"Rick Carroll is one Loud, heavy, aggressive 90's blues guitarist. This strat-slinging, power-player has his own version of the Blues. With elements of street funk, 40's big band swing, boogie and the new tonality and out of control creative adventure of today's rock, this is a new strain of Blues that's wilder, more visceral and definitely something that's going to make some real noise. Backed by the powerful and eclectic Wicked Blue, Rick Carroll stands poised to introduce a new audience to a new music with a grand old tradition. It's a new Blues for music lovers seeking a new Blues alternative.

The Fraternal Order of the All is guitarist Andrew Gold in a home studio overdubbing mode, making the record he always wanted to make back in 1967 and 1968. To call this album retro-flavored would be putting it mildly, as Gold's tongue is firmly planted in his cheek all throughout the record and attendant booklet, right down to the fake names for all the musicians. With the exception of guest turns from Jimmy Caprio, Jimmy Herter and Graham Gouldman (who also produced one track and like Caprio and Herter, wrote one other), this is pretty much Andrew's ballgame here, with him playing and singing all the parts…

On their fifth ECM New Series album, Anna Maria Friman, Linn Andrea Fuglseth and Torunn Østrem Ossum present a reconstruction of a 13th century votive Mass to the Virgin Mary, based on manuscripts and fragments originating in an English Benedictine Abbey. As Nicky Losseff, the trio’s medieval music editor, explains in the liner notes, “complex polyphonic music was important to the monks who lived at the Abbey of St Mary's, Worcester. Polyphony gave life to the otherwise ‘plain’ song of the liturgy. At Worcester, an unusual number of single leaves and fragments have survived. Through them, we have been left more than 100 songs, in many different musical styles: polyphony to adorn the movements of the Mass; the freely-composed, intricately-interweaving voices of motets; the stricter, declamatory tones of the conductus. All in all, it testifies to a thriving musical community.“

Mulgrew Miller's fourth Landmark release is a particularly strong all-star date, teaming the pianist with tenor saxophonist Joe Henderson (who sits out on two of the seven numbers), bassist Ron Carter and drummer Tony Williams. Other than a surprisingly effective "What the World Needs Now Is Love," the repertoire is comprised of originals by Miller (four) and one apiece from Williams and Henderson ("Tetragon"). A high-quality advanced hard bop set.

Eli Degibri has a "throwback" sound on his tenor: rich, thick with early morning fog that burns off in the afternoon. He fronts a quartet with Gadi Lehavi/p, Barak Mori/b and Ofri Nehemya/dr through a mix of standards and clever originals. He strips down with Lehavi on a wonderful duet on "Autumn in New York" that displays his palpable lyricism, while his breathy sound on the melodic title track builds up into a hot climax. The rhythm team is spicy on the danceable "Mambo" while an intricate and ectomorphic "The Spider" has some exotic Middle Eastern sensibilities. He switches to soprano on while Shlomo Ydov sings with open shirt exposing chest hair machismo on "Liora Mi Amor" before the leader takes mandolin to hand for a meditative and New Agey "Old Seven." Creative yet holding on to traditions from multiple continents.

Wagner's stage festival in the recording of a production from the Metropolitain Opera New York. The title role is brilliantly starred by Siegfried Jerusalem, and as Kundry you can experience Waltraud Meier, who is outstanding in her performance and singing. Bernd Weikl, Kurt Moll and Franz Mazura stand by the two main roles and make this DVD - one of the few recordings of the opera on this medium - a must for every opera lover.

Beethoven’s output for cello and piano is fascinating because it covers every period of his career, from early to late, with references to Bach in op.69 and op.102 no.2 and an especially innovative and amazingly modern musical language. For this complete set, which includes the variations on themes from Handel’s Judas Maccabaeus and Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte, Nicolas Altstaedt was keen to record on an instrument with gut strings, a Guadagnini from Piacenza dated 1749, and using a Classical bow.

"Little Wonder" is the desire to regain the intimate size that is the essence of their duo Petra and Ferruccio, vocals and bass. Among the 11 cover of the album is "Is This Love" where for the first time, the duo approaches the reggae of Bob Marley, here totally transformed, "Practical Arrangement" Sting "modern classic" example of sophisticated pop. There are also references to song writing Italian and foreign "an old mistake" of Paolo Conte and a beautiful and intense reworking of a song of Gilbert Becaud as "Quand il est mort the poete". Between the covers of famous songs Italian stands the brilliant French version of "Same beach, same sea" entitled "Tout s'arrange Quand on s'aime" and then "You're strong father" famous children's song brought to success by Gianni Morandi.

1997 completely replayed version of this heavy prog masterpiece; the first concept album of Rock in Spanish, at least on these shores. Featuring the original line up, guests and orchestral arrangements, it also includes two previously unreleased tracks from a never issued future album. Musically the band turned hard-psycho, with chirping driven guitars et al. "Genesis", "Las Guerras", "Profecнas" and especially "Libros Sapienciales" turned into Vox Dei standards.

Brooklyn based composer/producer/performer JG Thirlwell (Foetus, Manorexia, Xordox) - who has collaborated with the likes of Zola Jesus, Melvins, Swans, Kronos Quartet and many others, and is the composer for the highly acclaimed animated TV series ‘Archer’ and 'Venture Bros’ - and Swedish multi-instrumentalist and theatre music composer Simon Steensland collaborate on a new album Oscillospira.

To celebrate with their audience the first 10 years of collaboration, Magoni Spinetti and have decided to get dressed up and dressed to the nines with the Naked Music album Broadband, in which for the first time the voice of Petra Magoni and bass Ferruccio Spinetti will be accompanied by a full orchestra. To direct the Chamber Orchestra of Marche and work on the arrangements of the album are Daniele Di Gregorio, who work with a "fine tailor arranger" gave the duo a new dress with which to dress to the nines for this important anniversary.