Fretwork here unveils some obscure but engaging works from the golden age of English consort music by the little-known but accomplished composers Martin Peerson and John Milton, father of the celebrated poet. The programme combines scholarship, performance and recording technology to bring to light some two-dozen forgotten works, from dancing almaines to brooding intricate fantasias.

It's a Dizzy Gillespie in flower-patterned Bermuda shorts that this CD gives us, a Dizzy playing the trumpet and singing in the shade of the plams growing on the beach of one's dreams. the same Diz who, in the film "A Night in Havana", proclaimed his faith in the future of a music gathering all the Afro-American currents together, and who practiced what he preached as early as 1948: fronting his legendary Big Band, whose echo can be heard here during "Whisper Not", Dizzy imposed Cu-Bop, a happy marriage of Jazz and Cuban rhythms that was celebrated in the enthusiasm and rage of youth. Since then, Dizzy has never given up his quest for the slightest sound to come from the guardian-mother Africa…

Mecki Mark Men were Swedens first Psychedelia band and this debut album from 1967 is so psychedelic and wasted that even the hardcore of both US and German Psych bands would be green with envy. The base is jazzy avantgarde like rock with wasted out there vocals and psyched out structures combined with sitar drone. This is not garagey jingle jangle pop psych of 1967 but hardcore acid psychedelia that became more the norm in the late 60's and early 70's than in 1967. This debut album is a cornerstone of Swedish underground psychedelia. Both Mecki Bodemark (Vocals & organ) and Thomas Mera Gartz (drums, still active with Trдd Grдs och Stenar) are among the founding fathers of Swedish psychelia.

Thomas Matherly - Fissure Cat - is a singer, song writer, and multi-instrumentalist from Massachusetts. With a focus on healing and nature, he performs blues/folk/acoustic when playing solo and hard electric blues/rock n' roll with his current drummer Stefanie Jade Marotte. He fell in love with Beethoven, Miles Davis and The Beatles whilst gently floating in the womb. In 1987 he successfully exited the womb in New York City and continued his love affair with great music. Nirvana, The Smashing Pumpkins, Sound Garden and many other popular grunge and rock bands captured his interest in the early 90's and have heavily influenced his music.

Chicago style blues, blues guitar in the style of Muddy Waters , Otis Rush, and Hound Dog Taylor, House Rockin!!

Internationally acclaimed tenor Rolando Villazón presents an all-new recording of Italian arias by Handel. Though Villazón is not generally associated with this repertoire, his muscular and virile performances are a thrilling and new way to hear Handel. Paul McCreesh (a noted Handel expert) and the exciting Gabrieli Players join Villazón giving the listener both an authentic period performance as well as a new twist on familiar Handel. To suit his voice, Villazón performs not only tenor arias, but also transposed mezzo arias a practice familiar to Handel. This is a unique and wonderfully thrilling album completely unlike Villazón s previous recordings.

With the support of Power Station guitarist Andy Taylor and bassist Bernard Edwards, Rod Stewart rebounds from his previous career nadir of "Love Touch" with Out of Order. Alternating between professional, driving rock & roll like "Lost in You" and ballads like "My Heart Can't Tell You No," Out of Order is a well-constructed set of mainstream pop/rock and his best album since Tonight I'm Yours, even if none of the songs rank among his best work.

With classical pianist Kevin Savigar established as his songwriting partner, Rod Stewart marched into the mid-'80s in finer shape than he'd been in for a few years. Every Beat of My Heart was his 15th solo album and, after the disappointments of the preceding Body Wishes and Camouflage, the wistful romance of the title track alone suggested that he was back on track. Unfortunately, it was not to be. One could compile a genuinely excellent collection from across Stewart's entire '80s output. But Every Beat of My Heart, like the LPs on either side of it, found him floundering directionless in a sea of, on the one hand, syrupy schmaltz; and, on the other, clichéd rockers, with just the occasional flash of style sneaking in, to remind us why we even cared any longer.

