• Imagine…

    Catalog #: BR8986

    Release Date: April 19, 2024

    21st Century
    Solo Instrumental
    Piano

    Embarking on a musical odyssey is a deeply personal experience, with the mental tapestry it weaves being as distinct as the melodies themselves. This profound connection between imagination and music is the driving force behind Matthew Busse's IMAGINE..., an album of original solo piano works. Marking his Big Round Records debut, Busse skillfully captures the essence of creativity. The album's title encapsulates the transformative power of music and Busse’s command over it, providing listeners with a canvas upon which their imaginations can take flight.

  • One Day I’ll Fly Away

    Catalog #: BR8985

    Release Date: February 9, 2024

    21st Century
    Solo Instrumental
    Piano
    String Quartet

    Gerry Bryant joins Big Round Records with ONE DAY I’LL FLY AWAY, a map of the passage of time explored through a blend of classical, jazz, and popular music arrangements for piano. Bryant punctuates the album’s landscape with an original work, opening alongside violinist Mark Cargill in Anon in G Major, a performance equal in charm and liveliness to his reimaginings and reharmonizations of jazz standards and popular classics. True to form in uplifting the world of times past, Bryant personally honors the work of composer Florence Price in five delightful recordings, Price’s Honeysuckle at Dusk leading the album into its titular work, One Day I’ll Fly Away. Bryant reflects on his love of music today, tomorrow, and in the forever he hopes to fly to, leaving behind his music for the world to enjoy.

  • You Loved Me Then

    Catalog #: BR8982

    Release Date: September 8, 2023

    21st Century
    Jazz
    Vocal Music
    Piano
    Saxophone
    Voice

    YOU LOVED ME THEN, David Harris’ first album of originals in over 30 years, reflects his eclectic musical journey. It began when his father played him the works of Romantic composers like Chopin and Schuman, continued to his grade school encounters with the Beatles and The Doors, and was crowned by his teenage discovery of John Coltrane, Charles Mingus, and most importantly, Thelonious Monk. Harris estimates that he has written somewhere around 3,000 jazz, pop, and classical compositions. With the help of renowned pianist Paul English and a cadre of exceptional jazz talents, Harris brings some of his favorites to life on this Big Round Records release.

  • Berl Olswanger in the Studio

    Catalog #: BR8980

    Release Date: September 8, 2023

    20th Century
    Jazz
    Piano
    Voice

    Berl Olswanger, “Mr. Music of Memphis,” returns for a fifth installment of timeless archival recordings on Big Round Records with BERL OLSWANGER IN THE STUDIO. This never-before-heard collection transports listeners back to the pianist’s private studio in 1950’s Memphis where he recorded his early compositions, some of which went on to become fully orchestrated tracks on the 2021 release BERL OLSWANGER AT PEPPER RECORDS. With a smooth blend of blues, country, boogie-woogie, and ragtime influences, Olswanger delivers tunes that capture the popular sounds of the era. From the strong stride piano solo in Chicken Bone Man to the fluttering fills in Tennessee Skidoo, Olswanger’s inimitable approach shines through, inviting listeners into his private studio to witness an early period of the piano great’s legacy.

  • When Gaia Falls

    Catalog #: BR8979

    Release Date: August 25, 2023

    21st Century
    Jazz
    Electroacoustic
    Piano
    Voice

    WHEN GAIA FALLS from composer Bradford Blackburn is an environmental call for action in the face of climate change manifested through musical, literary, and sonic eclecticism as a medium of universality. Its central message? There is no better time to save the future than the present. From the body of electroacoustic, choral, and chamber works emerge a trio of narrative sub texts. The first, to simplify our needs and desires, the second, to make ecologically sustainable choices, and the third, to pursue positive change as a society. Bradford calls upon several artists to drive his message home in this release, spanning a variety of genres and moods that make a compelling case.

  • Volution

    Catalog #: BR8976

    Release Date: April 28, 2023

    21st Century
    Jazz
    Piano
    Saxophone
    Voice

    Israel Neuman’s VOLUTION fuses the power of hip hop with the versatility of jazz to form a uniquely forceful expression. The music heard on the album hints at a number of other musical genres as well, including rhythm and blues and middle-eastern folk music, to name a few. Vocalists including AceKidd and Cole Bracey rap and sing over the kaleidoscopic timbres created by Neuman’s music. In Tear It Down, AceKidd’s lyrics decry systemic injustice with lines like “man down/oh but you won’t lend a hand out/pressed down expecting us to stand down.” In Rough, a lovesick Cole Bracey croons “I’m worthless without your love/I’m spinning…Oh it’s rough.” With evocative lyrics, masterful modulations, and a smooth blend of celebrated musical styles, VOLUTION invites a wide audience of music lovers to the table.

