All of the works on this disc were composed for the trio, Crazy Jane, and all receive their premiere recordings. Paul Lansky's Songs of Parting is an intricate elaboration of the folk song variously known as 'Ten Thousand Miles' 'The Lonesome Dove' and 'Fare Thee Well'. Patrick Mason describes poet James Tate as 'pitching his tent in mayhem?s back yard', and David Leisner's setting, for baritone and guitar, pushes the performers to extremes of expression. Akemi Naito's colorful Wallace Stevens setting plays on the gentle atmosphere of water and distance in the Florida Keys, and George Crumb captures Lorca's dark, brooding sonorities in his cycle Ghosts of the Alhambra. John Musto's The Brief Light intimately sets six James Laughlin poems about love, in songs that are melancholic and wise, and Ronald Roxbury's Crazy Jane, features Mason's baritone in a shocking and strange portrayal.
Reviews:
“The performances are as compelling as much of the poetry and music are. If you enjoy good poetry and expert settings of the same, this disc is for you.” - Audiophile Audition
Order from Amazon.com
Order from Arkivmusic.com
Order from iTunes
Order from H&B Direct by calling 1-800-222-6872
Paul Lansky: Songs of Parting (2006)
David Leisner: Three James Tate Songs (2007)
Ronald Roxbury: Crazy Jane (1975)
Akemi Naito: The Idea of Order at Key West (2007)
John Musto: The Brief Light (2010)
George Crumb: The Ghosts of Alhambra (2008)
Performed by Crazy Jane:
Patrick Mason, baritone
David Starobin, guitar
Daniel Druckman, percussion
BRIDGE 9290