Since his self-titled 1990 smash debut, Dave Koz has been one of smooth jazz's greatest musicians. The saxman scored big on the radio and in retail even when he turned away from his established R&B/pop sound on 1996's Off the Beaten Path, which was done with more acoustic instruments. The Dance brings him back to the hard-hitting R&B funk sounds of that first album and its follow-up, 1993's Lucky Man…

Mythodea is subtitled "Music for the NASA Mission: 2001 Mars Odyssey," and it's certainly an epic work. If its aspirations were any higher, it wouldn't even need NASA to break earth's gravity. In essence, it's the focus of Vangelis' symphonic ambitions, utilizing not only an orchestra, but two sopranos and a full choir to go alongside his banks of keyboards. That itself isn't a problem. Epic can certainly be a good thing, and its roccoco grandeur can have its appeal. The problem, and it's certainly one here, comes when things are overblown, and the everything-plus-the-kitchen-sink attitude becomes wearying. After synth space noises, "Movement 1" shows its Mars intentions by borrowing the 5/4 rhythm from Holst's "Mars" (without credit) and overlaying it with symphonic stabs of melody and voices galore. But, and this is true of the entire disc, it goes nowhere…

Since One for All were first organized in 1997, the all-star sextet has had a solid core with tenor saxophonist Eric Alexander, drummer Joe Farnsworth, and trumpeter Jim Rotondi, though trombonist Steve Davis and pianist David Hazeltine have appeared on most of the band's CDs. This 2001 session mixes standards, timeless jazz compositions, and solid originals by individual bandmembers. It's hard for any band to compare to the famous version of Oliver Nelson's "Stolen Moments" (which featured Bill Evans, Eric Dolphy, and Freddie Hubbard in addition to its composer), though One for All's interpretation is full of potent solos that aren't derivative of the landmark recording. The bold brass and reed harmonies round out a tight, fresh arrangement of Hoagy Carmichael's "Skylark," while the driving chart of "Street of Dreams" showcases Alexander well…

Mary Stallings sings 12 excellent and soulful interpretations of songs by such great composers as Cole Porter, Burton Lane, Louis Prima, and Duke Ellington on her second release for the Maxjazz label, Live at the Village Vanguard. Her voice is strong, rich, and full of the introspection that only comes with musical growth. Accompanied by Ron Blake on tenor saxophone, Eric Reed on piano, Vicente Archer on bass, and Carl Allen on drums, Stallings is in touch with her music and in sync with her emotions on such notables as "You're Sensational," "Sunday Kind of Love," "All Night Long," and "I Didn't Know About You." Mary Stallings brings her seductive concept to listeners and will floor you with her exceptional phrasing on "Sunday Kind of Love" and "All Night Long"…

"Oltre L'Ignoto" sees Malibran fresh and inspired, the whole album is sung in Italian for the first time. Musically the album follows the same vein as with La Città Sul Lago (1998), their sound is more modern compared to the early days, but still their musicianship has a strong retro influence. Alternating between symphonic arrangements with powerful organ, harmonic flutes and sensitive guitar work and more Neo-Proggish moments with floating synthesizers and strong guitar solos, Malibran are still alive and well, offering some splendid moments among the overall decent stuff of the album, especially in the longer tracks. There are also plenty of acoustic passages with the support of violin, cello and smooth bass to give a sort of dreamy feeling to the album.

Even after numerous recordings as a leader over his long career, pianist Richie Beirach remains deserving of wider recognition. These 2000 studio sessions with bassist George Mraz and Jack DeJohnette, recorded for the Japanese Venus label, represent some of his best work, in which both his classical training and the influence of Bill Evans are readily apparent, particularly in his dreamy interpretation of "Blue in Green." Beirach finds fresh approaches to several standards, adding a gorgeous, pastoral introduction to an extended workout of "Old Folks," and bringing out the lyricism of the forgotten chestnut "Young and Foolish." The pianist's improvisation upon Chopin's "Prelude No. 20 in C Minor" springs forth with a wealth of ideas. Beirach's two originals are also stunning, including the dramatic, unpredictable "Hudba" and "The Last Rhapsody."

