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Jazzheads Records Announces the Release of Sunday Morning, a New Recording by American Composer and Pianist Randy Klein.

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The award-winning American composer/pianist, Randy Klein is proud to announce the release of Sunday Morning which is the first in series of CD recordings by Klein titled “Two Duos," a project consisting of duets between Klein on piano as accompanist, and a growing list of improvising soloists in an interpretive solo setting. The music for the series, composed by Klein for each artist specifically, is captivating and powerful, and is meant to feature the soloist as well as the accompanist in a rare setting that is extremely exposed.

Sunday Morning features two highly acclaimed improvising soloists, Oleg Kireyev, a Russian saxophonist juxtaposed to the American trombonist, Chris Washburne. Klein said, “Accompanying these two great musicians is a challenge." He continued, “First and foremost, duo playing is an ongoing conversation between two musicians. One musician speaks then the other, then sometimes both at the same time. As the accompanist, I have to be completely supportive of their interpretations and at the same time, make sure that my musical voice is emerging.

Chris Washburne and Oleg Kireyev are both master musicians. Washburne has an infinite musical palate whose sound on the trombone is gorgeous, rough, brash, soft, serene, hot, cold, and all of the colors in between. Kireyev is deeply rooted in traditional European melodies. His saxophone sound is dark, romantic, warm and lush.

In describing duo performance, Klein said, “Both players are always totally exposed. The accompanist has to lay down the harmony, rhythm, fill in the spaces and be ready to solo. When the accompanist turns soloist, the solo instrument becomes the orchestra (one instrument orchestra) playing the inner voices, adding color, rhythm and nuance to back the piano solo." He added, “Another observation is that when I am playing, I don't feel like the composer of the music. I am simply interpreting it as any improvising musician would, being in the moment."

Sunday Morning (JH1179) will be released by Klein's label Jazzheads, for which he is founder and president, on May 11, 2010. Of additional note is that the Russian photographer, Lena Adasheva created the cover art, a cross-collaborative effort with Jazzheads. The recording was made at Lo Fish Studios in New York, with John Hopkins as Recording Engineer and Gene Paul and Jamie Polaski as Mastering Engineers. Liner notes are by Howard Mandel, president of the Jazz Journalists Society. Randy Klein is an exclusive Steinway artist.

Randy Klein -Biography

Randy Klein is an accomplished pianist, composer, record producer and the president of Jazzheads; an independent record label featuring improvised jazz. Randy has performed sellout concerts with his Jazz Quintet throughout the world at venues such as Birdland, Klavierhaus, Trumpets, and the historic Union of Composers Club (Moscow). Randy's music has also been featured at the IAJE convention in Chicago and the Berklee Performance Center in Boston.

Randy Klein's new duo project “Sunday Morning" will be released this Spring (2010). It will feature trombonist Chris Washburne and Russian saxophonist Oleg Kireyev performing with Randy Klein on piano. The duos are sensitive duets designed to feature each of these esteemed soloists. Composed specifically for each performer, the project will continue to expand to include other great musical soloists.

His solo improvised piano recordings include: Randy Klein's Jazzheads (Jazzheads), Underground Romantic (Jazzheads), Just My Imagination (Slider Music) and Love Notes From The Bass (Jazzheads), Broadway Remembers (Main Street Productions), How Sweet It Is, Rock-A-Bye Baby (Rock Candy Music), Invitation In (Jazzheads), Piano Christmas (Jazzheads) and The Flowing (Jazzheads).

Randy is the recipient of the 2009 BMI Foundation Jerry Harrington Award for Outstanding Creative Achievement in Musical Theatre. He is the winner of four Southern Regional Emmy Awards: 1996 - for the original score to the 90 minute film-documentary titled Richard Wright (Black Boy) PPS/BBC. He won the 1998 1999 and 2002 Southern Regional Emmy Awards in the category of “Outstanding Collaborative Achievement for Composer" for his work on Ticktock Minutes (PBS). Ticktock Minutes is the winner of the 1999 National Emmy Award for Best Public Service Announcement. He has been nominated for a 1998 Jerry Boch Award for his theater composition. He is the winner of the USA Songwriting Competition 2005 in the Jazz category and top two in the overall category for his composition “Data". He is the winner of gold records for songs recorded by Polydor recording artist Millie Jackson, and composed and produced the dance hit “Watch The Closing Doors" for the RCA group IRT. He has had songs recorded by Candy Staton, Sarah Dash (formerly of LaBelle), the rap group Black Sheep, Memphis Bleak and Sesame Street.

He is the composer of Lineage, a song cycle featuring the poetry of American author, Margaret Walker. Lineage was featured at the 2004 Furious Flower Poetry Festival at James Madison University and the University of Kansas. Lineage won the 2009 CAP Grant sponsored by the American Music Center. The music premiere of 'For My People', the renowned poem by Margaret Walker is scheduled for April 2, 2011 at James Madison University, Va, with a 75 voice chorale.

His documentary film scores include: National Emmy winner Free To Dance (PBS Great Performances) and National Emmy winner Beyond Tara - The Extraordinary Life Of Hattie McDaniel (American Movie Classics) and Richard Wright - Black Boy (PBS/BBC production). His music can be heard at the Burial Ground Museum in lower Manhattan and at the Civil Rights Museum in Greensboro, NC.

He is a member emeritus of the advanced BMI Lehman Engel Musical Theater Workshop, The Dramatists Guild, NARAS and an alumnus/visiting artist at the Berklee College of Music in Boston. Randy Klein is an exclusive Steinway artist.

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