Features: CD Reviews

Radio Music Society, Esperanza Spalding continue reading »

Melissa Errico’s voice is as stunningly beautiful as she is, but there’s a big problem with her new disc on Ghostlight, Legrand Affair – The Songs of Michel Legrand. continue reading »

It’s hard to believe stage and screen star Linda Lavin has never released a solo album until now, but it’s true. continue reading »

Our favorite songbook crooner is back with a second installment in his tribute to Ol’ Blue Eyes. continue reading »

Barbra Streisand
What Matters Most
Columbia Records

Unbelievably, Barbra Streisand will turn 70 years old next April. Our original Funny Girl begins her seventh decade on the heels of one of her better studio recordings in recent years, What Matters Most, a disc of songs with lyrics by longtime collaborators Marilyn & Alan Bergman. And how does the divine Barbra sound? Despite a couple of imperfect notes, like butter, of course! continue reading »

 


Knickerbocker Holiday
The Collegiate Chorale
 
Back in January, the Collegiate Chorale performed Kurt Weill and Maxwell Anderson’s Knickerbocker Holiday (1938) at Alice Tully Hall and, wisely, Ghostlight Records recorded it. With the American Symphony Orchestra accompanying and music director Ted Sperling at the helm, Victor Garber, Kelli O’Hara, Ben Davis and Christopher Fitzgerald perform such glorious songs as “It Never Was You” and the classic “September Song.”  (Ghostlight Records)
  continue reading »

 
Strike Up the Band —
2011 Studio Cast Recording
George & Ira Gershwin’s 1930
 
The story of how this new studio cast recording of the Gershwins’ 1930 Strike Up The Band came to be is worthy of a Masterpiece Mystery on PBS. Suffice it to say, hearing these terrific tunes in their perfected Broadway song listing is like opening a buried treasure of pearls and diamonds. And Brent Barrett and Rebecca Luker sound utterly ravishing! (PS Classics) continue reading »