Sarah Cahill is one of the most engaged, forward-looking pianists of our time. In her concerts, more than 20 albums, and radio broadcasts (her weekly radio show, "Revolutions per Minute," can be heard Sunday evenings on KALW-FM: San Francisco), the sublime Berkeley-based artist has devoted much of her musical life to advancing the cause of 20th- and 21st-century repertoire. Composers have responded to her advocacy in an array of inspired works. A selection of those works will be featured on Cahill's concert this weekend at Old First Concerts. READ THE FULL Mercury News ARTICLE p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; color: #606060} p.p2 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; color: #606060; min-height: 14.0px}

With the retirement of Justice Anthony Kennedy and the nomination of Judge Brett Kavanaugh, the nation is focused, once again, on the make-up of the Supreme Court. And yet Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is the best-known member of the current court; at 85 she continues to be a cultural phenomenon. A documentary about her life is a smash hit and she's become a hero to young women, earning the moniker "The Notorious RBG," with her name plastered on mugs, t-shirts, even baby clothes. Now, however, comes a release more personal - a series of songs written about her life by her daughter-in-law and produced by her son. Singer and composer Patrice Michaels actually started writing the songs in secret, without her husband even knowing what she was up to. "I like my process as a composer to be a little bit private," Michaels says with a chuckle. Her husband, James Ginsburg, jumps in to add, "And once I heard how good the songs were, I realized what a treasure we had here." Jim soon began plotting to record and release the songs, all sung by his soprano wife. The new album Notorious RBG in Song is available now on Jim's label, Cedille Records.  PHOTO: Kort Duce/AFP/Getty Images READ THE TRANSCRIPT AND LISTEN TO THE NPR SEGMENT

NPR - Morning Edition

Valletta's magnificent Grand Harbour sets the backdrop to the Malta Jazz Festival. This event has become a byword for high-calibre performances, which delight jazz aficionados and lay persons alike. The festival, which runs from 16 to 21 July, boasts three of the biggest names in jazz today – Chick Corea, Christian McBride, Nasheet Waits, John Patitucci and many others. Held over six days in various venues across Valletta's historical setting, the festival promises to be one of the highlights of the summer festivals, presenting an eclectic range of styles, which make up the contemporary jazz scene. Perfectly on time, Malta's capital city is back with another edition of the Jazz Festival this weekend. While people chill, drink, sway, and pretend like they know shit about jazz, some great musicians will be gracing the stages for a diverse three days. Why? Because the acts included are super diverse. So diverse, in fact, that even jazz-noobs will feel welcome and amazing at this year's festival. Included in this year's unmissable lineup is the newly-formed international music ensemble named after the Creole word for "exchange" - Bokante, which brings together some highly accomplished musicians from all around the world. Among the eight musicians from four continents (all hailing from beloved acts like Snarky Puppy, Sting and Yo-Yo Ma) stands Malika Tirolien, a Guadeloupe resident who went from quitting seven bands to taking the lead in Cirque Du Soleil's La Nouba. The young jazz star will be belting out some beautiful harmonies alongside the all-new world music supergroup, closing off Friday night the only way they know how to do; excellently. READ THE FULL Lovin Malta ARTICLE

Considered one of the most promising young artists and a rising star, 23-year-old Canadian violinist Blake Pouliot, accompanied by the brilliant pianist Hsin-I Huang, presents Ravel-Debussy: Sonatas. This album, on the Analekta label, comprises of mature and refined masterworks by two great composers from the first half of the 20th century: Maurice Ravel and Claude Debussy. Pouliot was the Grand Prize winner of the 2016 OSM Manulife Competition. He has been described by the Toronto Star as "one of those special talents that come along once in a lifetime." After his performance of the Korngold Violin Concerto at his debut with the Montreal Symphony Orchestra (OSM) and conductor Vasily Petrenko in February 2017, he was described thus by Montreal's La Presse: "Clearly. Absolutely. Undoubtedly a virtuoso." Pouliot and Huang perform these sonatas for violin and piano, and demonstrate the different styles of these two French 20th century masters.  Grab Ravel's gypsy showpiece Tzigane right here for free on KUSC: Los Angeles.

