Review

Classical Album Review: “Americans” — Bernstein, Ives, Barber, and Crawford

July 6, 2021
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Americans is a winningly-programmed, strongly-realized effort.

Album Review: Juan Cirerol’s “Punk Feeling” — Mexicali’s Poet of Poverty Returns

July 5, 2021
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Jaun Cirerol has been accused of idealizing desperation. He disagrees. “I am well-anchored,” he responds.

Arts Remembrance: Pianist-Composer Frederic Rzewski

July 5, 2021
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I consider composer Frederick Rzewski the most profound and persistent explorer of how to address injustice through the use of sophisticated compositional tools.

Film Review: “Summer of Soul” — A Classic Concert Resurrected

July 4, 2021
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Summer of Soul is two hours of rapturous entertainment and pointed political commentary — neither of which has gone out of style 52 years later.

Film Review: This Year’s Tribeca Film Festival Documentaries — From Leonardo da Vinci to Rick James

July 4, 2021
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The Tribeca Film Festival wrapped last week — here’s a selection of the most promising documentaries on view.

Jazz Album Review: John McLaughlin’s “Liberation Time” — Driven by the Spirit

July 4, 2021
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To my ears, veteran guitarist John McLaughlin is both a jazz and a rock player, and more besides.

Television Review: Bo Burnham’s “Inside” — A Hall of Mirrors

June 30, 2021
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Bo Burnham deserves kudos for calling himself out on his own bullshit. But that doesn’t absolve him of seriously confronting the problem of excessive self-consciousness, especially nowadays.

Classical Album Review: “A Sicilian Traveller” — Exploring Different Corners of the Globe

June 30, 2021
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Cellist Alessio Pianelli’s playing is songful and lovely. The Avos Chamber Orchestra — essentially a student orchestra — imbues their performances with a confidence and surety that is inspiring.

Classical Album Review: Augustin Hadelich plays Bach

June 29, 2021
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The most striking thing about violinist Augustin Hadelich’s approach to these Bach pieces is his emphasis on the music’s dancing line.

Jazz Album Review: “Merci Miles! Live at Vienne” — Of Historic as well as Musical Value

June 28, 2021
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Davis solos less on Merci Miles than I wish he had, but he plays with precision, taste, and expression.

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