CD REVIEWS - Two from Alan Williams


Taylor
Music by Alan Williams
Silverscreen SMCD 021
18 Tracks 49:40 mins

The first of two recent CD releases I have for you today from Alan Williams' own Silverscreen label, Taylor starts off with a lonely, melancholy trumpet theme, reminiscent of Jerry Goldsmith's Chinatown theme. This theme is to make key appearances throughout this largely low-key, melodic orchestral score, which has some lovely, delicate, sensitive piano, guitar, violin and flute work, but can also be propulsive when it has to be, as in the strings and harp-driven "Arriving at the House" and the optimistic piano of "Dinner Montage." Strings burst forth gloriously in the penultimate track "The Truth," before the "End Credits" reprise the busy guitar of "Remembering Barbie, concluding with a final statement of the trumpet theme.


Adventurous Andy
Music by Alan Williams
Silverscreen SMCD 020
3 Tracks 36:40 mins

This rarity from 2003, a silent short comedy, provided an unusual opportunity for the composer, who came up with a delightful score, separated into three tracks on this CD. First off we have an old-fashioned overture, based on Andy's busy, bustling, optimistic theme, with its passionate, soaring string interludes. There follow two suites, the titles of which are self-explanatory really: "Boy Meets Girl" and "The Date." Andy's theme crops up consistently throughout, but there are also plenty of slapsticky moments and a little suspense, even a little jazz. A new romantic theme is introduced, which is given an especially nice, delicate treatment for violin and piano in the latter suite.

You can plainly see from these two reviews that Alan Williams is nothing if not versatile and if you visit his website at http://www.alanwilliams.com, you can hear samples from his many fine CD releases, more of which will be reviewed here shortly.