Studio recording Ellington made after the death of one of his best friends, long-time collaborator Billy Strayhorn who died of esophogeal cancer. The material is Strayhorn's compositions, including some that had not previously been recorded. John Hodges featured on the alto sax. [wikipedia]
Sona Jobarteh is the first female Kora virtuoso to come from a west African Griot family. The Kora is one of the most important instruments belonging to the Manding peoples of West Africa (Gambia, Senegal, Mali, Guinea and Guinea-Bissau). It belongs exclusively to griot families, and usually only men who are born into these families have the right to take up the instrument professionally.
Flute & Voice is a German duo comprised of Hans Reffert (Flute) and Hans Brandeis (Voice), both prodigious world musicians and music academics ( Brandeis is an ethnomusicologist)
