Nathalie Stutzmann is regarded as one of the most remarkable musical personalities of our time and one of a few genuine contralto voices.

Stephen Richard Hackett (born 12 February 1950) is an English musician, songwriter, singer, and producer who gained prominence as the lead guitarist of the progressive rock band Genesis from 1971 to 1977. Hackett contributed to six Genesis studio albums, three live albums, seven singles and one EP before he left to pursue a solo career. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Genesis in 2010…

Trettioåriga Kriget is a Swedish progressive rock band that was formed in Saltsjöbaden outside Stockholm in 1970. They released their s/t debut album in 1974. They have earned critical acclaim from critics and fellow musicians, developed a cult following, and became an influence for a new generation of Swedish and Scandinavian progressive rock bands.
Considering that this pre-debut album actually saw the light of day as a result of using a 2-track tape recorder to document the collective thoughts and ideas of these aspiring lads, one cannot really complain about the obviously inferior sound quality.
The sound is often slightly dissonant and unnerving; given the prehistoric age of the original recordings but enables the band to pull off a pretty convincing attempt at emulating what Pink Floyd so admirably did in their prime…

Andy Kirk's Orchestra was at the height of its popularity during the late 1930s, still riding high from their hit "Until the Real Thing Comes Along." The star of that record, singer Pha Terrell, is on the majority of the songs on this CD (the fourth in Classics' complete reissuance of the master takes of all Andy Kirk recordings from the swing era), but there are some hotter tunes too, most notably "Mess-A-Stomp," "Jump Jack Jump," "Dunkin' a Doughnut" and "Mary's Idea"…

Peak Inn joins Brooklyn-based drummer Vinnie Sperrazza with regular sparring partners, pianist Jacob Sacks (they work together in altoist Matt Blostein's group) and bassist Dave Ambrosio, on four standards, Sperrazza's tune "Hyde" and six collective improvisations. The set teeters between dissonant, impulsive freedom and a fresh, lyrical take on the "book"—albeit with the former directly informing the latter.

There are undoubtedly many piano trios in jazz. However, only very few of them have consistently done "their thing" as has the Marc Perrenoud Trio for many years to get inexorably to the top of their field. They have developed a language, which takes its inspiration from many sources like Esperanto and consequently can be learned and experienced by many. Opulently furnished harmony sequences remind you of Bach's work, but then you are reminded of rock fanfares in the next moment. Only a few minutes later, and we are in the delta of blues that takes us on swinging waters. Then back to ballads full of sensitivity, which almost call études to mind.

Beethoven was commissioned to write his first stage work- a ballet score for Die Geschopfe des Prometheus (‘The Creatures of Prometheus’)- for the dancer and choreographer Salvatore Vigano, nephew of composer Luigi Boccherini. In the myth, Prometheus is punished by Zeus for stealing fire for the benefit of mankind; in the allegorical ballet, Prometheus brings Enlightenment ideas of art and science to humanity. The overture remains popular and the finale- the theme of which Beethoven was later to use in his ‘Eroica’ Symphony- offers a heroic conclusion.

In 2000 MCA Nashville released an excellent Conway Twitty hits collection, The #1 Hits Collection, which compiled a whopping 33 chart-toppers. It was a nice listen, illustrating precisely why Twitty is such a legend. Then came 25 Number Ones in 2004, which was essentially a scaled-down, more economical single-disc version of its double-disc predecessor. And then, since MCA is wont to repackage Twitty's back catalog ad infinitum, along came Gold in 2006. This double-disc, 40-song collection is yet another entry in the ideal Twitty compilation sweepstakes, and while its predecessors were plenty satisfactory, this one just may be the most satisfactory one yet.