Regarded today as the embodiment of classical music at its most lyrical and poetic, composers have entrusted the cello with some of the loveliest melodies every penned. Yet, when it came to writing cello concertos, for most composers it was a “one and done” proposition. One of the major musical monuments in the cello literature is the Schumann Concerto, composed as Schumann himself said because “there are so few works for this lovely instrument.” In contrast, Soviet composer Dmitry Kabalevsky is one of the exceptions to the “one and done” rule. For a long time dismissed in the west as a mediocre apparatchik, a more evenhanded appraisal of Kabalevsky’s work reveals a consummate craftsman with a natural gift for folk-inspired melodies and vivid orchestrations.

Guitarist Kenny Burrell leads a strong jam session that features the talented but very underrated trumpeter Louis Smith (who sounds a bit like Lee Morgan), the similar but contrasting tenors of Junior Cook and Tina Brooks, pianist Duke Jordan, bassist Sam Jones, and drummer Art Blakey. Jordan's tongue-in-cheek "Scotch Blues" is a high point.

British singer/songwriter Howard Jones was a glinting jewel caught in the avalanche of synthesized music that overwhelmed the pop scene in the '80s. Jones had a true gift for crafting gleaming melodic hooks that make his hits some of the most memorable of the era. He used synthesizers not because they were "in," but because he could use them to create a delicious soundscape that couldn't be created without them. (Later in his career, he proved that he didn't need the electronics to write compelling pop music.) This 12" Album was released in support of his 1984 effort Humans Lib. It includes remixes of four of the hits from that record, including a previously unreleased extended mix of "Pearl in the Shell" and a "new version" of the now-classic "New Song," which features a reworked bass run and a new piano solo.

Tom's debut release was one of the many highlights of 2024, the multi-instrumentalists homage to the Canterbury scene is so evident with the use of vintage equipment and systems, this archival album will only enhance the feeling within music that Tom is an undeniable talent.
Tom (guitarist of Djiin and former keyboardist of Orgöne), began playing guitar at the age of 6 and later learnt how to play drums, piano and organ to a professional standard by the age of 15.

Master Cylinder is an obscure american band who manage to release only one album in 1981 named Elsewhere.
Master Cylinder's Elsewhere is a vibrant blend of jazzy, Canterbury-inspired fusion, featuring intricate rhythms, lush electric piano, and dynamic horns, perfect for fans of National Health and Weather Report.

This was the first and last time Pepper worked with Jordan, and came about as a result of Pepper's usual pianist, George Cables, being unable to make the dates at Club Montmartre in Copenhagen. To Pepper's dismay, Danmarks Radio decided to record the first gig of the Montmartre series. Pepper need not have worried – the show was a rousing success, with the band tackling a set of standards (and a couple of Pepper originals) with such verve and determination that relatively simple tunes turned into astounding solo workouts (there are several drum and bass solos to be heard on this record), the amazing highlight of which is a shot at "Besame Mucho" that rounds out to twenty-two minutes. Art Pepper was in the process of dying at the time this recording was made, but there's no lack of energy, no loss of vitality. A two-CD live jazz set that's well worth having and should not be overlooked.

Digitally remastered two CD deluxe package containing the first two solo albums from the former leader of The Band, each of them featuring bonus tracks. His self-titled debut album, originally released in 1987, features two bonus cuts: 'Christmas Must Be Tonight' and 'Testimony' (Edited Twelve Inch Remix). Storyville, his 1991 sophomore effort, features 'The Far, Lonely Cry Of Trains' and Storyville' as bonus tracks.

Anita O'Day is heard in prime form on this early Verve date. Accompanied by an orchestra conducted and arranged by Buddy Bregman, O'Day is at the peak of her powers on such songs as "You're the Top," "Honeysuckle Rose," an emotional rendition of "A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square," and "As Long As I Live." One of her better recordings, this date is recommended.

