Collins Wealth

Even though Cristina Ortiz has been resident in Europe for many years, it is the passion, spontaneity and allure so characteristic to her Brazilian cultural heritage, which is central to her music making. Dominating a broad range of solo and concerto repertoire, she now adds the role of chamber musician ever more important in her make-up as a truly complete artist.

"American Epic" compilation series is a collection of releases of music associated with the film series "The American Epic", a historical documentaries are a journey back in time to the "Big Bang" of modern popular music.

by William F. Meehan III (Author),‎ Kim Starkey Jonker (Author),‎ Jim Collins (Foreword)

"Who’d Have Guest?" is the clever, intriguingly titled new album from respected UK drummer ELLIOTT HENSHAW. Henshaw has worked with all kinds of people across all kinds of genres – most interesting to us David Benoit, the Drifters, Gwen Dickie, Georgie Fame and Beverly Knight. His standing in the UK music community is such that he can call on plenty of “names” to help him craft his own albums and that explains the title of this one, his latest.

It all started with William Butler Yates' poem, The Wild Swans at Coole. One October day, as I was reading and reflecting on this wonderful poem, a melody for the opening line (The trees are in their Autumn Beauty) came to me. Several hours later, seated at the piano, I had written the opening to the song. In the following days, as I worked on it, the idea came up to write a song-cycle of poems on the subject of birds.

It was the sound of post-independence Nigeria, a time of celebration and wealth but, ultimately, of political oppression. The music reflected the times - a heady mix of traditional rhythms and big band highlife with the new rock, soul and jazz sounds crackling through transistor radios from Europe and the U.S. The rulebook of Nigerian musical heritage was ripped up as SANTANA, THE BEATLES and JAMES BROWN became as relevant to young players as HARUNA ISHOLA, VICTOR OLAIYA and E. T. MENSAH. Led by the towering influence of FELA KUTI, established Nigerian stars and the rawest of college bands alike forged new fusions and began using their music confidently as a vehicle for new variations of traditional parables and social commentary.