Tina Dico: Count to Ten

Copy at Case Memorial Library
Contents: Count to ten — On the run — Open wide — Night cab — You know better — Sacré Coeur — Craftsmanship and poetry — My business — Cruel to the sensitive kind — Everybody knows (Night cab epilogue). Recorded at Danish Radio Studio 3 in Copenhagen, January 2007; Feedback Recording in Aarhus, February–March 2007; and Aabyroad Studios in Aabyhoj, April–May 2007.
Notable lyrics: "Sometimes if you wanna hold on you got to let go/ I'm gonna close my eyes/ and count to ten/ I'm gonna close my eyes/ and when I open them again/ everything will make sense to me then/ I have met so many people, we've exchanged so many words/ we've said it all and we've said nothing but it changed us …" ("Count to Ten").
Chuck Arnold wrote in People: "From the haunting introspection of the title track to the heartache-on-her-sleeve balladry of 'Cruel to the Sensitive Kind,' there are countless reasons to appreciate this Danish-born, British-based singer-songwriter" ("Music: Quick Cuts," 4/14/08).

Cursive: The Ugly Organ

Copy at Case Memorial Library
Contents: The ugly organist — Some red handed sleight of hand — Art is hard — The recluse — Herald! Frankenstein — Butcher the song — Driftwood: a fairy tale — A gentleman caller — Harold Weathervein — Bloody murderer — Sierra — Staying alive; plus live video performances of "The Martyr," "Sink to the Beat," "Art is Hard," and "Gentleman Caller."
Personnel: Cursive: Gretta Cohn, cello; Tim Kasher, vocals, guitar, organ; Matt Maginn, bass; Clint Schnase, drums, percussion; Ted Stevens, guitar, vocals; additional musicians (Chris Acker, Jenny Lewis, Mike Mogis); and the Staying Alive Choir.
Pat Ferrucci wrote in Play: "While we absolutely love this Omaha band's latest disc, Happy Hollow, we truly can't get enough of "The Ugly Organ[ist?]," the title track of Cursive's 2003 record. This cello-charged punk tune never gets old. It's an anthemic tune that finds singer Tim Kasher screaming about the record industry. Once you hear this, you'll listen again, which means it's a great way to end a mix" ("Making a Mix: The Not Brooklyn Edition," 4/23/08, p. 26).

Charlie Parker: Bird in Time: 1940-1947

Copy at Case Memorial Library
Partial contents: Charlie Parker interview — Honeysuckle rose/Body and soul — I got rhythm — I found a new baby — Moten swing — Coquette — Oh lady be good — Wichita blues — Max Roach interview — Cherokee — St. Louis mood — I got it bad — I'm forever blowing bubbles — Hootie blues — Swingmatism — Theme: Love don't get you nothin' — My heart tells me — I found a new baby — Sweet Georgia Brown — I got rhythm — Max Roach interview — Boogie woogie — Shoe shine swing — Embraceable you — That's the blues — Dream of you — 7th Avenue — Mop mop (excerpt) — Theme: Round midnight — 711 (Roll 'em) — Cootie Williams speaks — Do nothin' till you hear from me — Don't blame me — Perdido — Night cap — Saturday night — Floogie boo — St. Louis blues — Teddy Edwards speaks — Dizzy Gillespie's Rebop Six — Shaw 'nuff — Groovin' high — Dizzy atmosphere — Milt Jackson speaks — Salt peanuts — Diggin' Diz — Roy Porter speaks — Howard McGhee discusses his history — Jam session — Tea for two — Lover man — Max is makin' wax — The gypsy — Lullaby in rhythm — Ko Ko — Hot house …

Lucinda Williams: Little Honey

Copy at Case Memorial Library
Josh Tyrangiel wrote in Time: "While assured of her status as a great American singer, Lucinda Williams has never been most people's idea of an easy one … which is why the first track on her ninth album, Little Honey, is such a shock. It's called 'Real Love,' and it's not about losing real love or a tortured glimpse of real love but about finding it once and for all. Williams is too sophisticated to song-write her own bio, but she's also too shrewd to ignore it, and her engagement to manager Tom Overby … seems to have inspired a challenge: say something new about love and happiness. … But the glory of Little Honey is less its poetry than its ability to sustain happiness as a mood. There is Williams' glorious voice, of course — cracking in the verses and lubricating the choruses of 'Tears of Joy'; drolly channeling Tammy Wynette to Elvis Costello's George Jones on 'Jailhouse Tears' — but the critical decision was to make this a guitar-dominated album. It's not just that it's the warmest instrument in rock, country and blues … but that Doug Pettibone is the best unknown guitarist in all three" ("Music," 10/27/08).