Camouflage is better than the disastrous Body Wishes, but that's only a relative term. Jeff Beck adds the occasional rock guitar flourish, but that doesn't save the faceless material. Again, the two singles "Infatuation" and "Some Guys Have All the Luck" are fine, ready-made pop hits, but they wear thin after a few plays, and they're the best things on the record.

The summer countdown is on and we have the perfect summer soundtrack to suit all occasions. In The Summertime is a superb collection delivering 100 popular summer anthems across all genres from contemporary hits to cool laid-back classic grooves. The big sun-drenched hits are delivered courtesy of Dua Lipa, Jess Glynne, Rudimental, Lilly Allen, Cee-Lo Green, Tinnie Tempah, Craig David, Moloko, Ultra Nate plus a host of other huge names. Who can resist those infectious classics that always scream summer served up by Rick Astley, Chic, Madness, Cher, Mark Morrison, Peter Andre, The B-52s, Duran, Duran, A-Ha, Bob Marley and the list goes on. These are 100 essential gems that perfectly capture the mood of summer and will see you through the long hot months. It doesn’t matter what genre you like, there is something on here for everyone. Happy Summer!

This obscure power trio is thought to have come from Boston, where they supported the Velvet Underground in 1969, the same year their sole LP appeared. An inspired blend of tough electric blues (Leavin' Trunk , Antique Locomotives), commercial songs with distinctive hooks (What Of I?, Pourscha Poe) and more overtly acid-influenced material (David's Rush, Yellow Wall), it's an overlooked psychedelic gem that deserves far wider recognition.

Zahlreiche Auszeichnungen, unzählige Hitsingles, 17 Studioalben und 40 Jahre auf der Bühne Die Karriere von Andrea Jürgens sucht ihresgleichen. Bereits mit zarten 10 Jahren stand sie auf der Bühne und verzauberte die Zuschauer mit dem Evergreen Und dabei liebe ich euch beide . Hits wie Ein Herz für Kinder , Japanese Boy , Playa Blanca oder Manuel Goodbye gehören bis heute zur Crème de la Crème des deutschen Schlagers. Ihr letztes Album Millionen von Sternen zeigte eine andere, vom Leben geprägte und erwachsene Andrea Jürgens, die ihre Magie nach so vielen Jahren dennoch nicht verloren hatte. Diese Kompilation ehrt die Karriere der Ausnahmekünstlerin auf ganz besondere Weise, denn nicht nur die großen Hits, sondern auch besondere Duette und einmalig emotionale Akustik-Versionen, die unter die Haut gehen, sind dabei. Das große Highlight ist jedoch eine bisher unveröffentlichte Aufnahme, die nach langer und tiefgreifender Archivsuche gefunden werden konnte und erstmals auf dieser Zusammenstellung erscheint. Der Titel Ich bin bei dir wurde von Andrea Jürgens in den 90er Jahren eingesungen, als sie noch eng mit Jack White zusammen gearbeitet hat.

Classic Sonny Stitt for Verve – one of those masterful albums he cut for the label in the 50s – all in a format that's misleadingly simple on paper, but surprisingly complex in execution! Stitt's backed by a trio that includes Lou Levy on piano, Leroy Vinnegar on bass, and Mel Lewis on drums – but all players seem to hit a more deeply soulful groove than usual – just the right sound to match Sonny's sharper-edge groove, and near-perfect execution of his solos. Stitt's tone is right out front in the mix – beautifully recorded by Norman Granz, with as much respect to his sound as Sonny brings to his own renditions of the tunes.

Metallica formed in 1981 by vocalist/guitarist James Hetfield and drummer Lars Ulrich. The duo first met through an ad in a Los Angeles-based music newspaper. At the time, Ulrich had little musical experience and no band but managed to secure a slot on an upcoming compilation record called “Metal Massacre”. Metallica’s contribution, “Hit The Lights”, featured Hetfield, Ulrich and lead guitarist Lloyd Grant…