Music News

GERALD FINLEY CD SIGNING
This morning (Thursday, March 18) at 10 a.m., baritone Gerald Finley will stop by the store to sign CDs. For more details and to order signed CDs, see above.

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Theo Bleckmann, SCHUMANN’S FAVORED BAR SONGS (Winter & Winter, $17.98) – Over the last few years, vocalist Theo Bleckmann has recorded a variety of fascinating projects: his take on Weil, Eisler and Brecht songs on Berlin: Songs of Love and War, Peace and Exile (2007); crooning standards on Las Vegas Rhapsody: The Night They Invented Champagne (2006); and his very original versions of Twelve Songs by Charles Ives (2009), a collaboration with the jazz-rock group, Kneebody. He re-teams with pianist Fumio Yasuda (from the Berlin and Las Vegas projects) on stripped-down versions of songs such as “Good Morning Heartache,” “Just a Gigolo,” and “Send in the Clowns.” Check out this true original.

Brad Mehldau, HIGHWAY RIDER (Nonesuch, 2 CDs, $18.98) – Jazz pianist Brad Mehldau reunites with producer Jon Brion for another sonic venture after Largo, in 2002 . The CD includes Mehldau’s trio, plus drummer Matt Chamberlain, saxophonist Joshua Redman, and a chamber orchestra, with orchestrations by Mehldau. The New York Times wrote about the collaboration last Sunday (here, ).

THE LIGHT IN THE PIAZZA & THE NOSE  
Two recent productions have gotten rave notices: Arena Stage’s Light in the Piazza, with a book by Craig Lucas, based on the novel by Elizabeth Spencer, is now playing in Crystal City through April 11. Listen to the original cast recording of THE LIGHT IN THE PIAZZA (Nonesuch, $18.98), with music and lyrics by Tony-winner Adam Guettel, starring Victoria Clark and Kelli O’Hara. 
Through March 25, the Metropolitan Opera is presenting an imaginative version of

Shostakovich’s The Nose, based on the Gogol story, directed by artist and filmmaker William Kentridge. The conductor for this production is Valery Gergiev, and he also conducts the Mariinsky Orchestra, Soloists and Chorus in the recently released recording, SHOSTAKOVICH: THE NOSE (Mariinsky, 2 CDs, Super Audio, $33.98).

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Jimi Hendrix, VALLEYS OF NEPTUNE (Legacy, $14.98) – Twelve re-mastered unreleased recordings from the final days of the Jimi Hendrix Experience. The highlights include the spacey title track, and the blues, “Ships Passing Through the Night,” and the electric version of “Hear My Train A Coming.” High quality Hendrix, not to be missed.

Paul Motian/Chris Potter/Jason Moran, LOST IN A DREAM (ECM, $17.98) – I love the playing and the compositions of drummer Paul Motian. Last year he released a splendid quintet album of standards -- all ballads – called Motian on Broadway, Volume 5. This year, he collaborates with young lions, saxophonist Chris Potter and pianist Jason Moran, for an album of his own compositions (plus a workout on Irving Berlin’s “Be Careful It’s My Heart”). It’s a live album, recorded a year ago at the Village Vanguard. To quote the New York Times: “Melody is at the heart of everything on this album; it brings out a contemplative glow in Mr. Moran…and an openhearted tenderness in Mr. Potter.” Highly recommended.

The Chieftains & Ry Cooder, SAN PATRICIO (Hear Music/Concord, $18.98) – Chieftain Paddy Moloney and Ry Cooder assembled a program of songs that tell the little-known story of the San Patricio battalion, a group of Irish immigrants who deserted the U.S. Army to on the Mexican side in the Mexican –American war. The Chieftains are joined by special guests Lila Downs, Los Tigres del Norte, Los Cenzontles, Carlos Núñez, among others.

