From a review of the recording: “…Brian Banks Serenata No. 1 (Legatos imaginarios) involves ‘imaginary legacies’ of four figures: George Harrison, Lou Harrison, Henry Sapoznik (a legeondary producer of Yiddish music recordings and broadcasts in New York), and Arturo Márquez (a Mexican composer oriented toward folklore).
The work is interesting when considered with that in mind, but it’s likewise appealing when heard without any foreknowledge. The various vernacular styles to which Banks refers fit together in a very unusual way, with the opening movement being a sort of Indian blues (it is George Harrison’s Indian experiments that are relevant here). The music proceeds seamlessly into Yiddish- and Mexican-influenced phases.”
[Original review for CrossCurrents recording]