A good mix of classic Southern fried rock with space/psych prog.
Hypnos 69 was founded in 1994, Diest, Belgium. When Steve and Dave Houtmeyers decide in the summer of '94 to found a band with Tom Vanlaer, also the story of a band that would bring new life to the '60s and '70s psychedelic underground rock-scene of today began: Hypnos 69. The name was appropriately taken from the ancient Greek god of Sleep and Subconsciousness. The number 69 stands for equilibrium and stability; properties that can be retrieved in the marked sound of the band. Thanks to the cooperation with Orange Factory, Hypnos 69 developed a very powerful live-reputation, which placed them at the top of the contemporary psychedelic rockscene. 2000: First Hypnos 69 release on the Belgian RocknRollRadio-recordlabel entitled "Wherever Time has shared it's Trust" on blue 10"EP vinyl…

Survivor was an album of agendas. Destiny's Child were always going to release a third album following the success of The Writing's on the Wall, no matter what the line-up was. There had to be something put out to show that the group could continue in spite of two line-up changes within the space of weeks. But Survivor was also a vehicle for Beyoncé, as you could argue Destiny's Child always was. Survivor was a statement that the group could continue because of her. But it was also Mathew starting to build Beyoncé's portfolio. On The Writing's on the Wall, writing credits were split pretty evenly between the members of Destiny's Child. But on Survivor, Beyoncé is listed as a songwriter on all but one song, with Kelly and Michelle only being listed as songwriters for the album outro, where the girls literally just recite the Thank You's which are printed in the inlay.

"Tag Und Nacht", like other Schiller studio albums before it, balances dancefloor material with lush, downtempo electronica. Once again, the majority of the tracks are instrumental, while a handful are full-blown songs with spoken word poetry and ethereal guest vocalists; Culture Beat's Kim Sanders returns, but the highest profile collaboration is with electronic music pioneer Mike Oldfield on "Morgentau." The mood here tends to fall somewhere between tranquil and somber: it can be enjoyed as a deep listening experience or left unobtrusively in the background.

This promo CD makes sense to download only for those who have not heard Joshua Redman's music before, for the first acquaintance with the musician's work. All tracks are presented here in the same versions as in the albums specified in the tracklist.

GRAMOPHONE Magazine: Disc of the Month - April 2016. With the 2005 release of his first recording for BIS Records, Yevgeny Sudbin catapulted into the pages of the international music press. The disc was a Scarlatti recital that prompted reviewers worldwide to compare the then 24-year old pianist in the most flattering terms to Scarlatti experts such as Horowitz and Pletnev. It went on to receive a long list of distinctions, including an Editor's Choice in Gramophone, where the accompanying review described it as 'among the finest, certainly most enjoyable of all Scarlatti recitals'. Since then, Sudbin and BIS have enjoyed a highly successful collaboration, resulting in numerous acclaimed recordings of both solo programmes and concertos. To celebrate the past 10 years, a new Scarlatti recording seemed the obvious choice for an anniversary present - to ourselves, and of course to all Sudbin fans and Scarlatti lovers. Said and done: Sudbin met up with Marion Schwebel, the recording producer with whom he has collaborated from the very beginning, for recording sessions in the silken acoustics of St George's in Bristol.

Just as the title implies, Raw is Bobby Rush at his most elemental: a man, his acoustic guitar, and his foot stamping out a beat on an amplified board. A little harmonica now and then, and a Dobro played with a bottleneck slide on the rollicking "Glad to Get You Back," but that's it for ornamentation. Although most of 13 songs are Rush originals, he also essays three standards, Larry Williams' early rock classic "Boney Maroney," Muddy Waters' "Good Morning Little Schoolgirl," and – fearlessly – "Howlin' Wolf" itself, which he slows down into a funereal dirge. Rush calls his music "folk funk," but in reality, Rush is the modern equivalent of the first country bluesmen, before the moves to Memphis and Chicago added full-band arrangements and electricity. But Rush isn't a hidebound traditionalist attempting to resurrect a past form for its own sake; Raw crackles with the energy of a musician who knows that he's working in the style that best suits his own personal gifts. This is a hundred times more listenable than yet another blues band plodding through a set of tenth-generation rewrites of "Sweet Home Chicago," and could well be the blues recording of 2007.

In 1985, singer/songwriter Suzanne Vega released her stunning self-titled debut album. 25 years and 7 million albums sold later, Suzanne is widely regarded as one of the most brilliant songwriters of her generation. Now Suzanne is reinterpreting a majority of her catalog in a close and personal manner, creating 4 new thematic albums that will be released over 2010-2011. States of Being has Suzanne revisiting her most haunting songs. Suzanne used to call these the "Mental Health" songs. They express a state of mind, but also more than that; Suzanne says, "they are descriptions of a place deep inside. Anyone can feel like the narrator in Penitent, or Cracking, depending on your mood". Vol. 3 also includes a brand new song, a collaboration with Duncan Sheik from Suzanne's upcoming play, "Carson McCullers Talks About Love".