The Red Hot Chili Peppers' 11th studio album, 2016's The Getaway, is a sophisticated work of dark-hued maturity that finds the long-running California outfit expanding their sound into nuanced, '70s-style orchestral soul and funky psychedelia. The album follows the equally adventurous I'm with You (2011) and once again showcases guitarist Josh Klinghoffer, who replaced John Frusciante in 2009. A major difference, however, between I'm with You and The Getaway was the band's choice to work with producer/instrumentalist Brian Burton (aka Danger Mouse). This makes The Getaway the first album the Red Hot Chili Peppers have recorded without longtime collaborator Rick Rubin, who has helmed each of the band's albums since 1991's Blood Sugar Sex Magik.

Until the arrival of the Sugarcubes, jazz fusion band Mezzoforte was Iceland’s best-known musical export. The group was formed in 1977 at a Reykjavik high school by Fridrik Karlsson (b. 24 April 1960; guitar), Eythór Gunnarsson (b. 9 September 1961; keyboards), Jóhann Ásmundsson (b. 30 March 1961; bass), and Gunnlaugur Briem (b. 8 September 1962; drums). They signed a recording contract with local label Steinar, and with the assistance of Stefán S. Stefánsson (saxophone) recorded their debut album. Bjorn Thorarensen (keyboards) joined in time for the recording of the band’s second long-player Octopus.

German born Peter Muller's debut album M-Vibez (2003) received high accolades by many jazz fusion friends around the world. Comparing him with Marcus Miller has several reasons, both are playing a Fender bass, both are masters of the slap technique. But digging deeper one finds the difference between Marcus and Peter. Peter prefers themes of the jazz fusion genres and stretches his repertoire to world music. So the audience was impressed by the slap funk grooves of Kasbah and Eastbound melting Western slap bass and turntable scratches with Arabian sounds. Now Peter Muller is back with his sophomore album The Flow (2008) and Peter continues his voyage to foreign coasts.

With its ciaconna bass, Hammerschmidt’s sacred concerto Nun danket alle Gott perfectly exemplifies the programme of this recording devoted to the influences of the Italian Baroque on the works of seventeenth-century Lutheran composers. The vast majority of the repertory gathered here comes once again from the exceptionally rich library assembled at the end of the seventeenth century by Gustav Düben, organist of the German Church in Stockholm. His collection contains the only known copy of a Confitebor tibi Domine by Claudio Monteverdi. Other composers such as Bernhard and Rosenmüller had very close links with Italy and were among those who helped to disseminate Italian practices in the German-speaking lands.

Take a pinch of classic Blue Note soul jazz, some stylings from the 1970's afrocentric movement, and streamed to perfection lines of a lead jazz guitar and you've put together the pieces of Sami Linna Quartet's sound. Their album on Timmion is one for the dark evenings, for the first rays of sunlight cracking through a summer mist, for the dance floors of the mind.

The distinguished clarinettist Michael Collins has in recent years also gained recognition as a conductor, appearing with eminent orchestras across the world. The present disc sees his recording debut as a conductor of symphonic repertoire, from which he has chosen Vaughan Williamss Fifth Symphony one of the composers best-loved works. Written during the Second World War and with its symphonic predecessor displaying a convulsive fury and desolation, the Fifth is surprisingly serene and pastoral. Vaughan Williams dedicated it without permission to Jean Sibelius who in his diary described his impression on first hearing the work as a caress from a summer world. On the present disc, Vaughan Williams is followed by his younger colleague and friend Gerald Finzi, who he once advised to write a symphony: They're ever so easy. Finzi was not convinced, and remains known as a composer of primarily vocal music, but among his few instrumental works is a Concerto for Clarinet, the instrument widely regarded as the most voice-like of all. For this, Michael Collins reverts to his customary role as soloist, conducting the strings of the Philharmonia Orchestra from the clarinet.

Carl Maria von Weber’s works for clarinet number among the most treasured and frequently performed compositions for the instrument. The sheer verve and imagination evident in the Clarinet Quintet, op. 34 presented here manages to embody the same operatic sensibility and compositional rigour of Weber’s large-scale works. Also included in the recording is an Adagio by Heinrich Baermann, whose clarinet playing served as inspiration for Weber’s compositions for the instrument, and the Quintet op. 95 composed by Franz Krommer. Eric Hoeprich, principal clarinet of the Orchestra of the Eighteenth Century since its foundation, has specialized in performing on the historical clarinet, also being the owner of a large collection of 18th and 19th century instruments. On Glossa he has issued nearly a dozen of recordings, including the Mozart Clarinet Concerto directed by Frans Brüggen. His regular collaboration with the London Haydn Quartet lasts for many years now, with a referential recording of the Mozart and Brahms Quintets being an important highlight. On the recording presented here, Hoeprich and the members of the London Haydn Quartet play on fine historical instruments, which provide a warm, blended sound that is at the same time both transparent and full of detail. All excellently captured by Philip Hobbs in St Martin’s Church in East Woodhay, England, and supplemented by an informative essay authored by Hoeprich himself.

