A surprising step after his earlier work with the Jazz Composer's Orchestra and their juxtaposition of avant-garde soloists in a modern orchestral context, Mantler created a virtual prog rock album, setting Edward Gorey's Freudian/gothic texts to music that owes far more to Henry Cow than Cecil Taylor. Enlisting ex-Soft Machine drummer Robert Wyatt on vocals and Jan Garbarek alumnus Terje Rypdal for some soaring guitar work, he managed to create a very convincing, enjoyably literary recording with potentially large appeal. The song structures are fairly consistent and the melodies often catchy, alternating from somber dirges (quite appropriate to the text) to up-tempo rockers. Much of the success accrues to Wyatt, whose reedy, intelligent voice gives exactly the right ironic inflection to Gorey's eerie tales…

These recordings, dating between 1927 and 1929, are a unique body of work: work songs, minstrel numbers, rags, and what we now define as the blues, all offered in an unpretentious form that would have been every bit as compelling had Henry Thomas cut them this way 40 years later. Songs such as "Arkansas," "Fox and the Hounds" (featuring the reed pipes that Thomas also excelled at playing), and "Little Red Caboose" represent a brand of upbeat dance music associated with late-19th century entertainment, a tradition already largely lost or becoming lost when Thomas cut these numbers. Yet Thomas, who was already in his 50s when he recorded these tracks, sings and plays them with a beguiling ease and honesty, not to mention a dexterity on the guitar that makes him sound every bit as vital and urgent as Big Bill Broonzy or any of the other up-and-coming blues legends just starting out at the time these sides were laid down…

This super deluxe edition boasts an abundance of material. Disc one features a 2016 remaster (by Andrew Walter at Abbey Road) approved by Charlie Burchill and the second disc gathers 12-inch remixes and instrumentals of the singles, a few of which enjoy their CD debut. Various edits and B-sides can be found on the third CD in the set while disc four features previously unreleased BBC John Peel and Kid Jensen radio sessions, recorded in February and August 1982. All ten tracks on disc five are previously unreleased; made up of alternative mixes and demos.
One of Scotland's finest exports, Simple Minds deliver a strong synth-reared release on New Gold Dream. This album harks the darker side of the band's musicianship, and such material alludes to their forthcoming pop-stadium sound which hurled them into rock mainstream during the latter part of the '80s…

The banning of opera performances during Lent in seventeenth- and eighteenth-century Rome meant that composers had to turn their attention to biblical subjects. However there is no sense that either composer or librettist felt at all limited in their subject matter, judging from the extraordinarily inventive oratorios that were produced during this time. Scarlatti’s work tells the dramatic story of David and Goliath. Whilst the biblical account relays the story in a few sentences, the anonymous librettist of Davidis pugna et victoria expands upon these to create an extensive libretto, with the characters fully developed and explored.

Karl Fasch, the son of the famous Kapellmeister of the court of Zerbst, Johann Friedrich Fasch, was harpsichordist at the Prussian court from 1756 until his death. Underemployed by Friedrich II and underestimated by musicologists, he has been forgotten for a long time. Philippe Grisvard is preparing to rectify this injustice with a program consisting of world-premiere recordings that will make it possible to discover an original and visionary composer. The Arts Desk said of Grisvard's previous release on Audax of Handel's keyboard works: 'And what Grisvard does so well is recreate what a contemporary observer described as Handel's uncommon brilliance and command of finger that amazing force and energy.

Simply MARI is the name of the Deutsche Grammophon debut of Norwegian violinist Mari Samuelsen. Recorded with the Konzerthausorchester Berlin under the baton of Jonathan Stockhammer, MARI's music reflects the contradictions of life in our time - the feeling of haste in everyday life, of being driven by constant communication, of being uprooted in a boundlessly mobile world, but MARI also refers to the longing for peace and quiet, for a place in nature to find oneself again.

This superb collection of acid-influenced guitar rock originally appeared in 1970 and has languished in underserved obscurity ever since. Produced in LA by legendary engineer Bill Halverson (Crosby, Stills & Nash, Cream, the Grateful Dead), it's heavily imbued with West Coast influences and features superb musical interplay throughout. The band supported acts including Jimi Hendrix and Pink Floyd, but proved sadly short-lived. In 2007 Blue Mountain Eagle was reissued on CD.

With every generation comes a great war. It may take years to fully reveal itself, but the seasoned warrior knows preparation is everything. Now in 2025, Bay Area thrash metal icons Testament return with their fourteenth studio album, Para Bellum, via Nuclear Blast Records. Taken from the Latin phrase Si vis pacem, para bellum - "If you want peace, prepare for war" - the album stands as both a battle cry and an observation of humanity's uneasy alliance with its own creations. As technology accelerates and disconnection grows, Para Bellum sees Testament reflecting the modern chaos through music that’s urgent, sharp, and unflinchingly human.
True to their legacy, Para Bellum is a masterclass in dynamic thrash songwriting, guided by founding guitarist Eric Peterson and vocalist Chuck Billy, who continue to lead the band with vision and force…

Nnenna Freelon is an internationally acclaimed vocalist, composer, arranger, and producer based in Durham, North Carolina. She started her career in her late thirties and made up for lost time with her eponymous 1992 debut, 1993's Heritage, and 1994's Listen - all charted. She signed with Concord for 1996's Shaking Free. Her slightly smoky, airy alto is equally comfortable singing jazz standards, contemporary jazz, soul, and gospel. She closed the 20th century with 1998's Top Ten Maiden Voyage. Freelon immersed herself in articulating and extending tradition on 2000's Soulcall and 2002's Tales of Wonder. Recorded at the Kennedy Center, Live appeared in 2003. The Grammy-nominated Blueprint of a Lady: Sketches of Billie Holiday appeared the following year, while Better Than Anything appeared in 2008 and Homefree in 2010…

Usually described as a "supergroup", Il Volo was a studio band formed by very popular musicians all coming from famous bands: Alberto Radius and Gabriele Lorenzi from Formula Tre, Mario Lavezzi from Flora Fauna Cemento and Camaleonti, Bob Callero from Osage Tribe and Duello Madre, Gianni Dall'Aglio from Ribelli, along with composer Vince Tempera who also had his own band Pleasure Machine. Very good (somewhat jazz) fusion melodic symphonic with also very interesting percussion, keyboards, as nicely balanced music. The first Italian album from 1974, their music is built upon two keyboards with great vocals and lush arrangements. Close to PFM or Banco by the vocals parts and the beauty of the themes and to E.L.P. by the instrumental virtuosity.

Masterful trio interplay reliant on deeply honed three-way communication and a refined sense of understatement make Fred Hersch’s third recording for ECM an essential entry into the piano trio canon. Hersch tackles a handful of 20th century compositions – spanning from standards to less frequented jazz tunes – as well as three originals, with Drew Gress on bass and Joey Baron on drums – two longstanding companions of Fred’s who have played with him on and off since the late 80s and early 90s respectively. “I feel that on this record you really hear the history," the pianist notes. “I hope that people can feel the maturity of the interaction, the sonic world and the sensitivity at play.” Fred’s own pieces are striking in their lyrical intensity, beaming with elaborate harmonies and interwoven counterpoint on “Plainsong”, timeless melodic invention on the title track “The Surrounding Green” and irresistible Latin groove on “Anticipation”.