GrooveOut Shorts

Carl Sandin
Carl Sandin is the self esteem destruction machine
Despite the proclamation in his album title, openly gay Houston singer/songwriter Carl Sandin is a bit more positive than he infers. Unless he’s trying to destroy your self-esteem, that is. Even then, his songs seem to be more focused on his own personal plight in life, good or bad, rather than anyone else’s. In producing this album, which he did locally, the smartest thing he did was to recruit former Japanic rhythm section in Rob Smith and Josh Barry, who did a superb job of bringing songs to life that Sandin had been working on for some three years running. The result is a collection of kind of goofy mid-tempo rock songs with thin guitars and keyboards, showcasing Sandin’s deep, hovering voice rather than overzealous musicianship. In what is a definite sore spot, though, four of the album’s 12 tracks are cover songs, dropping off a bit of enthusiasm in the fact that the work took three years. But in the end it is his arena, and in the way he talks about his influences, you can’t see him having done it any other way. From Bronze Beagle (www.bronzebeagle.com). —Lance Walker

Johnny Mathis
The Essential Johnny Mathis
Chances are you've heard of Johnny Mathis, one of the most enduring and charismatic singers of all time. The Essential Johnny Mathis is a celebration of his career in music history. Mathis, who is openly gay, has been entertaining fans for over 50 years and to this day performs to sold-out audiences. This two-CD set includes all his #1 smash hits, wonderful duets, and Broadway favorites.From Legacy (www.legacyrecordings.com/essentials). More info: www.johnnymathis.com or www.sonymusic.com. —Andrea Rodricks

Evalyn Parry
Unreasonable
Unreasonable—from Toronto songwriter, spoken-wordsmith, and theater artist Evalyn Parry—combines the political, the personal, the poetic, and the satiric. The album features Parry’s “intelligent, layered lyrics” (Xtra Magazine) and “elegantly minimalist arrangements” (Now Magazine), and includes “The Stone and the Bumblebee,” winner of the Colleen Peterson Songwriting Award (2003). With songs like “Profit in the Margins” (this funky, beat-driven, spoken-word number rails against the corporate marketing of queer identity) and “Always” (an outrageous, jazzy number sung from the perspective of a maxi-pad), this is a must-have album for anyone interested in the new wave of political folk. From Borealis Records (www.borealisrecords.com). —Troy Carrington

L.P.
Suburban Sprawl and Alcohol
With a headful of Marc Bolanesque curls and a red Telecaster slung around her neck, L.P. rocks like a bitch and sings like a bastard. Backed by a hard-rocking band, this 25-year-old is armed with pipes capable of alternating between the reckless stance of Chrissie Hynde and the vulnerable poise of Stevie Nicks. With a nod and a wink to Runaways-era Joan Jett, L.P. would fit right in doing a raucous midnight set at Max’s Kansas City in ’78. This daughter of an opera singer mother and a drunk dad belts, croons, and dreams her way through a very personal set of songs. And what about the name “L.P.”? Though her real name is not given, those are her real initials, so we like to think they stand for “Lesbian Performer.” From Light Switch Records. For more info: www.lprock.com. —Suzie Lynde

Various Artists
Women & Songs
Women & Songs is an array of vocal talent and star power from artists who together have sold more than 150 million albums. The 19 tracks include a plethora of chart-busters, such as Christina Aguilera’s “Beautiful,” Alicia Keys’ “A Woman’s Worth,” Cher’s “Believe,” Bonnie Raitt’s “I Can’t Make You Love Me,” and Kelly Clarkson’s “Low.” Other artists include Faith Hill, Nelly Furtado, Dido, Michelle Branch, Sarah McLachlan, Jewel, and many more. From Warner Strategic Marketing (www.wmg.com) and BMG Strategic Marketing Group (www.bmgsmg.com). —TC

Carly Simon
Reflections: Carly Simon’s Greatest Hits
It’s not as if you can say Carly did it again. That is, when an artist releases a “greatest hits” record, they don’t actually “do” anything, but Carly Simon has one of those voices that strikes up a certain familiarity every time you hear it, to where you really always want to say “Carly, you did it again.” But more importantly, Carly isn’t just a singer—she’s a songwriter, and that makes a collection like this seem that much more prolific. “Let the River Run” makes you wonder why she didn’t write hymns. From BMG Strategic Marketing Group (www.bmgsmg.com). More info: www.carlysimon.com. —LW

