What exactly is Spiritual Soul anyway? At the confluence of congas and Fender Rhodes, the Civil Rights Movement and vegetarianism, jazz-funk and gospel-soul, a Black-to-the-land movement in song sprung forth in the 1970s. Where Rotary Connection, Alice Coltrane, and Roy Ayers dared to fly, others flapped their free love wings, transcending the trappings of Top 40, sexuality, and capitalism at once. On Eccentric Spiritual Soul, Numero digs deep into the private annals of the Black music diaspora, unearthing ten heavenly grooves for the tranquility bound listener. From Kalima's existential boogie banger "Where Is The Sunshine" to Fathers Children's proto-dub workout "Linda Movement," Lenny White's Bitches Brew comedown "Sweet Dreamer" to Spunk's Balaeric rainstick R&B "La Bimini," Eccentric Spiritual Soul has everything you need for your next incorporeal awakening. Flute not included, but encouraged.

EARLY SHOWS IN EUROPE FROM ELP’s BRAIN SALAD SURGERY TOUR In early 1973, the Emerson, Lake & Palmer formed their own record label, Manticore Records, and purchased an abandoned cinema as their own rehearsal hall in the London area of Fulham. In June 1973, the group began recording Brain Salad Surgery in London at Advision and Olympic Studios which lasted until September that year. Their regular Engineer, Eddy Offord was not present for the recording sessions as he was working with Yes, leaving engineering and mixing duties to Chris Kimsey and Geoff Young. Lake wrote the album's lyrics with Peter Sinfield and its sleeve was designed by H. R. Giger and includes the band's new logo. Formed of five tracks, the record includes a new rendition of ‘Jerusalem’ which features the debut of the Moog Apollo, a prototype polyphonic synthesizer. ‘Toccata’ is a cover of the fourth movement of Piano Concerto No. 1 by Argentine composer Alberto Ginastera and contains synthesised percussion in the form of an acoustic drum kit fitted with pick-ups that triggered electronic sounds. The 29-minute track ‘Karn Evil 9’ is the longest song recorded by the group. Brain Salad Surgery was released in November 1973 and reached No. 2 in the UK and No. 11 in the US. From April 1973 to September 1974, the band toured North America and Europe which included a headline spot at the inaugural California Jam Festival on 6 April 1974 at the Ontario Motor Speedway in Ontario, California, to an attendance of 250,000 people. Their performance was broadcast across the US. The band's live shows exhibited an unorthodox mix of virtuoso musicianship and over-the-top performances which received much criticism.

Rhino Handmade is proud to present FUNKY MIDNIGHT MOVER – THE ATLANTIC STUDIO RECORDINGS (1962-1978), legendary soul shaker Wilson Pickett's exclusive rhino.com 6-CD collection. The first comprehensive compilation of Pickett’s Atlantic material, FUNKY MIDNIGHT MOVER includes all his originally issued recordings for the label, as well as early pre-Atlantic sides, his 1978 album for the Atlantic-distributed Big Tree imprint, and a full CD’s worth of rare or previously unreleased recordings.The impressive set’s 154 tracks encompass all 35 of the singer’s R&B smashes – including five #1 hits – from “In The Midnight Hour,” his first hit for Atlantic Records, to 1973’s “International Playboy,” his last chart entry for the label. The earliest unreleased track on this set, an undubbed alternate of “Hello Sunshine,” dates from the 1967 American sessions for the album I’m In Love and prominently features Bobby Womack’s lead guitar. The collection concludes with “Superstar,” a full-blown disco track from 1978 unearthed in the vaults during research for this set. The set, presented in an elaborate 92-page, linen-wrapped book with many rare and unseen photos, also features comprehensive liner notes, including intros by Jerry Wexler and Steve Cropper, an essay by Chris Morris, and an extensive track-by-track by Bill Dahl.

The First Symphony was largely inspired by the composer’s tempestuous love affair with the widowed Baroness Imma von Doernberg, whom Walton met in 1929 and with whom he was living on the Continent in the early 1930s. Although the work was long in gestation, with a particular delay in the composition of the finale, the result was universally acclaimed as an outstanding success, with John Ireland commenting “unlike any other English symphony, this is in the real line of symphonic tradition. It is simply colossal, grand, original, and moving to the emotions to the most extreme degree… It has established you as the most vital and original genius in Europe”.

Fascinato’s independent singles were ultimately collected on Arranges Things, issued by Norman Forgue’s Evanston, Illinois-based Stepheny label in 1957. Fran Allison’s liner notes boasted that “confirmed hi-fi fans will adjust their woofers and tweeters so that when they hear the bells in ‘Abada,’ they’ll practically be able to see a camel train coming down the street.” Despite intense pandering, the LP managed to completely miss hi-fi enthusiasts and was quietly remaindered when Stepheny closed its doors at the decade’s end.

