Violinist Joshua Bell delivers a treat for the ears on At Home With Friends. Collaborating with an eclectic group of artists, Bell delivers something truly unique on this record. He was inspired to record the album because of his love of hosting “musicales” – musical parties – in his home. “I’ll invite a singer, a rock musician, or a jazz musician to join me on the same evening,” Bell explains. And the special collaborations that resulted were so unique, he knew they needed to somehow be preserved. In his quest to capture the warm feeling of these intimate parties, At Home With Friends was born. Teaming up with everyone from Sting to Regina Spektor and Kristin Chenoweth, this inspired effort spans genres. Even Rachmaninoff co-stars in a Zenph Re-Performance – a fascinating software process that takes audio recordings and “Re-Performs” them live.
Naturally, when the One2One Network asked if I’d like to review this album, I was intrigued – I had to hear what this mixture of sounds was like for myself. Bell is renowned as a classical powerhouse, and doesn’t disappoint here; his performance is immaculate, and hearing his violin play while other acclaimed artists lend their talents is a delight. At Home With Friends is sure to be enjoyed by fans of classical and contemporary music alike.
Tracks include:
I Loves You Porgy featuring Chris Botti, trumpet
Come Again featuring Sting, vocals
Oblivion featuring Carel Kraayenhof, bandoneon
Cinema Paradiso featuring Josh Groban, vocals
Para TÃ featuring Tiempo Libre, various
My Funny Valentine featuring Kristin Chenoweth, vocals
Maybe So featuring Edgar Meyer Sam Bush and Mike Marshall, strings
Grieg: Sonata No. 3 featuring Sergei Rachmaninoff (Zenph re-performance)
Eleanor Rigby featuring Frankie Moreno, piano & vocals
O, Cease Thy Maiden Fair featuring Nathan Gunn, baritone
Il Postino featuring Carel Kraayenhof, bandoneon
Left Hand Song featuring Regina Spektor, piano & vocals
Chovendo Na Roseira featuring Dave Grusin, piano
Look Away featuring Edgar Meyer, bass and Chris Thile, mandolin
Variant Moods: Duet for Sitar & Violin featuring Anoushka Shankar, sitar
I’ll Take Manhattan featuring Marvin Hamlisch, piano
