Jones,Martin 75Th Birthday Tribute CD

An appreciation by Adrian Farmer, Nimbus Music Director In the winter of 1979, just a few months after joining Nimbus Records and fresh out of Music College, I recall very clearly sitting in the control room, surrounded by boxes of analogue tapes containing the complete piano works of Mendelssohn played by Martin Jones. Nimbus founders, Numa Labinsky, Michael and Gerald Reynolds had, in the previous days, played me Martin's unreleased recordings of the Variations Serieuses and Rachmaninoff's Corelli Variations, and I was keen to discover if this incredibly fluent, muscular playing was typical of all his work. There was no disappointment; everything confirmed that here was a special talent, and a keyboard titan. At that date very few of the Mendelssohn recordings had been edited, despite having been made at various intervals over the previous nine years. Nimbus had moved from it's Birmingham base in 1975 and was now preoccupied developing an LP pressing business that would enable it to release it's own recordings. With nothing to lose, and no experience to give me pause for doubt, I offered to prepare the masters for the Mendelssohn, if someone would spare the time to show me how to use a razor blade. So it was that a few weeks later I phoned Martin, and told him that the Mendelssohn was done and he should come to Monmouth to listen. He probably didn't believe me; after such a long delay he must have thought that ship had sailed. In fact the eventual release of the complete Mendelssohn would not happen until 1986 and on CD rather than LP. Nonetheless the flame was rekindled, and 35 years on from that phone call (45 counting from Martin's first recording), we can look back over a musical partnership that is one of the cornerstones of the Nimbus catalogue. In addition to his contributions to the repertoire Martin has always been our 'go-to' performer for microphone tests and experiments. He helped with selection of new Steinway 'Ds' in 1995 and 2012, he has played for hours on end while we put new microphones through their trials, and when we assessed the acoustic properties of the new concert-hall at Wyastone Leys. He was the first person to make videos for Nimbus, and, as part of his birthday year, will initiate a video library of performances on-line. Martin has been witness to every step of Nimbus's progress, and continues to be there to lend his support. This box set is our way of celebrating a major birthday, and an enduring friendship. Happy Birthday, Martin, and thank you from the Nimbus Family, past and present

1. Allegro Con Brio 2. Romance No. 13, Op. 755 3. Three Caprices, Op. 33, No. 1 4. Andante Con Moto 5. Study No. 2 6. Grazioso 7. Presto 8. Barcarolle in F Sharp Major 9. Rondena 10. VII Pour Les Degr?s Chromatiques 11. VIII Pour Les Agr?ments 12. IX Pour Les Notes R?p?t?es 13. Study II on Chopin's Valse, Op. 64, No. 1 14. Frohsinn (Gaiety) 15. Richard Strauss - St?ndchen (Serenade) 16. Variations on a Theme of Corelli, Op. 42 17. Allegro de Concierto 18. Evocati?n Coste±a 19. Danza Del Valle 20. Canci?n de Cuna 21. Paso de Baile Serrano 22. Canto de la Umbria 23. Ritmos de la Huerta 24. Sonata, Homenaje a Domenico Scarlatti 25. Nocturno Otonal 'Recordando a Chopin' 26. Cadena de Valses - Evocation Romantique 27. Energic 28. Obscur 29. Profond - Lent 30. Misterios 31. Calma 32. En la Torre Del Castillo 33. Allegretto 34. Lento Muy Expresivo 35. Presto 36. Fantasia Baetica 37. Barcarolle No. 2 38. Schererzade 39. Tantris Le Bouffon 40. Hymne 41. Romanza 42. Rondoletto 43. Cadenza Finale 44. Allegro Pesante 45. Vivace 46. Grave 47. Andante Grazioso E Scherzando 48. Con Moto 49. Gretl, Grazioso 50. Margit, Espressivo 51. Gisi 52. Mitzi 53. Somebody Loves Me 54. I Got Rhythm 55. Piano Sonata No. 3, Op. 40 56. Children's March 57. Ramble on the Last Love 58. VIII in D Major: Prelude. Allegro Moderato 59. IX in B-Flat Major: Prelude. Andante Maestoso 60. Variations on, 'The Lambeth Walk' 61. Elle Semble D'abord 62. Elle ?tait L'amour 63. Elle Trace Des Roses 64. Elle a Fait Tout Son Corps 65. Elle C?l?brait Tous Les Myst?res 66. Voici la Choeur Ail? Des Illustres 67. La Petite P?cheuse 68. Mademoiselle Grimpel Au Ruban Bleu 69. Au Piano 70. Filette Au Chapeau a Plume Rose 71. Les Enfants de Madame Charpentier 72. Le Petit Collegian 73. Eclogue 74. Allegro 75. Andante 76. Allegro