Released in 1976, just as the Kinks ended their notoriously uneven tenure at RCA, The Kinks' Greatest: Celluloid Heroes is a summary of their time at the label. Since they didn't have many genuine hits while at RCA, this winds up being a haphazard sampling of concept albums. Occasionally, an album is accurately represented. For instance, the selections from Muswell Hillbilles are perfect, but considering that nearly half this compilation leans on that terrific record, they would have to be. Apart from that album, the selection is decidedly hit and miss. It isn't that singles are missing – their lone British hit from this time, "Supersonic Rocket Ship," is nowhere to be found – or that albums are overlooked (no Schoolboys in Disgrace), it's that highlights like "Here Comes Yet Another Day" and "Sweet Lady Genevieve" are left on their original albums. AllMusic Review by Stephen Thomas Erlewine

State of Confusion gave the Kinks their biggest single in nearly 20 years, but they didn't try to replicate the music hall-tinged pop of "Come Dancing" on its follow-up, Word of Mouth, preferring to concentrate on straight-ahead hard rock. Most of the material was well crafted, but only a few songs were distinctive, particularly the circular, synth-spiked minor hit "Do It Again." AllMusic Review by Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Arista had made it clear they would not accept any concept albums from the Kinks, and Sleepwalker, their first effort for the label, makes good on the band's promise. Comprised entirely of glossy arena rockers and power ballads, the album is more of a stylistic exercise than a collection of first-rate songs.

Kris Kristofferson had a belated start of a great recording career when he was in his mid thirties, releasing Kristofferson in 1970. The Nashville star distinguished himself from other Country acts, taking on a political stance lyrically that exceeded Nashville standards.

Camel released their second album almost a year to the day after their debut, yet it was a very different set of circumstances that greeted the release of Mirage on 1 March 1974. The band’s debut release on MCA Records had received muted praise and they decided not to exercise their option for a second record. This may have been the end for many bands, or at best slowed their progress. But with a new management team of Geoff Jukes and Max Hole of Gemini Artists guiding them, Camel moved to Decca Records’ Deram label camel and really hit their stride.

BRIDGES is a modern, Nordic jazz project that has a vision to construct musical bridges between Norway and other parts of the world.

"Jimmy Hamilton may not have recorded very often as a leader while he worked with Duke Ellington for a quarter of a century, but his occasional records on his own are worth exploring. This Fresh Sound CD is a compilation of two Urania releases recorded in 1954, including the complete contents of Accent on Clarinet and four songs from Clarinet in High Fi. Hamilton sticks exclusively to clarinet throughout both sessions. On the first, a piano-less date with fellow Ellington veterans Clark Terry and Oscar Pettiford, as well as Osie Johnson, Barry Galbraith, and rhythm guitarist Sidney Gross, the music is drawn from the Ellington songbook, in addition to standards and originals by the participants. Hamilton lets his hair down with a lively extended solo in "I Get a Kick Out of You."

Wings Over America is the monumental live album by Paul McCartney and Wings, originally released in December of 1976. Recorded throughout the band s Wings Over America U.S. tour dates earlier that Spring, the album reached #1 in the US in early 1977. Containing almost two full hours of music, Wings Over America offers a stunning rendition of Maybe I m Amazed, plus Wings classics such as Live and Let Die, My Love, & Let Em In. McCartney also included some Beatles classics into the set list, including Yesterday, The Long and Winding Road and more for the first time since the Beatles had broken up six years earlier.

"Another Country" is a studio album by singer Cassandra Wilson, featuring the guitar, songwriting and production of Italian guitarist and producer Fabrizio Sotti. The album also marks the end of her 20-year contract with Blue Note label. "Another Country" features a blend of new songs, instrumentals and arrangements that resulted from the collaboration between Sotti and Wilson. The final track, “Olomuroro” also features backup vocals from the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts Chamber Choir.

"New Moon Daughter" is one of Cassandra Wilson's most-beloved albums, released in 1995 on Blue Note. It reached #1 on the Billboard Top Jazz Albums chart in 1996. Critics noted that the "New Moon Daughter", although quite similar to Wilson's previous album (Blue Light 'Til Dawn), was darker in feeling and had some very striking, intense performances. Notable tracks include Billie Holiday's "Strange Fruit", "Skylark", and "Last Train to Clarksville".

One of the benchmark records in jazz and in the Ella Fitzgerald catalog. "The Duke Ellington Songbook" features a wonderful selection interpreted splendidly by one of the all time great voices in music. It was the first of a series of recordings by the prolific pair. Ellington's performances both at piano and directing orchestra are outstanding. This is beautifully balanced by the sweet and luscious delivery of Fitzgerald on the classics "Take The A Train", "Solitude", "I'm Just A Lucky So and So", and "Caravan". The album featured a number of legendary performers including Paul Gonsalves, Ben Webster, Ray Nance, Oscar Peterson, Ray Brown, Billy Strayhorn, Barney Kessel, Dizzy Gillespie, Sam Woodyard and many more. The Duke Ellington Songbook is a true must have for any jazz fan.

With the release of Eric Clapton's "Money and Cigarettes", the multi-Grammy Award winner and three time Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee, further solidified his place as one of music's greatest. An album full of important milestones and smooth guitar licks finds the influential musician collaborating with new players including Stax Records’ veteran bassist Donald “Duck” Dunn, guitarist Ry Cooder and drummer Roger Hawkins. Included is the breakout hit single “I’ve Got A Rock N’ Roll Heart”, the gorgeous acoustic ballad “Pretty Girl,” and riveting renditions of Albert King’s “Crosscut Saw” and Johnny Otis’ “Crazy Country Hop”. A pinnacle effort in a long standing legacy, available as a hi-res download!

This classic 1977 album featured 3 monster hits: "Cocaine", "Wonderful Tonight", "Lay Down Sally", was ranked in Rolling Stone's "500 Greatest Albums of All Time", and hit #2 on the Billboard Album Charts. Matching Clapton's legendary guitar playing with some of his greatest songwriting, the album is among the best recordings of the legendary musician's career. Everyone needs at least one copy of this classic.

RAM, originally released in May of 1971, is the only album to be credited to both Paul and Linda McCartney and was Paul’s second post-Beatles LP. It was overshadowed at the time by the drama of the dissolution of The Beatles, as played out in the world’s media. The album topped the charts hitting #1 in the UK and #2 in the US. While RAM polarized critics upon its release, music fans and critics alike since have overwhelmingly embraced it, with Rolling Stone, for example, revising their original review up to 4 stars. Recently RAM has enjoyed even further re-appraisal and acknowledgement including a number of tribute albums.

Ai Shinohara just released August 22nd with the latest work "To The End Of This World" which co-starred with the up-and-coming creators. A dream team by her and Will Lee and Steve Gadd returned to Blue Note Tokyo after a year and three months. For Sugawara, Will and Gadd have been super heroes since she opened her eyes on jazz and fusion when she was in elementary school. I was fascinated by their performance hundreds of times with records, CDs, videos, live, etc. I dreamed that I could play with them someday. That was the first time in February 2017. This live, in addition to the numbers from the commemorative album 'Somehow, Someday, Somewhere', is a stage more than the last time from the last time to the original written down and the cover song surprisingly surprised.