The name of Vasily Pavlovich Kalafati (1869–1942), born to Greek parents in the Crimea, has a toe-hold in the history books as one of Stravinsky’s teachers, but he was an accomplished composer in his own right. The early piano works recorded here show the influence of Rimsky Korsakov (his teacher and friend) and other Russian-nationalist composers, but they also owe something to the examples of Chopin and Brahms, not least in their blend of passion and textural clarity. The vigour of these pieces stands in stark contrast to the ultimate fate of their composer: he starved to death during the Siege of Leningrad.

Live at the Audio Club, Sao Paulo, Brazil, May 22, 2014 on '77 South American Tour.

20 ans de collaboration discographique dont l'on peut dire aisément qu'elle a largement contribué au renouveau du jazz vocal, tel " Up Close " qui s'inscrit au firmament des plus grands albums de jazz vocal. Ce Winds of change qui les réunit à nouveau leur donne des ailes pour proposer une nouvelle forme d'écriture où textes et mélodies composés à quatre mains se côtoient au même niveau pour faire oeuvre musicale commune, aller à l'essentiel dans l'épure et la poésie, pour notre enchantement. Juste beau.

Bob Dylan's first album is a lot like the debut albums by the Beatles and the Rolling Stones – a sterling effort, outclassing most, if not all, of what came before it in the genre, but similarly eclipsed by the artist's own subsequent efforts…

A Paris-based female disco trio, La Belle Epoque scored a few club hits during the late '70s. Their first and biggest was 1977's "Miss Broadway," a Top 30 hit on the R&B charts, and they also had some success with the extended "Disco Sound" medley, which incorporated a version of Los Bravos' '60s pop hit "Black Is Black." Their first album, the soul/Euro-disco hybrid Miss Broadway, was also released in 1977. It was followed a year later by the more synth-driven Bamalama, whose title track was another long medley featuring disco interpretations of rock oldies.

At a certain point, bad taste and bombast becomes so excessive and so grandiose that they're no longer an easily dismissed irritation but an astonishing monument to the warped imagination. Such a monument is Meat Loaf's Bat Out of Hell II: Back Into Hell, the long-delayed sequel to 1977's Bat Out of Hell. Once again songwriter/producer Jim Steinman has isolated high-school parking-lot aphorisms and inflated them to Wagner-on-Broadway proportions, casting Mr. Loaf as a heavy-metal Ezio Pinza. Typical of the album's strategy is its big hit single, "I'd Do Anything for Love (But I Won't Do That)." Steinman piles on the guitars, drums, synthesizers, and choral voices as if he were Phil Spector producing Kiss playing the Who songbook.

Dream You is the fourth studio album by the American country music band Pirates of the Mississippi. Released in 1993 as their final studio album for Liberty Records, it features the single "Dream You", which peaked at number 68 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks (now Hot Country Songs) charts. Basically a party album, it contains songs like "Save the Wild Life," "Pop from the Top," "The Night They Rocked the Grand Ole Opry," and a full-tilt cover of Hank Thompson's "The Wild Side of Life."

Although hopelessly overshadowed by the seemingly endless British onslaught flowing from across the Atlantic throughout the 1970s, America's heartland produced an impressive number of quite worthy guitar heroes all its own; and for every Ted Nugent or Ronnie Montrose who attained a certain level of success in their day and are now regarded as true legends, countless dozens of additional candidates would remain forever lost under the radar. Such is the case of Chicago's highly deserving Jordan Macarus, whose primary work with local scene favorites Winterhawk went largely unheard outside the scope of die-hard collectors despite several decades of existence.

By the time this was released in 2001, John Mayall was more known for the people who played in his seminal British band, the Bluesbreakers rather than his own accomplishments. The success of 1999's Padlock on the Blues afforded Mayall the opportunity to fulfill his dreams and gather an all-star lineup of blues and rock luminaries…

In a Christmas album that is a gift itself, Jonas Kaufmann the most acclaimed operatic tenor of the age echoes his own holiday memories and joys with It s Christmas!, celebrating the most festive time of the year with a unique selection of beloved songs and carols. This uniquely rich and diverse holiday album features 40 favorites that reflect the many facets of Christmas, from ancient Christian hymns to contemporary pop classics.

The debut international long-player by the Bee Gees may shock anyone who only remembers them for their mid- to late-'70s disco mega-hits, or their quirky early-'70s romantic balladry. Up until 1966, they'd shown a penchant for melodic songs and rich, high harmonies, in the process becoming Australia's answer to the Everly Brothers…