At Home with Friends

Album Summary
Notes & Reviews
Also Purchased
Works Details

Album Summary

Gershwin, George : Porgy and Bess

Dowland, John : Come Again

Piazzolla, Astor : Enrico IV

Morricone, Ennio : Cinema Paradiso

Traditional : Para Ti

Rodgers, Richard : My Funny Valentine

Meyer, Edgar : Maybe So

Grieg, Edvard : Sonata no 3 in C minor for violin & piano

Lennon, John : Eleanor Rigby

Rachmaninov, Sergei : Ne poy, krasavitsa, pri mne (Do not sing to me, fair maiden), Op. 4/4

Bacalov, Luis Enríque : Il Postino

Spektor, Regina : Left Hand Song

Jobim, Antonio Carlos : Chovendo na Roseira

Edgar Meyer / Chris Thile : Look Away, for violin, mandolin & bass

Shankar, Ravi : Variant Moods

Rodgers, Richard : I'll Take Manhattan

Performers

Gayle Levant (Harp)
Anoushka Shankar (Sitar)
Carel Kraayenhof (Bandoneon)
Samir Chatterjee (Tabla)
David Finck (Double Bass)
Marvin Hamlisch (Piano)
Vanessa Perez (Piano)
Pablo Rieppi (Percussion)
Lisa Matricardi (Violin)
David Blinn (Viola)
Ludmila Konstantinova (Cello)
Lawrence Yurman (Piano)
Josh Groban (Voice)
Joyce Hammann (Violin)
Tiempo Libre (Violin)
Dave Ratajczak (Vibraphone)
Dave Ratajczak (Drums)
Chris Botti (Trumpet)
Kristin Chenoweth (Voice)
Shari Hoffman (Clarinet)
Grace Paradise (Harp)
Meryl Abt-Greenfield (Clarinet)
Lee Musiker (Piano)
Dave Eggar (Cello)
Sam Bush (Mandolin)
Rie Schmidt (Flute)
Sam Bush (Guitar)
Elizabeth Mann (Flute)
Mike Marshall (Mandolin)
Russ Rizner-French (French Horn)
Mike Marshall (Guitar)
Romero Lubambo (Guitar)
Edgar Meyer (Double Bass)
Joshua Bell (Violin)
Sergei Rachmaninov (Piano)
Chris Komer (French Horn)
Frankie Moreno (Piano)
Kathleen Nester (Recorder)
Jeremy Denk (Piano)
Shawn Pelton (Drums)
Nathan Gunn (Baritone)
Billy Childs (Piano)
Regina Spektor (Piano)
Dennis Karmazan (Cello)
Marivaldo Santos (Percussion)
John Mitchell (Bassoon)
Dave Grusin (Piano)
Michael O'Donovan (Bassoon)
James Saporito (Percussion)
Sting (Spoken Vocals)
Chris Thile (Mandolin)
Stephen Erdody (Cello)
Kenji Ota (Tanpura)

Conductor

Redford, J.A.C.

Ensembles

Tiempo Libre

Composers

Notes & Reviews:

The concept of 'At Home With Friends' was inspired by Bell's long-time practice of holding "musical soirees" at his New York residence - eclectic gatherings of musicians, actors, comics, literary figures and others who convene for the sheer joy of sharing their art in an informal setting. With this in mind, Bell has spent the past four years designing and building his home in Manhattan to accommodate the ideal "stay-at-home" venue.

"Both [Classical & Bluegrass] show up on the album (and Bell is to be commended for recognizing the fabulous talents of progressive bluegrass mandolinist Chris Thile), along with Latin jazz, Italian film music, pop, rock (from Regina Spektor, Bell is definitely treading into new territory here), Indian classical music (in a duet with Anoushka Shankar), tango, John Dowland as interpreted by Sting, Italian music, and classic Broadway sounds. What makes all of this work is Bell's fearless experimentation in inserting his violin into these various types of music... You have absolutely no idea what's going to happen next, and the album lives up to the expectations Bell has set for himself as a classical artist with a unique connection to the surroundings of popular music. A very fine crossover release." -All Music Guide

2009 album from the violin virtuoso featuring guest appearances from Sting, Regina Spektor, Josh Groban and Jazz trumpeter Chris Botti. The sixteen song set, which also features appearances by Dave Grusin and Anoushka Shankar, was born out of the informal jam sessions Bell regularly holds at his house. Bell shows off a wide range of styles, from Jazz to Classical to Appalachian-inspired instrumentals, as well as dipping into Opera, Latin influences and Pop music.

