Album of the Week - Elvis Costello & The Brodsky Quartet - "The Juliet Letters" - TH 3/31

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The Juliet Letters cover art
This week's featured album is The Juliet Letters, by Elvis Costello and The Brodsky String Quartet, released by Warner in 1993. Costello first encountered the Brodskys in 1989 at a performance of Shostakovic string quartets. They met in 1991 to begin their collaboration on this album, the concept of which is letters written to Juliet Capulet. Both Costello and the quartet members--Ian Belton and Michael Thomas, violins; Paul Cassidy, viola; and Jaqueline Thomas, cello--collaborated on the compositions.
 
The Juliet Letters seems a timely selection because E.C. is top of mind--he performed at the Masonic in San Francisco this week. It's also a wonderful example of genre-mingling, drawing fans of classical or modern string quartets into the rock/pop world and vice versa. If you were lucky enough to catch a full live performance at, say, Davies Symphony Hall, this may bring back some nice musical memories.

KDRT's Album of the Week airs every Thursday evening at 5 p.m. PT on KDRT. This week's host is Jess Goddesse.

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