"First" is the debut solo album by David Gates, released in 1973. Musicians who appeared on the album include Larry Knechtel, Mike Botts, Jimmy Getzoff, Jim Gordon, Jim Horn, John Guerin, Larry Carlton, Louie Shelton and Russ Kunkel.

While this two-CD collection does include all but one of his Top 40 hits, it's not quite the ultimate Johnny Rivers anthology, nor is it even the best double-CD "best of" devoted to the man. That honor still belongs to Rhino's Anthology, 1964-1977, a preferable compilation if you can find it. While almost all of Rivers' big, popular hits are on disc one of Secret Agent Man, most of disc two is devoted to tracks from obscure post-1990 releases, long after Rivers had last visited the charts.

Dayton were founded in 1980 by David Shawn Sandridge. From Dayton, Ohio, components of the group for the two albums we present here in 1980 and 1981 were: David Shawn Sandridge: Lead and Background Vocals, Lead and Rhythm Guitars, Horner D-6 Clavinet, Hell Talkbox, Percussion.

Meredith Monk s MEMORY GAME, as its title implies, is both a look back at a pivotal point in her storied career, and a richly layered portrait of how vocal music, under the guidance of an indefatigable master, can play with our expectations in poignant and compelling ways. Teaming up here with her renowned Vocal Ensemble (featuring Theo Bleckmann, Katie Geissinger and Allison Sniffin) and backed by the Bang on a Can All-Stars, Monk explores all-new arrangements of never-before-recorded selections from her award-winning sci-fi opera The Games, as well as new versions of several pieces originally released on Do You Be (1987) and Impermanence (2008). What emerges from MEMORY GAME is a suite of songs that flows with a remarkable narrative cohesion, stemming in large part from the composer s willingness to revisit the past with an insatiably curious eye.

The title track "Love Maze" features a heart-piercing lead, and impeccable backing harmonies; tender sweeties "Let Me Be the One" and "Passion" travel the same romantic road. Most prefer the Temprees doing dripping, slow ballads, and there's not enough of them on this multi-styled, rag-tag disc. Selections like "Something So Right" and "Come On Y'all" might not appeal to those who enjoy southern soul. The Temprees emulate the Stylistics on "Trust In Me," and "People Make the World Go 'Round," featuring their clear vocals and the Stax gang at their finest.

Known in all circles as "The Love Man" and "The Maestro," Barry White was a man who put new boundaries on the universal language of love. He had a soul of passion and this is evident in every song that he recorded. He was an icon.

"Rock Of The Westies" is the 10th studio album by English musician Elton John, released in October 1975. As with "Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy", "Rock Of The Westies" debuted on the US Billboard 200 chart at #1, the only two albums at that time to have done so. It was also successful (albeit to a lesser extent) in the artist's home territory of the UK, where it reached #5 on the UK Albums Chart. Robert Christgau ranked it as #7 on his list of the best albums of 1975. The title is a play on the phrase "West of the Rockies", the album having been recorded at Caribou Ranch in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado.

Vocalist/guitarist & songwriter, RYAN ROXIE, is best known as ALICE COOPER'S long-time lead guitarist and collaborator. He has also worked with Slash & Gilby Clarke and been a member of Classic Rock Award nominated band, Casablanca. Roxie has had an impressive ride so far! His forthcoming album, 'Imagine Your Reality' is his first official 'solo' release and sees him joined by other noteworthy musicians, including a collaboration with Cheap Trick's Robin Zander on the track California Man.

While the Army and Air Force have a number of world-class jazz ensembles garrisoned here in the States and abroad, the Navy has essentially one, the Commodores, so it had better be good. It is.

This Denon CD has one of trumpeter Randy Brecker's infrequent straightahead dates and is one of his strongest recordings. Teamed up with tenor saxophonist Joe Henderson, pianist David Kikoski, bassist Ron Carter and drummer Al Foster, Brecker performs eight of his own compositions. These range from the early-'60s funk of "No Scratch" and the tricky "Hit or Miss" to the ballad "You're in My Heart" and the fairly free "Little Miss P"; the best title is "There's a Mingus a Monk Us!" This Japanese import is worth searching for. ~ AllMusic Review by Scott Yanow

This particular Kenny Rogers collection focuses on the singer's EMI America chart entries from the late '70s and early '80s. The 12-track sampling includes "Don't Fall in Love With a Dreamer," "She Believes in Me," "Coward of the County," "Lady," and "The Gambler." "Reuben James" and "Ruby, Don't Take Your Love to Town" are re-recordings by Rogers, not the versions he made popular in the late '60s with his group the First Edition. Still, this is a good set for those who only want the hits.

Kenny Rogers & the First Edition's "Greatest Hits" contains all of the group's greatest hits, including "Ruby, Don't Take Your Love to Town" and "Just Dropped In (To See What Condition My Condition Is In)," plus a number of lesser-known singles. Though the group didn't have enough strong material to make the compilation consistently entertaining, this single-disc collection is nevertheless the definitive retrospective of Rogers' early years.

Giovanni Tommaso (Lucca, 20 gennaio 1941) è un bassista e contrabbassista italiano. Giovanni Tommaso inizia lo studio della musica frequentando il conservatorio di Bologna negli anni cinquanta, e in seguito a suonare jazz spostandosi con il suo contrabbasso a Bologna per partecipare a jam session che vedevano nella città emiliana una dei riferimenti per questo genere di musica in Italia.

In the two-and-a-half years between his first single, the urgent and atmospheric "Play God," and the release of his full-length debut in 2019, much was made of U.K. singer and songwriter Sam Fender's relatively young age – 23 by the arrival of the latter. After all, he was drawing frequent comparisons to influence Bruce Springsteen, both for the sound of his early singles and for the working-class compassion on display in his lyrics, and he won the Critics' Choice Brit Award in late 2018, an honor previously bestowed upon, among others, Adele and Sam Smith.