The Brian Kinler Band: “Bragging Rights” (2020) CD Review

In recent years, jazz pianist Brian Kinler has moved steadily closer toward pop and dance music, where a good portion of his heart has always resided. A few tracks on his new album, Bragging Rights, are certainly in that realm, or use elements of pop. But that doesn’t mean that the tracks aren’t moving and emotionally engaging, for they certainly are. That is because Brian maintains that beautiful touch that he established on his earliest CD release, Two. And in these dark days when we are unable to physically reach out to each other, we need music that connects to us on a deeply human level, and Brian Kinler – even in his most dance-oriented moments – is able to provide that in composition after composition. This new release contains all original material, written by Brian Kinler. As with his previous release, Euphoric, this album is largely a solo effort.

The album opens with “Lift-Off,” which – after a brief countdown sound snippet from NASA – begins as a dance number. It has a positive and bright sound, and there are some unexpected changes here, creating a more interesting mood. Plus, the work on keys at times seems to fly, moving along at a good clip in an excited, joyous and almost carefree manner. Then we dip back into a more introspective section, before returning to that dance feel at the end. That’s followed by “Bragging Rights,” the album’s title track, which sort of works in the opposite way, beginning in a pretty place, a mellower spot, then bursting open with a delicious power. Nothing shy about the attitude there. This track goes back and forth between these two distinct locations and vibes. Steve Herrman joins Brian Kinler on trumpet and flugelhorn on this track, adding some absolutely gorgeous work in those quieter sections, and then cutting loose in the more boisterous sections, especially toward the end. I love the different moods he captures. Andre Mayeux did the horn arrangement for this track.

“Six Thousand Days” has a pretty and uplifting and romantic sound and style. There is a peaceful and comforting aspect to this track, even after it kicks in. This is a song that celebrates our most important relationships, the relationships that will carry us through whatever troubles may arise. Certainly this is exactly the sort of thing we are looking for and needing these days, particularly when we are distanced from others. The power of this song feels like the strength of the loves in our lives. Brian and his husband Steven took a trip to Vietnam last year, and this trip has clearly had an impact, heard in the composition of “Indochine,” and seen in the new music video for this song documenting some of that experience. This track has a steady dance beat, and is one you can definitely move to, but there is more going on here. There is a curiosity about the unknown and the foreign, as well as a joy in the discovery of special places. That’s followed by “Waiting For Her,” which has a more somber tone, and is incredibly moving. This is a song a lot of us first heard at Brian Kinler’s performance at Vitello’s last August, and it was probably the most beautiful moment of the show. This is an absolutely gorgeous piece of music. It develops a magical quality, like the ethereal touching the worldly. This is one of my favorite tracks.

“Gutterball” is pure fun, a dance song with a strong groove to raise our spirits and get our asses shaking. There is a joy to the playing, and it’s almost like the piano itself is smiling. And hey, does anyone else find that bowling is one thing you somehow get better at the more inebriated you are? Brian then slows things down again with “Suffocate,” a beautifully sad and touching piece. But when it might seem that hope is lost, the song kicks in with a renewed energy and power, like a hand reaching out to lift you up or to hold away the darkness. That is followed by “Me And Stevie P,” another one he introduced to folks at Vitello’s last August. There is a great happiness to this track. It is a love song that feels like that joy and lift you get just from seeing your partner nearby, when you feel that the whole world is a great place just because your sweet one is in it.

“The Honourable Mrs. Graham” is another beautiful track, a piece you can immerse yourself in. There is a sense of something approaching awe here at moments, and other times a complete understanding, a strong connection. This track features a string section written and performed by Andre Mayeux. Andre Mayeux likewise composed the string arrangement for the album’s final track, “The Heavens,” which is also beautiful. This song feels like a release as it begins, a letting go, and then a celebration of life as it goes on, a celebration of existence and the crazy miracle that any of us are here at all.

CD Track List

1. Lift-Off
2. Bragging Rights
3. Six Thousand Days
4. Indochine
5. Waiting For Her
6. Gutterball
7. Suffocate
8. Me And Stevie P
9. The Honourable Mrs. Graham
10. The Heavens

Bragging Rights was released on March 24, 2020.

