The Discoveries Series “Discovers Atlanta” at Wax n’ Facts

Rolando Salazar (Assistant Conductor/Music Administrator)

The Discoveries series continued to “Discover Atlanta” at Wax n’ Facts record shop in the heart of Little 5 Points. Over the course of a wax-meltingly hot afternoon, Rolando Salazar (Assistant Conductor/Musical Administrator) set out to pick his 5 favorite recordings of all time. Rolando is a highly trained chorus master and pianist, and true Texan. Which means we already expected a real curatorial bonanza. Still, he didn’t hesitate to surprise with his final Top 5 albums. 
Enjoy, Atlanta.

For 38 years, Wax n’ Facts has helped keep Little 5 Points’ heart beating with soulful vinyl, CD’s, tapes and furbelow dating back decades. The historic athenaeum is where so many albums – oft overlooked for generations – are ripe to be plucked, ripped from their original seal, released of the hoary air from decades past, and embraced by a needle and tone arm.


Rolando kept searching. Sean (owner of Wax n’ Facts) helped out and offered a few of his curated albums, like Botticelli & His Orchestra. This album has some amazing renditions of 70’s hits, like “It Never Rains in Southern California.”

Crate digging DJ’s, purists, and young guns wearing The Cure t-shirts (ironically or not) breezed in and out of the local record temple during the day. Some journeyed to observe and others to spend their hard earned greenbacks on memories and treasures.

Rolando kept digging. Two hours and $23 later, he had finally found his records. Here is the Top 5, in no particular order and with commentary:

#1: La Bohème: 
“Because you can’t have too many Bohème
recordings! Plus, Carlo Bergonzi’s voice is pure gold.”
#2: The Merry Widow
“Who doesn’t love The Merry Widow?!”

#3: Here You Come Again – Dolly Parton
“Because, Texas! So, I was born and raised in Texas, and Country Western music has always been a big part of my life. I feel so
many of the Country Western songs are little miniatures with great stories and emotion, just
like lieder and arias in the Classical music world.”
#4: Strauss sung by Leontyne Price 
“The last work Richard composed was his Four Last Songs. 
If I was stuck on an island with only one recording, it would be a toss up
between the Four Last Songs and a Wagner Ring Cycle.”
#5: Il ritorno di Tobia – Haydn 
“A work I don’t know at all, but have
heard of. Sometimes good works become obscure because they are completely
overshadowed by the popularity of other works, in this case, Haydn’s Creation. Plus, my middle name is Tobias.”


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