THIS ISSUE > ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT > GROOVEOUT

I begin my 2004 GLBT History Month column on a theatrical bent. After all, for many queer people, the theater is a source of family and home as well as entertainment. With that in mind, consider the original London cast recording of We Will Rock You: The Rock Theatrical (Capitol) and the Broadway cast recording of Taboo (DRG). Both musicals feature flamboyant gay lead characters, Freddie Mercury and Boy George, respectively, both of whom are of course modeled on real people. Additionally, both musicals feature songs written by Boy George (Taboo is comprised of several new songs and a few drawn from the Culture Club catalog) and the late Mr. Mercury (the Queen canon serves as a foundation for We Will Rock You). As an added bonus, Boy George himself can be heard on the Taboo disc.

Tony Kushner and Stephen Sondheim have more in common than being award-winning gay men working in the realm of the theater. Aside from receiving attention from the Tony Awards, both Kushner and Sondheim’s recent Broadway musicals feature presidential assassinations. The acclaimed (and Tony Award-winning) revival of Sondheim’s 1991 musical Assassins (PS Classics), starring Michael Cerveris, Neil Patrick Harris, and openly gay actor Mario Cantone, gives voice to loose cannons such as Lee Harvey Oswald, John Wilkes Booth, John Hinckley, and Lynette “Squeaky” Fromme, among others. The assassination of John F. Kennedy plays a pivotal part in the Caroline, or Change (Hollywood), with book and lyrics by Tony Kushner and music by Jeanine Tesori.

On the subject of both history and theater, Cole Porter, whose death occurred 40 years ago this month, can be heard singing “Anything Goes” and “You’re the Top” on It’s De Lovely: The Authentic Cole Porter Collection (Bluebird). The remaining 17 songs by Porter (recently immortalized by Kevin Kline in the movie De-Lovely) are performed by an array of stars from yesteryear, including Artie Shaw, Frank Sinatra, Roy Rogers, Dinah Shore, Tommy Dorsey, and Rosemary Clooney, to name a few.

K.d. lang explores the rich history of contemporary Canadian songwriting on her exquisite new CD, Hymns of the 49th Parallel (Nonesuch). Spanning a 35-year period, lang attaches her glorious vocals to songs by Neil Young (respectful readings of “After the Gold Rush” and “Helpless”), Leonard Cohen (“Bird on a Wire” and a perfect rendition of “Hallelujah”), Ron Sexsmith (“Fallen”), Bruce Cockburn (“One Day I Walk”), Jane Siberry (“The Valley” and a lovely interpretation of “Love Is Everything”), and, of course, Joni Mitchell (stellar takes on both “A Case of You” and “Jericho”). She even works in “Simple,” a re-recording of an original (from her own disc Invincible Summer) that fits in beautifully with the other songs, earning her a well-deserved place among her fellow Canadian songwriters.

I don’t think lang has done it yet, but I would love to hear her sing something by the late Laura Nyro. Gone, but far from forgotten, Nyro was one of the final performers to grace the stage at the lamented Fillmore East in its final days. Spread Your Wings and Fly: Live at the Fillmore East—May 30, 1971 captures her performance and is of note for the inclusion of two songs, “American Dove” and “Mother Earth,” both of which make their recorded debut on this live album, alongside Nyro classics such as “Emmie,” “Save the Country” and the medley “Lu/Flim Flam Man,” among a number of cover tunes.

Gail Ann Dorsey has been making history for a number of years. As an out, African-American, female bass player and vocalist, Dorsey toured for several years with David Bowie and has performed with the aforementioned Jane Siberry, as well as Indigo Girls and Dar Williams. Her solo work, including her out-of-print 1989 debut The Corporate, and most recently the wonderful I Used to Be… (Sad Bunny), featuring “Magical” (co-written with Kristen Hall) and “Be My Angel” (co-written with Roland Orzabal of Tears For Fears), are great ways to become better acquainted with this gifted artist.

Kara Barnard doesn’t play bass on her new CD Brown County Waltz (karabarnard.com), but she does play several other stringed instruments, including a Dan Crary Signature Taylor Guitar, a Summit F-200 Mandolin, a Gibson RB250 Banjo, a Framus Banjolin, an Oscar Schmidt Autoharp, and a Bill Berg Mountain Dulcimer, to name a few. She also plays an even number of traditionals (including “Arkansas Traveler,” “Wildwood Flower,” “Amazing Grace”) and originals (such as “Rebecca’s Reading,” “Chickens Doing Reiki,” “The Beagle Has Landed,” and “Not in My Name,” among others), all in a calming yet colorful bluegrass style.

