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CD 2: - Schumann: Kinderszenen, Op. 15; Waldszenen, Op. 82 - Beethoven: Piano Sonata No. 17 "The Tempest"; Piano Sonata No. 18

I'm looking forward to this one. I've liked his past albums. Armen Donelian Crafts a Unique Pianistic Perspective On "Inquiry," Set for June 5 Release By Sunnyside Records Pianist-Composer Presents an Array of Original Compositions and Standards In Collaboration with Vocalist Dominique Eade, Trombonist Ed Neumeister, Bassist Jay Anderson, Drummer Dennis Mackrel, And, Primarily, Himself   April 20, 2026 Ever restless, pianist-composer Armen Donelian takes yet another bold creative turn with Inquiry, his 15th album, to be released June 5 on Sunnyside Records. The result of a four-year, carefully conceived and painstakingly executed studio process, the album is a haunting and introspective work with no real precedent in Donelian’s long career. Beginning life as an unaccompanied demo recording of Donelian’s then-newest compositions and arrangements, Inquiry evolved considerably from that genesis. While musing on the timbral possibilities on some of the tracks, Donelian (and engineer Dave Cook) had the revelation that he could build out orchestrations himself “by making subtle EQ shifts to the piano sound to create new ‘voices’ and ‘instruments.’” Yet Donelian also applies actual new voices and instruments to several tracks. Vocalist Dominique Eade, trombonist Ed Neumeister, bassist Jay Anderson, and drummer Dennis Mackrel appear in various places to put their own stamps on Donelian’s ruminations. “I relied on Dominique, Ed, Jay, and Dennis to provide actual voices and instruments where I felt the arrangements called for them,” the pianist says. “It’s due to their superb musicianship that the tracks they played on sound as if they were recorded live.” L. to r.: Dennis Mackrel, Armen Donelian, Dominique Eade, Jay Anderson. Indeed, only two of Inquiry’s ten tracks were done in a fully live session: the tender rendition of Miles Davis and Bill Evans’s “Blue in Green,” performed as a quartet with Eade (singing Cassandra Wilson’s lyric), Anderson, and Mackrel; and the gorgeous improvisation “Aqua Reminiscence,” which comes from an alternate take of “Blue in Green.” Yet this quartet gives equal depth and color to Donelian’s “What Is” and “Petite Triste (A Little Sad),” with Neumeister (pictured at right) joining them for the heavy, fraught “Inverted Reality.” There is no less intensity, however, in the tunes with fewer players. “Dark Moon,” a sinister and forlorn recasting of Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata, is stark and stunning in both its solo first half and Neumeister’s disorienting arrival in the second; Anderson brings a shading and contour to “Weeping Willow” that only enhances its distinct moodiness. Meanwhile, Donelian’s piano playing is as remarkable as ever, needing no augmentation for the astonishing inventions he puts on Stephen Sondheim’s “Somewhere” or the sheer power of his own “Beyond” and “Too Soon Gone.” At bottom, Donelian explains, Inquiry is “a place of unrelenting musical introspection” that “expresses my love for the piano sound.” More to the point, though, it is a multifaceted, multidimensional work of art. Armen Donelian was born December 1, 1950 to a family of Armenian immigrants in New York City. Growing up in Jackson Heights, Queens, he began studying piano at the age of seven, enrolling at the Westchester Conservatory of Music. At 12, he discovered jazz by way of a trad band led by noted studio guitarist Arthur Ryerson; Armen’s older brother played clarinet in the band, and he himself eventually became its pianist. He studied music theory, composition, and conducting at Columbia University—the alma mater of his physicist father—but also engaged in an independent study of sorts by moonlighting during college as a gigging musician on both piano and guitar. After graduating in 1972, however, came the real education. Donelian studied privately with pianist Richie Beirach for two years, enabling him to then collaborate with the likes of Mongo Santamaria, Sonny Rollins, Chet Baker, and Billy Harper. These employers and mentors gave Donelian a foothold on which to establish himself as a serious jazz musician—a reputation he solidified in 1981 with the release of his trio debut Stargazer (reissued on Sunnyside Records in 2025). A dozen more albums followed over the next 30-odd years, including the acclaimed releases A Reverie (his 1986 first album for Sunnyside), Secrets (1988), Leapfrog (2011), Sayat-Nova: Songs of My Ancestors (2014), and Fresh Start (2022). Inquiry adds yet another unique layer to this already formidable legacy. Armen Donelian’s summer performance schedule is as follows: Sundays beginning 5/3, solo piano, Isaan Thai Star Restaurant, Hudson, NY (6pm); 6/20 piano/sax duet (Armen w/ Michael Zsoldos), North Chapel, Woodstock, VT (7pm); 6/21-27 Interplay Jazz and Arts Workshop (w/ Armen & faculty), Meriden, NH; 7/13-16 solo piano, Bryant Park, NYC (12:30pm); 8/6-9 20th Annual Hudson Jazz Workshop/Alumni Priority Reunion (Armen w/ Marc Mommaas, faculty, guest Steve Cardenas), Hudson, NY; 8/9 Hudson Jazzworks Concert/Alumni Priority Reunion (Armen w/ Marc Mommaas, Steve Cardenas, HJW participants), Hudson (NY) Hall (4pm); 8/17-23 Zonora Jazz Workshop (Armen w/ Scott Black, faculty), Tucson, AZ; 8/21 Quintet (Armen w/ Jason Carder, Brice Winston, Colin McIlrath, Arthur Vint), Century Room, Tucson, AZ (6:30pm & 8:30pm); 8/22 Trio (Armen w/ Scott Black, Pete Swan), Century Room, Tucson, AZ (6:30pm & 8:30pm); 8/23 Zonora Jazz Workshop Concert (Armen w/ Scott Black, ZJW participants), Century Room, Tucson, AZ (4:30pm). Photography: Dave Cook (group), Matt Perko (Neumeister), Susan Sabino (Donelian)    Armen Donelian EPK  Armen Donelian Website  

Carl Hiaasen: Sick Puppy

Really enjoying this archival release.

600×602 49.2 KB Followed by Rahsaan Roland Kirk “The Man who Cried Fire” Hyena cd

I’m waiting for them to appear on Spotify. I want to listen first before buying. I’ve never liked the way Resonance and Elemtal issue vinyl so it’s cd for me too.

Yeah and it might also be an indicator there isn’t much more left on the shelves I guess?

32 Jazz CD reissue Original LP cover:

I reached out to the person at McFarland who overseas the final stages of publishing titles and this is the reply I received today: "The book is in the final stages. We expect it to go to the printer next week with publication likely in early May." My thanks to all on the list who have pre-ordered my book. Jim

It sounds like this is the equivalent of the many live from the last row bootleg LPs of the seventies of supergroups.

Billy Ver Planck “Dancing Jazz” Savoy cd Oh so tight and polite.

And another here.

And consider that, with this being the introduction to the series, the remainder may sound even worse.

Mozart - String Quartets K.464 and K.465 - Mozarteum Saltzburg

Id probably get it for I am a Coltrane completist. And will listen trough the material but if its that bad I’d doubt it comes of the shelves a lot. Definitely go for the cd version.

Never.

But not on Fridays.

ha, good to know...