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Camille Saint-Saëns’ Carnival of the Animals re-interpreted through Brazilian dance rhythms? How fun, I thought. And fun it was, when violinist Anne Akiko Meyers joined Gene Pritsker’s Sound Liberation in a Composers Concordance concert at Joe’s Pub in New York City on May 3, 2026.
Animals Carnaval was not, however, the best part of the concert. That newly concocted suite had bright moments and a great variety of authentic-sounding feels and beats. But for the most part, and partly because of how short each movement was, it didn’t play to the strengths of Pritsker and his versatile band, nor those of indefatigable collaborator Meyers.
The “Aquarium” movement was a lushly atmospheric piano feature that stressed the assured, sensitive touch Geoffrey Burleson brought to all his keyboard parts. “The Cuckoo in the Depths of the Woods” centered Burleson again, with Meyers playing the stalwart cuckoo. A samba-fied “The Swan” included a smoking solo from Pritsker, who plays electric guitar with a thick tone that I associate (pleasantly) with prog rock. The “Finale” had a charging energy that some of the other “animals” lacked.
“Gnawa Gnaw #1,” a Pritsker composition inspired by the Moroccan Gnawa tradition, featured Franz Hackl on trumpet and words from poet/voice artist Sista Zock (Zakiah Modeste). Modeste’s flexing stage persona is anything but “modest,” but I found her snaky recitations absorbing.
Throughout the concert, Anne Akiko Meyers was her usual energetic and engaged self. Anything to which she lends her positive attitude and magnificent skills is sure to jump up a notch. The highlight of the show, for me, was a stripped-down arrangement of Arturo Márquez’s orchestral “Danzón No. 2.”
Meyers talked about her connection with this piece in the context of the violin concerto Fandango that Márquez wrote for her, and that she has performed the world over for many years. In a similar vein, it was clear in this vibey version of the popular “Danzón” that she and the band were feeling the spirit of the mariachi rhythms.
The show’s low point was a forgettable Pritsker song with grating vocals. Fortunately, the ensemble closed on a high note with “Swing of the Black Swan,” a mashup of material from Pritsker and Heitor Villa-Lobos. (The title called back to the two versions of “The Swan” we’d heard earlier. The concert had opened with a guitar-violin duet of that most popular movement of what is arguably Saint-Saëns’ most popular composition. It was nice, but to be honest, I could happily live out the rest of my days without hearing this ubiquitous piece of sentimentality ever again.)
As for “Swing of the Black Swan,” it did come out swinging, and went on to shift through multiple, expertly negotiated feel changes. It also included something I didn’t expect: a killer rap from the multitalented Pritsker.
