Don Cherry Music

If you thought AMOR, the album of solo love songs was great, you are in for a real treat because this surpasses even that effort. The music is tender, soaring, emotional - encapsulating a wide range of human emotions.

The selections cover a wide range but we hit paydirt with Verdi and Puccini - the soaring melodies and the magnificent orchestration. This album only improves upon repeated hearings.

In the early 1990s I began following the careers of two immensely talented young singers then on the verge of international stardom. The French tenor Roberto Alagna wowed Covent Garden audiences as Romeo and Rodolfo, and had received rave reviews throughout Europe. The splendid Mimi of Romanian soprano Angela Gheorghiu enlivened an otherwise lackluster 1994 Metropolitan Opera broadcast, and an astounding triumph at Covent Garden as Violetta followed. I had often longed for these two splendid young artists to sing together, and I got my wish in spades when it was publicly announced that they were madly in love - this disc was recorded 6 months before and released in the U.S. 4 days before their real-life marriage. While I and many opera fans are hopeless romantics who are delighted by such things, what really matters is that their VOICES are married. Let's just say that I have heard other singers who are either married or otherwise romantically involved who do not have nearly the rapport that these two people do. They are supremely sensitive to and supportive of each other's artistry and even more importantly, are ultimately the servants of the composer.

Alagna's sweet, warm, earthy tenor and Gheorghiu's velvety, starlit soprano blend so perfectly that it often seems one voice is coming out of two mouths. Nowhere is this more true than on the triumph of the disc, 'Nuit d'ivresse' from Hector Berlioz's 'Les Troyens'. This is a good candidate for the best joint recording they have ever made and is certainly their best individual duet recording. While it is usually sung by a tenor with a heavier voice and a mezzo-soprano, the sheer lyricism of their voices renders this music utterly ravishing - I have never heard this piece sung more beautifully. And how many typical operatic 'love duet' albums would include something this rare? Their 'one voice' quality is also evident in 'Tornami a dir' from 'Don Pasquale', a triumph of heady sweetness, and again, not exactly standard fare. Throughout these selections, and indeed the entire album, we hear superb dynamic sensitivity and gorgeous pianissimo singing, and everything is sung with such dramatic intensity and immersion in character that you think you're hearing a live performance and not a recording. About the only quibble I have is that Alagna's diction in both French and Italian is so perfect that Gheorghiu's comes up a bit short by comparison.

The Cherry Duet from 'L'Amico Fritz' which begins the album is full of sweet affection and wistfulness. In the Saint Sulpice scene from 'Manon', Gheorghiu is irresistibly seductive and tender and Alagna believably torn between Des Grieux's pain at Manon's betrayal and his love for her. Some may actually prefer this version of the duet to the slightly more 'verismo' and less subtle rendition of their complete recording under Antonio Pappano. The Garden Scene from 'Faust', albeit not quite as intense as in their recent Metropolitan Opera performances, is still a triumph of French style, sensitivity, and drama, again with absolutely gorgeous pianissimo singing, this time at 'Eternelle!'. This should be no surprise to anyone who has heard them sing 'Romeo et Juliette'. And, of course, these masters of Gounod's version of 'Romeo and Juliet' also make something special of Bernstein's. I don't believe I've ever heard 'Tonight' more beautifully and musically sung - and as Gheorghiu pointed out in an interview, this is not 'easy' music to sing. The only problem here is that 'West Side Story' is more about Anglo/Puerto Rican culture clash than about family feuds, and so it hurts somewhat that the singers have the wrong (and more importantly, too similar) accents. Nevertheless, their English is clear and understandable, and as usual they mean every word they sing. The disc concludes with a radiant 'O soave fanciulla', where Rodolfo's and Mimi's romance is off to a tender and teasing start.

In addition to the six duets, each singer has two solo arias. Alagna's first is a splendid 'Ah, fuyez douce image', where he not only begins the aria pianissimo, but he makes more of the words than just about any tenor since Georges Thill. He follows this with a rollicking version of Paris' Entrance from 'La Belle Helene'. While not even Alagna can negotiate the B flat octave leaps with the ease of Jussi Bjorling (in his unsurpassable 1938 Swedish-language recording), he has the considerable advantage of native French speech, and a far better appreciation of the piece's humor. Gheorghiu has surpassed her two solo selections since making this recording - the 'Al dolce guidami' on her 'Casta Diva' bel canto disc and the 'Depuis le jour' on her live Covent Garden recital - but these versions demonstrate her ravishing top, command of legato, and extraordinary emotional expressivity.

Richard Armstrong (the music director of the Scottish Opera, who also conducted Alagna's solo debut album) is with his singers all the way and he has the Covent Garden Orchestra play gorgeously . In particular, his molding of the orchestral line and color in the Berlioz is very impressive. Excellent documentation, with full texts and translations, by British vocal collector John Steane. Although this is focused (as it should be) on the music rather than the singers, there is also brief biographical information on both Alagna and Gheorghiu, which none of their subsequent EMI CDs have had.

