Classical Music

THE DUKE BOX includes more than eight hours of music what many consider the greatest decade of the greatest orchestra in the history of jazz. This 8 CD box set captures Duke Ellington and his musicians live in dance halls, night clubs, concert halls and radio stations. All your favortie Ellington standards are here as well as some rare tracks that even seasoned Ellingtonians will encounter for the first time.

Classical Music

Classical Music

The scene is... 311 West 57 Street, New York, Mediasounds Studio A...the date...Friday, August 25th, 1972. Duke Ellington was having an engagement with a smaller group at The Rainbow Grill, as he had several times before, finishing the gig on the following night. But on the 25th, he chose also to go to the recording studio, just himself at the piano together with his two band singers, Anita Moore and Tony Watkins, to record some pieces which were not played so often. The recordings remained in his "stockpile" until now, this being the first commercial issue of these beautiful pieces. The late Sjef Hoefsmit wrote about the session when he heard it back in 1994: "It is difficult to understand why these magnificent recordings never have been issued". Well, here they are at last - for all to enjoy! Among the gems, listeners will find tracks such as two takes of the Billy Strayhorn composition "Lotus Blossom", the Duke's own "Le Sucrier Velours" and his emotional "My Mother, My Father and Love." The latter was often performed with the Duke himself as a vocalist, reciting his own lyrics. No doubt the words meant a great deal to him, both personally and as part of his positive stories about the black communities in the USA.

EU-only digitally remastered and expanded edition including bonus material. Polish-American pianist Arthur Rubinstein received international acclaim for his performances of the music written by a variety of composers and many regard him as the greatest Chopin interpreter of his time. He was described by the New York Times as one of the greatest pianists of the twentieth century and his career lasted for eight decades. Presented on this release is a complete original LP containing recordings made by Rubinstein between 1956 and 1962 of works by Edvard Grieg and Sergei Rachmaninoff, with orchestras conducted by Alfred Wallenstein and Fritz Reiner. To the legendary performances present on the original album, we have added a recording of Frederic Chopin's Andante spianato and Grande Polonaise, on which Rubinstein is also conducted by Wallenstein.

Classical Music

Classical Music

Before jets and a proliferation of festivals made European appearances by American jazz musicians commonplace, it was not unusual for a trans-Atlantic tour to be preceded by six months of publicity. But such was not the case in November 1950, when Charlie Parker's arrival in Sweden literally took some fans by surprise. The trip was made on such short notice that booking negotiations virtually continued until his day of departure from the States. Rumors of impending visits from Parker had circulated from time to time, but so exciting was the prospect that one dared not believe them. Given the scarecity of live jazz in Europe at that time, and the fact that Charlie Parker, the Messiah of modern jazz, was already achieving legendary status, it was preordained that this visit would be a particularly memorable one. We hope this live album proves to be as exciting to listeners now as it was to the approximately one thousand people who crowded into the dance hall of Folkets Park in Halsingborg and the seventy-five who were lucky enough to attend the session that followed all those years ago.

Classical Music

Classical Music

Two Not One documents a late 1975 series of Denmark performances by saxophonists Warne Marsh and Lee Konitz. Performing with a crack European rhythm section, this 4-CD set features over five hours of music, arranged in chronological order. “Both men were and are masters of the art of never repeating themselves and a set of this scope really brings the point home.” - All About Jazz

Classical Music

Classical Music

A previously unreleased album that world-famous Jazz violinist Svend Asmussen considers one of his best recordings ever, now available on the occasion of his 99th birthday! In a tiny club in Paris with 26 guests, he played a set with three musicians he had never played with before. Just as they were about to play, a man casually told them the concert would be broadcast live on French radio, and this performance turned into one of his favorites due to the atmosphere & spontaneity of the live recording!

Sahib Shihab's career started in the late 1930's where he would play for the likes of Luther Henderson and Roy Eldridge while studying at the Boston Conservatory. During the 1940's Shihab played with many of the greats from this period, including Thelonious Monk, Art Blakey, Miles Davis and many more. Especially his work with Monk proved to be important as it marked the switch from alto to baritone saxophone. The present release was recorded alongside Kenny Drew, Niels-Henning Orsted Pedersen, and Jimmy Hopps in Copenhagen in 1971, and features a programme of works mostly by Shihab. "Most of the compositions are by the leader, starting with the exotic blend of hard bop and African rhythm, featuring Shihab's dancing soprano sax and Pedersen's bass solo. Drew switches to organ and Pedersen makes a relatively rare appearance on electric bass on the funky "Sentiments". The leader switches to baritone sax for Drew's exuberant ballad "Extase". (Ken Dryden)

Classical Music

Classical Music

Classical Music

Classical Music

European jazz at it's best, recorded at the legendary Jazzhus Montmartre to celebrate Jesper Lundgaard's 60th birthday!

Classical Music

The recordings on this release are chosen from three terrific evenings at Montmartre in October 2015, during Kenny’s second visit to Copenhagen. “Those of us who attended the concerts witnessed the great affection that developed between Kenny and the audience; the public simply wouldn’t let him leave the stage,” writes Christian Brorsen, music director at Jazzhus Montmartre. A smiling Jacob Christoffersen distributed warmth from behind the piano, and bassist Jesper Bodilsen and Zoltan Csorsz easily join the magnificent musical union. Brorsen also writes ”Kenny has a lot of heart and exudes a kind of warmth rarely encountered. Along with possessing perfect pitch and presiding over a repertoire that seems practically endless, he is a sensational singer—and a greater entertainer than he realizes!” Kenny Washington is an authentic virtuoso who exposes new facets of himself every time he performs. The quintet extracts new warmth from classics such as “Do You Know What It Means to Miss Orleans” an excel on the title track “Moanin’”. Kenny’s talent puts him among the world’s best jazz vocalists—at the very top of the list!

Classical Music

During the year of 1966 Duke Ellington was touring Europe. Duke Ellington’s sacred concerts had many incarnations, more than the three on the commercial records: The First (1965), The Second (1968) and The Third (1973). At concerts Ellington often made changes in the proceedings – left out some numbers, and played others, and altered the succession of numbers played. This was evidenced at Coventry Cathedral on a winter’s Monday, February 21st 1966. The Coventry concert had its centerpiece in “In The Beginning God”, but apart from that it was no ordinary sacred concert: Two numbers, “Come Sunday” and “Tell Me It’s The Truth” would have a vocal on the issued record and in other performances of A Concert of Sacred Music the previous year, but were purely instrumental here – and the two numbers following “In The Beginning God” had no connection to a religious theme. With him on that day in Coventry Cathedral were some highly professional British vocalists, The Cliff Adams Singers and the baritone singer George Webb, giving the performance a special quality, which the band acknowledged by playing on the top of their game. The concert was filmed for TV, and part of it was telecast. Two numbers were regrettably omitted from the TV production, but are on this album, a powerful version of “Light (Montage)” from Black, Brown And Beige, and the above-mentioned “Come Sunday.” The concert also includes a premiere and only performance of a new Ellington composition “Come Easter,” a premiere of another new Ellington piece “West Indian Pancake,” and one of the first performances of a piece which would become an important part of many concerts during the following years, “La Plus Belle Africaine.”