For this unusual set, guitarist Charlie Byrd is accompanied by what is billed as the Woody Herman Big Band, although it is mostly a studio orchestra sprinkled with a few of Herman's associates. The first four selections are Byrd originals that almost sound like bossa nova in spots, even though the style had not solidified and been named yet. Byrd's classical training and interest in Brazilian music are very much in evidence. The final selections are a re-creation of Ralph Burns' four-part "Summer Sequence," which at the time was over a decade old.

A meeting of three European musicians from different generations each with his own musical background: three sound artists, three virtuosic instrumentalists, three breath-taking improvisers. BEYOND with Jürg Wickihalder, Barry Guy and Lucas Niggl means strong melodies, a deeply affecting and sensuous lyricism, moments of exciting groove and a rare and fascinating textural density.

Geri Allen is a natural choice, an already well-established collaborator with each member of Trio 3. Cyrille played on her 1984 debut recording as leader (The Printmakers) as well as more currently with her Mary Lou Williams Collective. Since first moving to New York from Detroit, Allen performed as a member of Lake’s ensembles throughout the ‘80s, from her first ever NYC gig with Lake’s Jump Up to four subsequent recordings under his leadership. Workman featured Allen on his 1995 recording Cerebral Caverns.

Turning something complicated into something straight­forward. Loaded questions into shimmering and dancing images. Follow your heart. Find your way, keep on moving relentlessly. Together with Sarah Buechi in the Shadow Garden.

Acclaimed Swiss pianist and composer Stefan Aeby presents with his trio his debut on Intakt Records as a bandleader. His excellent new album "to the light" with bass player Andre Pousaz and drummer Michi Stulz has a clear, unique identity. The trio follows a free vision of minimal sound art, leaving space and time to react to each other, and to revel in the sounds.

Ambitions is Prins Thomas’ 6th album and his second solo album for Smalltown Supersound (plus two duo albums with Bjørn Torske and Bugge Wesseltoft). Ambitions (out April 5th) picks up from were he left off with Principe Del Norte. Still ambitious, but the tracks are shorter, more melodic and more concise. Prins Thomas also offers up his first vocal track, lead single "Feel A Love." Or to be precise, it's based around a sample of the track "Feel A Love" by one of the biggest pop-stars in Norway in the 70s and 80s, the late Alex (Naumik).

The conductor, composer and violinist Jaakko Kuusisto (b. 1974) enjoys an extensive career that was launched by a series of successes in international violin competitions in the 1990s. He is among the most frequently recorded of Finnish instrumentalists and has recorded concertos by some of the most pro - minent Finnish contemporary composers. Kuusisto’s compositions consist of more than 30 opuses: chamber and vocal music, orchestral pieces, operas, as well as music for films. He studied composing at the Sibelius Academy with Eero Hämeenniemi and at the Indiana University with David Dzubay.

Emilia Amper, one of Sweden’s most exciting young folk musicians, is also one of the finest nyckelharpa players in the world today. (In fact, she can even boast of being a World Champion on the instrument, a title she won in 2010.) For Trollfågeln, her first solo disc, she has devised a programme which demonstrates the numerous facets of her own musical personality, and of her instrument.

Pet Shop Boys today announce the release on DVD, Blu-ray and CD of their show ‘Inner Sanctum’, filmed at London’s Royal Opera House during a sold-out run last summer.

After The Tempest (Alpha 208), its first recording on a Shakespearian theme, which was much admired (Diapason d’Or etc.), La Tempête presents ‘Azahar’ (orange blossom in Spanish), which contrasts and interweaves the polyphony of Machaut with the poetry of the Spanish cantigas and the century of Stravinsky and Ohana. Simon-Pierre Bestion, founder of the company La Tempête, tells us: ‘I like the idea of disorientating the listener between different historical periods. Stravinsky wrote his Mass after discovering Machaut’s setting, while Ohana’s Cantigas de Santa Maria allude to those of Alfonso the Wise and to folksong…

12 remastered and restored live sessions taken from the BBC, German and French TV archives.

Rachel & I feel that, by using a fortepiano throughout, we present a sort of musical ‘level playing field’ with regard to our choice of Mozart’s sonatas included on this disc – spanning as it does such a huge portion of the composer’s life & musical development. While K.6 may at first appear to the listener as amiable juvenilia, sitting as it does alongside a sonata of such undoubted breadth & maturity as K.481, we firmly believe that allowing Mozart’s early – and outstanding – ventures into this genre to speak for themselves by using using the same instruments throughout, we hope to draw attention to his early work in the best way – in a way that is not only so suggestive of what would in time follow, but also seeks to demonstrate the eight year old’s already fecund imagination and uncanny sense of musical line. Gary Cooper

Ce ne sont pas moins de dix-huit musicien-ne-s qui forment une fanfare endiablée. Ils sont accompagnés de trois artistes circassien-ne-s aux idées saugrenues. Mélangez le tout et l’esquif sur lequel vous embarquez n’a pas fini de tanguer !