Ryle Pamela

The sax field becomes even more populous with another of the 1996's freshest new voices, ultra silky alto and soprano goddess Pamela Williams. On the aptly titled Saxtress, she carves her own niche in the rhythm and jazz annals with a rich mix of mellow and smokin', twisting her horn in the many directions that producer Martin Walters leads her. For a time, the surprisingly well done pop covers ("I Can Love You Like That," "The Secret Garden," "Natural Woman") may prompt you to think you've stumbled onto yet another John Tesh sax project. But soon, Williams slowly emerging vision takes over and originality wins out. While smooth and mid-tempo ultimately win out, the collections two real bass-soaked cookers "Ladies Night" and the title cut find her blowing damn the consequences…

A second solo album and a second Gramophone 'Choice' accolade which was widely acclaimed as a benchmark recording.
Pamela Thorby has an international reputation as one of the most versatile and stylish recorder players of her generation. Her virtuoso playing can be heard on numerous recordings, ranging from the medieval period to the present day. Pamela is perhaps best known for her baroque playing with the Palladian Ensemble (with whom she has recorded nine acclaimed albums), but also as a soloist with the English Concert and many other eminent UK orchestras.

Brahms's three sonatas have been recorded many times, but there is always room for another interpretation as interesting as this one. These two players are consummate masters of their instruments; their approach is highly personal, but thoughtful, genuinely felt, and respectful of the text, with meticulously observed dynamics and carefully shaped phrases. The collaboration is impeccable, though it seems based on an attraction of opposites.

Bright, stylish, and lovely, Pamela Frank's recordings of Mozart's five Violin Concertos with David Zinman conducting the Zurich Tonhalle Orchestra are surely among the best since Arthur Grumiaux's classic recordings with Colin Davis and the London Symphony of half a century ago. Frank's tone is lean but supple, her intonation is warm but pure, and her technique is second to none. Better yet, Frank's interpretations are ideally balanced between controlled intensity and singing expressivity, the balance that is the essence of Mozart's art. Zinman's accompaniments are themselves ideally balanced between supporting Frank and challenging her.