When There Are No Words presents six pieces written between 1936 and 1980 by composers responding (at least seemingly) to contemporaneous political events and situations.
Music
Classical Album Review: “Opalescent” from the Los Angeles Guitar Quartet
Opalescent’s overriding aspect is celebratory – but from a variety of angles.
Jazz Album Review: Chet Baker Trio’s “Live in Paris”
Live in Paris: The Radio France Recordings 1983-1984 is an example of solid, appealing late Chet Baker, doing what he did best with standards and the occasional original.
Book Review: “Every Good Boy Does Fine” — A Career in Music, Elucidated With Brilliance
Pianist Jeremy Denk is a sensitive and articulate polymath who can elucidate his ideas about music with wit, humor, and style.
Rock Album Review: The Gravel Project — An Impressive Musical Reach
The Gravel Project respects its roots, but its new album demonstrates how a band can honor its influences without being smothered by them.
Jazz Album Review: Ornette Coleman — Very Much the “Genesis of Genius”
Ornette Coleman turned to me and said, “You know, you can never really be out of tune. You are always in tune with something.”
Album Review: “Mingus: The Lost Album from Ronnie Scott’s” — A Rich Centennial Treat
The centenary of bassist/composer Charles Mingus’ birthday is days away and I am listening to the beautifully packaged and processed and richly annotated 3 lps of Mingus’s Lost Album, recorded live at Ronnie Scott’s London club in 1972.
Music Commentary: Jazz, Ed Sullivan, and Television
These performances on The Ed Sullivan Show occurred almost exclusively between 1957 and 1964 and that’s not happenstance. They coincide with the only slice of time when different styles of jazz ever got a significant airing on television.
Opera Album Review: The Boston Early Music Festival — One of the Best Recordings Ever of a Baroque Opera
The Boston Early Music Festival returns in person — and in a world-premiere recording of a German Baroque opera.
Concert Review: Big Thief at Roadrunner
Big Thief is a largely somber folk-rock outfit fronted by introspective singer/songwriter Adrianne Lenker that doesn’t care much about showmanship.