From the moment Arthur Fiedler lifted his baton in 1964 to lead the Boston Pops in a wild, surprisingly effective arrangement of "I Want To Hold Your Hand," symphony orchestras have tried to include Beatles music in their "pops" song bags. The trouble is, the Beatles' brilliant original recordings are so indelibly embedded in our collective mental hard drives that they are a tough act to follow – despite the high quality of the songs on their own merits, despite the good intentions of those who pay them homage. So it is with Erich Kunzel, the Cincinnati Pops and the British early music/classical/pop vocal sextet The King's Singers – an undoubtedly sincere labor that gets it all wrong. From this album, a visitor from Saturn would get the idea that the Beatles' music was all about pretty tunes and satin-smooth harmonies.

Night Beat is the twelfth studio album by American R&B, soul, and rock and roll singer and songwriter Sam Cooke. Produced by Hugo & Luigi, the album was released in August 1963 in the United States by RCA Victor. Night Beat originated from late-night recording sessions by Cooke and a quartet of studio musicians in February 1963. It has been featured in "best-of" lists by contemporary music critics and regarded as one of Cooke's best.

Stefano Bollani began studying the piano at the age of six and started his professional career at the age of fifteen. After graduating from the Conservatory Luigi Cherubini in Florence in 1993 he began appearing in many of the world’s most important concert venues. Currently he has published 43 albums alone (29 studio) and has collaborated extensively with other artists. Japanese label Venus Records released four albums by the “Stefano Bollani Trio” formed with Ares Tavolazzi on contrabass and Walter Paoli on drums. On Falando De Amor he's trio performed the music Of Antonio Carlos Jobim.

Ballads reign on "Moment To Moment", the extraordinarily self-possessed new album by pianist Cava Menzies and trumpeter Nick Phillips. But this recording is much more than just a “ballads album”.

A multi-dimensional and self-taught virtuoso, pianist Roy Meriwether blends jazz, blues, R&B and gospel with classical elements in a unique and innovative style. In the mid-60s, on the commercial peak of Jazz, Roy Meriwether signed to Columbia Records whole roster boasted such great artists as Dave Brubeck and Erroll Garner. "Soul Invader", some sweet and soulful live tracks from a live jazz set, very much reminiscent of The Ramsey Lewis Trio, was released in 1968.

Azar Lawrence is an American jazz saxophonist. By the time Azar Lawrence released "Bridge Into the New Age" in 1974 - his first recording as a bandleader - he had already built himself an enviable reputation as a saxophone player alongside the likes of McCoy Tyner, Miles Davis, Freddie Hubbard and Woody Shaw. Lawrence's vigorous and emotionally multifaceted playing shines on this album which was a truly forward-looking release in the mid-1970s, presented here as a remastered hi-res release to be enjoyed anew.

This album features Lionel Hampton's first concert at the Newport Jazz Festival and overall is quite exciting. Hampton gathered together an all-star alumni band that, in addition to trombonist Al Grey, Frank Foster on tenor and a couple of appearances by pianist Milt Buckner, boasts the extraordinary trumpet section of Snooky Young, Jimmy Nottingham, Joe Newman and Wallace Davenport. The climax is provided on Hamp's perennial "Flying Home" which finds Illinois Jacquet reprising and then extending his famous solo.

As each Christmas season approaches, I find it entertaining to look back on how Elvis’ first Christmas album was received when it first appeared in 1957.

Outside of the New York music scene, multi-instrumentalist Aaron Heick's name may not be as well known as some of his colleagues. But it doesn't matter; he's had a rich, varied career. This well-traveled, seasoned pro has played with some of the most prominent musicians in jazz, pop, reggae, funk, world, and classical music. Those who really know what's going on in music know him.

Sometimes it takes extremely talented and worthy musicians a long time before releasing an album in which they lead. Some of the musicians never do. Luckily, Aaron Heick got together with the Japanese label Venus Records to release his first album under his own moniker. Easily one of the best modern alto saxophonists in the United States, Heick has performed and recorded with stars such as Chaka Khan, Barbra Streisand, Paul Simon, Frank Sinatra, and Richard Bona. In this one-horn quartet setting with the extraordinary John di Martino and his Romantic Jazz Trio, Heick shows his phenomenal technique, solid sound, and emotionally charged soulfulness.

Songs of the Free is the third studio album by Gang of Four, released in 1982.

About a Burning Fire is the fourth album by post-hardcore band Blindside. It was released on February 24, 2004 through Elektra and 3 Points Records. The album charted at 39 on the Billboard top 200 which was even higher than their previous album, Silence which charted at 89 for 9 weeks straight. The album is also notable for featuring The Smashing Pumpkins' Billy Corgan on the track "Hooray, It's L.A." as well as being featured on the soundtrack for the video game Need For Speed Underground.

True Power is the third studio album by American rock band I Prevail, released on August 19, 2022. The album was proceeded by the singles "Body Bag" and "Bad Things". "Self-Destruction", "There's Fear in Letting Go", "Deep End" and "Closure" also later became singles.

Victor Nicoara, piano After moving to Berlin in 1894 Busonis reputation as a pianistic titan was cemented: his encyclopaedic piano recitals, caused a stir with audiences and critics alike. His compositions were also starting to garner some notice as well as bemusement - Busoni, not neatly subscribing to any of the major musical camps from the turn of the century, was as difficult to categorise then as he is now. Astonishingly well read and cosmopolitan, Busoni t

White Water is a one-album project and essentially the third attempt at a band by the members of the psychedelic Dick Damone band and Blue Jays.