Mulo Francel and Evelyn Huber oppose all previous ideas of sound varieties in a very new way with their extraordinary co-operation of harp and saxophone. In wonderful harmony the duo impresses with exceptional Jazz improvisations and emotional originals causing surprising and fascinating sound events.

No Borders focuses on classical pieces as a basis for improvisation, and, on the other hand, also contains a completely composed original composition by Beirach: "Steel Prayers", a piece for the victims of 9/11. To take classical pieces and open them for improvisation, without depriving them of their character, is also the basic principle in the cooperation with violinist Gregor Hübner.

Pianist Steve Kuhn, accompanied by David Finck and Billy Drummond, explore classical works by a number of top composers from the 19th and 20th centuries on this Japanese release, though they are used as a launching pad for improvisation.

Sir Roland Hanna has released both jazz and classical albums, but this may be his most successful attempt to form a seamless blend of the two forms of music. On this album, Roland Hanna, Ron Carter and Grady Tate play nine tracks — eight written by classical composers, one Hanna original, and suprisingly enough for a piano trio session, not one blues. Schubert's "Serenade" swings like mad, Dvorak's "Going Home" sounds like a pop tune with a funk beat, Hanna's own "Like Grains Of Sand" and Rubinstein's "Melody In F" make for great bossa nova! Other highlights include Chopin's "Prelude Op. 28, No. 20", which is a superb feature for Ron Carter, and a suprisingly fresh version of Mozart's "Elvira Madigan, Concerto No. 21 C Major K467".

The acknowledged king of adult contemporary offers up an album that is chock-full of feel-good ballads. Whether he's covering Sting or Santana, Iglesias manages to deliver the material with the perfect combination of sentiment and showmanship.

The young Russo-British pianist Yevgeny Sudbin has inspired wildly varying reactions from critics and listeners, and he may be one of those artists whom you simply like or not. His technical skills are unquestioned, and he gets your attention with unusual gestures early on and coherently follows through on them. This collection of Haydn sonatas and other keyboard works, all pretty often played except for the Fantasia in C major, Hob. 17/4, certainly stands out from the crowd.

Two slinky 70s classics from French maestro Paul Mauriat - still doing great at this point in his career. Emmanuelle is a record that has Mauriat taking on the lead theme of the 70s erotic film at the start - then moving into a whole host of 70s covers, too - all done with Mauriat's trademark sense of timing alongside swirling strings - a bit of bass at the bottom, some well-paced arrangements on the top - occasionally nodding to a bit of the disco of the generation, but never too much overall…

Certainly, Paul Bley is no stranger to jazz fans, but he is more closely associated with the avant garde than with the mainstream, and this title is among his more abstract dates. Many fans of Bley maintain that he is best heard solo, and this 1999 recording comes pretty close – Bley's free improvisations are accompanied sparingly by the intelligent percussion of Togashi.

Gary Karr, acclaimed as "the world's leading solo bassist", is, in fact, the first solo doublebassist in history to make that pursuit a full-time career. It is a career that adds new lustre to his already lustrous 1611 Amati doublebass which was given to him by the widow of Serge Koussevitzky. Since his debut with Leonard Bernstein and the New York Philharmonic in 1962, Karr has performed as soloist on six continents. Gary Karr performs on this release with Harmon Lewis on pipe organ for a group of classical pieces by Beethoven, Bach, and more.

Out of Thin Air is PS Audio's Octave Records' premier launch recording. This is a beautiful collection of music composed and performed by world-renowned pianist, Don Grusin. We've spared no effort to create what we consider to be one of the finest piano recordings we've ever heard. We are excited to share this recording, featuring masterful solo piano playing by Don, as an ultimate reference for letting you hear how a piano can come alive in your room.

Cyrus Chestnut is a highly-regarded, Baltimore-born jazz pianist, who embraces a range of influences from hard bop, and modalism, to gospel. For this release for Japanese audiophile label, Venus Records, he is joined with the bassist Dezron Douglas and drummer Neal Smith to re-imagine the classics from Beethoven and Chopin to Bach and Tchaikovsky in Piano Trios jazz arrangements.

Denny Zeitlin is an American jazz pianst and composer. He's recorded more than 35 albums including more than 100 original compositions. On this release for Japanese Venus Records he's joins the bassist Buster Williams and drummer Al Forster to perform the Great American Songbook favorites and more jazz standards.

After her superb debut from the Japanese Venus Records (Someday My Prince Will Come), her eagerly awaited second album is something of a coup — she recorded the entire album with the all-star hard bop group One For All. The supergroup that includes Eric Alexander and David Hazeltine has never accompanied a singer for an entire album. The familar standards are tastefully and intelligently arranged, and Cole's attractive voice and the ability to swing are in full display. Her voice is rich and strong. She has impeccable technique and control, and a confident jazz style that hints an influence from Carmen McRae. And, as expected, the ensemble and solo work of the band is simply phenomenal! A rare album that satisfies fans of vocal jazz and fans of serious hardbop, instrumental jazz!

With a voice praised as “a deep contralto as smooth and dark as the richest espresso”, award-winning jazz vocalist Alexis Cole has made an impressive impact on audiences ever since she first took the stage as a teenager. Called "one of the great voices of today", Alexis Cole has been compared to classic jazz singers such as Sarah Vaughan and Anita O'Day. Her luxurious voice and innovative interpretations make her an instant favorite with audiences of all ages. Cole is the recipient of a Swing Journal Gold Disk award, and has won the NY Jazzmobile and Montreux Jazz Festival vocal competitions. "Someday My Prince Will Come" is her first album for Japanese Venus Records.

On this release for Japanese Venus Records, Sayaka Tsuruta joins Ken Peplowski and the world-class Ted Rosenthal piano trio to complile a 12-track SACD full of jazz favorites.