Thursday afternoon highlights:
Baroque
- Giuseppe Tartini: Violin Concerto, D.56 (Claudio Scimone & I Solisti Veneti) (Tender and melancholy.)
Chamber Music
- Franz Schubert: Piano Sonata in B major, D.575 (Wilhelm Kempff, piano) (I have yet to hear a Schubert piece I don't like. This piece has an appealing optimistic undercurrent, which doesn't surprise me.)
Folk Roots
- Elegy-The Kennedys (Movingly sung, with a Beatles-influenced, "Things We Said Today"-style guitar part. I was glad to hear one of my favorite soprano singers in Maura Kennedy segued with...)
- Like Molly Brown-Carrie Newcomer (...one of my favorite alto singers in Carrie Newcomer. Newcomer excels in writing and singing lyrics about perseverance, sensitivity, and making things fairer. She's still one of the most consistent artists I've ever heard. If you like one of her CDs, you'll likely enjoy all of her others.)
Jazz Masters
- Guess I'll Hang My Tears Out To Dry-Dexter Gordon (With such elegant, tuneful saxophone and piano accompaniment, this is one of the best ways to wallow in one's sorrows. This tune conjures up a mood similar to...)
- Here's That Rainy Day-Paul Desmond (...this one. Kudos to Stingray Music for pairing these two songs.)
- Sister Sadie-Horace Silver (A great joint-is-jumpin' showcase for piano, trumpet, and saxophone. Also recommended: Joey DeFrancesco's version, in which the organ carries the melody.)
Latin Lounge
- Nora Se Va-Bronx River Parkway (Nora is leaving? This is a strong cha-cha melody to use as one's exit theme.)
- Lado Este-Sara Valenzuela (An interesting collaboration between a breathy, whispery voice and a spacey instrumental backdrop.)
Soul Storm
- Brighter Days-Emeli Sande (Gospel-influenced lyrics sung with considerable conviction. Considering the not-so-great state of the world, I hope this promise of a better world comes true.)
