Released in the States by the small Janus label (with an updated cover), 1977's 'No Second Chance" was co-produced by Anderson and Thomas. Like the debut, the material was again largely written by Thomas and similarly managed to combine gorgeous group vocal harmonies with a hard rock sound that still had a distinctive commercial sheen. Propelled by Thomas' instantly recognizable growl, imagine a pub band like Ace deciding they liked rock guitar and you'll get a good feel for tracks like 'Johnny Hold Back', 'Pressure Point' and 'Guitar Hero'.

The Huddersfield Choral society has one of the longest and most fruitful relationships with Handel s famous Messiah than perhaps any other chorus in the world: they first performed it in concert during their inception year of 1836, and have continued to do so annually since 1860 with concerts the world over as well as in their hometown of Huddersfield. Recorded live in concert in December 2010, this new recording combines the famous ensemble with the Northern Sinfonia and four world-class professionals, under the direction of Jane Glover CBE. The disc begins with John Wainwright s Christians Awake , a traditional addition to the Messiah programme at their concerts in Huddersfield.

For his first CD with La Dolce Volta, Olivier Latry has chosen a programme devoted to the music of Johann Sebastian Bach. This recording, made on the massive Cavaillé-Coll organ of Notre-Dame de Paris, of which he is titular organist, raises a number of fascinating questions. “My approach highlights several paradoxes: the notion of performing these key works of Protestantism in one of the most emblematic centres of Catholicism, first of all, but also of playing them on an instrument that is, to say the least, far removed from the Baroque and Classical style of organ building.” - Olivier Latry

Written more than 15 years apart, these two scores, juxtaposed here for the first time, successively illustrate the somewhat morose ‘Nordic’ inspiration of the composer of Ein deutsches Requiem, then a more intimate poetic feeling, and finally a communicative serenity, the headiness of a ‘Hungarian’ dance in the Quartet, a sort of wild csárdás with quasi-orchestral force in the coda of the Quintet.

Clearwater wrote the lion's share of this well-produced collection, reaching back for material by Jimmy Reed, Otis Rush, and Willie Mabon to round it out. The usual infectious mix of shimmering West Side blues, hauling rockabilly, and even a touch of funk on "Little Bit of Blues." Guitarist Will Crosby shares lead chores with his boss, and Carey Bell (Eddy's cousin) handles the harp work.

This two-LP set, which was released in 1976 as part of United Artists' Blue Note reissue series, brought back trumpeter Freddie Hubbard's early album Hub Cap, a sextet session with tenor-saxophonist Jimmy Heath, trombonist Julian Priester, and pianist Cedar Walton. Although that session (comprised of four Hubbard compositions, one of Walton's songs, and Randy Weston's "Cry Me Not") is excellent, it is the full album of previously unreleased material from an all-star quintet that is of greatest interest. Hubbard teams up with fellow Jazz Messengers Wayne Shorter (on tenor), Walton, bassist Reggie Workman, and (in Blakey's spot) drummer Philly Joe Jones for some advanced hard bop. Highpoints include the fiery "Philly Mignon" and a strong version of "Body and Soul."

It isn't hard to understand why some goth rock, darkwave, and gothic metal fans have been drawn to Anekdoten. Their music isn't goth rock, darkwave, or gothic metal; they are a progressive rock/art rock band that has strong '70s leanings and has been greatly influenced by King Crimson (with hints of Pink Floyd and Jethro Tull). But because their material tends to be melancholy, dark, and gloomy, some goth rock and darkwave enthusiasts have embraced them. And while Anekdoten's work has never been groundbreaking, much of it has been of a high quality. That high quality is evident on Chapters, a two-CD anthology that was assembled in 2009. Chapters ranges from previously released recordings from the '90s and 2000s to some previously unreleased rarities, including an alternate mix of "Sad Rain" and demos of "Book of Hours," "Prince of the Ocean," "This Is Far from the Sky," "Thirty Pieces," and "Nucleus"…