With the holidays upon us, what better musical gift to give than a recording by local musicians! Here are some CD’s we have received in the past few months that may give you gifting ideas. CD’s previewed or reviewed by ClevelandClassical.com appear at the end.

CD previewed on ClevelandClassical.com on November 29

Everything about this album is great: the arrangements, the performances, and the recording quality. Once again Jason Vieaux proves himself to be a masterful musician – Julien Labro’s bandoneon playing would surly make Pizzolla smile – A Far Cry Chamber Orchestra are superb collaborators who easily negotiate the tricky rhythms and special tango techniques. While The Four Seasons of Buenos Aires and Histoire du Tango have become standard concert repertoire, the Double Concerto for Bandoneón, Guitar, & String Orchestra is a spectacular composition that for many reasons is not heard often enough: the performance by Vieaux and Labro is outstanding and alone worth the cost of admission. Gail Wein’s extremely well written liner notes provide valuable historical context.

See other CDs here

The Music of Astor Piazzolla
Jason Vieaux, guitar; Julien Labro, bandoneon
Azica Records

Cleveland guitarist Jason Vieaux adds to his list of stellar recordings with this alluring program of works by Argentina’s master of the tango. The music seduces the listener as Vieaux and bandoneon player Julien Labro weave sinuous lines in Piazzolla’s “Four Seasons” and “Hommage a Liege” with A Far Cry, the terrific Boston-based chamber orchestra, and on their own in “History of the Tango.” The irresistible performances and crystal-clear sound — from Cleveland-based Azica Records — make this a don’t-miss disc. Grade: A – Donald Rosenberg, Plain Dealer Reporter

Article on a recent interview with Jason Vieaux for Classical Cleveland, a weekly online journal, on how our Piazzolla project came to life. Access the interview here

Check this article by my friend & bandmate Paul Brady in Downbeat Mag. (Jan. 2012), it’s a great piece on Django Reinhardt.



I was privileged to study with Matt for a few years. He had amazing ways of breaking down jazz harmony and taught me some invaluable shortcuts and tricks on how to approach arranging and playing. Now more than ever as I mature as a musician, I realize how valuable his advices and concepts were. R.I.P. Matt. Mitch Albom did a fantastic job capturing what Matt was like, a great read on a great man!

Listen to the MP3 excerpt from Verano Porteńo from the “Four Seasons of Buenos Aires” by Astor  Piazzolla, arr. Julien Labro

Verano Porteno (MP3 excerpt from “Piazzolla”)

http://www.npr.org/2011/08/18/131751957/hot-pepper-hot-club-of-detroit-on-jazzset

Both Labro and Brady attribute their love of wine to spending key developmental years in France. Labro grew up in Rodez, near the Languedoc-Roussillon wine region (which boasts three times the combined area of vineyards in Bordeaux) and began learning about pairing food and wine from a tender age. “I got to live the pairings and learn how the right wine can enhance a dish and bring different flavors to the palate.”  Continue to read a longer extract of the article here

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