Shakespeare told us to “beware the ideas of March.” Too bad he (and Julius Caesar in the play) aren’t around to see and hear the best of what’s New In Music This Week: March 15th.
My top pick is:
JAZZ: THE SKY WILL STILL BE THERE TOMORROW – Charles Lloyd – Blue Note Records
What’s better than a new Charles Lloyd record? A double album from Charles Lloyd. Adding to the gifts here is that he is joined by drummer Brian Blade, bassist Larry Grenadier and pianist Jason Moran. How wonderful that this legendary artist is gifting us this album on his 86th birthday.
Of course, none of this would mean a thing if the music wasn’t good. It isn’t good. It’s great. In fact, this is one of Lloyd’s best albums ever. It features six new originals composed by Lloyd.
Lloyd and company have recording 15 tracks running 90 minutes that range from the moving and thoughtful The Lonely One to the joyous Monk’s Dance and the title track which makes it abundantly clear that Lloyd still has much to say both musically and compositionally. Artists half his age would love to put out an album this good.
Here are my other picks for New In Music This Week: March 15th:
CLASSICAL: BEETHOVEN FOR THREE: SYMPHONY NO. 4 and Op. 97 “ARCHDUKE” – Emanuel Ax, Leonidas Kavakos and Yo-Yo Ma – Sony Classical
Chamber music fans have certainly been excited by the Beethoven For Three project from pianist Ax, violinist Kavakos and Cellist Ma. This is the third in that series which finds the trio performing Beethoven’s symphonies as arranged for just these three instruments/musicians.
The first recording featured the composer’s 2nd and 5th symphonies. The second was anchored by the 6thsymphony. Here Beethoven’s 4th is given more attention that it usually receives as it is considered the bastard child between the groundbreaking 3rd symphony and the enduringly popular 5th.
The end result makes a persuasive argument that there is a lot more meet on this symphony’s bones that one imagined. By stripping away all the other instruments, the compositional structure shines through in ways that are surprising and surprisingly faithful to the original composition. The performances are, as one would expect from this trio, superb.
The Archduke is Beethoven’s Piano Trio No 7 in B-Flat Major.
CLASSICAL: THE OVERLOOK HOTEL – Paul Moravec/Boston Modern Orchestra Project/Gil Rose – BMOP/sound
It is embarrassing to admit that I’ve not heard composer Moravec’s music prior to listening to this album. I can assure you within minutes of hearing his Suite from The Shining (opera) that I lined up much more to explore. Plus, I can’t wait to experience the opera. (A full recording of the opera comes out April 12th).
This wonderful album from BMOP includes more than just a suite of music from his opera based on Stephen King’s novel. There’s also Brandenburg Gate, a chamber orchestra composition; Scorpio Dances which is ballet music and Serenade written in tribute to the architecture and art that surrounds the New York State Capitol Building.
When I chose what other recordings to listen to of Moravec’s work I immediately gravitated to The Blizzard Voices and Northern Lights Electric which are both recordings by BMOP and Gil Rose.
CLASSICAL: TCHAIKOVSKY ORCHESTRAL WORKS Vol. 2 – BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra/Alpesh Cahuhan – Chandos
If you like the work of Russian composer Tchaikovsky, but want to hear something less commonly recorded, this new album from the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra is just the ticket.
The most widely performed piece on this recording is Capriccio Italien. Opera afficionados might know the Introduction to The queen of Spades. The rest of the program includes Fatum, Dances from The Oprichinik, music from Hamlet and three pieces from The Snow Maiden.
This is a great album that allows for a sense of discovery with a composer about whom we thought we knew it all. All of Tchaikovsky’s signature sounds are here: big, sweeping themes, emotional themes and unforgettable music.
JAZZ: BIG GEORGE – One For All with George Coleman – Smoke Sessions
Tenor saxophonist Eric Alexander, trombonist Steve Davis; drummer Joe Farnsworth, pianist David Hazeltine, trumpeter Jim Rotondi and bassist John Webber are the musicians who make up One For All. They are also the composers of most of the tracks on this album that celebrates saxophonist George Coleman and finds him joining for the three songs in the middle of this terrific album.
