Well, for those not in the know, pianist Sarah Bob is a passionate and trailblazing advocate of the music of our time who has introduced the music of dozens of living composers to the world.

Ergo, the just released … nobody move … (September 6th, 2019 via AVIE Records) is a collection of works by six award-winning composers whom Sarah commissioned for the Boston-based New Gallery Concert Series; of which she founded 20 years ago.

Randall Woolf (b. 1959)
1. …nobody move… for solo piano (1997) (6:02)

Jonathan Bailey Holland (b. 1974)
2. The Intimacy of Harmony (2013) (8:06) *

David Rakowski (b. 1958)
3. Mind the Gap #18 from Préludes Book II (2012) (3:16) * 4. Wayo #51 from Préludes Book VI (2015) (3:28) * 5. Ghepardo #48 from Préludes Book V (2015) (3:09) *

Curtis K. Hughes (b. 1974)
Suite No. 1 from “Vestibulations for Solo Piano” (2016) (10:10) *
6. slacken
7. crestfall [downer] (2004/2016)
8. perturb [paean to a fly trapped in the vestibule]
9. Mitigate
10. fluster (2015)

Curtis K. Hughes (b. 1974)
11. Avoidance Tactics #1 for piano and electronics (1999/2001) (11:50) *

Lee Hyla (1952 – 2014)
12. Solo Cadenzas from My Life on the Plains (2010) / arranged by Sarah Bob (2012) (5:05) *

Shaw Pong Liu (b. 1979)
13. Never Has Been Yet for vocalizing pianist (2017) (13:18) * Words by Langston Hughes

Audience participation in Never Has Been Yet represented by Carrie Cheron, Lauren A. Cook, Will Cordes, Naomi Gurt Lind, Bryan Hayslett, Carolyn Shadid Lewis, Shaw Pong Liu, Sarah Bob.

Total time: 60:04

* world-premiere recordings

Sarah Bob's sheer, and unadulterated exuberance and exactitude are common threads here throughout as she ties together the albums diverse musical dialects quite seamlessly.

From Jonathan Bailey Holland's evocative chord clusters in The Intimacy of Harmony to Curtis K. Hughes' electro-acoustic Avoidance Tactics #1 and his varied suite of miniatures, vestibulations, and inclusive of the late Lee Hylas' energetic Solo Cadenzas from his large-scale orchestral work My Life on the Plains, here lovingly arranged by Bob, everything she puts her magical musical touch to has expertly paid off.

Furthermore proof of this can be found in David Rakowskis' cheeky Mind the Gap #18, encompassing a rather tender Wayo and edgy Ghepardo, and within Shaw Pong Lius' powerful Never Has Been Yet, which sets Langston Hughes poem Let America Be America Again to Randall Woolfs fearlessly virtuosic title track.

Ergo, ... nobody move … (which also happens to be one of my favorite titles for an album within the past decade) is a striking collection of works that ranges from sincere and forthright to contemplative moods to sanguine textures aplenty; whilst all entertaining the ears of contemporary music lovers and novices alike.

Official CD Purchase Link

www.SarahBob.net