Music
Recently, some artists have come out of the closet and put their prog hearts on their sleeves with new recordings that celebrate the heyday of progressive rock.
These two superb new releases were both recorded at a former fire station in Connecticut.
The album features seven tracks played by five different groups fronted or co-led by guitarist John McLaughlin.
The record companies are bringing us unsuspected marvels from past and present that we might otherwise never hear, from astonishing Handel-era works and brand-new American pieces to elegantly performed guitar sonatas from 19th Century Vienna.
Some substantial works by composer Felix Mendelssohn remain overlooked.
“I may second guess how a song was recorded. But I can say that all that we have done has come from an honest place.”
Cellist Nicolas Altstaed’s recording features a fascinating pairing of pieces by Salonen and Ravel, a stirring reminder of the mysterious powers of common origins and creative invention. Don’t miss it.
I have heard many recordings of Bach’s work, but none had the vibrancy of what I heard in Jeremy Denk’s Sunday concert.
For all his verbal ingenuity, rousing chord progressions, and cynical smartass wit, Elvis Costello’s always tucked a raw, beating heart beneath his jaunty shades and devil-may-care grin.
Music Commentary: The Streaming Cesspool
When listeners outsource their listening to streaming organizations, as they commonly do, they are often directed to music that has been selected to fatten up someone’s bottom line, not to enrich and expand their musical lives.
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