At long last, Jean Martinon's classic EMI Debussy and Ravel cycles from the 1970s have been gathered in a space-saving box set. If you love this repertoire, you'll gasp with joy at the conductor's crystal-clear orchestral balances, which truly reproduce what you see in the printed music. If you respond to a lean, sinewy approach to this repertoire in the manner of Toscanini and Boulez, but pine for the timbral characteristics that used to distinguish French orchestras (silver-coated strings, tart woodwinds, and slightly watery brass) in gorgeous, vibrant sonics, Martinon's your man. Aldo Ciccolini's crisp, diamond-edged finger work stands out in Ravel's two piano concertos and in Debussy's rarely heard Fantasie. The young Itzhak Perlman's dazzling, effortless traversal of Ravel's Tzigane will humble many an aspiring fiddler. And you won't find a more sparkling, translucent Ravel Mother Goose Suite on record. Martinon was a marvel, and a sadly underrated podium giant.

–Jed Distler

Los Angeles based composer/arranger/band leader Onzy Matthews was in many ways a poor man's equivalent to peers like Gerald Wilson, Oliver Nelson, Manny Albam, and Bill Holman. Perhaps as obscure a jazz musician as there has been in recent memory, Matthews was no less talented, but in fact a specialist whose style was based in blues, also veering into other areas that showcased his interest in diverse music.

This long sought-after release celebrates the 50th anniversary of Woodstock, by giving fans a front-row seat to relive CCR’s stirring, hour-long set as it was performed that historic night in August of 1969. Kicking off with “Born on the Bayou,” the album features the band’s biggest singles of the day, plus selections off their first three LPs, including “Commotion,” “Ninety-Nine and a Half (Won’t Do)” and “Bootleg.” Full of creative energy, John, Tom, Stu, and Doug delve deep into their music, playing extended improvisations of “I Put a Spell on You,” “Keep on Chooglin’” and “Suzie Q.”

The world has been waiting for a digital-era box set focusing on Johnny Mercer, and the Mosaic label – which has obliged countless times for other vital jazz artists – comes through again. A three-disc collection scanning Mercer's recordings for Capitol (the label he founded), Mosaic Select: Johnny Mercer purposefully concerns itself with his "jazz flavored" releases between 1942 and 1947, close to a third of which turn out to be transcription sessions.

The Terri Clark title in Universal Music Group's extensive, if awkwardly titled, budget-priced best-of series, 20th Century Masters - The Millennium Collection, presents 12 tracks, every one of them a Billboard country singles chart entry between 1995 and 2005. The obvious comparison to make is between this album and Clark's earlier compilation, the 14-track Greatest Hits 1994-2004, which was selling at a list price four dollars higher as of 2006 ($13.98 versus $9.98).

Per-Sonat - Bis an der Weld ihr Ende: Deutsche Lieder der Reformationszeit (2017) {Christophorus CHR 77410}
XLD rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 337 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 165 Mb
Full Artwork @ 300 dpi (jpg) -> 18 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 2017 Christophorus / Note 1 Music | CHR 77410
Classical / Renaissance / Early Music / Vocal Music / Chamber Music / Sacred

Martin Luther, the great German Reformer, has had not only a lasting theological effect; he also had a big influence on the musical development of his time. He demanded the use of the German language for hymns sung at church services, and thereby created the basis for the early “German Lied”. Sabine Lutzenberger, a fine early music expert, and her Per-Sonat ensemble present a broad overview of sacred and secular songs from this era. Soprano Sabine Lutzenberger has been a member of the “Ensemble for Early Music Augsburg) for years, and is a pioneer of medieval singing. She founded Per-Sonat in 2008, and has performed in most of the well-known festivals of Early Music in Europe and beyond. Her repertoire spans the 9th to 17th centuries, with an additional focus on contemporary music.

Marvelous Live Collection. The CD is truly masterful. Matea’s spirit and voice are marvelous and the band and backing are very close to those Nashville recording she made so famous . If you like ladies of country this is a must for you! Very happy with this purchase!

As a sort of follow-up to Art Pepper's matchup with Miles Davis' trio in the 1957 classic Art Pepper Meets the Rhythm Section, Pepper utilizes Davis' sidemen on this 1960 near-classic. In addition to pianist Wynton Kelly, bassist Paul Chambers, and drummer Jimmy Cobb, trumpeter Conte Candoli makes the group a quintet on four of the eight numbers. This time around, rather than emphasizing standards, Pepper performs just three ("Softly, As in a Morning Sunrise," Thelonious Monk's "Rhythm-A-Ning," and "The Way You Look Tonight") and includes three originals of his own: "Diane," "Bijou the Poodle," and "Gettin' Together." The music is all very straight-ahead and bop-oriented, but as usual, Pepper brings something very personal and unique to his playing; he sounds like no one else…

The Motels - Apocalypso (1981) {2011 Omnivore Recordings Expanded Remaster OVCD-7}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 445 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 152 Mb
Full Artwork @ 300 dpi (png) -> 66 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 1981, 2011 Omnivore Recordings / Capitol Records | OVCD-7
Rock / New Wave / Contemporary Rock

Despite success in Australia, England, and France, The Motels had yet to make it big in the U.S. At a time when record companies still gave bands time to "find their sound," the band had already released two albums and six singles without making a dent in Top 40 radio. Album three, "Apocalypso," was what the band hoped would finally break them out into the mainstream. With then lead guitarist Tim McGovern pretty much in control, and Val Garay engineering, the band went to work recording, re-recording, and dubbing what was hoped to be the breakthrough album. When it was finally submitted to Capitol Records it was pretty much DOA. American AM radio wanted polished, snazzy pop songs and FM radio wanted MOR; "Apocalypso" was neither.