On Sunday and Monday we celebrated the CD/download/streaming release of Ethan Iverson‘s Playfair Sonatas on Urlicht AudioVisual at Salon 58 and Yamaha’s amazing showroom/venue. Mike Lormand played the Trombone Sonata and Carol McGonnell played the Clarinet Sonata.
(Also featured on the recording: marimbist Makoto Nakura violinist Miranda Cuckson, saxophonist Taimur Sullivan, and trumpeter Tim Leopold.)
The Salon 58 gig also featured the world premiere of Ethan’s Sonata for Four Hands, performed with Hiroko Sasaki.
I am immensely grateful to Piers Playfair, impresario extraordinaire, for backing this project, Ryan Streber and the staff at Oktaven Audio (especially Jessica Slavin) where the recordings took place, Bonnie Barrett at Yamaha for getting us a terrific instrument and hosting the Monday release event, piano tech Shane Hoshino, Roz Chast for the terrific cover art, Christina Jensen and Kira Grunenberg for going above and beyond in getting the word out about the release, Miranda for mentioning my label to Ethan – and especially to Ethan, a whirlwind of imaginative creativity and improvisatory delight, with whom it is a joy and an honor to work!
Mike Lormand and Ethan Iverson play the Trombone Sonata at Yamaha Studio.
Carol McGonnell and Ethan Iverson play the Clarinet Sonata at Yamaha Studio.
Alfred Brendel’s first recordings were made in early 1950s Vienna forindependent American labels – Period, Vox, and the short-lived SPA label, for whom Brendel made four LP recordings of rare repertoire that he would not record again, discs that have long been prized by lovers of piano music.
