There are some smartly colored and well-handled performances here, but it’s hard to get past the recording’s unsatisfactory acoustics.
Music
Opera Album Review: Croatia’s Best-Known Opera, “Ero the Joker” — Folk Fun and Games
Croatia’s best-known Opera is like The Bartered Bride or a lighter-spirited Porgy and Bess: tuneful, engaging, and stageworthy.
Book Review: Nashville Songwriter Aimee Mayo is “Talking to the Sky”
Nashville songwriter Aimee Mayo’s memoir offers an eye-opening perspective on the problematic treatment of women in the country music industry.
Folk/Pop Album Review: “The Burnt Pines” — Seamless Cross-Cultural Chemistry
This surprisingly seamless record belies its logistical shuffles and players’ cultural differences with a relaxed sonic identity.
Rock Album Review: Viagra Boys’ “Welfare Jazz” — Macho Bluster, Satirized
On Welfare Jazz, Viagra Boys succeed through their skillful manipulation of pure bombast, spurred on by haywire grooves as well as plenty of oversized personality.
Music Review/Interview: Foxes & Fossils — 50 Million YouTube Views Can’t Be Wrong
Even though they are a cover band, Foxes and Fossils’ performances are fresh and delightful. While faithful to the originals, they are not slavish imitations.
Opera Album Review: Donizetti’s Teacher Takes Center Stage — Mayr’s “I Cherusci”
This splendid world-premiere recording proves that, as an opera composer, Johann Simon Mayr had “the whole package.”
Classical Album Review: Jasper & Jupiter Quartets play Mendelssohn, Visconti, and Golijov
This joint album from the Jupiter String Quartet and Jasper String Quartet is striking for its backstory but really memorable for its smart program and fine execution.
Book Review: “What, and Give Up Showbiz?” — The Busy Life of Boston Impresario Fred Taylor
Boston’s Fred Taylor was by turns (and often simultaneously) a recording engineer, promo man, artist manager, talent scout, press agent, newspaper columnist, concert promoter, club manager, nightclub owner, restaurant, and movie house owner.
Jazz Album Review: Dave Stryker’s “Baker’s Circle” — Welcoming the Past
This is a well-rounded session of disciplined, well-crafted composing and soloing, with established and up-and-coming players mixing it up with style and commitment.