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Home , Arnold Weinstein, Boys Choir of Harlem, Dwayne Burno, John Corigliano, Leon Kirchner, Myron Walden

Lisa Kirchner Something to Sing About

Acknowledgments

Piano by Steinway

Produced by Lisa Kirchner

Recorded August 10 and 12, 2010 at Avatar Studios, N.Y.

Cover & Tray card: Photo by Sue Kessler Last page Booklet, CD Face, Liner Note Opener: Photos by Anthony Legg

Engineers: Anthony Ruotolo, Brian Montgomery Mastered by Alan Silverman at Arf ! Mastering

Booking Information for Lisa Kirchner www.lisakirchner.com 917 338 6057

With thanks to the Mattina R. Proctor Foundation for their support, to Paul Yeon Lee, Danny Emerman, Jody Simon, Tara Deal, Robert www.albanyrecords.com TROY1268 albany records u.s. Riggs, Adina Williams, Brian Suh, Lauren 915 broadway, albany, ny 12207 tel: 518.436.8814 fax: 518.436.0643 Krinsky, Tino Passante, Susan Feder, and as albany records u.k. always, to Susan Bush at Albany Records box 137, kendal, cumbria la8 0xd tel: 01539 824008 © 2011 Lisa Kirchner made in the usa DDD warning: copyright subsists in all recordings issued under this label. This CD presents songs by some of America’s reigning composers, note for note, while the other instruments improvise with a subtle layer of dissonance evokes a sense of many known for their cross- genre writing, including , pop, classical, upon the harmonies. studied passage. The piano part is played as written, and folk and art songs written with distinguished authors for concert, with my father at . Years later, l had the band improvises. theatre and film venues. The elements are universal—melody, groove, the opportunity to create the role of Irma Vep the studied with my father at Harvard Vampiress, in the Stanley Silverman and Richard and was a welcome visitor to our house. Leila’s harmony, story and imagery—the musical passport to a chapter in Foreman production of Hotel for Criminals and Song, from I Was Looking at the Ceiling and Then I The Great American Songbook. its sequel, The American Imagination. From Saw the Sky, Adams’ musical theater , which Silverman’s Stratford Shakespeare Festival songs, premiered in 1995, is an intimate confession of I chose the musicians on this album from a group album, composers and performers who have had a I chose Sigh No More Ladies from Much Ado About longing for partnership in love. With lyrics by June of New York’s world class performers in jazz and profound impact on my own passage through folk, Nothing. The song depicts men as “deceivers” with Jordan, the song evolves into a cathartic emotional classical genres—soloists, recording artists and theatre, jazz, pop and classical music. “one foot on sea and one on shore,” with a lilt as self-realization in the aftermath of an earthquake leaders, all well known on the international circuit. the album opens with a Charles Ives song, bouncy as the ocean of infidelity it evokes. in . I have enjoyed an evolving musical history with In Autumn, a poignant lament by a rejected Bill Schimmel and I did many concerts Crazy Love, Crazy Heart is a song that I them, witnessing their performances, appearing in lover. The lilting harmonies evoke the flight of together that included Piaf and Poulenc. We chose composed by way of a harmony exercise that concerts and making records with them. I invited a summer bird weaving a gilded tapestry that Suicide in C Minor, his tongue-in-cheek ballad evolved into a folk-jazz tune over a French waltz. them to do the project knowing their musical and unravels in a sudden cadence of betrayal and world about an obsessed moll on the verge of suicide The lyrical excursion details an attraction that imaginative proclivities for gorgeous harmony weariness. Paul Chihara’s haunting instrumental following abandonment by her gangster cad. The leads the protagonist reeling into crazy love in a and poetic sensibility. I was delighted to find that was written for Sidney Lumet’s 1980s film, Brecht-Weill and Tsigan reference is unabashed in carousel of misadventure at sixes and sevens with everyone could make the recording dates for this of the City, an urban police drama about corruption this multicultural expat world, where European time. The original lyrics to the traditional song, The exploration of repertoire that was new to many of on the force. I asked Paul, a long-time colleague gangsters gather in the underworld cafes of the Little Horses, or All the Pretty Little Horses, sung them. The stage was set with the go ahead from of my father’s, if I might write lyrics to his classic 1940s. Ned Rorem, a long-time colleague of my by , depict the violent truth of the scene composers and publishers to allow transposition theme song, and he and Universal graciously father’s, was my fellow performer one night on a with “birds and bees pecking at his eyes,” as the of keys and improvisation. I am also fortunate agreed. John Corigliano kindly suggested songs pop “gig” with Judy Collins at Carnegie Hall, where baby of a slave is abandoned by his mother who in having had personal associations with almost that might lend themselves to this album. I chose Judy sang one of his songs to his accompaniment must work in the fields while exposing her child all of the composers on the album. The common Fort Tryon Park: September, from The Cloisters, on piano. I asked what song of his I might do on to the ruthless sun. I was only eight when my denominator among them, and the reason for these an alluring song in mixed meter. Its melody this album, and he suggested Early One Morning, parents introduced me to in Aspen. life-long connections, was my father, composer begins