Commercial Recordings

From Somewhere

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A note from Laurie Altman, composer:

As a composer and as a pianist, my instrument has possessed an enduring connection to almost every composition I’ve created.  From early Bach impressions, through the stride / boogie piano stylings of Meade Lux Lewis, the beauty and intimacy of Bill Evans, and the precise and deeply evolving creations of Glenn Gould, the piano remains my home.  Regardless of the broad discography of my other chamber and orchestral creations, a seat at the piano has always been the starting point where it all begins.  Incessant “noodlings,” born of years as a jazz pianist and improviser, has, with the piano before me, pushed forward ideas, harmonic, rhythmic, structural, and even the overall musical character and story that I wanted to tell.

FROM SOMEWHERE emerges from an answer I gave to a music critic during an interview when he asked me, “Where does all this music of yours come from?”  I responded, “from somewhere.”  The album is a deeply layered work, from piano sonatas, to fugues and preludes, and individual standalone solo works.

As a composer, I find myself to be a heart creator, not a head one.  I believe that music needs t tell a story, and to achieve that end, musical form, without substance, has no place in my vocabulary.  precision of feeling is the path I follow.  Making the personal universal is my mantra.  Compositional anonymity can never be universal, for “we understand the universal through the personal” (painter, Robert Motherwell).

[…]

I do hope you enjoy the stories, mood, and feelings in FROM SOMEWHERE.  One need not understand the construction of a musical work to fully enjoy its content.  So, enjoy, and may the ride be a meaningful one.  Words cannot express my deepest thanks to pianist Clipper Erickson and producer Małgorzata Albińska-Frank.  Their gifts, talents, and deep insights are in constant display throughout the album, and for that I am eternally grateful.

Praise for From Somewhere in Textura:

“A more illuminating portrait of the artist would be harder to conceive than this one, as would a better conduit for Altman’s creations than pianist Clipper Erickson… The consummate musicianship of Erickson and the imaginative openness of Altman’s writing are both evident…”

My Cup Runneth Over:

The Complete Piano Works of R. Nathaniel Dett

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Released in November 2015, My Cup Runneth Over: The Complete Piano Works of R. Nathaniel Dett is the culmination of a three-year project of research and performing.

Dett’s piano suites embrace almost all of his creative life, from “Magnolia,” written soon after his graduation from Oberlin, to the “Eight Bible Vignettes,” written during the last two years of his life.  They show a great development, variety, and richness of style; truly reflecting his struggles, triumphs, and deepening philosophical interests.

My Cup Runneth Over – the Complete Piano Works of R. Nathaniel Dett was recorded at the Reitstadl, Neumarkt in der Oberpfalz, Germany.  A charming Bavarian village nestled in the foothills of the Alps, Neumarkt is home to one of the most beautiful small concert halls in the world.  It boasts performances by top artists of both solo and chamber music, and it has perfect acoustics and a marvelous Steinway.  It was a magical place to capture the imaginations of Dett, with church bells pealing occasionally.

Gramophone UK Editor’s Choice for January 2016:

The piano works of Robert Nathaniel Dett (1882-1943) span his entire creative life, from early ragtime influences to the complexity and substance of his final works for the instrument. Given his importance as one of the first composers of African descent to achieve a sophisticated and serious fusion of Negro folk music and spirituals with European art-music traditions, not to mention his skills as a concert pianist, it’s surprising that no one until Clipper Erickson has essayed Dett’s complete piano output on disc. However, the wait was worth it, for this music is simply wonderful, while Erickson’s idiomatic, colourful, technically adroit and caring interpretations do the repertoire full justice. While one easily perceives Dett’s stylistic influences, the music’s consistent creativity always holds interest, even in such early pieces as the Magnolia Suite (1912); it’s hard not to get pulled into The Deserted Cabin’s brooding atmosphere and dark bass-register chords or the quirky virtuoso outbursts that keep you guessing in The Place Where the Rainbow Ends. No less a figure than Percy Grainger championed In the Bottoms (1913), from which he recorded the sprightly yet demanding Juba Dance that Erickson so dashingly tosses off.

With the two four-movement suites Enchantment (1922) and Cinnamon Grove (1928), Dett’s harmonic and textural palette considerably expands, while Tropic Winter (1938) conveys both charm and contrapuntal refinement. However, Dett’s valedictory Eight Bible Vignettes digs deepest of all. The seventh piece, ‘Other Sheep’, is a nearly-10-minute masterpiece packed with intensely lyrical polyphony, jagged declamatory unison statements, percussive passages and the kind of gravitas one finds in Brahms’ late piano pieces. This historically and musically important release not only fulfills a crucial catalogue gap but sets reference standards. No serious aficionado of the history of American piano music can afford to miss it.

Jed Distler
Editor, Gramophone UK – January 2016

Other Praise for My Cup Runneth Over:

“This is some of the most enjoyable, stylistically varied, and individual music I’ve heard in a while.  I can’t think of any music-loving friend I wouldn’t recommend it to.  Erickson, a student of John Ogdon, is simply a fabulous pianist, the perfect guide to Dett.”

–American Record Guide – February 2016

“My Cup Runneth Over offers a wonderful overview of R. Nathaniel Dett’s captivating solo piano compositions, magnificently performed by Clipper Erickson.  A hearty bravo is in order – may these works find their way onto more recital programs!“

–BlackGrooves – June 2016
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The Mystic and the Muse

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“A triumph of light classical music”

In terms of sonics, you’ll rarely hear better recorded piano.  That’s because the engineer is a true master of the recording booth. The same is true of pianist Clipper Erickson.  He’s more than up to the challenge of making this light, pleasant music come alive.

In fine sound and matching performance, these are delightful works to have playing on your system.  Play them for your friends on a summer afternoon and I’m sure you’ll get more than a few delighted comments.  If you don’t, reconsider who your friends are!

Five stars.

– High Def Tape Transfers

Playlist:

Quilter 3 Studies, Op. 4
1 No. 1. Molto Allegro con moto 2:37
2 No. 2. Molto Allegro amabile 1:07
3 No. 3. Vivace misterioso e legato 2:26

Quilter 3 Pieces, Op. 16
4 No. 1. Dance in the Twilight 2:21
5 No. 2. Summer Evening 4:18
6 No. 3. At a Country Fair 4:24

Quilter 2 Impressions, Op. 19
7 No. 1. In a Gondola 4:36
8 No. 2. Lanterns 2:44

Quilter Country Pieces, Op. 27
9 No. 1. Shepherd Song 2:48
10 No. 2. Goblins 1:45
11 No. 3. Forest Lullaby 2:33
12 No. 4. Pipe and Tabor 1:42

Scott, Cyril
13 Carillon 2:03

Scott, Cyril
14 Rainbow Trout 4:49

Scott, Cyril
Zoo, “Animals”
15 I. The Elephant :50
16 II. The Squirrel :46
17 III. The Bear :52
18 IV. The Monkey :37
19 V. The Snake 1:10
20 VI. The Giraffe :37
21 VII. The Tortoise 1:20
22 VIII. The Rhinoceros :36

Scott, Cyril
23 Piano Sonata No. 2 17:43

Released with the Cooperation and Permission of DTR Recordings