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Mike Garson's
JAZZ HAT

Incredible Chops!
What do Freddie Hubbard, Stan Getz, Elvin Jones, Lee Konitz, Stanley Clarke, Eddie Daniels, Joe Farrell, David Bowie, Nine Inch Nails, The Smashing Pumpkins, Gwen Stefani, Seal, the Los Angeles Philharmonic and Martha Reeves (to name a few) have in common? The answer is, Mike Garson has played with them all!.

These have been called “The fastest fingers in jazz.” David Bowie, for whom Garson has long been music director, says, “He’s the best rock & roll pianist I know.” Recording group Free Flight took advantage of his classical training, and Hollywood calls when it needs a virtuoso assoluto. In short, Mike Garson is a phenomenon, able to mimic Bill Evans or Liberace on command, or to soothe an audience with New Age hypnotics. But he’s at his very best wearing his “jazz hat.”

Supported by a stellar cast of Brian Bromberg (acoustic bass), Ralph Humphries (drums) and Eric Marienthal (alto saxophone), Garson turns in a memorable set of originals and imaginative arrangements of standards. Most tracks were previously available on RR-53-—long out of print—plus, for this re-release, we’ve added Garson’s “take no prisoners” improvisation on Gershwin themes—also long out of print. The package is graced by his own computer art. Is there no limit to Garson’s talent?

Everyone at RR thinks this is one of our finest jazz productions. Recorded acoustically at the Oxnard, California, Civic Auditorium, Mike Garson’s Jazz Hat was captured in three-dimensional, high-resolution
HDCD sound by RR’s resident guru, “Prof.” Keith Johnson, recipient of seven GRAMMY® nominations for engineering.

Track Listing - 1 Rumble; 2 All Blues; 3 It’s You Or No One; 4 A Song For You; 5 Waltz for Bill; 6 A Night in Tunisia; 7 A Gershwin Fantasia; 8 Nardis; 9 Count Your Blessings.

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ORGAN ODYSSEY
Mary Preston

An Adventurous Musical Journey!
MARY PRESTON, soloist with the Dallas Wind Symphony on RR’s recent smash audiophile hit CROWN IMPERIAL, shows on ORGAN ODYSSEY that she doesn’t need help to demonstrate the capabilities of themighty Fisk instrument in the Meyerson Symphony Center, Dallas.

Designed with unusual power to support a full symphony orchestra, the Fisk Op. 100 is renowned as one of the finest and most thrilling concert organs on the planet.

Mary Preston is one of the most in-demand organists in the world. She is the Resident Organist and Principal/Lay Family Chair with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra and Curator of the Lay Family Concert Organ – so she knows its colors, range and possibilities better than anyone.

For her first solo recital on RR, she has chosen a wide variety of music – popular favorites, organ “spectaculars,” and off-the-beaten-path items to stretch the ears. In the former category are two selections by the French master WIDOR, including the evergreen Fifth Symphony Toccata in an especially brisk, bracing performance. American eccentric Charles IVES contributes irreverent Variations on “America,” which are sure to bring a smile to the face. MENDELSSOHN’s substantial First Sonata and a stately chorale-prelude by KARG-ELERT will satisfy organ mavens, while water-nymphs depicted by VIERNE and an evening reverie by LA MONTAINE provide welcome contrast. A highlight of the program is a powerful work by MESSIAEN to test the dynamic capabilities of any high-end sound system.

All these sonic riches were captured in three-dimensional, high-resolution HDCD sound by RR’s resident guru, “Prof.” Keith Johnson, who has just received his seventh GRAMMY nomination for Best Engineering, Classical (RR-108: GARDEN OF DREAMS with the Dallas Wind Symphony).

