Raffi Besalyan just finished recording his new solo CD for Sono Luminus label. The album is titled "The Sound of Black and White", and it will be released in July of 2021.
"This album is a loving tribute to A. Khachaturian, the towering figure from my native Armenia, and to G. Gershwin, the musical genius from my adopted home, the United States. These two composers are bridged here by the phenomenal pianist/composer and Hollywood superstar, O. Levant. Since childhood, some of the album works have been my loyal recital companions; the other compositions I discovered during my immigration to America as a young adult. The recording will include the world premiere of Oscar Levant's jazzy Sonatina along with Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue, Earl Wild's virtuoso arrangements of Gershwin's songs The Man I Love, Embraceable You, Fascinatin' Rhythm, Somebody Loves Me, and Levant's arrangement of Khachaturian's Sabre Dance among others." Raffi Besalyan