There's magic in these musical hills, as conductor Arnold Östman leads an exemplary performance of Die Zauberflöte on original instruments.Sumi Jo's breathtaking Queen of the Night is the queen of intonation, while Barbara Bonny's Pamina is a phrasing angel, from her pianissimo B flats to her gentle, yet heartfelt, "Ach ich fühl's." Singing as comfortably as a folk singer, Kurt Streit's lyrical, yet dramatic, Tamino is manly and heroic. Gilles Cachemaille is an appropriately charming Papageno, and all supporting performances are stellar. This crystal-clear interpretation must be as close to perfection as Mozart probably dreamed. A true treasure.

While there may never be an truly comprehensive, one-disc "introduction" to jazz in general, CLASSIC JAZZ does indeed come close–at least, regarding mainstream jazz of the 1960s and early '70s. Present are iconic drummer-bandleaders Buddy Rich and Elvin Jones, purveyors of blues-soaked hard bop Cannonball Adderley and Lee Morgan, vibes ace Bobby Hutcherson, soul-jazz stalwarts Gene Harris, Horace Silver, and Grant Green, and more!

It is an elegantly comic performance with a light orchestral sound, brisk tempi and lighter voices than usual. This is not to say that the reading is lacking in gravitas and there are many felicitous moments. It is a good cast, headed by Håkan Hagegård in the title role. His Giovanni is a little lacking in menace, but is full of volatile energy and sung in a suave baritone voice. The standout performance is the Leporello of the French-Swiss bass-baritone Gilles Cachemaille; the quick and pointed recitatives between him and Hagegård really fizz and his Catalogue aria is a masterpiece of breath control. The two leading ladies are interestingly cast; Arleen Auger’ lighter-voiced than most Donna Annas, produces a rich, creamy sound, while the mezzo Della Jones is a fiery Donna Elvira, with the pungency of her high notes especially impressive.

This is a great DTS Audio DVD; the sound is top-of-the-line and the musicianship is fenomenal…

Reptile is the fourteenth solo studio album by Eric Clapton. The album was produced by Eric Clapton with Simon Climie and is Clapton's first album to include keyboard work by Billy Preston and background vocals by the Impressions. The album reached the Top 10 in 20 countries, topping the national album charts in three of them…

The potential for a collaboration between B.B. King and Eric Clapton is enormous, of course, and the real questions concern how it is organized and executed. This first recorded pairing between the 74-year-old King and the 55-year-old Clapton was put together in the most obvious way: Clapton arranged the session using many of his regular musicians, picked the songs, and co-produced with his partner Simon Climie…

David Hazeltine is one of a handful of contemporary pianists who has mastered all of the major musical skills, from improvisation and technique, to accompaniment, arranging, and composition. Even more impressive, David is the rare artist able to innovate in each category. The mark of a true artist, David's style appeals to a wide range of musical tastes and levels of sophistication. His melodies and harmonies are beautifully complex and memorable. As a composer and instrumentalist, he has developed a signature style that is readily recognizable. Hazeltine has worked with some of the world's most respected jazz legends including James Moody, Eddie Harris, Jon Faddis, Joe Henderson, Pepper Adams, Jon Hendricks, and Marlena Shaw.

It is no exaggeration to say that saxophonist Jon Gordon and pianist Bill Charlap are two of the finest musicians of their generation; both have a strong link to Phil Woods - Gordon studied with the alto sax master and has recorded with him, while Charlap began serving as Woods' regular pianist. The final connection is that Woods produced the sessions that resulted in this outstanding collection of duets. The two musicians have played together frequently since attending the same high school, and their familiarity with one another helps each of them in anticipating where the other is likely to go. Although Gordon is best known for his work on alto sax (he won the Thelonious Monk alto sax competition) he begins on soprano sax for a sterling interpretation of "Stardust"…