Between the two of them, Jerry Seinfeld and Steve Martin have nearly a century of experience in the delicate art of telling jokes. In a conversation with Susan Morrison during the 2020 New Yorker Festival, they discussed their long careers, learning how to adjust to new cultural forces, and the process of aging. Plus, Yo-Yo Ma and Emanuel Ax perform a piece of music that they have both been playing for more than forty years: Beethoven's Cello Sonata No. 3 in A Major. "This is such open, hopeful music," Ax said. Yet Beethoven signed one manuscript of the music, "amid tears and sorrow." "I thought this was a good piece for this moment," Ma told The New Yorker's music critic Alex Ross. "Because people are suffering, and we do think that music can give comfort." LISTEN TO THE PODCAST

Created during the pandemic, Robin Spielberg reached into her treasure trove of music and discovered long lost friends--classical piano scores that always offered her comfort, companionship and piece. On RE-INVENTIONS, Spielberg presents celebrated composers of the past often held soirees where they concocted new ways to play one another's pieces. Mozart himself said that he strove to never play his pieces the same way twice.On this collection of 15 great masterworks, Robin honors the spirit of the great masters by re-inventing and re-imagining their works on an 1898 Steinway. Composers include: Mozart, Beethoven, Bach, Brahms, Chopin, Schumann, Schubert, Rubinstein and more. The project is racking up big numbers with a #1 on Amazon Hot New Releases in New Age Relaxation category, Spotify monthly listeners jumping to 247k, Pandora Streams hitting 203 million, and the initial lead track 'Skater's Waltz' now up to 24,300 listens on Spotify.

It was 1959-a pivotal year for jazz as a whole, but for Dave Brubeck it was utterly life changing. After years of college tours he had a smash hit album, Time Out, with his quartet and has been a household name ever since. Join us starting on Monday, November 30th for a week-long celebration of the centennial anniversary of the birth of Dave Brubeck. We'll have special programming leading up to his birthday on Sunday, December 6th. During jazz hours, we'll bring you the music of Brubeck through the years, including collaborations and live recordings. You'll also hear selections from our Jazz Album of the Week, which is a never-before released set of music from the Time Out sessions, called Time Out Takes. Our hosts will also present different interpretations of the music of Brubeck and his quartet. Our Classical Album of the Week, Sharon Isbin's Affinity, connects with Brubeck as well. The title track is a guitar concerto composed by Chris Brubeck. It has a slow movement that orchestrates his father's song "Autumn." Sharon says this tribute to Dave Brubeck, "forms the heart and soul of the piece, surrounded by all of these wonderful virtuosic Middle Eastern and jazz, and waltz-like elements…" You will hear selections from Affinity during classical shifts throughout the week. You'll also get to see and hear from members of our jazz department with their favorite Dave Bruebeck tunes and why they love them so much.   GETTY IMAGES/METRONOME READ THE FULL WRTI: Philadelphia ARTICLE

Chloe Flower is ready for the holidays! The dynamic pianist, producer and activist just dropped the music video for her eloquent twist on the ultimate holiday classic "Carol of the Bells" and we can't get enough of it. Once again teaming up with Asian-American female director Deb Tam who shot the music video on film, "Carol of the Bells" delivers a cinematic visual that evokes old Hollywood glamour as it switches from black-and-white to color vignettes.  Taking place in the iconic Grand Prospect Hall in Brooklyn with Great Gatsby glee and high-fashion elegance, Chloe performs with palpable passion at a Steinway & Sons piano as a choir carries the heavenly chorus and ballroom dancers joyfully launch stunning routines.  "I think the part where I dance is my favorite memory because of how scary it was for me.  Every dancer on set was INCREDIBLE, so I felt embarrassed dancing in front of them.  But there was no time to think about it, so I just went into Chloeyonce mode and got it done,"  READ THE Celeb Secrets Q&A & WATCH THE VIDEO

For cellist Jonah Kim and pianist Sean Kennard, studying at the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia was like being at Hogwarts. They were mesmerized by the spells they could cast every time they learned some new flashy technique. Two decades later, they've grown into musical wizards, and they just released their debut recording. It features the Sergei Rachmaninoff's Sonata for Piano and Cello and Samuel Barber's Sonata for Cello and Piano, two works they first performed while at Curtis. JK: "We started hanging out. Rachmaninoff actually was the very first piece we played together. So, almost 20 years later, to record this together and especially to record this along with the Barber really makes this special for us." LISTEN TO THE New Classical Tracks SEGMENT & READ THE TRANSCRIPT