A Moment in Time was all recorded live solo on Bob's 12-string Grand Stick. Like a classical guitarist he creates all his expressive effects, nuances and dynamics from his fingers alone - very instructive and challenging for a Stick player, very inspiring for musicians in general. He subdues himself, serving his music, patiently building to its heights. His broad array of sub-techniques creates a solo orchestra of strings, brimming with sonic textures, flamenco rhythms, simultaneous strumming and counterpoint creeping out of every sector of the fretboard (and out of every finger). His styles range from Celtic to flamenco, baroque and "New Age" with wonderfully fast melodic lines and flourishes.

On the strength of his membership in ensembles led by Christian McBride and Aaron Diehl and his own auspicious Mack Avenue debut in 2011, Warren Wolf appears on a path to stardom as arguably the most exciting bop vibraphonist since Bobby Hutcherson. For Wolfgang, his followup collection on Mack Avenue, Wolf said he wanted to showcase his writing skills and provide more melodies that people can remember. For precisely those reasons, Wolfgang suffers by comparison with his previous work.

Latin jazz collectors note: the title emphatically is Jazz at the Blackhawk, and even the most determined listener will not find an iota of Cal Tjader's explorations of Latin rhythms here. In its place, we get a sturdy set of bop-flavored workouts by Tjader's expert quartet, recorded live in San Francisco's famous long-defunct nightspot. Tjader himself often sounds like Milt Jackson as he handles the mallets fluidly through a set of standards, a pair of originals by himself and his wife, and – appropriately enough – a witty Baroque-like tune by his pianist Vince Guaraldi called "Thinking of You, MJQ." Eugene "The Senator" Wright (bass) and Al Torre (piano) make up the bop rhythm section, and as long as you know what you're getting, a good time can be had.

The present installment of Arturo Sacchetti’s encyclopedic Organ History survey for Arts Music drops anchor in late-19th/early-20th-century France. It can be argued that the five instrumental sections from Satie’s Mass for the Poor that open this recital lose poignancy when shorn of their surrounding vocal movements, although the organ is a perfect instrument for the composer’s quirky, instantly identifiable harmonic language. By contrast, D’Indy’s Les Vêpres du Commun des Saints, Roussel’s Prélude et Fughetta, and Honegger’s Deux Pièces pour Orgue make an arid, academic impression. After Wayne Marshall’s pulverizing speed through the Pastorale by Roger-Ducasse (Virgin Classics), Sacchetti’s relatively conservative virtuosity proves less engaging. However, his incisive hand/foot coordination enliven Tournemire’s Improvisation on “Te Deum” and Langlais’ Hymne d’Actions de grâces “Te Deum”, although the latter yields to Andrew Herrick’s more vivid and better engineered traversal on Hyperion. Organists looking for an effective, unhackneyed encore should consider Ibert’s Musette or Milhaud’s Pastorale.

For the second volume in his Couperin series, keyboard virtuoso Bertrand Cuiller paints a portrait of a young Couperin who, at the age of only seventeen, was appointed organist of Saint-Gervais in Paris - a prestigious position to attain at any age. It was also a position that soon translated into his appointment as organist of the king and harpsichord master of the royal children. Couperin's compositions from this period are marked by a surprising maturity of writing. Bertrand Cuiller's eloquent performances reveal all the diversity and color present in these works.

The distinguished jazz bassist's third "classical" album on jazz's Blue Note label is one of those exercises best heard as a one-off bit of live fun in the artist's living room. The title track finds a string orchestra led by Kermit Moore performing a perfectly straight, if not terribly neat, run-through of J.S. Bach's Brandenburg Concerto No. 3, with Carter playing a bass continuo above (rather than below) the group, as well as soloing in spotlit passages.

From the Tonhalle in Zürich, Switzerland, Gunther Rost is joined by speaker Gert Westphal in performing Eben's HIOB, (Job), which alternates between organ and readings from the Book of Job. Much of this work is based on improvisations by Eben. Even those who are otherwise distant from the sound of the organ listen to this total work of art.

For her latest project, the young Catalan trombonist and singer Rita Payés joins forces with her mother Elisabeth Roma who is also an exceptional classical guitarist. Mother and daughter will be launching their debut album during the London Catalan Festival, giving their personal take on the music that has accompanied them all their lives, from traditional Catalan lullabies to bossa nova, fado, boleros… For this particular performance, the duo will be joined on stage by bassist Magali Datzira (Sant Andreu Jazz Band) and percussionist Juan Berbín. This family project started when Rita booked a two-day studio session for Elisabeth as a birthday present in June 2018. Rehearsing and preparing for that session, they re-evaluated and strengthened their repertoire and arrangements. It was then when they decided to take the project further and release it as their debut album.