with pure soprano, but moves to a dustier set to a poem by Robert Hillyer and depicting a Copland’s arrangement of this traditional ballad , whose music is also represented register as modern tragedy darkens an idyllic Paris morning brimming with possibilities and conveys sweetly the chorus of little horse hooves on the album. It has been thrilling to unite on this medieval scene. The original piano part is played young love. The mellifluous tune riding a ¾ waltz and the miniature coach–the toys of a baby in a protected universe. Yet the off-kilter rhythm of the added it to his opera of the same title. “My into the scene at a gathering where a photograph, swallowed the key to my door.” On the waves of verses evokes the underlying tragedy of a broken song” became the genesis many years later the ultimate tool of self-consciousness, kicks off a lively waltz, a virtual armada of harmonic world. My father loved this song, and I sang it at his for this album. The opera was based upon the an episode of existential alienation. The melodious modulations showers down from heaven in the memorial ceremonies. , a long- novel Henderson the Rain King, by Saul Bellow. music belies an underlying eccentricity where the choral arrangement by . Joel Fan time colleague of my father’s, brightened our house The original piano part is here played note for note dark side lurks—the signature element of a plays Barber’s sparkling piano part, and I sing the from my teen years and on. We heard the New by Joel Fan, while the band improvises on the lyric. Arnold Weinstein, Bill melody and several choral parts joined by the York Philharmonic premiere of his Final Alice, sung harmonies. The slightly atonal tune is underscored Bolcom and Joan Morris were kind enough to instruments in improvised harmony. Long Time Ago, by Barbara Hendricks, which featured Acrostic by high-speed chromatic runs and some lush major introduce me to a host of the Bolcom-Weinstein which closes the album, is improvised upon Aaron Song among its musical delights. The lyrics by seventh chords. The song’s ironic protagonist cabaret songs. I chose the burlesque showstopper, Copland’s arrangement of this folk song from his Lewis Carroll, spell the name of Alice Pleasance swings on her emotional trapeze through a Night Make My Day from Casino Paradise, which Old American Songs. In this enigmatic story of early Liddell. It was the composer’s wish to express the nostalgic ballad of 1970’s self awareness for the appears in a line-up of comedic yet darkly ironic love and inferred tragedy, Copland’s piano part, “undercurrent of longing” evinced by the young entertainment of guests at a cocktail party. Looking tunes about the life of big money on the casino with its pristine arpeggios, evokes “flowing water” Alice. The subliminal love story—unrealized, into the art songs of John Harbison, another circuit. I heard and his group as the scenes unfold in cinematic detail. but relived eternally in tales to eager children—is colleague of my father’s who was living in Boston, perform his Sophie Rose-Rosalee at Versailles, this album is dedicated to my father, conjured by languorous music of halcyon days that I discovered the jazz vignettes he wrote with Murray outside of Paris. It occurred to me that this ethereal composer Leon Kirchner and my mother, singer mushrooms into expanded notes fading out of sync Horwitz for his 1999 opera The Great Gatsby, and elegant tune might be suited to lyrics as it Gertrude Kirchner, with lasting appreciation for into a hallucinatory dream. commissioned by the . I was already seemed to tell a story. He kindly agreed to the formidable composers and authors who have A student of David Del Tredici and Walter drawn to Strange from a musical pastiche of my writing and performing lyrics for this popular written these beautiful songs, and deepest thanks Piston, Bob Telson came to Harvard after his swinging tunes that evoke Fitzgerald’s “Jazz Age.” instrumental. The endearing lyrics to to the superb musicians who have studies with Nadia Boulanger in Paris. Telson’s The song, with its dark edge, invited a hypnotic Under the interpreted them evocative nuances inflect the song Barefoot Bossa Nova groove. The protagonist is led to an Willow Tree, across the borders that he wrote with K.D. Lang for the Percy Adlon ominous realization—on a ledge of alienation— from Samuel of musical genre. film, Salmonberries. The expression of extreme love that a “strange” world has replaced the familiar Barber’s —Lisa Kirchner 2011 in the frozen climate of Alaska, where forbidden universe of stability in love. When I appeared in a opera Vanessa harmonies wail in parallel with dogs and icy wind Richard Foreman-Stanley Silverman review, I was are surreal, with over a vast and surreal blanket of weather and introduced to The Photograph Song from Elephant talking doves and Leon and Gertrude Kirchner longing, was compelling. When I was in high school, Steps, a cornucopia of multi-genre songs in pop the green toad (photo by Harry Redl (left) I asked my dad to write a jazz tune for me. In opera form, that premiered at in who, “has Family Photo (right)) response, he wrote the song, now called Lily and 1968. Like a lyrical magnet, the song draws one ABOVE: Leon Kirchner and Joel Fan ABOVE, B-F, L-R: Ron Jackson, recording The Forbidden Bill Schimmel, Willie Jones III, (photo by Lisa Kirchner) , Vicente Archer, Sherman Irby, , AT RIGHT: Lisa Kirchner as Irma Vep the Lisa Kirchner (photo by Tyler Vampiress in The American Imagination Hartman) (photo by Robert Del Tredici) AT LEFT: Lisa Kirchner and her father, Leon Kirchner (family photo) The Performers