NEW REVIEW: "Organ playing simply doesn’t get better than this. . . The engineering is also representative of the best available." --Rad Bennett, Soundstage! Complete Review

Track Listing - 1 Sigfrid Karg-Elert: “Now Thank We All Our God"; 2 Louis Vierne: Naïades; 3-6 Felix Mendelssohn: Sonata No. 1 in F; 7 Charles-Marie Widor: Gothic Symphony—Andante sostenuto; 8 Charles Ives: Variations on “America”; 9 Olivier Messiaen: Dieu Parmi Nous; 10 John La Montaine: Even Song; 11 Charles-Marie Widor: Symphony No. 5—Toccata

2/19/2008: NOW AVAILABLE
RR-113 HDCD - ORGAN ODYSSEY - Mary Preston - $16.98

A note about RR-113
1/30/2008 - RR discovered a technical flaw in the initial pressing run of this new release. The HDCD encoding was not present. We have re-mastered and re-pressed it to our standard of technical excellence. If you purchased a defective disc, you are welcome to contact us for a replacement copy from the new batch which is now available. PHONE:1-800-336-8866, Outside the US call 650-355-1845.
Online RR-113 Replacement Request

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CROWN IMPERIAL
Dallas Wind Symphony
Jerry Junkin, conductor
Mary Preston, organ

Festive Music for Organ, Winds, Brass & Percussion!
One of RR’s all-time bestsellers, and an audiophile touchstone, is Pomp & Pipes!, our first foray into the magnificent repertoire for organ and wind band. In the fourteen years since, we’ve had many requests for “more!”, and here it is, a program that’s at least as exhilarating.

This time, in addition to the renowned Dallas Wind Symphony and its music director Jerry Junkin, we have the services of Mary Preston, resident organist of the mighty Fisk concert instrument in the Meyerson Symphony Center. No one knows better than she the capabilities of the Fisk, and Mary Preston can make it sing and shout.

In addition to the royal coronation anthem CROWN IMPERIAL by William Walton, there are substantial pieces that are seldom heard in such full instrumentation. Richard Strauss contributes a stately FESTIVAL INTRADA; there’s a CANZON originally composed “in stereo” by Giovanni Gabrieli; a ceremonial brass FANFARE by Henri Tomasi; an unusual arrangement by Percy Grainger of the famous COUNTY DERRY AIR; ELSA’S PROCESSION TO THE CATHEDRAL from Lohengrin by Richard Wagner, who knew how to bring an audience to its feet; KAMMERMUSIK #7, a full concerto for organ and winds by Paul Hindemith; and NIAGARA FALLS, a rousing, wild ride by popular American composer Michael Daugherty.

NEW REVIEWS"...there's loads of instrumental detail. The lowest organ notes will rearrange things in your china closet." --Andrew Quint, The Absolute Sound

"Addictively warm and velvety is how this Keith Johnson recording sounds. It captures the sound of the hall in all its rich, creamy, clarified glory as well as that of the mighty, Herman W. Lay Family 1.36 million dollar, 4535 pipe C.B. Fisk Opus 100 organ. It’s a whopper and if your system goes low, you’ll hear and feel it!" -- Michael Fremer, The Tracking Angle - complete review

"From the shriek of piccolo to the thunder of the organ's awesome 32-foot pedal stops, this will give the best stereo system a workout... Hold on to your subwoofer and when organist Mary Preston cuts loose, don't be surprised if neighbors complain about their furniture sliding across the floor." --Scott Cantrell, Dallas Morning News - complete review

"Audiophiles will have to have this one." --John Sunier, Audiophile Audition - complete review

Track Listing - 1 Richard Strauss: Festival Intrada; 2 Giovanni Gabrieli: Canzon Primi Toni; 3 William Walton: Crown Imperial; 4 Henri Tomasi: Procession du Vendredi-Saint; 5 Percy Grainger: County Derry Air; 6 Richard Wagner: Elsa’s Procession to the Cathedral; 7-9 Paul Hindemith: Kammermusik #7; 10 Michael Daugherty: Niagara Falls.

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CLARK TERRY
The Chicago Sessions
1994-1995

CLARK TERRY, one of the “grand old men” of jazz, enjoyed a stellar career as soloist with the big bands of Duke Ellington, Count Basie, and The Tonight Show, among others. RR had the grand opportunity to record his fabled trumpet and flugelhorn artistry with Bob Lark and the DePaul University Big band in two programs, both now out of print. THE CHICAGO SESSIONS is a “cream of the crop” selection from both, sonically fine-tuned by “Prof.” Johnson to sound even better than the originals. Extra added attractions are two tunes with scat vocals by Clark Terry’s alter-ego “Mumbles.”

