Nonesuch Records releases the first in a series of musical installments from Tony and Emmy Award–winning singer/actor Mandy Patinkin and pianist/producer Thomas Bartlett (aka Doveman), Diary: January 27, 2018, on April 27, 2018. The digital release's ten songs were recorded informally by the two musicians in Bartlett's New York studio at the beginning of this year. They plan to reconvene soon to record another collection of songs for the second Diary volume, which also will be released digitally later this year. Patinkin, who has played CIA agent Saul Berenson on Showtime's Emmy and Golden Globe Award–winning Homeland for the last seven seasons, has released five previous albums on Nonesuch; the most recent was 2002's Mandy Patinkin Sings Sondheim.
As Patinkin explains, "After thirty years my musical collaborator, Paul Ford retired. I wasn't sure if that meant I would have to as well. But my dear friend Bob Hurwitz [of Nonesuch] introduced me to Thomas Bartlett, who introduced me to an entirely new way of making music … in his studio, hours of playing, singing, and recording, never searching for the illusion of perfection." He continues, "We've decided to share our music making journey with you, in the form of a Diary: first entry, January 27, 2018, ten songs. Hope you enjoy, and thanks for listening."
The ten tracks of this first Diary entry include a pair of Randy Newman songs, one from Loudon Wainwright and another from his son Rufus Wainwright, and three recent works from Faroese singer/songwriter Teitur, as well as one song each from Marc Bolan (T. Rex), Stephin Merritt (The Magnetic Fields), and Marc Anthony Thompson (Chocolate Genius). Here's a rehearsal performance of Newman's "Dayton, Ohio – 1903":
Mandy Patinkin is well known for his portrayal of Inigo Montoya in the 1987 movie The Princess Bride. His other film credits include Yentl (1983), Alien Nation (1988), Dick Tracy (1990), Wish I Was Here (2014), and Wonder (2017), among many others. In addition to his role on Homeland, he has appeared in major roles in television series such as Chicago Hope (Emmy Award), Dead Like Me, and Criminal Minds. Patinkin is a noted interpreter of the musical works of Stephen Sondheim and is acclaimed for his work in musical theater, originating iconic roles such as Georges Seurat in Sunday in the Park with George and Che in the original Broadway production of Evita (Tony Award). Additionally, Patinkin has been passionately involved in volunteer work with various NGOs throughout his life, and currently travels the world with the International Rescue Committee, spending time with refugees and raising awareness of their plight.
