Figa

Only 38-minutes long, Canta Vinicius De Moraes e Paolo Cesar Pinheiro is one of the truly great Baden Powell recordings. Long before alcoholism took its toll on the great guitarist and composer, he recorded this set in 1977 for the Festival label at the behest (read: strongarm tactics) of Jacques Lubin, his A&R man at Barclay, as a tribute to the two great lyricists and collaborations in his life. Powell is supported on this program buy a small group of truly sympathetic studio musicians who held him in awe. His small, tender, but deeply moving voice on such classics as "Labaréda," and "Samba de Bênção" - both of which are based on the chants, rhythms, and melodies of the Afro-Brazilian Candoble religion - that holds the magic…

What does Jewish Cabaret sound like? This is a different animal to the 'klezmer' phenomenon which exists around feasts and dancing. The cabaret songs in this programme have something of a relationship with certain types of 'salon' music from the early years of the 20th century, but frequently comment on life in exile, poking satirical fun at authority and the woes of society. As further reference, they can in some ways be set against more familiar but similar sounding works such as Kurt Weill's Threepenny Opera. The New Budapest Orpheum Society is an ensemble-in-residence at the University of Chicago. A mixed group of vocalists (Julia Bentley, mezzo-soprano and Stewart Figa, baritone) and instrumentalists (Iordanka Kisslova, violin; Stewart Miller, string bass; Hank Tausend, percussion; and Ilya Levinson, piano).