Luxury Liner ranks as Emmylou Harris' best-selling solo record to date, and it's one of her most engaging efforts as well; her Hot Band is in peak form, and the songs are even more far afield than usual, including Chuck Berry's "(You Never Can Tell) C'est la Vie" and Townes Van Zandt's painterly tale of aging outlaws, "Pancho & Lefty."

While Emmylou Harris spent much of her career carrying on the legacy of Gram Parsons, Elite Hotel ranks among her most overt tributes to his genius, thanks to its covers of the Flying Burrito Brothers' "Sin City" and "Wheels," along with "Ooh Las Vegas" from the Grievous Angel album…

Ten years after his first all-blues album, From the Cradle, Eric Clapton released Me and Mr. Johnson, an album-length tribute to his hero, the legendary bluesman Robert Johnson. Not that this is the first time Clapton has paid tribute to Johnson…

Verdi's 1855 Paris opera which followed Rigoletto, Il trovatore and La Traviata is treated to a performance of blazing energy and intimate refinement with a superb cast which includes Cheryl Studer and Chris Merritt. The rarely-seen third act ballet is included complete, with the internationally-acclaimed dancers Carla Fracci and Wayne Eagling.

The original Gabin - a French actor known for his portrayals of jaded, faded anti-heroes in 1930s and '40s-era films - might have chuckled ironically if he had been told that, a half-century after his heyday, two Italian musicians would name a fledgling lounge music project after him. But if he had listened to the music, he would have understood. It's full of languid grace and melancholy and is undeniably stylish - exactly what you'd expect to hear in a Parisian café or supper club. Just to add to the effect, many of the song titles and lyrics are in French.
Gabin (2002). Milky, silken rhythms lace through this collaboration between Roman DJ Filippo Clary and jazz bassist Max Battini. Their perspectives find accord in the realm of what martini-addled old-timers might label "acid jazz"…

Italian pianist Danilo Rea started playing jazz in 1975 with the well-known Trio di Roma. Through the years he's worked with Chet Baker, Lee Konitz, Bob Berg, Michael Brecker, Tony Oxley, Dave Liebman, Kenny Wheeler and John Scofield. Here he's accompanied by accomplished jazz players Ares Tavolazzi and Roberto Gatto. Romantic Italian Jazz performed by accomplished Jazz players.

Daevid composed themes used in Self Initiation workshops - Limited release. Meditation and healing music invoked in the mountains behind Mullumbimby in upstate NSW, Australia. Later used in Self Initiation workshops held mostly in and around Glastonbury UK. Basically a wonderful Glissando guitar feast, though occasionally the recording is a bit hissy. These CDs are in matt black card covers with silver and white printing. This is the third of a 20CD series, each release a limited pressing of 1000 copies only - no more will be pressed. Daevid Allen was one of the founders of the British progressive rock band the Soft Machine in 1966. After recording just one album with the group, he became the founder/leader of Gong, which he left in 1973 to begin a solo career (though his first solo album, Banana Moon, was released in 1971 while he was still in the group).

The one drawback of live albums is that the listener is left on their own to visualize what is happening on the stage. For most pop/rock recordings this is not a serious detriment. But for a highly stylized and theatrical show such as Sarah Brightman's Harem World Tour: Live From Las Vegas, the music and visuals go hand-in-hand and this edited CD version of the program lacks the impact felt by the enthusiastic live audience. With applause heard within instrumental passages, including the elongated opening, it leaves a listener puzzled as to what is happening. Without any visuals all that is left is the music, which is immaculately performed yet devoid of any spontaneity.

ANS is a box set by Coil. The album uses a strange and esoteric photoelectric synthesizer known as the ANS synthesizer. It was built around half a century ago and still to this day sits where it was originally conceived; in the Moscow State University.