Lisa Kirchner is a singer, Imagination, and Lucy Brown in commissioned, performed and America composition grants. Sherman Irby, saxophonist and the globe as leader and ensem- songwriter and actress who per- the Richard Foreman production recorded the world premieres of Xavier teaches at the Julliard flutist, has appeared live and on ble player. He has made the forms an eclectic, multi-lingual of on Leon Kirchner’s Sonata No. 3, School. recording with James Cleveland tour of New York’s most notable repertoire including gems from Broadway. Lisa has appeared The Forbidden and William and played in Johnny O’Neal’s clubs and has recorded five The Great American Songbook, in The Human Comedy on Bolcom’s Nine New Bagatelles. William Schimmel has Quintet. Discovered at Smalls, CD’s as leader. He has recorded French and Brazilian music, Broadway, in numerous off and Joel Fan is a Steinway Artist. performed with virtually every he was recorded by Blue Note and performed with, among contemporary art and theatre off-off Broadway productions major in Records. Sherman toured the others, Taj Majal, Little Anthony songs, and her own music and on BRAVO Cable and WNET. Xavier Davis pianist, com- the US and in most of New U.S. and the Caribbean with the and The Imperials, The TK and lyrics. Lisa Kirchner has Her three previous albums on poser and arranger was Betty York’s chamber groups. He is Boys Choir of . He Blue, Jimmy McGriff, 5 Guitars appeared at Foxwoods Casino, Albany Records have garnered Carter’s pianist and a member founder of the Tango Project, participated in ’s Play Mingus, Cissy Houston, Ryles Jazz Club, and has been critical and professional praise. of ’s group. He has has appeared with Al Pacino in Jazz Ahead Program, and , Larry Coryell, a regular on the performed and/or recorded Scent of a Woman, True Lies, performed regularly with Roy Jack Wilkins, , jazz club circuit, appearing at Pianist Joel Fan has appeared with Freddie and Kun Dun among other films Hargrove. Sherman founded Randy Weston, Ron Carter, Jaki Iridium, Birdland, The Village with symphony the Hubbard, Sonny Fortune, Abbey and has performed with Black Warrior Records, releas- Byard, , Dee Dee Gate, 55 Bar, Maxim’s, Porters world over with such conductors Lincoln, Joe Lovano, Donald and Tom Waits. With commis- ing several CDs on the label. Bridgewater, Jimmy Cobb, Rufus and numerous clubs in New as Alan Gilbert, Zubin Mehta, Byrd, Russ Malone, John Faddis, sions from concert music to He toured with Elvin Jones Reid, Jeff “Tain” Watts, Bernard York and in Paris. The invited , Gustav Nat Adderley, , Broadway, his Portrait No. I for and was a member of Papo Purdie, and Dr. Lonnie Smith. singer to Gracie Mansion, she Meier, David Zinman and David Wessell Anderson, Vincent orchestra was conducted by Vázquez’s Pirates Troubadours. Ron is active on New York’s has performed at the White Robertson. He has appeared Herring, Antonio Hart, Don the late Leopold Stockowski. Sherman Irby also performs Broadway and studio scene. House, at with Yo-Yo Ma in concert with Braden, Russell Malone, Billy Bill Schimmel has received with his newly formed group, and the Harvard Club. On NBC’s the and Hart, and Diahann Carroll. He the American Accordionists’ Organomics, and is a member Vicente Archer made his name Another World, Lisa sang her as a member of The Silk Road has played keyboards for the Association Distinguished of the Jazz at as a guitarist and upon transfer- own songs on camera. She Ensemble. Television appear- TV series Cosby. Composer for Service Award for Fifty Years of Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis. ring to Boston’s Northeastern played