As his recording career stretched over about 35 years and more than 150 albums, it would be impossible for any Franco compilation, even a two-CD one, to give but a taste of his overall work. If you're willing to accept the limitations inherent in a two-CD set for such a prolific artist, however, Francophonic does a pretty good job of both assembling highlights from his discs and providing some sort of outline to his musical evolution. It samples from numerous eras over the course of its 28 tracks, spanning the years 1953-1980 and lasting a good two and a half hours.

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky Serenade for String Orchestra in C Major, Op. 48, Edward Elgar Serenade for String Orchestra, Op. 20, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Serenade in G Major, K. 525 “Eine kleine Nachtmusik”, Daniel Hope Zürcher Kammerorchester.

James Brown's two-CD 40th Anniversary Collection gathered 40 of the soul-funk giant's biggest hits, and in keeping with its title, The 50th Anniversary Collection is just that little bit bigger and better, with (could you guess?) 50 of his most famous tracks. From 1956's "Please, Please, Please" to 1988's "Static, Pts. 1 & 2," it has almost all of his biggies, though the absence of the 1986 Top Five hit "Living in America" is puzzling indeed. But that's a minor quibble given the dozens of classics onboard, which taken as a whole not only represent the best Brown compilation on the market, but also make a plain case for the singer as one of the major talents of 20th century American music. It's not wholly redundant on the off-chance that you're willing to replace 40th Anniversary Collection, mopping up a few hits of note ("Bewildered," "Bring It Up," "Let Yourself Go," "I Can't Stand Myself [When You Touch Me], Pt. 1," "It's a New Day, Pt. 1," "The Popcorn") that didn't make the cut the previous time around. If you're keeping score, it does lose a couple minor goodies from 40th Anniversary Collection ("Money Won't Change You," "King Heroin"). Also, the '70s funk years might be given too much emphasis and his R&B-soul beginnings shortchanged, though there are plenty of other reissues of his '50s/'60s material out there if you want to investigate further.

Late Night Tales: Khruangbin is a DJ mix album curated by American psychedelia band Khruangbin for Late Night Tales series, set to be released by Night Time Stories on 4 December 2020. It will include Khruangbin's cover of Kool & the Gang's instrumental tune "Summer Madness". The compilation includes a mixture of various global artists outside of the mainstream music, including South Korean rock band Sanulrim, Belarus band Pesniary, Nigerian musician Maxwell Udoh, and Ethiopian band Roha Band, among others.

Frankie Gavin and Alec Fin provide a vintage 1977 duet of Irish fiddle and bouzouki (large octave mandolin) that has withstood the test of time. Frankie and Alec are founding members of the group De Danann, a group that only recently retired after over 30 years of great music. Frankie is a legendary fiddle player known for his fast and fluid style. Alec is playing counterpoint and double lead bouzouki in complete synch. This could be called the typical old pub style back when it was rare to find more than two or three musicians playing together. The happiness of the music is overpowering and immediately stimulates toe tapping if not Irish style dancing.

Trumpeter Blue Mitchell made his name when he was a member of the Horace Silver Quintet, who were at the vanguard of the soul jazz movement in the late 50s-early 60s and recorded several best-selling albums for Blue Note: Finger Poppin', Blowin' The Blues Away and The Tokyo Blues. When the Quintet disbanded, Mitchell formed his own combo and signed to Blue Note direct. Over the next five years he made eight albums including The Thing To Do and Down With It! which continued to define soulful jazz. He championed young talent, employing drummer Al Foster and pianist Chick Corea. In the early 70s he signed to Bob Shad's Mainstream Records at a point where he was a successful session player, utilised by John Mayall and Ray Charles, among others. This, his debut album as solo artist, is a magnificent, largely acoustic, session unusual for this period. Its five tracks of swinging soul jazz, include Mi Hermano, a big club spin for Gilles Peterson.

In honor of CPE Bach's 300th birthday, hänssler CLASSIC will be releasing an exciting series of recordings dedicated to the music of this well known but hitherto neglected Bach son during the first 3 months of 2014. At the beginning there are the so-called “Hamburg” symphonies Wq 182, interpreted with great sensitivity and bite, when necessary, by the Stuttgart Chamber Orchestra under the renowned conductor and former violist of the Berlin Philharmonic, Wolfram Christ. Maestro Christ sees these works as expressive pieces, open to multiple interpretations that invite the listener to experience them as almost Romantic in their gesture and content. Deciding on a fortepiano continuo instrument is not only a historically informed decision, but contributes to a perfectly balanced overall sound.

