Steve Riley & the Mamou Playboys: Grand Isle

"I developed a taste for Louisiana's Cajun music pretty early on in life when I attended a concert by the Balfa Brothers. The band, fronted by Dewey Balfa totally charmed me with their personal warmth and humor. The music was equally endearing; a sincere mix of sweet melodies and great dance tunes. ... What I heard back then was the informal 'front porch' music of the Cajuns, and Steve Riley and his band play a hard driving modern hybrid by comparison. The lineup includes drums, electric bass and guitar, and the music is laced with zydeco, (itself an African-American hybrid) and swamp pop right alongside the more traditionally based Cajun repertoire. Front and center is Riley, a wonderfully soulful accordionist, writer and singer. So I wasn't going to miss out when they came to town to play at Connolly's, in New York City, [including] 'Lyons Point' from the band's new CD 'Grand Isle'" (Michal Shapiro, "Cajun Dancing in Midtown Manhattan," Huffington Post, 3/21/11).
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Rossini: Le Comte Ory

"It was a conflation of two entirely different works. ... Yet Rossini worked a kind of miracle. When 'Le Comte Ory' had its premiere at the Paris Opera in 1828 ... it was rightly hailed as one of Rossini’s wittiest and most seamless and sophisticated works. ... It had never been presented at the Metropolitan Opera until Thursday night. ... The terrific cast was headed by the tenor Juan Diego Flórez as Ory, who spends much of the first act disguised as a hermit and much of the second impersonating a nun, all in an absurd attempt to ensnare a resistant young countess, Adèle. ... Mr. Flórez sang Ory to acclaim at the Rossini Festival in Pesaro in 2003, a performance recorded live on Deutsche Grammophon. On Thursday he sang with pliant phrasing, nimble runs and easy high C’s. ... He received an enormous ovation. We probably have him to thank for inspiring the Met to present 'Le Comte Ory'" (Anthony Tommasini, "A Lively, Stylish Met Debut for Rossini's Last Comic Opera," New York Times, 3/25/11).
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Diamond Rio: The Reason

"Diamond Rio won the Grammy Sunday for Best Southern, Country, Or Bluegrass Gospel Album in pre-television ceremonies. The group, which has veered more towards gospel in recent years took the award over Ty Herndon's 'Journey On' plus three other CDs. Herndon also has enjoyed a country career. Diamond Rio was not at the awards" (Country Standard Time, 2/13/11).
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Richard Strauss: Orchestral Songs

"This, my fourth album, has given me the chance to focus on another important facet of my repertoire: Richard Strauss and song. I have had immense pleasure performing the roles of Zerbinetta, Sophie, Aithra, Zdenka, Fiakermili and Aminta but for this recording I wanted to delve into the treasure-trove to be found in his orchestral songs. The poetry, the soaring melodies and the shimmering instrumental scoring are positively intoxicating, and to my mind reach the same glorious heights as his operatic works. His songs have long featured in my recitals, yet I have rarely had an opportunity to perform them in their orchestral settings. To do so with this orchestra [the Munich Philharmonic], under the baton of such an esteemed conductor as Maestro Thielemann, in Strauss' (and my) Bavarian home-land was a dream come true. I still feel the magic and enthusiasm the recording brought me and I sincerely hope that this passion for Richard Strauss' music will come across to you as you listen" (Diana Damrau, in the CD booklet).
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Marty Stuart: Ghost Train: The Studio B Sessions

"Marty Stuart took home the Grammy on Sunday for Best Country Instrumental Performance for Hummingbyrd from his disc, 'Ghost Train: The Studio B Sessions.' Stuart was not at the ceremony, which was held before the prime time event on television" (Country Standard Time, 2/13/11).
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Lutoslawski's Last Concert

"Naxos has just released a recording of the last public concert conducted by the great Polish composer Witold Lutoslawski (1913-94), who led Toronto's superb New Music Concerts Ensemble in such compelling works as 'Partita' and 'Chain 2,' both mini violin concertos performed confidently by Fujiko Imajishi. As the anti-Soviet Solidarity movement bloomed in his native land in the nineteen-eighties, the composer, who prized mathematical precision, allowed a startlingly sensual lyricism to enter his music. The resulting style, both noble and accessible, remains an elegant rebuke to the ignorance and brutality of unchecked power" (Russell Platt, "Classical Notes," New Yorker, 1/31/11, p. 17).
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Take a Look: Aretha Franklin Complete on Columbia

