Dave Soldier‘s newest release bracingly fuses originality and tradition. Zajal is a "world music" album that sounds like a lovingly compiled scrapbook of music from the Middle East and Andalusia. But it's deceptive: With one exception, all the music is by the ever-imaginative Soldier. For this project the keyboardist and guitarist has set thousand-year-old poems in Hebrew, Arabic and the other languages of Andalusia (English translations are online) to bubbling stews of traditional instrumentation with strains of jazz and swatches of the Western avant-garde. Singer Ana Nimouz lends her starry, sweetly piercing vocals to many of the tracks, with superb contributions from other male and female voices too. The swirling arrangements include Latin percussion; the oud (from which we derive our word "lute") and the sentur (an Iranian hammered dulcimer); and Western strings and winds. The moods vary from snappy and joyous ("The Spy," "Don't Bite Me Baby") to mystical and devotional ("My Father," "Water and Fire"), defiant ("Beautiful Boy") to contemplative ("Land of Spain"), with a taste of jazz fusion ("Without Myself"). I'm giving only the English titles; the songs are mostly sung in Arabic, Hebrew, Romance (early Spanish) and Farsi. READ THE FULL blogcritics REVIEW

At Brooklyn's Ryder Elementary School, students in the Harmony Program got a front row seat to world-class violinist Rachel Barton Pine. She plays music you may have never heard, by composers like Ignatius Sancho, a self taught British slave, and Chevalier de Saint-Georges, who was once the envy of Mozart. "This music, a lot of it hasn't been published. A lot of it was published but is long out of print due to historic discrimination," Pine said. In 1995, Pine suffered severe injuries and lost part of her leg in a Chicago train accident. While she was on the road to recovery, she started researching black composers whose works were not widely known. Now, the classical music of more than 350 black composers spanning four centuries has resurfaced thanks to her determined research. "Our primary motivation behind doing this work is to inspire young African American students that classical music is part of their history and that you know they're an important part of classical music's future," Pine said. It seems to be working. Pine's initiative, Music by Black Composers, has created a music book and even a coloring book. It's inspiration composer and violinist Jessie Montgomery would have welcomed when she was younger. "Knowing about these performers and composers probably would have eliminated the question in my head. Am I odd for being black and interested in classical music?" Montgomery said. It's a question young violinists have already answered. "I want to be a composer so I can share my feelings with the world," said 9-year-old student Jayni Reid. Pine said Tchaikovsky didn't expect his music to be only "played by Russians."  "We're all supposed to play all the good music 'cause that's how we learn about each other," she said. p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; color: #4d4d4d} p.p2 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; color: #4d4d4d; min-height: 14.0px} WATCH THE CBS Evening News VIDEO

Recognized among the finest trumpet virtuosos of his generation, Paul Merkelo releases The Enlightened Trumpet, his first recording for Sony Classical. Hailed as "a spectacular soloist ... a most impressive master of his instrument" (Montreal Gazette) who "knows no limits" (Der Spiegel) and with "unusual lyrical gifts" (Gramophone), Merkelo has been Principal trumpet with the Orchestre symphonique de Montréal since 1995, and has appeared as soloist with prestigious orchestras around the globe, from Melbourne to Shanghai. In The Enlightened Trumpet, Merkelo is joined by the Oxford Philharmonic Orchestra and its founder and conductor Marios Papadopoulos for four spectacular concertos by Haydn, Leopold Mozart, Telemann, and Hummel. In conjunction with the new release PM has made himself available today!! January 16, to speak with classical radio stations throughout the US. Watch for our tweets throughout the day

Award-winning cellist Sheku Kanneh-Mason returns with Elgar, a new album of works anchored around Elgar's Cello Concerto – arguably the best-known work in the classical canon written for solo cello, which saw the 100th anniversary of its first performance this month. Recorded at the famous Abbey Road Studios with the London Symphony Orchestra (LSO), and conducted by one of Sheku's lifelong heroes, Sir Simon Rattle, the work is a statement of intent from the 20-year-old musician whose rise to being "the world's new favourite cellist" (The Times) has taken nothing away from his ambition to continue evolving and learning as an artist. Sheku explains, "It's how I feel about the music that really motivates me to work and discover and develop my own ideas – that's what keeps me going." In conjunction with the album release; Sheku has made some time available TODAY and on January 31st to speak with classical radio stations around the US. Watch for our tweets today on part one of Sheku's interview journey.

