By giving the stringed instruments the status of genuinely equal partners with the piano, it was Beethoven who gave the piano trio the form it was to retain throughout the 19th century. This album presents the composer's last two works in the genre, Op. 70 No. 2 dedicated to Countess Marie Erdady, and the celebrated 'Archduke' trio, which marked the final public appearance of it's composer. All three eminent Beethovenians, violinist Isabelle Faust, Cellist Jean-Guihen Queyras and pianist Alexander Melnikov join forces here in performances that set a new standard.

2020 release. Sunset in the Blue is an orchestral celebration of Melody Gardot's jazz roots. She is reunited with the multi-Grammy award winning production team of her platinum-selling album My One and Only Thrill: producer Larry Klein (Joni Mitchell, Herbie Hancock), arranger and composer Vince Mendoza (Bj�rk, Robbie Williams, Elvis Costello) and the legendary engineer Al Schmitt (Frank Sinatra, Joao Gilberto, Bob Dylan, Paul McCartney). An underlying theme of determination to create and evolve her craft has always been present in Melody Gardot's work but never more so than during the production of Sunset in the Blue, despite all obstacles she has assembled a stunning new body of collaborations in this most challenging of times.

2019 release. Dreamlife of Debris carries forward the story begun on Kit Downes's Obsidian, extending and developing it's processes and core ideas. But where Obsidian was (almost exclusively) a solo church organ album, part of Kit's plan for Dreamlife was to put the organ in a broader context, and also to bring the piano into the larger compositional picture. Musicians in the project are primarily players with whom Downes has had long associations saxophonist Tom Challenger, cellist Lucy Railton, drummer Seb Rochford and there is also a first musical encounter with Norwegian guitarist Stian Westerhus.

Imaginary Cities is the recording premiere of saxophonist Chris Potter's new Underground Orchestra. At the core of this larger ensemble is the personnel of his long-established Underground quartet - with Adam Rogers, Craig Taborn and Nate Smith - now joined by two bassists, a string quartet, and Potter's old comrade from Dave Holland Quintet days, vibes and marimba man Steve Nelson. The title composition is a suite, panoramic in it's reach, with movements subtitled "Compassion", "Dualities", "Disintegration" and "Rebuilding". The scope of the work, and it's contrasting moods and thematic development, inspire some of Potter's finest playing. His saxes fly high above his idealized cityscapes or launch into dialogues or group improvising with it's gifted inhabitants. Four further pieces - "Lament", "Firefly", "Sky" and "Shadow Self" - extend the feeling of the suite, successfully combining both tightly written material and very open areas involving all members of the orchestra. References are multi-idiomatic and multicultural, and Potter, who counts Charlie Parker with Strings amongst his formative enthusiasms, had Arabic and Indian string sections in mind, as well as contemporary composition, when shaping this material. Imaginary Cities was recorded in December 2013 in New York's Avatar Studio and produced by Manfred Eicher. Release of the album is followed by US performances with the Underground Orchestra in New York and more.

Billie Holiday - "Classic Lady Day" Billie Holiday was an American jazz musician & singer-songwriter with a career spanning nearly 30 years. Nicknamed "Lady Day," by her friend & music partner Lester Young, Holiday had a seminal influence on jazz music & pop singing. The Billie Holiday Verve CD collection contains a selection her best-loved albums. Songs By Billie Holiday, A Recital By Billie Holiday, Velvet Moods - Songs By Billie Holiday, Lady Sings The Blues & All Or Nothing At All are housed in a hard-case boxset.

CD reissue. This single disc drawn from the At The Blue Note box embodies all the characteristics that made Jarrett's trio for many listeners the preeminent group in all of jazz. The qualities of respect for the material and the freedom to take liberties with it co-exist here as Jarrett, Peacock and DeJohnette play, with amazing gracefulness, the standards "Autumn Leaves", "Days of Wine and Roses", "You Don't Know what Love Is" and "When I Fall In Love", plus Keith's tunes "Bop-Be" and "Muezzin".

GIANNINI, Dusolina: Arias and Duets (1943-1944)

The 1885 Erard piano used in this recording of Debussy’s Preludes Book II stands out for the distinct character of its sonorities in different registers (a mellifluous middle register, a twangy bass, and so forth), plus its capacity to produce a wide variety of sustain effects from the pedal. I also suspect that the keyboard action is light and responsive. Certainly Alexander Melnikov exploits the instrument to his artistic advantage, and Debussy benefits as a result.

In Brouillards, for example, the slurred staccato left-hand chords and right-hand arpeggios sound as if they’re originating from two different instruments. Given the relatively short decay of the Erard’s sustain pedal compared to modern concert grands, Melnikov’s pedaling through harmonic changes in Feuilles mortes (and elsewhere) never sounds muddy. Melnikov’s strict adherence to the dotted rhythm of La puerta del Vino’s left-hand ostinato is too rigid and unyielding for what this lilting and sexy music implies, in contrast to his spot-on timing of Les fées sont d’exquises danseuses’ capricious tempo shifts and gorgeous chains of trills. He also nails the quirky lilt of General Lavine’s cakewalk to idiomatic perfection.

Ondine shimmers in alluring half-tints, relieved, however by the occasional spiky accent. My only quibble concerning Hommage à Pickwick is that Melnikov begins the dotted-rhythm sequence at measure 31 too loud, and retains a steady tempo instead of following Debussy’s request to gradually get faster. But what beautifully controlled diminuendos in the plaintive melodic lines in Canope’s last measures, and what magically agile alternating thirds in No. 11, not to mention Feux d’artifice’s supple and sparkling runs.

Olga Pashchenko joins Melnikov for Debussy’s own four- hand arrangement of La Mer, in a scrupulously synchronized performance full of bristling detail and colorful allure. Low-lying tremolos that can sound muddy and boring on a modern piano emerge more texturally varied and transparent on the Erard, while Melnikov and Pashchenko deftly accommodate each other in regard to balancing foreground and background material, yielding far less cluttered and monochrome results than is often the case in recordings of symphonic repertoire arranged for piano duet. Highly recommended.

– ClassicsToday (Jed Distler)

CD reissue. Triplicate is a studio album by British jazz bassist Dave Holland released on the ECM label in 1988.

Trombone Shorty, 2011 Grammy Nominee, follows up his last album BACKATOWN, with his latest release FOR TRUE. The 14 track album includes appearances by Lenny Kravitz, Jeff Beck, Ledisi, Kid Rock and more!

NOTES FROM NEW YORK

2017 release from world-renowned violinist and conductor Andr� Rieu. Shall We Dance features some of the world's most beloved classic songs including "The Blue Danube," "Love in Venice," "Bolero," "Zorba's Dance," and more.

MINIMALIST DREAM HOUSE

HYMNS FROM THE OLD COUNTRY CHU

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