Sir David Attenborough's distinctive voice and an original score by award-winning composer Ilan Eshkeri feature in a new four-minute prequel, set against breath-taking scenery from the forthcoming new BBC One blue chip natural history series A Perfect Planet. The ‘sneak peek' prequel will be released globally on TV, social and digital platforms on 23 November at 2pm GMT ahead of the series, which will premiere next year around the world. This brand new series explores the great forces of nature that support, drive and enable life on earth. The first four episodes explore the power of volcanoes, sunlight, weather and oceans. The final episode in the series looks at the dramatic impact of the world's newest force of nature: humans – and what can be done to restore our planet's perfect balance. Award-winning composer Ilan Eshkeri created the music for A Perfect Planet, joining the ranks of Hans Zimmer and Steven Price who have previously created scores for other BBC natural history landmarks. Eshkeri's body of work includes collaborations with Annie Lennox, David Gilmour, Sinead O'Connor and KT Tunstall. Commenting on the project, Eshkeri said: "Creating the music for A Perfect Planet has been a hugely rewarding experience. The series celebrates the extraordinary world we are a part of as well as showing the delicate balance of the systems that support life, and what we need to do to ensure its future stability. It's a message that's very important to me and one that I believe we have a responsibility to engage with – in a way that not only educates but inspires the next generation. This influenced my approach to the music, and set me on an unconventional path. Composing the music for A Perfect Planet has also been enormously challenging – not least because of the unprecedented logistical issues of trying to record an orchestra during the lockdown! I'm grateful to everyone at the BBC and Silverback who supported me and the ideas I threw at them and I hope my music can play a small part in helping to inspire change." READ THE FULL About Manchester ARTICLE

This week, we sample a new crop of recent releases along with a few classic sides mixed in. A few new albums starring the cello make the playlist – there's a cello version of Bob Marley's classic "Redemption Song" from the talented family group The Kanneh-Masons; "She's Like the Swallow" from Ofra Harnoy's new album On the Rock; and Yo-Yo Ma's new version of "Over the Rainbow" recorded with pianist Kathryn Stott. SEE THE 89.9KCRW - LOS ANGELES 'Rhythm Planet' PAGE

The soul legend and the indie wunderkind talk releasing music during the pandemic, privilege in the industry, and making Pete Townshend cry. On this week's show, we pair in conversation the artists behind two of 2020's best albums: soul and blues legend Bettye LaVette and indie wunderkind Phoebe Bridgers. Though separated by five decades in age, when the two met backstage at a Tibet House US benefit at Carnegie Hall earlier this year, they immediately developed a mutual friend crush. Now that we've gotten them reconnected here, it appears something very dope is on the horizon… but more on that in the talk! Their warm, freewheeling convo takes in a lot, including: a wonderful overview of a career Bettye calls "tenuous at best"; the unexpected benefits of promoting a new album during the pandemic; and privilege in the music industry. We also get to hear about making Pete Townshend cry, quirky Little Stevie Wonder, and learn the answer to Bettye's query "What is a Princess Nokia?"  (Photo Credit: left, Frank Ockenfels; right, Carol Friedman; Edited by: Keenan Kush) Phoebe Bridgers Talks with Bettye LaVette on the Talkhouse Podcast. LISTEN

The American violinist; Rachel Barton Pine is joined by WQXR: NYC broadcaster; Elliott Forrest to give lessons in support of battered women and children. The pair's Zoom classes will be auctioned off online from November 20th-28th as part of a larger fundraiser held by the Los Angeles House of Ruth, a shelter for the abused. Barton Pine, the violinist, will provide a violin-specific course while Forrest, will give two classes on juggling. "We have found over 40 years that our clients who are victims of domestic violence and those who are homeless have one thing in common: They do not have family or friends to help them," Executive Director of the Los Angeles House of Ruth, Jennifer Gaeta, said. "So, we become their family: getting them back on their feet by providing counseling, tutoring, parenting and anger management classes, referrals and so much more prior to transitioning them into section 8 housing for which we have a remarkable 90% success rate." The auction will feature over 100 items and/or experiences. SEE The Violin Channel PAGE

