Composer Christopher Roberts’s four serene yet deeply emotive pieces for solo qin (a Chinese zither-like instrument) are quiet, sparce, slightly eerie, almost Feldmanesque. Performed by the composer, who learned the qin while living and teaching for many years in Taiwan. This is a 30-minute CD EP/single. “So Confucius walks into a bar, just in time for Bill Evans’s last set, and after closing time pulls out his qin for a few solos … That’s the vibe that Christopher Roberts captures in these intimate nocturnal musings where crystalline harmonics dance among gutsy bass slides while elegant harmonies whisper their most private thoughts. A truly haunting recording.” [John Schneider, Host of KPFK’s Global Village] “The most Chinese of instruments, the qin has roots in the ancient literati tradition…. Having studied its classical tradition in Taiwan, the quixotic Roberts (also a double bassist) also brings his own traditions of jazz, blues, and solo improvisation to the table. While starting somewhere near its traditional core, Roberts bends his instrument in new directions entirely, turning it westwards even as he faces east.” [Gramophone magazine] “‘Exotic’ is a relative term. Gorecki's music is exotic compared to Lloyd Webber’s, Ligeti’s music is exotic compared to Gorecki’s, and Christopher Roberts’ music is exotic compared to nearly any music you are likely to think of.… Last Cicada Singing integrates Eastern and Western music so well, finding their common ground in calm reflection of natural sounds and processes. Sit back, relax, contemplate.” [Malcolm Tattersall, Music & Vision] “You-are-there-grade realism. The recording is Christopher Roberts’ hauntingly beautiful and stunningly well-recorded Last Cicada Singing [Absolute Sound magazine] “Mesmerizing sounds...quiet, sparse, serene music.” [Michael Barone, Minnesota Public Radio]

Christopher Roberts’s five intimate and virtuosic movements/pieces for a trio of double basses are here performed by the composer and two other virtuosos of the instrument, Mark Morton and James Bergman. This music, much of it inspired by the composer’s life in Papua New Guinea (where he ran off to after Juilliard to study music’s “natural prosody”), subtly extends the double bass’s standard playing techniques with such expressive elements as bowing patterns inspired by the sound of hornbills in flight. Famed bass virtuoso Bertram Turetzky called Trios “A magnificent piece! There’s nothing like it. Roberts has a truly original voice.” And composer Michael J. Schumacher declared that “Roberts has arrived at a new American music by traversing the heart of Papua New Guinea...and the result is something unique.” Writing in The Wire magazine, Julian Cowley called this recording of Trios “An elegantly reverberant, harmonically rich and gracefully delineated composition for resonant strings.” Writing in Seattle’s The Stranger, Christopher DeLaurenti proclaimed this CD “A remarkable disc.... Recommended.” And noted music critic and author Greg Sandow wrote, “Trios for Deep Voices is thoughtful music, beautifully worked out, and very absorbing to listen to. It’s wonderfully individual, both in its sound and its construction. Clear some space in your life, both literally and figuratively, and give it a listen.”

The Webster Cycles, scored for six trombones, is at times richly textured, at times stark, but always engaging. From moment to moment, an individual trombone may call out or murmur or a few may unite in contrapuntal or parallel efforts as the piece blends the abstract with the idiomatic. Pure tones hang serenely in the air as noted trombonist and J.A. Deane’s lively ornaments and articulations acknowledge his instrument’s long association with various types of jazz. This is a 30-minute CD ED/single. “Deane is a soulfully expressive musician and, despite the calm and coolness of Peters’s music, his interpretation has immediate emotional appeal as well as seductive depth.” [Julian Cowley, The Wire magazine] “The overlapping trombones heard in The Webster Cycles immerse you in 30 minutes of incantatory bliss—imagine floating into an ocean-sized harbor bounded by distant foghorns. Essential.” [Christopher DeLaurenti, The Stranger (Seattle)] “Peters’ music…has in abundance what I miss in so much new American music: strong commitment to an aesthetic goal, and adherence to that goal without compromise.… Bring on more Steve Peters!” [Sequenza21]

This album - which features Grammy�-nominated pianist Aron Kallay - presents four recent keyboard pieces by seminal West Coast composer Daniel Lentz: two works for solo piano, and two works for multiple pianos (all performed by Kallay). This technically challenging piano music is wildly rambling, wildly kaleidoscopic, and ravishingly beautiful. Post-modern, most-minimalist.