Gay and lesbian composers and musicians working in the contemporary classical realm also deserve to be noted. The Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, under the direction of Robert Spano, performs the work of lesbian composer Jennifer Higdon on City Scape: Concerto for Orchestra (Telarc). Two of the six members of the ensemble known as eighth blackbird are openly gay. On its most recent CD, Beginnings (Cedille), the group performs compositions by Daniel Kellogg and George Crumb. The Brian Conn New Music Ensemble, led by openly gay composer Brian Conn, released the CD Requiem: For Chorus and Orchestra (Classical Angst) earlier this year.

Long known for being an outlet for homophobic expression, hip-hop is a genre in which LGBT artists stand to make history. A number of queer hip-hop acts have stepped up to challenge the status quo with in-your-face lyrics that celebrate gay life and proudly make proclamations about same-sex love, sometimes in graphic detail.

Johnny Dangerous, an Outmusic-award nominated performer, returns with the flaming Armed & Dangerously Remixed (Us2), which features sizzling remixes of at least half a dozen tracks from his acclaimed 2003 debut, Dangerous Liaisons. Standout tracks selected for the remix treatment include “Topsy Turvy,” present in both a “clean radio remix” and a “313 remix” featuring Detroit’s Aaron-Carl; “Not Your Average” and “Dangerous,” both featuring remixes by queer hip-hop legend Tori Fixx; “Me No Want Dat,” on which Dangerous teams up with Olympia, WA’s “electro sex hip pop punk rock rap duo” Scream Club; an alternate version of “Hot Johnny”; “Not Black Enough” remixed by fellow queer hip-hop artist Dutchboy; and the new track “Debate,” featuring female rapper God-des.

I’m in My Own World (greathiphop.com), the debut disc by Soce (pronounced “so-say”), a self-described “Jewish, gay, white MC” (from the opening track, “Feels Good”), is a personal collection of tracks that act as an introduction to this promising newcomer. Rocket and Katz of the “queer, political, poetry spittin’” duo Athens Boys Chorus leans much closer to the spoken-word realm on their CD Rhapsody in T (Daemon).

Independent queer musicians continue to make their own history by releasing some of the most arresting music. Titles worth consideration at this time of year (and all year round, for that matter) include the EP Waiting for My Man (krislandherr.com) by Kris Landherr; Some These Days (Ruthless Rabbit), the latest full-length release by gay guitar virtuoso John Hasbrouck; and a quartet of titles by male singer/songwriters from various regions of the country: Tennessee-based electronic/dance artist Dave Montana’s Such Things as Love and Pain (HardBite), Provincetown’s Peter Donnelly and his CD Express Café (peterdonnelly.com), Race the Light (Treasure) by NYC’s Christopher Dallman, and the live recording Captured Alive (patrickarenamusic.com) by Pennsylvanian Patrick Arena.

Leg Warmers Reheated (rubberlegs.com) by Rubberlegs and Lounge Lessons (Pop Front Music) by Will Grega call attention to the contributions by queer musicians in the area of electronic music. Female singer/songwriters, a major force in the world of LGBT music, are represented by the seven-song EP Coming Together (pepmusic.com) by PEP (a/k/a Paulette E. Pantoja), the youthful sneer of L.P. on her CD Suburban Sprawl & Alcohol (Light Switch), the catchy songs on I Am Ready (Blue Jordan) by Katie Reider, and the “urban folk & jazz artist” K.K. Denhert and her kick-ass disc Girl Like Me… (Mother Cyclone).

Indie queer bands are making music as varied and thrilling as that of their solo contemporaries. The newest self-titled disc by Blame Sally (blamesally.com) is a rich and sophisticated effort that blends touches of Tex Mex, folk, and pop for a thoroughly enjoyable listening experience. Ghost Boobs (Kill Rock Stars) is a brief (just over five minutes in length) EP by punk/dance/rap group Gravy Train!!!! The title track and “Stop the Wedding” are standout tunes. Not limited to the CD format, Hot N Heavy and The Sharp Ease have released a pink vinyl seven-inch single on Spitshine Records containing two songs by each band.

Finally, another kind of history is made with the release of the four-song EP Emily Watson (Secret Heart) by Human Hands,remembered asa one-time presence in the early days of the L.A. punk scene. Re-formed more than 20 years after its breakup by original members Dennis Duck and openly gay Juan Gomez, and featuring new members Marc Salata, Pierre Smith, and Jeff White (who is also gay), Human Hands has released this EP and plans to release a full-length disc later this year. The four songs, beginning with the wonderful title track, which plays like fan letter to actress Watson, are catchy and refreshing updates of the punk sound, reminiscent of the Plimsouls in their heyday.

Gregg Shapiro is a past recipient of the annual Outmusic award that recognizes involvement by non-musicians in furthering the work of LGBT performers.