Harmonious World

* * Now you can subscribe to Harmonious World for special subscriber-only contentYou may have never heard of Sherri Chung, but you have almost certainly heard some of her music on the film and TV shows we all watch from time to time. We had a fascinating chat about her background and how she composes within the confines of visual media.If the quality is occasionally a little less than perfect, it's because Sherri was in her car - she's a busy woman. Alongside her composition, she was recently elected the first female governor of the Television Academy's music branch - the people who award the Emmys.Thanks to Sherri for allowing me to play extracts from her scores for Gremlins and Based on a True Story alongside our conversation.Thank you for listening to Harmonious World. Please rate, review and share and don't forget that you can also subscribe  to support the show.Don't forget the Quincy Jones quote that sums up why I do this: "Imagine what a harmonious world it would be if every single person, both young and old, shared a little of what he is good at doing."Support the showThanks for listening to Harmonious World. You can support the show by becoming a subscriber.Please rate and review wherever you find your podcasts - it really helps.Read my reviews of albums, gigs and books as well as a little personal stuff on my blogFollow me on instagram.com/hilseabrookFollow me on facebook.com/HilarySeabrookFreelanceWriterFollow me on twitter.com/hilaryrwriter

* * Now you can subscribe to Harmonious World for special subscriber-only content'Celeste' is the new album from acclaimed Danish jazz singer, songwriter and guitarist Mette Juul. This is a collection of classic standard tunes you will recognise and some original tracks which will take your breath away.Mette and I had a conversation about the choice of tracks and her storytelling alongside Mike Moreno (guitar) and Lars Danielsson (cello, celeste, kalimba, melodica, cymbals, double bass).Celeste is out on Naxos-Prophone records on 10 November 2023.Thanks to Mette for allowing me to play extracts from Celeste alongside our conversation.Thank you for listening to Harmonious World. Please rate, review and share and don't forget that you can also subscribe  to support the show.Don't forget the Quincy Jones quote that sums up why I do this: "Imagine what a harmonious world it would be if every single person, both young and old, shared a little of what he is good at doing."Support the showThanks for listening to Harmonious World. You can support the show by becoming a subscriber.Please rate and review wherever you find your podcasts - it really helps.Read my reviews of albums, gigs and books as well as a little personal stuff on my blogFollow me on instagram.com/hilseabrookFollow me on facebook.com/HilarySeabrookFreelanceWriterFollow me on twitter.com/hilaryrwriter

* * Now you can subscribe to Harmonious World for special subscriber-only contentMelodic Collective is guitarist Chris Allard's latest project, in which he works with John Turville (piano), Robbie Robson (trumpet), Oli Hayhurst (bass) and Will Glaser (drums). Their self-titled album is out now on Perdido Records and it's a quasi-live album which delivers a classy, cohesive jazz quintet. I spoke to Chris last year alongside pianist Ross Stanley for episode 136 of this podcast and saw them perform their album Tortuga live at London's 606 Club. This new project promises more great things live and please watch out for a review of the album's official London launch.Thanks to Chris for allowing me to play extracts from Melodic Collective alongside our conversation.Thank you for listening to Harmonious World. Please rate, review and share and don't forget that you can also subscribe  to support the show.Don't forget the Quincy Jones quote that sums up why I do this: "Imagine what a harmonious world it would be if every single person, both young and old, shared a little of what he is good at doing."Support the showThanks for listening to Harmonious World. You can support the show by becoming a subscriber.Please rate and review wherever you find your podcasts - it really helps.Read my reviews of albums, gigs and books as well as a little personal stuff on my blogFollow me on instagram.com/hilseabrookFollow me on facebook.com/HilarySeabrookFreelanceWriterFollow me on twitter.com/hilaryrwriter