Big George also celebrates other jazz giants who are still active today (see our top pick for a jazz giant who is still making terrific music).
The various members of One For All wrote most of the songs on this album. Appropriately one of those originals is Oscar Winner by Rotondi. A week late for the Oscars but a fun song that gives Coleman plenty of room to shine.
JAZZ: POWER TO THE PEOPLE – Joe Henderson – Craft Recordings/Jazz Dispensary
This 1969 album from composer/saxophonist Henderson has long been considered a classic. He was joined on this album by Ron Carter on bass, Jack DeJohnette on drums, Herbie Hancock on piano and Mike Lawrence on trumpet for two songs.
This album may be best known for introducing the world to Henderson’s composition Black Narcissus. Henderson wrote five of the tracks on this album. Ron Carter’s Opus One-Point-Five and the Jerome Moross/John Treville Latouche song Lazy Afternoon are the other songs heard on this album. His take on Lazy Afternoon is amazing.
This is both a high-end vinyl re-release and the record is also available in remastered form on streaming platforms.
JAZZ: HEARTLAND RADIO – Remy Le Boeuf – SoundSport Records
If you’re looking for a straightforward jazz album, Heartland Radio is probably not for you. Not that it doesn’t have that, but it also has music that sounds like it came off the dance floor, an R&B festival and elements of being performed at Coachcella.
All of which is to say this is an album that showcases the many ways in which a large ensemble can be presented and recorded. Composer/saxophonist Le Boeuf says in press notes that this album is like the soundtrack to a road trip. What a diverse soundtrack it is!
He mentions influences including Bon Iver, Clean Bandit, D’Angelo, Al Green, and Thom Yorke. The title track, which opens the album, made me wonder if this album was for me. But patience rewards and Heartland Radiodoes as well. It all comes together in a satisfying stew or influences and genres that would make any road trip or any 45 minutes (the album’s length) much more satisfying.
OPERA: DALINDA – Chor und Orchester de Berlin Operngruppe/Felix Krieger – Oehms Classics
In May of last year the Berlin Operngruppe gave the world premiere of an opera by Gaetano Donizetti. Yes, the composer of Lucia dei Lammermoor, Don Pasquale, La fille du régiment and more had an opera that hadn’t been performed before. It never got staged because the work ran afoul of Neopolitan censors.
The plot is rather complicated and would take too much space here to try to synopsize. Suffice to say that in the title character, Donizetti has found another remarkably compelling women around whom to create his opera. (Felice Romani – librettist for Bellini’s Norma and Donizetti’s L’elisir d’amore wrote this libretto.)
Soprano Lidia Fridman sings the title role and is joined by bass-baritone Paolo Bordogna and tenor Luciano Ganci.
This is an important and fascinating discovery and if you’ve loved any of Donizetti’s other operas, I’m certain you’ll find much to enjoy here.
OPERA: WHEN NIGHT FALLS – Elīna Garanča – Deutsche Grammophon
I’m such a fan of mezzo-soprano Garanča that it almost wouldn’t matter what she chose to record. What impressed me most about this album is that she has chosen a mix of orchestral songs along with various pieces arranged for voice and piano, voice and piano and guitar and in one case, voice, piano and oboe.
Amongst the composers whose work she has recorded are Luciano Berio, Johannes Brahms, Engelbert Humperdinck, Franz Schubert, Richard Strauss and Sir Francesco Paolo Tosti.
Not being familiar with Tosti, Sogno by the composer was a particular delight. Manuel de Falla’s Asturiana is beautiful as is Nana Criolla by José Maria Gallardo del Rey. Let’s face it, the whole album is gorgeous. This is a well-spent hour for any opera lover.
That’s all for New In Music This Week: March 15th.
Enjoy the music!
Enjoy the weekend!
Main Photo: From the album cover of The Sky Will Still Be There Tomorrow