Bob Belden became well-known during the '90s as an arranger and producer. Black Dahlia is the first full-length release of original music to appear under his name. It is a sweeping, ambitious work, featuring a large ensemble that includes the very finest jazz improvisers. The project was inspired by the true story of Elizabeth Short, aka the Black Dahlia, a shadowy character whose grisly murder in 1947, at age 22, became the subject of novels by James Ellroy and John Gregory Dunne. The killing, which remains unsolved, continues to captivate the public imagination and has gained iconic significance in the history of the Los Angeles underworld of the '30s and '40s. Belden's suite is essentially a tone poem, a musical portrayal of Elizabeth Short's life and death. In his self-penned liner notes, Belden is explicit about his major influences: the Grand Opera tradition of Puccini Read More