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Sunday, December 30, 2001

Records are rated on a scale of one (poor) to four (excellent) stars:

RICHARD STRAUSS:
"Ariadne auf Naxos," with Deborah Voigt in the title role; Giuseppe Sinopoli conducting.
Deutsche Grammophon.

The premise of the Richard Strauss-Hugo von Hoffmannstal collaboration that resulted in "Ariadne auf Naxos" is the simultaneous performance of a tragic and a comic opera, brought about by the ineptitude of a bungling major domo. Originally composed as a finale to a German version of Moliere's "Le bourgeois gentilhomme," the opera quickly gained an existence of its own, and its creators substituted a 40-minute prologue for the unwieldy full-length spoken comedy. This is the standard version given today, and it gets a memorable rendition in this new recording -- the last discs, sadly, made by conductor Giuseppe Sinopoli before his tragic and untimely death in April.

Sinopoli, who collapsed on the podium during a performance of Verdi's "Aida" at the Deutsche Oper Berlin, was a conductor whose interpretations never sounded quite like anyone else's, yet for this listener, at least, they were always convincing on their terms.

This opera offered Sinopoli more opportunities than most to draw on his own creativity. Its orchestra is essentially a chamber ensemble of about 40 soloists -- in this case the superb Staatskapelle Dresden -- which leaves the conductor innumerable choices as to which part should be brought out and how the phrases may be shaped. And his cast is exemplary for today's market. In the title role, Deborah Voigt -- perhaps not the subtlest singer around -- pours out her voluptuous soprano sounds with a generosity that all but overwhelms the ear. She is countered by the comic coloratura antics of Natalie Dessay's Zerbinetta -- this wonderful French soprano managing to make the fiendishly difficult technical hurdles seem natural and easy.

Moreover, tenor Ben Heppner sings the music of Bacchus, which has brought down many an acclaimed Heldentenor, with the smoothness of an Italian bel canto singer. In the prologue, Anne Sofie von Otter takes on the part of the composer (modeled on the young Mozart) with regal style, enunciating her apostrophe to the art of music in a way that veritably defines what opera is all about. The supporting cast is splendid right down the line.

-- Robert Croan

MUDDY WATERS:
"Fathers and Sons."
MCA.

Muddy Waters and the Rolling Stones in 1964 -- now, that's an album. Trouble is, it never happened. Waters' blues-rock summit came much later (1969) and with Americans (Michael Bloomfield, Paul Butterfield, Donald "Duck" Dunn and, on piano, longtime Waters sideman Otis Spann). The sound is far more emblematic of the hippie-friendly blues-rock boogie of the day than one would hope. But even with that blanket on his head, the man breathes fire into both his vocals and guitar here, stinging listeners like a King Bee with his bottleneck slide on a classic performance of "Mean Disposition" and rocking the house with attitude to spare on "Walking Thru the Park."

There's also a handful of live recordings (from the Super Cosmic Joy-Scout Jamboree, no less), including "Baby, Please Don't Go" and "Got My Mojo Working" (decent stuff, but not as good as Muddy did 'em with his real band nine years earlier at Newport).

This "Remastered & Revisited" edition also features previously unreleased recordings of a slow-burning "Country Boy," a slide-guitar fueled "Oh Yeah" and "I Feel So Good" with Butterfield doing his blues-rocking legacy proud on harp.

-- Ed Masley

MICHAEL WOLFF AND IMPURE THOUGHTS:
"Intoxicate."
Indianola Music Group.

Pianist/composer Michael Wolff certainly has his own reasons for naming his band Impure Thoughts, but after listening to this highly original, groove-laden album, you could speculate that he is letting the jazz purists ( or "police") know that his music might be so far removed from their narrow definition of jazz as to be considered almost indecent.

Although Wolff has strong classic jazz connections (Cal Tjader, Cannonball Adderley, Sonny Rollins), as well as a stint as musical director of the former "Arsenio Hall Show" that brought him to national attention, here he has come up with an adventurous, exciting hybrid comprising a wide variety of pan-cultural sounds and rhythms.

It's the rhythm -- all sorts of patterns and meters and tempos -- that drives and dominates, daring listeners not to be moved.

From the first deep, dark funky ostinato of the opening "Badd Al," Wolff and band give us a set of tunes with insistent, vampish and varied beats, from Afro-Cuban to East Indian to Middle Eastern to Brazilian to hip-hop and, yes, straight-ahead jazz.

Impure Thoughts has an intriguing mix of percussion instruments and superb players. There is a rare, exhilarating combination of hand-drums -- the East Indian tabla (Badal Roy) and Afro-Cuban conga (Frank Colon). Add the floor-shaking electric upright bass of John B. Williams, the trap drums of Victor Jones and the leader's own, often percussive piano, and you get an album full of churning rhythms meant to make hearts (and maybe feet) move faster.

Most of the tunes are Wolff originals, but the band also tackles Marvin Gaye's "Sexual Healing," Wayne Shorter's "Witchhunt" (including a remix hip-hop treatment) and delivers a most unusual slow-motion version of Lee Morgan's 1960s hard-bop classic "Sidewinder."

This is not only a rhythm frenzy, however; there are some very listenable melodies, many featuring the soaring soprano and tenor saxophones of Alex Foster, as well as Wolff's interesting and varied solos, alternately lyrical (delicate, sparkling runs) and forceful (crashing Cecil Taylor-like chords).

-- Bob Protzman

JEANIE BRYSON:
"Deja Blue."
Koch.

Jeanie Bryson's sotto voce approach and controlled emotions (a la Shirley Horn and Peggy Lee) are a nice contrast to some of jazz's vocal exhibitionists, but sometimes she crosses that thin line between subtlety and lifelessness. Bryson applies her breathy approach to a dozen tunes from jazz and pop writers, from Dizzy Gillespie to her mother, Connie, and non-jazzers Phoebe Snow and Todd Rundgren. Bassist Christian McBride and vibist Steve Nelson stand out in an excellent backing ensemble.

MELISSA WALKER:
"I Saw the Sky."
Enja.

In richness, range and flexibility (from full-bodied to wispy), Melissa Walker has one of the best voices in jazz. There never will be a voice quite like Sarah Vaughan's, but Walker sometimes sounds "Sassy"-like, especially when luxuriating in her lower register or getting that sort of moist sound on "s" words. She can swing all right, but she's best on pieces that show off her intensity and dramatic flair. Walker also writes lyrics on two of the varied 11 standards and originals here. She's backed by her fine trio -- pianist Shedrick Mitchell, bassist Kiyoshi Kitagawa and drummer Clarence Penn, who also does excellent arrangements. Guests include pianists Kenny Barron (the ubiquitous one) and Makoto Ozone, and vibist Stefon Harris.

-- Bob Protzman