Respect/Livin’ It Up, a two-on-one release from Verve Select, brings together two classic albums from Jimmy Smith, the world’s premier jazz-soul organist. Smith became a star with Verve Records in the mid-1960s. He leaned on superb big band arrangements by Oliver Nelson, a change from his earlier, small-group recordings on Blue Note. With Respect in 1967, Smith did something that thrilled his fans: he returned to a small group setting in Rudy Van Gelder’s now-legendary studio with his old Blue Note guitarist Thornel Schwartz, as well as Eric Gale, bassists Ron Carter and Bob Bushnell, and drummers Grady Tate and Bernard Purdie.

Colin Davis has recorded a great deal of Haydn's music over his long career, and his late recordings have enjoyed critical and popular acclaim. This live performance was recorded at the Barbican in London in June 2010, when Davis was just short of his 83rd birthday, and for British audiences it has carried overtones of a golden age. In the late 1960s Davis recorded the oratorio Die Jahreszeiten, in its English version as The Seasons, for the Philips label with the BBC Symphony Orchestra, and that version remained a fixture of music stores through the late LP era.

Prometheus is an original motion picture soundtrack to the 2012 science fiction film of the same name. Written by German composer Marc Streitenfeld, the soundtrack also features two supplemental pieces by English composer Harry Gregson-Williams, and it was conducted by Ben Foster. Since working as music supervisor on Ridley's Scott's 2005 film, Kingdom Of Heaven, Scott has called on Marc Streitenfeld to score all of his subsequent movies including A Good Year, Body Of Lies, Robin Hood and American Gangster, for which he was nominated for a BAFTA. Prior to his work as a composer, Streitenfeld had collaborated with Scott as music editor, music supervisor and technical score advisor on several projects, including Matchstick Men, Black Hawk Down and Gladiator.

The Living Tree is Jon Anderson and Rick Wakeman's debut album together, consisting of a simplistic combination of little more than piano and vocals. However, this instrumentation doesn't become in any way tedious over the course of the album; the music is soft, emotional and interesting throughout, standing up on its own two feet without the need for any further musicians. Wakeman adds expressive tone colour with various synths, strings and flute sounds, but the lyrics and chords are the main point of interest.

4 early albums from the legendary jazz oracle & his band plus 18 bonus singles on this 4cd set. 1956's 'JAZZ BY SUN RA' contains some of Sun Ra's most complex, yet accessible efforts, 'SUPERSONIC JAZZ' (also 1956) lays the groundwork for the group's ambitious, expansive & free-wheeling arrangements of later years, 1958's 'JAZZ IN SILHOUETTE' is a prime example of Ra & company in a transitional phase, prior to their full-fledged explorations into the avant-garde & 'THE FUTURISTIC SOUND OF SUN RA' (1961) is boppish with a slightly exotic flavour.

Salva's 2011 album consists of 7 tracks filled with Salva’s unique trademark sound combining symphonic prog, hard rock/metal and folk/singer-songwriter. The band’s influences range from the 70’s prog by Yes, Genesis, Jethro Tull and Pink Floyd via hard rock/metal by Black Sabbath, Deep Purple and Rainbow to Scandinavian and Celtic Folk mixed with pop sensibilities and even the odd splash of Jazz for good measure. On this album the symph has become grander, the riffs have become heavier and the melodies are as elaborate and melancholy as always. Recommended for all lovers of melodic, adventurous and at times heavy symphonic rock.

Long time frontman for the Ford Blues Band and sideman to Robben Ford, Volker Strifler shows off his talents as a song writer, guitar player, singer and producer on his 2011 CD, "Let The Music Rise". The music is heavily infused with Volker’s unique style of Blues roots, taking the listener to the outer limits of the genre while combining the traditional with more modern, diverse musical styles. The traditional instrumentation of guitar, bass, keyboards and drums are augmented by a horn section, mandolin riffs, tuba and “the sounds of pots and pans.” Attempting to slot him into a single genre is futile! Influenced by original blues icons like Robert Johnson and Houndog Taylor to Muddy Waters, Peter Green, Stevie Ray Vaughan and Robben Ford;, Volker Strifler has forged a style of his own.

Manifold Records present Spring Lounge 2011: Sounds Like Sunshine. 30 excellent Chillout tracks from Cafe Americaine, Pascal Dubois, The Man Behind C, Chillwalker, Noise Boyz and others.

Rameau was a virtuoso and dominated all the current dramatic music genres combining them in a way he wanted. The outcome was Les Paladins, a mixture of tall stories and farce, erotic and moral, serious and funny, real and fantastic with the lavish richness of Rameau’s musical language. Available for the first time on CD, this long-lost treasure will be much sought after.

