Carol Sloane's Romantic Ellington lives up to the title's promise, collecting some of Duke Ellington's most romantic songs, including "Come Sunday," "A Flower Is a Lovesome Thing," "Prelude to a Kiss," "In My Solitude," "Lush Life" and "Tonight I Shall Sleep." Sloane's vocals are both sultry and accomplished, completing the album's aura of worthiness.

After a strong showing in the early '70s, Skin Alley drastically changed their lineup (and shifted their musical gears a bit) for their final two albums, 1972's Two Quid Deal and 1973's Skintight. There was still a strong prog rock base to their songwriting, but their folk and rock tendencies came to the fore on these two records more than ever before. Their deft instrumental technique screamed "prog," but never overshadowed the songs with unnecessary noodling or overt showings of musical dexterity. And that's the thing - there are "songs" here. With most of the tunes clocking in under the four-minute mark, there's no room for overindulgence. The arrangements are concise and even the instrumental numbers show a deliberately sophisticated restraint. Tales from Topographic Oceans, this is not. In packaging these two fine albums together (along with two bonus singles), Castle Music has one-bettered the bootleg "greatest-hits" collections…

This was the first album released on the Provogue label in 1995 by 'Aussie' guitarist, vocalist and songwriter Rob Tognoni. Produced by fellow 'Aussie' and slide guitar maestro Dave Hole[who adds a touch of his magic to 'Itty Bitty Mama'] the guitar sound on this album is reminiscent of early AC/DC but Rob also makes great use of his wah wah pedal, plus he draws on a wider range of influences and in that respect has more in common with Rory Gallagher. You get the riff rock of 'The Good Die Young,' 'Is This Love' and 'Bad girl', the wah wah drenched 'Lil' Melody'and 'The Sinner' then theres the introspective feel of 'When I'm Alone' and 'Inside Your Window,' most of this is encapsulated on last track 'Don't Take Me' which carries a deceptively simple but stunningly effective bass line that conjures up an image of a big sky and a road that just goes on forever.

The always eclectic Maria Muldaur, whose previous albums have paid tribute to Shirley Temple and blues women of the '20s, takes another musical detour in this collection of songs associated with Peggy Lee. In addition to her cool, sexy, relaxed voice, Lee was arguably more talented than other vocalists from her era. As a songwriter she co-penned some of her own material, including the swinging "I'm Gonna Go Fishin'" with Duke Ellington, which features the witty double entendres that spice several other songs. Muldaur possesses a similar ability to purr ("Some Cats Know") or sizzle (an opening tour de force of "Fever" and "Black Coffee") without breaking a sweat. So this collection of 12 tracks, backed by a talented yet restrained eight-piece band, is a natural extension of her vocal strengths. The stylish, retro arrangements include vibes and big-band-styled horn charts that sound as authentic as if they were recorded in the '30s. Even though there are some finger-popping swing numbers (a zippy duet with Dan Hicks on Ted Shapiro's "Winter Weather" is especially peppy), a late-night, languid blues-jazz vibe dominates.

A brand new album of brand-new songs from the No. 1 R&B Group of All Time, The Temptations. Features tracks written and produced by Narada Michael Walden, the young hip-hop producer K. Sparks, longtime group member Ron Tyson, founding member Otis Williams, and the equally legendary Smokey Robinson, whose classic songs launched the group’s original hit streak. The new album release will coincide with Otis Williams’s 80thbirthday, and the Broadway return (and road show edition) of the hit musical, Ain’t Too Proud: The Life and Times of The Temptations.

Luther and Cody Dickinson started the North Mississippi Allstars in 1996 as a loose collective of like-minded second-generation musicians who shared a local repertoire and regional style. Over the years the lineup shifted by design, and each NMA record offered up a different combination of collaborators. Set Sail finds the brothers working with Jesse Williams on bass and Lamar Williams, Jr. for the first time. Set Sail, the North Mississippi Allstars' thirteenth album, follows 2019"s Up and Rolling, which was nominated for a Grammy Award for the Best Contemporary Blues Album in 2021. Set Sail continues the band's tradition of creating roots music that displays remarkable variety. With their latest record, NMA are able to build upon their self-described sound of Primitive Modernism. A melding of the new and the old, traditional and futuristic, crafted lyrics and improvisational music.

During Albinoni’s lifetime (1671-1751) four separate collections of sonatas with violin were published under his name, though only the Trattenimenti armonici Op.6 were prepared by their composer. The works in Op.6 have accordingly dominated the record catalogues and obscured the virtues of the others, which Federico Guglielmo presents here with his customary flair and feeling for the Italian Baroque which has previously yielded the much-praised Brilliant Classics collection of Vivaldi’s Opp 1-12 (95200) as well as the Op.1 Trio Sonatas (94789) by Albinoni himself.

Eric Gales is a blues firebrand. Over 30 years and 18 albums, his passion for the music and his boundless desire to keep it vital has never waned, even when his own light dimmed due to his substance struggles. Five years sober, creatively rejuvenated, and sagely insightful, Eric is ready for the fight of his career. Aptly, he calls his masterful new album, out January 2022 on Provogue/Mascot Label Group, Crown. The songs are delivered with clarity and feature Eric's personal experiences and hope for positive change. In addition, the 16-track collection boasts his finest singing, songwriting, and his signature guitar playing that burns throughout. Produced by Joe Bonamassa and Josh Smith, this is Eric at his most boldly vulnerable, uncompromisingly political, and unflinchingly confident.

Thijs van Leer is a Dutch musician, singer, songwriter, composer and producer, best known as the founding member of the rock band Focus as its primary vocalist, keyboardist, and flautist. Born and raised in Amsterdam among a musical family, van Leer took up the piano and flute as a child and pursued them at university and music academies. Van Leer achieved success as a solo artist in the Netherlands. His first two solo albums featuring classical flute, Introspection (1972) and Introspection 2 (1975), sold an estimated 1.2 million copies. He has collaborated with various artists, and continues to release albums and perform in various capacities.

The Remo Four's lone album is an above-average slab of mid-'60s British mod-soul, with a tinge of jazz. Tony Ashton's organ playing could hold its own with that of better-known players in the same style, such as Graham Bond, Alan Price, and Georgie Fame; Colin Manley's vocals were first-rate blue-eyed soul; and Phil Rogers' bass was very assertive and well-recorded by the standards of the era. Although Smile! consisted wholly of covers, these were imaginatively and energetically executed, especially when they stretched out into some jazz-soul grooves on "Brother Where Are You" and "Jive Samba"; on "No Money Down," they sound quite a bit like the early Animals. The CD reissue on Repertoire adds eight important bonus tracks, half of which are from 1966 and 1967 singles, and half previously unreleased…