* * Now you can subscribe to Harmonious World for special subscriber-only contentFreddie Bryant played in the Upper West Side as a small child and grew up on its streets. His song cycle really is a Love Story to these streets and playgrounds. In our discussion, Freddie tells the story of the poetry and the music and how it all came together.This is a poignant album and it tells a different story about an area of New York some of us have seen in films through the decades but that Freddie knows personally. His poetry and music have a dynamic interplay that tell a tale of his home, reflecting on homelessness and the dark side of gentrification.Thanks to Freddie for allowing me to play extracts from Upper West Side Love Story alongside our conversation.Thank you for listening to Harmonious World. Please rate, review and share and don't forget that you can also subscribe  to support the show.Don't forget the Quincy Jones quote that sums up why I do this: "Imagine what a harmonious world it would be if every single person, both young and old, shared a little of what he is good at doing."Support the showThanks for listening to Harmonious World. You can support the show by becoming a subscriber.Please rate and review wherever you find your podcasts - it really helps.Read my reviews of albums, gigs and books as well as a little personal stuff on my blogFollow me on instagram.com/hilseabrookFollow me on facebook.com/HilarySeabrookFreelanceWriterFollow me on twitter.com/hilaryrwriter

I promise you'll love this episode with singer Sara Shiloh Rae and The Sondheim Project - Sara wasn't dismayed when I said that she and the band Bluebird Junction had "taken Broadway and moved it into the middle of nowhere."This really was a great discussion. Sara is a classically-trained singer with opera and concert hall credentials, but there's something joyous and blues-infused about this approach to some classic Sondheim tracks. We had a blast discussing it.Thanks to Sara for allowing me to play extracts from The Sondheim Project alongside our conversation.Thank you for listening to Harmonious World. Please rate, review and share and don't forget that you can also subscribe  to support the show.Don't forget the Quincy Jones quote that sums up why I do this: "Imagine what a harmonious world it would be if every single person, both young and old, shared a little of what he is good at doing."Support the showThanks for listening to Harmonious World. You can support the show by becoming a subscriber.Please rate and review wherever you find your podcasts - it really helps.Read my reviews of albums, gigs and books as well as a little personal stuff on my blogFollow me on instagram.com/hilseabrookFollow me on facebook.com/HilarySeabrookFreelanceWriterFollow me on twitter.com/hilaryrwriter

* * Now you can subscribe to Harmonious World for special subscriber-only contentWelcome to the latest episode of Harmonious World, featuring a conversation with composer and pianist Tania Giannouli.Tania's latest album - on Rattle Records from New Zealand - is called Solo and it's her first completely solo release. It's a beautiful collection of tracks composer and improvised by Tania. We spoke just a few weeks after I had visited her homeland of Greece and it brought back lots of memories for me, although the music itself is quintessentially international.Thanks to Tania for allowing me to play extracts from Solo alongside our conversation.Thank you for listening to Harmonious World. Please rate, review and share and don't forget that you can also subscribe  to support the show.Don't forget the Quincy Jones quote that sums up why I do this: "Imagine what a harmonious world it would be if every single person, both young and old, shared a little of what he is good at doing."Support the showThanks for listening to Harmonious World. You can support the show by becoming a subscriber.Please rate and review wherever you find your podcasts - it really helps.Read my reviews of albums, gigs and books as well as a little personal stuff on my blogFollow me on instagram.com/hilseabrookFollow me on facebook.com/HilarySeabrookFreelanceWriterFollow me on twitter.com/hilaryrwriter

* * Now you can subscribe to Harmonious World for special subscriber-only contentWelcome to the latest episode of Harmonious World, featuring a conversation with composer, and vocalist Elina Duni. Elina's latest album is A Time To Remember - out now on ECM Records. Elina's album of stunning original tracks and jazz standards features guitarist Rob Luft, Matthieu Michel on flugelhorn and Fred Thomas on percussion and piano.  Our conversation touches on the composition process of these tracks, which came out of the isolation of the pandemic and travels to the Sinai Desert and the Red Sea.Thanks to Elina for allowing me to play extracts from A Time To Remember alongside our conversation.Thank you for listening to Harmonious World. Please rate, review and share and don't forget that you can also subscribe  to support the show.Don't forget the Quincy Jones quote that sums up why I do this: "Imagine what a harmonious world it would be if every single person, both young and old, shared a little of what he is good at doing."Support the showThanks for listening to Harmonious World. You can support the show by becoming a subscriber.Please rate and review wherever you find your podcasts - it really helps.Read my reviews of albums, gigs and books as well as a little personal stuff on my blogFollow me on instagram.com/hilseabrookFollow me on facebook.com/HilarySeabrookFreelanceWriterFollow me on twitter.com/hilaryrwriter

