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Collage for American Music Festival Music CD picks

WNYC's American Music Festival Picks

All-Time Favorite Recordings of American Music

Festival 2005

» WNYC American Music Festival 2005


Studio 360 Host Kurt AndersonKurt Andersen, WNYC Host: Studio 360

> Talking Heads: 77
   (Warner Brothers 6036)
WNYC's Folksong Festival Host Oscar BrandOscar Brand, WNYC Host: Folksong Festival

> Oscar Brand: American Dreamer
   with the legendary Secret Band

At the risk of being called "egocentric" or "vain," I choose a CD called "American Dreamer," which features ME. I suppose I could lie and say that I think some other recording is better, but I've always been a straight shooter and I will not equivocate. It's "American Dreamer" three to one.
WNYC host Sara FishkoSara Fishko, Cultural Producer/Fishko Files

> George Antheil: Antheil Plays Antheil
   (Other Minds, OM 1003/1004-2)

I’m fascinated by George Antheil (1900-1059), the self-proclaimed “Bad Boy of Music.” I especially love the recordings of his music in the two-CD set on the “Other Minds” label. To listen to those pieces is to explore the thoroughly idiosyncratic world of this New Jersey-born composer-pianist-provocateur. There for your enjoyment are the haunting “Valentine Waltzes” (played by Antheil himself); the wacky Symphony no. 5, “Joyous;” the choral settings of Shelley fragments—and many other amusements. A bonus is a 1958 recorded interview with Antheil, in which he identifies himself as an “all-or-nothing musical idealist.” Indeed he was, and one-of-a kind.

> Virgil Thompson: Portraits and Other Works
   Jaqueline Helin, piano
   (New World Records, 80429-2)

Virgil Thomson used to create musical “portraits” of his friends and acquaintances, both known and obscure. People used to stop by his rooms at the Chelsea Hotel—where he was in residence for much of his life—and “sit” for him, and he’d compose away. Many of these pieces were recorded by pianist Jacquelyn Helin in 1993, and the recording is still available from New World Records—and is still fascinating. There’s a special piece for Eugene Ormandy’s birthday, and one for Dennis Russell Davies (“In a Hammock”) and plenty of others, attempting to capture the subject in 55 seconds...or 2 minutes... they’re all very brief. Thompson’s charming “2-Part Inventions” and other works are also on the CD. Nice listening, and a glimpse into Thompson’s very spare aesthetic.
Ed Haber, WNYC Senior Concert EngineerEd Haber, WNYC Senior Concert Engineer

> Bill Monroe: “Sitting Alone In The Moonlight”

I’m selecting one song, rather than an album or a CD—really as representative of Bill Monroe’s music of the 1950’s. (“Sitting Alone In The Moonlight” was written by Bill Monroe and was recorded on January 19, 1954. It was available on the MCA 4-cd box set: The Music of Bill Monroe From 1936 To 1994, MCA-4-11048.) Bill Monroe is perhaps unique in the annals of American music as having literally created a style or genre of music—bluegrass. Most people probably think of bluegrass as ancient, but in reality it was a 20th century construct. On “Sitting Alone In The Moonlight” you can hear bluegrass’ source in old-time traditional music, but you can also hear the blues that Bill Monroe brought into the music in the swing of the music and in the fiddle playing; and even in the shortest mandolin solo, Monroe’s playing is so powerful and in many ways very modern. The simplicity of the song’s form—one verse repeated twice bridged by one short solo—still allowed for an openness and a freedom to the playing, which was characteristic of Monroe’s 1950’s bands. And it’s one of the lonesomest songs ever.

> Peter Ivers’ Band with Yolande Bavan: Knight Of The Blue Communion
(Epic Records, BN-26500, 1970 – never issued on cd as far as I know)

This music never changed the world and probably had no impact on anybody else’s music—but I find it extraordinary, an album I come back to year in and year out. I describe it as “Schoenberg meets Howling Wolf,” but that’s not meant to be taken literally. Peter Ivers’ music on this record uses avant-garde classical patterns and sounds and sets them off against his own Chicago blues based harmonica playing and Yolande Bavan’s jazz vocal styles (she’s a singer and actress from Sri Lanka, still best known for replacing Annie Ross in Lambert, Hendricks, and Ross). With a strong rock rhythm section and elements of jazz free improv thrown in, it’s amazing that the concept is not overwhelmed by the individual elements involved. In fact, it’s all exceptionally coherent and remarkably joyful. (Peter Ivers went on to record several perhaps more conventional song albums, none of which were nearly as successful artistically as Knight Of The Blue Communion.)
Margaret Juntwait, WNYC HostMargaret Juntwait, WNYC Host: Evening Music with Margaret Juntwait

