The work of an artist o2en suggests that of an alchemist. In her new album, Aire, Mexican singer and composer Magos Herrera transformed the grief, fears, and loneliness of a deadly plague into a luminous collection of songs representing "a celebration of our humanity and the healing power of music." Aire features twelve songs and includes her new compositions and gems from the Great Latin American Songbook, such as "Alfonsina y el Mar" and "Gracias a la Vida." Those two classics suggest bookends of the experience in Aire, "Alfonsina..." as an acknowledgment of impermanence and death; "Gracias a la Vida" as a prayer of gratitude for the many gifts of life. But for two exceptions - the voice and guitar duo of "Passarinhadeira" and the octet reading of the Vinicius de Moraes and Baden Powell's classic "Samba em Preludio" -Magos sings over a musical canvas provided by her jazz trio augmented by an orchestra under the artistic direction of Eric and Colin Jacobsen, of Brooklyn Rider fame.
Tenor saxophonist Halliday, who was a true veteran of the Hollywood, New York, Nashville & Chicago jazz scenes, passed away in early 1999, but this 1988 session reminds US of his artistry, joined by pianist Jodie Christian, bassist Dennis Carroll & drummer Tom Kronquist.
Following up on what's been called the veteran pianist's finest recording to date, 2011's "Trip the Light Fantastic," Galper and his trio offer another exhilarating set of music, further defining the very personal "rubato" style of collective performance they've developed over the last six years. From an intimate "Embraceable You," to the closing high-flying take of Sonny Rollins' "Airegin," Galper, bassist Jeff Johnson, and drummer John Bishop, display a singular group aesthetic, fully grounded in the language of bop while always in pursuit of new possibilities. "... The high level of integration and communication the trio displays is rare and quite thrilling to experience... " - Downbeat
With Airlines, flautist Emmanuel Pahud transports the music of composer Alexandre Desplat to new horizons. The album includes unreleased recordings including revisited versions of music from Desplat's films, including the Oscar-winning The Shape of Water (2018) and The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014). Pahud is accompanied by the National Orchestra of France, conducted by Alexandre Desplat himself.
Airs & Dances - Scottish & Irish Music / United States Military Bands
Altissimo
CD
$25.99Jul 07, 2023
Fan favorite “Airs & Dances” is finally available physically! Enjoy our Altissimo! compilation featuring traditional Scottish and Irish music by the United States Military bands including the United States Air Force’s premier Celtic and folk ensemble Celtic Aire.
London in the early 1700s offered a dazzling mix of virtually every European musical style. This bustling environment attracted both students of music (such as the young Swedish composer Roman) and established musicians, eager to make their mark- Handel and Geminiani being two of the brightest shining stars. But new influences did not only come from across the Channel. The recent union between England and Scotland led to an increased cultural exchange, and English audiences were entranced by the rhythms and colours of the traditional tunes of Scotland. Various collections, such as the settings by the recorder virtuoso Francesco Barsanti, were published and even handel could not resist a few turns at the hornpipe in his Water Music. This state of affairs is reflected in the present mix of four baroque sonatas, by composers associated with London in various ways, and nine Scottish tunes in arrangements based on the Barsanti settings. This imaginative programme is characteristic of the approach adopted by Parnassus Avenue, an ensemble which is constantly challenging 'baroque standards': according to Parnassus Avenue there is no 'early' music, just a never-ending 'now'. In lending a John Stanley Adagio the same melancholy expressivity as the mournful Waly waly, and applying the same virtuosity to the hypnotic Clout the Cauldron as to a Handel Allegro, Dan Laurin and his colleagues also demonstrate that there are no genres, only one seamless musical whole. Corelli & Co., the group's previous CD on BIS, was hailed as 'a truly inspirational disc for anyone who regards the baroque original as a starting point for individual expression' in Early Music Review. Chances are that many will receive just as much inspiration from this new disc.
Named a 'Choice' recording by BBC Music Magazine upon release, this popular recording of seventeenth century vocal music features mezzo-soprano Catherine King and lutenist Jacob Heringman with tenor Charles Daniels. Originally released in 1999, 'Airs de cour' has been re-issued as part of Linn's ECHO series which offers a second chance to enjoy the best of the label's award-winning catalogue. The listener is transported to the French court in a program of courtly airs and solo lute pieces, the latter a suitable complement to the airs and the lost ideals of the courtly society they reflect. Both the self-indulgent texts of these songs and their suave and rhythmically evasive melodies, reflect a society rich in excess, intrigue and dissembling, all the more fascinating for being so distant, no less impressive for being so introverted. Well schooled in period performance, all the performers pay due attention to the authenticity of pronunciation and ornamentation for which scant records remain. 'O dieux je ne sçais pas' is a rare example where an ornamented variant of the melody is included in the manuscript revealing a further level of riches in these songs. Catherine King is acknowledged as one of the most versatile mezzo-sopranos of her generation with an impressive breadth of repertoire. Jacob Heringman has established himself as one of the world's most respected and most innovative solo lute players. Catherine King and Jacob Heringman have made numerous appearances together in festivals throughout Europe, as well as broadcasting frequently for the BBC and for WDR in Cologne. Charles Daniels is an English tenor, particularly noted for his performances of baroque music. He is a frequent soloist with The King's Consort, and has made over 25 recordings with the ensemble.