Laura Nyro
Spread Your Wings and Fly: Live at the Fillmore East 5/30/71
On May 30, 1971, eloquent singer-songwriter Laura Nyro took the stage at New York’s Fillmore East and, solo on grand piano, serenaded a capacity crowd. A native New Yorker, Nyro’s ardent lyrical poetry and almost impossibly diverse compositions very often sang to the city she so loved. On that inspired night, while celebrating—and bidding goodbye to—one of its most magical spaces, she is spellbinding, an extraordinary artist at her most soulful and passionate best. Available June 15 from Legacy (www.legacyrecordings.com). More info: www.sonymusic.com. —SL

Lucille Bogan
Shave ’em Dry
Oh man. This woman screamed the blues—the promiscuous, attitude-ridden blues. With a lyrical catalog rivaling the bawdiest of the bawdy and a husky, confident voice, Lucille Bogan was set to be the premier diva of the 1930s. Oddly enough, these songs were made famous not under Lucille’s name, but instead under the name Bessie Jackson, a moniker invented for her by ACR in the interest of recirculating her material. Their marketing plan worked, but Sony has chosen to reissue these songs under the original name of the writer and singer, offering due tribute to a woman whose brilliance, sincerity and frankness deserve at least as much. From Legacy (www.legacyrecordings.com). More info: www.sonymusic.com. —LW

Original Cast Recording
A Year with Frog and Toad
A charming musical confection for all ages, A Year with Frog and Toad features a jazzy, infectious score starring the easygoing Frog and worrywart Toad. Nominated for a Tony Award for Best Musical, Frog and Toad stars Mark Linn-Baker and Jay Goede. The album was previously available in select stores, but has been outfitted for its worldwide release with an all-new 32-page booklet with lyrics, essays, photos, and illustrations. From PS Classics (www.psclassics.com). —TC

Bebel Gilberto
Bebel Gilberto
While she exhibits nowhere near the concentrated songwriting strength of her parents Joao and Miucha, Bebel Gilberto has nevertheless come more into her own on this, her second album. Her smartest move was to team up (and co-write) with a brilliant cross-section of songwriters, both from her homeland of Brazil and beyond, the most effective of whom is Caetano Veloso, whose song “Baby” starts off the record with classic bossa nova sound, for which her father will be known for eternity. The entire record is a vast improvement on 2000’s Tanto Tempo, which left a lot of us wondering how far the apple fell from the tree. Bebel now makes it apparent that it wasn’t quite so far at all. From Six Degrees Records (www.sixdegreesrecords.com). —LW

A.R. Rahman
Between Heaven and Earth
"A melodic genius" and "the Asian Mozart" are a few of the titles earned by A.R. Rahman. He is one of India's most popular music directors and has been hailed as a genius by artists all over the world. Between Heaven and Earth draws on the sounds of ethnic music from China, India, and Turkey in combination with the sound of traditional Western symphony orchestra. From Sony Classical (www.sonyclassical.com). More info: www.arrahman.com. —AR

Jim Brickman
Greatest Hits
Jim Brickman’s Greatest Hits gathers 11 Brickman classics on one CD and features two new tracks recorded especially for this collection. Highlights include “Valentine,” “The Gift,” and “Simple Things,” and no Jim Brickman retrospective would be complete without the signature instrumentals “Rocket to the Moon,” “If You Believe,” and his first instrumental hit “Angel Eyes.” From RCA Victor Group. For more info: www.jimbrickman.com. —TC

Scottinho
Batizado
In Brazil, Scottinho (his Brazilian name; in the U.S., it’s Scott Anderson) performed and recorded with some of the country’s best players. Traveling through the country, he discovered the subtle nuance of the acoustic guitar, the harmonic complexity of jazz blended with a rhythm that is seductive, complex, and playful. From Homen de Ouro Records (www.scottsguitar.com). —TC

Agnus Dei
Gaia
An instrumental love song to the Earth, Agnus Dei’s new recording pairs the meditative soundscapes of Gerald Krampl with a booklet featuring the posthumously published verse of his wife, acclaimed poet Hilde. Krampl’s tunes feature delicate, uplifting, classical-influenced piano music with ambient textures and sonic embellishments. From Sandrose Records (www.inidgomusic.at). —SL

