Yo-Yo Ma & Kathryn Stott - Merci

Yo-Yo Ma & Kathryn Stott - MerciMerci is a deeply personal expression of gratitude, a celebration of the powerful relationships that keep music alive. This effervescent recording is rooted in the compositions of Gabriel Faur, whom Kathryn Stott calls her "musical soulmate," and follows the arcs of his inspiration and influence, from the creations of his teacher Camille Saint Sans and his friend and supporter Pauline Viardot to works by his student Nadia Boulanger and her sister,

Alex White) production

Direct Hits was originally entitled Cream

By far the most unexpected hit record of 2011 was the 29th and final studio album from an 89-year-old Doris Day

a heart-wrenching piano ballad that became one of his most critically acclaimed tracks

ebbing and flowing

abstract synth-pop

Parquet Courts)

along with backing vocals from Sam Brown

recorded earlier this year

and rattle-the-rafters high notes

" and the Grammy-winning single

while embracing many of the defining styles in American rock 'n' roll history