Clark Terry’s career in jazz spans more than sixty years. He performed for seven U.S. Presidents, and was a Jazz Ambassador for State Department tours in the Middle East and Africa. More than fifty jazz festivals in all seven continents still feature him. He received a Grammy Award, two Grammy certificates, three Grammy nominations, thirteen honorary doctorates, keys to cities, lifetime achievements and halls of fame awards. He was knighted in Germany and is the recipient of the French Order of Arts and Letters. Clark’s star on the Walk of Fame, and his Black World History Museum’s life-sized wax figure can both be visited in his hometown, St. Louis, Missouri.

NEW REVIEW: “…the sound is superb. Terry’s signature warm tone is beautifully captured, and highlighted just enough to bring it ever-so-slightly front and center. The soundstage is quite large and lifelike, with a tremendous sense of depth and ambience. Dynamics are impressively natural – easy and mellow in ballads, and explosive during the many swinging moments…a very rewarding set.” -- Wayne Garcia - The Absolute Sound, 12/07

Track Listing - 1 Just Squeeze Me; 2 C.T.’s Express; 3 The Star-Crossed Lovers; 4 Jessica’s Day; 5 Harlem Airshaft; 6 Swinging the Blues; 7 Do Nothing ‘til You Hear from Me; 8 I Want A Little Girl; 9 Easy Does; It 10 Launching Pad; 11 Cottontail; 12 Moten Swing; 13 Something To Live For.

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EXCITING NEWS!
SERENDIPITY is back with a bang!

Super-versatile pianist Mike Garson, best known as long-time music director for David Bowie, is a jazzman at heart. Doing what he loves best, with all-star acoustic backup, he made this set in 1986, and it became a long-running audiophile hit. Included are a number of standards, Garson originals and a group improv. If you like good jazz and missed this, don’t hestitate.

Featuring: Stanley Clarke, bass; Gary Herbig, saxophone; Jim Lacefield, bass; Billy Mintz, drums; Peter Sprague, guitar; Jim Walker, flute

RR-20 Mike Garson SERENDIPITY $16.98

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THE GHOSTESS
WITH THE MOSTEST!

Marni Nixon’s new bestselling autobiography, I Could Have Sung All Night, chronicles her stellar Hollywood career, dubbing the singing voices for many stars, including Audrey Hepburn (My Fair Lady), Natalie Wood (West Side Story), Deborah Kerr (The King and I), and many more. Now Marni Nixon’s Gershwin and Kern collections, long out of print, are available again, at a new low price of $12.98.

MARNI NIXON SINGS GERSHWIN
(with Lincoln Mayorga, piano)
RR-19 Track Listing: 1 I’ve Got A Crush On You; 2 Nice Work If You Can Get It; 3 I Got Rhythm; 4 Summertime; 5 Someone To Watch Over Me; 6 Of Thee I Sing; 7 Let’s Call the Whole Thing Off; 8 But Not For Me; 9 The Real American Folk Song; 10 Blah, Blah, Blah; 11 Blue, Blue, Blue; 12 The Babbitt and the Bromide; 13 By Strauss; 14 Embraceable You; 15 Soon/Maybe/Looking For A Boy; 16 The Man I Love.

MARNI NIXON SINGS CLASSIC KERN
(arrangements by Lincoln Mayorga)
RR-28 Track Listing: The Way You Look Tonight; Yesterdays; Long Ago and Far Away; The Song Is You; All the Things You Are; Bill; Lovely to Look At; Let’s Begin; April Fooled Me; Swing Time Medley; You Are Love; Californ-i-ay; The Folks Who Live On The Hill; Smoke Gets In Your Eyes; I Have Seen; Go, Little Boat; Ragtime Restaurant; I’ll Follow Your Smile; Can I Forget You; They Didn’t Believe Me; I Dream Too Much; Day Dreaming.

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RR-19 MARNI NIXON SINGS GERSHWIN - $12.98

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EXCITING NEW RELEASE!
The Turtle Creek Chorale
SERENADE

The Turtle Creek Chorale, America's finest male chorus, has a long history with RR. Starting in 1992, they gave a spine-tingling performance of Randall Thompson's Testament of Freedom, and continued with four more critically-acclaimed CDs including one of RR's all-time best sellers, the Requiem by John Rutter.