Rory Block: “Prove It On Me” (2020) CD Review

Rory Block has been putting out excellent blues albums for several decades now, and has won multiple music awards, including the 2019 Acoustic Artist Of The Year. She has also been nominated for the Koko Taylor Award. She is an accomplished songwriter as well as singer, though in 2018 turned to the compositions of other writers in a tribute to Bessie Smith. Titled A Woman’s Soul, this album featured music that was recorded by Bessie Smith, and was the first release in a series dedicated to strong female voices in blues. Now she has released the second volume in the series, Prove It On Me, this one not focused on a single performer, but rather on several female vocalists from the twentieth century. Some of these women you are certain to know, but Rory also mixes in some lesser known artists, people who certainly deserve to be remembered. Rory Block gives us a fresh and personal look at some excellent material, and on this release provides all the vocals and plays all the instruments.

She opens the album with a cool rendition of “He May Be Your Man,” a song written and originally recorded by Helen Humes, who sang with The Count Basie Orchestra before beginning her solo career. I love the groove of Rory’s take on this song. She follows that with “It’s Red Hot,” a seriously delightful and playful tune written by Madlyn Davis in the late 1920s. This is one of Madlyn’s most well-known songs. Rory Block is clearly having a great time with this track, even offering little laughs, such after the line “Damn, that’s hot” and after “Spicy jelly” toward the end. Then Rory gives us her spin on another completely enjoying song, “If You’re A Viper,” a tune about getting high. Rosetta Howard was active in the 1930s and 1940s, recording “If You’re A Viper” in 1937. A line from this song that happens to stand out during this time of unemployment is “Don’t care if you don’t pay rent.” Let’s hope most landlords agree with that line because pretty soon a lot of us are going to be unable to do it, high or not.

Ma Rainey is certainly a famous name in the blues, often referred to as the Mother Of The Blues, and her song “Prove It On Me” provides this album with its title. “They say I do it, but ain't nobody caught me/Sure got to prove it on me/Went out last night with a crowd of my friends/They must have been women, 'cause I don't like no men.” How bloody cool is this song? And it was clearly ahead of its time. It was recorded in 1928. Rory then dips into gospel with “I Shall Wear A Crown,” a traditional number that Arizona Juanita Dranes recorded in the late 1920s. Here Rory delivers an unusual and wonderful lead vocal performance, as well as providing some gorgeous backing vocals. The guitar has a gloriously cheerful sound.

While this album pays tribute to some of the early women in blues, it does contain one original song, “Eagles,” a powerful track that fits in perfectly with these classic songs. “Now I’m a singer/Of roots, of country blues/You could say I love the music/You could say I’ve paid my dues.” Oh yes. This song is one of my personal favorites. And it is certainly not out of place for her to include one of her own songs on an album that celebrates important female voices in blues music. By the way, she talks a bit about this song in the disc’s liner notes. That’s followed by “Wayward Girl,” a song recorded by Lottie Kimbrough, who was active in the music scene in the 1920s. “I’ve been thinking all day/Thinking about the past/I said, thinking, thinking about the past.” It’s a moving song about losing one’s mother.

Memphis Minnie is another well-known figure in blues. She recorded quite a lot of records in her time. Rory Block selects “In My Girlish Days,” a song written by Ernest Lawler and recorded by Memphis Minnie in the early 1940s. Rory delivers a great, raw and powerful vocal performance here, and this track is another of the disc’s highlights. Merline Johnson is someone I wasn’t really familiar with. She recorded a lot of songs in a rather short period of time, sometimes under the name Yas Yas Girl. Such was the case with “Milk Man Blues,” the song Rory chooses. Apparently, quite a few of her songs were suggestive. Here is a taste of the lyrics to this one: “I said, now early in the morning/Well, the milk man brings milk to me/‘Cause you know he’s got the best milk in town/It’s just as sweet as it can be.” Rory then wraps up this excellent album with a great country blues number by Elvie Thomas, “Motherless Child,” about a daughter not following her mother’s deathbed advice and regretting it. Yes, the loss of a mother is a theme running through several of the songs chosen for this release. Elvie Thomas recorded “Motherless Child” in 1930.