Composer Max Richter doesn't want a boisterous standing ovation or to hear loud cheers during the live performance of his album, "Sleep." He prefers the quiet sounds of breathing – or even a bit of snoring. Richter will bring "Sleep," an eight-hour classical music experience, to Grand Park in Downtown Los Angeles on Friday, July 27 and Saturday, July 28. However, this isn't a standard concert. Guests are issued cots instead of seats, are encouraged to wear loose fitting and comfortable clothing and are expected to fall sleep as the overnight performance runs from 10:30 p.m.-6:30 a.m. on both nights. "There is almost always some snoring," Richter said during a recent phone interview. "I get sort of a weird sense of validation when I hear it. That makes me really happy, actually. It's quite comforting as well, almost like having a cat purring." READ THE FULL OC Register ARTICLE p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; color: #606060} p.p2 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; color: #606060; min-height: 14.0px}

p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; color: #606060} p.p2 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; color: #606060; min-height: 14.0px} Considered one of the most promising young artists and a rising star, 23-year-old Canadian violinist Blake Pouliot, accompanied by the brilliant pianist Hsin-I Huang, presents Ravel-Debussy: Sonatas. This album, on the Analekta label, comprises of mature and refined masterworks by two great composers from the first half of the 20th century: Maurice Ravel and Claude Debussy. Pouliot was the Grand Prize winner of the 2016 OSM Manulife Competition. He has been described by the Toronto Star as "one of those special talents that come along once in a lifetime." After his performance of the Korngold Violin Concerto at his debut with the Montreal Symphony Orchestra (OSM) and conductor Vasily Petrenko in February 2017, he was described thus by Montreal's La Presse: "Clearly. Absolutely. Undoubtedly a virtuoso." Pouliot and Huang perform these sonatas for violin and piano, and demonstrate the different styles of these two French 20th century masters.  Grab Ravel's gypsy showpiece Tzigane right here for free on KDFC: San Francisco.

Already dubbed "the holy grail of jazz" by publicists with a shaky grasp of theology, Both Directions at Once: The Lost Album is a two-disc set of music recorded by the John Coltrane Quartet with McCoy Tyner, Jimmy Garrison, and Elvin Jones on March 6, 1963. It was then (mostly) put away by producer Bob Thiele. One number, the fifth take of "Vilia," was issued on the third of a valuable series of recordings from Impulse called The Definitive Jazz Scene. The track has been reissued since. The rest of the music on Both Directions at Once is being made available for the first time. Some of it was repressed for obvious musical reasons; the rest perhaps because the recording date was elbowed aside by the dozens of other Coltrane sessions recorded by Impulse. (Coltrane made what I consider to be a masterpiece, John Coltrane and Johnny Hartman, the day after this Lost Album session.) READ THE FULL arts fuse REVIEW p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; color: #606060}

The scene was set for a perfect night. Crowds soaked up the sun and the fragrant air that comes with a hot summer night in Oregon, while nearby elephants and cheetahs lounged in the shade. Oddly enough, the Oregon Zoo in Portland made an idyllic setting for a bluegrass show. And not just any bluegrass show, but one featuring three bands with some of the best musicians in the world. Yes, few in attendance could have dreamed up a better way to spend a summer Saturday night on July 14 than with the Jerry Douglas Band, David Grisman Trio, and Bela Fleck and the Flecktones. The main attraction, Bela Fleck and the Flecktones, opened with a wonderfully manic mélange of sounds that got downright funky and found Howard Levy jumping in headfirst with a wild harmonica solo. On tour celebrating their thirtieth year, the Flecktones sounded spry as ever, each at the absolute highest level of craftsmanship on his instrument. Victor Wooten would lay down thick and dirty bass grooves throughout the night, while Bela Fleck would create sounds with the banjo that are seemingly impossible. At times he would alternate from gritty blues guitar tone only to drop on a dime into a jazz solo or break off into a full on a banjo bluegrass riff. READ THE FULL glide MAGAZINE REVIEW

