Happy Birthday America! Happy World Cup around the globe. Welcome to New in Music This Week: July 3rd. I don’t have any yellow or red cards for you this week. Only great music that scores on all levels.
My top pick is:
JAZZ: SAXOPHOBIA: CELEBRATING THE SAX CRAZE OF THE 1920s – Chad Smith / Sinfonia of London / John Wilson – Chandos
Does the name Rudy Wiedoeft mean anything to you? A master of the C melody saxophone, he had a nearly twenty-year career in the first third of the 20th century where his music was the bees knees (that expression comes from the 1920s).
His playing of the saxophone help launched the instrument forward in ways others couldn’t as the Roaring Twenties began.
As Chad Smith says in the liner notes, “This music carries a smile inside.” So does his album.
There is nothing but pure joy throughout this album. Chad Smith so firmly embraces that smile that throughout the course of this exuberant album, listeners will have no choice but to join him in smiling.
Not only does he get the joy found in this music, but he also performs it brilliantly throughout the 56 plus minutes of Saxophobia.
Wiedoeft wrote or co-wrote 13 of the 18 songs performed on this album. Smith has created such an enjoyable album that I think Wiedoeft will be, for at least the time being, not just a relic from another era. But rather a pioneer who continues to inspire 86 years after his death.
What greater tribute could this album offer?
Here are the other fine recordings that are New in Music This Week: July 3rd:
CLASSICAL: STEPHEN HOUGH’S PIANO POSTCARDS – Hyperion
You’ve heard the expression; I could listen to (INSERT NAME OF ACTOR HERE) read the phone book. Well, I could listen to pianist/composer Stephen Hough play anything. And he does just that on this kaleidoscopic selection of miniatures, or miniature masterpieces as he says in the liner notes.
The repertoire ranges from Cécile Chaminade to Léo Delibes to Robert Lopez & Kristen Anderson-Lopez (Remember Me from Coco); Sergei Rachmaninov to Richard and Robert Sherman (Mary Poppins Suite) to Robert Schumann.
Hough’s Postcards are completely intoxicating. Each one like a little amuse-bouche for the ears (I know on a practical level that doesn’t make sense, but you know what I mean). Of course, he plays beautifully.
10 of the 26 pieces features arrangements created by Hough. He follows in a long tradition of pianists having little pieces to serve as encores at the end of a recital. This album is completely delightful and utterly charming.
CONTEMPORARY CLASSICAL: THE YEAR OF SILENCE – Christopher Cerrone / Andrew Norman / Louisville Orchestra / Teddy Abrams / Dashon Burton / Jeffrey Kahane – PENTATONE
This album came out last week, but I only became aware of it this week. This record offers two works by two fascinating and compelling composers: Christopher Cerrone and Andrew Norman.
The title comes from Cerrone’s The Year of Silence which had its debut with the Louisville Orchestra in May of 2023. Inspired by Kevin Brockmeier’s short story from 2007 about how a city came to accept the sudden silence that overcomes a city and its people.
Cerrone started writing this during the pandemic – which makes sense if you think about it for a split second.
His piece involves orchestra and narration by Dashon Burton. That combination smartly uses the sound of the orchestra and the sound of the narrator to depict a world were silence became a gift and not something that needed replacing. You might think that’s oxymoronic, but in Cerrone’s hands it becomes carefully considered, brilliantly executed and a piece to make you think.
Norman’s Split had its debut in 2015 by the New York Philharmonic with Kahane on the piano. He later reworked the piece for two pianos and orchestra.
I’m a Norman fan, so it was no surprise how much I loved Split. Kahane clearly knows this piece well.
This marks the first recording for each work and both are worth your time and full attention.
CONTEMPORARY CLASSICAL MUSIC: WE THE PEOPLE – Apollo Chamber Players – Azica Records
Apollo Chamber Players have created a more perfect union with this ambitious, timely and utterly engaging new album.
The melting pot that has always been one of America’s greatest virtues is on full display. The album open with Danile Bernard Roumain’s And Still We Cross for string quartet, vocal quartet and narrator (Kenneth Morris, Jr. who wrote the text for this powerful opening track.)
Tracy Silverman’s Fantasy on Symphony No. 7: Allegretto Groovando takes one of the themes from Beethoven’s 7th and brilliantly re-works it into a fascinating dialogue for the quartet along with guest violist Whitney Bullock and the composer on electric violin.