In short this album is a triumph from beginning to end and an absolute must for any lover of the human voice, absolutely giving lie to the common whine of 'all the great singers are gone forever'. Of course, you'll also have to buy Alagna's and Gheorghiu's complete opera recordings, their equally stunning Verdi duets CD, and too many individual solo albums to count. Almost anything either of these splendid artists do, separately or together, is worth buying and devouring. They're a Golden Age all by themselves!

There is no climatic piece in the whole album. It appears it was gathered selections...by that I mean, somebody said "oh let's use this one and this one..." The selections just drift from one to the next and carry little emotional impact on this listener. Yet I love Angela, but Roberto is second rate. Overall, not much on here to remember.

How perfect is it that tenor Roberto Alagna and Angela Gheorghiu are a madly in love, married opera couple with voices like angels? I remember when this album first came out in the mid-1990s. At the time, I didn't have a CD player, and their album was a motivation for me to get one, if that says anything about how much I LOVE both of them, as well as the music samples I first heard on NPR.

Alagna's resonance is clear, but, never piercing. Gheorghiu's clean-sounding soprano is expressive, but never shrill, and exhudes a warmth, as well as a softness, when she attacks the really high notes. What sets Roberto Alagna and Angela Gheorghiu apart from the pack of young opera stars is their own original, highly energetic and sincere interpretations of popular opera duets, featured here. They include "Tonight" from West Side Story (which I really wouldn't consider opera, but, more an example of musical theatre), and "O soave fanciulla" from La Boheme. I guarantee that listening to this album will make you fall in love with these two wonderful singers.

Since Roberto Alagna and Angela Gheorghiu are opera's favorite lovebirds, and real life husband and wife, it is not inconceivable that EMI would release a disk of arias and duets featuring the couple. The disk is reasonably good. It has the standard duets such as "O Soave Fanciulla" from LA BOHEME and "The Cherry Duet" from L'AMICO FRITZ as well as a few lesser known pieces that make the disk interesting. The Broadway stage is also included in a duet from Leonard Bernstein's WEST SIDE STORY. As beautiful as Bernstein's music is, it somehow does not fit in this recording. The two do a reasonably good job, both as soloists and together, but the disk lacks power. The two fail to generate the energy on this disk that the two seem to have on television and in video performances. Their acting abilities surpass many "Golden Age" stars, but their music, while technically good, fails to generate the same excitement as a Corelli--Price, Pavarotti--Freni, or a Callas--Di Stefano pairing would generate. None-the-less, the recording is not bad, and it will certainly be pleasing to fans of the two.

This is lovely from beginning to end. These two singers really know how to put together a recital CD. It's always satisfying no matter how often I listen to it. The selections they sing are well suited to their voices. It's a pleasure. I can't recommend this CD enough. It's truly a shared program with neither one overwhelming the other. They each get their solo turns and the duets are wonderful.

Mr. Banks has a "heroic lyric tenor" if there is such a category. His fast vibrato and power lend the voice excitement and attention getting presence. I was intrigued by him in his stunning appearance in the Rimsky-Korsakov "Le'Coq d'Or" DVD (a not-to-be-missed experience)-- he was a stand-out there there and I went looking for other things by him. This CD is treasurable in many ways. The repertoire is interesting and the duets add flavor to the whole. The only small complaint I have is that perhaps Mr. Banks lacks just the last bit of emotional connection in his singing. You won't go wrong getting this excellent CD.

Barry Banks is certainly a contender for one of the best tenors around. THis is a great example of coloratura and legato line which is very well executed in a rather booming tenor voice. I just saw Mr. Banks in "The Elixer of Love" and he was stupendous. This is a large tenor voce in the theatre which alas is difficult to capture in a studio recording...you have to take my word. THe translations are often odd as they generally are, but this recording is certainly worth having. (although I prefer in the original language)

Trane and cherry are the perfect foil for each other. As far as this type of music goes, this is one of the best albums. This is much like a Coleman album with Coltrane sitting in. The musical interplay on "The Blessing" is outstanding. It's interesting to hear Coltranes soprano sax here, the first time he played it on an album I believe.
This is a very important album in the history of Jazz, it is wort getting for that fact alone. Some of my friends who do not like Jazz, especially this type, actually like this album. If you want to explore the music of John Coltrane and Don Cherry as individual artists there are some better choices though. Like most of the music Coltrane was involved with he makes a very bold musical statement. Also a nice version of "Bemsha Swing".

There are much better Coltrane albums. It is not his parquet. More of this songs is written by Ornette Coleman. Coleman is the best in his own music. Buy Coleman's albums like Change of the century rather when you want listen similar music.

