Frank Macchia: Down in the Valley

Frank Macchia likes the old songs, and I'm not talking about George Gershwin and Cole Porter. I mean the really old songs, like "Shenandoah" and "Sidewalks of New York." Half of the tracks on his new Landscapes CD are in the public domain. (Sorry ASCAP and BMI!) But Macchia dresses up these old melodies in cool jazz garb. By the time he is done with "Down in the Valley," it has been transformed into a 6/8 blues, reminiscent of "All Blues" with a dose of Getz's Focus. Macchia's orchestral writing is excellent, and he avoids the risk (ever present with songs such as "Down in the Valley") of falling into empty Copland-esque flourishes or unconscious mimicry of Western film soundtracks. Macchia's last CD Emotions garnered a Grammy nomination, and he looks to have another winner with this release.