Another new name in the German jazz scene? In nine original compositions, Nico Weber creates space to pause. Together with his Kwartett (Maxim Burtsev p, Jakob Jäger b, Leo Ebert dr) on the debut album 'Ela' he creates his very own warm sound that goes deep, pure and unadulterated. The tracks, which are unmistakably rooted in contemporary jazz, impress with their melodic beauty. On the alto saxophone, Florian Trübsbach gives 'Ela' a special touch in its features and fits into the band's full sound with musical elegance.

Jun Fukamachi was a Japanese jazz fusion composer, arranger, keyboardist, and synthesizer player. Fukamachi played with The Brecker Brothers and Steve Gadd, among others, and released albums on Polydor and Toshiba in the 1970s. This album, entitled REIME, have been his first and last Hi-Res recording. This album won The Professional Music Recording Award of Japan.

"Aretha Now" is one of the soul queen’s greatest works. The ten-track collection features some of her biggest hits including “Think,” “I Say a Little Prayer,” “See Saw” and “I Can’t See Myself Leaving You.” On the album, Franklin also covers some of R&B most well-known standards including “You Send Me” and “I Take What I Want.” The album would top the Billboard R&B charts and reached #3 on the Billboard 200. In fine form, the album found Aretha at an artistic and creative peak.

Recorded in 1968 at the Olympia Theatre in Paris, Aretha Franklin exhilarated her adoring fans, performing beloved hits and breathtaking covers. Her powerhouse vocals have remained unmatched, as evident on this sensational live recording. The set included energetic versions of Charles’ “Come Back Baby,” Redding’s “Respect” and her own masterpiece, “I Never Loved A Man (The Way I Love You).” The album peaked at #2 on Billboard’s Top R&B albums.

Yosef Gutman’s modest, soulful playing radiates a thoughtful beauty, a bright colored land of sound. A sound that’s drawn by the quill of the soul, tradition and world music influences, something completely unique and ever changing. A music that is rooted in Jerusalem but draws on global inspirations.

If I didn’t know them, I would still feel, listening to this album, that they are good friends in private life – not “just” colleagues – who know each other’s thoughts and feelings and pay maximum attention to each other’s every musical and human emotion. The heart and soul are also very much in evidence. As the way the themes are played and shaped in each case brings out their beauty and sentimentality.

Gábor's compositions are rooted in the European musical tradition, but they also often wink towards jazz-rock, funk, or fusion music. However, they are always characterized by being emotionally united and offering easy points of connection to the listeners. Gábor is a jazz pianist whose music is influenced by many modern trends. He is mostly active with the formation of two trios, the Hungarian Gábor Csordás trio and the international Swansong trio. The characteristics of his music are harmonic freshness, catchy melodies and unexpected rhythmic solutions.

It is a very difficult task to prepare for a recording that requires so much energy and attention. As this is not the usual recording with a thousand cuts and replays but follows the classical recording method (rehearsing at home, recording in the studio), it requires a very high level of preparation from the performer. Since it is a solo performance, the situation is made even more difficult by the fact that there is no other instrument to rely on, even if only for a short time.

Songs from the teenage years of the great Swiss late Romantic composer Othmar Schoeck (1886-1957) from op. 4 and 17 are performed as world premiere recordings in arrangements by conductor Graziella Contratto, interpreted by soprano Olena Tokar. In the late cycle Nachhall op. 70, the Bern Symphony Orchestra once again accompanies song specialist Stephan Genz.

The Konrad Paszkudzki Trio's aesthetic can be summed up in three words: mood, sizzle and swing. Their sound is classic yet timeless in its mode of expression, captivating ardent lovers of the jazz idiom and Tin Pan Alley tradition alike. The focus is on standards - tunes collectively known as The Great American Song Book. Without imposing trite gimmicks or relying on overt displays of flash and technical wizardry, the trio stays true to the original musical and lyrical content of the material, with an emphasis on melodic elegance and swinging verve. The influence of Nelson Riddle, Oscar Peterson, Erroll Garner and Ahmad Jamal can be felt and heard, but is never blatantly mimicked.

Without question, the Byrds were one of the great bands of the '60s and one of the few American bands of their time to continually turn out inventive, compelling albums. As they were recording a series of fine records, they turned out a number of classic singles that unquestionably defined their era. The Byrds' Greatest Hits does an excellent job of chronicling the peak years of their popularity before they went country-rock on 1968's Sweetheart of the Rodeo.

Sonny Rollins is the most enduring tenor saxophonist of the bebop and hard bop eras, but also one of the greatest jazz saxophonists of all time. His fluid and harmonically innovative ideas and easily accessible sound have influenced generations of players. Nicknamed "Newk," he served early apprenticeships with bop masters from Bud Powell and Miles Davis to Max Roach & Clifford Brown. After 1956's classic Saxophone Colossus was released, he was heralded as jazz's top tenorist.

Robert "Bob" Ralston is an American pianist and organist. He is probably best known for his 47 years as pianist/organist/arranger with the Lawrence Welk Orchestra. Reruns of that beloved TV show are still shown every week in most major U.S. cities, and Ralston and his family are currently hosting some of those reruns. Throughout his career, Ralston has recorded several hundred albums; many of them as a solo artist or with bandleaders, including Welk, Ray Conniff, and Billy Vaughn. He has also been active in the preservation of theater pipe organs across America and has been a guest conductor for several symphony orchestras.

This live set is notable for teaming guitarist Wes Montgomery and the Wynton Kelly Trio (comprised of pianist Kelly, bassist Paul Chambers, and drummer Jimmy Cobb) with the fiery tenor of Johnny Griffin. As with the OJC release, six selections (highlighted by "Blue 'n' Boogie" and Montgomery's "S.O.S.") are augmented by "Born to Be Blue" and a pair of alternate takes.

The fourth full-length release for the Canadian jazz group features guest appearances from Future Islands' Samuel T. Herring, Mick Jenkins, Kaytranada, Colin Stetson, and Charlotte Day Wilson.