John McCabe’s substantial String Trio, written in 1965 for the 60th birthday of Alan Rawsthorne is re-released by ASC Prima Facie, together with his String Quartet no.2 of 1972. These works, coupled with the Trio for Violin, Viola and Cello and String Quartet no.1 by David Ellis, were first recorded by the Camerata Ensemble and released in 2003.
Recorded at McCabe's in Santa Monica, CA, on August 18th, 1973, Cosmic Partners - The McCabe's Tapes is a rare and previously unreleased concert recording featuring Nesmith and a small coterie of fellow musicians, including long time recording partner and pedal steel player Red Rhodes. This recording is from a mini concert tour that was in support of what was to be Nesmith's final record on the RCA label, Pretty Much Your Standard Ranch Stash. The dates would reunite him with the remnant players from Nesmith's Countryside label, under Elektra. Consisting of a rhythm section featuring Danny Lane on drums and Colin Cameron on bass, and the legendary O.J. "Red" Rhodes on pedal steel, this would be the last performance of it's kind and the beginning of an almost Homeric journey for Nesmith.
French composer Fernande Breilh-Decruck showed signs of a promising career from an early age, when she won several prizes at the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Paris (harmony, fugue, piano). As an assistant professor of harmony, she trained many students, including one who became very famous and later dedicated her a score: “To Fernande Decruck, with all the gratitude and fond memories of the author – Olivier Messiaen”.