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Album Review: THE MOMENT OF TRUTH – ELLA AT THE COLISEUM (Ella Fitzgerald)
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…
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Album Review: LET’S FALL IN LOVE (Judy Whitmore)
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…
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Cabaret Review: SUSPENDED IN TIME LIVE (Rondi Charleston, Fred Hersch, Kate McGarry, Gabrielle Stravelli at Joe’s Pub NYC)
A REWARDING TIME SPENT SUSPENDED WITH THE ARTISTS OF SUSPENDED IN TIME Some musical performances—in concert or on recordings—while unquestionably or undemandingly enjoyable, may go in one ear and out the other. Others linger in that place in between the ears and might stay in the heart. Here’s an example of the kind that sticks…
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Highly Recommended Cabaret: MOSTLY MARLENE (Kim David Smith Album Debut Concert at Joe’s Pub)
DARLINGS, PREPARE TO SWOON! Meine Lieben, gather your furs, don your best rouge, and prepare for a night of divine debauchery! On Friday, March 21 at 9:30, the wickedly bewitching Kim David Smith and his fabulous band shall unveil Mostly Marlene, his long-awaited Dietrich-drenched album, live at Joe’s Pub at the Public Theater! Ja, ja,…
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Album Review KHACHATURIAN (Jean-Yves Thibaudet, pianist; Gustavo Dudamel, conductor; LA Phil)
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…
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Concert Review: WOMEN OF ROCK (Long Beach Symphony Orchestra POPS Series)
GREAT CONCERT, BUT LIGHT ON ROCK As part of its POPS series, always a fun and friendly way to enjoy an entertaining night out, Long Beach Symphony, now in its 90th season, welcomed guest conductor and renowned orchestrator Susie Seiter for its Women of Rock concert on February 22 at the Long Beach Arena, where you…
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Jazz Album Review: I WANT TO BE HAPPY (Liz Cole)
LIZ COLE WANTS TO BE HAPPY, MAKING US HAPPY SINGING ABOUT IT Liz Cole is having an album debut gig at Catalina Jazz Club in Hollywood on January 29, and it was thrilling. Her standard-drenched debut album is also a winner. I Want To Be Happy is just the kind of unpretentious lounge jazz that…
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Album Recommendation: WHISPER DARKLY (Concept Album)
SHOUTING ABOUT WHISPER In Whisper Darkly, it’s once again 1928 and the audience are patrons of Manhattan’s notorious speakeasy, the Hush Club at the height of Prohibition, circa 100 years ago. The proprietress who runs the joint, Topeka McShane, leads her cast of chorines, comics, and dancers with an iron fist, while teaching her niece, Evie, about…
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Album Review: THE OLD COUNTRY: MORE FROM THE DEER HEAD INN (Keith Jarrett, Gary Peacock and Paul Motian)
MORE DEER HEAD HIGHLIGHTS The Deer Head Inn is an historic jazz club in Pennsylvania’s Delaware Water Gap region, and it played a significant role in Jarrett’s early career. In the 1950s, pianist Keith Jarrett performed at Allentown, PA’s Deer Head Inn as a teenager, a venue pivotal to his musical growth. In 1961, it…
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Film / VOD Review: LADY LIKE (directed by Luke Willis)
LADY CAMDEN’S RACE TO DRAG QUEENDOM One night when Lady Camden was taken to the ballet as a child, she looked down from the nosebleeds and saw the dancers and the set, the magical otherworldliness of it all, and wondered how anything bad could ever happen to anyone who made it in the theater. It…
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VINTAGE MEETS VIRAL: HOW PMJ HAS MASTERED THE ART OF SOCIAL MEDIA IN A RETRO STYLE
Postmodern Jukebox (PMJ) has carved out a unique corner of the internet, skillfully merging the sounds and aesthetics of bygone musical eras with the digital reach of modern-day social media. Founded in 2010 by jazz pianist and arranger Scott Bradlee, PMJ began as a grassroots project in a basement apartment, reimagining contemporary pop hits in…
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Highly Recommended Album: JASON ROBERT BROWN AND STEPHEN SONDHEIM: LIVE IN CONCERT (Streaming & Vinyl)