                                                                                                                        

CD Track List

1. He May Be Your Man
2. It’s Red Hot
3. If You’re A Viper
4. Prove It On Me
5. I Shall Wear A Crown
6. Eagles
7. Wayward Girl Blues
8. In My Girlish Days
9. Milk Man Blues
10. Motherless Child

Prove It On Me was released on March 27, 2020 on Stony Plain Records.

Club Passim Helps Artists During Coronavirus Pandemic

Like most other music venues across the country, Club Passim is closed until this pandemic passes. That means a lot of canceled gigs for musicians who are – or will be soon – struggling to pay their bills. To assist musicians in the community who have lost gigs, Passim has started the PEAR (Passim Emergency Artist Relief) Fund. To raise money for the fund, artists are streaming concerts from their homes. Antje Duvekot, for example, played a wonderful set from her place, with a banner behind her that read, “Club Passim (Kinda).” Sure, it’s not the same thing as seeing a performance at the venue, but there is a strong sense of community during these shows, a sense that we are all in this thing together. People are encouraged to donate directly to the PEAR Fund, or they can contribute to the artists during the live streams.

Here is a list of upcoming live streams:

• Dietrich Strause – March 31, 2020 at 7 p.m. eastern time (from England)
• Corey Laitman – April 1, 2020 at 3 p.m. eastern time
• Jesse Dee – April 2, 2020 at 4 p.m. eastern time
• Pamela Means – April 3, 2020 at 3 p.m. eastern time
• Mary Gauthier with Jaimee Harris – April 4, 2020 at 6 p.m. eastern time
• Matt Heaton – April 5, 2020 at 11 a.m. eastern time (a family show)
• Arc Iris – April 6, 2020 at 7 p.m. eastern time
• Goodnight Moonshine – April 10, 2020 at 7 p.m. eastern time

Funds raised during these live streams will be split between the artists and the venue. Times are tough, no question. But they would be so much tougher without music. Support the artists and venues if you can.

Click here for the link to the PEAR Fund site.
Click here for the link to the live streams on the Club Passim site.

Corinne Mammana: “Yes, No, Next” (2020) CD Review

Times were dark and strange even before the current coronavirus outbreak, but now things have hit an entirely different level of awful, and people are feeling anxious, worried, and fearful, and with good reason. One thing we can turn to for comfort, for joy, for a sense of optimism throughout this crisis is music. Thankfully, there is plenty of great music being released during these twisted days. Jazz vocalist Corinne Mammana’s new album, Yes, No, Next, is one that should help us get through this. Even a cursory glance at the track list for the album will indicate this release is designed to reach out and raise people’s spirits. Songs like “Blue Skies,” “Put On A Happy Face” and “The Best Is Yet To Come” certainly share an optimistic view that people are eager to embrace. Though perhaps “In Need Of A Good Night’s Sleep” is the title most folks will be able to relate to. Yes, No, Next is Corinne Mammana’s first full-length disc, following her 2016 EP Under An August Moon. Joining the vocalist on this album are Sean Gough on piano and keyboard, Gene Perla (whom you likely know from his work with Elvin Jones) on bass, Ian Froman on drums, and Lorenzo Branca on flute and harmonica.

Corinne Mammana opens the album with a groovy rendition of Irving Berlin’s “Blue Skies.” This track begins with drums, gaining in volume as if the music is approaching us, and then the rest of the band joins in. There is a genuine joy to Corinne’s vocal delivery, particularly on lines like “Never saw the sun shining so bright/Never saw things going so right.” Her voice seems capable of pushing away storm clouds and darkness. We need this right now. I also really love the drum work on this track, which keeps things moving and exciting. There is also a delightful lead section on piano. The track ends at it began, with drums, now fading out. Corinne follows that with “Painter Song,” a mellower, more thoughtful number written by Lee Alexander and J.C. Hopkins, and recorded by Norah Jones (by the way, J.C. Hopkins Biggish Band has an excellent new album coming out too). Corinne’s rendition has a gorgeous late-night vibe, her voice sounding sexy and sensuous. This track also features some nice work on harmonica. She moves from Norah Jones to The Cure, certainly not a common transition, giving us an interesting take on “Lovesong.” This song was included on The Cure’s Disintegration, as well as released as a single. Corinne’s version is quite a bit different from the original, with something of a Latin rhythm. There is something both seductive and vulnerable about her vocal approach, which is wonderful. This track also features an excellent instrumental section. I especially dig that bass, even before that nice lead section. “I will always love you/Whatever words I say/I will always love you.”

