The term "supergroup" is an odd one when it comes to collaborative projects. In the alternative scene, it’s a term that can be interpreted as not just the creative effort of players from established bands occupying similar genres, but over time, it's come to mean that such an effort must obviously be a combination of each of those members’ individual styles. Giraffe Tongue Orchestra has been in the works for a while now and ultimately results in something more than such a throwaway term. Made up of Alice in Chains' William DuVall, Dillinger Escape Plan's Ben Weinman, and Mastodon’s Brent Hinds, with Pete Griffin of Dethklok and Thomas Pridgen of the Mars Volta, the ensemble have now churned out their debut full-length and if anything, the album seems to abandon the hard-lined styles of each project belonging to those involved, and almost feels like it's approached things with the sensibility of "let’s jam and see what happens."

Born in Glasgow, observing Glasgow from a distance and returning to live in Glasgow, Findlay Napier has amassed enough material to create a set which encapsulates the city. None so more so than in the opening lines of the record that follow the church bell chimes that call us together: “Up there in the graveyard where all the weirdos go.” You guess that, yes, the off kilter quality is going to be a strong feature along with more astute and poignant reflection.

“New Era,” the stunning new album from multiple Grammy-nominated Jazz group NEGRONI’s TRiO sets a new pace for the band in its exploration of multiple musical styles and sounds which have influenced Trio founder Jose Negroni throughout his life. Produced by Jose, “New Era” is a departure from their previous eight recordings stylistically and is set for release September 8th via Sony Music Latin. Both domestic and international tour dates will accompany the release.

Up All Night. It's an apt title for Albert Castiglia's seventh album: nobody sleeps when this man is in town. After 27 years of house-rocking studio albums and smack-in-the-mouth live shows, the Florida bandleader is the acknowledged master of red-raw, sweat-and-hair blues that gives it to you straight. Now, the visceral riffs and bruised soul of Up All Night make everything else sound like a lullaby. "I'd describe the musical vibe of this new album," says Castiglia simply, "as heavy."

Have a Merry Christmas with The Piano Guys and their new album, Christmas Together, featuring new and classic Christmas songs to be enjoyed with the whole family.

To understand and partake of the 'Sacred Spirit of Russia' requires one, first and foremost, to experience the beauty and splendour of the Russian Orthodox liturgy, which has been an integral part of the Eastern Slav identity for over 1000 years. The sacred music of the New Russian Choral School features sublime settings of the liturgy that draw on a rich history of Orthodox chants and native traditions, creating music of unprecedented colour and textural richness. Following the lead of Tchaikovsky, composers such as Kastalsky, Gretchaninov, Chesnokov, Rachmaninov and a host of others have left us a treasure-trove of musical delights.

“Emotional Tattoos” is the sensational new album by Premiata Forneria Marconi (aka PFM), Italy's most legendary progressive rock band! PFM is a very eclectic and exuberant musical group with a distinctive style that impressively combines rock, progressive, and classical music into one mesmerizing sonic entity.

Emboldened by a huge hit and hanging with Lennon and Ringo, Harry Nilsson was ready to let it all go when it came time to record a follow-up to Nilsson Schmilsson. The very title of Son of Schmilsson implies that it's a de facto sequel to its smash predecessor but, as always with Nilsson, don't take everything at face value. Yes, he's back with producer Richard Perry and he's working from the same gleefully melodic, polished pop/rock territory as before, but this is an incredibly schizoid record, an album by an enormously gifted musician deciding that, since he's already going unhinged, he might as well indulge himself while he's at it. And, wow, are the results ever worth it.

This album is one of the reasons that Idris Muhammad is regarded as the drumming king of groove. Featuring the arrangements and keyboards of Bob James, the saxophone punch of Grover Washington, Jr., guitarist Joe Beck, trumpeter Randy Brecker, percussionist Ralph MacDonald, and the knife-edge slick production of Creed Taylor, this 1974 issue is a burning piece of deep, jazzy soul and grooved-out bliss. The funk flies fast and heavy, particularly on the title track (Jimi Hendrix's tune), with soaring solos by Grover and James, who fall down in the groove to Muhammad's powerful pace, setting from the heart of the pocket.

The Point! is the soundtrack to a cartoon feature originally aired on ABC TV in 1971. Especially at this stage of his career, Harry Nilsson was uniquely suited for writing and recording children's music, given his sweet melodicism and love of whimsy. As it happens, The Point! worked out better than anyone could have expected, not just because 'Everything's Got 'Em,' 'Me and My Arrow,' 'Think About Your Troubles,' and 'Are You Sleeping?' are songs strong enough to have been on a proper Nilsson record. There's also an intangible quality to this record, a warmth and generosity that really wasn't on any of his other albums, quite possibly because his humor is never sardonic or reliant on in-jokes. It's gentle and loving, as is the music. The tale is fantastical enough to be of interest to children (and the moral is strong enough to reassure them and their parents), but the songs and music are so strong that the album continues to be a source of wonder, even as those children become adults.

Want to meet her Dadley…okay, another real stretch at a pun…but if you did love her madly, this Harold Bradley album just might be an appropriate backdrop. I won't pull any punches here, this is music that many would simply tag as easy listening. I found this on eBay several years ago and had no idea what to expect other than the hope that there might be some masterful guitar playing to enjoy. Then, when I ripped it I was a bit disappointed at the unusually reserved playing and also had a lot of LP noise on my vinyl. So I never thought to post it and haven't listened to it again. That is until I just today broke down and got the 'ClickRepair' software that has been touted so highly of late.

Hank Crawford's '60s sides for Atlantic rightfully established him among the preeminent soul-jazz saxophonists. For pure phrasing and feel, Crawford was in a class by himself. When Creed Taylor kicked off CTI in 1970, he brought Crawford on board immediately. This date from 1973 one of eight cut between 1971 and 1978 is Crawford's strongest for the label and one of the better records of his career, though jazz purists would never agree. Produced and arranged by Bob James with a smoking cast that includes Joe Beck, Idris Muhammad, Richard Tee, and Bob Cranshaw, as well as a brass section of crack New York studio cats, Wildflower is the album Crawford had been trying to make since 1971.

The First World War, a crucible of artistic change, intervened between Schoenberg's Verklärte Nacht and Berg's Lyric Suite. From opposite sides of that traumatic divide, the program of each work deals with adulterous love. Richard Dehmel's poem that inspired Verklärte Nacht evokes the conception of an illegitimate child and its pardon. The amorous dialogue between Berg and Hanna Fuchs and its painful epilogue form the subtext to the Lyric Suite. Cellist Jean-Guihen Queyras leads the Ensemble Resonanz in striking and virtuosic accounts of both these seminal works of the second Viennese school.

This album was born of my meeting with the pianist Denis Pascal, with whom a natural complicity quickly materialized. His collaboration became indispensable for taking up the two Brahms Sonatas opus 120, two masterpieces from the chamber music repertoire. The project also stems from my desire to forge a link between the past and the future at the turn of the century. Perhaps this is related to my experiences as solo clarinet of the Ensemble Intercontemporain.

Polina Osetinskaya started to play on stage at the age of six. At eight, she performed with an orchestra. She finished the lyceum school of the St. Petersburg Conservatory where she studied with the famous teacher of the Leningrad piano school Marina Wolf and then took a course in Moscow with professor Vera Gornostayeva. The pianist believes that period of her life and studies in St. Petersburg, when she matured both musically and spiritually, was a true beginning of her artistic career. Today, Polina Osetinskaya is a winner of a Triumph Award and active concert musician.