European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - December 03, 1994, Darmstadt, Hesse Show tune opera Singer Kibrite Kanaka does a Stellar Job on Cole Porter. Angel photo clockwise from above Broadway Star Kim Criswell belts out the hits in "77ie Lorelei Mandy Patinkin shows versatility on Experiment and opera Singer Dawn Upshaw s first album of show music features some rarities. Elektra photo by Edward Karam staff writer everyone it seems wants to sing Cole Porter or the Gershwin. Or Irving Berlin Jerome Kern Kurt Weill and Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart. Their music Rich in Melody and memorable lyrics has been attracting1 both pop and opera singers lately in a variety of distinguished compilations. The latest releases Range from Kiri the Karia a an opera Singer delivering Cole Porter in High style to Broadway Star Kim Criswell belting out a variety of Gershwin Porter Weill and Rodgers and Hart to Mandy Patinkin mixing the Broadway songs that were the pop music of the 30s and 40s with modern pop composers like Harry Chapin. Vav Patthey All have in common is first rate performances. V not that they Are alike. Kiri the Kanaka s Low key intimacy for Kin sings Porter contrasts with Criswell often backed by an orchestra and pulling out the stops. In Kiri sings Porter be Kanaka has found a perfect marriage of Singer and composer. Her first show music album Kiri sings Gershwin did t slow songs like someone 7q wafer Over me were Fine but songs like i got rhythm needed a brass Ness that s foreign to the Kanaka. She just could t banish the memory of Ethel Merman. Both the Kanaka and Criswell have recorded the Gershwin the Lorelei who chs the title of Criswell s new album and when Criswell sings i m lecherous Jaja she sounds More convincing than the Kanaka. Baw Diness is not the Kanaka s Forte can be sexy and there s no better evidence than in Porter s let s misbehave. She wrings repressed lust from the lyrics with a voice that combines steel and smoke. It s hilarious and you can feel she s having the time of her life. The Porter album includes luscious versions of Justine of those things night and Bay Ridin High you d be so Nice to come Home to and evry time we say goodbye which is on Criswell s " album too. -./. A a the outstanding Alburn notes give All Porter s Choice lyrics like this one from the Iittle-4m6wn Don t look at me that Way so full of passion his pupils Are that girls forget what their scruples _ Griswell likes Porter too with John Mcglinn the conductor renowned for reconstructing lost shows and _ songs and backed by the London sinfonietta and ambrosial chorus Criswell delivers top notch show versions 61 give him the of la la i love Paris and the Ribald Kate went to Haiti practically All Haiti knew = Katie x i a a / i.7. ,._even racier is the Leader of a big time band i which Porter sketches the dissipated upper crust groupies who Hung around popular band leaders in the 40s when Goodman Champ of champs goes Blowin Blue rum Ridden debut amps nearly come not much has changed on the pop music scene except perhaps the Drugof Choice. _ Criswell also does Fine Rodgers and Hart it never entered my mind ten cents a dance and the Kurt Weill Lra Gershwin the Saga of Jenny. The notes Are typical of Mcglinn albums. Like last year s superb.-". Broadway showstoppers Complete lyrics Are provided As Are descriptions of the shows from which the songs came. The Saga of Jenny also pops up on i wish so opera � Singer Dawn Upshaw s first album of show music. Upshaw Best known for her singing on Henryk Gorecki s symphony no. 3, a runaway classical hit has limited herself to four composers who developed a More serious idiom for the musical Weill Stephen Sondheim Marc Blitzstein and Leonard Bernstein. The result superbly Sung is full of rarities. The Bernstein Sondheim / feel pretty from West Side Story is probably the most familiar Sondheim fans will not know the girls of summer which the Cor Poser provided for a 1956 play of the same name or Bernstein s my new friends from the Madwoman of Central Park West. Least familiar is the Reft Wing Blitz Stern whose1952 translation of threepenny opera from the German is the Standard for that musical and his most famous work. Like Sondheim a Blitzstein s music is astringent and hard " edged. Because most of his shows were flops he s received Little attention since he was murdered by bandits in Martinique in 1964. Upshaw really lets out her Soprano for glitter and be Cay from Bernstein s Candida and the unusual repertoire shines under her care. Only the notes Are disappointing there s no information about the shows these rarely heard songs Are from. _ Mandy Patinkin the original Che Guevara in Evita has deep roots in musical theater and a magnificent Tenor voice. He also has a reputation for being overwrought on some of his songs. But hot so in Experiment his Fine new album from Elektra nonesuch. 