* * Now you can subscribe to Harmonious World for special subscriber-only contentWelcome to the latest episode of Harmonious World, featuring a conversation with composer, arranger and pianist Scott Dunn. Together with vocalist Claire Martin, Scott has released I Watch You Sleep, a tribute to Sir Richard Rodney Bennett.It was wonderful to chat with Scott about this album and working with Claire Martin and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and commemorating the 10th anniversary of the death ofSir Richard Rodney Bennett. We discuss the arrangements and the recording, as well as how the tracks were selected - some by Bennett himself and some tunes that he particularly enjoyed himself.Thanks to Scott for allowing me to play extracts from I Watch You Sleep alongside our conversation, especially the incredible reimagining of It's Only A Paper Moon, which is definitely my favourite track.Thank you for listening to Harmonious World. Please rate, review and share and don't forget that you can also subscribe  to support the show.Don't forget the Quincy Jones quote that sums up why I do this: "Imagine what a harmonious world it would be if every single person, both young and old, shared a little of what he is good at doing."Support the showThanks for listening to Harmonious World. You can support the show by becoming a subscriber.Please rate and review wherever you find your podcasts - it really helps.Read my reviews of albums, gigs and books as well as a little personal stuff on my blogFollow me on instagram.com/hilseabrookFollow me on facebook.com/HilarySeabrookFreelanceWriterFollow me on twitter.com/hilaryrwriter

* * Now you can subscribe to Harmonious World for special subscriber-only contentWelcome to the latest episode of Harmonious World, featuring a conversation with guitarist Tom Guarna, whose latest album - Reimagine - features some really delightful reworkings of classic guitar tunes.Our conversation delves into the skills of the various musicians involved in the album, as well as the choice of tracks and the approach Tom took to the arrangements.Thanks to Tom for allowing me to play extracts from Reimagine alongside our conversation.Thank you for listening to Harmonious World. Please rate, review and share and don't forget that you can also subscribe  to support the show.Don't forget the Quincy Jones quote that sums up why I do this: "Imagine what a harmonious world it would be if every single person, both young and old, shared a little of what he is good at doing."Support the showThanks for listening to Harmonious World. You can support the show by becoming a subscriber.Please rate and review wherever you find your podcasts - it really helps.Read my reviews of albums, gigs and books as well as a little personal stuff on my blogFollow me on instagram.com/hilseabrookFollow me on facebook.com/HilarySeabrookFreelanceWriterFollow me on twitter.com/hilaryrwriter

 * * Now you can subscribe to Harmonious World for special subscriber-only contentWelcome to the latest episode of Harmonious World, featuring a conversation with pianist Michele Tozzetti, who has released an album of piano music by Niels Wilhelm Gade, who is sadly largely under-appreciated with a global audience.This album features the collections Aquarelle, Phantasiestucke and the Sonata in E minor. There's a huge range of short, stand-alone pieces and the more challenging Sonata, which took the composer 15 years to complete.This was a fascinating conversation and please do listen to the whole album if you can. Thanks to Michele for allowing me to play extracts from his album of the piano works of Niels Wilhelm Gade alongside our conversation.Thank you for listening to Harmonious World. Please rate, review and share and don't forget that you can also subscribe  to support the show.Don't forget the Quincy Jones quote that sums up why I do this: "Imagine what a harmonious world it would be if every single person, both young and old, shared a little of what he is good at doing."Support the showThanks for listening to Harmonious World. You can support the show by becoming a subscriber.Please rate and review wherever you find your podcasts - it really helps.Read my reviews of albums, gigs and books as well as a little personal stuff on my blogFollow me on instagram.com/hilseabrookFollow me on facebook.com/HilarySeabrookFreelanceWriterFollow me on twitter.com/hilaryrwriter