For more than a century, from the last Valois kings to the early years of the reign of Louis XIV, the air de cour was truly the emblematic genre of French secular music. The term bears witness to the influence on and transformation by worldly and literate circles of vocal genres of popular origin such as the vaudeville, combined with Italian influences (the villanella), based on the principles of a simple strophic musical setting that facilitated understanding of the poetic text. Three composers dominated the production of airs de cour in the reigns of Henry IV and Louis XIII, bringing the genre to it's peak: Pierre Guédron (1565-1620), Antoine Boesset (1587-1643) and Étienne Moulinié (1599-1676). To mark the twentieth anniversary of his ensemble, Vincent Dumestre has chosen to celebrate the air de cour by bringing together excerpts from his five recordings devoted to the genre. A book accompanies this double album, including an article written by Thomas Leconte of the Centre de Musique Baroque de Versailles, a rich array of illustrations and an article on the historical context by Alexandre Maral, Curator General at the Musée National du Château de Versailles.
The “Historiques” collection is devoted to reissuing historic recordings linked to particular performers. This time the focus is on the singer Pierre d’Assy (Liège 1868 - Lyon 1910). Although he died young, this bass achieved a remarkable international career. The quality of his voice is here magnificently restored in a typical operatic repertoire from the turn of the 19th to 20th centuries – Verdi, Gounod, Massenet - plus Mozart, Meyerbeer, Rossini, Berlioz and others, in recordings dating from 1908 and 1909. Meticulous remastering work and the restoration of the correct pitches (the speed of 78 rpm was far from consistent) make it hard to believe that all this dates from more than a century ago. The booklet in four languages is lavishly presented and generously illustrated with rare documents.
Aka Balkan Moon and AlefBa are two projects, the core of which is the Aka Moon jazz trio. • The Aka Balkan Moon project draws its inspiration from the Balkan gypsy tradition. • With assistance from a pair of fellow musicians, the trio went in search of musical fellow travelers, finding four virtuoso Bulgarian musicians. • The result is a unique contemporary jazz and traditional folk music blend. • The AlefBa project brought together 12 artists, half from Europe, half from Syria, Egypt and Lebanon, to create what could be called a Musical and Poetic Suite in Arabic Languages.
Antonio Forcione, Seckou Keita and Adriano Adewale Itauna come from three different continents - Europe, South America and Africa. All virtuosos in their own right, they grew up in three different landscapes, speaking three different languages, and were formed by three different cultures and musical traditions. All these differences have converged in AKA Trio, and the product is 'JOY'. Italian guitarist-composer Antonio Forcione has been travelling the world for over two decades, releasing twenty albums and collaborating with many major artists along the way, including such names as Charlie Haden, Trilok Gurtu, Angélique Kidjo and the Bulgarian Voices, amongst many others. Seckou Keita from Senegal is one of the world’s foremost kora players, involved in many international projects including his ground-breaking duo with Welsh harpist Catrin Finch, Africa Express with Damon Albarn and his Transparent Water project with Cuban pianist Omar Sosa. Brazilian percussionist and composer Adriano Adewale has collaborated with Bobby McFerrin, Joanna McGregor and Benjamin Taubkin and has composed music for orchestras and dance theatre.
Once the West and Japan were not familiar with one another. But today, in the 21st century, the two worlds which are so very different can come a little closer to each other. We learn, wonder, and discover different cultures, lifestyles, nature, architecture, images and sounds. Fumio Yasuda’s music comes from modern Japan, which already opened up to the West in the 18th century. Yasuda studied classical music with a preference for Karl Amadeus Hartmann. From childhood he grew up with Western pop and jazz music, yet was still deeply rooted in the Japanese tradition. Time, space, and infinity play an important role in his music. In his scores there are no pause signs like in Western music, but signs of silence between lyrical, deeply poetic tones and chords that tell stories about Japanese landscapes, rain, forests, fog, longings and eternity. Yasuda works in a deep musical understanding with Joachim Badenhorst, Nobuyoshi Ino and Akimuse. His gentle piano sounds unite with the sounds of the clarinet, the plucked bass strings, and the tender voice of Akimuse.
The debut of the Taracea ensemble creates a bridge between past and present. The Madrid-based trio's artistic project is to combine early music, jazz and improvisation. It's founder Rainer Seiferth, a German musician who lives in Spain, plays the vihuela, the Spanish counterpart of the Renaissance lute. Belén Nieto is a flute and recorder specialist and a regular member of Jordi Savall's ensembles. The double bass player Miguel Rodrigañez is at home in jazz, flamenco and classical music. If there is a movement for 'new' early music, Michel Godard was one of it's founders: the French virtuoso of the serpent blends in perfectly with the group. Percussionist David Mayoral combines East and West on zarb, riq and darbuka. The young Spanish singer and percussionist Isabel Martín performs a song by the Spanish Renaissance composer Juan del Encina. This album is called 'Akoé' - 'Listening' in ancient Greek: each of the musicians brings his or her own sound and ideas and becomes an integral part of an inextricably interwoven texture.
Acclaimed dancer-choreographer Akram Khan ‘speaks tremendously of tremendous things’ (Financial Times) and this new Giselle reimagines the classic narrative ballet for the 21st Century. Giselle had become a former garment factory migrant worker, Albrecht, a member of the wealthy factory-owning class. An abandoned ‘ghost factory’ haunted by the memory of female migrant workers, many of them victims of industrial accidents, replaces the traditional glade of Act II. There, Giselle’s desire to break the cycle of violence will lead her to reconciliation with Albrecht and his release from the retributive justice of the Wilis. “Giselle has been transformed for the ENB by Akram Khan into the ballet event of the year. Staggeringly beautiful and utterly devastating, it is an electrifying triumph which any dance or theatre fan must not miss.” (The Daily Express)
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