Pianist and composer from Brussels, Joachim Caffonnette, introduces his second album as a band leader with VERS L’AZUR NOIR.

Bernstein's piano output reflects the various strands of his multifaceted personality, in works as different as Touches (1981) – influenced by Aaron Copland’s thorny Piano Variations – and , at the other end of the scale, his often tender, sentimental Anniversaries, miniatures written in commemoration of important people in his life. Taken together his piano works form a musical diary tracing the breadth of his experiences and ideas. Smaller piano pieces often preview bigger things to come. Four of his Five Anniversaries (1949-51) appear as themes in his violin concerto, the Serenade after Plato’s “Symposium.”

Sonic Splendor! Amazing organ performances give new dimensions to beloved orchestral favourites.

Leonard Bernstein has always loomed large among the musicians who have most fascinated me. Not only did he demonstrate huge vitality and charisma as a conductor, and compose the wonderful music that is his legacy, but he worked tirelessly as a communicator and “pedagogue”. His explanations of wide-ranging aspects of music to the viewers of his television programme for children, his lectures at Harvard University and his books have all been an enormous source of information. In recognition of the centenary of his birth, we dedicate to him this recording of his works for clarinet. At the same time, we pay homage to another musician whom I greatly admire – Benny Goodman – and include two other works directly linked to the theme of this CD – the impact of jazz on Bernstein’s output.

Unfairly named ‘The Lady with the Hammer’ for her uncompromising use of massive thunderous chords and ostinato rhythms, Ustvolskaya was a pupil of Shostakovich but forged her own unique way into many genres. Recently, artists have concentrated, as here, on bringing out the richness of the works and their innate lyricism. This album includes all of the composer’s music for violin and piano in two major works – the Sonata and the Duet.

The New York Philharmonic’s fourth album on Decca Gold, Universal Music Group’s newly established US classical music label, will be released digitally on May 17. Soloists of the New York Philharmonic features concertos performed by Principal musicians of the New York Philharmonic: Concertmaster Frank Huang, Principal Viola Cynthia Phelps, Principal Flute Robert Langevin, Principal Clarinet Anthony McGill, and Principal Trombone Joseph Alessi.

The title of Eric Reed’s new album has a double meaning—as in, everybody understands the blues, and everybody feels down from time to time. “Your blues may not be my blues, but everybody gets them,” he writes in the liner notes. True enough, but this album is too joyful for that to be the parting message. After having listened to it, you’ll understand intuitively—if you don’t already—why Eric Reed is one of the most reliably good pianists in the gospel-jazz tradition.