Seven nabbed in bust - Recorder

20 / Thursday, December 12, 2013 WEEKENDER The Recorder, Amsterdam, N.Y.
Bacharach calls musical of his songs a ‘valentine’
By MARK KENNEDY
The Associated Press
NEW YORK — A few years ago, Kyle
Riabko found himself in the most intimidating
of places on Earth for a young
singer-songwriter.
First, he was in the home of Burt
Bacharach, a songwriter who has three
Academy Awards and eight Grammys.
Second, Riabko was performing songs
for the master himself. Third, what he
was playing were a few of Bacharach’s
own songs with his personal spin.
“It was a very nerve-racking experience:
Going to a legend’s house and sitting
him down and playing him his
music by you,” Riabko says. “There
were a lot of sweaty palms involved.”
Somehow he survived the session and
even walked away with Bacharach’s
respect.
“He impressed me very much with his
musicality, with his sensibility and the
way he was handling the songs,” says
Bacharach.
More important, Riabko got the green
light to continue tinkering with
Bacharach’s impressive catalog as the
26-year-old built it into a cool new
musical the 85-year-old icon would like.
“One thing that I realized about Burt
early on was he has such a deep respect
for melody,” says Riabko, a singer and
The Associated Press
This publicity photo released by Richard Kornberg & Associates for the new musical
“What’s It All About? Bacharach Reimagined,” shows co-conceiver Karl
Riabko, left, and composer Burt Bacharach. The show is currently performing off-
Broadway at New York Theatre Workshop in New York.
actor who appeared on Broadway in
“Spring Awakening” and “Hair.” He
conceived the Bacharach show with
David Lane Seltzer.
“My strategy was always to infuse a
sense of style that was very personal to
me within the music but also to maintain
and always respect those melodies,”
he says. “I maintained them because I
feel like that is the work that we’re celebrating
here.”
What emerged is “What’s It All
About?” a stripped-down and hauntingly
emotive show now at New York Theatre
Workshop in which Riabko leads a
small cast through some two dozen of
Bacharach’s songs, including
“Raindrops Keep Fallin’ on My Head,”
“Walk on By” and “Say a Little Prayer.”
Riabko’s orchestrations have stripped
down the songs and rebuilt them, making
the familiar new, and he bleeds
together different choruses to make connections
between diffuse songs.
“Burt’s written so many damn hits,
you can’t do it any other way,” says
Riabko, laughing. “You have to smash
them all together.”
He and six performers — who all play
instruments — move through the 90-
minute show effortlessly under the
direction of Steven Hoggett, creating a
big neo-folk kiss to Bacharach.
“Hats off to Kyle. It’s pretty incredible
stuff he’s done,” says Bacharach, who
has been tough on anyone reworking his
material. “This was like a valentine that
was being given to me by Kyle.”
The two men first worked together at
the Los Angeles workshops of
Bacharach’s musical he wrote with
Steven Sater, “Some Lovers,” that
would go on to premiere at The Old
Globe in San Diego.
ASSOCIATED PRESS MUSIC REVIEW
‘Nashville’ soundtrack solid
By JEFF KAROUB
The Associated Press
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“The Music of Nashville: Original Soundtrack Season 2,
Volume 1” (Big Machine Records)
Like the rare, maybe mythical man who only reads Playboy for the
articles, some must surely claim to watch “Nashville” solely for the
music.
That’s no
crime — those
who aren’t much
for sudsy nighttime
soaps
would do well to
check out the
ABC show’s
songs on “The
Music of
Nashville:
Original
Soundtrack
Season 2,
Volume 1.”
While the storylines
strain
credulity, these
sonic underpinnings
hold the
show together
— as should be
the case with a
series set and
filmed in Music City.
The actors sing their own parts, and the leads, Hayden Panettiere and
Connie Britton, do fine jobs at the mic. Yet the true revelations are found
in the musical chops of others, such as Clare Bowen and Sam Palladio.
“The Music of Nashville” runs the gamut from the slick and sassy
(“Can’t Say No to You,” “Trouble Is”) to tender, deeper cuts (”Why
Can’t I Say Goodnight,” “This Town”). Still, less can be more: The
acoustic, demo-like take of “Ball and Chain” sung by Palladio and
Bowen on the show is preferable to the Stetson and rhinestone-laden version
on the soundtrack by Britton and Will Chase.
Presents
Local Musician
MICHAEL ZUMBOLO
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 13 TH 6PM-8PM
Enjoy Great Music & Great Food!!
HAVE A BOTTLE OF WINE WITH ONE OF OUR
PASTA SELECTIONS FOR THE NIGHT.
-V ODKA RIGATONI WITH CHICKEN $10.95
-PASTA FRA DIAVOLO WITH SHRIMP & SCALLOPS $14.95
**PASTA DISHES SERVED WITH A SIDE SALAD & DINNER ROLL
START IT OUT RIGHT WITH A NICE WARM BOWL OF
CHEF BILL’S HOMEMADE SEAFOOD BISQUE $3.55
SERVING $1.95 BUD LIGHT DRAFT
The Associated Press
This photo provided by Big Machine Records
shows the album cover for “The Music of
Nashville, Season 2, Volume 1.”
1 2 8 P O L A R P L A Z A R T . 3 0 N , A M S T E R D A M
Mon-Wed: Open-7pm, Thurs: Open-9pm,
Fri-Sat: Open-10pm, Sun: Open-3pm ( 5 1 8 ) 8 4 3 - 2 2 3 3
The First Annual
SANTA EXTRAVAGANZA
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 14 TH 8AM-2PM
Children (Any Age) $7.00
• 3 Pancakes & A Choice of Apple Juice,
Orange Juice or Milk.
• Picture with Santa.
** A du lts can enjoy our Santa Day Plate (2 Pancakes, 2 Fried Eggs,
C ho ic e of Ham, Bacon or Sausage, Home Fries and Rye Toast) $5.95,
or A ny thing Off Of Our Regular Menu.
SUNDAY BRUNCH WITH SANTA
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 15 TH 10AM - 3PM
Come Have An All You Can Eat Brunch And Say
Hello To Santa At His Omelette Station.
Adults: $12.95 Kids 3 Yrs-10 Yrs $7.95
**Under 3yrs Eat For Free
Seniors: $9.95