I can’t let February pass by without mentioning a couple of albums that may be just right for Valentines Day and Presidents Day. Holidays are a time for music, although frankly at our house and I suspect at yours as well, anytime is the right time for listening to music.
“This Dream of You”
Available: Qobuz 44/24 and on CD, download, and LP
My holiday pick for Valentines’ Day is Diana Krall’s“This Dream of You”. This album is the culmination of her collaboration with her long-time producer, Tony LaPima, who died in 2017. It is a fine salute to the work the two of them did together.
This album was recorded in three studios with three engineers and six ensembles. The result is that unfortunately, it does lack slightly in sonic continuity. Even so, if you are a Diana Krall fan, don’t count out this album of tunes mostly from the Great American Songbook.
Released by Verve Records in September of 2020, it spawned two singles. Her hushed, smoky vocals, subtle orchestration and arrangements, and magnificent piano playing give you what you’ve come to expect from Krall. In short, it may just be a perfect listen with your sweetie on Valentines’ Day.
However, while I admit that Krall’s intimate voice and piano playing sound wonderful, I find this album confusing as it changes moods too abruptly. I just don’t enjoy listening to it. She has made several albums I love, but sadly this isn’t one. Maybe it’s because there were so many studios, engineers and musicians involved.
While this isn’t my favorite album by Krall, I encourage you to give it a listen. If you like it great, but if you don’t, I surely understand.
“Steal Away: Songs of Underground Railroad”
Available: Acoustic Sounds
This may seem like an odd choice for Presidents Day, but “Honest Abe” Lincoln would have enjoyed it. It is dedicated to Harriet Tubman, an escaped slave herself, who was best known as an organizer of the Underground Railroad, the escape route for slaves fleeing the South prior to the Civil War.
This album has been at the top of my play list for several weeks. I don’t know why it took me so long to get to it. This is simply great music performed superbly.
Some of the spirituals and Black Gospel songs will be familiar to most people, while others will not. “Wade in the Water”, “Down by the Riverside”, and “Let Us Break Bread Together” are just three of the 12 songs in this collection. What they all are, is powerful, moving, and thought-provoking.
The sound is intensely alive with that feeling of singers and instruments taking up real space. Since this is a live recording, this is especially noticeable with the audience applause after each performance.
Give these a listen as you celebrate Valentines’ Day and Presidents Day! I hope you enjoy this music as much as I continue to.
