Symphonic Steps
Catalog #: BR8988
Release Date: January 24, 2025
20th CenturyOrchestralVocal MusicGuitarOrchestraVoiceWith several top 40 hits to his name and a remarkably diverse oeuvre spanning several different styles, Livingston Taylor is widely regarded for his creation of beautiful, introspective, and original songs and sparkling interpretations of the classic songbook. Pair his compositional talents and natural performance ability with the might, musicality, and precision of the BBC Concert Orchestra, and a spellbinding program of melodies old and new come to life. Recorded live at the BBC's renowned Maida Vale studio in London with music arranged and conducted by the Tony Award®-winning and GRAMMY®-nominated Bill Elliott, SYMPHONIC STEPS delivers a resounding fusion of folk and classical characteristics, an auditory experience that is nostalgic, tender, and uplifting. Effusing a warm, timeless tone, this Big Round Records release is further proof of the unwavering creativity and artistic zeal that has earned Livingston enthusiastic listeners worldwide.
Myths and Hymns
Catalog #: BR8984
Release Date: December 8, 2023
21st CenturyProgressive RockStage WorksBassGuitarPercussionAdam Guettel’s theater cult-classic MYTHS AND HYMNS is no stranger to genre-bending and reimagination, the original song cycle itself leaning heavily on the concepts. So it comes as no surprise that renowned guitarist Garrett Gleason, never shying away from the new or imaginative, would produce his own reworkings of the beloved songs for guitar, bass, and drums. There’s no shortage of fresh takes in these often experimental arrangements sifting between the lines of rock and theater. Gleason’s re-workings add a vivacious flair to works like Pegasus and Sisyphus, the various guitar effects an inventive means of exciting the original content without failing to honor it entirely. Even the subdued slow-rock of How Can I Lose You finds itself ever so gradually slipping into admirable madness sure to please even the most experimental of music listeners. Gleason’s new take on MYTHS AND HYMNS is a welcome revival and renewal. Not only is it sure to meet approval by fans of the original, but it’s been approved by Guettel himself, the two eventually coming together in person to completely reimagine the closing song, Saturn Returns (Reprise). Gleason hopes for his arrangements of MYTHS AND HYMNS to bring the worlds of theater and rock together, that perhaps, like myths and hymns, there is more in common between the two than one would think.
The Oxtet Does Hindemith
Catalog #: BR8977
Release Date: May 12, 2023
21st CenturyJazzGuitarPercussionTrumpetTHE OXTET DOES HINDEMITH from Josh Oxford is a bold reimagining of classical music in a jazz fusion context. In this album, Oxford revisits some of Paul Hindemith’s greatest works. Hindemith, a late Romantic German composer, lived during the first half of the 20th century and was among the most significant composers of his time. The album contains sonatas for trumpet, tuba, trombone, and more, in which tonically complex horn lines weave above a jazz band. Recorded at Pyramid Sound in Ithaca and at Ithaca College, the timbres of the various horns along with marimba, Fender Rhodes, drums, electric guitar and bass, and more, are rendered in high fidelity. THE OXTET DOES HINDEMITH features the music of this legendary composer as you’ve never heard it before.
Aperçu
Catalog #: BR8975
Release Date: January 27, 2023
21st CenturySolo InstrumentalGuitarAPERÇU from composer and banjo innovator Michael Nix challenges listeners to reimagine the banjo as an instrument. The music, part of Nix’s New Classic Banjo Project, is brought to life by Nix’s 7-string Banjar, incorporating a wide range of folk and classical styles to forge an entirely new genre: New Classical Banjo. The album's title, which translates to “A survey or sketch; or an immediate impression, especially an insight” delivers just that. Koromanti, the opening piece on the album, is based on the very first notated banjo music, a transcription of music performed at a gathering of enslaved people in Jamaica in 1688. Banjar Lam Plearn, meanwhile, pays homage to the Mor Lam style traditionally performed in the Issan region of Thailand. These, and many other Aperçu shine through this remarkable collection of music.
Berl Olswanger at the Piano
Catalog #: BR8965
Release Date: January 8, 2021
20th CenturyJazzGuitarPianoBig 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.
