Walter Parker, VPR Classical Host

DVD: Leonard Bernstein's Candide (Great Performances 2005).

A very clever concert staging. Bernstein protege Marin Alsop conducts a cast including Thomas Allen, Paul Groves, and Kristin Chenoweth. If you only know Kristin Chenoweth from The West Wing, you will be amazed when she brings the Lincoln Center house down with Glitter and Be Gay.

Book: Musicophilia: Tales of Music and the Brain, by Oliver Sacks

The fascinating neurologist and author of Awakenings explores the remarkable ways our brains process music.

CDs: Mahler: Symphony No. 4 - Berlin Philharmonic/Renee Fleming, soprano/Claudio Abbado, conductor/Deutsche Grammophon

The incomparable music of Mahler interpreted by one of the greatest living Mahler conductors, with one of our most beautiful voices in the finale, describing a child's vision of the delights awaiting us in heaven.

Christmas in Vermont - Counterpoint/Vermont Symphony Orchestra Brass/Robert DeCormier, conductor/Albany Records

Brand new from Vermont's professional vocal ensemble, led by the ageless Robert DeCormier. Rare gems from Caribbean to classical, as well as a few favorites.

Handel: Messiah - Gabrieli Consort & Players/Paul McCreesh, conductor/Archiv

Well-paced, fresh, lucid, and joyous.

George Thomas, Jazz Host:

Books: The Tin Roof Blowdown, by James Lee Burke

Besides being a great mystery, this book has some of the most compelling
descriptions of the havoc Katrina & Rita wrecked on New Orleans and the
havoc we inflict on each other.

Time And Materials (Poems 1997-2005), by Robert Hass

Littlefoot - A Poem, by Charles Wright

I love reading poetry for the heightened language that takes me out of the everyday. Both of these established poets have a gift for those moments that shine. Hass was Poet Laureate of the United States, Wright won the Pulitzer Prize.

Coltrane: The Story Of A Sound, by Ben Ratliff

Essential & readable, this puts John Coltrane's achievements into context
in the arts and history.

CDs: Raising Sand - Robert Plant & Alison Krauss

The most surprising CD of all, Led Zepplin meets bluegrass angel, comes out a quiet winner thanks to the production of T-Bone Burnett. Many great songs but my favorite is "Sister Rosetta Goes Before Us."

The Ancestral Swamp - Michael Hurley

Further down the folky line with traditional American songs re-vitialized. Plus a comic book.

On The Other Side - The Tierney Sutton Band

A vocalist so sure of herself she calls herself one of the band. Almost all the songs have the word "happy" in the title, like "Happy Days Are Here Again" A concept album in league the best.

Made In New Orleans - Preservation Hall Jazz Band

CD, DVD and if you buy the deluxe version (in support of New Orleans' music hall), a trove of unique items, including photos, Mardi Gras coins, historic band contracts, etc, etc, each box different. Only 504 (after New Orleans' area code) made!

Cheryl Willoughby, VPR Classical Host:

DVD: My Life in Music

A thoughtful, comprehensive exploration of Julian Bream's extraordinary career. By nature a humble and gentle man, this patient documentary also reveals Bream to be an artist of intense passion and surprisingly mischievous humor.

Meticulously researched, packed with firsthand insights, anecdotes and rare photos, this is an invaluable chronicle of the music and artists who defined the limitless possibilities of the post-bop era.

The Music Lover's Poetry Anthology, edited by Houghton & Draper

I don't know of any other collection like this. If you can think of a poem about music it's probably in here.

CDs: A Marian Christmas II - St. Martin's Chamber Choir, Denver

From the Annunciation to the joy of Christmas day itself, this impeccably sung choral collection is an outstanding sequel to the original 1998 "A Marian Christmas" CD.

What's not to love: shimmering harmonies, beautiful poetry, and top-flight musicianship.

Lux aurumque - Dale Warland Singers

The final recording from the Singers following their disbandment in May of 2004.

Over an hour of solo trumpet music here in new compositions exploring the full depth and breadth of the instrument's capabilities. A real treat, for adventurous and open-minded listeners ("not your father's” classical music)!

Wátina - Andy Palacio & the Garifuna Collective (Cumbancha Records)

Soulful and groovy. Warm sounds generating from the deep cultural history, bright Caribbean sunshine and the dancing rhythms of Belize .

Gil Luminoso - Gilberto Gil (Drg Records)

I can’t keep this recording out of my CD player. It’s Gil’s first-ever solo recording, and it comes off like a really fine stock reduction: Gil needs nothing more than a guitar and his soft, lyrical Portuguese singing to get to the very essence of Brazilian music and melt your heart.

Spark - Myra Melford & Marty Ehrlich (Palmetto #2129)

The latest creative collaboration from the avant-garde pianist Melford and versatile reeds man Ehrlich.

Robert Resnik, All The Traditions Host

DVD: The Johnny Cash Show: The Best of Johnny Cash 1969-1971

An outrageous collection of live performances including, among many others, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Neil Young, Linda Ronstadt, Waylon Jennings, and George Jones at the height of his fame and at the absolute peak of strangeness.

Next Best Thing to a Trip to Paris in a Time Machine

Absinthe has just been re-legalized (the authorities have decided that wormwood is not any more dangerous than the alcohol it has been steeped in), and can be purchased, along with absinthe fountains, slotted spoons, and other tradition accoutrements of the absinthe ritual, at a variety of online sites. Now we can see what all the fuss was about, and what everyone from Hemingway to Toulouse-Lautrec enjoyed practically every day.

Extreme Chocolate: Michael Recchiuti’s Black Box

If youre a dark chocolate lover, you’ll never dream of anything else again.

CD: Satisfied - David Grisman and John Sebastian

A great new disc with standards (I like their version of Deep Purple even better than Nino Tempo and April Stevens OR Mel Torme and the Meltones!) and lots of what makes both of these venerable musicians just shine.

Joe Goetz, VPR Classical Host:

DVD: Krystian Zimerman plays the complete Beethoven Piano Concertos

What a great gift idea for pianists, Leonard Bernstein fans, Beethoven fans, or any combination thereof. Pianist Krystian Zimerman and the Vienna Philharmonic set out to record the complete Beethoven Piano Concerto cycle with conductor Leonard Bernstein, but he passed away after recording 3, 4, and 5. Krystian Zimerman conducts 1 and 2 from the piano. Riveting performances!

Book: Conversations with Arrau by Joseph Horowitz

This book is both for the serious pianist and for anyone who just loves to read about the performance philosophies of the greats. The book was published in 1984, and the interviews found within were done in 1980. Read about Claudio Arrau’s younger days, performing well over 100 concerts a year, sometimes playing a dozen concerti over the course of a weekend; also find specific musical citations throughout. As a pianist myself, it was great bedtime reading.

CD: Celebremos el Nino: Christmas Delights from the Mexican Baroque - The Rose Ensemble

What a fun CD for the holidays! The Rose Ensemble recently performed as part of the UVM Lane Series, and Cheryl Willoughby attended the concert AND coaxed the performers into donating some promotional CDs for our library! I had experienced this disc before, and was so happy to see it sitting on my desk ready to be catalogued. Hopefully it will find its way into your library as well…perhaps as a very last-minute gift…?