Handel, Scarlatti, Corelli, Stradella, Muffat … From 1650 to the beginning of the eighteenth century, Rome exercised an immense power in attracting composers from all over Europe and experienced an intense moment of musical activity, because of - or in spite of - the papal administration. It was a prosperous period with a melting pot of influences. The programme devised here by the Roman conductor, Rinaldo Alessandrini, offers a complete and personal vision of the time, passionate and secular, lyrical (made sublime by Sandrine Piau) and orchestral, romantic in every way. Rinaldo Alessandrini is one of the leading figures in the international early music scene.

Grand ballet is an apt title for Paolo Pandolfo’s latest release, reflecting not only Marais’s predilection for dance music but also the fact that he was reported to play the viol ‘with his bow always in the air’. The same might be said of Paolo Pandolfo, whose lithe, balletic style and iridescent sound distinguish him from his peers. He’s supported, too, by a brilliant continuo group, whose daring, stylish realisations contribute to performances which are at once ebullient and intoxicating.

Born in Venice, Antonio Sartorio (1630-1680) composed 14 operas. He often made the long journey from Hanover, where he held the post of Maestro di Capella to the Duke of Brunswick, to compose and present new operas in his native city and recruit musicians for the German court. He is credited with introducing Italian opera to the Hanover court in 1672. Sartorio finally returned to Venice to be Maestro at St Mark’s where he composed sacred music, albeit not as much as the renowned Coffi might have been expected of him in that position.

Two CD collection. The follow-up to Light In The Attic's game-changing I Am The Center box set is finally here. Three years in the making, The Microcosm: Visionary Music Of Continental Europe, 1970-1986 is the first major overview of key works from cosmically-taped in artists needing little introduction - Vangelis, Ash Ra Tempel, and Popol Vuh - and and unknown masterpieces by criminally overlooked heroes like Bernard Xolotl, Robert Julian Horky and Enno Velthuys. Whereas I Am The Center called for a reconsideration of an entire maligned genre, The Microcosm requests nothing more than an open mind to consider this ambient, new age, neuzeit, prog, krautrock, cosmic, holistic stuff, whatever one calls it as a pulsating movement unto itself, a mirror refracting the American new age scene in unexpected, electrifying ways, proving beyond a shadow of a doubt the universality of the timeless quest to express "the Ineffable" through music. Drawing from major label budgets and homemade cassette distributed circumstances alike, The Microcosm demonstrates a depth of peace profound to behold, and clearly expands the boundaries. Lovingly conceived and lavishly presented by producer Douglas McGowan (Yoga Records) and liner notes contributor Jason Patrick Woodbury (Pitchfork, Aquarium Drunkard), The Microcosm features stunning cover paintings by Étienne Trouvelot, and labels by Finnish savant Aleksanda Ionowa.

Larry Carlton and Lee Ritenour are renowned jazz-fusion guitarists, each with successful solo careers and collaborations. Their live performance in Tokyo for Wowow TV in 1995 is a memorable concert for fans of jazz and fusion music. This performance showcases Carlton and Ritenour's masterful guitar techniques and their synergy as they play a variety of pieces. The album provides listeners with a rich musical experience, both melodically and technically. It typically features solo performances, duets, and group performances.

Released in 2004. Featuring: Queen, Elton John, Abba, Bee Gees and Many More! EMI. 2004.

GarciaLive Volume 21 showcases the Jerry Garcia Band’s February 13th, 1976 performance at the legendary Keystone in Berkeley, California. The nearly complete two-set performance was originally captured to 1/4" analog reels by Betty Cantor-Jackson.

Bonny Light Horseman’s new album, Keep Me on Your Mind/See You Free, is an ode to the blessed mess of our humanity. Confident and generous, it is an unvarnished offering that puts every feeling and supposed flaw out in the open. The themes are stacked high and staked even higher: love and loss, hope and sorrow, community and family, change and time all permeate Bonny Light Horseman’s most vulnerable and bounteous offering to date. Yet for all of its humanistic touchpoints, Keep Me on Your Mind/See You Free was forged from a kind of unexplainable magic.

