SELECTED SHORTS Vol IX

Originating from New York's Symphony Space, "Selected Shorts'" is the oldest and most prestigious of the story-reading series heard on public radio. This recording illustrates its strengths and weaknesses--the delightful rapport between performers and live audiences, the careful selection of stories that lend themselves to oral interpretation, the uneven quality of readers from the magnificent to the dreadful, sloppy production, sophistication, and spontaneity. Thankfully, the program's fatuous wraparound announcements have been cut, thus rendering the tapes even more enjoyable than the show. Y.R. ©AudioFile, Portland, Maine [Published: MAR 97]