Mintzer, New Mambo I want to start the New Year with something upbeat and optimistic, and few things deliver that better than big band music. New Mambo was composed by Bob Mintzer (b. 1953), a jazz saxophonist, composer, and arranger who directs the Germany-based WDR … Read more
Copland, Danza de Jalisco Our Composer of the Month Series features Aaron Copland this month. Carol and I select composers for this series who are, of course, well known and beloved by us. Still, in presenting the materials, we “start from scratch” and spend a … Read more
Guastavino, Pampamapa There’s a simple way to get to know unfamiliar music: listen to it over and over again. One of my professors who was constantly introducing us to new music always stressed the importance of listening twice, the second time immediately after the first. … Read more
Ginastera: Danzas argentinas, Op. 2 A few weeks ago, I commented that we were featuring performances by composers who are not generally listed among the “great masters.” But looking back over the past 23 weeks, I see mostly famous names. So I’m ready to venture into … Read more
