Harmonious World

I promise you'll love this episode with singer Sara Shiloh Rae and The Sondheim Project - Sara wasn't dismayed when I said that she and the band Bluebird Junction had "taken Broadway and moved it into the middle of nowhere." This really was a great discussion. Sara is a classically-trained singer with opera and concert hall credentials, but there's something joyous and blu...

* * Now you can subscribe to Harmonious World for special subscriber-only content Welcome to the latest episode of Harmonious World, featuring a conversation with composer and pianist Tania Giannouli . Tania's latest album - on Rattle Records from New Zealand - is called Solo and it's her first completely solo release. It's a beautiful collection of tracks composer and improvised by...

* * Now you can subscribe to Harmonious World for special subscriber-only content Welcome to the latest episode of Harmonious World, featuring a conversation with composer, and vocalist Elina Duni . Elina's latest album is A Time To Remember - out now on ECM Records. Elina's album of stunning original tracks and jazz standards features guitarist Rob Luft, Matthieu Michel on flugelhorn an...

* * Now you can subscribe to Harmonious World for special subscriber-only content Welcome to the latest episode of Harmonious World, featuring a conversation with composer, arranger and pianist Scott Dunn. Together with vocalist Claire Martin, Scott has released I Watch You Sleep , a tribute to Sir Richard Rodney Bennett. It was wonderful to chat with Scott about this album and working with Claire...

* * Now you can subscribe to Harmonious World for special subscriber-only content Welcome to the latest episode of Harmonious World, featuring a conversation with guitarist Tom Guarna , whose latest album - Reimagine - features some really delightful reworkings of classic guitar tunes. Our conversation delves into the skills of the various musicians involved in the album, as well as the choice of...

 * * Now you can subscribe to Harmonious World for special subscriber-only content Welcome to the latest episode of Harmonious World, featuring a conversation with pianist Michele Tozzetti , who has released an album of piano music by Niels Wilhelm Gade , who is sadly largely under-appreciated with a global audience. This album features the collections Aquarelle, Phantasiestucke and the Sonata in...

* * Now you can subscribe to Harmonious World for special subscriber-only content Impossible as it seems, this is the first episode of season 13! I must apologise for the sound quality in places - it's rare for these virtual conversations to have difficult connections. Welcome to the latest episode of Harmonious World, featuring a conversation with mandolin player Sam Day Harmet from Astrotur...

 * * Now you can subscribe to Harmonious World for special subscriber-only content Welcome to the latest episode of Harmonious World, featuring a conversation with guitarist, composer and bandleader Steve Banks . Our discussion is all around his new album - Emboldened - which he is currently playing around the UK with his extraordinary quintet. This was a fascinating conversation and please do lis...

 * * Now you can subscribe to Harmonious World for special subscriber-only content Welcome to the latest episode of Harmonious World, featuring a conversation with pianist Nic Gerpe , in which we discuss The Makrokosmos 50 Project . The Makrokosmos 50 Project is out now and it features the 12 original movements of Georg Crumb's Makrokosmos Volume 1 for solo piano, followed by the new collecti...

* * * Now you can subscribe to Harmonious World for special subscriber-only content Welcome to the latest episode of Harmonious World, featuring a conversation with UK guitarist Tom Ollendorff . Open House is out now and I hope you enjoy listening to our conversation and clips from some of the tracks. Tom is touring this album in the UK now and he can also - frequently - be seen and heard alongsid...

* * * Now you can subscribe to Harmonious World for special subscriber-only content Welcome to the latest episode of Harmonious World, featuring a conversation with Pete Johnston from Stranger Still. The Songs Which Are is out now and I hope you enjoy listening to our conversation and clips from some of the tracks. We get into some fairly deep conversation about what it means for music to 'so...

* * * Now you can subscribe to Harmonious World for special subscriber-only content Welcome to the latest episode of Harmonious World, featuring a conversation with Erika Angell and Roisin Adams from Beatings Are In The Body . Erika and Roisin are joined in the ensemble by Peggy Lee and their experimental music is adventurous. The trio's self-titled album is out next week and I hope you enjoy...