"From the summer of 1960, when 18-year-old Aretha Franklin made her first Columbia recordings, until January 1967, when she cut her torrid Atlantic debut, 'I Never Loved a Man (The Way That I Love You),' the Queen of Soul was royalty in waiting. Her many producers at Columbia (including John Hammond, who signed her to the label) tried hard to frame and wrangle Franklin's holy spirit, tortured heart and operatic force, mistaking her natural vocal power for a crossover gift — from the church to jazz, show tunes and pop covers — instead of a turning point. But the stirring can be heard all over these 11 CDs, cutting through the shimmer and the sweetening in the funky impatience of 'Won't Be Long' from 1960, Franklin's poised-R&B command in 1964's 'Runnin' Out of Fools,' and 'I'll Keep on Smiling,' from the same year, co-written by the singer and an earthy preview of her Atlantic destiny. A DVD in this set has five TV clips from '64" (David Fricke, "Reviews," Rolling Stone, 3/31/11, p. 66).
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Handel: Theodora (Amor Artis, Johannes Somary)

"Johannes Somary, the founder and music director of Amor Artis, a chorus and orchestra that for the last half-century has presented neglected choral masterpieces, primarily from the Baroque and Classical periods, died on Feb. 1 in the Bronx. ... Mr. Somary, an organist, composer and conductor, formed Amor Artis in response to the disbanding of the American Concert Choir, a chorus and orchestra created by the conductor Margaret Hillis. As an experiment, he and the group’s manager, Milton Goldin, staged the first complete performance in the United States of the Handel oratorio 'Esther' at Town Hall in April 1961. A rousing reception encouraged Mr. Somary (pronounced so-MAHR-ee) to form Amor Artis. ... In the 1970’s, the Amor Artis Chorale made the first recordings of the Handel oratorios 'Theodora' and 'Jeptha' with the English Chamber Orchestra" (William Grimes, "Johannes Somary, Conductor of Neglected Works, Dies at 75," New York Times, 2/8/11).
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Mike Watt: Hyphenated-Man

"The bassist and bandleader Mike Watt, who once played in the great Southern California punk band the Minutemen and now spends half his life on the road with five different groups, turned 53 in December. ... 'I had this need to write about this period in my life,' he said. ... The subtext of the resulting album, 'Hyphenated-Man,' is a fragmented self-portrait: 'a mirror busted up in 30 pieces,' as he put it. But on the surface it’s a detailed description of 30 different characters painted by Hieronymus Bosch. ... The songs on 'Hyphenated-Man' start and stop without much throat clearing: sung in Mr. Watt’s stern sea-chanty voice and threaded with his strong bass lines, they’re bizarre, taut and precise, with a pared-down sound. ... Growing up in Navy housing about three miles north of where he lives now, Mr. Watt read the World Book encyclopedia in alphabetical order. He stumbled on the Netherlandish artist Bosch ... in the second volume" (Ben Ratliff, "The Midlife Thing, the Nightmare Thing," New York Times, 2/27/11).
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Mozart: Piano Concertos Nos. 23 (K488) and 24 (K491)

"On 24 March 1786 ... Mozart entered the Concerto in C minor, K491 in his catalogue. ... The expressive world of the opening movement is shaped above all by the first subject, with its dramatic leaps of a seventh and its lamenting chromatic lines. The Larghetto in E flat is a rondo where Mozart's treatment of the woodwind and horns is particularly striking. In the episodes in C minor and A flat major they almost form a second orchestra. ... Different instrumental groups are also clearly distinguished in the finale. A march-like theme of short, clipped phrases is elaborated and developed contrapuntally in five minor-key variations. Two major-key variations offer temporary brightness, but the coda clings resolutely to the minor key right up to the last chord — something that even the finale of the D minor concerto, K466 had not done. It is a conclusion that runs totally counter to the expectations of a period that was still adding a happy ending onto even the most tragic operatic plot" (CD notes by Jürgen Ostmann). View catalog record here!

