Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 56:34
Size: 129.5 MB
Styles: Chamber pop
Year: 2015
Art: Front
[5:51] 1. Who Do You Belong To
[3:28] 2. Bad Idea
[4:41] 3. The Angels In The Attic
[3:23] 4. Nothing
[4:30] 5. Do You Think This Happens Everyday
[6:02] 6. Donna The Astronomer
[4:09] 7. The Girl In The Groovy Box
[6:26] 8. Suffer
[6:11] 9. Your Project
[4:19] 10. Good Things Happen Slowly
[3:19] 11. Lullaby For Nathan Charles
[4:10] 12. Weren't We In Love
After years of writing about songs in books and essays, David Hajdu has taken up writing them. Over the past five years, Hajdu has been working with several esteemed composers of jazz, pop and theater music: the pianists Renee Rosnes and Fred Hersch, the alternative-folk singer-songwriter Jill Sobule, and the veteran Broadway composer Michael (Mickey) Leonard. The result is Waiting for the Angel, a collection of quirkily artful songs that defy easy categorization.
An all-star group of artists came together to record the material: singers Jo Lawry, Karen Oberlin, and Michael Winther; pianists Rosnes and Hersch, playing the songs they composed; additional pianist Tedd Firth; and a band with saxophonist Steve Wilson, trumpeter Steven Bernstein, guitarist Peter Bernstein; oboist Charles Pillow, cellist Dave Eggar, bassist Sean Smith, and drummer Carl Allen. Much like Hajdu's writing in prose, the lyrics on Waiting for the Angel tell unexpected tales from unconventional vantage points. "David Hajdu's lyrics tell complex and moving stories -- always from his unique point of view," says Fred Hersch. "They are so easy to work with, the songs almost write themselves."
Jill Sobule adds, "I wish I wrote those lyrics myself." As Renee Rosnes says, "When David first asked if I might be interested in writing some songs together, I was very intrigued. I was well aware that he is a wordsmith of the highest order and was excited at the prospect that we might be able to create something of beauty together. Collaborating with David has been a true revelation. It was very fulfilling to hear Jo, Karen, and Michael bring our songs to life with their brilliant artistry. I feel that David's words have awakened a new compositional side of me, and it is one that I am looking forward to continuing to explore."
An all-star group of artists came together to record the material: singers Jo Lawry, Karen Oberlin, and Michael Winther; pianists Rosnes and Hersch, playing the songs they composed; additional pianist Tedd Firth; and a band with saxophonist Steve Wilson, trumpeter Steven Bernstein, guitarist Peter Bernstein; oboist Charles Pillow, cellist Dave Eggar, bassist Sean Smith, and drummer Carl Allen. Much like Hajdu's writing in prose, the lyrics on Waiting for the Angel tell unexpected tales from unconventional vantage points. "David Hajdu's lyrics tell complex and moving stories -- always from his unique point of view," says Fred Hersch. "They are so easy to work with, the songs almost write themselves."
Jill Sobule adds, "I wish I wrote those lyrics myself." As Renee Rosnes says, "When David first asked if I might be interested in writing some songs together, I was very intrigued. I was well aware that he is a wordsmith of the highest order and was excited at the prospect that we might be able to create something of beauty together. Collaborating with David has been a true revelation. It was very fulfilling to hear Jo, Karen, and Michael bring our songs to life with their brilliant artistry. I feel that David's words have awakened a new compositional side of me, and it is one that I am looking forward to continuing to explore."
Waiting For The Angel
