An English composer and pianist whose minimalist contemporary-classical works invoke names like Ludovico Einaudi, Michael Nyman, and Dustin O'Halloran, Joe Alexander Shepherd is a native of York and a graduate from Paul McCartney's acclaimed Academy of Music in Liverpool. A composer since the age of 15, Shepherd has a classical background, but is also a pop and electronic music fan who incorporates textural synths into his work. In 2018, he signed to Nettwerk Music Group and released his debut album, Time.

Black Oak Ensemble, a violin, viola, and cello trio comprising three of Chicago's most enterprising chamber musicians, makes its recording debut with Silenced Voices, an album of intriguing works by six promising, early 20th century Jewish composers originally from Austria-Hungary, Czechoslovakia, and the Netherlands. 

One survived World War II as a member of the Dutch resistance, the others perished in concentration camps and elsewhere in Nazi-occupied Europe.  Silenced Voices, available July 12, 2019, includes Dick Kattenburg's Trio à cordes; Sándor Kuti's Serenade for String Trio; Hans Krása's Passacaglia & Fuga and Tánec for string trio; Gideon Klein's Trio for violin, viola and cello; Paul Hermann's Strijktrio; and the world-premiere recording of wartime survivor Géza Frid's Trio à cordes, Op. 1 (Cedille Records CDR 900000 189). 

The Laurence Hobgood Trio with string quartet ETHEL

"Two impressive things stand out: how enormous his arrangements make the string quartet sound, and how fluidly these seven musicians blend together." - Giovanni Russonello, New York Times 

"Hobgood's orchestration definitely brings a classical element to the project, while the trio's shining interactions represent the very idea that jazz improvisation is less about what's being played and more about how it's being played." 
- Matt Micucci, Jazziz Magazine   

"✩✩✩✩✩" - BBC Music Magazine (May 24, 2019)

"Hobgood has produced here an exceptional debut album for the ever-burgeoning Ubuntu Music label, which augurs very well indeed both for the pianist and the record company." - Roger Farby, All About Jazz 

 

"Laurence Hobgood's new album is grounded in a deep and rich musicality that rewards frequent and multiple listenings like nothing I've heard in decades. It is at different times surprising, thought-provoking, nuanced, and always exquisite . . . tesseterra should be on every station and streaming services playlists for years to come."  - Daniel J. Levitin, Author, "This Is Your Brain On Music"

"Laurence Hobgood's new album is grounded in a deep and rich musicality that rewards frequent and multiple listenings like nothing I've heard in decades. It is at different times surprising, thought-provoking, nuanced, and always exquisite. What do Debussy, Ravel, Miles Davis and Johnny Cash have in common? They were all superb crafters of melody, harmony and rhythm who decided, as Hobgood does here, to explore texture-driven music, elevating timbre and orchestration to equal standing with their better known musical accomplices. Hobgood is continually pulling rabbits out of hats, getting me to rethink and re-feel songs I've heard thousands of times, shining a light on hidden structure and interplays I had never noticed before. Anyone who can sneak in a few bars of  "I've Found a New Baby" has got me hooked. From meter shifts to harmonic innovation and textural elegance, tesseterra should be on every station and streaming services playlists for years to come." 

In February 1987, Keith Jarrett recorded, on piano, the first book of The Well-Tempered Clavier by Johann Sebastian Bach. It was the first in a series of lauded Bach discs that Jarrett would make for ECM. On March 7, 1987, prior to the release of the studio set, he performed the complete WTC Book I for an audience in upstate New York at the Troy Savings Bank Music Hall, a venue renowned for its beautiful acoustics. With this release, ECM is presenting an archival live recording of this concert for the first time. When his studio album of the WTC Book I was released, Jarrett's manner in these iconic preludes and fugues surprised many listeners with its poetic restraint, given his renown as a jazz improvisor. But the pianist was deeply attuned to what he called "the process of thought" in Bach; by not imposing his personality unduly on the music, Jarrett allowed the score to shine via the natural lyricism of the contrapuntal melodic lines, the dance-like pulse of the rhythmic flow. These qualities are strikingly apparent in the live recording, with its added electricity of a concert performance.

Philip Bailey, the legendary falsetto voice, Grammy Award winner and co-founder of Earth, Wind & Fire announces his upcoming solo album Love Will Find A Way via Verve Records on June 21 with the release of the first single "Billy Jack," which he co-produced with Robert Glasper. 

 "Billy Jack" was originally written and performed by Curtis Mayfield – this version is performed by Grammy Award winner Philip Bailey on vocals and percussion and features Kendrick Scott on drums and Robert Glasper on keys. 

When Earth Wind & Fire began recording in the 1970s, Bailey and his bandmates, like many great artists of the day, had little interest in separating genres and audiences-a philosophy that resulted in unprecedented creative and commercial success. 

On Love Will Find a Way, Bailey proves that the atmosphere and ideas that made Earth Wind & Fire possible-a respect for genuine musicianship, a conviction that all music matters-are alive and well in 2019. Along with trusted friends like bassist Christian McBride, the iconic jazz pianist Chick Corea and drum legend Steve Gadd, the album features several of the brightest contemporary lights in jazz, R&B, pop and more: keyboardist Robert Glasper, saxophonist Kamasi Washington, rapper, musician and producer will.i.am, trumpeter Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah, singer-songwriter Bilal, singer-saxophonist Casey Benjamin, guitarist Lionel Loueke, drummer Kendrick Scott and bassist Derrick Hodge, among many others. 

After sending shockwaves through the socialsphere following her electrifying performance alongside Cardi B at the 2019 Grammy Awards, high-energy performance pianist Chloe Flower releases her first-ever original single on Sony Music Masterworks. With an original arrangement by Flower, the single "Get What U Get" is co-produced with Tommy Brown (Ariana Grande's "7 Rings", "Thank U, Next"), Anthony "Tone" Jones (Post Malone, Juice WRLD) and her longtime collaborator Babyface. Rooted in classical instrumentation, the song has all of the style and flare of a pop record. Flower recently debuted the song on the Today Show in her first ever solo TV performance. "Get What U Get" is available everywhere now. 

Based on an untold true story, "Chernobyl" is a five-part miniseries airing on HBO. Writer, creator and executive producer Craig Mazin began researching the Chernobyl disaster in 2014, using a wide variety of materials, including several books, government reports from inside and outside of the Soviet Union and first-person accounts. He spoke to nuclear scientists to learn how a reactor works and interviewed former Soviet citizens to gain a better sense of the culture in 1986. The haunting score is by Hildur Guðnadóttir, Icelandic composer, cello player, and singer, who has composed a number of film scores for films.

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