As One
Albany, 2022
8/10
The tenor Jos Milton and pianist Melinda Coffey Armstead come together here and interpret the works of Robert Owens, Ned Rorem, Zachary Wadsworth, Srul Irving Glick, and Libby Larsen as they celebrate the human connection to the earth across this very artistic affair.
“Silver Rain, Op. 11” starts the listen with Milton’s powerful pipes alongside Armstead’s mature and emotive keys, and it makes for a very absorbing 7 movements, and “Youth, Day, Old Age, And Night” follows with the soaring vocals and gentle piano emitting a very poetic quality.
In the middle, “The Place For No Story” showcases Milton’s diverse range amid the dreamy, stirring progressions from Armstead, while “Two Landscapes For Tenor And Piano” is full of intimate and reflective song craft that is quite bare and pretty. “My Antonia” exits the listen, and it’s packed with bright and upbeat moments, as well as rumbling bouts of vivid storytelling.
The chemistry between the players is quite evident early on in the listen, as they illuminate these works with a very focused and memorable delivery that warrants repeated listens.
Travels well with: Qing Jiang- Dreamed Landscapes; Pan Pacific Ensemble- Ambiguous Traces