Editorial Reviews Music Review:
Music Review
Lutoslawski and Dutilleux: Cello Concertos
Pulcinella Suite / Scaramouche / Symphony 1
Pal Joey: 1995 Original New York Cast Recording [Cast Recording]
Palestrina & Monteverdi: Choral Works
Mozart: The 6 Haydn-Quartets; The 6 String Quintets [Import]
Amazon.com
Radio announcers, movie soundtracks, and Santeria chants are just some of the things you might think of while listening to poet Edwin Torres's debut disc, Holy Kid. When Torres works only with words, he pays particular attention to the nuances of sound. It's a smooth sonic ride throughout, with Torres shifting gears from track to track, easily navigating the sublime and the goofy. "Exotic Poem" has Torres declaiming a relatively straight-up poem in a strong, sensual manner. "A Page from the Flictionary of Deafeningition: Part 1, A" features the poet in dramatic word-bending mode as he almost-sings the playful text accompanied by moody handsaw, impressionistic percussion, and drifting keyboards. Holy Kid is not a solemn aural transcription--it's a musical record; you'll throw it on your player just as often and with as much glee as you would a favorite rock or hip-hop album. --Fred Cisterna