1 the title is from Porter again but Patinkin offers an Eclectic mix. How Are things in Flocca Mora from finian s Rainbow Jitterbug Waltz by fats Waller somewhere that s Green from Little shop of horrors As time goes by Rand Harry Chapin s taxi. It s the Best of his three Singer Linda Eder manages to toss some show tunes l in her first album and so much More. The mix. Of songs like Bridge Over troubled Waters with the Man that got away from babes in arms is a reminder that show music for several decades was the main source of pop. Among compilations a Stephen Sondheim evening is a worthwhile investment for Sondheim fans. A concert performance from 1983, it features seven prominent musical comedy stars in a revue. Only Angela Lansbury among them is a full fledged Star but the others Are skilled at this sort of music. The songs include Sondheim s better known pieces being alive and another Hundred people from company not a Day goes by from merrily we Roll along and Johanna from Sweeney Todd. Lansbury sings Send in the clowns with the composer at the piano. The Only misfire is a Medley of songs from a funny thing happened on the Way to the forum that needs More context to work. \ Ria which issued the Sondheim also has launched a series of compilations from its Cata logs released under the umbrella title ce/e6rate Al s an attractive series because it features the Best songs from Many of the hits and flops on original cast albums in Ria s Treasury. For instance vol. 2, you gotta have a gimmick includes i be got your number from Little me the rousing step to Trie tear from How now Dow Jones shuffle off to Buffalo frown 42nd Street and Lizzie Florcen later made famous by the Kingston Trio from new faces of 1952 other volumes overtures Lullaby of Broadway hello Young lovers Beautiful girls songs Sung by women and sing Happy Happy songs from hair s Good morning Star Shine to hey look me Over Horn Wildcat and the Best of times Franr la Cage Aux Holjes. Linda Eder s album mixes show tunes and pop. Angel if you missed Woodstock again you can catch the music on cd of the original festival and this summer s. Christofis boxes packaged cd ready for holidays by Larry Nager Scripps Howard news service Woodstock comes in All sizes and generations this Holiday season. There s a four cd boxed set from the 1969 original that includes a Bunch of unreleased tracks from such icons As the Jefferson air plane credence Clearwater revival and canned heat for mom and dad. If that s a bit much Atlantic also offers a single disc Woodstock rarities collection. And for the generation x kids there s Woodstock 94, a sporty two cd Model that features the red hot Chili peppers porno for pyros Primus Metallica and for perspective a traffic Dylan and Crosby stills & Nash. The tatter s contribution appropriately enough is Dejavu. And plenty of deja will be sued come Christmas a morning As boxed set reissues remain the biggest seasonal trend. r the new sets include not one but two major Frank Sinatra collections. The first the song is you is a five cd retrospective of his years with the Tommy Dorsey orchestra covering 1940-1942. The cd so pickup in t9437as Sumatra enters the Sola phase of his career with a series of recordings tar Gas overseas. Louis Armstrong portrait of the artist As a Young Man is a must have for any self respecting jazz fan of classic Satcho recorded after he struck out on his own in his seminal groups the hot five and the hot " seven As Well As informal sessions with the Cream of the first generation jazz players. Thiels some of the Best most exciting music Ever made As Armstrong boldly goes where no jazzman had Ever gone before. Most younger folks Are just familiar with Armstrong the grand fatherly crooner of pop songs who turns up on movie soundtracks but Here a the real Deal Young Louis swinging like crazy inventing a musical vocabulary that still sounds fresh today. Other boxes of note include a four cd Everly brother collection heartaches and harmonies the essential George Jones the spirit of country a two cd collection no big Surprise the Steve Goodman anthology a double disc memorial to the Singer songwriter cubs fan who wrote City of new Orleans and dozens More Reat songs Carole King s a natural woman the ode collection a two cd Box that includes tapestry in its entirety emperors of soul the temptations s massive five disc retrospective Sam Cooke s Sar records Story 1959-1965, which includes gospel and re music from the Short lived soul legend s Label the Sun Story a three disc collection of blues Honky Tonk and rockabilly from the Memphis Label that gave the world Elvis Howlin Wolf . King and Malcom Yelvington and for that John Travolta Wannabe the Casablanca records Story a polyester fiesta of disco classics including Donna summer s Marathon moan love to love you baby. For jazz piano buffs Bluel vote has issued two tour cd boxed set retrospectives thelonius Monk s Complete Blue not recordings sporadically covering 1947-1958 and featuring such greats As Tenor Man Sonny Rollins a ibis Milt Jackson and drummer Art Blakey and -. Bud Powell s the Complete Blue note and Roost recordings a Fitch features Powell primarily in trip settings along with one band session featuring trumpeter fats Navarre and Tenor sexist Rollins. A world music buffs should enjoy duende the passion and dazzling virtuosity off a Menco a three cd collection of fiery guitars and powerful singing featuring some of the Best traditional and progressive players from a 30s recording by flamenco diva la Nina de los Pines to the Young Gypsy Rock band Pata Negra. Next to boxed sets greatest hits collections remain popular gifts with Are Smith s_0/g ones leading the pack the surviving members of nirvana will release its mtg unplugged appearance on cd while smashing pumpkins which replaced nirvana on lollapalooza 94, has Pisces Iscariot a collection of rarities and a sides. 20 the stars and stripes saturday december 3,1994 the stars and stripes 21
