Composer: George Gershwin, Jake Heggie, Paul Simon
Performer: Lara Downes
Format: FLAC (tracks)
Label: Pentatone
Catalogue: PTC5187200
Release: 2024
Size: 1.28 GB
Recovery: +3%
Scan: yes
01. Overstreet: There’ll Be Some Changes Made (Arr. for Piano by Jeremy Siskind)
02. Gershwin: Rhapsody in Blue Reimagined (Arr. for Orchestra and Percussion Ensemble by Edmar Colón)
03. Simon: America (Arr. for Piano by Noah Luna)
04. Begay: Adéihozhdílzi – Know Who You Are
05. Ravaei: Variations on This Land is Your Land
06. trad.: 900 Miles (Arr. for Piano & Banjo by Jeremy Siskind)
07. Philips: Never Has Been Yet
08. O’Fariill: Kaleidoscope
09. Heggie: Facing Forward
10. Downes: This Land (liner notes)
This Land is a probing, nuanced reflection on the kaleidoscopic diversity of stories and journeys that have converged and collided throughout American history, from an artist renowned for her musical explorations off the beaten path. Downes celebrates the beauty of the American experiment while offering an unflinching acknowledgement of its flaws and failings, ultimately embracing the power of hope and humanity as a pathway to finding common ground and building a brighter future. At the heart of this deeply personal collection is Edmar Colon’s radical new reimagining of George Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue, celebrating the centenary of its premiere while reflecting on an American century of immigration and transformation. An iconoclast and trailblazer, Lara Downes’s dynamic work as a sought-after soloist, a Billboard Chart-topping recording artist, a producer, curator, arts activist and advocate positions her as a cultural visionary on the national arts scene. She was honored as 2022 Classical Woman of the Year by Performance Today. She returns to PENTATONE after her 2023 album Love at Last.