Michael Byron’s music, which has appeared on four previous Cold Blue CDs, tends to be harmonically rich, rhythmically detailed, and virtuosic. It is often praised for its ability to create uniquely dense constructions out of relatively limited means: “Byron creates maximalist effect out of minimalist means.” (ClassicalNet) “One is reminded…of the mobiles of Alexander Calder, which are both fixed and moving. And, like Calder’s work, Byron’s music is immediately comprehensible and beautiful, while it remains experimental.” (San Francisco Bay Guardian) “Byron’s music, like Ligeti’s, is instantly recognizable, perceptually challenging, beautifully proportioned and deeply satisfying.” (Paris Transatlantic) In the Village of Hope is a restless (and in some ways relentless) virtuosic harp solo performed stunningly by Tasha Smith Godínez. This ever-changing, ever-churning, ever-developing music is unlike anything else in the solo harp repertoire. A 23-minute CD EP/single. Musicologist/critic/author Eric Smigel wrote of this CD, “In the Village of Hope simultaneously lulls and rouses the listener with elegantly cascading counterpoint and lush harmonies animated by complex rhythms. Its kaleidoscopic variations evoke ethereal wind chimes, rendering both the calm and the storm in a single gesture.” Sequenza 21 called it “gorgeous music…a single 23-minute track that unfolds with such delicacy and grace that an hour of it would not seem too much.” Fanfare magazine wrote, “Originally categorized as a minimalist, [Byron] has composed music over most of his career that more accurately might be described as maximalist, because it is in a state of constant and often rapid flux…. In the Village of Hope sounds like the kind of music a harp might play on itself, for itself, and by itself…. One associates the harp with angelic matters, and while In the Village of Hope doesn't confound that association, this is a heaven that is far from being regular and predictable, and where one is ruled not by immutable Bible truths but by the constant fluctuations of the natural world. This is very pretty listening, and, as such, recommendable.” And Julien Cowley wrote in The Wire, “Harp notes trickling and tumbling like eddies in a stream…. Byron has compared In The Village of Hope to the play of wind chimes, an image that not only suggests the range of timbres elicited by harpist Tasha Smith Godinez, but also fits the character of a piece that seems to occupy its own space while some animating spirit runs through it.”

A darkly sublime suite of seven pieces for cello and piano performed by the LA-based composer and noted new-music cellist Derek Stein. As the music unfolds, the listener is drawn into a highly nuanced, lyrical sound world. Fink’s characteristically reductive but expressive style is evident throughout, as the set’s quiet intensity builds to a muted ecstasy and then returns to a more serene state. Fink’s music has been described by the Los Angeles Times as “lustrous” and “metaphysically tinged.” the LA Weekly has written that his music is “of ethereal simplicity...refined...spare...distinctly his own.” This CD is an 18-minute CD EP/single. (Fink’s music has appeared on seven previous Cold Blue releases.) Derek Stein is a member of the Los Angeles new music groups wild Up and gnarwhallaby. “From a Folio is the perfect title for this CD. Each piece is one of a series of brilliant jewels as if cut from the same stone…. music that is simple, yet essential—an elegant vessel of deep expression.” [Sequenza21] “I have come to love this music for a number of reasons…. Nothing is what it seems at first, and yet it does not change from listen to listen. You do. Thank you Derek Stein, cello, and Maestro Fink, piano, for these beautiful performances. And Maestro Fink for the considered musical vision. Very recommended.” [Gapplegate Classical-Modern Music Review] “It’s quite haunting.” [La Folia] “From a Folio is a work as typically Cold Blue as they come: misleadingly simple, and gorgeous like contemporary music has no business to be.” [Monsieur Délire’s Listening Diary]

Michael Byron's title piece, "Fabric for String Noise," performed by NYC's String Noise (violinists Conrad Harris and Pauline Kim Harris, deemed "New York's most daring violin duo" by "TimeOut New York"), is a wildly virtuosic two-movement work, wherein intense continuous activity shares space with an overarching sense of motionlessness. The composer characterizes it as a "sound object... marked by extreme polyrhythmic complexity and intricate contrapuntal textures." Closing the album is the rich texture of Byron's double bass quartet "Dragon Rite," performed by James Bergman, in which are heard occasional quarter-tone inflections as the piece slowly surges and ebbs. Critic Julian Cowley, writing recently for "The Wire," called Michael Byron "one of those contemporary composers who can justifiably be classed as crucial."

