German-American pianist Benjamin Lackner makes his ECM debut with a star-studded quartet of Manu Katché on drums, trumpeter Mathias Eick and Jérôme Regard on bass.

Hungarian Kristóf Baráti is recognised as one of the most outstanding violinists of his generation. His dazzling technique (often compared with the young Heifetz), his sincere, intensely musical interpretations and strong personality have brought him to today's top. This release presents two virtuoso showcases, the violin concertos nos. 1 & 2 by Paganini, the wizard of the violin, suspected of having sold his soul to the devil in order to receive a transcendent technique.

Compilation celebrating the songs not released as singles throughout the band's catalogue but which stand as firm fan favourites around the world bringing them to the front and giving fans the chance to dive even deeper into the band's history. Presented as a 2CD set - across 26 tracks, this digs deeper into the Little River Band story. Features extensive liner notes and track details - meticulously curated by the original Little River Band.

The circumstances of the composition of Purcell’s only opera, Dido and Æneas, are unclear. First performed in the 1680s, it received few performances in the composer’s lifetime, before disappearing until its revival at the very end of the nineteenth century. This miniature, poetic, dramatic, delightfully melodic, and containing some unforgettably beautiful vocal pieces (Dido’s “Lament”, the Witches’ songs…) has enjoyed great success ever since.

After Volume 1, which was awarded a Diapason d'or, Mariani Klavierquartett continues its journey of discovery, juxtaposing the piano quartets of Johannes Brahms and Friedrich Gernsheim. Although this second album is dominated by Brahms's luminescent A-Major Quartet " his longest " and although the friendship of the two composers stands at the center of this three-part project, Gernsheim's F-Major Quartet shows that not only Brahms numbered among his influences, but that Gernsheim was also able to blend echoes of Beethoven, Mendelssohn, and Schubert into a convincing personal style. In the hands of the Mariani Piano Quartet, the formal perfection of his fervent work gleams with undreamt-of power.

“Smoky”, “vaporous”: the search for a sound for our bass quartet has been inspired by these words. How can we blend the violone (an imposing six-stringed bass viol, with a register close to that of the double bass), the viola da gamba and the cello into a common, homogeneous sound without losing the singularity of the grain of each string? How could we create a bond between each part, each instrument, to mgive the sonatas their fullest colours? This particular search for sonorities is a search for a means to blend the musical parts, thus creating a compact but intelligible texture.

This super deluxe digital set features a NEW stereo mix remastered from the original 3-track and 2-track sources, plus the ORIGINAL stereo mix, along with a trove of unheard outtakes from five recording sessions and place listeners in the studio as the musicians work through their arrangements.

The 1975 report back with their new album, "Being Funny In A Foreign Language." The band's fifth studio album was written by Matthew Healy & George Daniel and recorded at Real World Studios in Wiltshire, UK, and Electric Lady Studios in New York. Formed in Manchester in 2002, The 1975 have established themselves as one of the most important bands of their generation with their distinctive aesthetic, avid fan base and unique sound.

Less than a year after «Avenir», Claudio Fasoli returns into a recording studio to lay down the remarkable progress accomplished with his new band, Four. He also returns to witness how serious his ideas have been. He tells Francesco Martinelli, in the recent book which Siena Jazz dedicated to him: “The choice of the electric guitar instead of the piano, changed the sound of the work… It is clear that with two kinds of sparingnesses only (of the electric guitar and the electronics) these two choices (sound and noisy color) can coexist…”. The absorbing personality of the Venetian saxophonist doesn’t alter or hide the great balance achieved by the quartet and the importance of the collective work. Fasoli furthermore specifies “They are songs composed by all of us, meanwhile in the past works, by tradition, I’ve always used my own music, but in this case, seeing the interest and contribution of the other musicians, we decided to play everyone’s compositions.”. The album opens with a long and articulated theme from the band leader, who plays his best cards at once, leading us by the hand through the meandering paths of a music that helps us to unveil, after each curve, new and surprising landscapes. Both the Michele Calgaro’s guitar – author of incisive interventions, coherent with the overall musical project – and the Gianni Bertoncini’s rhythmical imagination and expert use of electronics, attract attention.

Hot off her 2022 GRAMMY win for Best Latin Jazz Album for 'Mirror Mirror,' with Chick Corea and Chucho Valdes, superstar pianist, singer, composer and arranger Eliane Elias returns to her Brazilian bossa nova roots with 'Quietude'.
A luscious collection showcasing her alluring vocals with her virtuosic instrumental jazz and piano mastery, the recording features songs by such legendary composers as Antonio Carlos Jobim, and Dorival Caymmi along with Dori Caymmi, who joins her on vocals for the closing track of the recording.

Christmas is set to come a little early in 2022 as the Backstreet Boys, one of the best-selling bands of all time, will release their highly anticipated Christmas album, "A Very Backstreet Christmas" (BMG), in October 2022.

The thrilling new studio album from rock legend Todd Rundgren collaborating with several peers and acolytes to create one of the most diverse albums of his stellar career!
Includes guest performances by Weezer's Rivers Cuomo, hip hop stars The Roots, indie rock duo The Lemon Twigs, outsider theatrical act Sparks, electronic icon Thomas Dolby, guitar maestro Steve Vai, Cheap Trick's Rick Nielsen and lots more!
Buzz for this release has been building around this release since Rundgren's induction into the Rock Hall Of Fame this year as well as the release of some of the more notable tracks as digital singles!
Will be supported by numerous live performances.

For all friends of the intersection between hard rock and metal, the Americans of Alter Bridge once again have an absolute highlight of the year in their quiver. The seventh album of the band from Orlando is called "Pawns & Kings" and will inspire all fans.

A talented and adventurous altoist whose career has gone through several phases, John Handy started playing alto in 1949. After moving to New York in 1958, he had a fiery period with Charles Mingus (1958-1959) that resulted in several passionate recordings that show off his originality; he also recorded several dates as a leader for Roulette. Handy led his own bands during 1959-1964, and played with Mingus at the 1964 Monterey Jazz Festival, but it was at the following year's festival that he was a major hit, stretching out with his quintet (which included violinist Michael White and guitarist Jerry Hahn) on two long originals. Soon, Handy was signed to Columbia, where he recorded his finest work (three excellent albums) during 1966-1968…

4-time GRAMMY-winning producer Larry Klein, who produced Herbie Hancock's GRAMMY Album of the Year winning release 'River: The Joni Letters', has assembled another extraordinary star-studded project with 'Here It Is: A Tribute to Leonard Cohen'. This heartfelt tribute to Klein's dear friend, the legendary singer-songwriter Leonard Cohen, presents stunning renditions of his profound songs by an impressive and eclectic line-up of guest vocalists including James Taylor, Iggy Pop, Mavis Staples, Norah Jones, Gregory Porter, Peter Gabriel, Nathaniel Rateliff, David Gray, Sarah McLachlan, and Luciana Souza. The backing band is no less impressive featuring a remarkable quintet of modern jazz talent including guitarist Bill Frisell, saxophonist Immanuel Wilkins, pianist Kevin Hays, bassist Scott Colley, and drummer Nate Smith.