The Chorale's long-time conductor, Dr. Timothy Seelig, recently announced his retirement, and expressed the wish that he could make one more recording with RR. The result is SERENADE, and Dr. Seelig says he could have no finer going-away present.

Included are selections by some of today's most popular living composers, such as Morten Lauridsen, John Rutter, Eric Whitacre and Stephen Paulus; and beloved classics by Schubert, Brahms and Caccini. A particular highlight is "Nella Fantasia" by Ennio Morricone, adapted from his film score The Mission. All are delivered with "loving kindness," passion and precision, many accompanied by an ensemble of strings and oboe.

The HDCD recording was made by "Prof." Keith Johnson in the superb, spacious acoustics of the Meyerson Symphony Center in Dallas, Texas, venue of all the critically-acclaimed Chorale recordings on RR, and many by the Dallas Wind Symphony. Musically and sonically, SERENADE is destined to become one of RR's most admired productions.

TRACK LIST (First five tracks are MP3 sound samples): 1 Eric HELMUTH: Everyone Sang; 2 Karl JENNINGS: Adiemus; 3 Stephen PAULUS: Loving-Kindness; 4 Morten LAURIDSEN: Dirait-on; 5 John RUTTER: Choral Fanfare; 6 Franz SCHUBERT: Serenade; 7 Leos Janácek : Láska Opravdivá; 8 Emile PALADIHLE: Psyché; 9 Johannes BRAHMS: Evening Serenade; 10 Giulio CACCINI: Dona Nobis Pacem; 11 Eric WHITACRE: Lux Arumque; 12 James G. EAKIN III: Creator of the Universe; 13 Morten LAURIDSEN: O Magnum Mysterium; 14 Ennio MORRICONE: Nella Fantasia; 15 Eric HELMUTH: How Sweet the Moonlight; 16 Ernest CHARLES: When I Have Sung My Songs to You.

REVIEW:
"Reference Recordings has a way of accurately capturing the gorgeous tone of this chorale, allowing the listener to hear the nuance of individual voices, a seemingly impossible task with such a large chorale. The soundstage will run down your walls." – Bill Brooks, Complete Review: soundstage.com

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The HOT CLUB OF SAN FRANCISCO
Yerba Buena Bounce

With YERBA BUENA BOUNCE, its tenth CD, The Hot Club of San Franciso confirms its reputation as America's longest-running and finest Gypsy Jazz ensemble. Inspired explorations of Django Reinhardt's tunes, originals and more, are captured in shimmering HDCD sound.

The Hot Club of San Francisco is a quintet of accomplished and versatile musicians who celebrate Django Reinhardt's and Stephane Grappelli's renowned Hot Club de France. The ensemble borrows the all-string instrumentation of three guitars, violin and bass from the original Hot Club, but breathes new life into the music with innovative arrangements of classic tunes and original compositions from the group's superb lead guitarist, Paul Mehling. Hearing the ensemble takes the listener back to the 1930s and to the small, smoky jazz clubs of Paris. The music of The Hot Club of San Francisco has entranced audiences around the globe for more than a decade.

Mandolinist DAVID GRISMAN, father of Dawg music and good friend of The Hot Club, makes a special guest appearance on two tracks. The set is further enhanced by bandoneon virtuoso Seth Asarno, and two bonus tracks feature the quintet augmented by three Dixieland horns!

Recorded by multi-Grammy-nominated "Prof." Keith Johnson at Fantasy Studios in Berkeley, California, the YERBA BUENA BOUNCE sessions benefited from the historic ambience, scene of hundreds of classic jazz and rock recordings. Using his own custom-built microphones and electronics (as always), Johnson was able to utilize some of Fantasy's unique facilities, such as a legendary echo chamber, to add luster to his always life-like soundscapes.

THE HOT CLUB OF SAN FRANCISCO: Evan (Zeppo) Price, violin; Paul (Pazzo) Mehling, solo guitar; Jeff Magidson & Jason Vanderford, rhythm guitars; Ari Munkres, bass. GUEST ARTISTS: David Grisman, mandolin; Seth Asarno, bandoneon; Bill Carter, clarinet; Marc Caprone, trumpet; Clint Baker, trombone/tuba.

