Songs of Alec Wilder
Valerie Errante (soprano), Robert Wason (piano), Ken Meyer (guitar), Aleck Brinkman (double bass)
Many people think Alec Wilder was our finest composer of American songs. This CD will give you the opportunity to judge for yourself. Alec Wilder was born in Rochester, N.Y. Largely self-taught, he came of age as a composer with the birth of the Eastman School of Music. His relationship to the school was a rocky one, though he was a regular during his student years, he never graduated. He was a composer who was at home with American music in the largest sense - from Broadway to Hollywood, popular or classical - and the idiosyncratic mixture of styles in his music makes it just as much an "American original" as that of his avant-garde contemporaries. The "President of the Derriere-Garde" as he was often called, he simply composed - and often composed simply - music of charm and beauty for the musicians who were his artistic partisans, giving little thought to the categories into which other people might place it.
Track Listing
| Title | Composer | Performer |
|---|---|---|
| The Lake Isle of Innisfree | Alec Wilder | Valerie Errante, soprano; Robert Wason, piano |
| The Colleen | Alec Wilder | Valerie Errante, soprano; Robert Wason, piano |
| The Rose on the Wind | Alec Wilder | Valerie Errante, soprano; Robert Wason, piano |
| River Run | Alec Wilder | Valerie Errante, soprano; Robert Wason, piano |
| Spring | Alec Wilder | Valerie Errante, soprano; Robert Wason, piano |
| Margaret | Alec Wilder | Valerie Errante, soprano; Robert Wason, piano |
| Easter | Alec Wilder | Valerie Errante, soprano; Robert Wason, piano |
| When I Am Dead, My Dearest | Alec Wilder | Valerie Errante, soprano; Robert Wason, piano |
| In The Morning | Alec Wilder | Valerie Errante, soprano; Robert Wason, piano |
| Definition | Alec Wilder | Valerie Errante, soprano; Robert Wason, piano |
| If You Are Happy | Alec Wilder | Valerie Errante, soprano; Ken Meyer, guitar |
| Where Do You Go? | Alec Wilder | Valerie Errante, soprano; Ken Meyer, guitar |
| The Olive Tree | Alec Wilder | Valerie Errante, soprano; Ken Meyer, guitar |
| The Plowman | Alec Wilder | Valerie Errante, soprano; Ken Meyer, guitar |
| Listen to Your Heart | Alec Wilder | Valerie Errante, soprano; Robert Wason, piano; Aleck Brinkman, double bass |
| Blackberry Winter-The Echoes of My Life | Alec Wilder | Valerie Errante, soprano; Robert Wason, piano; Aleck Brinkman, double bass |
| It's A Fine Day For Walkin' Country Style | Alec Wilder | Valerie Errante, soprano; Robert Wason, piano; Aleck Brinkman, double bass |
| Don't Deny | Alec Wilder | Valerie Errante, soprano; Robert Wason, piano; Aleck Brinkman, double bass |
| The Winter of My Discontent | Alec Wilder | Valerie Errante, soprano; Robert Wason, piano; Aleck Brinkman, double bass |
| Remember My Child-A Child is Born | Alec Wilder | Valerie Errante, soprano; Robert Wason, piano; Aleck Brinkman, double bass |
| The Wrong Blues-The Lady Sings the Blues | Alec Wilder | Valerie Errante, soprano; Robert Wason, piano; Aleck Brinkman, double bass |
| Moon and Sand | Alec Wilder | Valerie Errante, soprano; Robert Wason, piano; Aleck Brinkman, double bass |
| While We're Young-I'll Be Around | Alec Wilder | Valerie Errante, soprano; Robert Wason, piano; Aleck Brinkman, double bass |
Reviews
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"Valerie Errante is a fine choice to handle the vocal parts. She's just as convincing singing in formal or jazz styles. Hers is a light, lyric voice with clear diction and sureness. She's authentically American in her sound and approach – a delight to hear."
*Album cover provided for Editorial use only. ©Albany Records. The Albany Imprint is a registered trademark of PARMA Recordings LLC. The views and opinions expressed in this media are those of the artist and do not necessarily represent or reflect the views and opinions held by PARMA Recordings LLC and its label imprints, subsidiaries, and affiliates.