Blue Note's Esquire Jazz Collection: Breakthrough! features a sampling of recordings from the '80s and '90s from the premier jazz label. Among the 13 tracks on this volume are Jacky Terrasson's "Bye Bye Blackbird," Marcus Printup's "Speak Low," Benny Green's "Playmate," and Javon Jackson's "Paradox." This consistently satisfying disc also features tunes by Gonzalo Rubalcaba, Junko Onishi, Geri Allen, Tim Hagans, Kevin Hays, Bill Stewart, Charlie Hunter, Fareed Haque, and Joe Lovano.

In the late '70s and early '80s guitarist Norman Barratt brought his undoubted guitar hero skills to Christian music as part of the Alwyn Wall Band and with his own outfit The Barratt Band. At the time I can remember much talk about his mainstream band Gravy Train who had been signed to the Vertigo and Dawn labels. As their albums weren't easily found back then, this CD re-release is the first time I've tracked down his earlier music. At first glance, you might think that 'Strength Of A Dream: The Gravy Train Anthology' would be a best of collection spanning all their releases when in fact it is their third and fourth albums with assorted singles and b sides. What you get is the 'Second Birth' and 'Staircase To The Day' LPs and an interesting journey seeing how the band developed between those two releases from 1973 and 1974.

The Pet Sounds Sessions is a 4-CD box set by the American rock band the Beach Boys. Released on November 4, 1997, by Capitol Records, it compiles tracks from the group's 11th studio album Pet Sounds (1966) and its 1965–66 recording sessions. The entire album is included in its original mono mix, as well as a specially-created digital stereo mix. The set also contains instrumental tracks, vocals-only tracks, alternate mixes, and edited highlights from the recording sessions for many of the album's songs, along with several tracks not included on the album. The box set was nominated for Best Historical Album at the Grammy Awards of 1999. In 2011, it was followed by The Smile Sessions, a similar compilation devoted to the recording of the Beach Boys' unfinished Smile project.

An anthology of solo recordings from the original Beach Boy, Brian Wilson, starting with his ‘comeback’ album on Sire, through to the current day & a new track ‘Run James Run’ which is unreleased & recorded specifically for this album. The record also features another unreleased track – ‘Some Sweet Day’ – from the sessions with Andy Paley. And the remainder comes from his various solo releases, the self-titled album on Sire, the ‘Smile’ release on Nonesuch, the duet ‘Soul Searchin’’ with his brother Carl from ‘Gettin’ In Over My Head’ right through to the most recent full length ‘No Pier Pressure’ on Capitol.

From a landmark Janacek album to a previously unpublished Schubert/Mozart recording, this collection presents the Deutsche Grammophon, British and American Decca, and Westminster legacy of Rudolf Firkušný (1912-1994), acclaimed by Stereo Review as 'the outstanding champion of Czech piano music on the international circuit'.

This splendid and authoritative recital by Elissa Edwards and Richard Kolb of arias and cantatas from Barbara Strozzi’s last published opus showcases the dramatically coloured, highly charged power of the composer’s expressive toolkit, lit by the emerging harmonic language of the Baroque, influenced by Monteverdi through her teacher Cavalli, as a serious precedent for the future of opera. In his booklet notes Kolb comments that in Strozzi’s time a taste for ‘indulgence in the sensual pleasure of vocal melody or as an esoteric manifestation of nothingness’ was growing – the future indeed.

Even though Vladimir Ashkenazy is most often celebrated for his brilliantly virtuosic interpretations of Romantic repertoire, his skills in playing works of the Classical era are just as worthy, as proved by this 10-disc set from London of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's piano concertos. These performances span a period from 1966 to 1988, capturing a youthful and vigorous Ashkenazy playing and conducting the Philharmonia Orchestra and the English Chamber Orchestra from the keyboard, in approved Mozartian fashion. All of the keyboard concertos are here, including the official 27 concertos for piano and orchestra, the Concerto for two pianos in E flat major, K. 365, the Concerto for three pianos in F major, K. 242, as well as the two Rondos K. 382 and K. 386. Ashkenazy's elegant playing has been highly praised by critics and placed on a level with his esteemed contemporaries Murray Perahia, Daniel Barenboim, and Alfred Brendel, all past masters of Mozart's primary medium of expression.