TRACK LIST (First 5 tracks are MP3 sound samples): 1 Mystery Pacific; ----2 Hot Lips; ---3 I'm Happy Just To Dance With You; ---4 Sway;--- 5 Number Two; 6 Souvenir de Villingen; 7 Tickle Toe; 8 Black and White; 9 Lullabye; 10 Rythme Futur; 11 Yerba Buena Bounce; 12 Stardust; 13 Borneo; 14 Georgia Cabin; 15 Improvisation #2; BONUS TRACKS: 16 Gong Oh; 17 JAM: Some Of These Days.

REVIEWS:

"...violinist Evan Price and guitarist Paul Mehling leapt into the stratosphere with flurries of notes... Price's tone was sweet and plangent. And, oh, momma, is Mehling ever one fast-fingered guitarist. Whooowee, what runs, what flurries." --Wes Phillips, Stereophile 12/2007

Gypsy Jazz Audio Review on KQED-TV-9, San Francisco

"It's the synergies, combination of highly competent execution, accessibility and the fact that they swing harder than anyone else out there that make The Hot Club of San Francisco the Count Basie of gypsy Swing." --Monterey Jacques, Djangology.net - Full Review

"Tremendous playing on a variety of wild Gypsy swing songs." --Mike Holmes, Epinions.com - Full Review

"San Francisco has the earned reputation as a city that is unique and goes its own independent direction. I think that can also be said of the Hot Club of San Francisco, a creative band that masters Gypsy Jazz, but gives it new shape, sound, and inspiration on this entertaining CD." -- Harvey Barkan, L.A. Jazz Scene

"The impression that the musicians are there in the room, full-sized, is downright eerie. That and the lively swing of these fine musicians make this recording a must-have." --Rejskind, Ultra High Fidelity

"It is a reminder that this joyous style of music is timeless and, in the right hands, exciting and fresh." --Joseph Taylor, Soundstage.com Full Review

"What impresses me most about this CD is the continuing musical maturation of Paul and his violinist partner Evan Price, along with an increasing group cohesion overall. As the years go by, they seem to have gained a certain measure of confidence in execution and a more emotionally direct approach to swinging, as if they know exactly what they want and how to get it. Particularly sizzling are "Mystery Pacific" and "Rythme Futur." -Don Mopsick, Editor Jazz Me News - Complete Review

"These guys pull us back to the glorious sounds of Django Reinhardt and Stéphane Grappelli, (with) the Gypsy, bluegrass feeling that was a large part of the French glitz in the 1930s. This is a fine addition to any collection." --D. Oscar Groomes, O's Place Jazz Newsletter

"...the group breathes new life into this slice of jazz with innovative arrangements and inspired playing... To top it off, the recording was engineered by Keith Johnson, whom I consider the world's greatest recording engineer." --Robert Harley, AVGuide.com - Complete Review

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BREAKING NEWS: Keith O. Johnson nominated for Grammy® Category 96: Best Engineered Album (Classical): Reference Recordings: Garden of Dreams (Jerry Junkin & Dallas Wind Symphony). Grammy website

GARDEN OF DREAMS
Music by David Maslanka
Dallas Wind Symphony — JERRY JUNKIN

Exciting new music for winds,brass,percussion & pipe organ!
David Maslanka is the most-performed living composer for wind band. His music is widely known for its accessibility, its brilliant and imaginative orchestration, and its depth of expression. Maslanka has spent his artistic life exploring what can be called the dreamscape of music. Music, in his words, forms the "balance point between the conscious and unconscious minds." His music fuels the active power of our waking life, and resonates in the deep pools of what he calls the "mystic, timeless part" of our being —"the part where dreams come from."

This new recording by America's premier wind band presents three Maslanka works in the finest professional performances they are likely to have. A Child's Garden of Dreams is a kaleidoscopic exploration of the sonorities and textures available from the modern concert wind band. In Memoriam, based on a Bach chorale, is an eloquent soundscape with an impressive range of musical color. Symphony #4, an imposing work incorporating the doxology hymn-tune "Old Hundredth," rises to a magnificent climax calling for full forces and pipe organ. As captured by "Prof." Johnson's thrilling HDCD© recording, this is sure to become a touchstone of state-of-the-art sound reproduction.

