Peter Caydick

This album features perhaps some of the best (certainly best-known) works by the top two violin composers working in Modena, Italy, at the end of the 17th century. Vitali and Colombi were both quite prolific and produced pieces of wide variety of form, not whittled down to the standard ‘dance suite’ of the middle and late baroque. While the Vitali works have been recorded previously in a version for ensemble, this is the first recording of the pieces in their solo format – and the same applies to the Colombi and anonymous pieces. The album is a fine and fitting sequel to Skærved’s previous solo recording “Florish in the Key” (Athene ATH 23211) which presented contemporaneous (late 17th century) solo violin music from London. “Genuinely intriguing” – Early Music Review; “Excellent… instantly attractive… uniformly high quality” – Infodad)

WINDPOWER from composer Eric Biddington highlights the versatility of the saxophone through the proficiency and musicality of the players, the Saxcess Quartet, in a collection of 11 original works. With multiple orchestrations and movements spanning 34 tracks, Biddington’s compositions are on full display with works for solo saxophone as well as sax trio and quartet. From tender and emotional to lush and energetic, Biddington’s compositions explore every nook and cranny of musical possibility. The dextrous and emotive performance by the Saxcess Quartet unites the pieces into a whole, providing a pleasing continuity throughout the varied arrangements and orchestrations.

Second album / collaboration between Luke Haines (Auteurs / Baader/Meinhof / Black Box Recorder) and Peter Buck (R.E.M.). Peter Buck plays guitar and feeds LSD to a broken Moog synthesiser. Luke Haines sings songs about God, provides an occasional strum on his guitar and blows Pan’s flute. Scott McCaughey plays the bass and mellotron and Linda Pitmon bangs the ritual drum. Lenny Kaye drops in and has a nightmare in the key of doo-wop. During the last two years, over lockdowns, Luke Haines and Peter Buck retreated to a cold war bunker and recorded this double album / manifesto, monster-piece and masterpiece, in answer to the question: Why are all the Kids super bummed out?

Pianist Peter Jablonski's second album on Ondine features a large selection of piano works by Alexey Stanchinsky (18881914), one of the most talented Russian composers of the early 20th Century. Stanchinsky was not only a talent but a genuine innovator who despite of his early death had a profound influence on the generation of composers to follow. Peter Jablonski is the perfect interpreter to these magnificent gems.

SOMM Recordings announces the perfect escape from Lockdown Blues with a collection of appealing piano miniatures compiled and performed by Peter Dickinson to chase all your cares away.