  • People, Places, Moments

    Catalog #: BR8973

    Release Date: November 11, 2022

    21st Century
    Solo Instrumental
    Piano

    On PEOPLE, PLACES, MOMENTS, Nina Feric presents a wide selection of all original works, each deeply in tune with life and art, and enriched with personal anecdotes from her own life. Her first album as both a composer and performer, Feric’s compositions often alternate between lighter and darker moments, while the use of modulation and chromatics give the melodies a certain dose of playfulness. Thoughtfully composed and masterfully conveyed through a single piano, the main message behind Feric’s music speaks clearly and warmly throughout: a positive outlook on the future and the joy of living.

  • The Berl Olswanger Show

    Catalog #: BR8971

    Release Date: April 22, 2022

    20th Century
    Jazz
    Piano

    Grab a drink, take a seat, and sway with your sweetie to the swinging sounds of pianist Berl Olswanger and his band on THE BERL OLSWANGER SHOW, Big Round Records’ fourth release of recordings by “Mr. Music of Memphis.” Recorded live in 1974, the never-before-heard album transports listeners to stageside seats as the band plays a historic set of toe-tapping tunes, from the horn-heavy Proud Mary to the country-western Green, Green Grass of Home. No matter the track, Olswanger’s presence is front and center, from his genre-blending skills and his technical chops at the piano to his ability to keep the band crisp and tight as they boogie through the set.

  • CIRCADIAN WORLD CLOCK

    Circadian World Clock

    Catalog #: BR8970

    Release Date: July 9, 2021

    21st Century
    Avant-Garde
    Electroacoustic
    Percussion
    Piano

    CIRCADIAN WORLD CLOCK from David Haney and Big Round Records is a captivating exploration of nature’s musical landscape. In this groundbreaking recording project, Haney challenges participants from around the world to submit 2-3 minute field recordings, each recorded at the specific hours of the day prescribed by the monastic Liturgy of the Hours.

  • Berl Olswanger and the Olswanger Beat

    Berl Olswanger and the Olswanger Beat

    Catalog #: BR8969

    Release Date: May 28, 2021

    20th Century
    Jazz
    Piano
    Trombone
    Trumpet

    Blues and big band lovers are in for a swingin' treat with Big Round Records' new archival recording of BERL OLSWANGER AND THE OLSWANGER BEAT, the label’s third released recording by “Mr. Music of Memphis." Olswanger, whose musical career spanned over a half-century, could easily be called a jack-of-all-trades: a popular bandleader, a prolific composer of swing music, a serial entrepreneur, and a wildly successful teacher bringing the art of music-making to the masses.

  • Berl Olswanger at pepper records

    Berl Olswanger at Pepper Records

    Catalog #: BR8967

    Release Date: March 26, 2021

    20th Century
    Jazz
    Piano
    Voice

    Berl Olswanger returns for a second installment of timeless archival recordings on Big Round Records, with BERL OLSWANGER AT PEPPER RECORDS, a collection of tunes recorded during the late-50’s golden era of the Memphis record business. Olswanger hit the state-of-the-art studios at Pepper Records to record 10 songs by William “Pat” Best, Floyd Huddleston, Olswanger himself, and more.

  • I am Not A Virus

    I Am Not A Virus

    Catalog #: BR8966

    Release Date: March 12, 2021

    21st Century
    Jazz
    Piano
    Saxophone
    Trumpet

    I AM NOT A VIRUS from composer Jordan VanHemert and Big Round Records, is a collection of contemporary music uniquely fitting for this unprecedented juncture in human history. Called an "excellent outing" by jazz historian Scott Yanow, the collection of lively, piano-driven jazz band performances takes inspiration from a wide swath of timely subjects—everything from the coronavirus pandemic to racially charged police killings and the resulting Black Lives Matter protests of 2020.

