James Hewitt was born in Dartmoor, England on June 4, 1770. Hewitt worked as a violinist, conductor, teacher, organist, music publisher, and composer in New York and Boston, with several years in the South toward the end of his life. He left a substantial body of works for piano. All are included on this album, performed by pianist Karen Johnson, who has devoted much to her study of this significant composer's work. Kirsten Johnson is a piano explorer – she has made her name recording undiscovered corners of the classical piano repertoire. A highly skilled pianist with great musical depth, she has made many world premiere recordings and has received rave reviews internationally. Her first album, Këngë: Albanian Piano Music, had the critics marveling, ‘Johnson plays with nuance and color; the recording is rich and resonant.' (American Record Guide) ‘[Johnson] expounds all this repertoire with manifest sympathy and skill. An unexpected delight.' (BBC Music Magazine). She has since recorded more Albanian music, music by Heinrich Schulz-Beuthen and Hermann Goetz, the complete piano music of Amy Beach (Guild) and the complete music of Arthur Foote (Delos).
