Glenn Close & Ted Nash - Transformation: Personal Stories of Change, Acceptance, and Evolution (2021) Hi Res

The masterful actress Glenn Close and GRAMMY-winning big-band leader Ted Nash found common ground back when Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra was born. Now, they have 'Transformation,' a heady new album with both their names on the sleeve.

"Before sea or land, before even sky/Which contains all," the "Whose Line Is It Anyway?" actor booms along with the GRAMMY-nominated acting legend Glenn Close at the top of a unique and ambitious new album, quoting Tales From Ovid. "Nature wore only one mask/Since called Chaos." If it's slightly startling to hear the improv comic famous for "Scenes from a Hat(opens in a new tab)" dramatically plumb The First Book of Moses, thank Close and GRAMMY-winning big-band leader Ted Nash, who invited him into their latest multidisciplinary project, Transformation.

This isn't a pairing people generally think of. Fans of Close's performances in The Natural or Fatal Attraction may not be aware of the New York multi-reedist and composer's work, or vice versa. But when they get together, it's hand-in-glove. Why? Because, as it turns out, improvising a graceful saxophone solo and inhabiting a character fires up many of the same neurons. (Same with goofing off on "Whose Line," but that's another story.) All these talents acting, playing jazz, cracking jokes are more similar than people think.