In Rotation: April 2006

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Rustavi Ensemble: Georgian Sacred Music	Glenn Gould: Bach, The Two and Three Part Inventions	Steve Reich: Tehillim	Andy Bey:American Song	Glenn Kotche: Mobile

Have you heard the album by Wilco's drummer Glenn Kotche yet? You must, right away. If you have ever found yourself thinking that non-classical musicians are somehow less sophisticated, ponder this: "For solo performances ... I play Reich's 'Music for Pieces of Wood,' which is for quintet. I loop one part and each of my limbs plays one of the other parts."

Our New Orleans 2005: A Benefit Album	Philip Glass: Les Enfants Terribles	Bjork: Drawing Restraint 9	Jamie Lidell: Multiply	Jamie Lidell: Muddlin Gear

I couldn't have been more than 20 feet away from Jamie Lidell at his solo show at the Great American Music Hall, and as much as I've enjoyed the album, his live performance is unREAL. This goofy, lanky white guy in a raincoat is up there all by his lonesome building complex electronic architectures on the fly through samples and loops of his voice (among other things), and then after the underlay has been woven he starts wailing soul-inflected vocal lines on top of it all, and looking like he's having a blast doing it. It would have been a perfect evening if it weren't for the crazy ho smacking everyone in the face with her flailing arms, calling people fat and yelling in the middle of songs, "I bought a ticket and I can stand wherever I fucking want!"  Um, no, you heinous bitch; if you're going to block my view of Jamie Lidell, believe me, I will let you know.

Matthew Herbert Big Band: Goodbye Swingtime	New York Voices: Sing! Sing! Sing!	Bjork: Selmasongs	Sweeney Todd (2005 Broadway Revival Cast)	Sweeney Todd (1979 Original Broadway Cast)

I saw Patti Lupone do Mrs Lovett with the SF Symphony a few seasons back, and found it amusing that she couldn't quite decide if she was Cockney or a New York Jew. But I love her just the same, in that is-this-a-trainwreck-or-not? sort of way. Yet, after finally listening to this new Sweeney recording, I was surprised that the most memorable characterization came from Michael Cerveris as Sweeney. I think this is the only performance of Mr Todd I've heard that's effectively sung, rather than bellowed or yelled. Perhaps I should save up the pennies for a ticket during my July visit...

Steve Reich: You Are (Variations)	Raymond Scott: Reckless Nights and Turkish Twilights	Stephen Stubbs: Teatro Lirico	Kaija Saariaho: Du cristal, ...à la Fumée, Nymphea	Danish Natl Radio Chamber Choir: Masters of 20th Century A Cappella

Lute music is not my usual thing, but this Stephen Stubbs recording was a very pleasant surprise. A shout out to the eminent Sir W- for the introduction.

The Books: The Lemon of Pink	The Books: Lost and Safe	Prefuse 73: Reads The Books E.P.	Prefuse 73: Security Screenings	Björk: Vespertine

Aaaaaaaaaa! The Books!!! I don't really know how I completely missed the boat on The Books, but in one day I heard raves about the Books from three different non-SF sources, and discovered that they had a sold-out show in SF that same night. Now I am a total Books convert, and can only bemoan missing what someone called "the best show [she'd] ever seen." Sigh.

Krystian Zimerman: Préludes (Debussy)

A quick postlude regarding the Zimerman performance that OMC guest-blogged about: please, if you are a pianist, do not play along at piano recitals by wiggling your fingers on your program. I understand, you are a knowledgeable pianist. I truly believe you know this Mozart sonata by heart. But... please.

Comments

[Michael]

Tehillim, You Are and Sweeney in rotation here too!

I thought the S.F. Symphony Sweeney was brilliant, despite Patti Lupone's irritating tendency to hold the final note of every phrase at her pleasure, even on dry, short words like "bit". Haven't heard the 2005 cast yet. Shame on me.

[vilaine fille]

vilaine fille, too, is listening muchly to "Judy at Carnegie Hall." The countdown has begun! :D

[DJA]

Indeed. Glenn's a fucking mutant. I have pics from his BOAC Marathon hit on ye olde blogge.

And I have to grin at the idea of smug classical musicians thinking they have nothing to learn from nonclassical players, when the overwhelming majority of classically-trained instrumentalists (especially pianists and string players) can't even play basic 4/4 syncopations accurately, let alone putting them in the pocket. Glenn brings a rhythmic authority to Reich's music that is sorely lacking in most "legit" Reich performances.

[M. C-]

mk: as a friend used to say about bernadette peters, it is precisely the tics that i hate that make me love her so. you should hear the new recording; it is truly creepy in its chamber musicness.

vf: let it be known that i have seriously considered flying out to ny midweek for one night. why can't he do this in san francisco?!? oh that's right, san francisco is lame, and the closest we come to carnegie hall is DAVIES. *sigh*

dja: 'mutant' is fucking right. i put on that album having absolutely no expectations one way or the other, and my head just about exploded.

[vilaine fille]

San Francisco is lame? PSHAW. SF (e.g. The Fillmore) went Rufolicious back in 1999, and probably even earlier.

I think the evening is going to be *interesting.* In many cases, I honestly can't imagine how he's going to wrap that lurching, adenoidal yawp of his around those particular tunes, though I expect and will be rooting for a triumph.

You know which album he really has to cover? "Only the Lonely," uh huh.

Bises, v.f.

[M. C-]

ok, it's 6/14. i await your report with baited breath, vf.

san francisco, open your golden gate...