The breakout star from the burgeoning Romanian dance scene that has also spawned the likes of Alexandra Stan and Edward Maya, permanently scantily clad Inna has been pivotal in restoring some musical pride to a country whose only previous notable contribution to the pop landscape was the Cheeky Girls. Produced by regular cohorts Play & Win, her second album, I Am the Club Rocker, picks up where her debut, Hot, left off, with 13 sun-soaked Europop tracks that appear destined to blare out of various Club 18-30 hotspots until the inevitable 6-a.m. stagger back to the hotel. As individual pieces of undemanding trance/house-lite pop, the summery flamenco-tinged "Un Momento" and "Endless," the Italo house throwbacks "No Limit" and "House Is Going On," and the dreamy chillout of "July" and "Senorita" all provide the necessary Mediterranean "booze cruise" vibes.

This hilarious contemporary version of Francesco Cavalli's baroque opera Hercules in Love was commissioned on occasion of the marriage of Louis XIV, the Sun King, to Maria Theresa of Spain. The original production took two years to complete and was at the time the greatest show ever performed in Europe. Directed by David Alden, this surreal production is a triumph of commedia buffa resplendent with decorative and symbolic elements, and complemented by Constance Hoffman's exceptional costumes. Led by Ivor Bolton, a master of baroque music, the chorus of De Nederlandse Opera and Concerto Köln give a sublime performance. With Luca Pisaroni's (Ercole) singing being heroic and melodious in turn, and Veronica Cangemi as a splendid Iole, this is an outstanding production by the DNO.

Alan Simon is a French folk-rock musician and composer, best known for his rock operas performed with noted rock musicians guesting. Simon is associated with Breton Celticism, and his most ambitious works are typically on themes linked to Celtic myth and history. Simon achieved fame with his rock opera Excalibur, La Légende des Celtes (Excalibur, The Legend of the Celts) (Sony) in 1999, of which he was both songwriter and producer. The final part of the trilogy, Excalibur III The Origins (Excalibur III: The Origins), was released in 2012 with contributions from John Helliwell (Supertramp), Mick Fleetwood, Jeremy Spencer (Fleetwood Mac), Martin Barre (Jethro Tull), John Wetton (King Crimson, UK, Asia), Les Holroyd (Barclay James Harvest), Bruce Guthro (Runrig), Moya Brennan (Clannad), Geoffrey Downes.

Best known as one-half of the groundbreaking synth pop duo Eurythmics, Dave Stewart was also a highly successful producer and, on occasion, a solo artist. Collection includes: Greetings From The Gutter (1994); SlyFi (1998); The Blackbird Diaries (2011); The Ringmaster General (2012); Lucky Numbers (2013).

La-La Land Records, Sony Pictures and Sony Music presents the world premiere release of the first official remastered and expanded edition of renowned composer John Williams's (JAWS, STAR WARS, SCHINDLER'S LIST) original score to the 1991 Tri-Star Pictures' adventure/fantasy epic HOOK, directed by Steven Spielberg. Long considered one of the maestro's best scores in collaboration with Mr. Spielberg, this masterwork is finally presented here in a worthy 2-CD release that contains more than 140 mins of music, including bonus alternate and unused cues, greatly expanding the score's original 1991 album assembly with more than 65 minutes of music previously unreleased in any official format. Produced by Didier C. Deutsch and Mark G. Wilder, mastered by Mark G. Wilder and Maria Triana and supervised and approved by John Williams, this expanded reissue features amazing art design by Jim Titus and exclusive, in-depth liners from film music writer Daniel Schweiger. It's an amazing soundtrack experience that will have you never wanting to grow up!

La-La Land Records, in association with Sony Music and NBC Universal, presents the remastered and expanded 2-CD SET of AcademyAward-Winning composer John Williams' (JAWS, BLACK SUNDAY, STAR WARS, RAIDERSOF THE LOST ARK) amazing score to the 1979 Universal Pictures and ColumbiaPictures comedy spectacular 1941, starring Dan Aykroyd, Ned Beatty, John Belushi and Warren Oates, and directed by Steven Spielberg. Williams provides adelightful, full-on orchestra assault (featuring one of the most infectious marches ever written for film) to compliment this cult-classic's slap-stick tapestry of WWII-era paranoia exploding in Hollywood. Produced by Mike Matessino, Didier C. Deutsch and Mark G. Wilder, remixed and assembled by Mike Matessino and mastered by Mark G. Wilder, this special release is expanded by more than 70 minutes with never-before-released music, including alternates and source cues. The original 1979 album presentation is also presented on disc 2, remastered. 1941 Re-issue producer Mike Matessino provides exclusive, in-depthliner notes. Limited Edition of 3500 Units.