87 (1950-1) in the recording by Keith Jarrett on ECM some years ago (1992). I first came to know these Shostakovich Preludes and Fugues Op. There is much to explore here and the pieces seem to fit together like a sonic jigsaw puzzle into a cohesive whole while retaining their individual detail and beauty, indeed “love at last.” Of course many of these pieces are of more recent vintage but Downes succeeds in making her choices sound inevitably related to each other. This far ranging but ultimately cohesive selection sounding at times like a fin de siecle drawing room recital of unabashedly romantic music. After about 12 tracks I had to stop, pull over, and look at the track listings. Here she sets her sights on the elusive concept of “love”, another concept that does best when it transgresses boundaries and embraces inclusion.ĭownes’ keyboard mastery and her ability to clearly articulate the inner details of this music succeeded very well in engaging this listener from the very start. Music is best appreciated not by racial, political, or gender issues but on its own merits. But I prefer to think of her work as “inclusive”. whereby Benny Golson stands beside Aaron Copland or Rhiannon Giddens and Judy Collins alongside Bernstein, etc. Her choice in repertoire has always been both creative and, some might say, “transgressive” because of her lack of respect for boundaries like “classical”, “jazz”, “pop”, “folk”, “male composers”, “female composers”, etc. These are a quirky but ultimately eye opening (or ear opening?) pieces that draw the listener in. On all tracks she has ample opportunity to exert her interpretive skills and her virtuosity. As with all her albums (this one is her tenth by my count), she shares a diverse cornucopia of music featuring music from Bach to young contemporary composers (women and men) and styles from classical to jazz, gospel, blues, and pop. This sort of passive listening would give me a first impression and I wouldn’t be tempted to any distractions (other than driving).Īfter the first two or three tracks I found myself inextricably drawn into Downes’ obviously very personal choices. I had a few hours of errands to do which required a bit of driving, a fine opportunity to hear this music while strapped into the driver’s seat. So I decided to take Lara on a trip with me. 24 tracks by multiple composers, most of their names unfamiliar to me left me with few clues as to the character of this album. Though I have enjoyed Downes’ albums since I first heard “America Again” (2016) I found myself approaching this new release with some trepidation.
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