Phillippe Jaroussky, Thibaut García — Dowland: A Musicall Banquet, No. 3: In Darkness Let Me Dwell
Chris Voss
This newest release from Thibaut García (and his first joint album with acclaimed countertenor Philippe Jaroussky) is full of character and charm. I was first drawn to García when he played at CRB in our Fraser Performance Studio, and have enjoyed his albums ever since. This one does not disappoint!
Vijay Gupta, Reena Esmail — When The Violin
Emily Marvosh
Reena Esmail is a refreshing new composer whose music I first encountered in the choral world (this kaleidoscopic "virtual choir" version of TaReKiTa is a guilty pleasure) but she has also created some stunning and stark solo works for MacArthur fellow and pathbreaking violinist Vijay Gupta. "When The Violin" uses drones and non-Western effects in the lower register of the instrument to create a meditative and calming four minutes.
The Beths — I'm Not Getting Excited
Rani Schloss
One of my favorite bands, The Beths, will be (if COVID allows) at The Sinclair in January, and I am bursting with excitement, listening to their music whenever I can. Appropriately enough, one of my favorite tracks, “I’m Not Getting Excited,” is about tempering your excitement when you know that things could change in a heartbeat, from circumstances beyond your control; an injury, news you didn’t expect, a virus variant changing the calculus of what’s safe to do... I digress. The energy of the song – from a calm-on-the-surface vocal that can’t help but leap octaves, to a gnarly guitar riff propelling you forward – betrays the sheer joy in anticipation, and I can’t get enough of it.
Fleetwood Mac — The Chain
Laura Carlo
I was just reading the online gossip page of a London-based newspaper, and they had a story that 71-year-old Mick Fleetwood believes that 73-year-old Stevie Nicks still loves him, even though they broke up 45 years ago. The story showed a photo of the Rumours album cover. That's all it took. Turns out I really like-to-love the songs "Dreams," "Gold Dust Woman," and "Go Your Own Way." But I love love "The Chain." The album comes in at No. 3 on Billboard's 2020 list of Top 100 Rock Albums. For me, it's no wonder why.
Royal Northern College of Music Wind Orchestra, Timothy Reynish — Vaughan Williams: English Folk Song Suite: III. Intermezzo, "My Bonny Boy": Andantino
Colin Brumley
Do you have seasonal listening habits? I kind of have something similar due to Absolute Pitch – there are certain keys and modes that just feel like a certain season, or that there’s an inextricable, specific nostalgia attached to them. In the case of my favorite mode, I think the scale used by Vaughan Williams in the Intermezzo to his English Folk Song Suite makes me think of October because I played it one fall semester in high school. It’s funny how these sentiments stick after many years.
Ghost — Miasma
Jay Fondin
I'm not the biggest metalhead, but my colleague recently introduced me to his playlist of metal songs that feature the saxophone. How can you not love that? This song kicked off the playlist and immediately made me ask for more (and in case you're wondering, the full playlist is called "Saxy Metal" - nice).
Joe Lovano — Emperor Jones
Alan McLellan
I’ve really enjoyed getting involved in some of the jazz events that have been happening lately at GBH – not least because it’s given me an opportunity to listen to more of it! I’m especially looking forward to an event called “Tällberg’s Jazz for the Planet," an evening of music to spur folks to action on climate change. One of the featured artists on that show is saxophone legend Joe Lovano, and this is one of his very smoothest tracks.
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Listen to the complete playlist: