Author(s): Sheku Kanneh-Mason

CDs

Personally curated by Sheku Kanneh-Mason, Sheku Kanneh-Mason's third solo album reflects the cellist's musical breadth. "Song" combines fantastic pieces from the fields of classical music, folk, jazz and pop: Sheku's own arrangements of beautiful folk songs, including "Myfanwy"; works by J.S. Bach, which Sheku arranged for the first time for multiple cellos; improvisations on jazz melodies like the world-famous ballad "Cry me a river"; Sheku's solo pizzicato arrangement of Aretha Franklin's "I Say a Little Prayer"; a movement from Messiaen's moving "Quartet for the End of Time" and a new commissioned work by Edmund Finnis written especially for Sheku. The album also includes pieces for cello and piano by Beethoven and Mendelssohn, which Sheku performs with his sister and concert partner, Isata Kanneh-Mason. Besides his sister, Sheku has collaborated with many musician friends, including jazz pianist Harry Baker, soprano Pumeza Matshikiza, and singer Zak Abel, with whom Sheku co-wrote a new pop song for this album.