Kenny Neal is such a terrific singer that he can make any kind of blues sound good. On Hoodoo Moon, Neal does the Delta blues justice on a version of Elmore James's "It Hurts Me Too," and does a fine job on the Chicago blues with "I'm a Blues Man." He even pulls off some James Brown funk on "Just One Step." Nonetheless, Neal makes his most valuable contributions when he allows his Louisiana roots to show. On "Don't Fix Our Love," for example, Neal lays his blues-harmonica solo and gravelly vocal over a New Orleans second-line parade rhythm. Lucky Peterson plays the Professor Longhair-like piano part expertly and does the same with the Fats Domino-like piano triplets on "Why Should I Stay." "The Real Thing" and the album's title track boast the slippery shuffle beat of upstate Louisiana's swamp blues.

Clérambault was born in 1676 in Paris in a musical family whose members had served the kings of France since the 15th century. His father Dominique was a violinist and a member of the 24 violons du roi. Louis-Nicolas probably received his first music lessons from him. His organ teacher was André Raison to whom he dedicated his Livre d'orgue. His oeuvre is not very sizeable, but of consistently high quality. He was a major contributor to the genre of the chamber cantata which became popular in the early decades of the 18th century under the influence of the Italian style. Five books of such cantatas were published between 1710 and 1726.

Donna, che in ciel di tanta luce splendi is a full-length cantata and the masterpiece in this recital. The introductory Sinfonia captures attention imperatively with its grandeur and turbulence. Then the succession of recitatives and arias, unfailingly alive with dramatic imagination, provides superb opportunities for the singer, all of which are taken here with well-grounded eagerness.

Nachdem sie jahrzehntelang als Straßenmusiker durch die Welt reisten, schaffte The Kelly Family im Jahr 1994 mit ihrem Album „Over The Hump“ endlich ihren großen Durchbruch! Dieses Meisterwerk wird jetzt 30 Jahre alt und auch heute noch erfreut es weltweit ein Millionenpublikum und wird viel gehört. Um dieses Jubiläum würdig zu feiern, erscheint nun „Over The Hump - 30th Anniversary Remaster“ am 04.10.2024. Der Sound der 90er ist legendär und auf diesem Klassiker ganz stark vertreten. Allerdings sind die heutigen Hörgewohnheiten von Musikliebhabern doch ziemlich anders. Das neue Remaster dieses Albums bietet ein etwas anderes Stereobild, ist deutlich wärmer in den Bässen und insgesamt setzt sich die Musik besser durch. Die neue Art dieses Album zu hören, wird sicherlich vielen gefallen! Ein weiteres Highlight dieser Jubiläumsausgabe sind die tollen Fotos aus der Zeit 1994/1995, die besonders in der Fotobuch Edition vertreten sind. Viele dieser Fotos wurden bisher nie veröffentlicht.

François Couperin was the greatest keyboard composer of the French Baroque, and his achievement, in both quality and quantity, is comparable only to Scarlatti's and Bach's. His fourth (and last) book of harpsichord music was published in 1730, a few years before the composer's death, and it represents a summing up of his career as a composer for his favorite instrument. These eight suites (or "ordres") contain fewer works than in the earlier books, but each one is a gem. Christophe Rousset's performances are simply the finest available, both in terms of interpretation and sound. These two discs are a fitting conclusion to a sensational series.

The Division Bell is the fourteenth studio album by the English progressive rock band Pink Floyd, released on 28 March 1994 by EMI Records in the United Kingdom and on 4 April by Columbia Records in the United States. The second Pink Floyd album recorded without founding member Roger Waters, The Division Bell was written mostly by guitarist and singer David Gilmour and keyboardist Richard Wright. It features Wright's first lead vocal on a Pink Floyd album since The Dark Side of the Moon (1973). Gilmour's fiancée, novelist Polly Samson, co-wrote many of the lyrics, which deal with themes of communication. It was the last Pink Floyd album recorded with Wright, who died in 2008. The Division Bell received mixed reviews, but reached number one in more than 10 countries, including the UK and the US. It was certified double platinum in the US the year it was released, and triple platinum in 1999. It was followed by a tour of the US and Europe. Unused material from the Division Bell sessions became part of Pink Floyd's next album, The Endless River (2014).

Sacred Spirit is a musical project by Claus Zundel, Ralf Hamm, and Markus Staab. This album was nominated for a Best New Age Album Grammy and spawned the international smash hit "Yeha-noha (Wishes of Happiness & Prosperity)," which topped the singles charts in numerous countries, including Germany and France.
"Chants and Dances of the Native Americans" (sometimes labeled as "Indians") is an 11-song journey bridging the gap between ancient and contemporary history, tradition and modern instrumentation. While it is impossible to fully realize such scope on a single disc, Sacred Spirit makes the choice to represent all indigenous Americans rather than become mired in the potentially divisive bog of politics and tribal allegiance. All but two melodies are entirely traditional, bringing together flute, drums, and vocals with a cello and keyboard wash…

Romanus Weichlein was an Austrian composer and organist of the mid Baroque period who published a set of 12 sonatas for strings and continuo in 1695 entitled Encaenia Musices.In some of the sonatas the strings are joined by 2 trumpets to spectacular effect and it's very clear that these admirable compositions were influenced by Heinrich Biber's Sonatae Tam Aulis Servientes of 1676.Weichlein is believed to have met Biber when in Salzburg and it's quite apparent that Biber was to have a big influence on the slightly younger composer.

