Larry Bunker at Shelly's Manne Hall

The first entry in the extensive series of piano solo recitals held at Maybeck Recital Hall features the great Joanne Brackeen. Although classified by some originally as an avant-gardist inspired by McCoy Tyner, Brackeen continued to grow in stature and by the late '80s had her own style. She is respectful but passionate on seven standards (keeping the melody in mind during her explorations) while her four originals are given more adventurous improvisations. […] Well worth checking out. - Scott Yanow at All Music Guide

The 35th anniversary concert was a great success. The audience also had the benefit of hearing Magnolia's former pianist, the one and only Morten Gunnar Larsen, accompanying Topsy on "Muddy Waters". We took the liberty of sending a test copy of the resulting CD to Butch Thompson, asking him what he thought. Butch wrote: "The partnership of Topsy Chapman with the Magnolia Jazzband is magic. Ms. Chapman brings that to all her performances, but with these guys you know there is something very special going on the moment she walks onstage. New Orleans music is all about connections between people, and the easy way the music comes together on this CD is born of longtime friendship and respect. Everybody is happy to be there, and it shows. The Magnolia is simply one of the very best old-style New Orleans groups on the scene today. These tracks taken from their ambitious 35th anniversary performance at the Oslo Concert Hall in late 2007, are testimony to their remarkable cohesion. It's all about teamwork...

Lang Lang made a career-changing appearance at Proms 2001 at Royal Albert Hall, playing Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 3. Twelve years later—and by then a superstar pianist who sold out two recitals at this 5,000-plus seater hall in just 48 hours—he returned for this captivating solo performance. Three Mozart piano sonatas are played with a light touch and an appealing simplicity, while Chopin’s four Ballades show off his ability to communicate with an audience. And then come eight encores, the pianist egged on by his vast audience. And they hit all the right buttons, with the Ponce and Lecuona high on the list of favorites.

Stephane Grappelli recorded frequently during the last three decades of his life and previously unissued recordings like this 1975 concert at Corby Festival Hall have continued to turn up. On this occasion the violinist is accompanied by lead guitarist Diz Disley, rhythm guitarist Ike Isaacs and bassist David Moses. The set is fairly typical, concentrating on standards from the 1920s through the 1940s, starting with a chugging but brisk take of "I Can't Believe That You're in Love With Me." The marvelous duet by Grappelli and Disley of "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes," Grappelli's inventive treatment of "(Back Home Again In) Indiana" and the crowd-pleasing "Sweet Georgia Brown" are among the highlights. It is simply amazing that Stephane Grappelli never seemed to go on autopilot as he played a song for the hundredth (or possibly thousandth) time; this CD is a valuable addition to his already vast discography.