p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; color: #4d4d4d} p.p2 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; color: #4d4d4d; min-height: 14.0px} Lara Downes is known for her eclectic presentations of the piano repertoire – from iconic favorites to newly-commissioned works – her performances bridge musical genres and traditions, and engage a wide range of audiences with what San Francisco Classical Voice has called "an elegant example of how accessibility and a breezy relevance can exist, organically, in a classical music concert." On March 1, 2019, Downes releases a new album, Holes in the Sky, on Portrait, an imprint of the Sony Music Masterworks label. A genre-fluid collection of music written and performed by today's leading female artists, celebrating the contributions of phenomenal women to the past, present, and future of American music, Holes in the Sky tells the story of what women and girls can contribute to the world when they are given a chance - their dreams can make holes in the sky. Lara collaborates with an extraordinary multi-generational group of female guest artists on this album, including the iconic singer / songwriter Judy Collins, boundary-breaking violinist Rachel Barton Pine, pianist Simone Dinnerstein, fast-rising cellist Ifetayo Ali-Landing, and the urban youth vocal ensemble Musicality. NetNebraska is asking pianists 15 questions as part of a series. Some may have been borrowed or altered from some other questionnaires. Just a fun way to get to know current performers.   CLICK HERE to get to know Lara Downes

When it comes to ultra-hip solidly swinging jazz vocals, Ms. Stanley has no equal… she's no stranger to our pages… my latest review of her work was for her "London Calling" album, where she got very high marks.  Her performance on Bobby Troup's jazz classic "Route 66" video below is just superb……the video production is totally professional, & will give you some real insights into the hipness we cruised through when we took that route back in the day…  In addition to Lyn's stunning vocals, you'll also hear Otmaro Ruiz, piano; Mike Lang, piano; Chuck Berghofer, bass; Aaron Serfaty, drums; John Chiodini, guitar and Luis Conte, percussion… swingin' & rockin' songs like "Pink Cadillac" will have you tappin' your toes & finger-poppin' right along with the group… I predict this one will be getting some MAJOR spins on jazz stations all across the globe. p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; color: #4d4d4d} p.p2 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; color: #4d4d4d; min-height: 14.0px} READ THE FULL Contemporary Fusion Review

Two contemporary world premieres paired with Samuel Barber's masterful First Symphony make this disc a delicious sampling of neoromanticism in American music. The standout here, and the main reason to buy this disc is the glorious Jennifer Higdon Harp Concerto (2017).  Higdon, the third woman to win a Pulitzer Prize (by my count) is clearly schooled in a wide variety of compositional techniques which she uses judiciously.  She is unabashedly a romantic but her sound is hardly retro.  She, like many well trained and talented composers, uses her many skills and techniques judiciously.  Nothing experimental here, just good writing for both orchestra and soloist. The recording on Cleveland based Azica records is well recorded and all the music supports repeated listenings where the attractive surface of the music gives way to more detail.  All in all a CD that fans of Jennifer Higdon, Yolanda Kondonassis, and American Romanticism will want to own. READ THE FULL NEW MUSIC BUFF REVIEW p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; color: #4d4d4d} p.p2 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; color: #4d4d4d; min-height: 14.0px}

Multi-GRAMMY nominated pianist Nadia Shpachenko reflects on the role of the concert hall in the liner notes for her recent Reference Recordings album The Poetry of Places: "The hall is the most important instrument…we spend a great deal of time learning to embrace the space, learning what our pieces mean in the space, how our interpretation must change because of where we are." An album of solo and duo piano, electronics, and percussion, The Poetry of Places is a superb assemblage of works by various composers. Each piece, inspired by a particular building, weaves together a collage of place and time, and Shpachenko's evocative interpretations bring insight to the composers' visions in collaboration with pianist Joanne Pearce Martin and percussionists Nick Terry and Cory Hills. READ THE FULL I CARE IF YOU LISTEN REVIEW p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; color: #4d4d4d}

Vacation time is here, there or right around the corner-and if you're in San Francisco, Karl the Fog is back! It's time to get out of dodge and find the sunshine, so who has time to sit at home and check out new music? That summer playlist won't make itself, so we have done the compiling while you're hitting the beach. We're happy to bring you the latest, greatest new songs in this weekly segment. Here's to some good listening to start your week off right. Paula Cole released her album bonus track in support of the LGBTQ+ community. "Hope Is Everywhere" starts out as a slow jam, but becomes a call to arms. As the song swells with beautiful keyboards, the message sinks in. Five minutes into the 10-minute cut, its tone changes to a funky disco anthem. It's impossible to not respond to the infectious activism as Cole sings, "You can't stop a hurricane of justice." "Lyrically it is a message to those who are experiencing undue discrimination, intimidation and legal abuse in our current political climate," Cole said in a news release. Rachel's Pick: There are times that it's almost impossible to make a choice. The first time I heard "The Fog and the Noise" and the guitars hit me, I could not get the song out of my head. Even so, Paula Cole's "Hope is Everywhere" is everything a feel-good resistance anthem needs. This song exudes hopefulness and empowerment and yes, hope is everywhere. It's a dance anthem, it's pure joy and pure love. Most importantly, it brings happiness! p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; color: #4d4d4d} p.p2 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; color: #4d4d4d; min-height: 14.0px} SEE riff magazine - Tuesday Tracks PAGE

Donna Voce is Anna Shelest's first release featuring virtuosic repertoire by women composers from the last three centuries. The program sheds light on the under-explored territory of piano repertoire and makes the case that the music of female composers, many of whom were virtuoso pianists, is as relevant today as the music of their male counterparts. Works contained on the recording are by; Clara Schumann, Fanny Mendelssohn, Cecile Chaminade, Amy Beach, Lili Boulanger, and Chiayu Hsu. The Ukrainian pianist discusses these famous 19th-20th century female pianist composers with Michael Keelan. They also discuss the different roles each figure had in the musical life of her time and one present-day work for good measure. 
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The Johann Sebastian Bach Cello Suites are one of the most frequently performed pieces for unaccompanied cello, and also some of the most recognizable solo pieces ever written for the instrument.  Cellist Sung-Won Yang recorded these pieces for the first time on a 2005 release from EMI, and then in 2017, he was allowed the opportunity to record these pieces again, but in a 19th century French church (specifically, the Notre Dame de Bon Secours in Paris). Kurt Hauswirth, the host of Michigan's Public Radio 90's Classiclectic, had an opportunity to speak to Sung-Won about his experience coming back to recording the Bach Cello Suites for a second time in a new environment; he also spoke about his love of Bach's music, and gives his advice to young cellists. READ THE ARTICLE & LISTEN TO THE CONVERSATION