Lee Ritenour Celebrating 60 years of playing guitar with a first ever “solo guitar” album, entitled Dreamcatcher! For Lee Ritenour, there aren’t many ‘firsts’ left to achieve. During his dazzling five-decade career, the fabled LA guitarist has taken his music to the outer limits, alighting on every genre and occupying every position in the rock ‘n’ roll firmament. He’s been an enfant terrible of ’70s fusion, a crossover star of the ’80s pop chart, an honorary exponent of Brazilian jazz, and the fingers behind ’90s supergroup, Fourplay. Ritenour’s accolades include: 45 albums,16 Grammy nominations, Alumnus of the year at USC, Los Angeles’ Jazz Society Honoree (2019), plus thousands of sessions with legends such as Frank Sinatra, Pink Floyd, B.B. King, Tony Bennett, among others. And yet, when he checks the rear-view mirror, the 68-year-old acknowledges he’s never made a record like Dreamcatcher.

Aptly titled, Two Sides of Tony McPhee not only explores McPhee's conceptions about love, relationships, religion, and aging, but the album is divided up musically, showcasing his talent as both a guitarist and a keyboard player. After displaying his keenness for composing a concept album with Split, a piece that he recorded with his band the Groundhogs based on the complexities of schizophrenia, McPhee decided to record an album that was more exclusive and personal. The result was Two Sides of Tony McPhee, with McPhee playing an acoustic and electric guitar for the first four tracks, then switching to three different synthesizers and an electric piano for side two, a lengthy spoken poem entitled "The Hunt."

A collection of some of the best numbers played by Brainstorm when the band made its highly successful debut at London's Ronnie Scott s Club! One of the most innovative and engaged small groups in contemporary improvised music. Brainstorm presents 74 electrifying minutes of inspired and wide-ranging music. As Ed Hazel has observed, Chico Freeman's style combines the energy and wide leaps of John Coltrane's later work with a classic conception of form and a strong sense of swing.

Gradually rising to the forefront of the current heavy psychedelic/stoner scene, Baltimore-based act, The Flying Eyes have just dropped their second full length. More expansive and heavier than the debut, Lowlands sinks the listener deeper into the band's universe. Offering a wide range of sounds derived from several late '60s and early '70s influences, the record can be found at a crossroad between the acid induced psychedelic blues reminiscent of The Doors, Jefferson Airplane and Cream, along with some Southern rock and, inevitably, traditional Black Sabbath doom riffs. Nevertheless, the chemistry between the band members, resulting in such catchy music and the will to experiment with the sound rather than recycling it, is what sets this above the multitude of average records.

“Avishai Cohen – The 50 Gold Selection” is a collection of Avishai Cohen’s most popular songs chosen by his fans through a 2019 fan survey in a unique Limited Edition Vinyl Box Set featuring 6 remastered Golden 180gr LPs. It also includes a 32 page hardcover book with notes written personally by Avishai, rare photos, a special poster and other exclusive content.
This is the first time the music of Avishai Cohen has been released and presented in such an exclusive way, with 250 minutes of remastered recordings from his worldwide album releases since 1998. The Vinyl Box Set features 50 selected tracks such as Remembering, Seven Seas, Eleven Wives, Morenika and Song Of Hope, from 12 of his albums, including bestsellers Gently Disturbed, Aurora, Continuo, 1970 and many more…“Avishai Cohen – The 50 Gold Selection” is a special thank you from him to his most loyal fans and followers in his 50th year, making it a unique exclusive collector’s item.

Vessel is the first live long-form video by Icelandic musician Björk, directed by Stéphane Sednaoui and produced by Elektra Entertainment. It was released in VHS on 5 September 1994, by One Little Indian, with a DVD reissue taking place on 13 May 2003…

Including classics such as ‘Man’s World’, ‘Jelly Jack’, ‘The Black Behind’ and ‘Tourniquet Of Roses’ alongside fan favourites in ‘Monkey Man’, ‘Mickey The Mumbling Midget’ and suchlike, this CD and DVD set captures the sight and sound of the new-look four-piece group, lavishly attired in tribute to The Mysterious N Senada, their Bavarian mentor, following the stripped back Randy, Chuck and Bob era.Packaged in a sumptuous, all card presentation, “In Between Dreams ~ Live In San Francisco” is a perfect all-in-one tour souvenir, beginner’s guide, home cinema extravaganza and Christmas gift for the elderly and infirm.

Renowned space rock band Hawkwind are celebrating their 50th anniversary. Taking November 2019 to tour nationwide in celebration of both their legendary past and their recent triumphs, they played a host of their most successful songs to packed crowds each night.