Albums

CHAMBER MUSIC RECLAIMED BY ITS ORIGINAL VOICES The Neave Trio brings clarity, conviction, and authority to piano trios by Clara Schumann, Dora Pejačević, and Cécile Chaminade. With In Her Hands, out on February 6, 2026, the Neave Trio turns the familiar narrative of “rediscovery” into something far more persuasive: an album that treats these three…

A RARE HOLIDAY ALBUM OF ALL-NEW SONGS Anthony Nunziata sidesteps recycled carols with a freshly written, earnest Christmas collection It’s not exactly a Christmas miracle, but it is kind of rare among the thousands of holiday albums to find one with material that is 100% new. Year after year, most new releases rely heavily on…

A PLEASANT CHRISTMAS Warm, traditional holiday fare delivered with sincerity and respect When it came time to title her Christmas album, the unpretentious, straightforward singer Judy Whitmore apparently didn’t give a whit about coming up with something witty or flashy. It’s simply called Christmas. And in keeping with that no-nonsense title, Whitmore comes off as…

JAZZ WITH JOY: THE BREAKFAST OF CHAMPIONS The back cover of the instrumental CD Brisket for Breakfast by the Joe Alterman Trio and their guest, veteran tenor sax man Houston Person, cutely reinforces the album title’s reference to food with two promises worthy of the marriage of a roadside diner and a jazz set. Both…

SHOWTUNES AS NON-STOP SHOWSTOPPERS With a gloriously gargantuan voice, plus energy and heart in substantial supply, Carly Ozard doesn’t hold back or back off from the challenge of tackling a wide range of musical theatre styles and character types in Chain of Love: A Broadway Album. With that voluminous variety and the program’s prominent presence…

Mediterranean Synthesis and the Mandolin’s New Territory The mandolin hovers at the edge of respectability in contemporary classical music, neither fish nor fowl, too folksy for Carnegie Hall, too precious for the village taverna. Avi Avital refuses the categorization. His Song of the Birds presents twenty tracks that work as musical archaeology, uncovering connections that…

STANDARDS, UNSTANDARDIZED With High Standards, pianist Billy Lester reminds us that reinvention isn’t just possible in jazz — it’s the point. You may not need high standards to listen to this joy-filled album, but you will certainly have high standards after! Joined by bassist Marcello Testa and drummer Nicola Stranieri, Lester plunges into the American…

STRINGS OF THE SPIRIT: DOVER QUARTET’S WOODLAND REVERIE Woodland Songs is a wondrous, deeply American musical journey that feels both timeless and urgently of the moment. The Dover Quartet—never content to coast on their accolades—has once again pushed boundaries with a moving and masterfully performed album that connects Chickasaw and Tuscarora traditions to the classical…

They Just Keep Moving The Line: Smash Cast Recording Crosses Into Broadway Gold The alchemy has finally occurred. After thirteen years, Smash has completed its metamorphosis from cult television curiosity to bona fide Broadway treasure, crystallized in its original cast recording released digitally on May 16, 2025. What emerges is theatrical archaeology at its finest….

The Moment of Truth is music full of memorable moments It was June of 1967. What music filled the air and the airwaves? The Beatles had released an album called Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. Barbra Streisand performed a free concert in Central Park for 135,000 people. At the Monterey Pop Festival, music fans…

Don’t look for anything very heartbreaking or groundbreaking in the familiar musical ground surveyed by the generally joyful Judy Whitmore. When she toasts love, it’s with a glass she sees as much more than half full; in fact, it runneth over. Let’s Fall in Love is her most recent release, returning to mostly rosily romantic…

Jean-Yves Thibaudet Revives Khachaturian with Dazzling Virtuosity Jean-Yves Thibaudet is on a mission, and Khachaturian, his latest release on Decca Classics, proves just how passionately he champions overlooked repertoire. Anchored by a live recording of Aram Khachaturian’s Piano Concerto with Gustavo Dudamel and the LA Phil, this album is both a love letter to the…