Tag Archives: classical music

Joe Jackson: Will Power

In April 1987, “A&M” label released “Will Power”, the ninth Joe Jackson album. It was recorded in 1987, and was produced by Joe Jackson. “Will Power” was Jackson’s first experiment with classical music.

Personnel:

  • Joe Jackson – keyboards, percussion, orchestration, arrangements,  mixing
  • Ed Roynesdal – Kurzweil K250 synthesizer, electric piano
  • Pat Rebillot- piano
  • Vinnie Zummo – guitar
  • Homer Mensch, John Miller, John Beal, Joe Tamosaitis – double bass
  • Anthony Jackson- bass guitar
  • Neil Jason- bass guitar
  • Gary Burke – drums
  • Sue Evans, Dave Carey, David Freidman – percussion
  • Tony Aiello – soprano saxophone, alto saxophone, clarinet
  • Chris Hunter – alto saxophone, tenor saxophone
  • Steve Slagle- soprano saxophone
  • Michael Parloff, Laura Conwesser, Andrew Lolya – flute, piccolo
  • Susan Trainer – piccolo
  • Roger Rosenberg, Ray Beckstein, Charles Russo, Dave Tofani- clarinet, bass clarinet
  • Henry Shuman – oboe
  • John Campo – bassoon
  • Paul Ingraham, Jerry Peel, Pohn Clark, Donal Corrado – French horns
  • Michael Morreale, Mel Davis- trumpet
  • Dave Taylor, Tom Malone- trombone
  • David Nadien- concertmaster, violin
  • Charles Libove, Barry Finclair, John Pintavalle, Jan Mullen, Marti Sweet, Arnold Eidus, Richard Sortomme, Matthew Raimondi, Marin Alsop, Gerald Tarack, Regis Iandorio, Joseph Rabushka, Lew Eley, Jean Ingraham, Marilyn Wright, Masako Yanagita, Al Rogers, Louanne Montesi, Richard Henrickson, David Davis – violin
  • Lamar Alsop, Ted Isreal, Maureen Gallagher, Carol Landon, Julian Barber, Harry Zaratzian, Sol Greitzer, Sue Pray, Jean Dane – violas
  • Charles McCracken, Richard Locker, Warren Lash, Seymour Barab, Jacqueline Mullen, Fred Zlotkin, Jean Leblanc, Diane Barrere, Alla Goldberg – cello
  • Andrew Zurcher – vocal
  • Paul Goodman, Michael Frondelli and Dennis Ferrante – recording

Track listing:

All tracks by Joe Jackson.

  1. No Pasaran
  2. Solitude
  3. Will Power
  4. Nocturne
  5. Symphony in One Movement

Ravi Shankar

On December 11, 2012, Robindro Shaunkor Chowdhury aka Ravi Shankar died aged 92. Shankar was world renowned composer, musician, performer and scholar of Indian classical music. In his long and distinguished career, through teaching, performances, and cooperation with Yehudi Menuhin and George Harrison, Shankar engaged Western music by writing compositions for sitar and orchestra. His career includes numerous recordings and performances at all the world’s leading venues.

James Last

On June 9, 2015, Hans Last aka James Last (also known as “Hansi”) died aged 86. He was composer and big band leader, best known for his “happy music”, an upbeat, easy-listening covers of classical music, polka, rock, pop and soul hits with his big band. His work was denied by the music critics but the audience loved his music, especially in United Kingdom and in his native Germany. In his five decades long career, Last released more than 190 albums and sold more than 80 millions album copies worldwide, becoming the most successful commercial big band leader after the second World War Two.