Luis Garay
Sacumba
This is an ensemble recording under the leadership of Luis Garay performed entirely on percussion instruments—kit drums, whistles, marimbas, Argentinean drums, and a wealth of Afro-Latin percussion such as congas, surdo, bongo, agogo, timbales, tambourine, colanuts, chimes, djembe, ngoma, gongs, bells, and more! What will surprise you is how well these eclectic influences groove together. From Percumba Records (www.luisgaray.com). —SL

Deborah Voight
Obsessions
Deborah Voight, increasingly hailed as the world’s reigning dramatic soprano, will make her legions of fans happy with the release of Obsessions, her first solo CD. The title of the album captures the powerful, often tortured, emotional territory traversed by the heroines in this repetoire: a tapestry of madness, fury, jealousy, revenge, and transcendental love. The disc’s thrilling opener is “Dich, teure Halle,” from Wagner’s Tannhäuser, followed by two scenes from Die Walküre. But the Wagner headliners are from his Tristan und Isolde: “Isolde’s Narration and Curse” and the glorious “Liebestod.” Voight made international headlines and earned a 23-minute standing ovation at the Vienna State Opera last year after her first full performance as the proud Irish princess. From Angel Records (www.angelrecords.com). —SL

Nellie Melba
Opera Arias and Songs
Australian soprano Nellie Melba reigned supreme as the most famous classical artist in the world during the first quarter of the 20th century. Her voice possessed unique qualities of tonal beauty and evenness throughout its entire range, and she triumphed in the opera houses of the world. After resisting for several years, she was eventually persuaded by the Gramophone and Typewriter company (EMI’s predecessor company) to make some recordings. From EMI Classics (www.emiclassics.com). —TC

Sarah Chang and Lars Vogt
Franck, Ravel, Saint-Saëns: Sonatas for Violin and Piano
Having developed a real talent and feeling for chamber music, with its intimacy and expressiveness, Sarah Chang has turned her hand to a disc of French Sonatas for violin and piano. She found a highly sensitive and sympathetic accompanist in Lars Vogt, also very at home as a chamber musician. This all-French CD has three sonatas, which are totally different and unique in character. This contrast reflects the very different characters of the three composers whose works make up this disc: César Franck, Maurice Ravel, and Camille Saint-Saëns. From EMI Classics (www.emiclassics.com). —SL

Jonathan Biss
Beethoven and Schumann: Piano Works
Twenty-three-year-old American pianist Jonathan Biss has already proved himself an accomplished and exceptional musician with a flourishing international reputation through his orchestral and recital performances in North America and Europe. Biss is noted for his intriguing programs, artistic maturity, and versatility, performing a diverse repetoire ranging from Mozart and Beethoven, through the Romantics to Janácek and Schoenberg as well as works by contemporary composers. This is Biss’s debut solo recording of Beethoven’s Appassionata Sonata, Op. 57, and Fantasy, Op. 77, along with Schumann’s Davidsbundlertanze. From EMI Classics (www.emiclassics.com). —TC

David Daniels
Les Nuits D’été
Having already triumphed in taking his countertenor voice into the realm of song recital repertoire, David Daniels now explores orchestral song repertoire with a concert of 13 French songs, beloved of his female colleagues. These orchestral songs are by Hector Berlioz, Maurice Ravel, and Gabriel Fauré, which Daniels has recorded with John Nelson leading the Ensemble Orchestral de Paris. At the heart of his new album is Berlioz’s ravishing song cycle Les Nuits d’été (Summer Nights), which Daniels feels marks a considerable milestone in his highly praised discography. From Virgin Classics (www.virginclassics.com). For more info: www.danielssings.com. —SL

Evgeny Kissin
Schubert and Liszt
Daring and sublime in both its expressive power and its design, Franz Schubert’s last piano sonata was his greatest achievement in the form, and it is the centerpiece of pianist Evgeny Kissin’s latest recording, which also features Franz Liszt’s Mephisto Waltz No. 1 and four of his celebrated transcriptions of Schubert lieder. In addition, Kissin performs Liszt’s “Ständchen,” S560, No. 7 (after Schubert, Schwanengesang, D957); “Das Wandern,” S565, No. 1 (after Schubert , Die schöne Müllerin, D975); “Wohin?” S565, No. 5 (after Schubert, Die schöne Müllerin, D975); and “Auftenthalt,” S560, No. 3 (after Schubert, Schwanengesang, D957). From RCA Red Seal, a label of BMG Classics (www.bmgclassics.com). —TC

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