* * Now you can subscribe to Harmonious World for special subscriber-only contentImpossible as it seems, this is the first episode of season 13! I must apologise for the sound quality in places - it's rare for these virtual conversations to have difficult connections.Welcome to the latest episode of Harmonious World, featuring a conversation with mandolin player Sam Day Harmet from Astroturf Noise, in which we discuss their latest album - Blazing/Freezing - and their recent tour of the UK.This was a fascinating conversation and Blazing/Freezing is an excellent album to listen to, crossing almost every genre that you can imagine.Thank you for listening to Harmonious World. Please rate, review and share and don't forget that you can also subscribe  to support the show.Don't forget the Quincy Jones quote that sums up why I do this: "Imagine what a harmonious world it would be if every single person, both young and old, shared a little of what he is good at doing."Support the showThanks for listening to Harmonious World. You can support the show by becoming a subscriber.Please rate and review wherever you find your podcasts - it really helps.Read my reviews of albums, gigs and books as well as a little personal stuff on my blogFollow me on instagram.com/hilseabrookFollow me on facebook.com/HilarySeabrookFreelanceWriterFollow me on twitter.com/hilaryrwriter

 * * Now you can subscribe to Harmonious World for special subscriber-only contentWelcome to the latest episode of Harmonious World, featuring a conversation with guitarist, composer and bandleader Steve Banks. Our discussion is all around his new album - Emboldened - which he is currently playing around the UK with his extraordinary quintet.This was a fascinating conversation and please do listen to the whole album if you can - Steve and I discuss many of the tracks in our conversation, but the entire collection is worth a listen. Please do try to get to see Steve if you're in the UK.Thanks to Steve for allowing me to play extracts from Emboldened alongside our conversation.Thank you for listening to Harmonious World. Please rate, review and share and don't forget that you can also subscribe  to support the show.Don't forget the Quincy Jones quote that sums up why I do this: "Imagine what a harmonious world it would be if every single person, both young and old, shared a little of what he is good at doing."Support the showThanks for listening to Harmonious World. You can support the show by becoming a subscriber.Please rate and review wherever you find your podcasts - it really helps.Read my reviews of albums, gigs and books as well as a little personal stuff on my blogFollow me on instagram.com/hilseabrookFollow me on facebook.com/HilarySeabrookFreelanceWriterFollow me on twitter.com/hilaryrwriter

 * * Now you can subscribe to Harmonious World for special subscriber-only contentWelcome to the latest episode of Harmonious World, featuring a conversation with pianist Nic Gerpe, in which we discuss The Makrokosmos 50 Project.The Makrokosmos 50 Project is out now and it features the 12 original movements of Georg Crumb's Makrokosmos Volume 1 for solo piano, followed by the new collection of 12 movements inspired by the former, each one crafted by modern composers.Thanks to Nic for allowing me to play extracts from The Makrokosmos 50 Project alongside our conversation.Thank you for listening to Harmonious World. Please rate, review and share and don't forget that you can also subscribe  to support the show.Don't forget the Quincy Jones quote that sums up why I do this: "Imagine what a harmonious world it would be if every single person, both young and old, shared a little of what he is good at doing."Support the showThanks for listening to Harmonious World. You can support the show by becoming a subscriber.Please rate and review wherever you find your podcasts - it really helps.Read my reviews of albums, gigs and books as well as a little personal stuff on my blogFollow me on instagram.com/hilseabrookFollow me on facebook.com/HilarySeabrookFreelanceWriterFollow me on twitter.com/hilaryrwriter