Track Listing: A Child's Garden of Dreams; MP3 sound samples of the 5 movements: First;-----Second;-----Third;----Fourth;----Fifth. In Memoriam; Symphony #4.

The Absolute Sound, March 2007
RECORDING OF THE ISSUE
"David Maslanka...writes profoundly serious music...and his work is powerfully symbolic--shards of the psyche turned into sound... From the standpoint of dynamic range, this might be the most demanding material Keith Johnson has ever tackled, and the disc's sense of headroom is as good as many SACDs... Reference renders exquisite, fragile textures with equal finesse...The bass is potent and richly textured--body from tubas, a reptilian buzz from bassoons, wallop from bass drum and timpani, and center-of-the-earth organ pedals. Sensational." --Andrew Quint, The Absolute Sound

"If you enjoy music that is off the beaten path, if you like strong contrasts, if you are fascinated by the mystery of the human psyche, if musical adventure is your thing, get this recording... So, a brilliant composer, seasoned musicians, an exceptional conductor, and an HDCD recording of unequalled quality--all the ingredients, I think to tempt the music lover and the audiophile." --Lessard, Ultra High Fidelity

"Powerful music of wide open spaces and strong spirit . . . Maslanka's Fourth Symphony uses a very large band, including piano, organ and an expanded percussion department . . . The half-hour work is in one continuous movement and the final portion is a powerful peroration of brass and percussion that is overpowering in effect . . . It's good to have RR back in earnest and making such a strong statement with this release for both accessible new music and the finest audiophile engineering!" --John Sunier, Audiophile Audition

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30th ANNIVERSARY SAMPLER
Reference Recordings declares, “It’s party time!”
1976 seems a long time ago, but that's when RR was born. Remember direct-to-disc LPs? That's how we started, but being inexperienced and naïve, our first recording project fell short of expectations, and was never released. The label got started for real in 1978 when we connected with Keith Johnson and his home-brew focused-gap tape machine, which provided extraordinary material for Prof. Johnson's Astounding Sound Show. That's the short version; you'll find more information on our About RR webpage. In recent years, RR beta-tested and introduced the High Definition Compatible Digital (HDCD®) process, co-invented by Keith Johnson— in our view, the best way to make a digital compact disc.

As Exhibit A, we present RR's 30th Anniversary Sampler, a singular bargain. For only $9.98, we offer a generous helping of primo tracks from recent RR releases, featuring the Minnesota Orchestra, the Utah Symphony, the Pacific Symphony Orchestra and Chorus, the University of Texas Wind Ensemble, organ legend Virgil Fox and organ prodigy Felix Hell, great American pianist Gary Graffman, and our latest piano whiz, Joel Fan. All this marvelous music, including several world premieres (and one first release not available elsewhere), is delivered in "Prof." Johnson's most dazzling HDCD® sound for your listening pleasure or for system evaluation. Included in the booklet is a catalogue of current RR releases.

RR-908 track listing—1-Susato: The Dansyere—La Morisque (Jerry Junkin/University of Texas Wind Ensemble) 2-Enescu: Romanian Rhapsody #1 (Eiji Oue/Minnesota Orchestra)—FIRST RELEASE 3-Satie: Gymnopedie #1 (Eiji Oue/Minnesota Orchestra) 4-Gabriela Lena Frank: Mestizo Waltz (Keith Lockhart/Utah Symphony) 5-John Tavener: Ikon of Eros—excerpt (Paul Goodwin/Minnesota Orchestra & Chorale) 6-Liszt: Prelude on B-A-C-H (Felix Hell, organ) 7-Dominick Argento: For the Angel Israfel (Eiji Oue/Minnesota Orchestra) 8-Liszt: Paraphrase on Verdi’s Rigoletto (Joel Fan, piano) 9-Danielpour: An American Requiem—Dies Irae (Carl St.Clair/Pacific Symphony Orchestra & Chorus) 10-Rachmaninoff: Symphonic Dance #3 (Eiji Oue/Minnesota Orchestra) 11-Skrowaczewski: Concerto Nicolò—finale (Gary Graffman/Skrowaczewski/Minnesota Orchestra) 12-J. S. Bach: Prelude in D (Virgil Fox, organ) 13-Respighi: The Pines of Rome—finale (Eiji Oue/Minnesota Orchestra)

mp3 Sound Sample: Track 2: Romanian Rhapsody #1

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THE RETURN
OF MINORU NOJIMA!

