Went to Bell's Place, Be Home Later, Start Dinner Without Me.

Joshua Bell welcomes you into his sprawling Manhattan townhouse, but only if you promise not to sit on the Eames lounge chairs (they've just been re-upholstered by Poltrona Frau) or touch the leather walls (they've just been upholstered by Bill Amberg).

Everyone's officially invited to vicariously hang out in Bell's house and eavesdrop on one of his infamous musical parties, where luminaries of the art, music, and literary world gather to jam. The new CD dropped yesterday -- Bell's "At Home with Friends" -- which was inspired by these parties and is full of vocal/instrumental duets that the American violinist recorded with friends in an informal, intimate setting, blurring the lines between classical lite, bluegrass, and broadway.

Tracks include duets with Nathan Gunn, Josh Groban, Sting, Regina Spektor, Marvin Hamlish and Kristin Chenoweth (and Rachmaninoff raised from the dead to duet Grieg's Sonata #3), Impressive, 'tho we'll defer to our Kathleen Ferrier and Friends with the coolness of Bruno Walter & John Barbirolli.

Go here for a video tour of Joshua's lavish NYC townhouse (and Josh Groban in another one of my grampy's comfy cardigans).

Complete track listing below the cut...

Track Listing

   1. I Loves You Porgy – featuring Chris Botti, trumpet
   2. Come Again - featuring Sting, vocals
   3. Oblivion - featuring Carel Kraayenhof, bandoneon
   4. Cinema Paradiso - featuring Josh Groban, vocals
   5. Para Tí - featuring Tiempo Libre, various
   6. My Funny Valentine -  featuring Kristin Chenoweth, vocals
   7. Maybe So - featuring Edgar Meyer, Double-bass, Sam Bush, Mandolin and Mike Marshall Guitar
   8. Grieg: Sonata No. 3 – featuring Sergei Rachmaninoff (Zenph re-performance)
   9. Eleanor Rigby  - featuring Frankie Moreno, piano & vocals
  10. O, Cease Thy Maiden Fair  - Nathan Gunn, baritone
  11. Il Postino - featuring Carel Kraayenhof, bandoneon
  12. Left Hand Song – featuring Regina Spektor, piano & vocals
  13. Chovendo Na Roseira - featuring Dave Grusin,  piano
  14. Look Away - featuring Edgar Meyer, bass and Chris Thile, mandolin
  15. Variant Moods: Duet for Sitar & Violin (abridged version)  - featuring Anoushka Shankar, sitar
  16. I'll Take Manhattan - featuring Marvin Hamlisch, piano

Comments

[Linda Smith]

Yes, I'll take Kathleen Ferrier and friends any day, too!

[IANEOS]

I'm not a big fan of Josh Bell, but that apartment is unbelievable. All the artwork on the walls, the studio, the furniture. He's at least got great taste. I hate when the new rich spend their fortunes on crap. Good for him.

[walter]

Kathleen Ferrier and lots of others back then had some lovely parties... Today? These people just make me laugh! Crass!