As Esbjörn Svensson's trio has developed into a first-rate contemporary jazz entity, the combined acoustic-electric sound he employs is more alluring and arresting with each recording. The subtle nuances of amplified keyboard shades that embellish his piano playing is a unique quality of E.S.T.'s music that sets them apart from the vast majority of combos who place a larger value on louder complements. Another aspect of this group is that they are truly a working ensemble with stable personnel, as bassist Dan Berglund and drummer Magnus Öström have joined Svensson in this trio for years.

Currently one of Europe's leading forces in the jazz world, e.s.t. (Esbj”rn Svensson Trio) brings their unique and unmistakable sound stateside with the release of their new album, Tuesday Wonderland. This album is an eclectic mix of classical, melodic jazz and electronics with the feel of an energetic pop/rock show, making it a must-have for all music lovers. The album been released in Europe on September 2006, and was nominated in in the Best Jazz Album category.

Along with composers like Alexander Scriabin and Frederic Chopin, Johannes Brahms (1833-1897) knew how to write for the left hand just as effectively as the right hand. With the focal point of most pieces being delegated to the right hand, most composers tend to assign the left hand the simple role of harmonic support. But you can tell, especially when playing his music yourself, that Brahms applied meticulous care to the left hand note selections. He was aware that, to a certain degree, the use of different or unusual notes in the left hand can alter the tone, character and color of the melodic line in the right hand, and used this to his advantage when composing.

The monumental and colourful sounds of the organ and symphony orchestra blend together perfectly on this splendid recording of Saint-Saëns’s “Organ” Symphony, Poulenc’s Concerto for Organ, Strings and Timpani and the Toccata from Charles-Marie Widor’s Organ Symphony No. 5. The majestic organ chords at the start of the final movement of Saint-Saëns’s symphony equal the sublime effect of Beethoven’s choral conclusion of his Ninth, and have made it an audience’s favourite straight from the moment of its 1886 premiere. Poulenc’s organ concerto shows the composer’s retrospective side, while simultaneously offering flashes of his stylistic playfulness. After Poulenc’s serene concerto, Widor’s Toccata offers a vibrant conclusion to this programme.

The percussionist Vivi Vassileva is one of the most fascinating classical soloists of her generation, and she now releases her debut CD, entitled "singin' rhythm", on the alpha classics label. Born in 1994 to a Bulgarian family of musicians – her mother is a pianist, her father and brother are violinists, her sister plays violin too and she herself learned the instrument – Vivi was captivated by music at an early age especially when she heard some hand drummers playing on a remote, unspoiled beach at the black sea where her parents own a house. It was then that she decided to change from the violin to percussion.

With lutenist Lukas Henning, Glossa unveils a striking new talent as he presents Bella incognita, a recital devoted to the enigmatic 16th-century Venetian composer Marco dall’Aquila, a musician frequently referred to in the sources but one who is difficult to characterize. With the increased use of the six-course instrument, writing for the lute became more polyphonic, with a greater level of complexity and frequently making use of existing musical works such as the chanson Il est bel et bon by Pierre Passereau; the system – called tablature – of graphically representing this complexity was introduced as the 16th century commenced.

André Previn, the stunning conductor, great pianist and remarkable composer, has just passed away, on 28 February. “A Brilliant musician and gifted composer whose talents were endless” in the words of Itzhak Perlman, he left an extensive and versatile discography dominated by his evergreen interpretations of Tchaikovsky and Prokofiev ballets, his recording of Gershwin Rhapsody in Blue, one of the true great recordings of the last century, and his stellar collaborations with Itzhak Perlman.