A Different Take
Catalog #: BR8964
Release Date: November 13, 2020
21st CenturyChamberFluteGuitarIf variety is the spice of life, A DIFFERENT TAKE adds a bowlful of zest to the idea of standard repertoire. On their debut album, the Gruca White Ensemble’s creative programming and energetic performance lead listeners on a journey through intermingled genres and out-of-the-box renditions of well-known tunes.
To One
Catalog #: BR8958
Release Date: September 13, 2019
21st CenturyJazzGuitarPercussionVoiceOn TO ONE, Croatian-born Lela Kaplowitz delivers a collection of songs that expressively hearken back to the singer/songwriter era of the 1970s, reviving the spirit of such ground-breaking artists as Carole King, Laura Nyro, and Roberta Flack. Kaplowitz, who has been lauded by jazz vocal legend Sheila Jordan as “an extremely talented vocalist” and Bobby McFerrin as having a “wonderful voice,” presents a nuanced mélange of pop, soul, jazz, and even folk music on TO ONE.
Rosewood Café
Catalog #: BR8950
Release Date: February 9, 2018
21st CenturyJazzGuitarOboePianoFusion lovers will enjoy the PARMA recordings debut of oboist Margaret Herlehy in this fresh, new collection of Latin-inspired jazz. Uniquely, oboe is the central instrument in each composition. Herlehy not only meets the demands of such a challenge but exceeds them.
The Enchanted Guitar Forest
Catalog #: BR8943
Release Date: February 12, 2016
21st CenturyChamberGuitarTransporting the listener to a mysterious and enthralling sonic world, composers and guitarists Alex Lubet and Maja Radovanlija present their debut release on Big Round Records, THE ENCHANTED GUITAR FOREST, which captures the duo’s Eastern European, specifically Jewish and Balkan, heritage.
Big Round Sound Vol. 1
Catalog #: BR8942
Release Date: July 10, 2015
20th Century21st CenturyChamberJazzGuitarHarpPianoBig Round Record's first installment of its compilation series, BIG ROUND SOUND VOL. 1, presents a deep cross-section of the label's contemporary and eclectic catalog. From jazz and world music to folk, fusion, and progressive rock, this album features performances by Tony R. Clef, the Oscuro Quintet, Andy Jaffe and Branford Marsalis, Sophie Dunér, the Larksong Trio, Anne Vanschothorst, Juan Álamo, Jean-Philippe Grégoire, and more in works by Christina Rusnak, Svjetlana Bukvich, Sebastiano Meloni, Ecco La Musica, Bunny Beck, and others.
Midgard
Catalog #: BR8939
Release Date: June 9, 2015
21st CenturyChamberFluteGuitarLa Mandragore, a historical five-member ensemble from Québec, Canada, imagines the music of the Vikings had they had the time and leisure to notate it. Playing folk instruments from the Mediterranean and Scandinavian regions, and singing songs and tales in Swedish, Norwegian, Old Norse, and French, the ensemble presents an authentic and eclectic collection of Viking-inspired music on their debut Big Round Records release, MIDGARD.
The Daydream
Catalog #: BR8936
Release Date: August 12, 2014
21st CenturyChildren's MusicVocal MusicGuitarVoiceTHE DAYDREAM is the debut release on Big Round Records of children's music by The Daydream, a family music group consisting of Scott and Cathy Liebenow with their children McKenna, Mark, and Mia. Combining their music education and composition experience, the Liebenows present original, engaging, and educational songs for the whole family. Songs like My Amazing Nose, Billions of Bugs, What's in My Backpack, and 10 Little Bowling Pins teach kids about the wonders of the world around them while tunes like Fun on this Train, Pop Goes the Popcorn, and My Cell Phone are enjoyable sing-alongs. Entertaining and informative, this album is geared towards the development of a child's appreciation of music and the world, whether it be in the classroom or at home.
Sounds From The Delta
Catalog #: BR8935
Release Date: June 1, 2014
21st CenturyJazzGuitarPercussionSaxophoneFrom Django Reinhardt and the Hot Club de France to the American jazz players who immigrated to immerse themselves in its vibrant musical scene, Paris has been an epicenter of haute jazz culture. Jean-Philippe Grégoire has been a staple of the Paris jazz scene for many years and on his debut Big Round Records release SOUNDS FROM THE DELTA the guitarist/composer presents a refined and inspired hybrid of French and American jazz styles.
