Gavin Harrison, Porcupine Tree’s drummer, has taken time out from working with King Crimson to record a contemporary jazz album, based on his love of brass arranging; using as its source material his favourite Porcupine Tree songs, melodies and leitmotifs. The result is astonishing; a kind of heavy rock Lalo Schifrin, and Gavin explains the influences behind the project in an exclusive interview here. Plus you'll hear some of the pieces on ‘Cheating the Polygraph’.

Jazz pianist Kenny Barron celebrates the music of Brazil on his 2013 studio album, Kenny Barron & the Brazilian Knights. Here, Barron performs a variety of songs from the late Johnny Alf, as well as composer/harmonica player Maurício Einhorn, who also joins Barron on the album. Also joining Barron are such luminaries as trumpeter Claudio Roditi, saxophonist Idriss Boudrioua, drummer Rafael Barata, guitarist Lula Galvão, bassist Sérgio Barrozo, and keyboardist Alberto Chimelli. This is highly engaging Brazilian jazz.

These previously unheard recordings took place between 1973-75 at Bertrami’s home studio in the Laranjeiras district of Rio de Janeiro. At the time of recording, there was nothing in Brazil, less the world that sounded anything like them, so perhaps it’s unsurprising that when Bertrami presented his demos to the record companies he had been working for, he was turned away, and told in effect that the music was ‘wrong’. One of the demos ‘Manhã’ would be picked up by Som Livre and Azymuth released their seminal debut album in 1975. Throughout the late seventies and eighties the group released a series of now classic albums for Milestone Records, before taking an indefinite hiatus to pursue their individual careers.

Alex Bollard - real name Alexander Bolderdijk - Netherlands guitarist and songwriter, session musician since the mid-1970s, member of the Metropole Orchestra since 1991. Bolderdijk's biggest success as a songwriter was Margriet Eshuys' Black Pearl (1982).

Come one! Come all, to the demented, heinous bloodbath of a murder metal circus that declares MACABRE’s return; Carnival of Killers. As MACABRE’s first full length album in almost 10 years since the release of Grim’s Scary Tales in 2011, and just in time for their 35th anniversary as a band, this latest installment to the catalogue will butcher your ears and derange your psyche as to be expected! Judging by the title, one can positively assume Carnival of Killers contains stories of your favorite murderous psychos: Bundy, Speck, Gacy, Ramirez, and a slew of heinous killers never sung about by MACABRE, before now. "Carnival Of Killers" was recorded and mixed by Tomek Spirala of Studio1134, with the exception of drum tracks, which were laid down at Kiwi Audio with the help of Mark Walker. The mastering of "Carnival Of Killers" was handled by Jean-François Dagenais at JFD Studios in Dallas, Texas. The "Where's Waldo" meets serial killer album artwork was created by Corporate Death (lead singer, a.k.a. guitarist Lance Lencioni) and artist Laz Gein and highlights the album's most memorable references.

Blood From the Soul is the vision of legendary musician Shane Embury, longtime member of extreme pioneers Napalm Death. In the early 90's Embury partnered with Lou Koller (Sick Of It All) to create the Blood From The Soul debut "To Spite the Gland That Breeds" (Earache, 1993). The album was an experimental fusion of industrial, metal, hardcore, and punk. And along with Godflesh, Pitch Shifter, Meathook Seed, and Scorn, they helped spawn a new wave of industrial-metal. Fast forward to 2020 and Blood From the Soul has awakened from hyper-sleep. Joining Embury on this new creative journey are now Dirk Verbeuren (Megadeth, Cadaver, Bent Sea, Soilwork, Tronos, Brave The Cold, etc), Jacob Bannon (Converge, Umbra Vitae, Wear Your Wounds), and Jesper Liveröd (Nasum, Burst). "DSM-5" is a twelve song conceptual album from Blood From the Soul. Lyrically the album is written from the perspectives of human beings as well as sentient machines.

Described by The Herald as Scotland’s leading modern symphonist, composer Thomas Wilson (1927–2001) was central to the renaissance of 20th-century music in Scotland.

The music of Johann Sebastian Bach is pure perfection: a vast yet intricate tapestry of heavenly beauty and human emotion. Music was for Bach the means through which mortals could directly experience the divine, and his cantatas reveal his extraordinary gift for communicating directly with his listeners, even across three centuries. As dramatic and passionate as any opera, each cantata carries us deep into the heart of its story.

Violin/piano duet sessions are routine in the classical music world – after all, Beethoven wrote ten sonatas for this combination – but you rarely encounter them in jazz, due in great part to the shortage of jazz violinists. The Kenny Barron/Regina Carter sessions came about sometime after a gig at Sweet Basil's in New York – and since the two happen to record for the same label, one imagines the only obstacle was the commercial potential of this teaming. But not to worry, for this session has plenty of life and wit; indeed, the sounds of the violin and piano go together as naturally in jazz as in the classical field (must be the resonating strings and wood factors that these instruments share).

Philippe Ogier (Ph+Og) is a multi-instrumentist playing instrumental symphonic prog inspired by Genesis and Camel since he was a teenager. He had classical guitar lessons at the age of 20. Then he started to record and write songs and it's in 2012 that Phog was born. He started to play a lot of electric and acoustic guitar, bass, and analog keyboards. He has released three albums including the last one ''This World'' in 2020. The music shows the dreamy side of Camel and the influence of the early Genesis with some melodic and well crafted instrumental sections.

Kim Skovbye is a composer, songwriter and poet. Born in copenhagen in 1955, he grew up in a home frequented by artists. The Celtic harp is his main instrument, but as a true multiinstrumentalist he also knows how to handle the guitar, violin, bouzouki, mandoline, flutes, cello, dulcimer and keyboards. During the eighties, Kim made numerous trips to Ireland, Wales and Bretagne, the old Celtic countries. His meeting with the Celtic music has become a lasting inspiration for him. But he does not play Celtic music, 'the Celts are better at that'. His music is born out of Scandinavian tradition, incorporating the light and the landscapes to give form and color to the music.
In 1997 Kim released the album 'There and back again', and as Tolkien lovers will know, this title is the subtitle of Tolkiens 'The Hobbit'…

Vladimir Martynov’s Utopia Symphony is a musical tribute to Singapore from a son of the Russian avant-garde of the 1970s. Martynov skillfully combines influences from American minimalism and Russian Orthodox chant with a libretto inspired by the ancient text of the Tao Te Ching to create a sound world which seeks to reimagine the concept of utopia. This world premiere recording was made at London’s Abbey Road Studios, under the baton of Vladimir Jurowski.

This selection of Armenian piano music reflects the national characteristics, influences and technical developments of its composers over a 70-year period. The colourful dance element spiced with Armenian modes that is so distinctive is contrasted by Tigran Mansurians courageous avant-garde Three Pieces from 1971.