What’s playing at Tonal Diversions – December 2015
I hope everyone had an enjoyable holiday. I had a wonderful time visiting family in Ohio. The trip felt too short, but it was great to see everyone.
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“That Would Be Me” by Harry Connick, Jr.
I’ve been a fan of Harry’s for a long time. I’ll admit I haven’t followed his career quite as closely in recent years, but when I found out he had a new album I had to listen to it. I really enjoyed it. It’s not the big band jazz of albums past, but I wouldn’t fully call it pop, either, despite it being classified that way on a few sites. There are elements of funk and jazz, and he makes good use of brass and strings. I think my favorite song of the album is the first one: “(I Like It When You) Smile,” followed by “(I Think
“Come Fly With Me” by Herb Alpert
I’ll admit, I had no idea Herb was still out and about. I, and probably most people, only remember him from his Tijuana Brass days (“Spanish Flea”, anyone? 😀 ) But the 80-year-old has had a comeback in the last few years – good for him! Overall I liked the new album, though sometimes the accompaniments end up sounding rather like the presets on a keyboard. The strength of this album lies in his re-imagining of tunes we know, such as “Take the A Train” with a Latin beat. I like the cover of the Beatles’ “Something,” and he pairs “Blue Skies” with a style I wasn’t expecting.
“Departures” by the United States Air Force Band
This came across my desk at the library, naturally I had to check it out, being the band geek that I am. It’s a nice mix of classics and newer works. I was happy to see “Danzon No. 2” on here, as I recently played it in community band and loved it. The “Ender’s Game” suite is not the recent movie score, but rather a piece by Christopher Caliendo based on Card’s book, similar to the “Lord of the Rings Symphony” by de Meij that I’ve discussed on the blog. I do recommend this album and I’m looking forward to listening more to the new-to-me pieces on it.
So that’s what I’ve been listening to lately. Happy New Year to all! I do want to say thank you to those who have subscribed to my blog – I truly appreciate it. I hope 2015 closes on a high note for everyone, and I’ll see you in 2016!
