Laura Fygi's Bewitched is a straight-ahead jazz date in which the attractive singer is joined by a rhythm section, a string section, and some guests. She performs fresh and warm versions of a dozen songs, the majority of which are ballads. The performances are concise (only one tune exceeds four and a half minutes) and lightly swinging, although the string section sometimes seems unnecessary. Toots Thielemans' harmonica helps out on "Good Morning Heartache" and "Girl Talk," Clark Terry uplifts "It's Crazy" and "The End of a Love Affair" with his flugelhorn, and tenor great Johnny Griffin is featured on "I Only Have Eyes for You," "I Love You for Sentimental Reasons," and "I Wish You Love." Throughout, Fygi holds her own and sounds quite relaxed and musical, making these standards her own.

Evgeny Kissin, in case you missed the New Year's Eve international telecast from Berlin, is an 18-year-old Russian who is already the veteran of many a 'sensational' debut. As he proved in his accompaniment to Karajan's Tchaikovsky, he is already a considerable artist, with all the traditional Russian strengths of deep tone production, strong rhythm, clarity and expressiveness even under extreme virtuoso pressure. His Rachmaninov gives further evidence of an outstanding talent which one hopes his advisers, RCA included, will nurture patiently.

A legendary act from Luxembourg, which played along the lines of Marillion, albeit with a more bombastic and symphonic sound. They were found in 1988 in Dudelange and moved throughout their career around original members Patrick Kiefer (vocals), Alex Rukavina (keyboards) and Chris Sonntag (drums). 1993 sees the debut of the band ''Zodiac'' and two years later the fantastic follow-up ''The Secret Garden'' is published. Shortly after they secured a contract with Musea's branch label Angular Records and they celebrated their 10th anniversary with a third release, ''The Other Side''. Entering the millenium the band was put on ice due to family commitments of the members, but in 2006 they returned with their fourth album ''4'', released under the support of Musea…

Uriah Heep are an English rock band formed in London in 1969. Their current lineup includes lead and rhythm guitarist Mick Box, keyboardist Phil Lanzon, lead vocalist Bernie Shaw, drummer Russell Gilbrook, and bassist Dave Rimmer. They have experienced numerous lineup changes throughout their 52-year career, leaving Box as the only remaining original member. Notable former members of the band include vocalists David Byron, John Lawton, John Sloman, Peter Goalby, and Steff Fontaine, bassists Gary Thain, Trevor Bolder, John Wetton, Bob Daisley, Paul Newton, and John Jowitt, drummers Nigel Olsson, Lee Kerslake and Chris Slade, and keyboardists Ken Hensley, and John Sinclair.

Cookin' is the first of four albums derived from the Miles Davis Quintet's fabled extended recording session on October 26, 1956; the concept being that the band would document its vast live-performance catalog in a studio environment, rather than preparing all new tracks for its upcoming long-player…

Fuelled by Coco Montoya's searing but economical string-slashing, drummer Joe Yuele, and bassist Rick Cortes, John Mayall has managed to keep a stable core of Bluesbreakers together in recent years. Mayall rarely does the same album twice, and Wake Up Call finds him returning to a basic, physical sound after 1990's more progressive/highly produced A Sense of Place…

Returning to the stark, melancholy sounds of Face Value, Phil Collins delivers a personal album with Both Sides in more than one sense of the word. Collins played all of the instruments on Both Sides, and the songs are troubled, haunting tales of regret, romance, and society…

Trevor Haddix continues to release quality music filled with innuendos and humor in a vocal style reminiscent of Bobby Bland. "I Got a Sure Thing," originally done by Ollie & the Nightingales, gets a smoldering update, while on "A Day Late and a Dollar Short," Haddix's vocal is as gritty and gutbucket as the painful lyrics. Upbeat blues gets represented by "Funny Bone" and "Expletive List," and "Caught in the Middle" is a good rolling blues number featuring a sultry guitar. Haddix wrote nine of the ten top-quality songs.

A Lightnin' solo concert from his college kiddie-folk period (1964), this languished unissued in Fantasy Records' vaults until its release in the early '90s. That's a shame, because this concert captures Lightnin' at his beguiling best, spinning tales and blues magic with every track. His introductions are half the show, making even shopworn staples like "Baby Please Don't Go" and "My Babe" sound fresh. His guitar work is astounding, pulling off inventive leads while maintaining a constant boogie rhythm that makes other instruments superfluous. If you want a disc that clearly showcases Lightnin' Hopkins at his enchanting best, start your collection with this one; it's a charmer.

Pinchas Steinberg on Naxos proves a warmly sympathetic Wagnerian. More than most rivals, he brings out the light and shade o this earliest of the regular Wagner canon, helped by the refined, well-balanced recording, and by brilliant, sharply dramatic playing from the orchestra. The chorus too sings with a bite and precision to match any rival. Alfred Muff as the Dutchman attacks the notes cleanly, with vibrato only occasionally intrusive. The vibrato of Ingrid Haubold is more of a problem but, except under pressure, it is well controlled, and she begins Senta’s Ballad with a meditative pianissimo.

This 2 CD-set presents two aspects of Purcell's music: religious music and instrumental music. Let's start by the first CD. It includes magnificent anthems for the Church for soloists, choir, and orchestra. The first track to open the CD, "Rejoice in the Lord alway", is probably one of Purcell's most famous anthem. The beautiful introduction (sometimes known as the Bell Anthem) prepares the entry of the two countertenors who expose the melody, intoned by the choir later. As with Purcell's style, the music is always refined. The soloists are all top-notch here, and the choir (King's College of Cambridge) is, as always, magnificent. It is really nice to hear the soprano part sung by boys, as I think it gives another dimension to Purcell's music.

The cutting-edge CCM artist returns with a vengeance on this, his only solo release of new material in the '90s. Targeting the Christian market more than the critically acclaimed Chagall Guevara eponymous release, Taylor has a few surprises for his fans…

Anyone who has ever loved "Me and You and a Dog Named Boo" will find plenty to explore on The Best of Lobo, which contains 18 tracks including "I'd Love You to Want Me, " "Don't Expect Me to Be Your Friend, " "How Can I Tell Her, " and, of course, "Me and You and a Dog Named Boo."

taly's foremost female rock singer, Gianna Nannini, was born in Siena on June 14, 1956, to a family that included a renowned industrialist and Siena Football Club president father and a Formula One pilot brother. Often described as the creative rebel in the family, Nannini attended the Lucca Conservatory throughout her entire adolescence, where she was trained as a pianist…

Anatoly Grindenko is one of the most important musicians working in the field of early Russian chant. With the male-voice Moscow Patriarchal Choir (amongst other groups) he has over the last few years brought new standards to the interpretation of the important but largely unfamiliar sixteenth- and seventeenth-century repertoire. This anthology is made up of chants from the Vigil Service (that is, Vespers and Matins) and a shorter selection from the Liturgy of St John Chrysostom.