* * * Now you can subscribe to Harmonious World for special subscriber-only contentWelcome to the latest episode of Harmonious World, featuring a conversation with UK guitarist Tom Ollendorff.Open House is out now and I hope you enjoy listening to our conversation and clips from some of the tracks. Tom is touring this album in the UK now and he can also - frequently - be seen and heard alongside other rising stars of the jazz world.Thanks to Tom for allowing me to play extracts from Open House alongside our conversation.Thank you for listening to Harmonious World. Please rate, review and share and don't forget that you can also subscribe  to support the show.Don't forget the Quincy Jones quote that sums up why I do this: "Imagine what a harmonious world it would be if every single person, both young and old, shared a little of what he is good at doing."Support the showThanks for listening to Harmonious World. You can support the show by becoming a subscriber.Please rate and review wherever you find your podcasts - it really helps.Read my reviews of albums, gigs and books as well as a little personal stuff on my blogFollow me on instagram.com/hilseabrookFollow me on facebook.com/HilarySeabrookFreelanceWriterFollow me on twitter.com/hilaryrwriter

* * * Now you can subscribe to Harmonious World for special subscriber-only contentWelcome to the latest episode of Harmonious World, featuring a conversation with Pete Johnston from Stranger Still. The Songs Which Are is out now and I hope you enjoy listening to our conversation and clips from some of the tracks. We get into some fairly deep conversation about what it means for music to 'sound' Canadian and the intricacies of the relationships between the UK, the States and Canada itself. We come to no conclusions, except that this music is both charming and challenging. Thanks to Pete for allowing me to play extracts from The Songs Which Are alongside our conversation.Thank you for listening to Harmonious World. Please rate, review and share and don't forget that you can also subscribe  to support the show.Don't forget the Quincy Jones quote that sums up why I do this: "Imagine what a harmonious world it would be if every single person, both young and old, shared a little of what he is good at doing."Support the showThanks for listening to Harmonious World. You can support the show by becoming a subscriber.Please rate and review wherever you find your podcasts - it really helps.Read my reviews of albums, gigs and books as well as a little personal stuff on my blogFollow me on instagram.com/hilseabrookFollow me on facebook.com/HilarySeabrookFreelanceWriterFollow me on twitter.com/hilaryrwriter

* * * Now you can subscribe to Harmonious World for special subscriber-only contentWelcome to the latest episode of Harmonious World, featuring a conversation with Erika Angell and Roisin Adams from Beatings Are In The Body. Erika and Roisin are joined in the ensemble by Peggy Lee and their experimental music is adventurous. The trio's self-titled album is out next week and I hope you enjoy listening to our conversation and clips from some of their tracks. Thanks to the trio for allowing me to play extracts from Beatings Are In The Body alongside our conversation.Thank you for listening to Harmonious World. Please rate, review and share and don't forget that you can also subscribe  to support the show.Don't forget the Quincy Jones quote that sums up why I do this: "Imagine what a harmonious world it would be if every single person, both young and old, shared a little of what he is good at doing."Support the showThanks for listening to Harmonious World. You can support the show by becoming a subscriber.Please rate and review wherever you find your podcasts - it really helps.Read my reviews of albums, gigs and books as well as a little personal stuff on my blogFollow me on instagram.com/hilseabrookFollow me on facebook.com/HilarySeabrookFreelanceWriterFollow me on twitter.com/hilaryrwriter

* * * Now you can subscribe to Harmonious World for special subscriber-only contentWelcome to the latest episode of Harmonious World, featuring a conversation with pianist Kevin Toney.  Kevin's musical story is fascinating - beginning with lots of hard work. You can listen to our discussion of his time with The Blackbyrds and working with Donald Byrd.Kevin's latest album is called An Evening with Kevin Toney and Friends and it includes tracks composed by the man himself, as long with a careful selection of jazz standards. Alongside Kevin and some very prestigious friends is his hugely talented daughter Dominique Toney. You can hear her sing on a couple of the clips in this episode and watch this space: I'm hoping to persuade her to join me on a future episode.Thanks to Kevin for allowing me to play extracts from An Evening with Kevin Toney and Friends alongside our conversation.Thank you for listening to Harmonious World. Please rate, review and share and don't forget that you can also subscribe  to support the show.Don't forget the Quincy Jones quote that sums up why I do this: "Imagine what a harmonious world it would be if every single person, both young and old, shared a little of what he is good at doing."Support the showThanks for listening to Harmonious World. You can support the show by becoming a subscriber.Please rate and review wherever you find your podcasts - it really helps.Read my reviews of albums, gigs and books as well as a little personal stuff on my blogFollow me on instagram.com/hilseabrookFollow me on facebook.com/HilarySeabrookFreelanceWriterFollow me on twitter.com/hilaryrwriter