> Conlon Nancarrow: Studies for Player Piano
   (Wergo #6168)

I don’t know if Nancarrow was trying to make people laugh with his works for player piano, but they are certainly full of joy, even when somber. The tunings, the speed, the clinky timbre, keep an appreciative smile on my face as I listen.

> Dick Katz: Three Way Play
   (Reservoir Records #127 )

One of Dick Katz’s best efforts. His delicate touch and elegance are what make him so admired by jazz cognoscenti (and by this daughter-in-law).
WNYC host Brian LehrerBrian Lehrer, WNYC Host: The Brian Lehrer Show

> Morton Gould: West Point Symphony
   Frederick Fennell conducting
   the Eastman Wind Ensemble
   (Philips #434320)

This is not my all-time favorite album of American music or the one I listen to most frequently. I'm much more likely to head for Miles, Reich, Zorn or Byrne on any given day. But this is a preservation pick. I wanted to give a nod to a dying art form that I grew up with as a flute player—concert band music. Writing for an orchestra without strings, Morton Gould was able to touch every emotion and conjure a stirring variety of sounds and colors that only a wind ensemble can produce. Playing this music—surrounded by dozens of other wind players—and hearing Gould conduct his own band repertoire at Lincoln Center in the early 90s, were some of my most personal and memorable musical highs. I hope to share the joy and pass them on.
Leonard Lopate, WNYC HostLeonard Lopate, WNYC Host: The Leonard Lopate Show

> Thelonious Monk: Mysterioso
   (with Milt Jackson)
   (Riverside OJCCD-206-2)

Monk was a wonderful composer ("Round Midnight, Reflections, Little Rootie Tootie, etc.) What makes Mysterioso so striking is that, although it sounds almost Bach-ian, it's actually a blues. And in this performance, there's a charming interplay in the playing of the melody—the alternation between the piano and the vibes.

> Duke Ellington: "Cotton Tail"
   (with Ben Webster)
   Duke Ellington & His Orchestra
   (Storyville Records 2043)

Although this is not one of Duke's most famous compositions, if you listen closely, you notice that it has a marvelously complex structure. And the fact that Ben Webster's solo is just fabulous, doesn't hurt.

> Coleman Hawkins: Body and Soul
   (Rca 68515)

The essence of jazz: an improvisation from the very first note. And the way he takes us through this well-known standard is comparable to some of the finest variations on a theme in classical music.

> Bill Evans Trio: Waltz for Debby
   (with Scott LaFaro and Paul Motian)
   (Ojc 210)

Practically everything Bill Evans recorded with this amazing trio was extraordinary...as was most of what he recorded without them. His chord voicings are always surprising, intense, and yet lyrical.

> J. Robert Bradley: "Poor Pilgrim of Sorrow"
   The Great Gospel Men
   (Shanachie Records 6005)

Although Bradley's gorgeous bass-baritone led him to pursue a career as a concert artist (singing Lieder and operatic arias), when he sang gospel, he was a peerless master of the slurs and moans of traditional Baptist singing.

> Marion Williams: "The Day is Past and Gone"
   The Gospel Sound
   (Sony 57160)

In this amazing performance, Marion Williams transforms this Dr. Watts hymn about death into the finest gospel art song. It was appropriate that not long before HER death, she was awarded a MacArthur Foundation "genius" grant.

> Mahalia Jackson: "These Are They"
   Queen of Gospel – Mahalia Jackson
   (Music Club 50027)

The marriage of Mahalia Jackson's magnificent voice at its peak with a Rev. W. Herbert Brewster composition. (He composed a number of her early hits.) This one begins in a slow, deliberative way and then explodes into thrilling up-tempo choruses.
Margo McLean, Interactive Producer, Music and Culture ContentMargo McLean, Interactive Producer, Music & Culture Content

> Samuel Barber: "Knoxville, Summer of 1915"
   Leontyne Price Sings Barber
   (RCA Victor Gold Seal 61983)

This recording of Leontyne Price singing Samuel Barber's "Knoxville, Summer of 1915" is my favorite—heartrending, gloriously sung and unforgettable. A setting for soprano and orchestra of an adaptation of James Agee's nostalgic prose poem, this masterpiece is perhaps now more poignant than ever in its feeling of loss and childhood in America.