Irma Vep the Vampiress ances include Good Morning television commercials and PBS, Accordion activity. He heads the University from New England in Richard Foreman and Stanley America and Late Night with he was music director for the Neupauer Conservatory Order of Ron Jackson, guitarist, compos- Conservatory he switched from Silverman’s Hotel For Criminals, David Letterman. A champion of , and has the Shield program. er, and arranger has played jazz guitar to acoustic bass. A mem- and its sequel, The American contemporary music, Joel Fan received two festivals and concerts around ber of ’s group, Vicente has performed with the Dwayne has performed in venues Hancock and . Willie Publishers Trio and has per- throughout the world and he Jones III appears in festivals and formed and toured internation- has appeared on more than 50 clubs the world over and con- In Autumn/MERION MUSIC INC. (BMI) ally with among others, Kenny recordings. As composer and tinues to release albums on his Prince of the City (Lyrical Version) written by Paul Chihara/UNIVERSAL MUSIC CORP./WARNER OLIVE MUSIC LLC (ASACP) Garrett, Terence Blanchard, arranger he leads the Dwayne own label WJ3 Records, among New Lyrics written by Lisa Kirchner Tom Harrell, , Burno Quintet and has made them a recording with Wycliffe Fort Tryon Park/G. SCHIRMER (ASCAP) Louis Hayes, Curtis Fuller, Roy the tour of New York city’s jazz Gordon and Eric Reed. Sigh No More Ladies/BEN RENA MUSIC CO INC. (BMI) Haynes, Stanley Jordan, Karrin venues. He performs with Suicide in C Minor/BILL SCHIMMEL (BMI) Allyson, Wycliffe Gordon, Stefon , Benny Golson, Early in the Morning/HENMAR PRESS (ASCAP) Harris, Lewis Nash, , Nicholas Payton, , Leila’s Song/HENDON MUSIC (BMI) and The Lincoln Center Jazz and many others. Crazy Love/LISA KIRCHNER MUSIC (BMI) Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis. The Little Horses/BOOSY AND HAWKES INC (ASCAP) Vicente Archer presently appears Drummer Willie Jones III, Acrostic Song/BOOSEY AND HAWKES INC. (ASCAP) regularly with Robert Glasper co-founded the jazz band Black Barefoot/BOODLE MUSIC BMI/BUMSTEAD PRODUCTIONS (ASCAP) and Nicholas Payton. Note, toured the US and Europe, Lily/ASSOCIATED MUSIC PUBLISHERS (BMI) and was the opening act for Strange /ASSOCIATED MUSIC PUBLISHERS INC. (BMI)/G. SCHIRMER (ASCAP) Dwayne Burno, bassist, joined Wynton Marsalis. He recorded Photograph Song/BEN RENA MUSIC INC. (BMI Bettty Carter’s ensemble and from with and was a member of Night Make My Day/EDWARD B. MARKS MUSIC CO. (BMI) there went on to perform, tour ’s band and Sophie Rose-Rosalee/SKAYNE’S MUSIC (ASCAP) and record with notables such ’s Quintet. He has Under the Willow Tree/G. SCHIRMER (ASCAP) as Barry Harris, , recorded with , Kurt Long Time Ago/BOOSEY AND HAWKES (ASCAP) Freddie Hubbard, , Elling, Eric Reed, Sonny Rollins, SOPHIE ROSE-ROSALEE , , Ernestine Anderson, Bobby © 2004 Wynton Marsalis Wynton Marsalis, Joshua Redman, Hutcherson, Wynton Marsalis, This arrangement © 2010 Lisa Kirchner Roy Hargrove, Chucho Valdes, Cedar Walton, Billy Childs, Published by Skayne’s Music (ASCAP), Boosey & Hawkes, Inc., Sole Agent. , David Murray, Eric Reed, Eric Alexander, Bill Arrangement made by permission for the exclusive use of Lisa Kirchner. and William H. (Bill) Cosby. Charlap, Michael Brecker, Herbie LISA KIRCHNER LISA KIRCHNER Something To Sing About TROY1268 1 IN AUTUMN [ 3:15 ] 10 ACROSTIC SONG [ 4:26 ] Charles Ives Music/Author Unknown David Del Tredici Music/Lewis Carroll Text 2 PRINCE OF THE CITY (Lyrical Version) [ 4:23 ] 11 BAREFOOT [ 3:50 ] Paul Chihara Music/Lisa Kirchner Adaptation Lyrics Robert Telson Music/Robert Telson & K. D. Lang Lyrics

