“The centerpiece of Americanist, Elizabeth Newkirk’s first solo recording on the adventuresome Bright Shiny Things label, may actually not be the performances but, rather, the heady 2500-word essay the pianist wrote to accompany the CD. Newkirk dissects the myth of the American dream with commanding intellectual precision, maintaining that an understanding of the country’s cultural identity is best accomplished through the lens of two important philosophical schools—the transcendentalist movement…and the “New Negro” movement...”
— Andrew Quint, The Absolute Sound
“This fascinating album presents three interwar orchestral scores in transcriptions for solo piano. Newkirk draws her programme together with an erudite booklet note exploring the making of the American myth.”
— Colin Clarke, International Piano Magazine
“As always, the ultimate determinant of a release's quality has to do with its performances, however interesting its written complement might be. In that regard, The Americanist makes an undeniably strong impression when broached on musical terms alone. Newkirk delivers engaged and engaging treatments of all three pieces, with arguably her rendering of Still's Africa the highlight for bringing attention to this less familiar composition.”
— Ron Schepper, Textura
“Newkirk's essay is a moving piece of America scholarship, arguably the best to be included with a CD since Negativland’s "No Business." It captures the vibrant world of philosophy and music that was happening during the last period “serious” music and popular were one. Interwar works were instrumental hits that also expressed the American identity, something that’s become rare in the last 70 years.”
— Jef Rouner, The Houston Chronicle
“The CD features George Gershwin’s 1928 original An American in Paris gets an energetic delivery from Newkirk. The pianist mines everything she can from Gershwin’s fantastical musical landscape: the dissonances are there, the jazzy riffs, the blue notes, the unpredictable harmonic progression.”
— Rafael de Acha, All About the Arts