“Smile” is such a gorgeous song, originally featured in Charlie Chaplin’s film Modern Times, and Corinne delivers a moving rendition, her voice backed by just piano at the start. This is one of those songs that might move you to tears while also making you smile. I love music that is able to do that. And after singing “You’ll find that life is still worthwhile/If you just – ” she suddenly switches tone and style as she segues into “Put On A Happy Face” (yes, in the middle of the line). Now things are firmly in a more cheerful land, her vocals having a bright sound. She then just as suddenly goes back to “Smile,” beginning with the word “smile,” as if finishing the line from earlier. Yet we are back at the beginning: “Smile though your heart is aching/Smile even though it’s breaking.” This has such an interesting effect, taking us up, then bringing us back down to Earth, but all while maintaining a sense of hope. This ends up being one of my personal favorite tracks.

Corinne Mammana also gives us a cool rendition of Matt Bednarsky’s “In Need Of A Good Night’s Sleep,” a song a lot of us can probably relate to. I have to imagine I’m not the only one plagued by strange nightmares and restlessness these days. Her version has the appropriate late-night vibe, and the way she delivers that first line, you can hear a weariness in her voice. Then her voice rises in power as the song continues. This track features some good work on flute. That’s followed by “Music Of The Night.” I’m not a big fan of the musical Phantom Of The Opera, but I like Corinne’s recording of this song, her voice backed by some pretty work on piano. That’s followed by “This & That,” the album’s sole original number, written by Corinne Mammana. It is a sweet and bluesy tune, with great stuff on keys, featured prominently during the instrumental section. But it is her delicious vocal work that makes this song something special. “You are the song I hear/When I close my eyes.” And I love that she adds a nice long “oooh” in the song’s title line, after “Just remember this” and before “and that.” It is delightful, and helps make this track another of my favorites.

“Yes, No, Next,” the album’s title track, which was written by Ramsey McLean, has a more somber tone, at least at the start. It gets brighter as it goes. “I just want something simple/No, not nothing complex/Brother, I’m down to/Yes, no and next.” I love her delivery of “But I’m in the mood for easy, can’t you see,” which has a playful quality. The album then concludes with “The Best Is Yet To Come,” which opens with some cool work on bass. Corinne’s delivery is just perfect. “You came along and everything started to hum/Still it’s a real good bet the best is yet to come.” Stay positive, stay healthy, stay safe, everyone.

CD Track List

1. Blue Skies
2. Painter Song
3. Lovesong
4. Smile/Put On A Happy Face
5. In Need Of A Good Night’s Sleep
6. Music Of The Night
7. This & That
8. Yes, No, Next
9. The Best Is Yet To Come 

Yes, No, Next is scheduled to be released on April 17, 2020.

The Vinyl Revival DVD Review

Like a lot of music fans out there, I am thrilled that vinyl has made such a tremendous comeback. It means not only that new albums are often getting vinyl releases, but that many old favorites are being reissued on vinyl. Could it also mean that album cover art will return? Let’s hope so. The Vinyl Revival is a documentary film about the glorious resurgence of records. It is a loving look at records, those who buy them, and those who sell them, focusing on independent stores. From the moment its first line of dialogue is spoken – “Right now we’ve got a situation where music is actually being bought again by people” – this documentary has a cheerful, optimistic tone.

This documentary is based on the book The Vinyl Revival And The Shops That Made It Happen, written by Graham Jones, who also wrote Last Shop Standing, which interestingly had been about the decline of record stores. Graham Jones is interviewed in the movie, discussing the changes that had occurred in the music industry since that earlier book had been published. Now in the UK, where this documentary was shot, there are many new independent record shops opening up, some run by young folks, not just those of us old enough to remember a time before compact discs and streaming services existed. The film interviews several record shop owners, and also some music journalists, including the author of Why Vinyl Matters.

