Podcast: New Music Holiday Special

You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, it’s time for the annual new music holiday podcast from Guy Livingston!

Playlist: Christmas/New Year’s Show, Episode #69

It’s the end of a difficult year, and so while we drive along the American Highway at dusk, we try to do it with a bang, reflecting on good and bad. Actually, this is the closest I’ll be getting to a party playlist. Enjoy!

In this episode of American Highways, pianist Guy Livingston brings us Quincy Jones, Duke Ellington, Leonard Bernstein, Florence Price (unjustly forgotten African-American composer), Alanna Rantala, Benny Goodman, and Raymond Scott.

More at GuyLivingston.com/radio

Playlist:

Theme Music :
Steve Reich. The Desert Music (1984)
First Movement (Fast).
Chorus of the Brooklyn Philharmonic, Members of the Brooklyn Philharmonic, Michael Tilson Thomas & William Carlos Williams.
Nonesuch Records 79101.

Vince Guaraldi
O Tannenbaum
Guy Livingston
Private recording

Duke Ellington (arr Maurice Peress)
New World A-Comin’ (piano concerto)
Jeffrey Biegel; Paul Phillips: Brown University Orchestra
NAXOS: 8573490

Alanna Battat Rantala
Lucky
Alanna Battat Rantala, pianist
Studio Trilogy 2015 [preview]

Florian Weber & Angelika Niescier
Parsifal
Angelika Niescier, Saxophone; Ralph Alessi Trumpet; Florian Weber Piano; Christopher Tordini, Bass; Tyshawn Sorey, Drums
Naxos Distribiution: INTAKT 263

Duke Ellington
Luigi Palombi, piano
Soda Fountain Rag
Milano Music Zone – Dynamic CDS 7743

Raymond Scott
Manhattan Minuet
The Beauhunks
Basta 30-90362

Benny Goodman
The Earl
Benny Goodman Orchestra
Welton KBOX3182C

Florence Price
Symphony No.3 in C Minor – Andante
Apo Hsu conducting The Women’s Philharmonic
KOCH 3-7518-2

Leonard Bernstein
Slava! – A Political Overture – Fast and Flamboyant
Leonard Bernstein & Israel Philharmonic Orchestra
Deutsch Grammophon 469 829-2 GB7

Alan Sparhawk
Hide It Away
Retribution Gospel Choir
Sub Pop Records 856

Quincy Jones
Air Mail Special
Quincy Jones and his Orchestra
Naxos SWR Jazz Haus 11628

Women in Music – a gift list by Ann Moss

singer Ann Moss sent us this marvelous list of gift ideas – all women performers, and many women composers:

Jazz vocalist Sara Bielanski ‘s FROM THE HEART is an honest and refreshing take on many classic jazz standards, inspired by the best of things in life that are free- love, nature, poetry, art, music, the changing of seasons, humor, and the human heart.

With her debut release OPUS 6, pianist Hillary Nordwell has created a sparkling new recording of solo piano works by Clara and Robert Schumann: Soirées Musicales, Op. 6 and Davidsbündlertänze, Op. 6… together on one disc, they create a musical love story.

Cellist Hannah Addario-Berry’s adventurous album SCORDATURA features Zoltán Kodály’s Sonata for Solo Cello, Opus 8, plus six new works for solo cello inspired by the Hungarian composer’s landmark work and written specially for Ms. Addario-Berry.

My brand new album LOVE LIFE joins premiere recordings of bold works of vocal chamber music for soprano, cello and piano by American composers Jake Heggie and Liam Wade with innovative arrangements of classic love songs by Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell and The Beatles. This record is a dare to love.

Womens vocal ensemble Vajra Voices presents their debut recording, O ETERNE DEUS – Music of Hildegard von Bingen. This exquisite rendition of Hildegard’s music brings the Benedictine abbess, composer, philosopher, and writer into the room, with all her passion and power.

Flutist Meerenai Shim founded the indie classical record label Aerocade Music and continuously strives to advance the flute repertoire. Her latest release PHEROMONE is a collection of recently written electroacoustic, contemporary classical works for flute, several of which Shim commissioned.

Pianist Holly Roadfeldt’s debut recording THE PRELUDES PROJECT features a complete performance of Chopin’s, Op. 28 Preludes for Piano as well as a new set of twenty-six piano preludes written by American composer Kirk O’Riordan.

-A.M.