> Bill Evans: Conversations with Myself
   (Verve 521 409)

I marvel every time I listen to this album originally recorded by pianist Bill Evans in 1963. A friend who much more recently introduced me to this treasure of American jazz, described Evan's playing of "Spartacus Love Theme" as still the most beautiful music he's ever heard. He's right—it's loving, lyrical and gorgeous. Three of the pieces are based on tunes written by Thelonius Monk; in others Evans improvises and swings on American show tunes of the 50s. The last piece is an improvisation on a song by Harold Arlen, "A Sleepin' Bee," and it is sheer magic and full of surprise. The one original composition by Evans, "N.Y.C.'s No Lark," is an almost unbearably sad and beautiful piece—aptly beginning with an infusion of Debussy—about New York. The story behind the recording is that Evans recorded three tracks for each song separately: he'd tape the first, then wear headphones to listen while adding the second, then weave in a third. What you hear is him playing three pianos at once (although the song "Blue Monk" is a 2-track duet) which makes it seem almost classical. It's exquisite. And the CD is beautifully packaged with the designs of the original LP.
WNYC Executive Producer for Music and CultureElena Park, WNYC Executive Producer for Music & Culture

> John Adams: Harmonium
   Part of John Adams Earbox (10-CD set)
   (Nonesuch 79453-2)

Incredible settings of poetry by John Donne and Emily Dickinson. When the chorus sings “I never stoop’d so low,” I feel like the skies have gently and gracefully parted. From the solemn dirge of Dickinson’s “Because I Could Not Stop for Death” to the unbridled ferocity of her “Wild Nights,” it’s a remarkable half-hour ride.

> Cassandra Wilson: New Moon Daughter
   (Blue Note 36821)

Familiar songs such as U2’s “Love is Blindness,” Neil Young’s “Harvest Moon” and Son House’s “Death Letter” become completely different experiences in the hands of Cassandra Wilson. Surprising, unusual arrangements showcase her haunting, smoky voice. A killer band delivers covers and her original tunes with great seductiveness and elegance. (I always skip track one, though; who needs to hear a cover of “Strange Fruit”?)
WNYC's George PrestonGeorge Preston, WNYC Music Director

> "American Anthem" from Ragtime to Art Song
   (EMI Classics 73160)

I’m going with “American Anthem” by baritone Nathan Gunn. From ragtime to folk song to art song, Nathan Gunn upholds the great tradition of the American Baritone in this collection, beautifully accompanied by Kevin Murphy.
WNYC host John SchaefferJohn Schaefer, WNYC Host: New Sounds, Soundcheck and New Sounds Live

> The Velvet Underground:
   The Velvet Underground and Nico
   (Polydor/Pgd #531250)

This one tops runners-up Talking Heads, The Pixies, and Nirvana because none of them would’ve been what they became without Lou Reed and company’s unprecedented blow to the head of American pop.

> Frank Sinatra: Frank Sinatra Sings For Only The Lonely
   (Capitol #94756)

Quite possibly the greatest coming together of American popular song, singer, and arranger ever. All these years later, the album still reeks of stale beer, deserted pavements, and the city that never sleeps—but wishes it could. As much a true song cycle as anything Schubert or Schumann ever did.
Jonathan Schwartz photoJonathan Schwartz, WNYC Host: The Saturday Show and The Sunday Show

> Sinatra: In the Wee Small Hours
   (EMI-Capitol 94755)

This pick is from Jonathan Schwartz, who knows Sinatra like no one else.
Irene Trudel - Soundcheck’s Technical Director/Senior Concerts EngineerIrene Trudel, Soundcheck’s Technical Director/Senior Concerts Engineer

> Miles Davis: Kind of Blue

Without question, my enduring favorite, Miles Davis's "Kind of Blue" is the one album that spends the least amount of time shelved in my house. I'd call this one a "universal" jazz album because of its accessibility. Nearly everybody I play it for enjoys it. From a historical perspective, it was a very important release because its stylistic difference influenced the way people thought about jazz. The performances are simple and direct, without excessive flash, and everyone in Miles' ensemble seems to take turns laying back to groove on the other musicians' solos. It takes me to a most comfortable place every time I hear it.

