I just watched a funny interview on the BBC news. Classical violinist David Garrett must have a pretty good PR person working for him, because I think this was the first time that I've seen a musician play in the studio, on the news. Plus - I hadn't heard of him until today, and the the story that got him there was that he fell down a flight of stairs onto his priceless Stradivarius violin, that actually cost him $1,000,000, and now the repair bill will be for around £60,000.

He was also able to get a plug in for his upcoming album, 'Virtuoso', which is released in March, and that he's currently on tour. Pretty clever stuff - all because of his fall, a cracked Stradivarious and of course, the fact that he's an incredible performer. I'm sure he'll gain many new fans from this, including me.

The BBC interview was funny because the female news reader was all in a tither as David played his violin, and the other news reader, a man, was making fun of her. She had noted Garrett was once a model (to supplement his student income) and that people call him the David Beckham of the violin...which is a bit silly. He is very nice looking though - and he plays a great violin! The violin that he was playing in the studio was another Stradivarius that was brought over from Milan so that he can continue his tour. Hopefully he'll keep that one intact.

David Garrett has been playing the violin since a very young age, and was known as a child prodigy.

His new album, 'Virtuoso' is set for release March 2008.

'Virtuoso' track listings:

1. La Califfa
2. Carmen Fantasie
3. Nothing Else Matters
4. Csardas - Gypsy Dance
5. Duelling Banjos
6. Pachelbel's Canon
7. Paganini Rhapsody
8. Somewhere (West Side Story)
9. The Flight of the Bumble Bee
10. Serenade
11. Toccata
12. You Raise Me Up
13. Eliza's Song

David Garrett - Virtuoso on amazon.co.uk

David Garrett on amazon.com

For more information, go to:

David Garrett Official Website

By: Jenny May - BandWeblogs.com

The album is driven by the electric violin and is supported by bass, drums, and electronica and has received much acclaim for it's uniqueness and originality. James has been reviewed as one of L.A.'s most energetic and talented performers.

Bryan Farrish Radio promotion proclaims that "James Sudakow wields his electric violin like Jimi Hendrix did with his guitar..."

WHERE: A small but excellent rock venue in Santa Monica - 14 Below - which features some of the best acts in Los Angeles.

WHEN: Thursday night, August 16th 2007 at 9:00 pm sharp.

James Sudakow on myspace

The band uses violin and cello as the main instrument of their music. It sounds quite sad, as its title. "The Funeral Album" contains eleven songs that express the feeling; being alone and loosing someone. All the instruments are used unconventionally, and the use of samples are quite interesting. The idea at the beginning was quite simple; "Let the instruments cry".

The Swedish and Turkish members Martin Bjelfvenstam, Anna Erneman and Taner Torun formed the band in 2006. Meeting accidentally when having a holiday in a Mediterranean town, the trio discovered that they had similar tastes of art and started playing together. After practicing for a while, this little project turned into a band. The debut 'The Funeral Album' was released on the 8th March of 2007. All songs are dedicated to their friends, who once upon a time shared their life then lost the battle.

The album is a self release just for now. The band makes a whole preview of the songs on their Last Fm page, and the whole album is downloadable for free on their weblog, in the music/downloads session.