Finley

Robert Finley's Black Bayou takes listeners on a journey through the haunting, mystical landscapes of Louisiana while sharing deeply personal stories. From the slow-burning funk of "What Goes Around (Comes Around)" to the upbeat and groovy "Sneakin' Around," each track on this album showcases Finley's exceptional tone and vocal versatility. Produced by Dan Auerbach, every note on this album is a testament to Finley's musical prowess and his unwavering commitment to soul, R/B and the blues.

Gerald Finley and Julius Drake return to Schumann, following a magisterially intense Dichterliebe which won them a third Gramophone award. Here they focus on the two contrasting Liederkreis (‘song-circle’) cycles using texts by Heine and Eichendorff. Heine is the poet of Dichterliebe, and Op 24 contains extremes of elation and despair that call all Finley’s considerable dramatic powers into play. Eichendorff’s seductive, crepuscular ‘night-songs’ of Op 39 require the velvety tone for which this singer is equally revered. Separating these two great works are the Sechs Gedichte aus dem Liederbuch eines Malers, Op 36, which find Schumann in more homespun, folksong-influenced vein.

Canadian baritone Gerald Finley is one of the leading singers and dramatic interpreters of his generation. This is his debut recording with Ondine, already having many award-winning performances on CD and DVD. In recital, Finley regularly works with Julius Drake and has performed cycles by Barber, Britten, Ives, Ravel and Schumann.