Sir James Galway, the world's leading flautist, has received countless awards and honours, and has sold more than 30 million records worldwide. He has recorded over 60 albums to date and as he approaches his 70th birthday in 2009 he is, as always, looking for new and innovative approaches to music and to life. This innovative spirit is brought to the fore in is latest recording for RCA Red Seal, which is entitled 'O'Reilly Street' and is the first in a new, exclusive partnership with the label. 'O'Reilly Street' sees Sir James, internationally regarded as a matchless interpreter of the classical repertoire and a tireless champion of new music, in a thrilling collaboration with the hot, young, Grammynominated Cuban band, Tiempo Libre, acclaimed for its high-voltage timba music, a sizzling combination of Latin jazz and Cuban son. Typical of Sir James's innovative approach to both his life and his career, 'O'Reilly Street' has an unusual twist, as it features music from the Claude Bolling Jazz Suites with a dynamic Afro-Cuban beat. The album also includes an exciting new arrangement of Bach's 'Badinerie' as well as a number of vibrant new compositions by Tiempo Libre's musical director and pianist Jorge Gomez. Commented Sir James Galway on this recording: “I think this is one of the most outstanding recordings I've ever been involved in and I'm very excited about it…at my age to get to do this sort of thing is fantastic!”. The album is named after a street in Havana, Cuba, which in turn is named after a key military figure, General O'Reilly, and reflects the cultural and musical meeting of Sir James Galway and Tiempo Libre.
“Rooted in the classics and driven by Havana tradition, these musicians are firming up a distinctive voice of the Cuban diaspora and it’s inevitably exuberant, surging with determination, the sound a fastrising tide of adamant pride” CNN on Tiempo Libre
“All performing musicians aspire to the condition of James Galway. He has a technical mastery so complete that it makes everything look easy” Los Angeles Times
