Portland Cello Project
S/T CD
Given the intrument’s versatility, timbrally and in terms of playing techniques and compass, the cello is ideal for ensemble groupings. Portland Cello Project’s debut CD features a passel of talented Portland area cellists, as well as several guest vocalists. It includes both arrangements – a highlight is their lively rendition of De Falla’s Danza del Fuego - and original compositions which skirt the boundaries between concert and popular music. Songs such as Nick Jaina’s “Power” and Laura Gibson’s “Hands in Pockets” speak well of this hybridization, reminding one of crossover projects such as Elvis Costello’s Juliet Letters. “Living at the Side of Why,” credited to Hurtbird, channels Kraut rockers Einstürzende Neubauten with its incorporation of spoken-sung elements and funky rhythms into a classical context. And, without meaning to condemn them with faint praise, the ensemble’s version of Britney Spears’s “Toxic” is much preferable to the original! Their live set features Fauré; now that I’d love to hear them record next time out.
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