Today!! - Tuesday November 24, the Recording Academy announced the nominees for the 63rd Annual GRAMMY Awards. The nominations were unveiled during a livestream event, with past winners like Dua Lipa, Imogen Heap and Nicola Benedetti presenting alongside Gayle King and Sharon Osbourne. This year Crossover Media represented projects in 16 GRAMMY nominated categories. Here's the list BEST LARGE JAZZ ENSEMBLE ALBUM
Data Lords, Maria Schneider Orchestra BEST LATIN JAZZ ALBUM
Four Questions, Arturo O'Farrill & The Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra BEST CONTEMPORARY BLUES ALBUM
Blackbirds, Bettye LaVette BEST GLOBAL MUSIC ALBUM
Love Letters, Anoushka Shankar BEST SCORE SOUNDTRACK FOR VISUAL MEDIA
1917, Thomas Newman BEST INSTRUMENTAL COMPOSITION
"Baby Jack" - Arturo O'Farrill & The Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra
"Sputnik" - Maria Schneider BEST ENGINEERED ALBUM, CLASSICAL
Hynes: Fields, Devonté Hynes & Third Coast Percussion
Ives: Complete Symphonies, Gustavo Dudamel & Los Angeles Philharmonic BEST ORCHESTRAL PERFORMANCE
Ives: Complete Symphonies - Los Angeles Philharmonic BEST CHAMBER MUSIC/SMALL ENSEMBLE PERFORMANCE
Hynes: Fields, Devonté Hynes & Third Coast Percussion BEST CLASSICAL INSTRUMENTAL SOLO
"Adès: Concerto for Piano and Orchesta" - Boston Symphony Orchestra
"Beethoven: Complete Piano Sonatas" -  Igor Levit
"Destination Rachmaninov - Arrival" - The Philadelphia Orchestra BEST CLASSICAL COMPENDIUM
Adès Conducts Adès, Mark Stone & Christianne Stotijn; Thomas Adès, conductor; Nick Squire, producer BEST CONTEMPORARY CLASSICAL COMPOSITION
Adès: Concerto for Piano and Orchestra, Thomas Adès

The Editor's pick of the best new albums reviewed in the December 2020 issue of Jazzwise, featuring Keith Jarrett, Elina Duni & Rob Luft, Mary Halvorson, Rob Mazurek and Sun Ra Arkestra. 'On Lost Ships, guitarist Rob Luft makes his ECM debut and vocalist Elina Duni presents a new ensemble – and the result just happens to be a minor classic. On the strength of this album, Luft, a BBC New Generation Artist and an impressive soloist in ‘jazzy' jazz ensembles – whether it be honouring Monk and Coltrane with saxophonist Dave O'Higgins or in Byron Wallen's Four Corners – seems to have been put on earth to work in tandem with Duni. Implicit in working with such an exceptional talent is subtlety in both technique and conception, of doing the right thing at precisely the right moment, to enable her talent to blossom...'
- Stuart Nicholson Personell: Elina Duni (v), Rob Luft (g), Fred Thomas (p) and Matthieu Michel (flhn). Rec. February 2020 SEE THE jazzwise PAGE
 

The Editor's pick of the best new albums reviewed in the December 2020 issue of Jazzwise, featuring Keith Jarrett, Elina Duni & Rob Luft, Mary Halvorson, Rob Mazurek and Sun Ra Arkestra. 'It seems such a short step from 2016, when Keith Jarrett recorded these two double albums towards the end of his European tour, to his shock announcement last month that he has been forced to retire from jazz. The recorded evidence here reveals the creative spirit burning as strongly as at any point in his career – never at loss for ideas or inspiration, he continued to raise the bar for solo piano performance ever higher. Sometimes, it is easy to overlook the enormous creative challenge Jarrett set himself; each concert a tabula rasa, starting free from predetermined ideas or goals, by spontaneously creating a concert recital from the depths of his musical imagination in front of paying audiences in the most prestigious concert halls in the world...'
Stuart Nicholson SEE THE jazzwise PAGE