One of the staples in the Count Basie discography, April in Paris is one of those rare albums that makes its mark as an almost instant classic in the jazz pantheon. April in Paris represents the reassembly of the original Count Basie orchestra that define swing in the 1930s and 1940…

'Brothers & Sisters' is the debut album from Tru Thoughts new signing Lakuta. Referencing a fusion of musical styles, Lakuta draw on their funk, soul, electronic and world music backgrounds to unearth a conversation that explores modern and traditional approaches. The ensemble's new tropical album is produced by the respected Nick Faber, whose production identifies with the band's authentic afrobeat sound, switching up the groove to unlock the infectious energy which radiates from Lakuta's live performances.

Immediately following the death of Ozzy Osbourne's dear friend and collaborator Randy Rhoads, tentative plans for a live recording from the Rhoads tours were quickly scrapped. Instead, the deeply troubled singer opted for a pair of one-offs at New York City's Ritz club…

Wynton Kelly - Full View (1966) {Milestone OJCCD-912-2 rel 1996}
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© 1966, 1996 Milestone Records / Fantasy | OJCCD-912-2
Jazz / Hard Bop / Piano

Pianist Wynton Kelly's next-to-last set as a leader (he would record a slightly later date for Delmark) featured him at a time when his influence was waning and he was overshadowed by more advanced players. However, Kelly's impact would begin to grow again after his death, when the Young Lions movement began in the early '80s; certainly pianist Benny Green was greatly touched by Kelly's conception. This Milestone trio set, reissued on CD, matches Kelly with bassist Ron McClure and drummer Jimmy Cobb on a fine program mostly filled with standards but also including the then-recent Burt Bacharach hit "Walk on By" and Kelly's original "Scufflin'."

Lalo Schifrin - Planet Of The Apes (1974) {2CD Set, La-La Land Records LLLCD1336 rel 2014}
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© 1974, 2014 Fox / La-La Land Records | LLLCD 1336
Jazz / Classical / Soundtrack / Stage & Screen

La-La Land Records and 20th Century Fox present the remastered and expanded 2-CD SET of the original score from the 1974 television series PLANET OF THE APES, based on the famed sci-fi feature franchise and starring Roddy McDowall, Ron Harper and James Naughton. Renowned composer Lalo Schifrin (MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE, DIRTY HARRY, ENTER THE DRAGON, RUSH HOUR), along with Earle Hagen and Richard LaSalle, bring the primal action and drama of the APES saga to orchestral life, resulting in a vivid companion piece to the groundbreaking scores from the original feature film series. Produced by Nick Redman and Mike Matessino and mastered by Daniel Hersch, this amazing 2 CD SET is limited to 2000 Units and features more than 2 hours of exciting music. Exclusive, in-depth liner notes from writer Jeff Bond takes you behind the scenes of the show and its scores, while Jim Titus’ striking art design will drive APES fans bananas with delight!

In terms of vocal power, lyrical beauty and idiomatic authenticity, the casting for this 1992 live recording of the Kirov production of Pique Dame ("The Queen of Spades") could hardly be bettered. Gegam Grigorian (Herman) hits his fearsome, anguished high notes with the accuracy of a laser and Maria Gulegina (Liza) has a voice the size of the QEII but uses it with great subtlety–her opening duet with Pauline floats like gossamer, and her declarations of love for Herman at the end of Act 1 are spine-tingling. Kirov superstars Sergei Leiferkus (Tomsky) and rich-toned Olga Borodina (Pauline) also sound divine.

Alexandra Netzhold has been captivating audiences all over the world for over two decades now. She is seen as one of the most enthusiastic promoters of classical music. The Magazine “Paris Actualités Musique“ attests „fantastic skill with musical fire” and is impressed by her “profound and varied artistic expression”.

