A series of Jimi Hendrix performances from the Band of Gypsys concerts finally gets the deluxe treatment from MCA and Experience Hendrix, as tapes from both first and second shows are brought together, correctly identified (1986's Band of Gypsys 2 actually featured three tracks that weren't by the band at all) in one deluxe two-disc set. This expanded edition contains the only live versions of "Earth Blues," "Auld Lang Syne," "Stepping Stone," and "Burning Desire"; Hendrix tunes specifically worked up for the performance that rarely surfaced again like "Izabella," "Power of Soul," and "Who Knows"; newly remastered versions of "Stop" and "Hear My Train a-Comin'" (both originally presented on Band of Gypsys 2 in horrendous sound) and classic performances of "Stone Free," "Changes," "Voodoo Child (Slight Return)," and "Wild Thing"…

Véronique Gens's intense soprano shines in this program of tragic cantatas about a trio of fatally wronged Roman heroines written by the twentysomething Handel during his triumphant Italian sojourn. Here, luckless Lucrezia and abandoned Armida vacillate between love and hate for the men who wronged them and agitated Agrippina rages against the son who condemned her to death, the Emperor Nero. Gens is with these wracked souls all the way, bending her lovely voice to capture the verbal nuances of the texts; listen, for example, how she deadens her tone for Agrippina's "A me sol giunga la morte." Throughout, she stays within the stylistic frame of historically informed performance practices, as do her excellent accompanists.

Produced by Mike Vernon and recorded in Memphis, Austin, and Chicago in May of 1999 with an all-star cast, this catches McCain in peak form. With the Stevie Ray Vaughan & Double Trouble rhythm section of Chris Layton and Tommy Shannon anchoring things down, the guitar work is ably handled by Anson Funderburgh, Derek O'Brien, and John Primer with several guest appearances from Jimmie Vaughan sprinkled throughout the set. Add Johnnie Johnson guesting on four tracks and match it all up with some solid, humorous songwriting and you have one of McCain's most consistent efforts in years. A winner all the way.

Performing on the Baroque cello (outfitted with gut strings and without an endpin, making it so that the performer has to clutch the instrument between his/her legs), Yo-Yo Ma delivers the warm, listener-friendly classical music that he has become known for. Supported by conductor Ton Koopman's period Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra, Ma presents a wholly unusual interpretation of some of Bach's better known Baroque works, as well as some lesser known pieces by Italian composer Luigi Boccherini.

Ingrid Jensen has the talent to make a dent in the world of jazz, and her hard-edged sound on trumpet hearkens to some of the past masters such as Woody Shaw, Freddie Hubbard, and Clifford Brown. Her excellent choice of a second horn, tenor saxophonist Gary Thomas (who doubles on flute), should have been enough to catapult this recording to the top of the pack, but somehow, the somewhat placid arrangements detract from the whole. Instead of the breakthrough album that might have been, Jensen has produced a good, if fairly pedestrian, recording, one that contains moments of inspired playing but somehow leaves the listener wanting more. Jensen knows how to build tension and release it at unexpected times, and her clipped phrases highlight an otherwise ordinary set.

Jean-Noël Marchand (Paris, bap. 14 d'agost de 1666 - Paris, 31 de maig de 1710) va ser un compositor i organista francès. Fill de Jean Marchand (1636-1691), es va formar amb el seu pare abans d'acceptar el càrrec d'Ordinaire de la musique de la chambre du roi el 1686. El 1689, i addicionalment al seu càrrec, va ser nomenat organista de la Notre Dame de Versailles. Com a compositor, tot i no ser especialment prolífic, va ser autor dels motets In convertendo Dominus i Benedicite Deum coeli (1698). També va ser autor d'una sèrie de Quatre Cantiques spirituels de Jean Racine (Paris, 1695).

The Best of Me is the third greatest hits album by Canadian singer Bryan Adams. It was released worldwide in 1999, and in the U.S. in 2001. It was his last release on A&M Records. It is Adams' second compilation album, after So Far So Good; except for Japan, where Hits on Fire was released in 1988. This album sees Adams reuniting with Robert John "Mutt" Lange – on the title track – after being absent from 1998's On a Day Like Today. The collection sells well over 3 million copies.

