We love Elvis, whether he's rocking out with the Imposters or delving into lite-fm with the Brodsky Quartet, Burt Bacharach, Anne Sofie von Otter, et al. His latest project is My Flame Burns Blue, a collaboration with Metropole Orkest, recorded live at the 2004 North Sea Jazz Festival.
Flame finds Declan reinterpreting his hits, adding lyrics to Mingus, and -- on a bonus CD -- tackling the three-act Italian suite "Il Sogno."
CD 1: Costello: My Flame Burns Blue
01. Hora Decubitus[5:46]
02. Favourite Hour[3:58]
03. That's how you got killed before[4:14]
04. Upon a Veil of Midnight Blue[5:12]
05. Clubland[4:52]
06. Almost Blue[5:51]
07. Speak Darkly My Angel[3:59]
08. Almost ideal eyes[4:16]
09. Can You Be True?[3:57]
10. Put away forbidden playthings[4:22]
11. Episode Of Blonde[6:09]
12. My flame burns blue (Blood Count)[5:14]
13. Watching the Detectives[5:24]
14. God give me strength[6:56]
CD 2: Costello: Il Sogno Suite
Act 1 (Il Sogno)
01. Prelude[0:46]
02. Overture[1:19]
03. Puck One[2:20]
04. The Court[2:28]
05. Workers' Playtime[2:11]
Act 2
06. Oberon and Titania[4:15]
07. The Conspiracy of Oberon and Puck[1:08]
08. Puck Two [1:50]
09. The Identity Parade[4:42]
10. The Face of Bottom[2:49]
11. The Spark of Love[4:24]
12. Tormentress[1:41]
13. Oberon Humbeld[3:40]
14. Twisted - Entangled - Transform and Exchange[2:39]
15. The Fairy and the Ass[1:33]
16. Sleep[2:51]
Act 3
17. The Play[1:30]
18. The Wedding[4:17]
Preview four cuts here.
But what you're probably most curious about. Elvis' hit, jazz stizz, totally unrecognizable from the original.
Elvis Costello & The Metropole Orkest - "Watching The Detectives" (MP3 Link Expired)
And Elvis is touring. Don't know if you'll get rock or opera, but I've never been disappointed by an Elvis Costello concert.
Mon 03/27/06San Francisco, CADavies Symphony Hall
Fri 03/31/06Honolulu, HIBlaisdell Center
Sat 04/01/06Honolulu, HIBlaisdell Center
Sun 04/02/06Maui, HIArts & Cultural Center
Tue 04/04/06Austin, TXBass Concert Hall
Tue 04/11/06Fort Worth, TXBass Performance Hall
Thu 04/13/06Houston, TXJones Hall For Perf. Arts
Tue 04/18/06Chicago, ILOrchestra Hall
Thu 04/20/06North Bethesda, MDMusic Ctr. @ Strathmore Hall
Fri 04/21/06Baltimore, MDMeyerhoff Symphony Hall
Sat 04/22/06Baltimore, MDMeyerhoff Symphony Hall
Wed 05/10/06Boston, MASymphony Hall
Fri 05/12/06Brooklyn, NYAcademy Of Music
Sat 05/13/06Atlanta, GAFox Theatre
[Fun fact: Somehow I ended up at Cyndi Lauper's apt a few years ago, and though it was a mess, we ordered in Italian and it was surreal to say the least. I played bball with her little boy Declan (named after Elvis Costello's real name) and I let him win, obvs.]
Favorite Elvis Costello album/song ... Go:
UPDATE: More (albeit streaming) previews of the new CD:
And for when our MP3 link comes down...
