There has always been something haunting and ethereal about a well-played violin for me. And Joshua Bell has to be among the most talented violinists I've heard playing today. Though I don't normally listen to classical music these days, Bell's album At Home With Friends caught my attention because of who Bell was playing with - Chris Botti (talented trumpet player for jazz and pop music), Sting (amazing solo artist and lead singer of The Police), Josh Groban (amazing voice), Kristin Chenoweth (talented actress with a beautiful voice), and many others.
Evidently Bell has been holding ‘musical soirées’ at his New York residence for a while now, inviting over musicians, actors, comics, writers, and anyone else interested in sharing their talents with friends. According to Bell, the inspiration for these gatherings came from growing up in a home where such gatherings were commonplace. My own family did something very similar as I was growing up, and even today we still try to play together when possible.
Bell and his friends cover quite a wide array of musical styles - from classical to pop, bluegrass to Broadway, jazz to ethnic. I always find it interesting to hear musicians cross genre boundaries in this way. There's a spark that occurs when such boundaries are crossed that always has the potential to create inspiration and beauty.
That said, I have to admit that my favorite tracks are those that take Bell and his companions away from the realm of the classical and into the realm of Broadway and the Beatles.
Kristen Chenoweth's sublime voice, accompanied by piano and Bell's violin, makes "My Funny Valentine" absolutely come alive. Bell's strings bring across the emotion of the history of this song. And listening to Chenoweth I couldn't help but think she would be perfect for the role of Christine Daae in Andrew Lloyd Webber's adaptation of The Phantom of the Opera. (She'll also be gracing the television screen with her beauty and talent in an upcoming episode of Glee on FOX.)
Article comments
1 - Diane L.
I was recently given a copy of "At Home With Friends". I have to admit that I had never heard of Joshua Bell, and I was a bit disappointed when I opened the package and saw that it was violin music. But I was surprised to find that I thoroughly enjoyed this CD. Bell is an amazingly talented musician, and it was fascinating to hear how he joined together to create music with such a diverse group of people.