Jekyll and Hyde: Resurrection – GlobalVision Records
When I requested this disc, I did so more out of a sense of duty than personal interest, having never really taken to Frank Wildhorn and Leslie Bricusse's musical version of Robert Louis Stevenson's novel. To my great surprise, this new recording of Jekyll and Hyde, with new orchestrations and arrangements by Jeremy Roberts, has made me something of a "Jekyll" convert. In this new version, which is what was used for concert performances of the musical, the piece has been stripped down to its 3 principals: the doctor, and the two women in his life, Lucy and Emma. Working as a sort of oratorio, it's possible to follow most of the action of the piece, and what Roberts has done is to shift the musical focus of "Jekyll" so that it sounds, at least to this listener, a little like the concept recordings of Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice shows such as "Superstar" and Evita. You'll still hear Wildhorn's sweeping melodies on this new recording but there are terrific rock embellishments throughout, primarily Alex Skolnick's captivating guitar riffs and on three tracks, drummer Chris Jago's compelling contributions.Given that we've just had the new recording of "Pajama" with the Roundabout Theatre Company cast led by Harry Connick, Jr. and Kelli O'Hara, you might wonder if another recording is necessary. For my money, this British recording with Edmund Hockridge and Joy Nichols in the leads is sort of a must-have, if for no other reason than it's another way of enjoying the original Don Walker orchestrations for the show.
In terms of the cast, both Hockridge and Nichols deliver powerfully as Sid Sorokin and Babe Williams. Interestingly, Max Wall, playing Hines is billed above Hockridge, and this comic star doesn't disappoint in Hines' "I'll Never Be Jealous Again." The show's fourth 'star' – billed just below Hockridge – is Elizabeth Seal, who is quite a joy in both "Steam Heat" and "Hernando's Hideaway."On the "Pajama" disc, Sepia has selected ten tracks of other songs recorded by leading lady Nichols. I'd never thought about wanting tunes like "The Hippopotamus Song" or "Froggie and the Catfish" digitally remastered, but Nichols' delivery of songs like these, and others, such as "I Talk to the Trees," are heartfelt and rather beautiful.As for the other release from Sepia, selections from The Jazz Train (produced in 1955), well, this is a disc you buy for the bonus material. "Train" is sort of a grandfather to Andrew Lloyd Webber's Starlight Express with songs like "Holy Roller Car" and "Minstrel Car," as the show, a revue, delineated the evolution of African-Americans in theVideos