Splectra is an elegant harp solo embellished by a subtle digital processing that highlights certain harmonics as they appear in the piece. Each of the work's two sections gradually expands a simple rising motive, becoming harmonically richer by adding pitches related to the opening note's harmonic series. It is performed by Grammy-winning harpist Alison Bjorkedal."Bjorkedal's harp swept us away. She is an extraordinary harpist... Her technique was flawless, her artistry inspired." ("LA Culture Spot") Composer Robert Carl'seclectic music, which often explores a harmonic language based in the overtone series, is rooted in the spirit of transcendentalism and experiment. He is chair of the composition department at the Hartt School, University of Hartford.

Bridges of Pearl and Dust is virtuosic music for four vibraphones. Polyrhythmic and contrapuntal, it rings out with both inevitably and surprise as it moves through a series of beautiful harmonies. It's continuous activity seems to share space with a sense of motionlessness. It's four parts are performed by LA percussionist Ben Phelps. Composer Byron's music tends to be harmonically rich, rhythmically detailed, and extremely virtuosic. It's often praised for it's ability to create uniquely dense constructions out of relatively limited means: "One is reminded... of the mobiles of Alexander Calder, which are both fixed and moving. And, like Calder's work, Byron's music is immediately comprehensible and beautiful, while it remains experimental." ("San Francisco Bay Guardian") Byron's music has been performed and recorded by such notable musicians as Sarah Cahill, Joseph Kubera, William Winant, FLUX?Quartet, Kathleen Supov�, Thomas Buckner, and other new-music champions. "[Byron is] one of those contemporary composers who can justifiably be classed as crucial." (Julian Cowley, "The Wire")

"Waves and Particles" is Pulitzer- and Grammy-winning composer John Luther Adams’s beautifully shimmery, virtuosic string quartet, performed by the incredible, illustrious JACK Quartet. Adams’s music has been performed by such prominent ensembles as the New York Philharmonic, the Chicago Symphony, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the Seattle Symphony, and the International Contemporary Ensemble. JACK Quartet has been deemed “superheroes of the new music world” (Boston Globe) and “the go-to quartet for contemporary music, tying impeccable musicianship to intellectual ferocity” (The Washington Post).

Beaufort Scales is Grammy-nominee and Pulitzer finalist composer Christopher Cerrone’s lush, dramatic, alluring music for women’s voices and electronics, performed by the acclaimed Lorelei Ensemble. Its text is drawn from the Beaufort Wind Force Scale (an early-19th-century wind speed measure), as well as writings by Herman Melville, F. Scott Fitzgerald, and Anne Carson. Cerrone’s music has been commissioned and performed by the Los Angeles Philharmonic, LA Opera, Pittsburgh Opera, the Louisville Symphony, Third Coast Percussion, violinist Jennifer Koh, pianist Shai Wosner, and many other noted ensembles and individuals. The Lorelei Ensemble, praised for its “full-bodied and radiant sound” (The New York Times) and “stunning precision of harmony, intonation … spectacular virtuosity” (Gramophone), has recorded the music of numerous living composers, as well as historical works by William Billings, Guillaume Du Fay, Alfred Schnittke, Toru Takemitsu, and many others.

“Darkness and Scattered Light” presents celebrated Pulitzer- and Grammy-winning composer John Luther Adams’s mesmerizing; elegant; virtuosic music for double bass—two solos and a work for five basses—written for and all performed by bassist extraordinaire Robert Black. “This is one of the most beautiful albums I have heard in years.... It would be hard to imagine a better match of composer and performer than John Luther Adams and Robert Black.”(David Lang; Pulitzer-winning composer); John Luther Adams’s music has been performed by such prominent ensembles as the New York Philharmonic; the Chicago Symphony; the Los Angeles Philharmonic; the Seattle Symphony; the and the JACK?Quartet. Cold Blue Music has released ten recordings of his work; including Houses of the Wind; Arctic Dreams; Lines Made by Walking; Everything That Rises; and The Wind in High Places. “John Luther Adams ... one of the most original musical thinkers of the new century.” (Alex Ross; The New Yorker) “His music . . . is an elemental experience.” (The Guardian). Robert Black tours the world collaborating with composers; musicians; and other artists. A founding member of the Bang on a Can All-Stars; his recent collaborations have been with Philip Glass; Eve Beglarian; and Joan Tower. “No one on the planet can make the double bass sing; dance; sound like a drum; spin like a top; like Robert Black. Robert has single-handedly reinvented the technique and repertoire of the Double Bass; bringing it bursting into the 21st century.” (Michael Gordon)