Featured Book: The Wagner Clan by Jonathan Carr

Copy at Case Memorial Library
Mr. Carr writes in Chapter 10, "All the Reich's a Stage": "Hitler may well have seen himself as Lohengrin, the mystery knight in shining armour, or as Rienzi, the tribune of implacable will with the (doomed) mission to make Rome powerful again. We know from Mein Kampf that Lohengrin was the first opera he ever saw — in his home town of Linz when he was only twelve — and that he was 'captivated at once'. A few years later, according to the memoirs of a youthful pal named August Kubizek, Hitler saw Rienzi and promptly went into a kind of trance from which he emerged convinced he would lead Germans to greatness. Like the accounts of many claiming intimate knowledge of Hitler's doings and motivation, much in Kubizek's book is suspect; but there is enough independent evidence to suggest that at least the core of the Rienzi tale is probably true. Even leaving aside such doubtful sources, Hitler's passion for and knowledge of Wagner's music dramas is well documented. The love affair that began in Linz soon intensified when the budding artist with big dreams and empty pockets reached Vienna …" (pp. 176-177).

Ryan Adams and the Cardinals: Cardinology

Copy at Case Memorial Library
Eric R. Danton wrote in his Hartford Courant blog Sound Check: "The songs are mostly built around acoustic and electric guitars, with flourishes from steel guitar and piano and even an Allman Bros.-style dual-guitar solo on 'Like Yesterday.' Adams adds a subtle vintage-soul touch via Memphis on a couple tunes, particularly with the hollow, coppery guitar lick on 'Fix It' and the jangling chords and creeping Wurlitzer organ on the mournfully breezy 'Let Us Down Easy.' … Adams has always excelled at wrenching relationship post-mortems, and he contributes some gems here. Bright, bristling electric guitar powers 'Go Easy' as he muses on how often he still thinks about an ex, while terse acoustic guitar frames deeper heartache in his plaintive vocals on 'Crossed Out Name.' With its poignant beauty and powerful songwriting, Adams' latest is, well, the latest in a string of ever-better sad-bastard records. In fact, with so much material to choose from, the most difficult task for future listeners considering his musical legacy may well be figuring out where to begin. 'Cardinology' is as fine a place as any" ("CD Review," 10/27/08).

George Crumb: Ancient Voices of Children, etc.

Copy at Case Memorial Library
Contents: Ancient Voices of Children, a song cycle with texts by Federico Garcia Lorca, for mezzo-soprano [Jan De Gaetani], boy soprano, oboe, mandolin, harp, electric piano, and percussion: El niño busca su voz (4:27), Dances of the ancient earth (2:22), Me he perdido muchas veces por el mar (2:14), De donde vienes, amor, mi niño?: Dance of the sacred life-cycle [and] Todas las tardes en Granada, todas las tardes se muere un niño (6:43), Ghost dance (1:58), Se ha llenado de luces mi corazón de seda (7:07); Music for a Summer Evening (Makrokosmos III), for two amplified pianos [Gilbert Kalish, James Freeman] & percussion.
Allan Kozinn wrote in the New York Times: "George Crumb and his music are getting a second wind these days. In the 1970s Mr. Crumb’s colorful, idiosyncratic chamber works were all the rage: no self-respecting new-music fan, particularly of college age, was without the Nonesuch recording of his 'Ancient Voices of Children' (1970). … In recent years new works have become plentiful again [and] old ones are reappearing on concert programs. …" (10/29/08).

Bad Brains: Build a Nation

Copy at Case Memorial Library
Craig Gilbert wrote in Play: "Formed in the late '70s after a stint as a jazz fusion band, these four dudes from our nation's capital stood out amongst the screaming and bloody newborn punk bands of the time. For one, these guys were black. Second, they mixed the anger and ferocity of a faster-th[a]n-punk-was style with the 'all's good / we shall be alright' of thick and dubbed-up reggae. … And third, they … killed when they played live. … That intensity reportedly spilled out onto others with charges of physical and verbal abuse against frontman H.R. This factor, plus a desire by some band members to dismiss the hardcore element and pursue an all-reggae sound, led to the band's break-up in 1984. … A series of fill-in singers and drummers over time with slight musical style changes and H.R.'s unpredictable on- and off stage behavior brought in new fans as well as keeping older Brains followers relatively content and always guessing. From their classic first release … to last year's not-too-shabby Build A Nation record (produced by Beastie Boy Adam Yauch), Bad Brains have done it" ("Listen: Worth the Trip," 10/29/08, p. 15).

Beethoven: Piano Concertos Nos. 1 and 4

Copy at Case Memorial Library
Steve Smith wrote in the New York Times: "Knowing what to expect from Lang Lang is a tricky proposition. Early on, this copiously gifted Chinese pianist offered technical bravura and excitable flamboyance in roughly equal measure. But lately Mr. Lang has shown signs of increasing insight and maturity. When he recorded the Beethoven Piano Concertos Nos. 1 and 4 with Christoph Eschenbach and the Orchestre de Paris for Deutsche Grammophon last year, the result was creditable, promising much for future developments. When Mr. Lang and Mr. Eschenbach returned to the First Concerto with the New York Philharmonic at Avery Fisher Hall on Wednesday night, many of the estimable qualities of their recording came through. Mr. Lang’s crisp articulation and judicious dynamics held sway during the opening Allegro, and his performance of Beethoven’s cadenza was beyond reproach. If the broadly paced Largo verged on obsessive and fussy, Mr. Lang’s liquid sound gave ample compensation" ("Music Review: The Flame of Beethoven, Calibrated," 11/7/08).

