From the producer/pianist Joel A. Martin: What happened in a few days in the studio was simply magical: sitting down with no “plan,” taking our music - jazz, classical and everything in between – and spontaneously creating vibrant and unique works, whole and stunning, on the spot. Never have I experienced such joy making great art with an absolutely dazzling artist like Eugene Friesen. When I am with him the only thing that matters is the music, the way it should be. This recording is just as much about our friendship as it is about music. Join us as we explore the many colors of sound through music, “Shades of Beauty,” with love from the Bentley.

From cellist Eugene Friesen: Having loved the blend of cello and piano from the classical repertoire, it’s a great joy to play in this grouping but with the approach of jazz – not discussing much about the form or arrangement but instead following our ears and instincts as we work our way through a piece. Having a partner like Joel A. Martin means you can trust the listening, expect the support, and enjoy the ride. Joel’s dual mastery of classical repertoire and jazz has resulted in many innovative arrangements that he calls “jazzical.” After A Dream” (Aprés un Reve) by Gabriel Fauré, and “Haunting Song” (Etude in C# Minor) by Alexander Scriabin are examples of Joel’s creative approach melding classical and jazz.

We were lucky to have some supportive listeners in the studio at various times, we could play to these friends like we play to our audiences, directing our expression to specific hearts and souls. The result, I think, is a recording that captures the pleasure and playfulness of our friendship and the intimacy and invention of our live performances.

Eugene Friesen (born 1952) is an American cellist and composer and 4x Grammy Award Winner with the Paul Winter Consort.
Friesen is a graduate of the Yale School of Music. He has been a member of the Paul Winter Consort since 1978, and performs with Howard Levy and Glen Velez as Trio Globo. He received a Grammy Award as a member of the Paul Winter Consort for the 1994 album Spanish Angel and again in 2006 for the Consort's Silver Solstice and in 2007 for "Crestone." Friesen has won 4 Grammy Awards to date.

Friesen has broken new ground for the cello, using it in a wide variety of non-classical settings and creating new techniques to expand its role as a solo and accompanying instrument. He has also performed thousands of concerts for young audiences on cello and electric cello as "Celloman." In 2013 Eugene Friesen wrote a book "Improvisation for Classical Musicians: Strategies for Creativity and Expression".

He is an Associate Professor at the Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts and lives in Vermont.

Joel A. Martin's classical piano career spans 40+ years including solo performances with the New York Philharmonic, Philadelphia Orchestra, Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, Delaware Symphony Orchestra, New Hampshire Festival Orchestra, Springfield (MA) Symphony Orchestra and Hartford Symphony. He has given recitals at Purchase College Performing Arts Center, Severance Hall, Phillips Collection, Guggenheim Museum, Kennedy Center, New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, Kaukametsa Hall in Finland, and l'Opera Comique in Paris in a command performance for French President Francois Mitterand.

In the last couple of years he has collaborated with and/or written music for Grammy® Award-winners Brooklyn Youth Chorus, cellist Eugene Friesen of the Paul Winter Consort, and Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Jaimoe of the Allman Brothers, among many other artists.

In Oct. 2013 Joel produced his 7th Jazzical® CD, Jazzical Meets Menken, honoring multiple Oscar/Grammy/Tony Award-winning Disney/Broadway composer Alan Menken. With stellar performances by Broadway legends Liz Callaway, Amanda McBroom, Christine Pedi and the Gay Men's Chorus of Los Angeles, Jazzical Meets Menken included two world premieres penned by Alan Menken specifically for this CD.

On July 18, 2014 – the capstone event of International Mandela Day celebrations at the United Nations – Joel produced Footsteps of Mandela, an all-star tribute concert to Mandela at NYC's Riverside Church. He has since produced several critically acclaimed Footsteps concerts in West Palm Beach, Hartford, and Bridgeport.

This past Nov. 13, Joel collaborated with operatic legend Kathleen Battle at the MET Opera, a historic concert event as it was her return to the MET after 22 years, in a sold-out performance of her acclaimed “Underground Railroad: A Spiritual Journey.”

Plans for 2017 include a national tour of Footsteps of Peace, producing The SONICALS duo piano with George Lopez, and the release his 8th Jazzical CD, Jazzical Rocks! featuring the Jazzical Symphony Orchestra in March 2017 with a national tour to follow.