…Parrott parades his smooth and integrated forces with less instant theatricality. Instead we have here a typically homogeneous and unfolding scenario: how organically and gently "Tis Nature's voice" emerges, with Rogers Covey-Crump expressing the passions with a wonderful air of mystery. So too, "Soul of the world" — what a transcendent concluding passage — which has never been bettered for atmosphere and clarity of ensemble. The solo singing here is good (there is some exquisite work from Emma Kirkby and from tenors Charles Daniels and Paul Elliott in "In vain the am'rous flute").

After ten years and five albums of groundbreaking progressive death metal, Neurosis have managed to carve a highly original niche for themselves… coming off somewhat like a Tool for extremists. Yeah, you heard right. But while this Oakland bunch deserve great kudos for such unwavering commitment to their vision, they seem fated to remain confined to well-kept secret status for remaining so stubbornly inaccessible. 1999's Times of Grace adds another chapter to this ongoing dilemma by delving ever deeper into the group's hypnotic semi-industrial dirge. But whereas previous efforts tended to suffer from erratic songwriting and uneven pacing, many tracks taking painfully long to build towards their crescendos, this album offers the most seamless continuity of any album in the band's challenging discography…

Given all the extracurricular projects members of Los Lobos pursued during the three years separating Colossal Head and its followup, it's not surprising that they've decided to show off what they've learned on This Time, resulting in a record that vacillates between songcraft and sonic sculptures. It could be said that Kiko and Colassal Head were like this as well, but the difference is that This Time has the structure of a straight-ahead rock & roll record, clocking in at 38 minutes with 11 short tracks. While that conciseness is welcome, it also points out the flaws in the post-Latin Playboys Los Lobos – Cesar Rosas' fine rockers are obscured by a layer of studio gauze, and David Hidalgo's songs can seem like excuses to run wild in the studio…

Waves Of Wheels (1998). This CD from 2003 offers music which was originally released as a rare CD-R in 1998, and is now available in remastered form with additional material, featuring a total of 78 minutes of energetic electronic music by this talented Turkish synthesist. Many electronic musicians find powerful inspiration in the music of Tangerine Dream, generally focusing those influences on TD's Seventies period style of lushly sequenced music. Atilla, though, deviates from that model with this release, seeking to pay homage to other styles explored by TD during their long and varied career, specifically from the late Eighties and early Nineties. Joining Atilla on these tracks are: Cenk Eroglu on guitar, and Meric Demirkol on saxophone…

Upon leaving UK, before reaching Asia, journeyman John Wetton released his first solo album, Caught in the Crossfire. Although a vocal doppelgänger of Greg Lake, as a songwriter Wetton was always more of a team player, so there was no occasion in Wetton's past work where you could say, "Aha, this is what he'd sound like on his own." And he is largely on his own here, handling vocals, bass, keyboards, and even guitar while writing all of the material (though Peter Sinfield does chip in on "Get What You Want"). The result is surprisingly good; Wetton is clearly more comfortable writing songs on the bass, but he fleshes them out nicely with keyboards, supported by Bad Company drummer Simon Kirke, embellished with the plaintive guitar leads of Jethro Tull's Martin Barre, and polished with a pair of saxophone solos from Malcolm Duncan.

Outstanding trumpet player Gabriele Cassone and harpsichordist Antonio Frigé are the fine interpreters of these works, full of brio and of savoury descriptive writing à la français. The use of the trumpet reveals itself very suitable for some pieces, particularly those of the Cinquième Concert, entitled La Guerre (hence the CD title), whose martial features indeed seem to call for such an instrument. The interpretation of the "Pian & Forte" ensemble, with its full and brilliant sound produced by six Baroque trumpets, strings and timpani, contributes to attain the martial spirit of these late 17th-century compositions.

The title here is an ironic one. Hard Bossa is not "hard" at all. In fact, it is a low-key, gentle affair that has elements of breezy MPB, some Alcione-style samba, and some dreamy and jazzy bossa, and it flows from top to bottom. Joyce's softness and bounciness are everywhere present, and her guitar playing is as sharp as ever. Backed by a band that includes Tutty Moreno on drums and percussion, Lula Galvao on guitars, and upright bassist Jorge Helder, Joyce also employs the wonderful Ana Martins (who comes off sounding like a young Elis Regina) to sing lead on "Todos Os Santos," and vocalist Paulo César Pinheiro (who is her writing partner on most of these tracks), who sings lead on "Nome de Guerra." Joyce wrote or co-wrote everything on the set, and the romantic "Crianca," the shimmering "Juparana," the scattish title track, and the nostalgic "London Samba" are standouts…