Joshua Bell Tops The Billboard Charts With New Star-Studded Duets CD AT HOME WITH FRIENDS

Joshua Bell Tops The Billboard Charts With New Star-Studded Duets CD AT HOME
WITH FRIENDS
CD DEBUTS AT #1 POSITION ON BILLBOARD'S CLASSICAL & CLASSICAL CROSSOVER CHARTS

NEW YORK, Oct. 8 /PRNewswire/ -- JOSHUA BELL's new recording, AT HOME WITH
FRIENDS (Sony Masterworks) marks the violin virtuoso's best-selling debut
ever. Released on September 29, AT HOME WITH FRIENDS takes the #1 spot on both
Billboard's Classical and Classical Crossover charts, and the #2 position on
the Heatseekers Chart.

Alex Miller, Senior Vice President/General Manager of Sony Masterworks says
"We couldn't be more pleased by the immediate success of Joshua Bell's new
album. It is an innovative and accessible body of work that we believe appeals
to fans of all genres of music around the world."

On AT HOME WITH FRIENDS, the Grammy Award-winning violinist fulfills a
life-long career dream of recording a CD of instrumental and vocal duets with
a diverse roster of musicians including Chris Botti, Sting, Josh Groban,
Kristin Chenoweth, Regina Spektor, Anoushka Shankar, Marvin Hamlisch, Tiempo
Libre, among others.

The concept of AT HOME WITH FRIENDS was inspired by Bell's long-time practice
of holding 'musical soirees' at his New York residence - eclectic gatherings
of musicians, actors, comics, literary figures and others who convene for the
sheer joy of sharing their art in an informal setting. With this in mind, Bell
has spent the past four years designing and building his home in Manhattan to
accommodate the ideal 'stay-at-home' venue.

With more than 30 original albums to his credit, Bell has captured the
public's attention like no other classical violinist of his time, enchanting
audiences worldwide with his breathtaking playing and tone of rare beauty, as
performed on his legendary Stradivarius violin made in 1713. Equally at home
as a soloist, chamber musician, and orchestra leader, Bell has earned
countless awards and honors for his work as a concert stage performer and
recording artist. He has won multiple Grammy awards and was awarded the
prestigious Avery Fisher Prize. His 2004 album Romance of the Violin was named
the "Classical CD of the Year" by Billboard Magazine, with Bell named
"Classical Artist of the Year." In the national spotlight since age 14 (when
he made his acclaimed orchestral debut with Riccardo Muti and the Philadelphia
Orchestra), and a recording artist since age 18, Bell has been an exclusive
Sony Music artist for more than a decade. Acclaimed for the wide range of
music he has chosen to record, Bell's output ranges from mainstream classical
concertos by Sibelius and Beethoven, a live recording with the Berlin
Philharmonic (Tchaikovsky concerto), the bluegrass inspired Short Trip Home -
from the jazz influenced Gershwin Fantasy, to the Bernstein-inspired West Side
Story Suite and many others. His interest in film is particularly notable,
having performed all the violin solos in The Red Violin, helping the film win
an Oscar for the "Best Original Score" (written by John Corigliano). He has
received recognition beyond his awards that are not common to most classical
artists, having been the first musician to have a classical music video played
on VH1, to appearing as himself on Sesame Street and alongside Meryl Streep in
Music of the Heart.

Track Listing
1. I Loves You Porgy - featuring Chris Botti, trumpet
2. Come Again - featuring Sting, vocals
3. Oblivion - featuring Carel Kraayenhof, bandoneon
4. Cinema Paradiso - featuring Josh Groban, vocals
5. Para Ti - featuring Tiempo Libre, various
6. My Funny Valentine - featuring Kristin Chenoweth, vocals
7. Maybe So - featuring Edgar Meyer, Double-bass, Sam Bush, Mandolin and
Mike Marshall, Guitar
8. Grieg: Sonata No. 3 - featuring Sergei Rachmaninoff (Zenph
re-performance)
9. Eleanor Rigby - featuring Frankie Moreno, piano & vocals
10. O, Cease Thy Maiden Fair - Nathan Gunn, baritone
11. Il Postino - featuring Carel Kraayenhof, bandoneon
12. Left Hand Song - featuring Regina Spektor, piano & vocals
13. Chovendo Na Roseira - featuring Dave Grusin, piano
14. Look Away - featuring Edgar Meyer, bass and Chris Thile, mandolin
15. Variant Moods: Duet for Sitar & Violin (abridged version) - featuring
Anoushka Shankar, sitar

16. I'll Take Manhattan - featuring Marvin Hamlisch, piano

RCA Red Seal, Sony Classical, deutsche harmonia mundi, Masterworks Broadway
and Masterworks Jazz are labels of Sony Masterworks. For e-mail updates and
information regarding RCA Red Seal, Sony Classical, deutsche harmonia mundi,
Masterworks Broadway and Masterworks Jazz artists, promotions, tours and
repertoire, please visit www.sonymasterworks.com.

www.JoshuaBell.com

SOURCE Sony Masterworks

Angela Barkan, Sony Masterworks, +1-212-833-8575, angela.barkan@sonymusic.com,
or Jane Covner, JAG Entertainment, +1-818-905-5511, jcovner@jagpr.com