Frank Zappa’s Serious Transformation: ‘The Perfect Stranger’ at 40
A prolific conductor and a sophisticated synthesizer make for an under-appreciated but vastly important album in Frank Zappa’s prodigious catalog.
classical
Musical Experimentalist Jessica Ackerley Is Blazing Trails
Ever-evolving experimental guitarist and composer Jessica Ackerley talks about – among other things – their eclectic and ambitious new solo album.
Unlike Her Music ‘I Am: Céline Dion’ Is Not a Mournful Drama
Unlike how her subject’s music can be, Irene Taylor’s biography I Am: Céline Dion is not a mournful drama. That doesn’t mean it’s easy.
Caroline Shaw and Sō Percussion Reunite for Genre-Defying LP
The combined forces of composer/vocalist/violinist Caroline Shaw and accomplished ensemble Sō Percussion continue to thrill and amaze.
Hannah Selin Composes a Work of Mesmerizing, Transcendent Beauty
Hannah Selin has created a profoundly engaging set of compositions on her debut LP. They are a sonic equivalent to deep sleep and vivid, complex dream states.
Kelly Moran’s ‘Moves in the Field’ Calms Fear and Anxiety
Kelly Moran explores the ghost in the machine on Moves in the Field, a delicate, thoughtful album of “solo” neoclassical piano explorations.
MIZU Creates an Experimental Masterwork with ‘Forest Scenes’
As a composer and performer, MIZU embraces uncharted territory with her cello not so much in hand but working fully as an extension of her body and voice.
The Holy Mother: Madhuvanti Pal Plays the Rudra Veena
Sublime Frequencies correct a grave injustice with this stunning new two-LP from Madhuvanti Pal, the first-ever vinyl record of a woman playing the rudra veena.
Putting the Eyebrows on It: Frank Zappa’s ‘The Yellow Shark’ at 30
The orchestral music of Frank Zappa is required listening for any fan of 20th-century classical music, and The Yellow Shark is the best place to start.
Jessica Pavone Interprets Womens’ Work Through the Ages
Eclectic composer Jessica Pavone pays tribute to women-made inventions through powerful musical compositions and performances in her new string ensemble album.
‘The Resonance Between’ Is More Than the Sum of Its Intercultural Parts
Alam Khan’s The Resonance Between employs techniques from Hindustani and European art music traditions, but it’s about more than just fusion.
Lucian Ban and Mat Maneri Adapt ‘Oedipe’ for Modern Jazz
Though Lucian Ban and Mat Maneri’s Oedipe Redux is quite a technical achievement, it faces an uphill battle when it comes to stirring the soul.