Gershwin

Most musicians when asked to give a list of their favorite composers will usually have at the top, or near the top of the list George Gershwin. They feel that Gershwin wrote in such a fashion that it gives them the most room for improvisation. You will always find that when people are asked to do albums of various composers, invariably Gershwin is on the list. Buddy DeFranco has recorded many albums for me and for two years has been insisting that he be allowed to do a Gershwin album, and this is it…

Seiji Ozawa is recognized as one of the supreme Gershwin conductors. Multi award winning blind pianist Marcus Roberts is known as one of the foremostpianists of contemporary jazz. Roland Guerin is not only an instructor for Applied Jazz Bass at the University of NewOrleans, he also toured extensively with Jazz greats such as Gerry Mulligan, George Benson and Jimmy Scott, and he made recordings with Ellis Marsalis and Allen Toussaint among others. Drummer Jason Marsalis is the son of pianist Ellis Marsalis and the youngest brother of Wynton, Branford and Delfeayo. Together, the four brothers and their father Ellis comprise New Orleans' venerable first family of jazz.

Michael Finnissy (b. 1946) is one of the most important post-war composers, known for his highly complex music and extreme demands on the performers.

Lyambiko - Lyambiko Sings Gershwin
EAC+LOG+CUE | FLAC: 327 MB | Full Artwork: 83 MB | 5% Recovery Info
Label/Cat#: Sony Classical # 88697983102 | Country/Year: Germany 2012
Genre: Classical, Jazz | Style: Contemporary, Vocal, Songs

…Lyambiko wird mit "Sings Gershwin" dennoch Maßstäbe setzen; allein zur Entwicklung ihrer eigenen Persönlichkeits wird dieses Repertoire wahrscheinlich nicht beitragen. Aber: schön ist es schon, was wir da zu hören bekommen, dem sei unbenommen.

Following the success of his first Decca release of solo piano music by Chopin, Liszt, and Ravel, Benjamin Grosvenor demonstrates his aptitude in the concerto repertoire on his second CD, Rhapsody in Blue, recorded with James Judd and the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra. This is a refreshing change from the usual Tchaikovsky or Rachmaninov concertos one hears from young artists eager to impress, and Grosvenor is clever enough to play not only engaging concertos by Saint-Saëns, Ravel, and Gershwin, but to toss in short bon-bons by these composers to sweeten the program.

Michael Tilson Thomas's Gershwin credentials are second to none, and include several recording premieres, most notably the first modern version of the original jazz band orchestration of Rhapsody in Blue (for Sony/Columbia). This new double-CD set offers an impressive selection of Gershwin favorites and rarities: the Second Rhapsody, with Tilson Thomas himself at the piano; An American in Paris; the Concerto in F, this time with Garrick Ohlssohn as soloist; and finally, Gershwin's own Catfish Row suite from Porgy and Bess, here fleshed out with the best and most popular songs from the opera, ably sung by Audra McDonald and Brian Stokes Mitchell.

The Modern Jazz Quartet - Plays George Gershwin's Porgy & Bess (1966) {Atlantic Jazz Masters–Rhino 8122-75445-2 rel 2004}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 215 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 91 Mb
Full Artwork @ 600 dpi (jpg) -> 225 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 1964-65, 2004 Atlantic / Rhino / Warner | 8122-75445-2
Jazz / Cool / Bop / Third Stream

The Modern Jazz Quartet, a group legendary for it's feats during their heyday in the cool bop period of jazz music, shares with the listener a brilliant effort encompassing their impression of composer George Gershwin's "Porgy and Bess." Acclaimed by Encyclopedia Britannica as "the greatest American musical drama ever written," The Modern Jazz Quartet perform it at the highest level of creative flair to pay homage to a marvel of composition with the utmost degree of sincerity and respect. This is a piece that Gershwin took a full 11 months to compose and nine months to orchestrate, all based on the initial inspiration from a drama written by playwright Dorothy Heyward. Opening up the score is Gershwin's dazzling and seductive tune "Summertime," a landslide mark of musical brilliance.