RabihAbou-Khalil has asserted himself in the avant-garde as a composer as well as an instrumentalist. This is not just because he is ahead of his time - but because he also questions what others might pursue without further reflection. With his original composing technique, his unconstrained, yet daring approach to classical Arabic music, he has found a musical language entirely of his own.Abou-Khalil's music thrives on creative encounters and not on exoticism. From a combination of diverse cultural elements something very personal and coherent emerges. Thus it would be fruitless to mull over descriptions such as Orient or Occident, jazz, world music or classical.

Female singers duet with a grizzled songwriting great on this winning set from the 70-year-old Prine. His voice is scarred, but that only makes the bruised tenderness in each country and bluegrass tune more real. Nothing beats the sublime simplicity of “My Happiness,” sung with Fiona Whelan, Prine’s Irish-born wife of 20 years.

John Prine has set April 13th as the release date for his first album of all-new material in more than 13 years. The Tree of Forgiveness, on the iconic singer-songwriter's own Oh Boy label, was produced by Dave Cobb, the Grammy winner who has helmed projects for Chris Stapleton, Jason Isbell and Mary Chapin Carpenter, among others.

"Andando el tiempo" - the dynamic title is self-explanatory. As time moves on, so does one’s playing; and that has been an impulse behind the artistic development of Gerardo Núñez. He has always been one step ahead. That has brought him the status as a moderniser of flamenco. Gerardo Núñez is never a follower of trends. His work is defined by a strong personality which seeks its expression in flamenco. Gerardo Núñez goes his own way. He does that with a clear understanding and demonstrates it with his six strings.Already with his first release in 1987 "Flamencos en Nueva York" the world of flamenco resounded with an echo like a drum roll. In both technical and musical respects Gerardo Núñez can be dubbed an "innovator", even if he feels unhappy with such a description. "Talk about fusion, and above al…

Vocalist Asha Puthli was well-known in her native India before she moved to New York and made a splash in the jazz world. For her Western recording debut, Puthli lent her vocals to "What Reason Could I Give" and "All My Life," a pair of ballads on Ornette Coleman's 1971 Science Fiction LP. She recorded two LPs for Columbia, 1974's Asha Puthli and 1978's The Devil Is Loose, but success in America eluded her, even as she matured into a European chart mainstay. Puthli's popularity grew not in the U.S. but in Europe where she signed a record deal with CBS. Her solo albums reflected her interest in pop, rock, soul, funk and disco. She gravitated toward the glam world of Elton John and T. Rex. Music critic Ann Powers in The New York Times called Puthli a "fusion pioneer".

Philip Glass' soundtrack to Martin Scorsese's Dalai Lama epic Kundun captures the grace, beauty, joy and melancholy within the film. Glass uses familiar minimalist structures, but works with traditional Tibetan instrumentation and monks, giving the music an alluringly otherworldly feel. It's an entirely original, evocative score, and one of Glass' high-water marks in the field.

There's a simple, basic, and direct approach that pervades the duets from pianist Camilo and acoustic guitarist Tomatito. But that seemingly bottom-line approach is transcended by the brilliant musicianship of these two players, as they play ultra-melodic music to its ultimate zenith time and time again. The tone is set from the get go as they languish in the freedom of Rodrigo and Chick Corea's "Spain," played as perfectly and spirited as anyone could want. But "Besame Mucho" is changed up, interpreted in loose associations extrapolated out of strict time on this famous melody. Tomatito wrote two of the eight tracks as the pair use a combination of counterpoint and unison lines, approaching sheer telepathy on the brightly melodic "A Mi Nino Jose," while evoking more Chick Corea-isms with melodies passionately flying about on "La Vacilona."

Rhino's Great Days: The John Prine Anthology is an excellent summary of John Prine's prime period, from his sublime 1971 eponymous debut to 1991's Missing Years. This (appropriately) draws heavily from his early recordings (including the aforementioned debut), but it also does a terrific job of finding songs on uneven albums, while giving weight to such classic albums as Bruised Orange. Although those previously mentioned albums are all worthwhile on their own terms (as are many of Prine's other records), this provides a nearly flawless recap of his career – so much so that it's not only for neophytes, but also reminds longtime fans why they loved him in the first place.

Lyle Lovett and His Large Band remains the big man's most ambitious album in many ways. A smart split is effected, and not only between styles–the horn-driven swing of the first half backs the record's wittiest, slyest songs, while the country-folk numbers are among Lovett's most pensive. He's not so mournful that he can't raise an eyebrow at heartache, though: try "I Married Her Just Because She Looks Like You".

The idea of hybridity has been central to the music of alto saxophonist/composer Rudresh Mahanthappa throughout his career. Most prominent, of course, has been his highly original fusion of east and west, jazz mixed with the sounds of his Indian heritage. But that’s too easy and linear a depiction of this open-eared and inventive composer, who has absorbed an enormous variety of music into his thinking and amalgamated it into a singular vision. On his new ACT release, Gamak, Mahanthappa continues that multi-directional evolution with a bold, striking set of music that melds leading-edge jazz with innovative reinterpretations of traditional Indian and Middle Eastern approaches, shot through with an electric jolt of prog-rock complexity.

Salvador Niebla has his own band NATURAL ENERGY with whom he has recorded his first LP titled Azul acting as composer and arranger, and 26 musicians from Spain and Tunisia participated in this project. He has recorded and collaborated with a wide variety of musicians representing many different musical styles.