Esoteric Recordings are pleased to announce the next release in the continuing series of reissues of the entire catalogue by the legendary classical rock band Sky. Formed in 1979, Sky brought together the worlds of rock and classical music in a highly successful and inspiring way. Featuring the gifted talents of guitarist John Williams, percussionist Tristan Fry, legendary bass player Herbie Flowers, former Curved Air keyboard player Francis Monkman and guitarist Kevin Peek, Sky recorded their debut album at Abbey Road studios in the early months of 1979. The band’s self-titled debut reached the UK top ten in May 1979 and went on to achieve Platinum status in the UK and was also a major hit in Europe and Australia.

Jaco Pastorius was a meteor who blazed on to the scene in the 1970s, only to flame out tragically in the 1980s. With a brilliantly fleet technique and fertile melodic imagination, Pastorius made his fretless electric bass leap out from the depths of the rhythm section into the front line with fluid machine-gun-like passages that demanded attention. He also sported a strutting, dancing, flamboyant performing style and posed a further triple-threat as a talented composer, arranger and producer. He and Stanley Clarke were the towering influences on their instrument in the 1970s. Collection includes 'Broadway Blues' & 'Teresa', 'Heavy'n Jazz' & 'Stuttgart Aria', 'Live In Italy' & 'Honestly'.

By 1978, David Liebman had played with Miles Davis and Elvin Jones, founded the adventurous cooperative Free Life Communications and led a funk band with James Brown alum Pee Wee Ellis. Early that year, he booked a week at the Village Vanguard. The gig reunited him with pianist Richie Beirach, combining their previous flights of freedom in a grounded, straightahead setting. Trumpeter Randy Brecker joined the frontline while bassist Frank Tusa and drummer Al Foster helmed the rhythm section. The group on the Mosaic Select Pendulum set didn’t last beyond that February week, though Beirach and Liebman would continue to work together closely, in duos and groups like Quest, which included Foster. The three discs recall a transitional time for jazz when musicians had freedom, fusion and tradition to draw on in their playing. Aside from three originals, the group expands on material like “Impressions,” “Footprints” and a few standards (“Night and Day” and “There Is No Greater Love”). The set list was called on the Vanguard stage and most tracks last well beyond a quarter of an hour. The loose nature and the anything-goes mood of the time brought out the best in the group.

For this second volume of Beethoven’s string quartets, the Doric String Quartet has combined one middle period, one late, and two early quartets to create a programme that works on its own terms, as well as forming part of the complete cycle. The musicians start off with a vivid performance of Op. 18 No. 2, following it with the Quartet, Op. 130, in which, as finale, they perform the Große Fugue (Op. 133), as Beethoven long contemplated it.

Misael Barraza-Diaz is one of the most outstanding Mexican guitarists of his generation. He graduated “Summa Cum Laude” from the Master Guitarra Alicante, a special program where he studied with world-renowned musicians David Russell, Manuel Barrueco, Ignacio Rodes, Paul O’dette, Hopkinson Smith, Fabio Zanon, Roberto Aussell and Shin Ichi Fukuda. As of December 2014, Misael holds both a Masters degree from the Master Guitarra Alicante (Spain) and a second Master’s degree from the University of Arizona (U.S.A.) where he is currently pursuing his Doctorate in Musical Arts and continues to study with Thomas Patterson, David Russell, and Sergio and Odair Assad.

The new album by Portuguese composer António Pinho Vargas brings together two landmark works, performed live by Casa da Música’s resident ensembles. Six Portraits of Painwas one of the highlights of the venue’s inaugural programme in 2005, featuring the virtuoso cellist Anssi Karttunen as soloist alongside the Remix Ensemble, conducted by Frank Ollu. A deeply moving work, it draws inspiration from texts by Deleuze/Spinoza, Thomas Bernhard, Anna Akhmatova, Manuel Gusmão, and Paul Celan, each evoking different forms of existential suffering. Oscuro, on the other hand, stands as a testimony to more recent times, an era marked by tragedy and disfigurement, from the pandemic to the wars afflicting the world. It is performed by the Casa da Música Porto Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Pedro Neves. These historic recordings, captured live at the premiere performances, are now released in a carefully produced edition by Artway, reaffirming Pinho Vargas as a vital voice in contemporary European music.

One of the greatest stars of the rock & roll era, David Bowie evaded easy categorization throughout his career, operating as the artiest rocker within the mainstream and the most accessible musician on the fringe.

Sine Music will be releasing the new ambient album The Beginning by Glint. The album contains eleven tracks and will be available in all well-known download stores and streaming services. After the successful albums Estival Arvo and Human, Glint returns with his latest work The Beginning and delivers a musical experience full of groove, playfulness and dreamy melodies. Fans of the German TV show Das perfekte Dinner are already familiar with his music - his tracks can be heard there regularly.