Tacet's ongoing survey of all 555 sonatas written by the great Italian Baroque composer Domenico Scarlatti as recorded by the prolific and acclaimed pianist Christoph Ullrich reaches, with these 30 works, K.454-83, available on 2 CD's, it's fourteenth volume. "Unlike Horowitz, who brought out the inner eccentricity of the pieces, or Christian Zacharias, who liberated them from the smell of mere glamour, Ullrich waits for the moment in which the music begins to float." - Die Zeit.
Pianist Andreas Feith and saxophonist Markus Harm present their second duo album "Abstract Truth", a deeply connected and artistically evolved follow-up to their debut "What's New". Over years of collaboration-from early days in Rebecca Trescher's ensemble to intensive duo sessions-their musical bond has grown into a rare and expressive synergy. Unlike their spontaneous first recording, this album is the result of careful composition and preparation, reflecting a new level of artistic freedom grounded in jazz tradition. Their interplay is intuitive, multilayered, and emotionally rich, balancing improvisation with melodic sensitivity. "Abstract Truth" showcases this connection through original compositions and reimagined standards, culminating in a diverse and emotionally resonant statement. Tracks like "Calm", "Tune For K", and "Smoke Gets In Your Eyes" reveal a duo in perfect harmony-free, expressive, and rooted in shared musical trust.
“trioTrio”? - Yes, unfamiliar ensemble name and it needs introduction. nNew York’s elite instrumentalists of the younger generation, Jacob Sacks (piano), Dave Ambrosio (bass) and Vinnie Sperrazza (drums) are the components of this cooperative trio. They have been playing together since around 2000. Here this their first album features two of their most respected soloists, Dave Scott (tp) and Rich Perry (ts) both of who have been playing with trioTrio also since around 2000 at the private sessions Dave Scott hosts.
“Nice treatment” is the favoured phrase Dave Scott uses when the music come together. To quote Sperrazza who is the author of the liner notes, Dave and Rich are the “under-sung giants of jazz”.
De Severac: En languedoc; Cerdana; Baigneuses au soleil
Piano Classics
CD
$19.99Mar 07, 2025
'His music tastes good': this was Debussy's tribute to the art of Deodat de Severac (1872-1921). Goodness and love are words that recur frequently when speaking of Severac, so much so that the pianist Blanche Selva - his teacher and biographer - wrote: 'The soul of Severac's music is love, because true love, in reality, is an aspiration, a cry, a caress of goodness.' Born in Apulia, a graduate of the conservatoire in Bari, Serena Valluzzi now gives recitals across Europe, while engaged as professor of piano at the conservatoire in Foggia. This album of Deodat de Severac marks her debut on Piano Classics, and is distinguished with the sensitive musicianship which won her prizes at the Busoni International Piano Competition and elsewhere. Descended from an ancient Languedoc family, related on his mother's side to the Aragons of Spain, Severac received his first music lessons from his painter father. He studied and worked further afield, becoming a friend and assistant to Isaac Albeniz, but his heart and his musical language remained rooted in his native Languedoc. Thus he was inspired to write en Languedoc, premiered by his friend (and Ravel's) Riccardo Vines in 1905. Impressionism meets folkloric colour and melody in the five movements of en Languedoc, evoking a lakeside reverie, a horseback gallop, a village feast and a profound elegy. This 'Coin de cimetiere au printemps' (Cemetery Corner in Spring) is one of his most inspired works: his friend Alfred Cortot admired it's 'resignation and ardour, tenderness and bitterness', with 'a long, slow melody that expands in all it's religious fervour and inconsolable melancholy.' Cerdana is another vividly picturesque five-movement suite, cousin to the likes of Albeniz's Iberia and Granados' Goyescas, deserving recognition alongside them as a major cycle of Franco-Spanish impressionism from the early 20th century. Serena Valluzzi completes this illuminating introduction to the art of Deodat de Severac with a teasingly allusive portrait in sound of bathers in the sun, 'Baigneuses au soleil', from 1908. - Deodat de Severac was a French composer whose work represents a bridge between the impressionist styles of Debussy and Ravel and the traditional music of southern France. Born in the Languedoc region, Severac's music is deeply rooted in the cultural and musical heritage of the French countryside, particularly the Occitan tradition. His piano music, while often categorized alongside the impressionists, is distinguished by it's rich evocation of regional landscapes and folk elements, making it uniquely vibrant and evocative. - This new recording presents the beautiful Baigneuses au Soleil, the suite en Languedoc, and the suite Cerdana. These compositions are marked by a lyrical sensitivity and a deep connection to nature, often eschewing the complex harmonic language of his contemporaries in favor of a more direct, folk-inspired style. - Despite his relatively small output, Severac's piano music is celebrated for it's warmth and ability to transport listeners to the idyllic landscapes that inspired him. His work remains an important, if somewhat underappreciated, contribution to early 20th-century French music, offering a refreshing contrast to the urban-centric themes prevalent in much of the music of his time. - Played with great sensitivity and feeling for colors by young Italian pianist Serena Valluzzi, winner of the Premio Alkan and prize winner of the Busoni and Casagrande competitions.
Following the critical acclaim of The Talisman (SCCD 31955), alto saxophonist Dave Pietro returns with The Butterfly Effect, his second release on SteepleChase—a label that has become a vital platform for his richly inventive voice. A veteran of ensembles led by Maria Schneider, Toshiko Akiyoshi, and Gil Evans, Pietro continues to command attention as a composer and bandleader whose work is both intellectually rigorous and emotionally resonant.