Dave Soldier's 'Zajal,' which has some beautiful music flowing all around it, also contains lyrics in Hebrew, Arabic, Farsi, and 1 song in English. The music is wonderful, the voices sound very nice. If you understand all of the languages above, you'll be able to get the whole picture, otherwise, you'll just have to sit back & enjoy the music. I can understand French, Spanish, Hebrew & English, but not Arabic or Farsi, however, the music is enough to get you to enjoy this if you're a fan of classical or acoustic guitar. I give this 3 out of 5 Music Guru stars.   SEE THE PAGE p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; color: #4d4d4d}

Few classical musicians have had as many viral moments as the Kanneh-Masons have - and they're just getting started. I first saw the family of seven siblings, mostly string players, in a 2015 Facebook video of them huddled in a living room in Nottingham, England, absolutely shredding Monti's Csárdás. The next year, the older cellist, Sheku was in yet another viral video, winning the 2016 BBC Young Musician of the Year award. That moment led to an invitation from the royal family for Sheku to perform at the wedding of Prince Harry and American actress Meghan Markle. The globally televised and, of course, live-Tweeted event made Sheku one of the most recognizable cellists of his generation. Last year, he was among WQXR's "19 for 19" artists to watch, too. Pianist Isata, the oldest of the siblings, is a force of nature behind the keys. A postgraduate student at the Royal Academy of Music, she released her debut album, Romance - The Piano Music of Clara Schumann, in 2019, the 200th anniversary of Schumann's birth. The recording quickly shot to the top of the classical music charts, garnering Isata much critical acclaim. She's also just been selected as one of WQXR's "20 for 20" artists. I sat down with the brother-sister duo in Philadelphia before the final December performance of their sold-out U.S. tour.   
READ THE WQXR: New York Q&A

NPR Music's 7th Annual Jazz Critics Poll, Francis Davis 14th, going back to the poll's beginnings in the Village Voice is in. 2019's results provided surprise after surprise. We're repeating an experiment we introduced last year. You'll again find a capsule review of each album in the Top 10, but instead of me doing all the heavy lifting, we've asked a critic who voted for that album to weigh in. The same with the top finisher in Vocal, Debut, & Latin. And as a bonus, we've added a few capsules about solitary No. 1s: albums appearing only on a single ballot, but as that critic's top pick. Including my own choices and analysis, and the individual ballots of all 140 participants, there should be enough here to keep you reading - and listening - for the next 12 months.  Camila Meza & the Nectar Orchestra, Ambar on Sony Masterworks makes The Top 50 along with featured on Vocals & Latin lists. SEE THE NPR PAGE

NPR Music's 7th Annual Jazz Critics Poll, Francis Davis 14th, going back to the poll's beginnings in the Village Voice is in. 2019's results provided surprise after surprise. We're repeating an experiment we introduced last year. You'll again find a capsule review of each album in the Top 10, but instead of me doing all the heavy lifting, we've asked a critic who voted for that album to weigh in. The same with the top finisher in Vocal, Debut, & Latin. And as a bonus, we've added a few capsules about solitary No. 1s: albums appearing only on a single ballot, but as that critic's top pick. Including my own choices and analysis, and the individual ballots of all 140 participants, there should be enough here to keep you reading - and listening - for the next 12 months.  Solitary No. 1s include: John Coltrane, Blue World on Impulse! SEE THE NPR PAGE p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; color: #4d4d4d} p.p2 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; color: #4d4d4d; min-height: 14.0px}

NPR Music's 7th Annual Jazz Critics Poll, Francis Davis 14th, going back to the poll's beginnings in the Village Voice is in. 2019's results provided surprise after surprise. We're repeating an experiment we introduced last year. You'll again find a capsule review of each album in the Top 10, but instead of me doing all the heavy lifting, we've asked a critic who voted for that album to weigh in. The same with the top finisher in Vocal, Debut, & Latin. And as a bonus, we've added a few capsules about solitary No. 1s: albums appearing only on a single ballot, but as that critic's top pick. Including my own choices and analysis, and the individual ballots of all 140 participants, there should be enough here to keep you reading - and listening - for the next 12 months.  Solitary No. 1s include: Stan Getz, Getz at the Gate: The Stan Getz Quartet Live at the Village Gate Nov 26 1961 on Verve SEE THE NPR PAGE