* * * Now you can subscribe to Harmonious World for special subscriber-only contentWelcome to the latest episode of Harmonious World, featuring a conversation with harpist Yolanda Kondonassis. It is a great honour to be featuring this conversation in the run-up to America's celebration of all things to do with mothers on 14 May - Mothers Day.Yolanda's latest single is a striking composition by the great Cuban virtuoso and composer Arturo Sandoval. Wildflower  is a celebration of Kondonassis's own mother and is a supplemental track to her 2022 album Five Minutes for Earth.Thanks to Yolanda for allowing me to play extracts from Wildflower alongside our conversation.Thank you for listening to Harmonious World. Please rate, review and share and don't forget that you can also subscribe  to support the show.Don't forget the Quincy Jones quote that sums up why I do this: "Imagine what a harmonious world it would be if every single person, both young and old, shared a little of what he is good at doing."Support the showThanks for listening to Harmonious World. You can support the show by becoming a subscriber.Please rate and review wherever you find your podcasts - it really helps.Read my reviews of albums, gigs and books as well as a little personal stuff on my blogFollow me on instagram.com/hilseabrookFollow me on facebook.com/HilarySeabrookFreelanceWriterFollow me on twitter.com/hilaryrwriter

* * * Now you can subscribe to Harmonious World for special subscriber-only contentWelcome to the latest episode of Harmonious World, featuring a conversation with singer, pianist and composer Adina Luumu. Adina is a hugely talented musician and it was great to be able to chat to her just a few weeks after International Women's Day.Adina's latest album with her band Luumu is Elephant Love Song, including 10 original songs that each tell a story tied together by a deep sense of loss and dedication to a dear friend who passed away before the album took shape.Thanks to Adina for allowing me to play extracts from Elephant Love Song alongside our conversation.Thank you for listening to Harmonious World. Please rate, review and share and don't forget that you can also subscribe  to support the show.Don't forget the Quincy Jones quote that sums up why I do this: "Imagine what a harmonious world it would be if every single person, both young and old, shared a little of what he is good at doing."Support the showThanks for listening to Harmonious World. You can support the show by becoming a subscriber.Please rate and review wherever you find your podcasts - it really helps.Read my reviews of albums, gigs and books as well as a little personal stuff on my blogFollow me on instagram.com/hilseabrookFollow me on facebook.com/HilarySeabrookFreelanceWriterFollow me on twitter.com/hilaryrwriter

* * * Now you can subscribe to Harmonious World for special subscriber-only contentWelcome to the latest episode of Harmonious World, featuring a conversation with composer Stanley Silverman. Alongside many, many hugely successful composing and performing projects. Stanley is also cited as the inspiration for the character Bruno in the film 'Fame' - based on his time at New York's highly-prestigious High School for the Performing Arts.Stanley's new album - In Celebration - is out now on UK record label Signum Classics. It features his two piano trios and includes a guest appearance from Sting, alongside the Kalichstein-Laredo-Robinson trio.Thanks to Stanley for allowing me to play extracts from both piano trios alongside our conversation.Thank you for listening to Harmonious World. Please rate, review and share and don't forget that you can also subscribe  to support the show.Don't forget the Quincy Jones quote that sums up why I do this: "Imagine what a harmonious world it would be if every single person, both young and old, shared a little of what he is good at doing."Support the showThanks for listening to Harmonious World. You can support the show by becoming a subscriber.Please rate and review wherever you find your podcasts - it really helps.Read my reviews of albums, gigs and books as well as a little personal stuff on my blogFollow me on instagram.com/hilseabrookFollow me on facebook.com/HilarySeabrookFreelanceWriterFollow me on twitter.com/hilaryrwriter