Returning collaborators include pianist Gary Versace, whose kaleidoscopic soloing adds depth and color, and bassist Jay Anderson, whose expressive lines anchor the group with elegance. Trumpeter Scott Wendholt and drummer Adam Cruz round out the lineup, each contributing dynamic performances that elevate Pietro’s compositions. His writing is marked by intricate counterpoint, unexpected harmonic shifts, and a deep sensitivity to ensemble interplay. Pietro’s music balances complexity with clarity. The Butterfly Effect is more than a follow-up—it’s a statement of artistic evolution. Where The Talisman introduced Pietro’s voice to a broader audience, this new release deepens the narrative, offering a compelling blend of lyrical beauty, structural sophistication, and improvisational fire.
“Pietro has great chops and a profound imagination, and possesses a warm, accessible, lyrical sound...” ( Lee Lowenfish - New York Jazz Newsletter)
The concertos of Karl Amadeus Hartmann exhibit a rich spectrum of formal and expressive possibilities, not only richly varied in relation to each other, but also a welcome addition to his more unified group of eight symphonies. Particularly with his departures from the classical-romantic concerto form, Hartmann discovered new and individual solutions that confirm the importance of his concertos as significant and original contributions to the development of this form in the twentieth century. The works compiled on this CD were written between 1931 and 1955, thus providing a superb insight into all of Hartmann's important creative phases.
In Shostakovich's Violin Concerto No. 1, the violin does not allow itself a break, continually tells it's dark story, revolves around the same thoughts, jokes and mocks, stutters, gets into the vicious circle of ostinato Passacaglia bass lines, loses itself in the loneliness of the extended cadenza and again and again falls into beguilingly beautiful singing. The Stalin regime would not have missed the fact that although a great many things run in small circles here, nothing "runs smoothly", which is why the premiere did not take place until 1955, after Stalin's death. Peter Tchaikovsky initially thought his "Symphony of Fate" was a failure and believed himself to be at the end of his creative powers. The audience's enthusiasm for the work grew with each performance. It was probably the composer's nature, plagued by self-doubt, that made it almost impossible for him to develop a self-confident attitude to his own creative power. This recording of the 5th Symphony is another milestone in Andris Nelson's Tchaikovsky cycle with the Gewandhausorchester Leipzig.
To paraphrase the old stock brokerage commercial: "When Anthony Braxton plays, people listen". And they have been doing so for decades, through dozens of recordings spanning an evolution that is remarkable for it's independence and virtuosity. Braxton's first two albums, "Three Compositions of New Jazz" (1968, DMK #415) and "For Alto" (1969, DMK #420) were released on Delmark, and it's only fitting that the present rare quartet version of his self-described "Ghost Trance Music" be released more than thirty years later on the same label. Features Anthony Braxton on woodwinds, Kevin Uehlinger on piano/melodica, Keith Witty on bass, and Noam Schatz on percussion.
Not only was Thornhill's distinctive instrumentation deeply influential on later bandleaders, but so were the trailblazing Gerry Mulligan and Gil Evans arrangements you'll hear on these 17 tracks. Behold Snowfall; a Sunday Kind of Love; Rustle of Spring; the Things I Love; Early Autumn; Traumerie; Le Papillon, and more!
2017 release. Hush Point, the quartet of trumpeter John McNeil, saxophonist Jeremy Udden, bassist Aryeh Kobrinsky and drummer Anthony Pinciotti have used rehearsal techniques to broaden their expression and develop a sort of group ESP. This work has produced brilliant compositions that require a high level of musicianship and group interplay. Hush Point's evolution can be heard on their innovative third recording, Hush Point III.
“This is hard bop at its best, superior playing by pianist Galper and tenor saxist Mike Brecker ...good contrast between ballads and exciting up-tempo lines.” (Don Lass, Asbury Park Press)
“So the Brecker Brothers can play jazz after all!...You won’t find a drop of funk on this record, just good old, straight-ahead, swinging jazz....Hal Galper must be given credit for channelling the music in the right direction...” (Carl Brauer, Cadence)
“...in pianist Hal Galper’s acoustic progressive jazz combo, trumpeter Randy and saxophonist Michael Brecker play with conviction and emotion...Good stuff.” (Oakland Tribune)
180-Gram Vinyl - Limited Edition. *(*) AllMusic. During the mid-'50s, Sarah Vaughan spent most of her time recording songbook standards backed by a large orchestra in florid arrangements, with only the occasional breath of fresh air like her masterpiece, 1954's Sarah Vaughan with Clifford Brown. Four years after that m ilestone, another landed with the live album At Mister Kelly's, which captures Vaughan at her best and most relaxed, stretching out on a set of late-night torch songs and ballads. Featuring Jimmy Jones on piano, Richard Davis on bass, and Roy Haynes on drums. ««««½ AllMusic - THE COMPLETE ALBUM + 5 BONUS TRACKS - 180-GRAM VIRGIN VINYL - LIMITED EDITION
Son of an impoverished violinist, Englishman Billy Mayerl grew up playing piano for silent movies and became one of the most famous novelty rag performers in the world. This album presents sixteen of his complex yet playful compositions, including several pieces from his celebrated piano suites.
The first volume of the much acclaimed “Swiss Nights” series celebrated the first 50th release of SteepleChase label which after two years in business had firmly established itself to be one of the major independent jazz labels.
“The Zürich Jazz Festival last year (1975) evidently found Dexter Gordon in a relaxed and mellow mood. He has made many good records ...but this set is one of the best...” (Jazz Journal) 180g Audiophile Vinyl
