Instrumentation: Percussion

Ravello Records proudly presents Escape X’s sophomore release, OUR FAVORITE THINGS. The album, which is the group’s first project with Ravello, features the music of contemporary composers and artists ranging from award-winning jazz artist Joe Locke to internationally-renowned New Zealand composer John Psathas and many others. Jazz, percussion, and pop all find a home on OUR FAVORITE THINGS.

Ravello Records is proud to release SIX ECOACOUSTIC QUINTETS / AVIAN TELEMETRY, the newest album from Matthew Burtner. In collaboration with Omar Carmenates, the Furman Percussion Ensemble, and the Shi Center for Sustainability, Burtner’s compositions incorporate avian biology, soundscape ecology, romantic-period British poetry, ecoacoustic music, and avant-garde percussion performance. And if you find all that surprising, you’re not familiar with the work of these two innovative groups.

"I had inquired with a few friends a few months earlier to attempt to take advantage of the stop by setting up a performance opportunity for myself. I learned that there was a great house-concert situation at "Tom's Place" in Berkeley, and was able to secure a date. I was also very lucky to be able to contact and enlist the wonderful keyboardist Eric Glick Rieman, who works often with prepared keyboards. I had some familiarity with his work through my years of hosting the weekly radio program of "creative instrumental music" called The New Edge, on WMBR in Cambridge, MA. A few musicians were suggested to round out the trio, and we were fortunate to end up with fantastically creative percussionist and gong player Karen Stackpole."

On LO & BEHOLD, percussionist Ralph Sorrentino brings percussion instruments to the fore to highlight their versatility in solo and chamber music settings. Five pieces, from a variety of composers, highlight the moods, emotions, timbres, and textures that can be expressed by the instruments of the percussion family. The revelatory album introduces innovative compositions into the percussion repertoire, and the performers’ technical prowess yields a collection of engaging and musically sensitive performances.