Record Store Day of course was somewhat instrumental in the resurgence of interest in vinyl, and the film does include footage of folks in line outside of record shops. There is a brief mention of the negative side of Record Store Day, that being how many of the records end up being sold online at jacked up prices, but as one guy says, “The positives just outshine all that.” But the film talks about the appeal of records themselves, how listening to records is more of an immersive experience than downloading. Philip Selway (of Radiohead) says that the appeal of the vinyl format never truly went away, that “it is a really accessible, tactile format.” Also, a turntable is not an easily portable item, so one has to make a commitment to sit and listen to a record, which gives it more importance. And then there is the album artwork. Adrian Utley (of Portishead) talks about how people who download music don’t look at the artwork the same way, or at all. Nick Mason (of Pink Floyd) says, “For me, the worst thing about streaming and downloading and all the rest of it is this thing of devaluing music.”

The film does get into the ongoing difficulty of music shops, due in part to the decline in CD sales and also to record companies selling directly to their customers. But most people interviewed are optimistic about the future of vinyl and record shops. As I mentioned, the film has a bright and cheerful tone. And at the very end, there is the sound of a needle stuck at the end of a record, which is a nice touch. For me, that sound is a signal that it is time to turn the record over and listen to more music, not that things are over.

The Vinyl Revival was directed by Pip Piper, and is scheduled to be released on DVD on April 10, 2020. The DVD contains no special features, but there is a booklet included. The film, by the way, is only forty-three minutes.

Brief Notes On New Jazz Releases

There is a lot of excellent music out there to help us through these difficult and strange times, and I am grateful for it. Here are some brief notes on a few new jazz releases you might want to check out.

Dave Askren/Jeff Benedict: “Paraphernalia: Music Of Wayne Shorter” – Well, the album’s title should tell you basically everything you need to know. This disc finds guitarist Dave Askren and saxophonist Jeff Benedict celebrating the music of one of jazz’s greatest composers, Wayne Shorter. Many of Shorter’s compositions have become jazz standards, and the tracks chosen for this release will likely be familiar to most people. Some information on each of the choices is provided in the disc’s liner notes. Wayne Shorter, in addition to being an excellent and respected composer, is an incredibly talented saxophonist. Jonathan Pintoff is on bass, and Chris Garcia is on percussion. However, there are two tracks on this album that Dave and Jeff perform as a duo – “Miyako” and “Infant Eyes.” Possibly my favorite track, however, is “Mahjong” (though I also totally love the funky groove of the album’s title track). Scheduled to be released on May 1, 2020.

Vito Dieterle: “Anemone” – Saxophonist Vito Dieterlo released two albums on March 1st, one of them a collaborative effort with pianist Joel Forrester titled Status Sphere. The other, Anemone, finds him performing in a quartet with Kris Kaiser on guitar, Ben Paterson on organ, and Aaron Seeber on drums. The album opens with a delightful rendition of Cole Porter’s “Dream Dancing,” and also features material by both Tommy Turrentine (a fun, breezy rendition of “You Said It”) and Stanley Turrentine (a cool, lively version of “Minor Chant”), as well as compositions by Billy Strayhorn, Dizzy Gillespie, Thelonious Monk and Jule Styne. There is also one original composition, the album’s title track, which is a pretty and somewhat mellow number, a saxophone/guitar duet. This album was released on March 1, 2020.

J.C. Hopkins Biggish Band: “New York Moment” – From the moment the first track of this album begins, I am completely on board. There is joy to the playing, to the singing. The album swings and pops on some tracks, warms us on others, and what is more, it features mostly original material, written or co-written by pianist J.C. Hopkins. Yes, that’s right, we have some delicious new big band (sorry, biggish band) songs to move us, to keep us going, to make us smile. I am especially fond of “One Of Those Days,” which has a wonderful humor to it. This disc features five different vocalists, each with a distinct style, each with something special to deliver. How can you help but be pulled in by the sensuous singing on “The Wonderful Things To Come”? The album’s only cover, a lively rendition of Charles Mingus’ “Better Git It In Your Soul,” is also the album’s only instrumental number, and it features some absolutely fantastic work on saxophone and the other horns. Scheduled to be released on April 5, 2020.