GOOD NEWS: two of the gems from our catalog, long out of print, are back by popular demand! Nojima plays Liszt (RR-25) and Nojima plays Ravel (RR-35) have been newly remastered from the original analogue tapes with HDCD encoding.

Connoisseurs of great piano playing will love these classic reissues. Nojima Plays Liszt was named “Best Recording of the Month” by Stereo Review when it was released in 1988. It was described as “A stunning demonstration of technique put at the service of profoundly musical ends.” Minoru Nojima, one of Japan’s most internationally respected pianists, also created magic in Nojima Plays Ravel, originally released in 1990.

RECENT REVIEWS: "I can say only good things about the sound. It is impeccable, with a stable image, and all it takes to please the most demanding audiophile." --Lessard, Ultra High Fidelity

"These performances, on a Hamburg Steinway, earned Nojima raves from the musical intelligentsia: rare virtuosity, remarkable brio, and a wonderful expressivity. Thanks to Reference for having re-released it, this time in HDCD." --Lessard, Ultra High Fidelity

Albert Goldberg of the Los Angeles Times said, “The pianistic hurdles leaped with incredible fleetness and lightness, punctuated by volcanic outbursts of power and majesty. It was the sort of impossible thing rendered possible only by genius. Repeat: genius." More Information.

RR-25 track listing--LISZT: Mephisto Waltz #1; La Campanella; Harmonies du soir; Feux Follets; Sonata in B minor

RR-35 track listing--RAVEL: Miroirs (Noctuelles; Oiseax tristes; Une barque sur l'ocean; Alborada del gracioso); Gaspard de la Nuit (Ondine; Le gibet; Scarbo)

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LIVE in San Francisco - 1976 - VIRGIL FOX

THE BACH GAMUT
It was serendipity, indeed. In September, 1976, America’s most renowned organist, Virgil Fox, was to play a series of concerts at St. Mary’s Cathedral in San Francisco. RR’s own ’Prof.’ Keith Johnson was invited to record everything, and he did, using his legendary hand-built three-channel analogue tape machine. Now, after years of complex negotiations, RR is releasing highlights from these concerts, featuring the mighty music of Johann Sebastian Bach.

Virgil Fox was always controversial. Like Vladimir Horowitz, Fox always gave highly personal interpretations of everything he played, and purists frequently railed at the liberties he took. But unlike many musicians found on organ benches, Fox was never dull. Invariably, he made one hear the music in a new way, and audiences roared their approval - as you’ll hear at these live performances.

TRACK LISTINGS: Johann Sebastian Bach: 1–2 Fantasy and Fugue in G minor, BWV 542; 3 Fugue Reprise; 4 Sheep May Safely Graze, BWV 208; 5–7 Toccata, Adagio and Fugue in C, BWV 564; 8 St. Matthew Passion – Finale, BWV 244; 9–10 Prelude and Fugue in A minor, BWV 543; 11 Air on a G String, BWV 1068; 12–13 Prelude and Fugue in D, BWV 532; 14 I Call to Thee, Lord Jesus Christ, BWV 639.

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Reference Recordings proudly presents JOEL FAN,
pianist extraordinaire in an exquisite HDCD audiophile recording.

2006's BEST CLASSICAL ALBUMS
- The Absolute Sound, February 2006 (Andrew Quint)

One of RR’s primary missions is to find and introduce great new artists. We are full of enthusiasm for WORLD KEYS.

Fan is a member of Yo-Yo Ma’s Silk Road Ensemble, and has appeared with the Ensemble at Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC, the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, as well as on the television shows Good Morning America and David Letterman.

