JOSHUA BELL - AT HOME WITH FRIENDS

Joshua Bell’s new album, At Home With Friends, the Grammy Award-winning violinist fulfills a life-long career dream of recording a CD of instrumental and vocal duets with a diverse group of artists including Chris Botti, Sting, Josh Groban, Kristin Chenoweth, Regina Spektor, Anoushka Shankar, Marvin Hamlisch, Tiempo Libre, among others. Bell is one of America’s most celebrated violinists and has changed the face of classical music since he first appeared on stage with Riccardo Muti and the Philadelphia Orchestra at the age of 14. Among the more than 30 CDs Bell has recorded, his performances for Sony Classical film soundtracks also include The Red Violin, which won the Oscar for Best Original Score; the Classical Brit-nominated Ladies in Lavender; and the Academy Award-winning film Iris, in an original score by James Horner. Bell’s most recent soundtrack recordings for Sony Classical are Angels & Demons and Defiance. September 29, At Home With Friends took the #1 spot on both Billboard's Classical and Classical Crossover charts, and the #2 position on the Heatseekers Chart.

The concept of At Home With Friends was inspired by Bell's long-time practice of holding 'musical soirees' at his New York residence - eclectic gatherings of musicians, actors, comics, literary figures and others who convene for the sheer joy of sharing their art in an informal setting. With this in mind, Bell has spent the past four years designing and building his home in Manhattan to accommodate the ideal 'stay-at-home' venue. With more than 30 original albums to his credit, Bell has captured the public's attention like no other classical violinist of his time, enchanting audiences worldwide with his breathtaking playing and tone of rare beauty, as performed on his legendary Stradivarius violin made in 1713. Equally at home as a soloist, chamber musician, and orchestra leader, Bell has earned countless awards and honors for his work as a concert stage performer and recording artist. He has won multiple Grammy awards and was awarded the prestigious Avery Fisher Prize. His 2004 album Romance of the Violin was named the "Classical CD of the Year" by Billboard Magazine, with Bell named "Classical Artist of the Year." In the national spotlight since age 14 (when he made his acclaimed orchestral debut with Riccardo Muti and the Philadelphia Orchestra), and a recording artist since age 18, Bell has been an exclusive Sony Music artist for more than a decade.

Acclaimed for the wide range of music he has chosen to record, Bell's output ranges from mainstream classical concertos by Sibelius and Beethoven, a live recording with the Berlin Philharmonic (Tchaikovsky concerto), the bluegrass inspired Short Trip Home - from the jazz influenced Gershwin Fantasy, to the Bernstein-inspired West Side Story Suite and many others. His interest in film is particularly notable, having performed all the violin solos in The Red Violin, helping the film win an Oscar for the "Best Original Score" (written by John Corigliano). He has received recognition beyond his awards that are not common to most classical artists, having been the first musician to have a classical music video played on VH1, to appearing as himself on Sesame Street and alongside Meryl Streep in Music of the Heart.

At Home With Friends Track Listing:
I Loves You Porgy - featuring Chris Botti, trumpet
Come Again - featuring Sting, vocals
Oblivion - featuring Carel Kraayenhof, bandoneon
Cinema Paradiso - featuring Josh Groban, vocals
Para Ti - featuring Tiempo Libre, various
My Funny Valentine - featuring Kristin Chenoweth, vocals
Maybe So - featuring Edgar Meyer, Double-bass, Sam Bush, Mandolin and Mike Marshall, Guitar
Grieg: Sonata No. 3 - featuring Sergei Rachmaninoff (Zenph re-performance)
Eleanor Rigby - featuring Frankie Moreno, piano & vocals
O, Cease Thy Maiden Fair - Nathan Gunn, baritone
Il Postino - featuring Carel Kraayenhof, bandoneon
Left Hand Song - featuring Regina Spektor, piano & vocals
Chovendo Na Roseira - featuring Dave Grusin, piano
Look Away - featuring Edgar Meyer, bass and Chris Thile, mandolin
Variant Moods: Duet for Sitar & Violin (abridged version) - featuring Anoushka Shankar, sitar
I'll Take Manhattan - featuring Marvin Hamlisch, piano

http://www.sonymasterworks.com/
http://www.joshuabell.com/