Along with two other piano sonatas and the sublime String Quintet, the A major Piano Sonata D959 is one of the four visionary masterpieces Schubert finished in 1828 which were to be among the very last things he wrote. On a less imposing scale, the six Moments musicaux reveal an alternative side to the composer.

With his first stage work ‘Le Villi’, the young Giacomo Puccini instantly struck a chord with his contemporaries. His unerring instinct for deeply moving melodies made him a beacon of hope for a new generation of Italian opera composers. In this ‘opera ballo’ he masterfully set to music the gruesomely beautiful legend of an unfaithful fiancé who is killed by the frenzied dance of the “Willis” – elemental spirits haunting the Black Forest. On October 13, 2024, a few weeks before the centenary of the composer’s death on November 29, the Munich Radio Orchestra presented a concert performance of the two-act version of ‘Le Villi’ at the city’s Prinzregententheater.

De-Phazz presents Octaves: An Exceptional Piano Album Reimagining Nu-Jazz Classics. In an exciting musical collaboration, the album titled ‘De-Phazz presents Octaves‘ offers a fresh and captivating reinterpretation of the most iconic tracks by the legendary Nu-Jazz ensemble De-Phazz. This innovative project transforms familiar songs into new soundscapes through delicate and expressive piano arrangements, showcasing the versatility and emotional depth of both the original compositions and the talented artists involved.

On sait peu de choses sur la vie personnelle de la talentueuse compositrice. Cependant, les quelques témoignages qui existent d'Anna Bon di Venezia indiquent une carrière musicale impressionnante à travers divers pays européens. Anna Bon di Venezia est née en août 1738 à Bologne, en Italie. Elle vient d'une famille de musiciens italiens prospères qui ont été actifs dans de nombreux pays européens. Anna Bon a reçu sa formation musicale au célèbre « Ospedale della Pietà » de Venise. L'Ospedale était un orphelinat pour filles, et en même temps une importante école de musique où enseignaient des professeurs comme Antonio Vivaldi. L'orchestre de filles de l'Ospedale avait une excellente réputation internationale.

The Secret Language of Birds is Ian Anderson's third solo album, but the first to specifically highlight his melodic skill and guitar prowess on a set of folk-inspired songs. His first solo album, 1983's Walk into Light, was marred by its full embrace of sterile '80s production in lieu of rusticity. While his second effort, 1995's Divinities, was a move in the right direction and a sonic precursor to the set at hand, it still was held back by its conscious decision to downplay Anderson's obvious acoustic heritage for a more classical bent. But sometimes the obvious is what works best, and Jethro Tull fans were pleased to learn that Anderson's third release finally embraced his classic sound.

To celebrate 60 years of this incredible journey, From The First Sting takes you through the band's most iconic and defining eras. Featuring 16 handpicked tracks, this collection showcases the band's decades of work featuring 2 unreleased song versions. Available on CD Digisleeve, this comprehensive release shines a lasting light on the career of these influential masters of the genre.

Patricia Kaas, the iconic French singer, presents the compilation "1987-2025: UNE VIE", which was released on June 13, 2025. This two-disc album in digisleeve packaging offers carefully selected songs from her 38-year career, including the new, previously unreleased single "Les yeux de ma mère". The album is a tribute to her unique voice and ability to interpret French chanson with deep emotion. For fans of French music, this album is a must-have.

In the second instalment of the Consone Quartet’s cycle, the foursome continues its exploration of Felix Mendelssohn’s string quartets, simultaneously delving into the work of his sister Fanny, with her only work in the genre. Despite its turbulent character, Felix’s String Quartet in E minor, Op. 44 No. 2, was written three months after the composer’s marriage, during a period of stability and creativity. In contrast, the String Quartet in F minor, Op. 80, was composed while he was recovering from shock, following Fanny’s premature death. It is a work of striking bitterness and agitation, an unambiguous reflection of his distraught mental state. Fanny’s String Quartet in E flat major is an attractive and well-crafted work, which, due to her family discouraging her pursuit of a career in composition, remained unpublished until 1988. It is given a vibrant performance here by the Consone Quartet, the first period instrument quartet to be selected as BBC New Generation Artists.

Following her acclaimed debut Diaries, pianist Tiffany Poon returns with Nature, an album that explores the evocative power of French music in capturing the beauty of the natural world from the delicate shimmer of water to the quiet mysteries of the forest and the animals found within. Nature, which Tiffany recorded at legendary Provence recording studio Miraval Studios (Pink Floyd, Sade, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds) with producer Damien Quintard, brings together works by French composers across centuries, united by an instinctual admiration for the world around them.

White Lies approached their seventh album, Night Light, with a fresh method: mastering the songs live before recording them. Inspired by the 1970s live-performance TV show The Midnight Special, the trio decided to rehearse and refine the tracks together in a room before entering the studio – a reversal of the process of finding the true spirit of songs only after touring them.