Olu Dara: In the World

Copy at Case Memorial Library
Jeffrey Petrin wrote in Play: "Born and raised in Natchez, Miss., Dara grew up listening to a wide variety of music, including opera, R&B, blues, traditional African music and country. Ironically, there was not a lot of jazz in his home as his family saw a lot more live music than they did listen to the radio, and the jazz scene at that time was mostly in the north. Dara started his venture into music when he was seven years-old, playing clarinet. He eventually moved to cornet and trumpet and began playing in groups around Mississippi and Louisiana. Following a discharge from the navy, Dara moved to New York and eventually hooked up with Hard Bop innovator Art Blakey, and became a staple in the free jazz world, working with such artists as David Murray. … In 1998, with his son's (hip hop artist Nas) urging, Dara released his first album … The record came as a shock to the jazz world, as the album was not a jazz record; in fact, Dara plays cornet on a handful of the album's tracks. Instead Dara focused on guitar and vocals, creating a record that drew inspiration more globally, from American roots to African rhythmic music" (8/6/08).

Mother Mother: O My Heart

Copy at Case Memorial Library
David Riedel wrote in the New Haven Advocate: "Mother Mother's O My Heart is a smartly written, performed and produced romp through the wacky and the weird. These tunes, pop confections that stop and start and change tempos and feels within a song … are designed to jump out of your speakers, their head scratching lyrics and hooky melodies stuck in your head. Guitarist and vocalist Ryan Guldemond's songs have a keen radio-friendliness despite their quirkiness; aside from their structural changes, many of them have unexpected minor key moments in the middle of happy-go-lucky major verses and choruses. In the singing department, Guldemond's accompanied by his sister Molly Guldemond and Debra-Jean Greelman, who harmonize with him so well that it feels as if they share a personality. … The rhythm section is tight, too, with plucky bass reminiscent of Kim Deal's on the Pixies' Doolittle, and a solid backbeat that grooves at the right moments. Standouts are 'Hayloft' … and the instantly hummable title track" ("Advocations: CD and DVD Reviews," 10/16/08, p. 39).

Karrin Allyson: Imagina

Copy at Case Memorial Library
Stephen Holden wrote in the New York Times: "Every jazz singer has a Brazilian album under his or her hat, usually focused on the songs of Antonio Carlos Jobim. Whether it takes you to bossa nova dreamsville in a misty tropical paradise or into the jungle on a samba expedition depends on the singer’s temperament. Karrin Allyson, whose four-night engagement at Birdland ends on Saturday, takes a middle ground on her Brazilian album 'Imagina' (Concord), 10 of whose 14 songs have music by Jobim. … The joy in a song like 'A Felicidade' ('Happiness'), from the movie 'Black Orpheus,' is all the more palpable because of the realization that it is evanescent. When Ms. Allyson sang it in both Portuguese and English (Susannah McCorkle's translation of Vinicius de Moraes's lyric), she looked the song straight in the eye; there were no flutters and sighs. … Ms. Allyson is really a jazz equivalent of Bonnie Raitt. She approaches a romantic song from a perspective that is wised up and well defended but not quite tough. I couldn’t imagine her falling for a line of sweet talk" ("Love Songs Without Sighs," 4/5/08).

Joe Satriani: Surfing with the Alien

Copy at Case Memorial Library
Contents: Compact disc accompanied by separate DVD. CD: Surfing with the alien — Ice 9 — Crushing day — Always with me, always with you — Satch boogie — Hill of the skull — Circles — Lords of karma — Midnight — Echo. DVD: Ice 9 — Memories — Midnight — Rubina — Circles — Lords of karma — Bass solo — Echo — Hordes of locusts — Always with me, always with you — Satch boogie. Bonus features: Nigel Tufnel interview — Satch boogie video — Always with me, always with you video. DVD recorded live at the Montreux Jazz Festival, July 15, 1988. All songs written and arranged by Joe Satriani except "Bass Solo," performed by Stuart Hamm.
According to Mr. Satriani's notes: "It was Vonnegut's Cat's Cradle that inspired ['Ice 9']. In it, 'ice-nine' is a chemical that turns the world into a ball of ice, unintentionally. Cold, distorted detachment and icy clean guitars with pleading blues riffs riding on top of a big, huge groove. …"
Desirée Bassett told Kathleen Cei this album changed her life ("Music Notes," New Haven Advocate, 4/24/08, p. 39).