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CLASSIC SONGS BY GREAT INTERPRETERS
The songs of the United States, France, Belgium, Mexico, and Brazil are featured in the discs covered in this issue’s CD Reviews. Stacey Kent’s latest disc focus on songs she has performed live, but had not yet recorded; Vanessa Perea mixes rare and familiar standards on her newest disc; Audrey Silver re-examines the score from…
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TWO NEW VERSIONS OF MARY LOU WILLIAMS’ “ZODIAC SUITE”
Mary Lou Williams’ “Zodiac Suite” was originally written for piano trio in 1945. Later that year, a version for trio, jazz soloists and chamber orchestra was premiered at New York’s Town Hall. While the trio version of “Zodiac” has been recorded on serveral occasions, two new CDs featuring the original orchestrations were just released–and within…
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HEAR HER SONG
Ann Hampton Callaway, Nicky Schrire and Nicole Zuraitis all have a way with the pen. In addition to their other roles, they are all established composers, In this month’s Vocal CD Reviews, Thomas Cunniffe examines the latest releases from these very talented ladies.
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MINGLED MUSIC, TURBULENT AND RICH: TWO NEW JAZZ SUITES
Jazz did not exist during the lifetime of French poet Charles Baudelaire, and it is doubtful that Arnold Schoenberg or Anton Webern had heard any form of jazz before writing their early vocal works. Yet the contemporary jazz composers Annie Booth and Jeff Lederer have drawn from the earlier artist’s work to create new suites.…
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TURN UP THE QUIET
Intimate singing may seem like a lost art, but the three vocalists featured in this review can communicate a wide range of emotions without raising their voices. Thomas Cunniffe reviews new albums by Libby York, Jane Irving, and Mary Foster Conklin.
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Tony Bennett/Bill Charlap: “The Silver Lining” (RPM/Columbia 14574)
While he hasn’t always taken the best care of his voice, at 89, Tony Bennett is still at the top of his game. His remarkable new Jerome Kern tribute disc, The Silver Lining (co-led with pianist Bill Charlap) is a virtual master class of fine interpretation and vocal finesse. In this feature review, Thomas Cunniffe…
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CONCEPTS, FOR BIG BAND
The rich tonal colors and great flexibility of the big band format continues to inspire composers to this day. In this month’s instrumental CD reviews, Thomas Cunniffe examines four bands located all over the world. Indiana’s Buselli/Wallarab Orchestra pays tribute to Gennett Records, Chuck Owen collaborates with the WDR Jazz Band of Cologne, Germany, Bobby…
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SUMMONING SPIRITS
One of the stated goals of all tribute albums is to enlighten listeners about a classic artist through the prism of a younger artist’s interpretation. In this CD review essay, Thomas Cunniffe examines four new tribute albums with a special focus on repertoire. Included in the survey are Cecilia Smith’s homage to Mary Lou Williams,…
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FEMININE PERSPECTIVES
Female musicians continue to make inroads in the jazz world, and this collection of capsule reviews celebrate five new albums led by prominent jazz women. The supergroup Artemis presents their second album, violinist Sara Caswell offers a long-awaited CD of her music, Champian Fulton shines in a new live recording, Jo Lawry collaborates with Linda…
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2022’s BEST OF THE REST: VOCAL CD REVIEWS
At the end of every year, Thomas Cunniffe attempts to review all of the noteworthy discs remaining on his review stack. Laura Anglade, Camille Bertault, Roberta Donnay, Aubrey Johnson, Manhattan Transfer, Paul Marinaro, Luciana Souza, and Nancy Harms are the featured vocalists in this collection of CD Reviews (see elsewhere on The Front Page for…