The duo of William Bolcom and Joan Morris has commanded a national and even international audience for recording turn-of-the-century popular songs on the Nonesuch label. This little disc isn't of the same scope marketing-wise; it's a production more or less homemade in the duo's home base of Ann Arbor, MI, featuring as narrator a former disc jockey on the area's onetime classical National Public Radio station. The album is no less carefully done than their big-name releases, however, and those interested in Bolcom and ...
Read More
The duo of William Bolcom and Joan Morris has commanded a national and even international audience for recording turn-of-the-century popular songs on the Nonesuch label. This little disc isn't of the same scope marketing-wise; it's a production more or less homemade in the duo's home base of Ann Arbor, MI, featuring as narrator a former disc jockey on the area's onetime classical National Public Radio station. The album is no less carefully done than their big-name releases, however, and those interested in Bolcom and Morris, whose music-making has held up well over 40 years, should seek this disc out. They get an assist from another durable vocalist, Robert White. But the real innovation with this album is Schumacher's narration, which includes a few tidbits that even seasoned historians may not know. He mentions songs beyond the 19 that appear on the album, and the listener comes away with a renewed appreciation of how closely the events of the war were mirrored in popular song. There are a few...
Read Less