Connie Converse was a remarkable composer who worked in the 1950s and 1960s. By 1974, depressed over her lack of recognition and success, she packed up her belongings and drove off never to be heard of again. Little known in her lifetime, she is now viewed as a pioneer of the modern singer/songwriter genre. This exciting compilation collects fifteen of her most unique and soulful songs performed by an all-star group of contemporary singer/songwriters. Featuring an informative essay by musician and Converse scholar David Garland, Vanity of Vanities is a heartfelt tribute to one of the unsung heroes of contemporary songwriting.

Sheffield's own Richard Hawley is set to release new album 'Further' later this year. The songwriter's eighth studio album is a break with the past, his first for BMG and his first not to be named after a Sheffield landmark.

For the first solo record under his own name, Luís Fernandes chose an on-point title that echoes in one word a constant feeling throughout Demora. Demora means ‘delay’ in Portuguese. Depending on the way you use it on a sentence, it can also mean that something is taking too long or it’s making someone wait for someone or something. Demora doesn’t take too long to show you its intentions, but it leaves you waiting. It tricks you to think to wait for the take-off until you realise you’re already in mid-journey…

To commemmorate the 20th anniversary of Drew's passing, a very special series was launched in Japan in 2013, with a release of previously unpublished materials recorded for the two labels between 1972 and 1992. Most of them are alternate takes and takes that did not make onto the original albums released in this period. Danish super-bassist Niels-Henning Orsted Pedersen held the bass chair throughout, and the drummer is either Ed Thigpen, a fellow American expat who had settled in Copenhagen, or Alvin Queen.

This particular CD is a straight reissue of an out-of-print live album called Piano Night, recorded in Switzerland in 1992, less than 15 months before Drew's passing at age 64. The drum chair was occupied by Alvin Queen. The performance in this exciting live album is very strong, and the sound quality, especially of the piano, is also excellent.

Dave Valentin, who has recorded over 15 albums for GRP, combines together the influence of pop, R&B, and Brazilian music with Latin jazz to create a slick and accessible form of crossover jazz.He was born of Puerto Rican parents in 1952 in New York City.At age nine, Valentin enjoyed playing bongos and congas. He gigged at Latin clubs in New York from age 12 and it was not until he was 18 that he seriously started studying flute. Valentin's teacher, Hubert Laws, suggested that he not double on saxophone because of his attractive sound on the flute. In 1977, he made his recording debut with Ricardo Marrero's group and he was also on a Noel Pointer album. Discovered by Dave Grusin and Larry Rosen, Valentin was the first artist signed to GRP and he has been a popular attraction ever since.

With the exception of the Beatles themselves, no other group dominated the early years of the British Invasion like Gerry & The Pacemakers. They were the first artists to have their first three singles top the British charts, and many of their songs are now beloved classics. Gerry & The Pacemakers: It's Gonna Be All Right 1963-1965 features 17 complete songs filmed between 1963 and 1965 and is the group's first official DVD release…

There is no shortage of the coupling of Grieg & Schumann's piano concertos, and this one surely is among the very best, along with Lipatti, Fleisher and Moravec. Kovacevich's Grieg is regarded by many as the best ever, though I have to give the nod to Lipatti/Galliera. The Schumann is equally compelling and ranks up there with those of Rubinstein/Leinsdorf, Lipatti/Karajan, Gieseking/Furtwangler, Fleisher/Szell and Argerich/Harnoncourt. So you have two top tier concertos on one disc which should be in every classical music library. Plus the sound on this one is better than any of the other above mentioned.

As composer, conductor, and educator, Leonard Bernstein (1918-1990) emerged as one of a handful of figures in the twentieth century who truly changed the face of music. As a composer, Bernstein left a far-reaching legacy that includes three symphonies, a film score of singular distinction, (On the Waterfront), and an important body of stage works, including one of the cornerstones of American musical theater, West Side Story (1957). The first American-born conductor to attain international superstardom, Bernstein made a profound impression on audiences; his podium manner was dynamic, even flamboyant, to an extent never before witnessed.