Tchaikovsky: Nutcracker: Favorite Selections
Cincinnati Pops Orchestra; Erich Kunzel, conductor.
Telarc SACD-60674
Format: Hybrid Multichannel SACD

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Kunzel’s Nutcracker is a bit of a curiosity. It’s longer than even two suites from the ballet, but not quite as long as the entire work. The disc comes in at 73:12, only about 20 minutes shy of the complete ballet. Most of the cuts are made in the First Tableaux, concerning the arrival of the mysterious Drosselmeyer and the battle with the mice. The condensation mostly works very well, except at two points: The transition between the end of scene 6 (Magic Spell Begins) and the beginning of scene 8 (Scene in the Pine-Forest) is too abrupt without scene 7 to buffer them, and the space between the setup and the first dance of the Divertissement in Act II, which contains all of the best-known dances, is far too long. However, most people won’t mind when hearing a performance so radiant. I never thought Kunzel had so much poetry or lyricism in him, but at least for this work, he does. The Cincinnati musicians constantly astound with their virtuosity and glorious tone. This is the best-recorded Nutcracker, complete or suite or anything else, in the catalog. It is so transparent that you can tune out the main melody and pay attention to the various accompanying figures. Don’t get me wrong -- the melodies do come through on top, as they should -- but the underpinnings are much more than neglected sound blobs. The balances are perfect -- listen to the delicate interplay between celesta and bass clarinet in the Sugar Plum Fairy sequence -- the stage depth is tangible, the stage width wide. All of that describes the multichannel tracks of this SACD/CD; the two-channel tracks, whether CD or SACD, lose the sense of depth and a bit of the transparency but are still quite good....Rad Bennett

Various: The Gift: A Tribute to Ian Tyson
Stony Plain SPCD 1322
Format: CD

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Folk singer and songwriter Ian Tyson is one of the key figures in Canadian music, and is held in high regard by US musicians. I heard David Bromberg do a very moving version of Tyson’s "Summer Wages" in a rebroadcast of his recent performance at the Philadelphia Folk Festival. Bromberg isn’t included on this tribute disc, but the Good Brothers, whose roots in country music go as deep as Tyson’s, give the song a sensitive, deeply felt reading. The Gift features artists from the US and Canada, some of them contemporaries of Tyson’s, some of them younger artists influenced by him. Blue Rodeo’s Bob Egan sets the tone with tasteful pedal steel guitar on the opening track, "Four Strong Winds," a beautiful song that, in this arrangement, is reminiscent of the Byrds’ Sweetheart of the Rodeo. Jennifer Warnes brings her clear, pure voice to "Blue Mountains of Mexico," Chris Hillman gives "What Does She See" a touch of Marty Robbins, and David Rea, who played with Tyson in the 1960s, brings to "The Gift" a sense of humor and the suggestion that he’s just come in from a long ride on the trail. The playing, much of it by musicians who have toured with Tyson over the years, is stellar, and the recording is as clean and honest as Tyson’s music....Joseph Taylor

PJ Harvey: White Chalk
Island B0009972-02
Format: CD

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In the past, with little more than attitude and an electric guitar, PJ Harvey could conjure a range of emotions from anger to elation. Now, with White Chalk -- her first release in three years and the eighth of her career -- she’s turned her creative lens on isolation and despair, and with the same seeming effortlessness. This time around, however, her instruments are more subtle and plaintive, with Harvey on piano, zither, acoustic guitar, bass, keyboards, harmonica, CIG fiddle, and "broken harp," and a supporting cast of other musicians making minimalist background noises on banjo, Mellotron, Mini-Moog, even a wine glass. All of the tracks are dark, depressing, and more than a little creepy. "The Devil" sounds like an intimate invitation to Harvey’s personal séance or funeral. Other tracks use eerie vocal echo effects and blood-curdling whispers to tackle topics ranging from abortion to suicide, leaving the listener effectively disturbed and wondering how Polly Jean Harvey manages to maintain an aura of delicate beauty while sounding and looking (on the album’s cover she sits, frozen, wearing an antique-style lace gown) like a ghost of her former self. Where is the punk-rock, guitar-gripping, ball-busting bitch of yore? Pulling a disappearing act for now, but clearly working through some heavy personal stuff. Perhaps she’ll reemerge, less pale and brittle, somewhere down the line....Shannon Holliday

Various: The Roots of Chicha: Psychedelic Cumbias from Peru
Barbès Records BR0016
Format: CD

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For a whole different take on the psychedelic 1960s, check out this new compilation from Barbès Records, The Roots of Chicha: Psychedelic Cumbias from Peru. Forty years ago, from the burgeoning cities along the Peruvian Amazon, emerged Chicha: a blend of traditional indigenous styles, Andean melodies, American-style ’60s surf rock, and a hefty dose of experimentation that is now being released for the first time ever outside of Peru. The six bands featured on this compilation all formed between 1966 and 1977 and were considered the leaders of the movement throughout its infancy. Juaneco y Su Combo, Los Mirlos, Eusebio Campojo, Los Destellos, Los Hijos del Sol, and Los Diablos Rojos each have a distinctive style and use a variety of instruments, from primitive percussion to banjo to Moog synthesizer and wah-wah pedal. Most of the groups were large, ranging from six to ten players, and commonly wore traditional native dress during performances in homage to their indigenous heritage. The sound is balanced and distinct, impressive for its age and the relative cheapness of the instruments employed. Undeniably groovy, these psychedelic cumbias serve as the perfect soundtrack for your next love-in, be-in, or flashback....Shannon Holliday

Steve Allee Trio: Colors
Owl Studios OWL00102
Format: CD

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Overall Enjoyment

West Coast pianist Steve Allee has played with a number of jazz luminaries, including James Moody and Rufus Reid. As a leader he has recorded a big-band album, Downtown Blues (1999); a film soundtrack scored for jazz sextet, New York in the Fifties (2001); and two smooth-jazz albums, The Magic Hour (1995) and Mirage (2003). Allee returned to his home state of Indiana to record his newest, Colors, and this excellent trio set makes no concession to smooth jazz. Allee’s playing here is accessible, with a captivating sense of melody, but the pianist is an intelligent and, at times, slightly subversive improviser. Track 3, "Fishes," at first sounds like charming, middleweight jazz, but Allee quickly veers off into unusual, almost dissonant harmonic territory. The trio’s take on Johnny Mercer’s "Come Rain or Come Shine" is tasteful without being deferential, and even on tunes that are pleasing to the ear, such as "Tree Stories" and "Bubbles," they don't play it safe. Allee is aided here by two highly skilled and sympathetic accompanists, bassist Bill Moring and drummer Tim Horner. The three are extremely well attuned to each other; one of the beauties of Colors is the easy give and take among the musicians. The sound is clear, immediate, and dynamic....Joseph Taylor