Overtones

There are undercurrents and peripheral taste preferences that are a defining part of our individual and collective cultural experience. Music is no exception. Professor George Plasketes adapts the iconic 'A-side/B-side' dichotomy from the 45 r.p.m. for use as a unique conceptual, critical, historical, and cultural framework for exploring and threading together a variety of popular music and media texts.

As can be heard on this quintet set, tenor saxophonist Al Cohn's former "cool school" tone deepend during his later years and had become much more distinctive than it had been earlier. This set is special in that Cohn's backup group includes his son, the cool-toned guitarist Joe Cohn. Also providing fine support are pianist Hank Jones, bassist George Duvivier and drummer Akiri Tana. The quintet performs four of Al Cohn's originals (including "High on You" and the catchy "P-Town") plus Hank Jones' "Vignette," a couple of obscurities and Cole Porter's "I Love You." A typically excellent Al Cohn set. ~ Review by Scott Yanow

In this exciting new work, Carmen Trammell Skaggs examines the discourse of opera - both the art form and the social institution - in nineteenth - and early twentieth-century American literature.