A native New Yorker (b.1969), Fan studied at the Juilliard School, Harvard University and the Peabody Conservatory. Acclaimed as "a soaring talent" (Los Angeles Times), “superb” (Boston Globe),“extraordinary” (Village Voice), and “a versatile and sensitive pianist” (Washington Post) - Joel Fan combines astounding virtuosity with a rare gift for lyricism. Joel Fan's Wikipedia page

REVIEW: "...an entertaining presentation that invites thoughts about music's underlying relationships and shows this pianist as an expressive and intelligent artist, as well as a sophisticated citizen of the world. Reference's sound is clean and transparent, with a resonant luster that is highly effective in the quiet pieces." - All Music Guide - (4 1/2 performance/4 1/2 sound - out of 5)

TRACK LISTING: A. Adnan Saygun: Sketch on Aksak Rhythm; Prokofiev: Sonata #3; 3 Dia Succari: La Nuit du Destin; 4 Halim El-Dabh: Sayera; 5 Qigang Chen: Instants d’un opera de Pekin; 6 Liszt: Concert Paraphrase of Verdi’s “Rigoletto”; 7 William Bolcom: . . . la belle rouquine; 8 Peter Sculthorpe: Nocturnal; 9-12 Schumann: Sonata #2 in G Minor; 13 Peteris Vasks: Kantate

RR-106 HDCD - $16.98 - AVAILABLE NOW!

REVIEWS

"You go from one encounter to another, dazzled by this musician, whose sensitivity allows him to give to each piece the color of the country that inspires him... The production of this HDCD recording is superb." -- Reine Lessard, Ultra High Fidelity

"Fan plays it all authoritatively with sensitivity to the unique flavor of each work. He leaves the listener hankering for more of everything...There's excellent percussive attack without claustrophobia and a wonderful sense of the body of the instrument." --Andrew Quint, The Absolute Sound

" Unexpected, variety and immediately appealing are probably the best words to describe why I find the selections so enjoyable...As would be expected from the well-known team of Keith Johnson and Tam Henderson the audio quality is supremely enjoyable." --Karl Lozier - Positive Feedback

"He has selected works of great musical interest, and switches from one style to another quite contrasting one with the greatest aplomb. His playing of the 18-minute Schumann Sonata is right up there with the classic keyboardists." --John Sunier, Audiophile Audition -- complete review

"Fan plays beautifully, turning all the spice and pizzazz into pure pleasure. He is especially good, though, in bringing out the swagger in Franz Liszt's Rigoletto Paraphrase. Fan also brings real joy to Prokofiev's third sonata. --Richard Nilsen, Arizona Republic

Click here for Amazon.com customer reviews - then scroll down.

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Reference Recordings is proud to present
Keith Lockhart conducting the Utah Symphony
in Symphonic Dances. (RR-105)

This exciting new album contains Leonard Bernstein’s Symphonic Dances from West Side Story, Sergei Rachmaninov’s Symphonic Dances, and the world premiere recording of Gabriela Lena Frank’s Three Latin American Dances.

Music and dance are as old as mankind itself. This recording presents dance modes from three cultures: music by an American of Peruvian-Jewish descent (Frank, b.1972 Berkeley CA) living in California, an American steeped in the culture of New York City (Bernstein), and a Russian (Rachmaninov) living in America.
More information on Gabriela Frank

"I heartily recommend this CD to you, for the performances, the vitality of it, and for the wonderful sound that Reference has captured . . ." --John Clare, WITF Radio
Complete Review

"All three of the Latin American Dances are independently unique and I found them to be almost instantly appealing and melodic. . . All is aided greatly with RR's usual outstanding audio quality." --Karl Lozier, Positive Feedback

"Brilliant music in brilliant sonics, plus a new composition you'll want to actually hear again..." - John Sunier - Audiophile Audition, May 3, 2006
Complete Review

RR-105 HDCD - $16.98

TRACK LISTING: LEONARD BERNSTEIN - Symphonic Dances from “West Side Story”
GABRIELA LENA FRANK - Three Latin American Dances (Introduction: Jungle Jaunt; Highland Harawi; The Mestizo Waltz); SERGEI RACHMANINOV - Symphonic Dances, op. 45 (TT: 73.16) (Released 4/2006)

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