Andre Lavin

This was André Previn's second album after his long, symphonically enforced absence from jazz, and it sounds noticeably more fluid and relaxed than his first. No longer apprehensive about dusting off his old skills, Previn is delightfully confident and breezy (dig his sly turns on "Come Rain or Come Shine" and "C Jam Blues"), taking some chances as he re-phrases and paraphrases a collection of revivified standards, mostly Harold Arlen and assorted Duke Ellington. Even if Previn, that noted wit, sometimes sounds as if he is kidding the pants off these old tunes, it's great to hear him having such a good time playing jazz again. Mundell Lowe is Previn's new guitar partner, and Ray Brown returns on bass; both are right at home in this refined brand of chamber jazz grooving.

The last of a series of showtune albums recorded by the trio of pianist Andre Previn, bassist Red Mitchell and drummer Shelly Manne finds the all-star group focusing on the music of West Side Story (Previn and Manne alternated leadership, and it was the drummer's good fortune to have the famous My Fair Lady album under his own name). This CD reissue has eight of the main themes from the famous musical, including "I Feel Pretty," "Maria" and "America." As usual, the melodies are treated respectfully yet swingingly, and Andre Previn in particular excels in this setting.

Der niederländische Walzerkönig André Rieu ist wieder da. Nachdem er 2012 pausieren musste, veröffentlicht der derzeit erfolgreichste Tourneekünstler der Welt endlich sein lang erwartetes Doppelalbum André Rieu Celebrates ABBA & Music Of The Night. Während der Arbeit an Music Of The Night, einer wunderbaren Sammlung bisher nicht aufgenommener klassischer Songs aus der Welt der Musicals, Filme und Romanzen, entdeckte André Rieu das beeindruckende Repertoire der schwedischen Supergruppe ABBA und widmet sich nun zum ersten Mal dieser Musik. ABBA Fans weltweit können ihre Lieblingssongs jetzt endlich in noch nie gehörten, wunderschönen Orchesterarrangements erleben.

Violinist Kyung-Wha Chung's highly intense compelling performances especially in the Prokofiev Concerti here have made them favorites in Decca's catalogue for years. Rather than purely dwell on the technical rigor these works demand (as many violinists often do), Chung instead focuses more on Prokofiev's lyricism in an effort to draw out the full and varied range of emotional qualities in the score. Conductor Andre Previn and the London Symphony Orchestra couldn't be more understanding and supportive collaborators and Decca's sound, while spotlighting Chung slightly, is quite good.