Brief Encounters is a studio album by French singer Amanda Lear, released in 2009 by independent label Just Good Music for Your Ears. A two-CD set, Brief Encounters consists of downtempo pop songs and ballads on disc 1 ('For the Heart'), and uptempo dance tracks and remixes on disc 2 ('For the Feet'). The album included a number of cover versions of tracks like Amy Winehouse's "Back to Black", Lenny Kravitz's "I Belong to You" and Lou Reed's "Perfect Day" alongside new songs, written mainly by Enrico Petrelli and Amanda Lear.

Although the music of this two-LP set was recording at a concert in the Soviet Union, it is a fairly typical recital by pianist Oscar Peterson with no obvious reference to the exotic location. Peterson takes five selections unaccompanied, performs four others as duets with bassist Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen, and adds drummer Jake Hanna to the nine remaining numbers. Other than three originals, all of the music is comprised of veteran standards and, although no real surprises occur, the results are what one would expect from the great Oscar Peterson, who alternates hard swingers with sensitive ballad renditions.

This volume of the Classics Chronological series places Billie Holiday's music in historical context to an unusual degree, as her recordings for the Columbia and Commodore labels have until now been reissued separately because of copyright and catalog ownership. The songs parceled together here were recorded at a crossroads in Holiday's career. The setting for the first - in what would constitute great changes in her life and music - was Barney Josephson's Café Society Downtown. Located at 2 Sheridan Square, this was Manhattan's first fully integrated nightclub. Its clientele included a number of politically progressive intellectuals and social activists. When she first appeared at the club on December 30, 1938, Billie Holiday was known as a spunky vocalist who presented lively renditions of pop and jazz standards in what was considered an unusual yet accessible style…

At the Hickory House is a thoroughly appealing collection of lightly swinging small-combo jazz that draws equally from hard bop and soul-jazz. There's a soulful lilt to Jutta Hipp's playing that keeps it engaging and enjoyable. The rhythm section of Peter Ind (bass) and Ed Thigpen (drums) largely stay out of the way, letting Hipp dictate the tempo and mood of the pieces, and she has a knack for creating infectious, swinging interpretations of jazz and pop standards that are enjoyable and easy to listen to. Vol. 1 contains such staples as "Dear Old Stockholm," "Billie's Bounce," "Mad About the Boy," "Ain't Misbehavin'" and "These Foolish Things," all of which are performed with verve and style, making the record a wonderful little gem…

Courtney Pine was initially a Coltrane sound-alike, but he began to bring soul jazz, reggae, and other musical genres to the mix with his 1992 album Closer to Home, which made use of his background touring with such reggae bands as Clint Eastwood & General Saint. Since then he has eagerly brought hip-hop elements into his work, performing live with a DJ in addition to his usual combo. His 1996 album, Modern Day Jazz Stories featured DJ Pongo on turntables as well as DJ Sparki on hardware/samples. Using an Apple Mac with Logic Audio software and Pro Tools, Pine generates loops as well as multiple flute and sax parts and combines them with studio techniques that include filtering and pitch-shifting, Pine was able to create the most convincing combination of mainstream jazz and electronica/DJ culture. This combination of jazz fusion and hip-hop has sometimes been dubbed “Trip Jazz.” The DJs function very much as part of the band, throwing ideas at the players and responding to their playing much the way a percussionist might do.

He may have just moved back to his hometown of Lahti, Finland after years of global living, but Jimi Tenor is far from his days of the mid-80s making noisecore with a bunch of local friends. His Beyond The Stars (2004), which is the follow-up to his 2003 genre-spanning milestone, is a gleeful horn-and-choral studded romp in 70s era jazz and the desire to resurrect awe towards space. With majestic and approachable horn sections alongside a charmingly hearty co-ed choir, Tenor has painstakingly crafted an album that is both musically reflective and relevant today. His darling (and nearly kitsch) fascination with space themes is illustrated through song titles, lyrics, recording treatments and effects ("Take Off", "Miracles"). Tenor disallows the space theme to become juvenile by basing his complex and mature compositions in orchestral-sounding instrumentals and sturdy lyrics…

Norway meets Iceland in wildly inventive ambient-gothic improvisations recorded in an abandoned Reykjavik warehouse Jo Berger Myhre and Ólafur Björn Ólafsson have created a strikingly original sound-world that, while it may have its antecedents, doesn’t really remind you of anyone else.

When Jimi Tenor and UMO collaborate, usually something epic happens. Terra Exotica is a completely new work composed by Jimi Tenor, inspired by nearby forests and the seashore, Japanese film-era film music, and bands like Sun Ran and Salah Ragab. Terra Exotica is quite an exotic entity, which I have composed specifically for UMO Helsinki Jazz Orchestra. In addition to the influences brought by Sun Ran and Salah Ragab, the pieces also have a touch of blues and even swing. Our album comes out in the end of the year 2021, Jimi Tenor promises.

Brad Turner and Seamus Blake reunite nearly 20 years later and the results are breathtaking. Sometimes trying to recreate something can be unsuccessful, and the results can be disappointing. But it's no surprise that ''Jump Up'' is a huge success. The album features 9 new all original compositions by Brad and he penned some beauties. There is a palpable excitement and electricity in these tracks, clearly demonstrating that Seamus and Brad are both relishing sharing the front line again.