King Curtis was the last of the great R&B tenor sax giants. Born Curtis Ousley in Fort Worth, Texas, he came to prominence in the mid-'50s as a session musician in New York, recording, at one time or another, for most East Coast R&B labels. A long association with Atco/Atlantic began in 1958, especially on recordings by the Coasters. He recorded singles for many small labels in the '50s – his own Atco sessions (1958-1959), and Prestige/New Jazz and Prestige/Tru-Sound for jazz and R&B albums (1960-1961). Curtis also had a number one R&B single with "Soul Twist" on Enjoy (1962). He was signed by Capitol (1963-1964), where he cut mostly singles, including the number 20 R&B hit "Soul Serenade." He returned to Atco/Atlantic in 1965, where he remained for the rest of his life. He had solid R&B single success with "Memphis Soul Stew" and "Ode to Billie Joe" (1967). Beginning in 1967, Curtis started to take a more active studio role at Atlantic, leading and contracting sessions for other artists, producing with Jerry Wexler, and later on his own. He also became the leader of Aretha Franklin's backing unit, the Kingpins. He compiled several albums of singles during this period. All aspects of his career were in full swing at the time he was murdered in 1971. He was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2000.

Jessica Pilnäs (born 5 July 1978) is a Swedish singer, songwriter and actress.

“Family Heirlooms” is the upcoming eighth full-length album by Citizen Soldier. They have said the story behind this album is a concept album of the healing journey through trauma therapy. Each song is also referred to as a “chapter” – adding further to this being a concept album about the healing journey through trauma therapy. Citizen Soldier is expected to release Family Heirlooms on November 12, 2025.

Featuring the first recording of BRITTEN’s ‘Les Illuminations, Op. 18’ sung in English, from a brand new translation by Timothy Adès! Also includes the original French version. Coupled with Samuel BARBER’s dramatic masterpiece ‘Knoxville: Summer of 1915, Op. 24’, written just a few years after ‘Les Illuminations’.

Norwegian singer Rebekka Bakken is one of Europe's most charismatic voices. With her unique blend of jazz, folk, pop, and Nordic melancholy, she has created a distinctive place in the international music scene. Since the early 2000s, she has released a string of acclaimed albums, including "The Art of How to Fall", her celebrated Tom Waits tribute "Little Drop of Poison", and most recently "Always on My Mind".

When, in 1950, a teenage Julian Bream happened upon Peter Warlock’s piano arrangements of some of John Dowland’s lute pieces, it was love at first sight. For almost the next 30 years, Bream would devote himself to both the lute and the guitar before relinquishing the former in favour of the latter (although he was to return to the lute many years later).

Composed in 2020 during the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, the first incarnation of the work was played as a sound installation at the Kapellen Leprosarium (Leper's Sanctuary) in Hanover, Germany. This sanctuary was built around 1250 and served as a quarantine for those who suffered from the plague and leprosy in the Middle Ages.

This hour of atmospheric dub techno music was recorded live during the 35th edition of my "Stay at home" online concert series in January 2022. All sounds are coming from the Roland Juno 60, Eurorack Modular and Elektron Digitakt. Effects by Valhalla DSP. Field Recordings by Luftrum.

Riot Jazz Brass Band return with their 4th studio album, dedicated to what they do best - making people happy!

You may know Rodrigo Amarante already. You may have heard "Tuyo," his theme tune to the Netflix drama Narcos, or the Little Joy album, recorded with Fab Moretti and Binki Shapiro, you might have noted his name among the credits on songs by Gal Costa, Norah Jones and Gilberto Gil; or perhaps you saw him play live with Brazilian samba big band Orquestra Imperial, or with Rio rockers Los Hermanos; you really should have heard his debut album, Cavalo, released in 2014.

David Amram's career as a versatile composer, conductor and multi-instrumentalist has spanned more than 70 years. Recorded here in its world premiere, Voyages for Solo Violin in three movements evokes ancient Egypt, Native American and African roots music and, in the words of the composer, "the tradition of the fiddler as a keeper of the flame." Ranging from prayer-like melodies to blues and polyrhythms, the Piano Sonata is one of the most jazz-influenced of any 20th-century work in this genre, while the Violin Sonata brings classical and jazz idioms together in music that inspired a collaboration with the writer Jack Kerouac.

Reentko Dirks is known for his genre-blending style, incorporating flamenco, jazz, and non-European influences, particularly from Arabian music. He has worked with artists and groups like Cirque du Soleil, Yo-Yo Ma, and Ksenija Sidorova, and has performed at iconic venues such as Carnegie Hall. In 2025, Dirks will release an Album featuring tracks dedicated to his late father, offering a reflective and emotional musical tribute. Dirks is part of the European Guitar Quartet and the ensemble Masaa, which won the German Jazz Prize in 2021.

I’m an avid fan of the TV comedy series Benidorm (like every night), about the adventures of a motley crew of ‘Brits’ on their annual holiday in Europe’s biggest resort town at the 3-Star Solana Hotel and which is on a permanent loop on a retro TV station here.

Bringing together British-Nigerian vocalist and composer Ola Onabulé with Philadelphia’s Hazelrigg Brothers and Austrian drummer Thomas Käfel, this release distills Onabulé’s acclaimed repertoire to its fully acoustic core. Recorded live in Bremen’s iconic Sendesaal, the project pursues fidelity and immediacy, employing hi-resolution and immersive audio formats, capturing the ensemble in real time. The result foregrounds interplay and musical presence, placing Onabulé’s striking vocal range and incisive songwriting in sharp focus.

Baroque giants La Serenissima return with VIVALDI 8 – VOLUME 2, following their previous instalment in February 2025 of Vivaldi 8 Volume 1. Recognised for ‘whipping up a storm with Vivaldi’, La Serenissima is ‘one of Britain’s best-loved chamber orchestras’ (The Telegraph) known for their outstanding performances, championing a host of neglected Italian baroque composers. Uniquely, the group’s entire repertoire is edited from source material by founder and violinist, Adrian Chandler OSI. Praise for Vivaldi recordings by La Serenissima: 5 stars “After being obsessed by the composer and his music world for more than 30 years, Chandler by now is Vivaldi incarnate” – The Times