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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 I) Love You A Little Bit.”

“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!

Lori Archer Sutherland

Lori Archer Sutherland earned a Bachelor of Music in Theory and Composition degree from the Ohio State University and a Master of Library and Information Science degree from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. She composes, performs, and teaches clarinet. She plays bass clarinet with the Crystal Lake Community Band and the Woodstock City Band, clarinet with Winds Off the Lake Woodwind Quintet, and is the founder and organizer of the Knock on Wood Clarinet Choir, where she plays an even bigger clarinet. Check out her site and podcast at tonaldiversions.com