Bonds/ Rhodes/ Picasso Ensemble - Angels Bowed Down

Cambria Master Recordings is pleased to announce The Angels Bowed Down - a new album showcasing soprano Yolanda Rhodes in concert performances of African American spirituals. Ms. Rhodes is supported by pianists Josephine Gandolfi, Deanne Tucker, LeDoris Cordell and the Picasso Ensemble. In her introductory notes, Rhodes comments that "Negro spirituals have a rare beauty that expresses a deeply human experience. These poetic and elegant songs carry with them ancient African melodies and structure; the words of these evocative gems grew out of the brutal conditions of American enslavement." Ms. Rhodes' wonderful vocal interpretations on this recording are further enhanced by her exquisite choice of musical arrangements - no less than by ten different, multi-talented arrangers for this project. Previously, Cambria released Where Freedom Rings - Compositions by Contemporary African American Composers performed by the AACI. All the musicians heard on this release are members of the African American Composer Initiative (AACI); a group of classical and jazz singers and instrumentalists of the San Francisco Bay Area and distinguished guest artists. AACI is dedicated to preserving the rich bounty of music by African American composers, historical and contemporary. Through live concerts of piano, vocal, and chamber music and an extensive website of video performances and publication information, AACI strives to increase awareness of this vast repertoire among the listening public and performing musicians alike, with the hope of sparking further explorations and performances. In addition, AACI regularly commissions and performs new works.