From the Spirit
Catalog #: BR8934
Release Date: May 27, 2014
21st CenturyJazzGuitarPianoSaxophoneBirdland. The Village Vanguard. The Jazz Standard. Just a few of the New York clubs that have saturated the city's streets with the smooth sounds of jazz. Within this tradition, New York-native pianist and composer Bunny Beck presents seven cool and swinging original compositions as well as an arrangement of Hank Williams' "Your Cheatin' Heart" on her second release on Big Round Records, FROM THE SPIRIT. Featuring saxophonist Matt Blostein, guitarist Ed MacEachen, bassist Tom Hubbard, and drummer Vinnie Sperrazza, with Bunny Beck on piano, the Bunny Beck Jazz Ensemble highlights crisp and expressive improvisations while occasionally breaking into Latin rhythms. This album captures the relaxed and refined atmosphere emanating from those New York clubs.
Gratitude Attitude
Catalog #: BR8929
Release Date: August 27, 2013
21st CenturyChildren's MusicGuitarPercussionVoiceGRATITUDE ATTITUDE is the fifth release in the critically acclaimed Best Foot Forward series from Recess Music. This album of children's music features many contrasting styles and teaches our kids lessons of gratefulness, respect and expressing thanks, with songs chosen for their ability to engage, educate, entertain, and encourage children to think about selflessness and giving. Just like the other discs in the Best Foot Forward series, GRATITUDE ATTITUDE features engaging, fun tunes enjoyable for kids and parents alike!
Share!
Catalog #: BR8927
Release Date: March 26, 2013
21st CenturyChildren's MusicGuitarPercussionVoiceIntroducing SHARE! - the fourth release in the critically acclaimed Best Foot Forward Music Series. SHARE! teaches our kids lessons of generosity and kindness with songs chosen for their ability to engage, educate, entertain, and encourage children to think about selflessness and giving. Just like the other discs in the Best Foot Forward series, SHARE! features many contrasting styles and engaging, fun tunes enjoyable for kids and parents alike!
Someone Else’s Shoes
Catalog #: BR8925
Release Date: July 1, 2012
21st CenturyChildren's MusicGuitarPercussionVoiceSOMEONE ELSE'S SHOES is the third release in the critically acclaimed Best Foot Forward series from Recess Music. This album of children's music features many contrasting styles and teaches our kids lessons of empathy, caring, and understanding, with songs chosen for their ability to engage, educate, entertain, and encourage children to think about both their own feelings and those of others. Just like the other discs in the Best Foot Forward series, SOMEONE ELSE'S SHOES features engaging, fun tunes enjoyable for kids and parents alike!
The Oscuro Quintet
Catalog #: BR8919
Release Date: November 15, 2011
21st CenturyChamberAccordionGuitarPianoPhiladelphia's first tango music ensemble, The Oscuro Quintet, evokes the passion and the grace of tango from dance floors to concert halls with a mind toward both the music of the past and the vanguard of progression. As their first full release, this self-titled album provides a document of the Quintet's dedication to both well-established staples of tango and new, progressive forms of the genre, including pieces composed by members of the group.
UR Some 1
Catalog #: BR8917
Release Date: October 25, 2011
21st CenturyChildren's MusicGuitarPercussionVoiceUR SOME 1 is the second disc in the Best Foot Forward series from Recess Music. This disc highlights the importance of self-confidence, and helps kids realize that even though they might not feel like it at times, they are important to others. The wide variety of songs on this upbeat and informational album helps children understand that they are loved, and that they will always matter to somebody.
Tuesday Afternoon
Catalog #: BR8916
Release Date: September 27, 2011
20th Century21st CenturySolo InstrumentalGuitarTUESDAY AFTERNOON is an album of Tony Clef's arrangements and transcriptions of a variety of works for nylon string guitar. A student of Richard Layman, Adam Holzman, and Stephane Wrembel, Clef's musical interests grew past the standard classical repertory and began learning and playing samba, bossa nova, and modern pop and rock songs. Clef has become adept at identifying complex harmonies and rhythms by ear, and his arrangements provide fresh takes on popular songs and standards that maintain the originals' integrity.