Suede’s era-defining second album from 1994 celebrates its 30th anniversary this year. It was the last album to feature the band’s guitarist and co-songwriter Bernard Butler. It includes the classic hit singles ‘We Are The Pigs’, ‘The Wild Ones’, and ‘New Generation’. Art and design for this new format has been undertaken for Suede by official designer and photographer Paul Khera. On the reissue, bassist and founding member Mat Osman said this in a press release: “Your first album is songs you’ve been playing live for a long time. Generally, it’s almost set. The songs evolved in a certain way and you’re just trying to get them down. Dog Man Star was the first time where we just said, ‘Right, what happens if you push everything further? The slow songs, we take all the drums out. If we have a big closing song, we’ll have a fucking orchestra. To start the record, let’s have something that’s on one chord, and it’s just like a mantra. The kind of band we are, how far can we take it before it breaks?’”

The life and works of the Danish composer Rued Langgaard (1893-1952) present one of the odder stories in the annals of classical music. He was a child prodigy of enormous talent who grew into a man of breathtaking fecundity. His music was largely ignored by his contemporaries and was left in a state of near-chaos by the composer himself, as he kept returning to his music, revising and recycling it. The music itself varies from the self-indulgently banal at the bottom end of the scale to the blazingly original and powerful at the top.

SUPERB PERFORMANCE FROM PETER GABRIEL AT THE 1994 WOODSTOCK FESTIVAL Peter Gabriel released his seventh studio album Us in 1992. Co-produced by Gabriel with Daniel Lanois, on the record he explored the pain of recent personal problems; his failed first marriage, his relationship with actress Rosanna Arquette and the growing distance between his first daughter and himself. The result was one of Gabriel's most personal albums. It met with less success than its predecessor So, but still reached No. 2 in the album chart on both sides of the Atlantic; Gabriel also achieved modest chart success with the singles Digging in the Dirt , and Steam . Peter Gabriel followed the release of the album with a world tour and an accompanying double CD and DVD release, Secret World Live in 1994. The final date of the tour was Peter Gabriel s performance at the 1994 Woodstock Festival, in Saugerties, NY on 14th August 1994. One of the best shows on the tour, the entire set - and indeed much of the festival - was broadcast on both TV, and across FM Radio. Previously unreleased, the full set Gabriel and band played on the 25th anniversary of the original 1969 Woodstock Festival is now available in superb quality on this CD.

A collection from the Mercury funk lineup that covers the hits from the first five Gap Band albums. Every major hit that they had is included here. What one might notice is that all of the major hits ("You Dropped a Bomb on Me," "Burn Rubber on Me," "Early in the Morning," and "I Don't Believe You Want to Get up and Dance") all sound surprisingly similar. This may or may not be a large surprise to everyone, but the bright note about their similarity is that the basic riffs and rhythms that they all use are extremely catchy. The energy that the Gap Band exudes in the midst of producing a song is stunning, and this compilation displays that to the fullest extent. For a basic introduction to the forms of funk that the Gap Band followed, this album would certainly suit any given listener. For those who only need one Gap Band album in their collection, this one also fits the bill perfectly. For die-hard fans who already have all of the band's albums, this one would probably only really serve as a summary.

There are now many exponents and interpreters of Weill’s extraordinary output, from his German roots, through his French exile to his American and Broadway successes. The repertoire chosen for this disc reveals the variety and flavour of Weill’s writing. Von Otter’s honeyed tone and her ability to stamp sharply observed characterisations on the songs make this recording highly individual compared to that of Weill’s wife Lotte Lenya or, more recently, Ute Lemper. This is vocalised, rather than angst-ridden cabaret-style Weill, though Von Otter certainly delivers the dramatic intensity.

When Deutsche Harmonia Mundi released this disc of lieder by Schumann, Schubert, and Mendelssohn in 1994, it was considered a part of the historically informed performance practice movement because it featured performers closely associated with the movement. Prior to this release, tenor Christoph Prégardien was best known for his work with Gustav Leonhardt and Philippe Herreweghe, while fortepianist Andreas Staier made his mark playing continuo with Musica Antiqua Köln. Listening to the disc a decade later, however, the performances sound less like a memento of their time than like still vital artistic achievements.

Selected Ambient Works Volume II (Expanded Edition) is due for release on Oct 4, 2024, celebrating the original album’s 30th anniversary. Written when Aphex Twin (Richard D. James) was in his early 20s, the album gained critical acclaim both upon release and retrospectively (10/10 Pitchfork review, #2 Best Ambient Album of All Time, 4 star Rolling Stone review + more). Aphex Twin and SAW II’s influence continues to grow and take new meaning across generations.