Tzimon Barto is recognised as one of the foremost American pianists of his generation. His new double-CD for Ondine features Paganini variations by three composers, Liszt, Brahms and Lutoslawski, and the popular Paganini Rhapsody Rachmaninov, on which Christoph Eschenbach conducts the Schleswig-Holstein Festival Orchestra. The Schlewig-Holstein Festival Orchestra was founded by Leonard Bernstein in 1987. This recording is Tzimon Barto’s 5th Ondine release.
The Phil Woods Quintet's final recording on November 10, 2014 at the Deer Head inn with Bill Goodwin, Steve Gilmore, Bill Mays and Brian Lynch. If you are a Phil Woods fan (as I am), this album is essential; while the recordings took place not that long before Phil's death, and you can hear the evidence of his declining health, Phil is still Phil … and that means, that even with his health limitations, he is still masterful and this recording is a poignant tribute to his great career and legacy. The amazing trumpet playing of Brian Lynch is an added bonus; he really shines, and together, he and Phil … aw the whole quintet, really … make this album a not-to-be-missed gem!!
The Magnetic Fields’ Quickies will be released on Nonesuch Records on May 29, 2020 (digitally on May 15). The five 7" vinyl box set features twenty-eight new short songs by Stephin Merritt, ranging in length from thirteen seconds to two minutes and thirty-five seconds.
Bill Haley & His Comets were an American rock and roll band, founded in 1952 and continued until Haley's death in 1981. The band, also known as Bill Haley and the Comets and Bill Haley's Comets (and variations thereof), was the earliest group of white musicians to bring rock and roll to the attention of America and the rest of the world. From late 1954 to late 1956, the group placed nine singles in the Top 20, one of those a number one and three more in the Top Ten.