During the last quarter of the 20th century, and thanks largely to Eric Clapton's remarkable devotion to his memory, Robert Leroy Johnson posthumously became the most celebrated Delta blues musician of the pre-WWII era. Among numerous editions of his complete works and various anthologies that combine his recordings with those of his contemporaries and followers, J.S.P.'s The Road to Robert Johnson and Beyond combines many of his essential performances with those by dozens of other blues artists from Blind Lemon Jefferson and Henry Thomas to Muddy Waters and Elmore James. 105 tracks fill four CDs with several decades' worth of strongly steeped blues that trace the African American migration from the deep south on up into Chicago. This is a fine way to savor the recorded evidence, as primary examples from Blind Blake, Charley Patton, Son House, Charlie McCoy, Walter Vincson, Skip James, Ma Rainey, Tampa Red, Kokomo Arnold, Scrapper Blackwell, Leroy Carr, Lonnie Johnson, and Peetie Wheatstraw lead directly to early modern masters like Big Joe Williams, Sonny Boy Williamson, Big Bill Broonzy, Johnny Temple, Leroy Foster, Johnny Shines, Homesick James Williamson, Robert Jr. Lockwood, Snooky Pryor, Little Walter, and David Honeyboy Edwards, among many others.

THE DIRECT HITS were active on the 60s and Mod Revival circuit for the first half of the 1980s, issuing a string of now highly collectable records. Having evolved out of new wave band The Exits, THE DIRECT HITS formed around 1981 and signed to Whaam! Records, the label run by TV Personalities frontman Dan Treacy. First single ‘Modesty Blaise’ was a perfect blend of power pop, Mod rock and 60s stylings. Today, it sounds like Britpop over a decade too early! Compiled and designed by DIRECT HITS’ frontman Colin Swan, Here, There Or Anywhere is a comprehensive collection of the band’s output – and their first CD reissue for many years. Alongside ‘Modesty Blaise’ are tracks from their cult debut album Blow Up, issued on Whaam! in 1984, 1985 single ‘She Really Didn’t Care’, rare live tracks and a few selections from their second album House Of Secrets.

The Ballad of Wallis Island follows Charles (Tim Key), an eccentric lottery winner who lives alone on a remote island and dreams of getting his favourite musicians, McGwyer Mortimer (Tom Basden and Carey Mulligan) back together. His fantasy quickly turns into reality when the bandmates and former lovers accept his invitation to play a private show at his home on Wallis Island. Old tensions resurface as Charles tries desperately to salvage his dream gig.

This three-CD set documents some historic country-blues performances by the likes of Mississippi John Hurt, Skip James, Bukka White, Mississippi Fred McDowell and Mance Lipscomb. The urban side of things is well represented by Lightnin’ Hopkins, John Lee Hooker, Memphis Slim, Muddy Waters with Otis Spann, The Paul Butterfield Blues Band and The Chambers Brothers turning in a riveting rendition of “See See Rider.” Included here are 11 previously unreleased tracks. A must for acoustic-blues fans.

The 40th anniversary edition of "The Stranger" from Billy Joel is out on December 26, 2018. This product features SACD Hybrid format with 5.1ch surround on SACD layer produced by Phil Ramone. 2ch voice track features 2011 digital remastering by Ted Jensen. CD layer includes five bonus tracks taken from a concert held at Nassau coliseum in 1977. Disc 2 includes live tracks taken from a concert at Carnegie Hall in 1977, which is included in "The Stranger" 30th anniversary edition, and this disc features Blu-spec CD2 format for this release.

Herbie Hancock debuted on Blue Note in 1962 and quickly established himself as both a remarkable pianist and a brilliant composer with three excellent albums—Takin’ Off, My Point Of View, and Inventions & Dimensions—before making what is widely considered to be his first masterpiece: Empyrean Isles. Recorded in 1964, the album seemed to distill the full breadth of Hancock’s artistry into a sweeping 35-minute musical journey. Joining Hancock on the voyage were three of his closest collaborators: trumpeter Freddie Hubbard and Hancock’s Miles Davis Quintet bandmates Ron Carter on bass and Tony Williams on drums. Each of the four distinctive original pieces Hancock composed for the date occupies its own unique space. The quartet launches into the album opener “One Finger Snap” which consists of a single opening line that leads directly into blistering improvisations by Hubbard and Hancock. The first side concludes with the beguiling “Oliloquy Valley” which conjures a mysterious and mystical vibe.

Vintage George Benson vocals float over an orchestral reimagining of beloved American Standards & Soul Classics in this incredible collaboration with renowned composer and conductor, Robert Farnon. The brand new 10-track collection, once thought to be lost to history, was recently discovered in Benson's personal vaults and remastered to their original glory. With this new release, Benson also marks a musical return to the Warner Family – where he recorded such classic hits as "On Broadway" and "Breezin".

It's crazy to think that the beloved 2007 movie Once and its soundtrack almost didn't happen, at least not in the way that ended up charming the world. Cillian Murphy was originally meant to play the role of a busker who falls for a young flower seller and creates magical songs with her before a star-crossed, not-quite-happy ending. In real life, of course, it was Glen Hansard who ended up starring opposite Markéta Irglová, winning an Oscar alongside her for "Falling Slowly," forming the folky duo The Swell Season and (for better or worse) inspiring countless imitators—and becoming a couple. The relationship lasted long enough for a second album in 2009, but the duo parted ways even as Once lived on as a Tony-winning musical. Hansard has released several solid, sometimes very good, albums on his own and with The Frames, and Irglová has continued to make music as well. But neither has re-created the success or alchemy of their original partnership.