> The Mothers of Invention: We're Only In It for the Money

Upon my first hearing, it absolutely twisted my thoughts about music completely inside out. It proved for me that pop music could be far more substantial than mere three-minute love songs. Frank Zappa's musical vision here is wacky, complex, hummable, chock full o' social commentary dealt with in a brilliantly satirical manner. Totally irreverent and funny—I used to have the whole thing memorized, I loved it so much!

> Tim Buckley: Goodbye and Hello

When I first heard this lush 8-minute epic on the radio in my early listening days I found it unforgettable. The title was an unknown because the station airing it (WABC-FM, later WPLJ) had no announcers for its automated format. Years later in college I found others who had discovered and been heavily influenced by Tim Buckley's gorgeous tenor, his 12-string guitar picking and "asymmetrical" strumming. Half the tunes are Tim's own with faintly psychedelic embellishments, the other half co-written by lyricist Larry Beckett. Buckley set Beckett's anti-establishment screed to music in the title tune on this 1967 release which an elaborate orchestral arrangement by Joshua Rifkin (uncredited on the album).

> Linda Perhacs: Parallelograms

Simply a gorgeous folk album which may have never enjoyed widespread release. The story I'd heard was Kapp Records, which put the album out, folded and all copies I'd ever seen were either "cut-outs" or stamped "Promo Only." Perhacs' singing is lovely and inventive, and the musicians (some top-notch California session players of the time) complement the songs with tasteful, spare arrangements. I remember hearing the title cut, "Parallelograms," a gentle psychedelic tone-poem played on the radio every so often. In the late 80's a friend gave me a copy and I instantly fell in love. By then Linda had become quite the mystery woman. The album was released in 1970 but Perhacs had virtually disappeared. Many of my record collector acquaintances tried to track her down. One finally succeeded and reissued this gem on CD in 2003.
WNYC Music Librarian Janet WaggenerJanet Waggener, WNYC Music Librarian

> The Chamber Music of Aaron Copland
   (Arabesque 6794)

This fine two-CD set offers all of the published chamber music (for up to six players) of one of America’s all-time favorite composers, Aaron Copland. It presents them in chronological order, so listeners so inclined can follow and appreciate how Copland’s artistry evolved over the scope of his entire creative career. As the notes to this CD point out, this might have been called “The Unknown Copland.” Curious about that remark, I searched the web, and for two pieces, Movement for String Quartet and Prelude for Piano Trio, there are no other available performances. Two Pieces for Violin and Piano has one other version, and the “Two Threnodies,” only two. The other works, such as “Vitebsk,” the Violin Sonata, and the Duo for Flute and Piano fare better, with several good choices.

Apart from the relative paucity of recordings, the performances by the members of Copland House, clarinetist Derek Bermel, pianist Michael Boriskin, flutist Paul Lustig Dunkel, violinist Nicolas Kitchen, and cellist Wilhelmina Smith are superb. Excellent guest soloists join in when required, the Boromeo String Quartet performing both the Movement and the Two Pieces for Strings Quartet. The Quartet for Piano and Strings, seldom programmed, is Copland’s first extended attempt at 12-tone composition, but no need to fear! The work is compelling, evocative, and listenable; the final movement, in which the tune of “Three Blind Mice” weaves mysteriously in and out, is eerie and disturbing.
Soundcheck producer Brian WiseBrian Wise, Associate Producer, Soundcheck

> Copland: Symphony No. 3
   New York Philharmonic, Leonard Bernstein
   (Deutsche Grammophon 419170)

Copland’s Third Symphony is widely regarded as the greatest symphony by any American composer, and for good reason. It’s big, colorful, dramatic music, from the brassy first movement to the appearance of “Fanfare for the Common Man” in the last movement, which sounds far less clichéd in this context. Bernstein and the New York Phil are in peak mid-‘80s form here, and as a bonus, the disc has a eloquent version of “Quiet City” featuring principal trumpet Phil Smith and English Horn player Thomas Stacy.

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