Why We Should All Continue Listening to the Music of Jeffrey Kaufman

I wrote a post on this blog on February 22^nd about the music of American composer Jeffrey Kaufman.

Today I am writing more about his music. Why? Because since I wrote that last post, I have listened to a lot more of it here on Classical Archives. And the more I listen, the more I admire his work, and the more I want to keep on exploring it.

Most recently, I have been spending time with a Phoenix CD of his music, “Brass Quintet on Original Sea Shanties.” Yes, there is his Brass Quintet on Original Sea Shanties, which I would say is the kind of beguiling, skillful music that most people should want to listen to most of the time. But there is much more to explore on this CD too, including his Song for Strings (American sounding, think Copland with maybe just a dash of acerbic Barber). Then there is Fast and Furious, a work for solo piano that surely presents technical challenges for the pianist, but never abandons is warm and smiling voice. (It is beautifully played here by pianist Evelyne Luest.) Another track is his Overture for a Shakespeare Comedy for wind quintet. It seems slyly constructed to contain slightly disguised quotations from other pieces that you simply know that you know . . . Tchaikovsky? . . . but you scratch your head. What are they exactly? The piece rolls along and charms you.

By the way, we hear through the classical grapevine that a new CD of Jeffrey Kaufman’s music will be released soon. Stay tuned and keep listening. I know I will be.

Be sure to check out more of Jeffrey Kaufman’s music on Classical Archives. If you are a member of Classical Archives, you can listen to it all. Free 14-day trial memberships are now available.