2010 was the Centennial of world famous Gypsy guitarist, composer and jazzmusician Django Reinhardt (1910 - 1953). Throughout 2010 a lot of events on the jazz scene paying homage to this icon of the swing era were arranged all around including concerts and recordings by contemporary musicians who are inspired by Django's legacy - we have earlier reviewed a couple of remarkable events, here and here. Django's music continues to inspire and challenge new generations of musicians. Last year the shown album by Danish guitarist Jacob Fischer was added to the stack of noteworthy cd recordings in the tribute to Django category…

Vocalist Elisabeth Kontomanou first met pianist Geri Allen in March 2011, when both were invited to participate in a Billie Holiday tribute presented in Montreal by the Jazz en Rafale festival. They immediately bonded, igniting a lively correspondence that often centered around thoughts on faith. Four months later, they reunited in a Normandy studio to create Secret of the Wind, a magnificent work that is both specifically and generally sacred. The disc’s core comprises traditional Afro-American spirituals and likeminded compositions by Marvin Gaye, Grady Tate, Curtis Mayfield, Billy Taylor, Ralph Carmichael and Kontomanou herself…

Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra, Sir Andrew Davis - Elgar: King Olaf, The Banner of Saint George (2015) [2CD] {Chandos}
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© 2015 Chandos Records | CHSA 5149(2)
Classical / Romantic / Vocal / Choral / Cantata / Ballade

After having recorded Elgar’s The Dream of Gerontius (‘Recording of the Month’ in BBC Music), Sir Andrew Davis now turns to two of the composer’s most popular early choral works: Scenes from the Saga of King Olaf and The Banner of Saint George. The recording was made soon after a successful performance, featuring the same ‘excellent Bergen Philharmonic’ and ‘outstanding’ vocal forces: the ‘imposing’ baritone Alan Opie, the ‘high, incisive tenor’ Barry Banks, singing ‘fearlessly in some quite challenging passages’, and the American soprano Emily Birsan, who sang ‘with radiant delicacy’ (The Daily Telegraph).

With this tribute album Led Zeppelin get a well-deserved monument. Build by musicians from bands like a.o. Rainbow, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Yes, Jethro Tull many well-known musicians take the honour to interpret classic rock tracks ~ 8 hymns ~ like „Stairway To Heaven“, „Whole Lotta Love“ and many other hits of the band in their own styles.

Erroll Louis Garner was an American jazz pianist and composer known for his swing playing and ballads. His best-known composition, the ballad "Misty", has become a jazz standard. Scott Yanow of Allmusic calls him "one of the most distinctive of all pianists" and a "brilliant virtuoso".

…Aside from the staging issues, the singing and acting of Cinzia Forte as Violetta was excellent and probably helped carry everyone else along. Tenor Saimir Pirgu was a pretty fine Giorgio Germont and he gets second place for acting. Giovanni Meoni, who played Giorgio Germont, the meddling father, was an excellent singer, but stiff as a board in his delivery. Chris De Moor as the baron is most memorable for his ghastly makeup and attire. Same comment for Flora, played by Tineke Van Ingelgem. The chorus sang beautifully. At the party where the gypsies and bullfighters appear there was the nowadays usual wardrobe malfunction leaving one woman briefly topless–as if this opera needed something risque.

By P. Sutherland (Berea, Ohio, USA)