Various Artists - Reflections at Dusk (2019)

There is a zone of beauty between light and dark, where colors and transitions are at their most ephemeral. Nevada-based composer Jennifer Bellor reflects on some of those impressions as specifically inspired by the gorgeous sunsets in the Las Vegas area when overlooking the Whitney Mesa Trail. Far from the Strip and gazing at the expansive skies juxtaposed with the rocky terrain, Bellor meditates on the gently shifting lyricism where earth meets the sky. Well, usually gentle - the cover photo was taken during the July 2019, 7.1-magnitude earthquake when the tremors threw up a haze of colorful dust that suspended in the evening air. This album of six chamber works emphasizes shining sonorities - think vibraphones, harp, and wind chimes. Words like cerulean, amethyst, and indigo infuse the works' titles. And most of the pieces are performed by associates at UNLV where Bellor teaches composition and directs the Nextet new music series. If you're in the mood for something crepuscular, Reflections at Dusk will satisfy. Born and raised in northern New York, Jennifer Bellor earned a PhD in music composition at Eastman School of Music, a Master of Music degree at Syracuse University, and a Bachelor of Arts degree in music at Cornell University. Her primary composition teachers included David Liptak, Bob Morris, Andrew Waggoner, Sally Lamb-McCune, and Steven Stucky. She is on the music composition faculty at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.