Jeff Goldblum (yes, THAT Jeff Goldblum) and the Mildred Snitzer Orchestra are at it again, with more mash-ups, jazz standards, and collaborations on I Shouldn't Be Telling You This, the follow-up album to 2018's The Capitol Sessions. To refresh your memory, the first release was a product of Goldblum taking up a residency playing piano at a venue in Los Angeles that ended up being packed to the gills on a regular basis. On top of that, he performed an impromptu duet with Gregory Porter on British television. Decca records wanted something to happen, and it did. And now it happened again. Porter actually takes part in this new album, delivering a lovely rendition of "Make Someone Happy" with Goldblum, an accomplished accompanist since childhood, leading the melody right where it needs to be. Other esteemed guests include singer/songwriter Sharon Van Etten, English sensation Anna Calvi (who contributed to the Peaky Blinders soundtrack), jazz maven Gina Saputo, and one half of The Bird and the Bee, Inara George. It's nice to have some mainstream star power behind a great jazz album. I guess it's just great to have star power behind jazz. He even took his act to late night television, and hilarity ensued. Not only is this a nice boost for the jazz industry, but we have something great to listen too as well. READ THE FULL WRTI: Philadelphia ARTICLE & WATCH THE VIDEOS

When opera star Joyce DiDonato told us she wanted to sing centuries-old Italian love songs at the Tiny Desk we weren't surprised. But when she said she was bringing a jazz band to back her up, we did a double take. But that's Joyce, always taking risks. After all, the last time we filmed the down-to-earth diva, she insisted on singing an opera aria at the Stonewall Inn, the iconic gay tavern in Greenwich Village. On paper, the idea of jazzing up old classical songs seems iffy. At the least it could come across as mannered and at worst, an anachronistic muddle. But DiDonato somehow makes it all sound indispensable, with her blend of rigor, wit and a sense of spontaneity. The musical formula for these unorthodox arrangements makes room for typical jazz solos while DiDonato molds her phrases to the flexible rhythms and inserts old-school trills and flamboyant roulades. Much of the credit goes to her crack band, especially trumpeter Charlie Porter with whom DiDonato trades riffs and raspy growls. Veteran bassist Chuck Israels, who keeps the music swinging hard, has played with everyone from Billie Holiday to the Kronos Quartet, and drummer Jason Haaheim's day job is principal timpanist of the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra. Pianist Craig Terry, co-mastermind of the project, directs the young artist program at the Chicago Lyric Opera. But the star of the show is the continually amazing DiDonato, whose voice is certainly one of the great wonders of her generation. The flexibility of the instrument, the colors she conjures and her fine-tuned dynamic range are a few of the reasons she's still at the peak of her powers. She looks and sounds like she's having the time of her life. "It's such a rush to be here," DiDonato said to the appreciative audience of NPR staffers. Believe me, Joyce, the rush was all ours. SET LIST Parisotti - Rosa: "Se tu m'ami / Star vicino" Torelli (attrib.): "Tu lo sai" Conti: "Quella fiamma" WATCH THE VIDEO CREDITS Producers: Tom Huizenga, Morgan Noelle Smith, Maia Stern; Creative director: Bob Boilen; Audio engineers: Josh Rogosin, James Willetts, J. Czys; Editor: Maia Stern; Videographers: Kara Frame, Bronson Arcuri, CJ Riculan, Maia Stern; Associate producer: Bobby Carter; Executive producer: Lauren Onkey; VP, programming: Anya Grundmann; Photo: Catie Dull/NPR p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; color: #4d4d4d} p.p2 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; color: #4d4d4d; min-height: 14.0px} PHOTO: Credit: Catie Dull/NPR

This album is a "direct to disc" recording. This is an unusual technique and has been described as "plugging microphones directly into the cutting lathe". The performance has got to be almost perfect as there is no capacity to continuously retake or add post-production wizardry. So it is a brave artist who records this way and Lyn Stanley did just that. I only have the CD version to review, but "direct to disc" recording greatly favours vinyl. The album was recorded at Bernie Grundman Mastering in Hollywood, California. Grammy-winning engineers Allen Sides (recording and mixing) and Bernie Grundman (who mastered the metal lacquers) managed the masterful live sound for the project. For those interested in the technology that goes with "direct to disc" recording, there is a helpful accompanying booklet which explains everything from choice of microphones to vintage valve equipment. The recording – considering it was done in only two takes – is polished and relaxed. It has the feel of a great club set where everyone knew what was expected of them. Stanley has a great voice and the tribute to Julie London is more in the style of rather than any attempt to sound like. It is certainly not karaoke. If you like sophisticated female vocals and you like the work of Julie London then this album will certainly appeal. p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; color: #4d4d4d} p.p2 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; color: #4d4d4d; min-height: 14.0px} READ THE FULL Jazz Journal REVIEW