West 73rd, The Kurt Weill Project
Management:
Park Avenue Talent
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CAP record label
The quartet calls itself "West 73rd" in a nod to where their musical collaboration began: in the studio of pianist/producer Frank Ponzio on West 73rd Street in Manhattan. The members of West 73rd draw their inspiration from the non-stop energy pulsing through the streets of New York City. Their resulting music is as sophisticated, dynamic and ever-changing as New York itself.
Hilary Gardner vocals
Frank Ponzio piano
Peter Donovan bass
Vito Lesczak drums
A Song About Forever, the debut cd received a MAC Award Nomination:
"Best Jazz Recording of 2008."
to order the cd
“I sing a song about forever, only a song about forever.” Love Song
Alan Jay Lerner and Kurt Weill
Lonely House.mp3 Langston Hughes (with Aaron Heick clarinet)
Love Song.mp3 Alan Jay Lerner
"Here, those songs are interpreted by a quartet that puts obvious knowledge and love into their performances."
"Her voice is full and expressive" - Kyle O'Brien, Jazz Society of Oregon
"The instrumentalists are generally laidback rather than forceful. They
are exploratory with the music, rarely satisfied to just restate the basic melody."
"A soprano, her voice can be clear or take on a smoky quality and she is particularly effective with
sustained tones, with an attractive vibrato she uses judiciously."
- Rob Lester, Talkin' Broadway Sound Advice: A Collection of Collections Singing the Praises of Songwriters
"...an insightful and intimate evening of Kurt Weill music in a distinctively jazz style...the emphasis here is a musical investigation of Weill's work, probing his melodies and rhythms, moving the songs in unexpected directions, searching for new discoveries....the performance radiates the sense of passion, collaboration, and curiosity that fuel any worthy artistic project." -Jason Jacobs, nytheatre.com review 3/26/09
Like much of Kurt Weill’s music, the Kurt Weill Project was conceived in the spirit of collaboration. United by their musical curiosity and shared love of jazz, pianist Frank Ponzio, bassist Peter Donovan, drummer Vito Lesczak, and vocalist Hilary Gardner embarked on a musical journey through the eclectic, haunting, and deeply human world of Kurt Weill.
Unwilling to restrict their creativity to a specific genre, the musicians agreed early on that the music itself should be their guide. Their resulting recording, A Song About Forever, explores Weill’s music from a jazz perspective, while incorporating the classical, theatrical, and global influences that continue to make Weill’s music compelling to listeners from all walks of life.