SOMM RECORDINGS is delighted to pay tribute to the British tenor Ian Partridge on his 85th birthday on June 12 with Stimme der Liebe (The Voice of Love), a collection of iconic songs by Schubert, on which he is joined by his pianist-sister Jennifer Partridge and pianist Ernest Lush.
Connie Lush and her band Blues Shouter hail from Britain. The band name gives a hint: she is one of UK's greatest blues singers. Connie has received various European music awards as a singer and songwriter. She has been playing and touring with Blues Shouter since 1993. Her husband Terry Harris plays bass in the band, Carl Woodward sits behind the drums, and John Lewis handles the "smoking guitar".
Although not initially released until 1992, 25 years after composer Billy Strayhorn's death, this is his definitive CD. Strayhorn is heard singing "Lush Life" while backed by the Duke Ellington Orchestra in 1964 (his voice is not strong but his phrasing is quite sincere), jamming on piano with flügelhornist Clark Terry and Bob Wilbur (on clarinet and soprano) in a quintet, backing singer Ozzie Bailey, and taking a pair of piano solos ("Love Came" and "Baby Clementine"). These are very valuable and intriguing recordings, shedding some new light on a nearly invisible genius.
Michael E Frith had piano lessons as a young child but was really turned on to music in big way when Motown hit him like a ton of bricks in the early sixties, he was smitten and from that time on he’s had a love affair with music. He joined various cover bands and toured the Euro/American Navy and Air force bases playing keyboards and percussion and enjoyed a short stint with U.S. vocal group Johnny Johnson and the Bandwagon, who had a massive hit worldwide with "Breaking Down The Walls Of Heartache"…