Alec Wilder Tribute 

Devotees of the Nice American Songbook have another excuse to like residing in New York.  Sure, cabaret exhibits of the music of Porter, Rodgers et al abound right here in fact, however yearly there’s a loving tribute to a lesser-known composer.  A few of us might have even handed him on West 44th Road as he was leaving his residence within the Algonquin Resort.  This dapper gentleman was Alec Wilder, a musician who wrote classical items in addition to songs.  He wrote phrases and music, and typically let the likes of Marshall Barer, Fran Landesman and even Johnny Mercer provide lyrics.  There are a number of of those titans who can have one foot in Tin Pan Alley and the opposite in Carnegie Corridor.  George Gershwin involves thoughts instantly; Cole Porter dabbled however reverted to what he might do finest.  Wilder additionally wrote American In style Track/The Nice Innovators 1900-1950, a quantity revered by those that love the music of that period.  

The Associates of Alec Wilder introduced their 38th Annual Live performance for an viewers of critically devoted followers of Wilder on November 11th at 54 Beneath. 

Mark Walter, FOAW Board Member and son of famous pianist and good friend of Wilder’s Cy Walter, launched Honorary Host Steve Ross, who together with the ever-amiable Eric Comstock interspersed the music with anecdotes about Wilder which rounded out the portrait of the gentleman being painted so successfully by the remainder of the forged.    

The afternoon started with one in all Wilder’s chamber works, introduced lovingly by The Wilderness Trio. Eric Comstock adopted, summing up Wilder by saying that his music by no means went out of vogue as a result of it was by no means in vogue. Wilder is like that secret ingredient that when having tasted it, one yearns for it thereafter. Eric sang 4 songs, infusing I’ll Wait together with his ineffable sass and appeal earlier than being joined by his spouse, the spunky and beautiful Barbara Fasano, who made every lyric come to life in methods Wilder would have appreciated. Sean Smith supplied bass assist, and the trio which has been a mainstay at Birdland illuminated Wilder’s deep emotional grasp of the human situation.   

The Wildebeest Wind Quintet adopted with the Alice in Wonderland Suite, which confirmed Wilder at his classically playful finest.  Jason Henderson carried a few of that lightheartedness into his section, with two songs that benefited from his pure appeal and enthusiasm. Steve Ross made the center ache a bit together with his rendition of the plaintive Did You Ever Cross Over to Sneden’s? earlier than closing this system by encouraging everybody to hitch him in singing I’ll Be Round, maybe one of the best identified of Wilder’s songs. 

In case your curiosity in Alec Wilder has been piqued, go to alecwildermusicandlife.com.