Time and Distance (Delos) consists of world premiere recordings of works for voice and piano, plus organ and percussion, by Mark Abel. "Those Who Loved Medusa," to verse by Kate Gale, recycles Greek mythology for the #MeToo era. Medusa, it seems, had many suitors back in the day but spurned them all, until the god Poseidon came along and raped her in a temple. "You wore red," the goddess Athena scolds after the fact, blaming the victim. "You smiled." Post-Poseidon, her hair now a mass of hissing snakes, the monster Medusa survives to receive lovers in her island cave. "It isn't true," she insists towards the close, "that all of them died." Scorching stuff, savagely sounded by the soprano Hila Plitman, partnered by Carol Rosenberger, piano, and Bruce Carver, now glittering, now thunderous, on percussion. READ ALL OF THIS WEEK's beyondcriticism REVIEWS

Chamber music galas are usually a chance to dress fancy, eat fancy food, and visit fancy places. The music is usually an afterthought. But you don't engage Joshua Bell as an afterthought. The esteemed violinist, with his equally estimable piano accompanist Alessio Bax, performed Sunday evening at Ochre Court for the annual gala of the Newport Music Festival. There was plenty of fancy throughout the evening, but thanks to Bell and Bax, plenty of music as well. The program was "only" two major sonatas - Mozart and Grieg - along with a tender song from Mexican composer Manuel Ponce, and Sarasate's unimaginably virtuosic "Zigeunerweisen." All of it served as a vehicle for the brilliance and supreme musicianship that Bell brings perpetually to any concert stage. READ THE FULL Providence Journal REVIEW

I try not to live in the past, but when an album of music by John Coltrane is discovered and released decades after it was recorded, I'm justified in getting a little maudlin. Coltrane recorded this in 1963, but Impulse Records never got around to releasing it, probably because they were concentrating on more commercial aspects of Coltrane's output; the master tapes were eventually destroyed to make space. Luckily some reference tapes were found in the attic of his ex-wife's family. The record features Coltrane's classic band: McCoy Tyner on piano, Elvin Jones on drums, and Jimmy Garrison on bass - the same quartet that would record A Love Supreme, the album that would change the face of jazz. This one was finally released June 29 under the name "Both Directions at Once: the Lost Album," a title that well describes its place in jazz history. Some of the standards in the collection reaffirm Coltrane as a master of the older bebop style. But as much as it looks backward, everyone in the band is looking forward, urgently testing the limits of form, harmony and style. Check out Coltrane's use of the novel soprano sax and and Tyner's futuristic piano chords; this is an essential point on the graph of Coltrane's stratospheric rise. There are a lot of other newly discovered albums now coming out by very high profile artists. It's a lot cheaper to release an album now than back in the vinyl days, so being nostalgic is easier than ever.    Art: Paul King LISTEN TO THE FULL KMUW: Wichita KS - Musical Space PODCAST

With a precious instrument once owned by one of the most legendary violinists of all time, Ray Chen has channeled the flexible charm of the players of the past on his new recording "The Golden Age," WCRB's CD of the Week! Bookending the CD are performances by Made in Berlin, Chen's own string quartet. The opening piece, "A New Satiesfaction" is a mesmerizing arrangement by cellist Stephan Koncz that weaves in Satie's famous Gymnopédie No. 1. It was a major YouTube hit on Chen's channel even before the CD was released. The final track is another arrangement by Koncz, a nod to Australia in the form of variations on "Waltzing Matilda." Koncz has also created a gorgeous arrangement of Debussy's "Clair de lune" that hits the spot with just the right atmospheric restraint.  It trembles like a soft French breeze, and Chen and his quartet make it breathtaking. READ THE FULL 99.5WCRB: Boston ARTICLE