Notes & Reviews:

Personnel: Joshua Bell (violin); Frankie Moreno, Regina Spektor (vocals, piano); Josh Groban, Kristin Chenoweth, Sting (vocals); Nathan Gunn (baritone); Sam Bush, Mike Marshall (guitar, mandolin); Romero Lubambo (guitar); Gayle Levant, Grace Paradise (harp); Chris Thile (mandolin); Anoushka Shankar (sitar); Kenji Ota (tanpura); Lisa Matricardi, Joyce Hammann (violin); David Blinn (viola); Dave Eggar , Dennis Karmazyn, Ludmila Konstantinova, Stephen Erdody (cello); Elizabeth Mann (flute); Kathleen Nester (alto flute); Rie Schmidt (bass flute); Carel Kraayenhof (bandoneon); Shari Hoffman (clarinet); Meryl Abt-Greenfield (bass clarinet); Michael O'Donovan, John D. Mitchell (bassoon); Chris Botti (trumpet); Russ Rizner-French, Chris Komer (French horn); Dave Grusin, Vanessa Perez , Jeremy Denk, Lawrence Yurman, Marvin Hamlisch, Sergey Rachmaninov, Billy Childs Trio, Lee Musiker (piano); Dave Ratajczak (vibraphone, drums); David Finck (acoustic bass); Edgar Meyer (double bass); Shawn Pelton (drums); Samir Chatterjee (tabla); Jim Saporito, Marivaldo Dos Santos, Pablo Rieppi (percussion).

A former child prodigy who performed as a featured soloist with Ricardo Muti and the Philadelphia Orchestra at the tender age of 14, Joshua Bell garnered an unusual degree of celebrity (for a classical artist) as result with his astonishing, beyond-his-years command of the instrument, movie star good looks, and adventurous choice of repertoire. He eventually also made inroads into the crossover market, working with artists such as legendary jazz-fusion keyboardist Chick Corea and hit-making singer-songwriter James Taylor. AT HOME WITH FRIENDS comes as advertised; the disc features a collection of intimate duets inspired by Bell's frequent musical get-togethers in his Manhattan apartment. Of course, Bell numbers some of the world's finest musicians among his friends, so the proceedings range from a particularly romantic, lyrical take on the Gershwin standard "I Loves You Porgy" with Chris Botti (interestingly, based on a Keith Jarrett solo piano version), to "Left Hand Song," a spooky, Russian folk music-influenced original number performed with quirky chanteuse Regina Spektor. Throughout, the violinist proves himself to be a sympathetic and open-eared ensemble player comfortable and natural-sounding in a variety of musical venues, and the stripped-down format wisely avoids the grand, overly-smooth production style which plagues many superstar collaborations.

REVIEWS:

Billboard (p.56) - "[A] star-studded album of marquee-level duets....An inspired, moving musical affair."

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Also Purchased

Works Details

Gershwin, George : Porgy and Bess :: I Loves You Porgy

Performers: Chris Botti (Trumpet); Shari Hoffman (Clarinet); Meryl Abt-Greenfield (Clarinet); Dave Eggar (Cello); Rie Schmidt (Flute); Elizabeth Mann (Flute); Russ Rizner-French (French Horn); Romero Lubambo (Guitar); Joshua Bell (Violin); Chris Komer (French Horn); Kathleen Nester (Recorder); Shawn Pelton (Drums); Billy Childs (Piano)
Running Time: 4 min. 16 sec.
Period Time: Modern
Form: Opera/Operetta
Written: 1935