John Corigliano’s One Sweet Morning featuring countertenor John Holiday and Ella Sharpe on double bass; Homayoun Sakhi’s String Quartet No; 1: Tolo (Sunrise); John Cornelius’ PAX (Peace) which uses the poetry of Outspoken Bean and Langston Hughes and Marucs Maroney’s The Color Blue follow.
The album wraps up with Song of Democracy by Howard Hansen and arranged by Mark Buller uses the poetry of Walt Whitman to complete We the People.
The people (meaning the Apollo Chamber Players and their guests) have spoken powerfully on this album. Their ideas and ideals reflect the country we all know and love and hope to one day returns.
JAZZ: A SUN THAT NEVER SETS – Ralph Alessi – ECM Records
The third track on this album sums up one of the key differences between A Sun That Never Sets and other albums by trumpeter/composer Alessi. He’s brought along his brother, Joseph, on trombone to joust with and create a different sound than he’s had with his already adventurous quartet of John Hébert on double bass; Matt Mitchell on piano and Ches Smith on drums and vibraphone.
There is far more to this album than just the dueling brothers. In fact, the music is quite engaging throughout.
Ralph Alessi wrote all the tracks. His playing is sublime and I was particularly impressed with Mitchell’s playing. It is clear this quartet has each other’s backs and communication is in full swing. The addition of Joseph Alessi mixes things up in a fascinating way.
JAZZ: TWO-O DUO – John Clayton
I reviewed this album when it first was released via ArtistShare in May. Just adding it back as it is now available on streaming services. You should check it out. HERE is the link to my review from May.
JAZZ: THE LATIN SIDE OF CHICK COREA – Conrad Herwig – Savant Records
Ten of Corea’s songs get the Latin approach on this entertaining album by trombonist/composer Conrad Herwig.
Those songs include 500 Miles High; Guijira; Matrix and Spain.
Corea, who was Italian, had a passion for Latin jazz clubs, so this venture into a more defined Latin sound is not trying to put a square peg in a round hole. In fact, it makes a lot of sense. Because of that it is immensely satisfying.
Joining Herwig are Robby Ameen on drums; Craig Handy on soprano and tenor sax and flute; Mauricio Herrera on congas; Bill O’Connell (who arranged five of the tracks) on piano and Ruben Rodriguez on bass; Alex Norris joins for Windows and plays trumpet and flugelhorn.
Herwig arranged the other five tracks and keeps things lively on The Latin Side of Chick Corea. I think fans of Corea’s music will like this album.
VINYL REISSUES:
CONTEMPORARY CLASSICAL: MOUNT A, SAMAN, WITHOUT SINKING – Hildur Gudnadóttir – Deutsche Grammophon
Composer Gudnadóttir three albums get vinyl releases this week.
Mount A (2006) was her first studio album. It was a solo work on which she played multiple instruments. The cello, her main instrument, features prominently.
She used the pseudonym Lost in Hildurness when this album was first released.
Saman (2014) Cello and voice are at the center of this album.
Without Sinking (2009) was her second studio album. Amongst the artists joining her was Jóhann Jóhannsson on organ and electronics.
JAZZ: GOT A GOOD THING GOIN’ – Big John Patton – Blue Note Tone Poet Vinyl
This 1966 album features Patton on the Hammond B3 organ with guitarist Grant Green; conga player Richard Landrum and Hugh Walker on drums. There are five tracks on this soulful album. They are: The Yodel, Soul Woman, Ain’t That Peculiar, The Shake and Amanda.
The first two tracks were written by Patton and Green. Ain’t That Peculiar is the song made popular by Marvin Gaye and written by Smokey Robinson and the Miracles; The Shake was written by Sam Cooke and Amanda by Duke Pearson.
Patton definitely had a good thing going on this record. It’s pretty damn groovy!
JAZZ: POWER OF THREE – Michel Petrucciani / Jim Hall / Wayne Shorter – Blue Note Tone Poet Vinyl
Pianist Petrucciani is joined by guitarist Hall and saxophonist Shorter on this album which was recorded live at the 1986 Montreux Jazz Festival.
The five tracks on this album are Limbo (written by Shorter); Careful (written by Hall); Morning Blues (written by Petrucciani); In a Sentimental Mood (written by Duke Ellington) and Bimini (written by Hall.)
This is a fine album. Any album that has Shorter on it is going to be interesting. He, Petrucciani and Jim Hall sound like they are enjoying each other’s company and playing.
That’s all for New in Music This Week: July 3rd.
Enjoy your weekend! Enjoy the music!
Main Photo: Part of the album art for We the People from Apollo Chamber Players (Courtesy Azica Records)