Hailing from the mist-clad highlands of Scotland, Saor is a band that breathes life into history with their majestic blend of black metal intensity and Celtic folk melodies. Guided by the spirit of Caledonia, Saor's music transcends time, echoing the ancient tales of their homeland. Amidst the melancholy ruins and the grandeur of nature, their latest album, Amidst the Ruins, majestically intertwines the past with the present. From the haunting echoes of Glen of Sorrow that recounts the betrayal of the Massacre of Glencoe, to the forest's whispered secrets in The Sylvan Embrace featuring Jo Quail, each track is a portal to Scotland’s rich heritage. This album is a tribute to the timeless landscapes and ancestral spirits, capturing the soul of a nation in every note…

Kenny Dorham's Matador can safely claim the all too common distinction of being a classic among jazz connoisseurs while virtually unknown to the casual listener. Dorham is joined here by Jackie McLean, Bobby Timmons, Teddy Smith, and J.C. Moses, all of whom deliver outstanding performances. More than anything, this session is perhaps best known for including a stunning version of McLean's composition "Melody for Melonae," used less than a month earlier on his groundbreaking Blue Note LP Let Freedom Ring. For this session, though, the tune is renamed "Melanie" and, if not better, this version at least rivals the take under McLean's leadership. For starters, the addition of another horn adds some tonal depth to the proceedings, a situation arguably lacking in the tune's earlier recording…

Initially formed in the late Sixties as solo singer Guy Darrell’s backing band, Deep Feeling were active for several years before eventually splitting in the mid-Seventies, at which point the majority of band members moved into session work. Their opening run of singles in 1970 had seen them score a couple of minor hits with their lush, slowed-down, harmony pop versions of ‘Do You Love Me?’ and ‘Do You Wanna Dance’. The following year, the band cut an ambitious, highly eclectic album that showcased their dazzling harmonies and superior musicianship. This self-titled set (also known in some quarters as the Guillotine album) is now an extremely collectable item amongst UK progressive rock aficionados, although it failed to sell well at the time. Featuring a 16-page booklet with many rare photos and the band’s full story, this first-ever official reissue of their album is joined by thirteen non-LP tracks…

When The Omega Syndicate burst onto the scene in 2004 with their exhilarating debut “Analogue Waves” they quickly made quite an impression and many friends into the bargain. In a UK scene often accused of being lacklustre and amateurish, The Omega Syndicate have flown in the face of any such criticism with their exciting and dynamic fresh sounding take on the traditional Berlin School sound. Although they are creating long tracks with synths, sequencers and Mellotrons, what they produce is wholly original and while it can be said firmly and squarely to be “Berlin School”, it doesn’t always sound like a clone of Schulze or Tangerine Dream.

This compilation of Handel performances by soprano Suzie LeBlanc, drawn from three previously released recordings made between 2001 and 2003, serves as an excellent introduction to this fine singer and stands on its own as a thoughtfully programmed recital. The opening "Lascia ch'io pianga" from Rinaldo shows her clear voice and (thankfully) unaffected style, the emotion captured just right, the phrasing eloquent, the control giving no hint of effort. And this holds true throughout every selection, whether in the six-movement, recently discovered Gloria in excelsis Deo (her impassioned "Qui tollis" is a highlight) or in the more virtuosic rapid runs, lightning-quick turns, and subtle ornaments of "Da Tempeste" from Giulio Cesare.

Louis XIII était passionné de musique ; A la fois mélomane et compositeur, il a donné une grande place à cet art durant tout son règne. Richelieu, son fidèle premier ministre, était quant à lui passionné de théâtre et fit construire dans son Palais Cardinal (qui deviendra plus tard le Palais Royal), vers 1635 la première salle à l'italienne en France. Ce théâtre fut inauguré avec notamment la représentation du Ballet de la Prospérité des armes de France que nous avons enregistré dans ce coffret. Remontez le temps en découvrant un répertoire peu fréquenté, trop ancien pour les ensembles baroques et trop tardif pour les ensembles renaissances : Boesset, Bouzignac, Chancy, Formé, Gantez…

Orchestre baroque français, dirigé par le flûtiste, hautboïste et chef d’orchestre Hugo Reyne, La Simphonie du Marais défend depuis plus de 30 ans le répertoire musical des XVIIe et XVIIIe siècles, en tissant des liens uniques et particuliers entre le public, l’histoire, la musique et les autres arts.

Originally released in 1976, "Get Closer" is the 8th proper Seals & Crofts album, and incredibly, despite its gold-selling status, as well as the presence of the top 10 soft rock staple that is the title track, it's taken over 30 years for this album in full to get CD release in the US (if not the whole world).
This 'later' date late 70s release is not just one of their best, most moving, most pleasurable to hear and most finger snapping Recordings of their long career as a duo but, might just be the most 'fun' to listen to, song for song. It's more upbeat and light and snappy, and a lot less preachy and 'steeped in history & faith' than their earlier & mid-career recordings.

Despite the prominent presence of celebrated blues artist Howlin' Wolf in her family tree, singer Zora Young grew up singing not blues, but gospel. Even when the Mississippi native shook off her roots at the age of seven to relocate with her family to Chicago, she attended the Greater Harvest Baptist Church and continued to sing gospel. It wasn't until later that she switched over to R&B, and evolved into a powerhouse blues vocalist with three decades of experience behind her. She has performed with a long list of artists, including Junior Wells, Jimmy Dawkins, Bobby Rush, Buddy Guy, Professor Eddie Lusk, Albert King, and B.B. King. Her recording credits include collaborations with Willie Dixon, Sunnyland Slim, Mississippi Heat, Paul deLay, and Maurice John Vaughn, among others…