This unusual session consists of a complex six-movement suite by J.J. Johnson featuring Dizzy Gillespie's trumpet over a brass choir (six trumpets, two trombones, two bass trombones, four French horns and two tubas), bass, drums, percussion and two harps. Often reminiscent of classical music, Johnson's writing allows plenty of room for Gillespie to improvise. The result is a rather unique set of music that is well worth searching for.

Back before the electric guitar became the primary focal instrument of the blues, two-fisted piano players dominated the genre, and record companies flocked to record them. Chess Records was no exception, and this two-disc, 45-track anthology shines the spotlight on four of the best who ever sat on the piano stool at the Chess studios. The first disc begins with 20 tracks from Eddie Boyd (eight of them previously unissued in the U.S.), full of introspective reflection and the darkest of moods. Kicking off with one of his big hits, "24 Hours," and the dourness of Boyd's work reaches epic proportions on tunes like "I Began to Sing the Blues," "Third Degree," and "Blues for Baby," the latter featuring stellar jazz guitar runs and chordal work from Robert Jr. Lockwood…

This release from 2006 offers 78 minutes of stately music. This release in the "Analog Overdose" series features a selection of material from various live performances and studio rehearsals in 2001. These tracks are noticeably shorter than usual AO pieces (which tend to be extremely long slow-building structures). Some are around fifteen minutes in duration, but there are actually more than a few that aren't even two minutes long. This means there's more focus going on here; the compositions speedily get to the point and strut their flash. Keyboard cycles are generated, spiraling around each other with languid beauty. Patterns evolve and the interactions change accordingly. Heavenly textures descend to cloud the melodies with their regal demeanor…

This is the second album of The Sins Of Thy Beloved. Compared to their debut album, there is no change in substance, also some beautiful and sorrowful gothic doom music. But they make a little alteration, which cause their music heavier and stronger, sounds more abundant.
In their first album the guitar riff and the male growl are all beneath and behind Anita's heavenly voice. But in this album, they become more prominent and get to constitute a major part of their music. So the music itself gets more close to the metal works, the guitar riff and the drum beat are strong, the black metal style growl is clear, interspersed by the keyboard and the violin. Anita also plays an important role, but in this album, her voice is not the musical groundwork any more, but still cooperates with other instrument and male vocal excellently.

One of the finest rock & roll revival bands of the 1970s, Showaddywaddy also proved to be one of the most successful and enduring. Originally styled as a British answer to American retro-masters Sha Na Na, Showaddywaddy found themselves scooped up into the glam rock basket; indeed, at a time when rival giants Mud, Wizzard, and the Rubettes were also mining the '50s for inspiration, Showaddywaddy swept ahead with barely a glance over their shoulder. The group's run of greatest hits sounds devastatingly pure, even authentic, while further evidence of their resilience can be garnered from the fact that Showaddywaddy are regularly gigging, a full 50 years after the bandmembers first heard the music which brought them such fame.

Volume 11 of the 'Next Generation Mozart Soloists' series presents Violin Concerto No. 5 in A Major along with Piano Concertos KV 40 and KV 449. The Piano Concerto No. 3 is a very early work, derived from works by other composers, whereas No. 14 was written in 1784 by a fully mature Mozart, who was moving away from functional music towards expressing his ideas in a more dramatic structure. What links the two, says Swiss-Canadian pianist Teo Gheorghiu, is that they are both "concertos mainly joyful and optimistic in expression". French violinist David Castro-Balbi says "of Mozart’s violin concertos, No. 5 has the strongest operatic character". These two soloists are accompanied by the Mozarteumorchester Salzburg under the baton of Howard Griffiths.

One of the leading keyboard players of her generation, Sophie Yates is renowned as a performer, educator, and broadcaster.

From two players to twelve: few ensembles could respond with equal authority to the very varied demands made by this wonderful collection of Debussy’s chamber music. But then, few ensembles can stand comparison with the Nash, whose members continue to set the standards across a dauntingly wide repertoire. A realization of the Prélude à l’après-midi … for chamber ensemble adds to this album’s more familiar attractions of the string quartet and three sonatas.