Goran Ivanovic & Fareed Haque
Seven Boats
Ivanovic and Haque sound like committed internationalists. Their disc's liner notes emphasize the duo's mixed background -- Ivanovic has Balkan parents and he studied classical music in Salzburg; Haque is part Pakistani, part Chilean, and is as much of an eclectic as his musical partner. While their compositions draw from Macedonian folk songs and pay homage to Brazilian composer Heitor Villa-Lobos, it's the pair's intricate harmonies that make Seven Boats an impressive recording. Both of these guitarists have impeccable technique, yet they are astute in choosing to go the route of minimalism and evocative uses of space. Ivanovic's title track is a great example of how to move dynamics with the right amount of subtelty.
- Aaron Cohen, Downbeat Feb. 2005
UPC: 8-21254-40372-6
Goran Ivanovic & Fareed HaqueHeavy Timbre
Macedonian Blues: Laments and Dances
This impressive album by Chicago based Fareed Haque and Croatian born Goran Ivanovic is an excellent example of the complex textures available to two acoustic guitars played by musicians with open minds and few technical limitations. Carefully arranged and well balanced between blazing virtuosity and sheer beauty, this collection of Macedonian melodies arranged for two nylon-string guitars ranges from simple folk melodies ("Lament") to adventurously modern sounding tunes ("Improv"). - Teja Gerken, Acoustic Guitar Magazine August 2002
UPC: 8-21254-40312-2
Michelle Areyzaga & Jamie Shaak
The Sun is Love
This collection of song cycles and piano music by American composer Gwyneth Walker contains settings of poetry by E. E. Cummings, May Swenson, and the Sufi mystic, Rumi.
Michelle Areyzaga has been praised for her ravishing soprano in opera and song and Jamie Shaak’s piano artistry has been heard at the Kennedy Center and at Lincoln Center in New York.
This recording is a labor of love, as these two peerless artists team up to introduce a wider audience to the music of one of America’s most gifted composers.
Already well known for her choral settings, Gwyneth Walker here breaks new ground in these sensitive and lavish renderings for soprano and piano. The quality of Ms. Walker’s piano music is further highlighted in two original and fascinating piano solos.
Paulo Bellinati & Harvey Wainapel
New Choros of Brazil
Paulo Bellinati and Harvey Wainapel offer a rare opportunity to hear the latest additions to Brazil's century old musical genre, Choro (pronounced "SHO-rue"). This uniquely Brazilian sound derives from a combination of European classical and dance forms, Brazilian rhythms and melodies, and jazz improvisations, making it irresistible to listeners of all types of music.
Paulo Bellinati is one of Brazil's most accomplished contemporary guitarists. His active international career has taken him to Europe, Asia and the Americas. He performs and records with some of the world's top musicians, including Steve Swallow, Monica Salmaso, Renaud Garcia-Fons, Lucilla Galeazzi, Carla Bley, Gal Costa, Leila Pinheiro and Chico Buarque.
He won the Premio Sharp (Brazil's Grammy) for his arrangements on Gal Costa's CD "O Sorriso do Gato de Alice," and his landmark recording "The Guitar Works of Garoto" earned 5 stars in CD Review.
Clarinetist/Saxophonist Harvey Wainapel (pronounced "wine-apple") has performed with the likes of McCoy Tyner, Joe Lovano, Joe Henderson, Ray Charles and Johnny Coles. He has toured extensively, appearing in clubs, jazz festivals, radio/TV broadcasts, and music workshops in over 20 countries.
ago Tribune August 4, 2002
UPC: 8-50710-00162-6
St. Charles SingersI Know Where I'm Going
Formed in 1984 by conductor Jeffrey Hunt, the St Charles Singers have won acclaim from musicians and critics alike. John Rutter has conducted them on numerous occasions, and they have collaborated with conductor Timothy Brown of Clare College, Cambridge, James Conlon and the Chicago Symphony and Jazz great George Shearing among others.
UPC: 8-21254-40272-9
St. Charles Singers
Christmas in St. Charles
"This is quite lovely…The emphasis is on the impeccable vocal blend of the Illinois choir, named after their home town, and clear precise diction…
…there are a number of unusual pieces which will not be found on the usual seasonal recording… " - John Story, The GRAMOPHONE, February 2005
UPC: 8-21254-90012-6
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