Tenor saxophonist Sonny Rollins loaned his flair for the dramatic to the score for the film Alfie, accompanying the story of what the liner notes describe as "the involuntary education of a hipster." Arranged by Oliver Nelson, the soundtrack follows the character's evolution from the carefree, rakish Lothario of "Alfie's Theme" to the contemplative, somewhat broken man reflected in "Alfie's Theme Differently." Rollins attempts to capture the textures of life through his incisive and energetic playing, his coherent improvisations, and variations on musical themes. While "Alfie's Theme" and its variants make the most lasting impression, "He's Younger Than You Are" is touching, laced with regret. And the sensual, relaxed "On Impulse" has a nice sense of immediacy.

Offenbach’s La Périchole (1868) will never cease to delights music lovers of all persuasions. Marc Minkowski – long one of the composer’s prophets – was keen to pay tribute to him with this world premiere recording on period instruments, in the company of the young school of French singers, including the bewitching Aude Extrémo, the dashing Stanislas de Barbeyrac and the hilarious Alexandre Duhamel. Combining fashionable rhythms with the most unexpected touches of folklore, the score is a veritable flood of hit numbers. How can one not be swept away by the insolence of the Seguidilla, the frenzy of the Bolero or the furious rhythm of the Prison Trio?

On their eagerly-anticipated debut album 'Samsara', the visionary Austin, TX combo Los Coast delivers a fresh blast of punchy psychedelic-pop-soul that effortlessly incorporates a wide range of genres. The album delivers infectious hooks, ironic lyrical twists and explosive funk grooves in equal measure, providing an irresistible frame for Privott's soulful vocals and the band's explosive grooves.

One of London’s major West End stars Cassidy Janson finally releases her debut solo album ‘Cassidy’ on 14th June through BMG.Featuring 14 new tracks, 12 co-written by Cassidy and a new song ‘Beat Me To Goodbye’ gifted to her by Carole King, ‘Cassidy’ is a personal selection of songs about life, love, laughter and longing. Lead track ‘Better’ – which impacts on the same day - is an uptempo killer-chorus tale of wistful memories, relationship goals and what ifs. A version of ‘When A Woman’ also features on the soundtrack of the hit UK film ‘Fisherman’s Friends’. Rupert Christie (Lianne La Havas, Tom Baxter, Lou Reed, Coldplay, U2) produces.

"Big Band Theory" with Alain Guyonnet's compositions and arrangements. Recorded live at AMR during JazzContreBand 2016. The album will be released on June 14 at Unit Records. The Big Band of French-speaking Switzerland created in 2012 by Stefano Saccon, to contribute to the promotion of the artists of the French-speaking region and to perpetuate the big-band tradition on both sides of the border in the Lemanic basin. This time the BBDSR showcases the music of Genevan composer Alain Guyonnet, who soon has five hundred works to his credit. "Big Band Theory" brings together a set of original scores from his pen, created specifically for the big band.

A Jazz scholarship which allows you to completely focus on music for a whole year without existence pressure, free from academic curricula, credits and exams, in an international band consisting of the most talented musicians and accompanied by globally outstanding personalities from the Jazz scene: This dream has become reality at a place which is globally unique to the world of Jazz - The Jazzcampus of the Musikhochschule/FHNW in Basel.

Light melodies are gleaming through a dark cloud of sounds and spheres, constantly driven by extensive grooves. The songs carry along and invite you into an energized world between hip-hop, electro and a Nu jazz aesthetic, containing a lot of nodding and little pathos. The music floats. It’s modern, romantic, deep and dreamy but astonishingly free of cliches. Andrej and his Dunkelgold Crew are brave enough to make music differently, to look at jazz from another angle. The jazz trombonist from Berlin has many facades.

Having initially met in 2014, the process of recording Satis Factory was built upon the success of Swilley and Mattiel Brown's time working together on their debut album. It's a team that just works. "Jonah is a great songwriter and he'll put a structure together and send it to me through an email, and then I'll listen to it pretty much right away," Mattiel explains. "And then we'll restructure it if we need to and I'll write a melody and lyrics to it and eventually record it."Where the first record was confident, this second release is even more so. This is probably down to the chemistry between them; they seem in awe of each other.