In A Dark Blue Night
Cantaloupe, 2024
8/10
Listen to In A Dark Blue Night
The inimitable composer Alex Weiser pens a love letter to New York City, where Annie Rosen and Lee Dionne, plus others, are in attendance for the 12 rich, classically inspired tracks.
“Evening” begins the listen with Rosen’s soaring voice alongside Yasmina Spiegelberg’s dreamy clarinet, and “Broadway” follows with a very rich delivery that emits a rich chamber presence amid the poetic singing.
Further along, “Night Reflex’ is a mesmerizing album highlight that recruits much ambience, while “Knish Store” offers a bright moment of flowing winds and subtle but effective strings.
Approaching the end, “Mother” allows for Dionne’s gorgeous keys to radiate tremendous intimacy that suits the powerful pipes and “Ellis Island” exits with a stunning performance from Rosen.
The strings courtesy of Brigid Coleridge (violin), Lun Li (violin), Jordan Bak (viola), Julia Yang (cello) and Sam Suggs (double bass) add much to the effort, where Rosen and Dionne’s commanding abilities guide the storyline of an immigrant experience from 2 viewpoints. One uses 20th century voices via Yiddish poetry, and the other draws from the memories of Weiser’s own grandmother.
Travels well with: Natalie Mann- Rendezvous In The Salon; Serena Hill LaRoche and Catherine Garner- Saloons, Salons, & Salutations