Today, Concord Theatricals Recordings released the audio recording of Jason Robert Brown and Stephen Sondheim: Live in Concert on digital platforms worldwide. Recorded in June 2019, the album captures Broadway stars performing the music and lyrics of Jason Robert Brown and Stephen Sondheim alongside the songwriters themselves, in what would become Sondheim’s final public performance. The album will be available on 2-LP…
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Highly Recommended Album: CONTINUUM (Víkingur Òlafsson)
Víkingur í“lafsson has just completed his world tour with Bach’s Goldberg Variations (see Stage and Cinema‘s review) and is already releasing six new interpretations of the composer’s music, four of which he arranged himself. He recorded the piano arrangements of Bach’s sacred music in Reykjavík’s Harpa concert hall in January. í“lafsson states, “When I play…
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Highly Recommended Album: BIRD IN KANSAS CITY (Charlie Parker: Rare Recordings from 1941-1951)
KANSAS CITY, BIRD IN KANSAS CITY HERE IT COMES Verve Records is releasing Bird in Kansas City globally on October 25, 2024 on vinyl, CD, and digitally. It’s an album featuring a new set of rare recordings dating from between 1941-1951. Much of this collection has never been heard before and some recordings have never even…
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Album Recommendation: UNITY (Dan Siegel)
Veteran keyboardist/composer Dan Siegel brings together a stellar rhythm section and a roster of ace guitarists for his groove-heavy 23rd album, featuring David “DJ” Ginyard on bass and Oscar Seaton on drums. UNITY also features percussion great Lenny Castro, whose relationship with Siegel dates back to the keyboardist’s self-titled 1982 album, as does that of Tom Scott (sax),…
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Highly Recommended Album: THE SECRET GARDEN: A NEW MUSICAL (London Studio Cast Reissue)
THE SECRET GARDEN: A NEW MUSICAL STREAMING FOR THE VERY FIRST TIME StarVista Music has reissued of The Secret Garden: A New Musical, featuring an extraordinary ensemble of West End talent — Broadway legends Barbara Cook, John Cullum, Judy Kaye, George Rose and Max Showalter, along with child actors Victoria Coote, Paul Glen and Daniel…
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Highly Recommended Album: WANDERERS LIKE ME (The Po’ Ramblin’ Boys)
BLUEGRASS HEAVEN Beneath the steel strings and steely demeanor exemplifying the spirit of bluegrass lies the heart of a wanderer: the heartbroken rambler looking for the next big break and the next story to tell. The Po’ Ramblin’ Boys’ new record Wanderers Like Me – out August 16 – is a quintessential bluegrass record, full of melodies…
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Highly Recommended Album: JOHN WILLIAMS IN TOKYO
30 years after his last visit to Japan, John Williams returned for two special concerts – one in Matsumoto and one in Tokyo – marking his debut with the world-famous Saito Kinen Orchestra, with selections from his beloved film scores, and reuniting with his longtime friend, world-renowned conductor Seiji Ozawa. The second of these concerts…
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Highly Recommended Album: ART TATUM — JEWELS IN THE TREASURE BOX: THE 1953 CHICAGO BLUE NOTE JAZZ CLUB RECORDINGS (Resonance Records)
From Resonance Records, Jewels in the Treasure Box: The 1953 Chicago Blue Note Jazz Club Recordings is a previously unissued 3-LP collection of recordings from jazz icon and virtuosic pianist, Art Tatum, captured live at the Blue Note jazz club in Chicago in March of 1953 with guitarist Everett Barksdale and bassist Slam Stewart. Transferred from the original tape reels…
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Highly Recommended Album: A LADY WITH A SONG (Amber Weekes Celebrates Nancy Wilson)
On A Lady With a Song, Amber Weekes pays homage to one of her inspirations, Nancy Wilson, while welcoming such all-stars as guitarists Russell Malone and Paul Jackson Jr., tenor-saxophonists Gerald Albright and Rickey Woodard, and Justo Almario on flute. Arranged and produced by Mark Cargill, who also plays violin, the wide-ranging program features Weekes’…
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