NINA SIMONE BIOGRAPHY & ANTHOLOGY
Washington author Nadine Cohodas has previously written great books on Dinah Washington and Chess Records. Now, with PRINCESS NOIRE: The Tumultuous Reign of Nina Simone (Knopf, $30), she’s done a terrific job on the life of one of most complex personalities of the last decades.
Hear the Nina’s great performances on ANTHOLOGY (RCA, 2CDs, $16.98), including “I Loves You Porgy,” “Mississippi Goddam,” “I Put a Spell on You,” and 28 other songs.

THARAUD & QUEYRAS IN CONCERT
One of my favorite discoveries of the last few years has been the pianist Alexandre Tharaud. He’s done fantastic programs of Couperin (on Tic Toc Choc), Bach, Ravel, and, lately, some fine Chopin (check out CHOPIN: JOURNAL INTIME (Virgin Classics, $16.98), and the budget re-issue, CHOPIN: VALSES (Harmonia Mundi, CD & catalog, $8.98). He’s in town for a rare appearance with cellist Jean-Guihen Queyras, on Friday, March 12, at the Library of Congress.

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Dee Dee Bridgewater, ELEANORA FAGAN (1915-1959): TO BILLIE WITH LOVE FROM DEE DEE (DDB/Emarcy, $17.98) – Singer Dee Dee Bridgewater recently brought her tribute to Billie Holiday to Strathmore, and the program of songs is finally on CD. Hear striking arrangements of “Your Mother’s Son-in-Law,” “Lover Man,” “God Bless the Child,” and other songs associated with Billie. Dee Dee’s all-star band is led by arranger Edsel Gomez on piano, Christian McBride on bass, Lewis Nash on drums, and James Carter on saxophones and bass clarinet.

Peter Gabriel, SCRATCH MY BACK (Real World, $15.98) – Peter Gabrile’s somber, orchestra-backed covers of tunes by Neil Young, Paul Simon, David Bowie, Regina Spektor, Arcade Fire, Lou Reeed, Magnetic Fields, Arcade Fire, and more.

Stile Antico, MEDIA VITA: JOHN SHEPPARD (Harmonia Mundi, SACD $19.98) – The English chamber vocal group Stile Antico released Song of Songs last year: a program featuring music by Palestrina, Gombert, and Lassus, among others. It was a breakthrough CD, winning Gramophone Magazine’s Best Early Music Album, and was on many year-end best-of lists. The group’s follow-up spotlights the Tudor master John Sheppard.

Rafal Blechacz, CHOPIN: THE PIANO CONCERTOS (Deutsche Grammophon, $18.98) –Last week, Polish pianist Rafal Blechacz amazed Washington audiences with his recital at the Kennedy Center (see Philip Kennicot’s review). Hear Blechacz's new CD, featuring Chopin’s Piano Concertos, backed by the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra.

PATTI SMITH’S JUST KIDS and HORSES
I just finished reading Patti Smith’s great memoir, JUST KIDS (Ecco, $27). The book describes the dual artistic apprenticeship of Patti and Robert Mapplethorpe in late 1960s and early 1970s New York. The book features appearances by Sam Shepard, Harry Smith, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, and many other mentors, friends, and collaborators. Patti’s unique combination of poetry and rock and roll culminated in her first record, HORSES (Arista, $11.98), released in 1975, with a beautiful cover shot by Mapplethorpe (the photo session is described in the book).

WIN TICKETS FOR GILBERTO GIL AT LISNER
Gilberto Gil is a giant in Brazilian music. Singer, songwriter, he was a leading figure of the Tropicalia and MPB (Música Popular Brasileira) movements, and he’s still making great music today. He’ll be at Lisner Auditorium on Saturday, February 13, accompanied by his son, Bem, and cellist/arranger Jacques Morelenbaum. Lisner is giving away a pair of tickets to the concert. To enter the drawing, email: Agoldinger@politics-prose.com , with GILBERTO and your FIRST NAME in the subject field.