The story of how Morton Feldman and John Cage first met has now become elevated to the status of legendary musical folklore. During a 1950 New York Philharmonic performance of Webern’s Symphony Op. 21, Feldman decided to leave the concert at the interval. In the lobby he met Cage. As Cage says, “we both walked out of a Philharmonic concert in which Webern had just been played, and we shared the desire not to hear anything else because we had been so deeply moved.” It was the beginning of a deep friendship that was to influence both their respective creative spirits. Morton Feldman became a friend, flatmate and student of John Cage.

Fika (pron. 'fee-ka') is an exploration of my Swedish heritage and the links group members have with Scandinavian. It is the recording I always wanted to do but only felt able to achieve at this point in my life.

ASHFORD & SIMPSON, simply put, are one of the best song-writing duos the world has ever seen. Former successful Motown writers, this powerhouse duo penned a string of hits for greats like Aretha Franklin, Ray Charles, Marvin Gaye and Diana Ross. It is little wonder that they were inducted into the Songwriters Hall Of Fame in 2002.

Brownswood are delighted to present Zara McFarlane’s, Songs of an Unknown Tongue a masterful work that underlines her continuous growth as an artist. Zara’s fourth studio album pushes the boundaries of jazz adjacent music via an exploration into the folk and spiritual traditions of her ancestral motherland, Jamaica. The album is a rumination on the piecing together of black heritage, where painful and proud histories are uncovered and connected to the present.

The Russian National Orchestra continues its Shostakovich cycle with Symphony No. 13, Babi Yar, together with bass Oleg Tsibulko, the Popov Academy of Choral Arts Choir, the Kozhevnikov choir and maestro Kirill Karabits. Inspired by Yevgeny Yevtushenko's poem Babi Yar about a Nazi massacre of Jews just outside Kiev in 1941, Shostakovich based the Symphony on five of the author's poems. The texts reflect on the peculiarities of daily existence in Stalinist Russia, providing a deep insight into life under Soviet reign. After the sombre, impressive opening movement, Shostakovich alternates between a satirical stance, humour, and portraying the hardships of the Stalinist reality, leading up to the innocent beauty of the symphony's finale.

John Lunn’s music possesses a wonderfully unique voice that spans a wide spectrum of musical styles. Classically trained, yet contemporary in attitude, he combines a highly intelligent and sensitive approach with a sound that always hits at the emotional heart of a piece. His scores, which match the highest production values with a continual desire to discover new colors and sounds, are continuously in high demand. He is probably best known for scoring the hugely successful flagship ITV/NBC/PBS/Carnival Films drama, Downton Abbey, for which he has received two Primetime Emmy Awards, in 2012 and 2013 (with a further nomination in 2014), and two BAFTA Nominations, in 2012 and 2016. John is currently scoring the upcoming Downton Abbey Movie, due to be released on 13 September 2019.

All four of the classic albums featured in this slipcased, budget-priced box set were available separately on CD. They include: Jazz Giant, Swingin' the 20s, Sax à la Carter, and Aspects. Jazz Giant, an homage to the Kansas City sound, was recorded in two sessions during 1957 and 1958. The players include the leader alternating on alto and trumpet, tenorman Ben Webster, bassist Leroy Vinnegar, either Jimmy Rowles or André Previn on piano, Shelly Manne on drums, Frank Rosolino on trombone, and guitarist Barney Kessel.

Very Rare 1985 release by the legendary Don Cherry. The connection between the spacey jazz trumpet of Don Cherry, and the later urban funk of his daughter Nenah, always seems a bit weak – until you hear this 1985 effort, which has Cherry working in a strange mix of contemporary rhythms and his older funkier styles. Cherry actually lays down vocals on a number of tracks, in a self conscious bluesy sort of way that's almost in a pomo kitschy style. The effect doesn't always work, but there's more than a few interesting moments on the LP. Titles include "Art Deco", "Call Me", "Rappin Recipie", and "Treat Your Lady Right".

Despite its title, this was actually the third album by Buddy Rich's still-new big band. The recording is taken from two different periods that, although only five months apart, find the band undergoing some major turnover; only six of the 15 sidemen are the same. With such players as altoist Ernie Watts, trumpeter Chuck Findley, and usually Jay Corre on tenor, this was a strong outfit. Most of the material (other than "Chicago" and "I Can't Get Started") was new; among the high points are "The Rotten Kid," "New Blues," and the complex "Diabolus."

This is a beautiful recording. The music is great and includes some of Bach's most famous arias, as well as several less so; however, about two thirds are slow, solemn, devout, and often mournful. The singing is wonderful. Angelika Kirchschlager's voice, flawlessly produced even in the very low register dictated by baroque tuning, is smooth as silk and warm as velvet. Her intonation is immaculate, and her breath control lets her spin out and shape endless phrases; every note is alive and expressive.

In May 2015, Coralie Van Rietschoten travelled with Magma on their first Chinese tour. Glimpses of Shenzhen s tropical vegetation, Beijingers exercising in public parks, and Shanghai s psychedelic city lights are interspersed with concert footage…

The Scream Of Nature album contains music that is inspired by the painted works of Norwegian painter Edvard Munch. Lunar Clock aims to bring back the combination of adventure, suggestion, sound and melody. Formed in 2014 by Robin Boer.

Originally formed in Hamilton, Canada during 1985, TOTAL STRANGER split up several years ago and have remained largely inactive ever since. Their self-titled album "Total Stranger" was originally released in 1997. It was recently reissued which is why I am reviewing it today.

Guitarist ETN Hunyady, drummer Francesco Corrias and Filippo Gaetani (SheLoom) first played together in the summer of 1996. Although they live far from each other, Q-bizm managed to record one album in 2003 (Vivid) with Saxophonist Alessandro Riccucci, multi-instrumentalist Thomas Murley and violinist Stefano Lunardi. Since a 2018 reunion, they have written new material and recorded a second album to be released on May 2020. Joining in the new sessions is keyboard player Francesco Longhi (Dark Quarterer).

From remote Australian properties to performing on international stages, soprano Petah Chapman and violinist Khalida De Ridder joined forces in 2017 with Danish classical guitarist Simon Thielke to form the ambitious virtuosic ensemble, Trio Cavallaro. The Trios name Cavallaro comes from Petahs Italian family heritage and was chosen to reflect the trios enthusiasm and appreciation for the Italian style. Individually they have been mentored by some of the worlds finest authorities on music in France, England and Italy. Together they curate performances based on their own arrangements of challenging, dynamic repertoire such as Händels opera Giulio Cesare, Webers Der Freischutz, songs by Strauss and Schubert. Also on the program are selected solo and duo repertoire including by Australian composer Richard Charlton. Trio Cavallaros celebrated regional tours of Australia continue to engage new audiences with classical music and in 2019 they per-formed their European debut in Copenhagen, Denmark. This recording demonstrates their versa-tile programming and dedication to musical style and context. In interpretation, it is a raw and honest reflection of how they strive for continued growth as artists.