While the lineup is intriguing -- joining Trane with musicians associated with Ornette Coleman (Percy Heath also makes an appearance) -- and some of the music compelling, "The Avant-Garde" is, for me, the least successful release in the saxophonist's Atlantic discography. In fact, it's a rare example -- one of the few I can think of -- of a session that might have been strengthened had another saxophonist taken his place.

That's not to say that "The Avant-Garde" is anywhere near being a bad album. On "Focus on Sanity," for example, Coltrane's tenor finds a groove with the bent lyricism of Cherry's horn and Ed Blackwell's remarkable juggling rhythms. Monk's "Bemsha Swing" is another highlight: a truly fresh treatment of one of the pianist's infrequently recorded tunes.

But the recording, to these ears anyway, often exhibits a strained quality, most of which comes from Trane trying to adapt his sound to the jagged, angular rhythms that Cherry and company were more comfortable with from playing with Coleman. "The Blessing," for example, Coltrane's first recorded effort on soprano, suffers badly in comparison with the later "My Favorite Things" and "Ole Coltrane," to name two examples. On "The Blessing" he sounds, for one of the few times in his post-1958 career, uncertain. The result lacks the lyricism of "My Favorite Things" or the fury of "Ole." He seems to be fighting the tune rather than finding its contours, as Cherry does.

An interesting comparison with this release is "Bags and Trane," recorded the same year, for the same label. In that effort, Coltrane, the "radical" often excoriated by the press of the day for his "undisciplined" and wild attacks, fits his sound with "mainstream" vibist Milt Jackson like a hand in a glove. Surprisingly, on the "The Avant-Garde," paired with other "radicals," Coltrane never quite finds his stride. It's another good reason, I suppose, to ignore conventional wisdom about musicians, ignore labels, and just listen for yourself.

I'd actually recommend "The Avant-Garde" more to listeners who are after really good Don Cherry performances. This is one of Cherry's best efforts; his sound is commanding on every tune, and he clearly benefits from his familiarity with Blackwell and Charlie Haden.

i have a love/hate relationship with the whole genre of avant-garde jazz. if you happen to dislike the genre yourself, don't be put off by the title of this album. this is from 1960, before things became too heavily tilted towards dissonance, too offensive to the ears. all of the music on this album is quite accessible to the average jazz fan, and it's all excellent. don cherry sounds almost conventional here (unlike on the other recordings that i have heard him play on), and coltrane's playing is inventive and gorgeous, as usual. this was a hole in my coltrane collection that i just filled. and i am very glad that i did. wonderful jazz.

Here we have perhaps the most respected saxophonist ever [there even exists a Church of Saint John Coltrane for his deeply spiritual liner notes to A Love Supreme] w/ all the other members of the most controversial & therefore underrated Ornette Coleman Quartet, Ed Blackwell on drums, Charlie Haden on bass [replaced by the slightly more starightforward Percy Heath of the Modern Jazz Quartet on tracks 2, 4 & 5], & trumpeter Don Cherry as co-leader. This is brilliant music that for some unexplained reason didn't get released in 1960 when it was recorded but lay in the vaults until 1966, just in time that Coltrane could see it out when he was alive. It opens w/ Don Cherry's compositon Cherryco, the main theme of which very much resembles a tune the OCQ were doing @ the time called Revolving Doors which I'm very fond of, & here it is a fair bit less frantic but certainly excellent still, obvious taken off in different directions [it's a good couple of minutes longer too], in the original liner notes it explains "Cherryco is one of Don's favourite tunes - he played it all through his recent sabbatical of Europe & North Africa, & had considerable success w/ it." The bulk of the album is taken up w/ 3 Ornette tunes, he himself not being present perhaps to give more space to John to do his thing. The 1st of these is Focus On Sanity [from the Shape of Jazz to Come] & it's a 12 minute version, taken further & given as much space as it needs, it fades out as if it could have gone on a lot longer. The Blessing is a charming tune, coming from Something Else!!!, Ornette's debut album from 1958, as does The Invisible which follows it, & the Blessing is apparently the 1st recording of JC on soprano sax, normally he was on tenor. The newer liner notes have this to say: "it offers a strong contrast between Cherry's solo, with its relaxed freedom from the song's chords, & Coltrane's anxious flights on soprano", there's also a noteworthy drum solo in there too. The Invisible is a fast, stomping, squawking kind of a tune, a lot of excitement there. Thelonious Monk's classic Bemsha Swing is the last song & it of course swings long graciously, as any good version of it would, of course Coltrane played in his group in 1957 so he should know it better than anyone. But the ending of it is rather subdued, basically saying this is a very good record but not as revolutionary as the title The Avant-Garde might suggest [although several of the Ornette album titles were bold statements that often held true], it is something that anyone w/ an ear for creative music should enjoy & generally it's not too brash or abrasive to prove a challenge, rather a pleasing listen. Unfortunately there was never again any recordings/performances of this supergroup.