Glitter And Be Gay

Similar to 2000's Hoagy Carmichael-based Stardust, Somewhere: The Songs of Leonard Bernstein finds pianist Bill Charlap continuing his exploration of great American composers. A longtime fan of Bernstein's work, Charlap conveys a very personal feeling throughout the album. Some may ask, why is another jazz trio album of standards necessary? Charlap answers this admirably with highly sophisticated yet direct arrangements and his usual stellar improvisational skills. Many of the songs from West Side Story work astonishingly well in a modern jazz format. Notably, "America" receives an expansive McCoy Tyner meets Tito Puente treatment, while "Jump" is serious post-bop Raymond Scott. Joining Charlap are his longtime collaborators bassist Peter Washington and drummer Kenny Washington. Together, the trio showcase an uncanny sense of timing and group interplay that only comes from years of performing together.

Tommy Flanagan's first trio album was recorded in August 1957 and titled Overseas. By the time Overseas was taped, Flanagan had already participated on more than 25 albums, an impressive number considering that his first studio appearance was in March 1956. Albums prior to his first trio recordings include collaborations with Kenny Burrell, Thad Jones, Miles Davis, Kenny Clarke, Sahib Shihab, Oscar Pettiford, Phil Woods, Sonny Rollins, Bobby Jaspar, Donald Byrd, J. J. Johnson, Cecil Payne, Herbie Mann and, last but not least, John Coltrane. These collaborations produced such essential jazz albums as Rollins' Saxophone Colossus and Miles' Collector's Items…

Introducing American soprano Nadine Sierra with her debut album, There’s A Place for Us. The album is not only a showcase of her stunning, MET-seasoned vocalism but also a reflection of America’s history as a refuge for all. In this spirit, the album features music by Leonard Bernstein and émigrés Igor Stravinsky and Osvaldo Golijov, as well as songs from Heitor Villa-Lobos in homage to Sierra’s Portuguese roots. Offering her sumptuous voice in a range of genres from Brazilian art music to American opera and art song, Sierra reminds us that all music and all people have a place in America.

Leonard Bernstein (1918-1990) was not only a brilliant conductor – having served with the New York Philharmonic for several decades beginning in 1943 – but was also recognized as one of the 20th century's most lauded composers. In that respect, few if any have contributed as significantly to classical music in the context of the American experience. It could likewise be contended that his contributions to the Broadway stage solidified the formerly intransigent chasm existing between symphonic and popular music. In honor of what would have been Bernstein's 85th birthday, Sony Music created a pair of mid-priced sets celebrating the maestro's accomplishments. A Total Embrace: The Composer (2003) offers more than three and a half hours of highlights spanning nearly a quarter-century.

Leonard Bernstein was both a brilliant orchestrator and a gifted tunesmith, and his lyrics, often penned by Stephen Sondheim, are memorable, razor sharp and brilliantly apposite. West Side Story, Candide and On the Town have taken their rightful places at the top of Bernstein's creative canon; Now, as part of Deutsche Grammophon’s celebrations of his centenary, the best-loved numbers from these Broadway shows are brought together in one indispensable collection.