The Whole Music Experience

Classical/Early   Stile Antico The Phoenix Rising   Harmonia Mundi The Phoenix Rising marks the fourth (of seven) recording I have reviewed by the English early music choir, Stile Antico.   I enjoy listening to performances by these critically-acclaimed young vocalists, who like Seattle’s Tudor Choir focus on English composers of the Tudor period or at least they do on this recording.   The main feature of this program revolves around William Byrd’s Mass for Five Voices which is interspersed with polyphonic compositions by Byrd’s contemporaries including Robert White, Orlando Gibbons, Thomas Tallis, Thomas Morley and the final piece by John Taverner ( O Splendor gloriae ).   Besides, Byrd’s Mass for Five Voices , the vocalists also perform Byrd’s well-loved Ave verum corpus which opens the recording--sounds marvelous. Although this work comes from a dark period in English history, the Christian Reformation, and the text focuses on Chris...

Jazz   Joe Barbieri   Chet Lives!   Le Chant du Monde/Harmonia Mundi     For anyone familiar with the history of American jazz will have heard the name Chet Baker.   I had heard the name, but had never officially listened to any of Baker’s iconic songs.   A trumpeter and vocalist, Baker focused on lyrical jazz which he sung with sedated, sultry voice with hints of Brazilian bossa nova.   Sadly, Baker’s story is mostly tragic with his mysterious death in the Netherlands and a drug addiction that plagued him for most of his career.   You would never have guessed this from the brightness of his voice and horn or from the songs he sung.   Italian crooner-guitarist Joe Barbieri along with his trio (Antonio Fresa on piano and Luca Aquino on trumpet and flugel horn), render the spirit of the late Baker by revisiting the songs Baker performed in Italy on Chet Lives! Oddly, with some of the songs delving into bos...