Muddy Waters had his second coming 30 years ago, when longtime friend and disciple Johnny Winter and his Blue Sky label returned him–after a series of listless recordings aimed at the rock audience–to the raw, powerful authenticity of his timeless Chess material with a series of powerful albums. Beginning with 1977's acclaimed Hard Again, a subsequent tour produced Muddy "Mississippi" Waters Live, recorded onstage in Detroit, New York, and Philadelphia with Muddy's band, Winter, and harmonica player/vocalist James Cotton. Enough live material remained for Legacy to release an expanded version with an entire second disc of unissued concert material. It seems even that wasn't the end. This collection returns again to those remarkable concerts, featuring Muddy on five tracks, among them a rousing "I Can't Be Satisfied," "Trouble No More," "Caldonia," and the closing "Got My Mojo Workin'." Winter and Cotton are no less powerful, Cotton redoing Jackie Brenston's hit "Rocket '88'" and Winter ripping up John Lee Hooker's "I Done Got Over It" and "Mama Talk to Your Daughter."

As part of his final year as Music Director and following a two-season celebration of the Orchestra’s 125th anniversary, Peter Oundjian and the RSNO here present their second recording of music by John Adams, with the exceptional participation of the Doric String Quartet. Written for a large orchestra including six percussionists, keyboard sampler, and amplified steel-string guitar, Naive and Sentimental Music is a sweepingly symphonic masterpiece, full of contrasts and clashes. It reflects the dichotomy between ‘naive’ and ‘sentimental’ poetry as analysed by Friedrich Schiller in his 1795 essay Über naive und sentimentalische Dichtung, as well as the ‘bipolar’ musical life of Esa-Pekka Salonen, the dedicatee of this piece, who conducted the first performance with the Los Angeles Philharmonic in 1999. Absolute Jest is a large-scale scherzo for amplified string quartet and orchestra, heavily inspired by the music of Beethoven, which Adams has always deeply admired. The quartet of soloists, a late addition to the score, emphasises the echoes of Beethoven’s music (mainly his string quartets) and facilitates a ‘hyperspace rate’ of virtuosity, which the Doric String Quartet here perfectly demonstrates.

Gifts–recorded with the Weavers quartet–serves as a deeply personal musical memoir.

Acclaimed young saxophonist Xhosa Cole is to release his third album with Birmingham’s Stoney Lane Records – a dynamic live recording celebrating the work of transcendent pianist Thelonious Monk, with inventive interpretations of Monk's timeless compositions.

Dot Time Records is thrilled to announce the August 23, 2024 release of My Ideal, a breathtaking new album from acclaimed GRAMMY®-nominated vocalist Catherine Russell and prodigious pianist Sean Mason. This modern classic marks a significant milestone in both artists' careers, capturing a powerful and intimate musical dialogue. My Ideal is a very special project even in the very rarified strata where Catherine works; this is not only her first complete set of voice-and-piano duets, but her partner on this project is a remarkable piano prodigy whose technical skill is only rivaled by his soulfulness.

THE BIGGEST ROCK SHOW EVER HEADLINED BY THE MIGHTY QUEEN Queen headlined two nights of the 10-day Rock In Rio festival in 1985, the biggest music festival in history. Also headlining both nights were AC/DC, Yes, and Rod Stewart. Queen played on January 11 and 18, but they hit the stage around 2am each night, technically dating the performances 12th and 19th respectively. The band also set a record for paying attendances, playing to at least 250,000 people each night - the biggest audiences they would ever play for. Some sources suggest up to 350,000 attended on the first night. After the show, EMI threw a party in Queen's honour at the Copacabana Palace Hotel. On the beach outside the hotel, some fans had gathered for a candle-lighting vigil, where 1,500 candles spelled out the word Queen . Brian May, who was coming out of the hotel when this event was taking place, was apparently very touched by the gesture and after he lit the last few candles, he stayed around to sign autographs. A 60-minute compilation of both nights of Queen In Rio would be transmitted live on local radio, and from this recording comes this exceptional CD containing the best of Queen In Rio 1985, released here for the first time.

With a title that sums up their admirable refusal to pander to English-speaking audiences, Made in Germany: 1995-2011 celebrates the 16-year career of Neue Deutsche Härte outfit Rammstein, one of the few European rock bands to make any impression in both the U.K. and U.S. Spanning their six studio albums, from the synth-heavy theatrics of "Du Riechst So Gut" (from 1995 debut Herzeleid) to the glam-tinged vaudeville of "Haifisch" (from 2009's Liebe ist für alle da), alongside a brand new recording ("Mein Land"), the 16-track collection certainly justifies their rather provocative reputation. "Links 2-3-4" is an aggressive statement of defiance against the allegations of fascism and Nazism that had followed them around ever since they burst onto the scene, the brooding symphonics of "Mutter" soundtracks a dark tale of a neglected son murdering his mother…