* * * Now you can subscribe to Harmonious World for special subscriber-only content Welcome to the latest episode of Harmonious World, featuring a conversation with pianist Kevin Toney .  Kevin's musical story is fascinating - beginning with lots of hard work. You can listen to our discussion of his time with The Blackbyrds and working with Donald Byrd. Kevin's latest album is called An...

* * * Now you can subscribe to Harmonious World for special subscriber-only content Welcome to the latest episode of Harmonious World, featuring a conversation with harpist Yolanda Kondonassis . It is a great honour to be featuring this conversation in the run-up to America's celebration of all things to do with mothers on 14 May - Mothers Day. Yolanda's latest single is a striking compo...

* * * Now you can subscribe to Harmonious World for special subscriber-only content Welcome to the latest episode of Harmonious World, featuring a conversation with singer, pianist and composer Adina Luumu . Adina is a hugely talented musician and it was great to be able to chat to her just a few weeks after International Women's Day. Adina's latest album with her band Luumu is Elephant...

* * * Now you can subscribe to Harmonious World for special subscriber-only content Welcome to the latest episode of Harmonious World, featuring a conversation with composer Stanley Silverman . Alongside many, many hugely successful composing and performing projects. Stanley is also cited as the inspiration for the character Bruno in the film 'Fame' - based on his time at New York's...

* * * Now you can subscribe to Harmonious World for special subscriber-only content Welcome to the latest episode of Harmonious World, featuring a conversation with drummer, percussionist and composer Tristan Banks . Tristan's new album - View From Above - is out now on Ubuntu Music, featuring saxist Paul Booth, pianist John Crawford and Davide Mantovani on bass. Our conversation wends its wa...

* * * Now you can subscribe to Harmonious World for special subscriber-only content Welcome to the latest episode of Harmonious World, featuring a conversation with Ofra Harnoy and Mike Herriott . The pair have recently released Portrait , which features a brand new recording of their favourite operative music, arranged for cello and trumpet (with a host of additional large ensemble work thrown in...

* * * Now you can subscribe to Harmonious World for special subscriber-only content Welcome to the latest episode of Harmonious World, featuring a conversation with Dermot Rogers , who has recently been involved in a project to remaster the work of guitar giant Louis Stewart . Just released is a remastered Out On His Own , which shows Stewart's virtuosity and lyrical genius. Executive Produce...

* * * Now you can subscribe to Harmonious World and help spread the word Welcome to the latest episode of Harmonious World, featuring a conversation with cellist Karlos Rodriguez from The Catalyst Quartet . This is my second conversation with members of the quartet - the first was with viola player Paul Laraia for episode 39 , back in the depths of the Covid-19 pandemic. Now the quartet is onto th...

* * * Now you can subscribe to Harmonious World and help spread the word Welcome to the latest episode of Harmonious World, featuring a conversation with trumpeter and writer Muneer Nasser . Chatting with Muneer was fascinating and we could have gone on for hours, but for more, you'll just need to read his book - Upright Bass: The Musical Life and Legacy of Jamil Nasser . You can also listen...

* * * Now you can subscribe to Harmonious World and help spread the word * * * Welcome to the latest episode of Harmonious World, featuring a conversation with Dudley Raine IV and Nicole Brancato , co-directors of Seven Hills Chamber Music Festival . Thanks to our mutual friend, composer William Susman , this is the first episode to feature a conversation with a music festival - and this one sound...

* * * Now you can subscribe to Harmonious World and help spread the word * * * Welcome to the latest episode of Harmonious World, featuring a conversation with vocalist and composer Vivienne Aerts . There's a real delight in Vivienne's latest album, which is released today and recognises International Women's Day and coincides with the UK's Women's History Month .  Typuhth...

* * * Now you can subscribe to Harmonious World and help spread the word * * * Welcome to the latest episode of Harmonious World, featuring a conversation with Andrew Burashko from the Art of Time Ensemble . The Ensemble's latest album features live recordings of fresh arrangements of songs by Leonard Cohen. In our conversdation, Andrew and I discuss the making of the album, the post-Covid ye...

* * * Now you can subscribe to Harmonious World and help spread the word * * * Welcome to the latest episode of Harmonious World, featuring a conversation with composer and clarinettist Derek Bermel . Derek's latest album includes compositions for a range of ensembles and soloists and the first track I feature is Derek himself on clarinet.  Intonations  is a wonderful album. Thanks to Derek f...