The Lost Melody: “New Songs For Old Souls” – The Lost Melody is the talented trio of Joe Davidian on piano, Jamie Ousley on bass, and Austin McMahon on drums. This album features all original material, with each of the three members contributing compositions. There is a lot of joy and warmth to their playing, and it transfers to the listener. The first time I put this disc on, I was feeling seriously stressed out because of the daunting financial troubles I will face if work doesn’t resume within two months, and this music had me smiling in short order. What more can we ask for? Highlights for me include “Leaving Montserrat,” “Won’t You Sing This Song For Me?” and “A Sea Of Voices.” Scheduled to be released on May 1, 2020.

Paul Shaw Quintet: “Moment Of Clarity” – Paul Shaw is a drummer known for his work with Inside Out and The Swing Association. Moment Of Clarity is his first album as a band leader, and it showcases his writing talent as well as his skill on drums. All of the tracks on this album were composed by Paul Shaw. Joining him are Alex Sipiagin on trumpet, Brad Shepik on guitar, Gary Versace on piano, and Drew Gress on acoustic bass. The music here is exciting at times, and features excellent work from all five players. Right from the first track, “Heartland,” there are some fantastic lead sections, particularly by Alex Sipiagin on trumpet. One of my personal favorite tracks is “Peekaboo,” in large part because of the bass, but also because of that great trumpet lead, and of course because of Paul Shaw’s work on drums, including that cool and expressive solo. This album was released on March 27, 2020.

Dana Sandler: “I Never Saw Another Butterfly” (2020) CD Review

Dana Sandler’s new album, I Never Saw Another Butterfly, intrigued me from the moment I first heard about it. I’ve long been obsessed with stories from World War II, particularly about the Holocaust, and on this album jazz composer and vocalist Dana Sandler takes poetry written by Jewish children and young adults who were in the Terezin concentration camp and sets it to music. It is based on a book of poetry and artwork by the same name, which was first published in 1959. Dana Sandler dedicates the album to Friedl Dicker-Brandeis, the woman responsible for preserving the children’s art. She was an artist and educator who organized secret art classes for the children in the concentration camp and saved their artwork and poetry before she herself was sent to Auschwitz, where she was murdered by the Nazis. The suitcases containing the children’s art was found after the camp had been liberated. I have to admit I put off listening to this album for a while because I was afraid it would depress me, and, like most everyone else these days, I’m on the edge anyway. But this music has an uplifting power and effect. The music was composed by Dana Sandler, who also lends her voice to the children’s words. Joining her on this important release are Carmen Staaf on piano, Jorge Roeder on bass, Austin McMahon on drums, Peter Kenagy on trumpet and flugelhorn, Rick Stone on alto saxophone and clarinet, Michael Winograd on clarinet, and Rory Sandler McMahon on vocals.  

The album begins with an instrumental piece titled “Dear Pavel,” dedicated to Pavel Friedmann, who wrote the poem “The Butterfly” at the age of twenty-one in the concentration camp. He was born in Prague in 1921, and died at Auschwitz in 1944. This piece features some pretty work on piano, and has a gentle approach, like an arm around our shoulders guiding us through the world. That is followed by Dana Sandler’s delivery of “The Butterfly,” which was written on June 4, 1942. This track is incredibly pretty and touching. Here is a portion of the poem: “That butterfly was the last one./Butterflies don’t live in here,/in the ghetto.” After the war, the poem was donated to the National Jewish Museum.

