James Chepponis - Songs of Jubilation - COMPACT DISCS [CD]

Featuring world premier recordings - Kaija Saariaho is renowned across the world for her vivid orchestration. Her chamber works highlight her ability to create unique sound worlds with only a few instruments. Here she also adds live electronics to create a unique color. Saariaho advanced her profile in North America with her recent stint as composer-in-residence at Carnegie Hall. Meta4, formed in 2001, is one of the most internationally successful Finnish string quartets. In 2012 they were awarded both the Record of the Year by the Finnish Broadcasting Company YLE and the Emma prize (the Finnish Grammy) for Classical Album of the Year. This is in tribute to Saariaho who turned 60 in 2012.

In a partnership that has been years in the making, GRAMMY® Award winning bassist David Ellefson and acclaimed metal vocalist Jeff Scott Soto have joined forces for an all-new collaboration, Ellefson-Soto. The band follows the tradition of successful individuals that joined forces to create memorable music David Coverdale & Jimmy Page, Tony Iommi & Glenn Hughes, Tommy Shaw & Jack Blades, Michael Sweet & George Lynch to name a few examples. The metal duo is joined by Andy Martongelli on guitar and keys and Paulo Caridi on drums to unleash their debut album Vacation In The Underworld. The album features eleven tracks and three bonus recordings that demonstrates why Ellefson-Soto are considered legends by many in the metal world. From the fiery guitar lead of the album opener InchVacation In The UnderworldInch to the prog-metal fury of closer InchRise To Win,Inch Ellefson-Soto have created a debut that is sure to capture metal fans from all over the globe. Combining different styles of metal, songs like InchSharpen The Sword,Inch InchThe RevolutionInch and InchLive To Die Another DayInch showcase the various influences Ellefson-Soto have picked up over their four decades in music. Jade Etro from the Italian power metal band Frozen Crown makes a guest appearance on InchThe Day Before Tomorrow.Inch Steve Conley and Ken Mary from Flotsam and Jetsam perform on the title track InchVacation In The Underworld.Inch Vacation In The Underworld ignites an inimitable hybrid of thrash firepower, rock swagger, and anthemic arena-ready thunder.

Known as 'the elder statesman of New Zealand classical music', Douglas Lilburn was instrumental in establishing a genuinely vernacular voice. All the works on this recording portray New Zealand's culture through an idiom instantly recognizable to listener.