Nicola Melville is a New Zealand native who has worked in the U.S. since 1990. She began including contemporary works by living composers in her programs in New Zealand, and her affinity for contemporary music is shown in this collection by 13 living American composers. As the titles will probably attest, there is a huge variety of approaches to be heard here. There are homages to well-known composers, influences of rock, folk and jazz, musical humor, and unexpected combinations of genres. But you won’t find much serialism or minimalism.
The opening track can be described as a piece of haunted salon music. Garrop’s short tango honors the great Argentine tango singer Carlos Gardel. Mark Olivieri’s triptych of homages honors Copland, Takemitsu and James Brown respectively. Gabriel Frank drew in her piano piece from several different South American guitar-playing genres. Doug Opel’s compositional language is a mix of dark and humorous, controlled and chaotic, classical and contemporary. The second of his little preludes portrays gospel music and the third is titled “Eine Kinda Bachmusik.”
I think my favorite of the collection is the longest track, at 6 1/2 minutes, Kevin Beavers’ Sourpuss. He divides it into five tableaux which are variously colored by influences of ragtime, blues, Thelonious Monk and Frank Sinatra. Some of it sounds like lonely noodling at the keyboard, but things finish up with a rousing little drunk dance number.
– John Sunier
