FriPod: Red, White, and Green

No particular reason, I just decided to pick these colors. Viva Italia!

1. "Red and Black" from the Les Miserables original Broadway Cast. By Claude-Michel Schönberg, Alain Boublil, and Herbert Kretzmer. Very spirited, a nice juxtaposition of politics and love, showing the passions that drive both.

2. "Red Clay" by Freddie Hubbard from the eponymous album. A fusion of jazz and Rhythm-n-Blues.

3. "Red Top" by Lional Hampton and Ken Kynard, performed by Erroll Garner. Cool and bouncy at the same time.

4. "The Red Violin" from The Red Violin soundtrack, by John Corigliano, performed by Joshua Bell. Two tracks have the same name, the first is the main melody, and the second is the mini concerto played during the closing credits. It is a beautiful melody, full of very complex emotions.

5. "White as Lillies" by Andreas Scholl, on the Three Countertenors album. Yes, we bought this gimicky CD many years ago. Some of the tracks are quite nice, but I'm not crazy about this composition written by one of the three countertenors. However, my wife likes it, so it stays on the list.

6. "The White Ride" by Howard Shore, on the The Lord Of The Rings: The Two Towers soundtrack. Full of tension, apocalyptic choirs, and Wagnerian brass, this cue suddenly shifts to harps and women's chorale for a sunshine romp briefly before the tension returns. It ends with some grandeur added to the tension, a passionate nostalgia.

7. "The White Tree" by Howard Shore, on the The Lord Of The Rings: The Return Of The King soundtrack. Much more nostalgic, as this cue is for the old and great kings who died off. But still nervous as Gandalf and Pippin ride up and up the layers of Minas Tirith.

8. Fantasia on "Greensleeves" by Ralph Vaughan Williams, performed by Rolf Smedvig and Michael Murray. I love this piece, but I do not like the blend between Smedvig's trumpet and Murray's organ registrations. In general I prefer to listen to organ live rather than in recordings, since I feel a large part of the organ's effect is the architecture of its surroundings.

9. "Green Chimneys" by Thelonious Monk, performed by Wynton Marsalis on Live At The House Of Tribes. A nicely angular march, with an extended solo by Wynton.