“Dear Franta” is a very short instrumental piece for Franta Bass, who was only fourteen when he was murdered at Auschwitz. He was eleven when he and his family were sent to Terezin, and there he wrote several poems. Three of those poems are presented on this album. The first two – “Home” and “The Old House” – are presented together. The lines from “Home” can certainly be heartbreaking, but the music has something of an angelic and uplifting quality. “I look toward my home/The city where I was born/City, my city/I would gladly return to you.” One note: in the liner notes, the line is given as “I will gladly return to you,” but she clearly sings “would.” The horns then have a sweet energy, like they could magically lift and carry this child home. The piano again has a pretty sound. That segues into “The Old House,” which is sung by a child, and that child’s voice is unexpected and chilling, for it is an even stronger reminder of what was lost. “Now it is deserted, rotting in silence/What a waste of houses,/a waste of hours.” That is Rory Sandler McMahon on vocals. The third piece by Franta Bass, “The Garden,” is presented as a separate track. This song creates an innocent scene in its opening lines, “A little garden/Fragrant and full of roses,” and you can’t help but consider the incredible contrast between what these children were creating and the harsh world around them. The innocence is soon dispelled by the poem’s final lines, “When the blossom comes to bloom,/The little boy will be no more.” If you weren’t aware of where the poem was written, it is possible you might conclude the idea is that the boy is no more because he is now a man. But we know that is not the case. It is a heartbreaking final line, full of awareness of impending death. Anyone singing of a child’s death is likely to be compelling, but knowing that it was a child writing of a child’s death is almost too much to bear.

“Dear Alena” is a somber, introspective instrumental piece for Alena Synkova-Munkova, one of the few children who actually survived the camp (she died in 2008). This album offers three of her poems. The first is “Untitled,” which actually has a light and joyful sound as it begins, creating a peaceful setting before the vocals begin. “Therefore, I will wait –/until my life’s purpose/is fulfilled/And you will come.” At the end, Dana sings “I must not lose faith/I must not lose hope.” The opening lines of Alena’s second poem, “I’d Like To Go Alone,” are “I’d like to go away alone/Where there are other, nicer people.” Simply stated, certainly, but powerful nonetheless. I love that horn, which rises up as if searching for some other place, some other people, searching for a god to deliver them there. This is surprisingly positive too, with the lines “Maybe more of us/A thousand strong/Will reach this goal/Before too long.” Dana repeats these lines. That’s followed by a change in tone, led by piano, and we feel as if this better place has been found. It almost feels like people dancing at this point. However, Dana then chooses to return us to the beginning, repeating the song’s opening stanza, which feels like she has brought us back to that place they were hoping to escape. Interestingly, she then sings a bit of “Ani Ma’amin,” and the disc’s liner notes provide an English translation: “I believe with complete faith/In the coming of the Messiah, I believe.” “Tears,” the third piece by Alena Synkova-Munkova, is incredibly moving. As Dana sings of tears, I have to hold my own back. “Tears –/inspired by grief/tears/that fall like rain.” I really like the bass work here, that instrument seeming to provide a place for the child’s tears to land where they will not be lost, but instead will be bounce and splash and somehow produce more life.

“Dear Anonymous” is a wonderful instrumental piece that, as you may surmise, is about those children whose names are not known, those young poets who did not sign their work. There is a strong sense of movement to this piece, and so there is hope. The first of the poems is “On A Sunny Evening,” which also expresses hope, both lyrically and musically. It is a celebration of nature, of spring, of life. “I want to fly but where, how high?” And check out these powerful lines, which conclude the piece: “If in barbed wire, things can bloom/Why couldn’t I? I will not die!” The second anonymous piece, and final track of the album, is titled “Birdsong.” The bass begins this song, which also celebrates aspects of nature and has an optimistic quality. There is a gorgeous instrumental section led by piano. The lines “You’ll know how wonderful it is/To be alive” are repeated, as the music builds in power. Then it eases back, and Rory Sandler McMahon joins her to sing those lines again, so we have a blending of an adult’s voice and a child’s voice, a mixing of past and present. And that is how this remarkable album ends.

CD Track List

1. Dear Pavel
2. The Butterfly
3. Dear Franta
4. Home/The Old House
5. The Garden
6. Dear Alena
7. Untitled
8. I’d Like To Go Alone/Ani Ma’amin
9. Tears
10. Dear Anonymous
11. On A Sunny Evening
12. Birdsong/Butterfly Reprise

I Never Saw Another Butterfly is scheduled to be released on April 21, 2020, which is Yom HaShoah.