^th, I have some great alternatives to Hollywood’s biggest night.

My  top pick for New In Music This Week: March 8^th is:

CONTEMPORARY CLASSICAL:  SHOW ME THE WAY – Will Liverman – Cedille Records

Any album that opens with a song long associated with Ella Fitzgerald makes it tough to argue that this is a contemporary classical album. What I can tell you is that it is a classic new recording of American songs by baritone Liverman and pianist Jonathan King.

There are multiple world premiere recordings on Show Me The Way. This includes works by Jasmine Barnes, Libby Larsen, Rene Orth, Kamala Sankaram and Sarah Kirkland Snider. There are also songs by Alma Bazel Androzzo, Amy Cheney Beach, Margaret Bonds and Florence Price.

Liverman has a few special guests including J’Nai Bridges, Nicole Cabell and Renée Fleming.

But it is Liverman’s voice that is front and center in this exquisite recording that makes a very persuasive argument that American songs are not just relics of the past, but vital compositions that mirror our times. King’s accompaniment is perfectly calibrated for each of the songs on this nearly 90-minute recording.

Here are my other picks for New In Music This Week: March 8^th

CLASSICAL:  SHOSTAKOVICH: SYMPHONY NO. 8 in C Minor – Bernard Haitink/Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra – BR Klassik

Amongst Shostakovich’s symphonies, his eighth was written very quickly. It was composed during World War II in a matter of just under nine weeks. It is considered amongst the composer’s darkest works. But why wouldn’t it be. Think of everything going on in the world in 1943.

This recording dates back to 2006 when the Bavarian Radio Symphony performed with conductor Haitink at Munich’s Philharmonie im Gasteig. This recording had been in the vaults and is now getting its release in conjunction with the 75^th anniversary of the BRSO and what would have been Haitink’s 95^th birthday.’’

In 2013, Haitink gave an interview to The Guardian in which he said, “Much of shostakovich’s work was like a skeleton – there is nothing superfluous. A skeleton that is very frightening but also very beautiful and powerful.”

The same can be said of this recording.

CLASSICAL:  STRAVINSKY: PETROUCHKA – Klaus Mäkelä/Orchestra de Paris – Decca Classics

Conductor Mäkelä is one of the fastest-rising young conductors in the world today. This recording of Stravinsky’s Petrouchka offers further proof of the excitement he generates. Though Stravinsky’s ballet music is well over 100 years old, this recording makes it seem as though it could have been written far more recently.

The ballet had its world premiere in Paris in 1911. France proves to be the thru line of this excellent recording. The album concludes with two works by Claude Debussy: Jeux, Poème dansé and Prélude à l’après-midi d’unfaune.

I always enjoy listening to Stravinsky’s music. Mäkelä and the Orchestre de Paris clearly enjoy playing it as much as I love hearing it.

JAZZ: ELEGY FOR THELONIOUS – Frank Carlberg Large Ensemble – Sunnyside Communications

Carlberg has found yet another innovative way of looking at the music of composer Thelonious Monk. For this enormously intriguing album he reimagines Monk’s work by taking certain phrases of ideas that Monk employed in his work and Carlberg creates new compositions. The end result is music that is uniquely Carlberg’s yet is anchored in the spirit of Monk and his work.

Though an excellent pianist, Carlberg does not perform on this album. He leads his large ensemble which features Kin Cass on bass, Leo Genovese on piano and Michael Sarin on drums.

Those with a deep knowledge of Monk’s work will have fun trying to find the music that began as Monk’s and ends up as Carlberg’s.

JAZZ: BIRD’S EYE – David Leon – Pyroclastic Records

In the opening 30 seconds of Leon’s album you quickly realize this isn’t your traditional jazz album. That’s due in large part to the presence of gayagum player DoYeon Kim. 

A gayagum is a traditional Korean instrument that is like a zither. The inclusion of this instrument immediately forces you to sit up and pay attention to a wonderful exploration of Afro-Cuban and Korean music melded into something wholly original.

Leon is a saxophonist/composer and is also joined by percussionist Lesley Mok.

Amongst my favorite tracks on this album are Infatuation Station, to speak in flowers and Palmetto.  Adventurous jazz fans won’t want to miss this one.

JAZZ:  A LETTER TO BILL EVANS  – Michael Wolff, Mike Clark and Leon Lee Dorsey – Jazz Avenue 1

It’s hard to imagine any jazz pianist not finding at least some inspiration in pianist/composer Bill Evans. Clearly pianist Wolff along with drummer Clark and bassist Dorsey are amongst those. A good thing for an album called A Letter to Bill Evans.

The album opens with Gloria’s Step which was regularly performed by the Bill Evans Trio in concert.  That is followed by My Romance which was on Waltz for Debby.  What follows are six Evans compositions before closing out the album with You the Night and the Music found on Evans’ Interplay  from 1962).

Wolff doesn’t emulate Evans. He brings his own style and approach to his music. A Letter to Bill Evans is a classic trio album.

MUSICALS:  GLITTER & DOOM – Original Soundtrack – PS Classics

Anyone who knows me knows that jukebox musicals are not my favorite. I haven’t seen this film by director Tom Gustafson and writer Cory Krueckeberg. But I know many of you do love jukebox musicals. To that end, I’m providing details about this film musical that employs over two dozen songs by the Indigo Girls.

The film tells the love story of a circus performer (Glitter  played by Alex Diaz) and struggling musician (Doom played by Alan Cammish).

VOCALS:  ON THE TRAIL – Hilary Gardner – Anzic Records

Has Patsy Cline been reincarnated or is vocalist Gardner channeling her for this wildly entertaining album. Not that On the Trail is filled with songs made famous by Patsy Cline.  What she has recorded are songs that celebrate the American west. So think elements of kd lang mixed with Cline.

Cline was obviously a source of inspiration for lang just as she is for Gardner. Just listen to A Cowboy Serenade (While I’m Smokin’ My Last Cigarette.) The joy found in Cow Cow Boogie is right up there with the joy you can hear in Ella Fitzgerald’s recording.

Gardner (accompanied by The Lonesome Pines – Noah Garabedian on bass, Justin Poindexter on guitars and vocals and Aaron Thurston on drums) are having a great time. If life on the trail is always this much fun, perhaps I should leave the big city.

That’s it for New In Music This Week: March 8^th.

Enjoy your weekend!

Enjoy the music!

Main Photo: Part of the album art of A Letter to Bill Evans