There’s much to admire in If There Are Mountains, modulated pathos as well as subtle joys.
Music
Concert Review: Ticket to Park — Johnny A Plays the British Invasion Songbook at the Tupelo Drive-In
A by-the-carload ticket gets you a spot in the Tupelo Music Hall parking lot and an empty space next to it.
Arts Commentary: The Music Biz — When Difficult Becomes Dire
The advantage of localism enjoyed by a club down the block disappears in cyberspace.
Rock Review: Jade Hairpins — Cruising Down “Harmony Avenue”
In the spirit of its mischievous name, Jade Hairpins never takes itself all that seriously, and that is all to the good. Why dampen eccentricity this joyful with any reservations?
Rap Album Review: “Run the Jewels 4” — Heart, Wit, and Rage
Too many hip-hop artists stick to defined lanes, but Run the Jewels aspire to run rampant, with a growing sophistication as well as heart, wit, and rage.
Opera CD Review: Spontini’s Wacky Comic Opera, in Which Nothing Is as It Seems
Metamorfosi is a marvelously effective and amusing one-act opera that would suit college opera workshops splendidly.
Jazz CD Review: Cory Smythe’s “Accelerate Every Voice” — Densely Layered; Simultaneously Music and Cryptic Puzzle
This is virtuosity-driven chamber music with fluctuating levels of oxygen, shadows, and light.
Opera CD Review: An Album of Beethoven Arias? Soprano Chen Reiss’s Imaginative New Solo Disc Pulls it Off
Immortal Beloved is a CD that will appeal to lovers of fine singing and to people curious about some hidden corners of Beethoven’s output.
Jazz Album Review: Wolfgang Muthspiel’s Superb “Angular Blues”
The precision and inventiveness of Angular Blues more than meets our high expectations for this terrific trio.
Jazz Album Reviews: Matthew Shipp and Whit Dickey — Unrepentant Proponents of Free Jazz
Decades on, Matthew Shipp and Whit Dickey have grown into mature models of how to keep the faith when following an idiosyncratic muse.