3 FORT TRYON PARK [ 1:51 ] 12 LILY [ 3:09 ] Something To Sing About John Corigliano Music/William M. Hoffman Text Leon Kirchner Music and Lyrics 4 SIGH NO MORE LADIES [ 2:35 ] 13 STRANGE [ 6:39 ] Stanley Silverman Music/William Shakespeare Text John Harbison Music/Murray Horwitz Lyrics

5 SUICIDE IN C MINOR [ 5:18 ] 14 PHOTOGRAPH SONG [ 3:46 ] William Schimmel Music and Lyrics Stanley Silverman Music/Richard Foreman Lyrics 6 EARLY IN THE MORNING [ 3:51 ] 15 NIGHT MAKE MY DAY [ 3:24 ] Ned Rorem Music/Robert Hillyer Text Music/Arnold Weinstein Lyrics 7 LEILA’S SONG [ 4:27 ] 16 SOPHIE ROSE- ROSALEE [ 4:07 ] John Adams Music/June Jordan Lyrics Wynton Marsalis Music/Lisa Kirchner Arrangement Lyrics

8 CRAZY LOVE, CRAZY HEART [ 5:28 ] 17 UNDER THE WILLOW TREE [ 3:00 ] Lisa Kirchner Music and Lyrics Samuel Barber Music/ Lyrics

9 THE LITTLE HORSES [ 2:41 ] 18 LONG TIME AGO [ 4:46] Based upon an arrangement by Aaron Copland Based upon an arrangement by Aaron Copland ­­­­­­­

­­Sherman Irby, Alto Sax (Tracks 2, 5, 7, 8, 12, 15, 16, 17, 18) Flute (Tracks 1, 3) William Schimmel, Accordion (Tracks 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 13, 14, 17, 18) Joel Fan, Piano (Tracks 1, 3, 6, 9, 10, 12, 17, 18) Xavier Davis, Piano (Tracks 2, 4, 5, 7, 8, 11, 13, 15, 16 )

Dwayne Burno, Bass (Tracks 1, 3, 6, 9, 10, 12, 17, 18) Vicente Archer, Bass (2, 4, 5, 7, 8, 11, 13, 14, 15, 16) Ron Jackson, Guitar (All Tracks)

Something To Sing About Willie Jones III, Drums (All Tracks)

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ALBANY RECORDS U.K. TROY1268 BOX 137, KENDAL, CUMBRIA LA8 0XD TEL: 01539 824008 © 2011 LISA KIRCHNER MADE IN THE USA DDD WARNING: COPYRIGHT SUBSISTS IN ALL RECORDINGS ISSUED UNDER THIS LABEL. LISA KIRCHNER