Brahm

With its first own recording of a cappella repertoire, the Zurcher Sing- Akademie reveals its musical and emotional identity and opens the door to the unique Swiss musical landscape. HERZBLUT provides an insight into the multifaceted work of Swiss composers, from the Romantic period to the present day.

In the first decade of her post-Go-Go's solo career, Belinda Carlisle delivered six albums as a mainstream pop artist, notching hits with songs like "Mad About You" and "Heaven Is a Place on Earth." Following 1996's A Woman and a Man, Carlisle largely abandoned her solo pursuits, participating in a handful of Go-Go's reunions and battling a drug addiction that lasted until 2005. Newfound sobriety and the influence of living in France yielded 2007's Voila, an unexpectedly high-quality collection of French pop songs and classic chansons which she sang entirely in French. Now, with another decade in the books, the California native returns with yet another personal passion project in 2017's Wilder Shores.

This CD reissue of one of tenor-saxophonist Zoot Sims's final recordings adds a version of "Emaline" to the original program. Pianist Jimmy Rowles often co-stars on the date (with bassist George Mraz and drummer Akira Tana offering solid support). The lyrical repertoire emphasizes ballads and pretty melodies with the highpoints including such offbeat material as Woody Guthrie's "So Long," Sims's "Brahms…I Think," "In the Middle of a Kiss" and the more familiar "Never Let Me Go" and "Suddenly It's Spring." The melodic performances are quite warm, romantic and enjoyable, fine examples of subtle creativity.

Includes the following albums - Pretty Baby, Sleep Warm, A Winter Romance, This Time I'm Swinging, Dino Italian, Love Songs, Cha Cha Cha De Amour, Free Style, Dino Latino.

Rudulf Serkin, in the company of Szell and the Cleveland Orchestra shine a wonderful light on Brahm's First Piano Concerto. Serkin brings the same radiance he delivers to Beethoven's "Emperor". Self-effacing, Serkin noted, "We are nothing next to the immense pieces we play… nothing, we are mere dwarfs". A challenging piece by any measure, Serkin's performance is well balanced with that of the orchestra, which play in harmony to produce elegant sound on this well-recorded Sony edition. The Handel Variations are a delightful change of pace as a makeweight.