The world may seem like a pretty strange place right now, but if nothing else that's forced us into realizing that being human is a shared experience. That sentiment lies at the core of Earth is a Black Hole, the second full-length from the Los Angeles rock act Teenage Wrist. The album also marks the group's first release as a duo, with guitarist Marshall Gallagher stepping up as frontman, and longtime drummer Anthony Salazar Backing him up in spectacular fashion.

Pink Floyd: Live at Pompeii is a 1972 concert documentary film directed by Adrian Maben and featuring the English rock group Pink Floyd performing at the ancient Roman amphitheatre in Pompeii, Italy. Although the band perform a typical live set from the era, there is no audience beyond the basic film crew.

Phineas Newborn Jr. - The Newborn Touch (1964) {Contemporary OJCCD-270-2 rel 1993}
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© 1964, 1993 Contemporary Records / Fantasy | OJCCD-270-2
Jazz / Hard Bop / Mainstream Jazz / Piano

This CD reissue adds an alternate take and an unissued selection to the original program. Pianist Phineas Newborn's only recording of the 1963-1968 period, the trio outing with bassist Leroy Vinnegar and drummer Frank Butler, finds Newborn's virtuosic style unchanged from the late '50s. As is usual on his Contemporary recordings, the pianist explores superior jazz compositions, in this case interpreting a song apiece by Benny Carter, Russ Freeman, Hampton Hawes, Art Pepper, Ornette Coleman ("The Blessing"), Carl Perkins, Frank Rosolino, Leroy Vinnegar, Jimmy Woods and Barney Kessel. Newborn's remarkable control of the piano was still unimpaired, and he is heard giving Oscar Peterson a run for his money.

In the Shadows is the third full-length studio album by Danish heavy metal band Mercyful Fate. It is the first offering of the band since their reunion in 1992. The album was released in 1993 via Metal Blade Records. Unlike previous Mercyful Fate albums, which were entirely centered around lyrical themes of Satanism and the occult, the lyrics on this album are rather focused on more conceptual horror-themes, akin to King Diamond's work with his eponymous band. The band would not return to a primarily occult/Satanic lyrical approach until the band's latest album, 9, released in 1999. Some editions of In the Shadows contain a bonus track, "Return of the Vampire… 1993", that is a re-recording of the song "Return of the Vampire", present in the homonymous 1992 compilation album, featuring Lars Ulrich of Metallica on drums.

"Wyrd" is the 2020 album by Ellesmere, a symphonic-prog music project founded and led by Italian multi-instrumentalist Roberto Vitelli. Influences include classic bands s.a. Yes and King Crimson, contemporary groups s.a. Transatlantic, Flower Kings and Spock's Beard, and there's also a notable jazz influence.

Lin Halliday - East of the Sun (1992) {Delmark DE-458}
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© 1992 Delmark Records | DE-458
Jazz / Hard Bop / Saxophone

On his second album, muscular tenor saxman Lin Halliday continues to excel by sticking with what he does best: unapologetic hard bop greatly influenced by Sonny Rollins' recordings of the late '50s. The insightful Windy City support he'd enjoyed on Delayed Exposure reunites with him on East of the Sun: Ira Sullivan (who is heard on trumpet, flugelhorn, tenor sax, and alto flute), pianist Jodie Christian, bassist Dennis Carrroll, and drummer George Fludas. As intensely as Halliday swings on "I Found a New Baby," his warm and very personal lyricism on "Corcovado," "Indian Summer," and "Will You Still Be Mine" indicate that he's a romantic at heart. Like its predecessor, East of the Sun makes listeners wish a label had offered Halliday a deal 20 or 30 years earlier.

Spirit is the first full-length album by the Swiss folk metal band Eluveitie. It was released on June 1, 2006, by Fear Dark Records

Eric Clapton's eponymous solo debut was recorded after he completed a tour with Delaney & Bonnie. Clapton used the core of the duo's backing band and co-wrote the majority of the songs with Delaney Bramlett – accordingly, Eric Clapton sounds more laid-back and straightforward than any of the guitarist's previous recordings…