Peter Garland’s “The Basketweave Elegies” is an enchanting nine-movement work for solo vibraphone, performed by celebrated percussionist William Winant. Garland writes: “I want to write music that is well-made, sturdy, useful, and beautiful—like a basket.” Peter Garland is a composer, world traveler, musicologist, and writer whose music — often cited as an example of “radical consonance” — is always informed by his well-traveled ear and strong sense of personal vision. He studied music composition with Harold Budd and James Tenney and maintained long friendships with Lou Harrison, Conlon Nancarrow, Paul Bowles, and Dane Rudhyar. Cold Blue Music has released seven recordings of his work, including “Three Dawns,” “Moon Viewing Music,” “String Quartets,” and “After the Wars.”

“Garland’s music seems to be about the sheer expressive power of sound itself … ” (Fanfare) “Garland is an avatar of an experimental American tradition … a composer of mesmerizing music.”(Kyle Gann, Chamber Music magazine) “Garland is … a marvelous artist. I admire his work a lot” (Harold Budd). Performer William Winant, a Grammy-nominated percussionist who has performed with some of the most innovative and creative musicians of our time, including John Cage, Iannis Xenakis, Keith Jarrett, Anthony Braxton, James Tenney, Cecil Taylor, George Lewis, Steve Reich and Musicians, Yo-Yo Ma, Frederic Rzewski, Ursula Oppens, Joan LaBarbara, Sonic Youth, and Kronos Quartet. He has appeared on a number of releases on the Cold Blue Music label.

Michael Byron’s “Halcyon Days” is music for marimbas, xylophones, vibraphones, glockenspiels, tubular bells, maracas, and piano. Except for the final piece (from 2016), these pieces are from a previously under-documented period of Byron’s work—the mid-seventies, when he composed unique, remarkable minimalist-styled works. This album treats us to clangorous clouds of polyrhythms and simple, direct, quiet works, both of which explore rich harmonies and bespeak a sense transcendent motionlessness.

Composer Michael Byron’s music tends to be harmonically rich, rhythmically detailed, and virtuosic. It’s often praised for its ability to create dense constructions out of relatively limited means: His works have been performed and recorded by such notable new-music champions as Sarah Cahill, Joseph Kubera, William Winant, FLUX Quartet, Kathleen Supové, and Thomas Buckner. Cold Blue Music has released five of his previous albums, including “Bridges of Pearl and Dust.” William Winant is an extremely active percussionist who SPIN magazine called “the avant-elite’s go-to percussionist for more than 35 years … ”

Lisa Moore is one of NYC’s top new-music pianists whose work the New York Times praised as “brilliant and searching … beautiful and impassioned … lustrous.” Vicki Ray, whose playing has been described as “phenomenal and fearless,” is Los Angeles’s leading new-music pianist. Aron Kallay is one of L.A.’s top new-music pianists whose playing the Los Angeles Times has described as “exquisite … alive, worthy of our wonder.” The William Winant Percussion Group is an ensemble made up of some of California’s best young percussionists.

“Tiny Thunder” is an album of Nicholas Chase’s music that presents two quietly entrancing piano works—the meditative solo “Zuòwàng,” and the more virtuosic piano-four-hands piece “Tiny Thunder” — performed by pianist Bryan Pezzone. Both works, held in motion by their internal logic, drift and weave through alluring, often serene musical landscapes.

Nicholas Chase has headlined festivals in Europe and the US as a composer and a performer. His work has been part of the Whitney Biennial, the Janacek Academy‘s New Music+ Festival, and the Other Minds Festival and has been honored by the International Center for Japanese Culture. He has one earlier album on the Cold Blue Music label: “Bhajan.” His music has been described as “brilliant” (The Strad), “compelling” (Textura), and “most imaginative” (LA Weekly). Bryan Pezzone is a pianist who has worked with noted conductors and performed as a soloist with major orchestras. He was principal pianist with the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra and has performed with the Los Angeles Philharmonic New Music Group, the Joffrey Ballet, and the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra. He has been a featured performer on more than 100 major film scores.