Andrew Bird has announced his latest album, Sunday Morning Put-On, due out May 24th via Loma Vista Recordings. Recorded alongside the artist’s Andrew Bird Trio project, today’s announcement comes accompanied by two songs from the record, “I Fall in Love Too Easily” and “I’ve Grown Accustomed to Her Face.” Bird has billed Sunday Morning Put-On as a tribute to mid-century, small group jazz, with the tracklist featuring compositions by musicians like Cole Porter, Duke Ellington, Rodgers and Heart, and more. Drummer Ted Poor and bassist Alan Hampton join bird on the recordings, with additional contributions coming from Jeff Parker and Larry Goldings.

Some critics have called Gonzales "the Latin-American Stevie Ray Vaughan," but a closer listen also shows bits of B.B. King and Carlos Santana popping up in Tino's Latin-with-the-blues style. Double Feature is a reissue of Gonzales' debut CD, originally released in 1994 on Remedy Records, with the previously unissued-in-the-U.S. EP Live at the Chameleon Club. Tino does a nice job on a pair of Ray Agee tunes ("Talk About Love," "Leave Me Alone") and covers of tunes by McKinley Mitchell, Howlin' Wolf, and old chestnuts like Jimmy Reed's "Big Boss Man" and Andre Williams' "Twine Time." But it's the original material here that impresses the most; songs like "Piece of Work," "Young Thing," and the title track end up being the shining moments on the studio portion of the disc…

UK collection. This follow-up to our recent Love Hit Me! Decca Beat Girls and Scratch My Back! Pye Beat Girls releases comprises superior 60s she-pop from the EMI group of record labels - Parlophone, Columbia and HMV - headquartered in Marylebone in the heart of London's West End. Most of the female acts signed by EMI were teenagers completely tuned in to the current pop trends. Scottish duo the McKinleys, R&B club habituée Julie Driscoll, talent show winner Billie Davis and Midlands pub singer Beverley Jones took original material from London's Tin Pan Alley and American covers and gave them an abrasive, vigorous kick that made for fabulous 45s. They may not have had quite the Polish of their US counterparts, but the rough 'n' ready sound of the Marylebone Beat Girl was precisely her appeal. Among the many highlights are 'Dancing Yet', a Dobie Gray-style discotheque number by Liza & the Jet Set; 'Like The Big Man Said' by Toni Daly, a cover of Italian star Caterina Caselli's 'L'uomo D'oro' with edgy English lyrics by Peter Callander; and Billie Davis' groovy gender-switched update of Chuck Willis' R&B nugget 'Whatcha' Gonna Do'.

“Signals” follows up on Rush’s critically acclaimed “Moving Pictures” album, going on to be a fan favorite over the past four decades. Now, to celebrate its impressive 40-year anniversary Mercury Records has released a special super deluxe edition that caters to both devoted fans and curious listeners. This massive edition offers a comprehensive package that explores the album in various formats, providing an immersive and nostalgic journey into the band's music and artistic vision.

Four of the finest roots albums ever to see issue.. Includes tracks new to CD. Performed and produced by one of British music’s greatest talents. By the mid-1970s, having made his name as one of Britain’s most gifted and versatile musical talents with leading UK reggae outfit Matumbi, Dennis ‘Blackbeard’ Bovell sought to expand his horizons further by creating new material away from the confines of the group. Arguably his most impressive works from this time were four albums released under the nom-de-plume of the 4th Street Orchestra. Released between 1976 and 1978, each set comprised a mixture of high-quality roots and dub, with their sound so authentic, reggae connoisseurs were convinced the music had to be of Jamaican origin. Today, these seminal – and now hugely collectable - LPs are widely regarded by music fans to be among the finest British produced reggae music ever to see issue during the roots era. Now, at long last, they are brought together for this essential set, with a further eight Dennis Bovell-produced bonus tracks from the period making this 2CD even more compelling.

Jailbreak is the sixth studio album by Irish hard rock band Thin Lizzy, released in 1976. It proved to be the band's commercial breakthrough in the US, and the only Thin Lizzy album with a certification (in this case, Gold) in that country. The singles include "Jailbreak" and "The Boys Are Back in Town", the latter being Thin Lizzy's biggest hit.

Excellent Soundboard recordings: Live at The Capitol Centre, Landover, MD 25th & 30th May 1977. Digitally remastered, pressed on gold discs.