Hour of 13: The Ritualist

"Hour Of 13 is a duo made up of vocalist, lyricist and Connecticut resident Phil Swanson and multi-instrumentalist Chad Davis, who lives in North Carolina. Swanson has sung for a variety of local bands over the years (including Nightbitch). This re-mastered re-issue of their second record — now on an internationally distributed powerhouse metal label — was originally released overseas and available here only as a pricey import. The album is very dark and twisted doom-flavored heavy metal that draws on such influences as Pentagram, Black Sabbath and Witchfinder General. Swanson provides the powerhouse vocals, while Davis cooks up a musical gumbo that pays homage to the greats of the genre while not copying them. Both contribute inspired performances. This is a great re-introduction to an excellent underground metal band. Can’t wait to see what comes next" (Thomas Pizzola, "Local CDs," New Haven Advocate, 1/27/11).
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Brahms: The Cello Sonatas

"Brahms gave his cello sonatas the title of 'Sonatas for Piano and Violoncello' — a clear indication that he regarded the piano as the equal of the other instrument, not as an accompanist. This equally demands players who are each other's peers, and ready to place the highest standards of technique and musicianship at the service of a mutual cause. Mstislav Rostropovich, too, emphasized this aspect when talking of his collaboration with Rudolf Serkin. ... 'I heard the name of Rudolf Serkin for the first time in 1956, after my first concert at Carnegie Hall in New York. One critic, among a lot of complimentary remarks ... said that I looked like Rudolf Serkin. Of course, I wanted at once to meet him, but that did not happen until 1960, at the Edinburgh Festival. Since then we have been dear friends, but because of our engagements this recording of the Brahms Sonatas is the first time — after more than twenty years — that we have had the chance to play chamber music together" (CD notes by Juliane Ribke).
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Junior Wells: Best of the Vanguard Years

"Ahhh, yes, the Summer of '69. ... In July and August, The Museum of Modern Art in midtown Manhattan was having a small music festival in the sculpture garden a few times a week. Most of the artists booked were very high brow Avant Garde or Jazz. But, one night they had a show representing the Indigenous Music of America... The Blues. The band that night... Junior Wells, vocals and harp... Buddy Guy, guitar... Louie Myers, bass... Fred Below, drums. How to explain who these guys were? How about the Blues equivalent of The Who or Led Zeppelin? This was a Blues Virtuoso Supergroup. Musicians of staggering innovation, musicality, charisma, originality. 'Junior Wells - The Vanguard Years' is the CD to grab to get a taste of these four... especially for the tracks cut live at Pepper's Lounge in Chicago about two years earlier. ... Blues played at a level of unparalleled virtuosity" (Binky Philips, "Seeing and Not Seeing Jimi Hendrix," Huffington Post, 3/17/11).

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Jonsi: Go

"A vocalist and guitarist in the Icelandic rock band Sigur Ros, Jonsi Birgisson’s intense, otherworldly howls are a big part of the reason Sigur Ros earns so many comparisons to its glacier-laden homeland. Jonsi recently released his solo debut, 'Go' (XL), which is a dense and celestial affair" (Amanda Petrusich, "Pop and Rock Listings," New York Times, 11/4/10).
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Graham Parker: Imaginary Television

"MR: Graham, you released your twentieth album last year, Imaginary Television. Twenty albums. GP: I guess it's around there. There are so many compilations and live albums, but I guess it's about twenty studio albums. MR: And 2001's Deepcut To Nowhere was voted one of the ten best albums of the year by Sound and Vision magazine. Through the years, whenever there is a new Graham Parker album, eyes and ears and critics continue to be attentive. GP: There's not that many now, actually. Yeah, I guess so, I still get enough attention that people are interested in and that's a good thing. It all seems to be online now, I guess that's nothing to worry about now, is it. I used to call it the Gulag of reviews, being online. But nothing seems to make the papers anymore for me, it seems that's the way it is. MR: Times change. GP: But it's good though. I keep bashing away and making records. ... It just keeps rolling along" (Mike Ragogna, "A Guitar Hero, Guinness, GP, and 'Single Girls,'" Huffington Post, 3/3/11).
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