  • Berl Olswanger at the piano

    Berl Olswanger at the Piano

    Catalog #: BR8965

    Release Date: January 8, 2021

    20th Century
    Jazz
    Guitar
    Piano

    Big Round Records presents the first of five albums by “Mr. Music of Memphis,” Berl Olswanger, featuring tunes by Duke Ellington, Hoagy Carmichael, Cole Porter, and more. From pop standards and jazz ditties to good old-fashioned polka, pianist Berl Olswanger wrested command of just about every style.

  • LA SPERANZA

    La Speranza

    Catalog #: BR8962

    Release Date: November 20, 2020

    21st Century
    Solo Instrumental
    Piano

    Composer and songwriter Elaine Freeman and Big Round Records present LA SPERANZA, a careful selection of piano music, composed by ear, memory and touch without sheet music. Not quite classical, not quite pop, these pieces have the ability to appeal to both the casual listener and fans of musical minimalism.

  • AMBIENCE

    Ambience

    Catalog #: BR8961

    Release Date: June 12, 2020

    21st Century
    Solo Instrumental
    Piano

    AMBIENCE is Big Round Records’ latest release from composer Joe Hume. After a decade of working exclusively as a professional pianist, Hume has returned to composing in a big way with this compelling 11-track album of airy original solo piano pieces.

  • Haney David Birth Of A City

    Birth of a City

    Catalog #: BR8956

    Release Date: July 26, 2019

    21st Century
    Jazz
    Percussion
    Piano
    String Quartet

    Even though the tracks on BIRTH OF A CITY are loosely grouped by their titles, the recording is very much a concept album. Haney, himself an accomplished pianist who also studied composition, scored the pieces for a kind of string quartet (violin – viola – cello – double bass), interspersed by varying quantities of brass instruments and percussion. Naturally, as one would expect from this kind of music, all works are scored with exactitude – for the most part, that is. Remarkably, Haney grants the performers a great amount of improvisatory freedom – indubitably owing to his own background in jazz, the genre which definitely and definitively shines through in all his compositions.

  • Paul Green A Bissel Rhythm

    A Bissell Rhythm

    Catalog #: BR8955

    Release Date: February 8, 2019

    21st Century
    Jazz
    Clarinet
    Percussion
    Piano

    A BISSEL RHYTHM is composer and clarinetist Paul Green’s PARMA Recordings debut, although it marks his second recorded exploration into the fusion between jazz and Jewish music. A performance at Merkin Concert Hall resulted in the New York Times extolling his talents: “Like a cobra intent on doing some charming of its own, the clarinetist Paul Green weaved, darted and hovered over his instrument…conjuring gorgeous sounds.”

  • Piano Works

    Piano Works of Kenneth A. Kuhn

    Catalog #: BR8954

    Release Date: October 12, 2018

    21st Century
    Solo Instrumental
    Piano

    Composer and pianist Kenneth Kuhn, after finding the music he wanted to hear did not exist, strove to bring his own musical visions to life. The result, PIANO WORKS OF KENNETH KUHN, is a cathartic journey through the memories and imagination of the composer. Romantic in quality, thematic, memorable, and deeply moving, Kuhn’s latest work leaves listeners feeling enriched and enchanted.

  • Sweet Spontaneous

    Sweet Spontaneous

    Catalog #: BR8952

    Release Date: July 13, 2018

    21st Century
    Jazz
    Percussion
    Piano
    Saxophone

    Concert pianist and composer Michael Arnowitt, assisted by ImproVisions Jazz, makes his Big Round Records debut with SWEET SPONTANEOUS, the title drawn from a poem by e.e.cummings. This two-disc jazz album features 14 of Arnowitt’s own compositions with the composer himself at the piano, joined by a dozen jazz notables including Yosvany Terry on alto sax, Lucas Pino on tenor sax, Dave Smith on trumpet, and Colin Stranahan on drums.

  • The More You Know

    The More You Know

    Catalog #: BR8951

    Release Date: March 9, 2018

    21st Century
    Jazz
    Solo Instrumental
    Piano

    Exuberant and exciting is the Big Round Records debut of big band pianist and composer Ron Paley. This is not “just another pops album.” Paley’s work is cool, clever, and ridiculously fun. Seven of the ten tracks on THE MORE YOU KNOW are completely composed, arranged, and performed by Ron Paley.