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Thrilling to the Ears & Easy on the Eyes
1 hour ago
Carole J. Bufford in speak easy. Metropolitan Room
Hearing Carole J. Bufford sing backed by Vince Giordano & the Nighthawks is a rare alignment of stars not to be missed. Chronicling the Prohibition Era through its music, speak easy. brings this bygone time of legal restraint and social release to life in a relevant manner that is laced with nostalgia but not dependent on it. Deep within Bufford's dazzling and somewhat puckish eyes is a spark that sets fire to the music that radiates from her. Exuding playful sexiness, her presence is well suited for this genre and her connection to it is displayed by her genuine grasp of every note.
Bufford sings with a sincerity that is hard to match, coinciding with every expression on her face, every movement of her body, and every fiber of her being. There is love in her voice for these songs and it is eagerly shared with her audience. »
- C. Jefferson Thom
Sviatoslav Richter's Teldec Recordings Reissued
16 hours ago
Sviatoslav Richter: The Teldec Recordings (Teldec/Warner Classics)
This three-cd set returns to print some fairly fascinating items from the discography of the most venerated pianist of his generation. It’s an import from England that’s distributed by Naxos; at its $24.99 list price, it’s a great bargain, and thus easily worth acquiring even if you already have one of its discs.
Baroque authenticists may sneer at Richter’s playing, on disc one, of J.S. Bach’s Piano Concertos in D major, Bwv 1054, and in G minor, Bwv 1058, accompanied by the Orchestra di Padova e del Veneto conducted by Yuri Bashmet. I enjoy it, with some qualification. Richter plays Bwv 1054 rather sternly, though with quiet elegance in the slow movement; in the outer movements, though, his rhythms are foursquare, lacking the vivacity we now expect in this repertoire, and though he does play a few ornaments, he’s pretty restrained in that department. »
- SteveHoltje
Nothing Like I Planned: The Art of John Mellencamp
27 May 2012 10:09 PM, PDT
Nothing Like I Planned: The Art of John Mellencamp Tennessee State Museum
John Mellencamp doesn't see himself as an activist, which I suspect is his humility speaking. There is no escaping the fact that Mellencamp is political artist. And I say this with the utmost respect, as his views are heartfelt, witnessed first-hand and lifelong. With work ranging from the alarming "Strange Fruit" (2006), which points to past, horrific atrocities; to the straightforward "Coast to Coast" (2005), which reveals the continuing problems and degradation more and more are facing across our once-great nation, we see the thoughts and concerns of a passionate creator. And like one of his greatest influences, Max Beckmann, Mellencamp paints powerful, impassioned, difficult, and haunting imagery that will find its way deep into the mind of the viewer as it picks and prods memories, moods, and impressions most would like to overlook.
In Mellencamp's art, we often see »
- ddlombardi
3 articles
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