Al Green's second record for Blue Note reunites the same cast of characters who made his comeback disc, 2003's I Can't Stop, such a success. Willie Mitchell is behind the boards, the cream of old-school Hi musicians is here, and Green hasn't lost a step vocally. In fact, it sounds like he has gained a step somehow; his crazed screams, hollered interjections, and whoops of joy seem more assured and his falsetto is clear and strong. The songs are here, too, with a good mix of uptempo movers (the rollicking "Build Me Up," the high-energy title track, and "Nobody But You") and sweet, string-laden ballads ("Perfect to Me," "Real Love," and "All the Time"). Green sounds on fire most of the time, really letting loose on "Everything's OK," testifying on "Be My Baby," and ripping it up like a kid everywhere else…

There are few dance acts with the longevity like Faithless. Ever since they broke out in the mid-1990s with “Insomnia” and their debut album Reverence, the group has become one of the most important British musical acts of the past three decades. Maxi Jazz, Sister Bliss and Rollo all have their own successful solo careers, but together they are a cultural force that not only seeks to make people dance, but also tackles war, government oppression and racism. They released their last album The Dance in 2010 and that was supposed to be the end of the group, but just as 2020 has given all sorts of twists in horrible ways, it has given us a gift in a different form – a new Faithless album out today titled All Blessed.

Following the example of some of their fellow-countrymen of the late Seventies (Nightwinds, Infinity…), Netherworld could create a kind of music with a high quality, inspired by the best bands in this style (Genesis and ELP for example), with a particular virtuosity and energy. A little like Twelfth Night, this band combines vocal theatrical intonation, guitar arpeggios, energetic and emphatic keyboards, with multiple breaks and high-velocity solos. All of this is included in a very well composed and structured music.

The completely unknown debut album of Issam Hajali (Ferkat Al Ard) fuses jazz and folk with Arabic and Iranian influences into unique beauty. Originally released in a limited run of 75 cassette tape copies.

Alicia (stylized in all caps) is the upcoming seventh studio album by American singer and songwriter Alicia Keys. It is scheduled to be released through RCA Records on September 18, 2020. It serves as the follow-up to 2016's Here. The album generated four singles: "Show Me Love", "Underdog", "So Done" and "Love Looks Better", as well as three promotional singles: "Time Machine", "Good Job" and "Perfect Way to Die". The album was originally scheduled to release on March 20, 2020, then May 15, before being delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The album was also originally scheduled to be supported by Keys' Alicia: The World Tour which was set to commence in June 2020, but was also postponed.

Autechre have surprise released their second album of the month. PLUS, released digitally at 11 a.m. Eastern on Warp, follows SIGN, the uncharacteristically accessible LP they released on October 16.

Alternate African Reality is a follow-up to several compilations I have published on Syrphe since 2007 (the first one, Beyond Ignorance and Borders included various artists from Africa and Asia), and even earlier on my defunct tape label in the 1990s (the last tape, Archives Humaines vol.1, was published in 1996 and included 25 artists from 25 countries, including non-Western ones : South Africa, Japan, Chile, Brazil).

Despite various reissue formats over several decades, the seven original LPs contained in Thelonious Monk - The Riverside Tenor Sessions stood perfectly well on their own at the time of initial release and remain among the highest achievements of a truly golden age. Recorded and released between 1956 and 1961, these seven Monk combo albums were critical in Monk's emergence from a decade of ridicule and neglect to his status at the pinnacle of the jazz pantheon. In addition to some of his best recorded piano performances and more than two dozen of his profoundly personal compositions, these albums provide an overview of the era's major tenor saxophonists, with contributions by Sonny Rollins, Coleman Hawkins, John Coltrane, Johnny Griffin, Charlie Rouse and Harold Land…

Avant-garde music is not my cup of tea: I usually find it dark and formless, and the more "out" it goes, the faster I turn it off. But when I heard the opening track here, a bass and drum derangement of "La Mer," I was struck by how playful it could be. Same thing for the next and title track, a driving funk/Latin mix, where pianist Baptiste Trotignon and saxophonist Rick Margitza join the party, contributing to the genial celebration. I was surprised that I could not only follow the journey, but enjoy it as well. Either my ears have grown after a decade of reviewing, or these guys have produced something special. Perhaps both.

Of the legendary bands Great Britain birthed during the 1960s, none sound remotely like Procol Harum. From their emergence with the single version of "A Whiter Shade of Pale" months before the world heard the Beatles' Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, they were prog before prog, psychedelic before the world knew what it was, and a rocking R&B outfit…

With Lip Service, Richard Elliot has come full circle as one of the reigning merchants of Soul Jazz and cementing his role as one of the great contemporary sax players in the world. While working on Summer Horns in 2013, he had the opportunity to revisit his roots as one of the founding members of Tower of Power by performing "So Very Hard To Go" and working alongside arranger Greg Adams again. This led to Greg Adams arrangement for the GRAMMY-nominated "Shining Star" on Lip Service.

Back from the Dead is the fifth album by American death metal band Obituary. It was released on April 22, 1997. This was the band's final album before their six-year breakup from 1997 to 2003. Back from the Dead was the first Obituary album not produced by longtime contributor Scott Burns.

Upon leaving the Go-Go's, Belinda Carlisle felt no compunction in leaving behind the band's energetic new wave. On her own, she dove right into the mainstream with the assistance of producer Michael Lloyd, embracing the big radio-ready sheen of the mid-'80s on her 1986 debut, Belinda…

Former MEGADETH guitarist Marty Friedman will release his new solo album, Tokyo Jukebox 3", in Japan on October 21. According to Billboard, the LP features Marty's cover versions of a wide variety of pop songs, including such contemporary numbers as LiSA's "Gurenge" and OFFICIAL HIGE DANDISM's "Shukumei", along with DA PUMP's dance track "U.S.A.", END OF THE WORLD's ballad "Sazanka", and the vocaloid hit "Senbonzakura Feat. Hatsune Miku". Some throwback J-pop hits from the '90s are included on the set as well, such as ZARD's "Makenaide" and EVERY LITTLE THING's "Time Goes By".

The greatest New Zealand rock band, they evolved from quirky art rockers into a pop powerhouse thanks to the skills of the brothers Finn. This Australian-only box set covers the period of the band's peak in popularity (1980-1984). Beginning with True Colours and ending with their swan song, See Ya Round, it shows the band in perfect pop form. While this is too ambitious for the casual fan, the devoted will find this essential for considerably improved sound and the bonus disc of previously unreleased tracks.